'We turned the Christmas lights but on our own lights may never turn on again'

A Sheerness children's centre has told us they are unsure if their own lights will ever turn on again after they switched on their Christmas lights.

Over one hundred people walked the car park of Seashells last night, browsing the stools and eating their hot dogs while listening to the classical music of Christmas time.

It brought smiles to the faces of all the parents and children that call this centre their 'home', however, come this evening, those smile could well disappear with Seashells and Milmeads - in Margate - finding out if their doors will be closed.

It will bring the end to a decision which has been going since July, when Kent County Council launched a consultation to decide the future of both centres. What followed has been endless campaigning to keep them open and show how they are still needed in their communities.

In September the consultation closed and last month, a vote was held, at County Hall in Maidstone, on whether the decision should be delayed. In the end, the majority voting against this, pressing on with the decision which will be made today.

Ian Towsend Blazier works for Seashells and he said: "We're hopeful because we hope what we do speak for ourselves and the responses we have seen from the consultation, in our opinion, means it should be overturned.

"Though that is not our decision to make, and it is down to Sue Chandler and the CYP committee to come to a conclusion.

"Today is going to be a hard day, we have been fighting so hard for the right decision which really has been an upward battle and I think when we are in the meeting it will be really tough to listen to some of the thing they are going to say.

"If we do close, I'll be gutted for the families and their children, there will be nothing for them left to do. They talk about building a service within the gateway but you can't deliver what we deliver here which is a purpose built family centre, which has been here for over 20 years.

In response, Sue Chandler, Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services, said: "In light of the significant financial pressures KCC is facing now and in the future, we are having to make some extremely difficult decisions to protect statutory services for everyone in the future.

" Under the current contracts, KCC is paying for both the delivery of the service and the local management by the providers.

"Following the introduction of our new Family Hub model across Kent last year, the management cost for these two commissioned services now creates a duplication as KCC is also paying for the management of its in-house services at KCC Family Hubs across the Districts of Swale and Thanet.

“By not renewing these contracts when they naturally come to an end in March 2025, we can make a much-needed efficiency saving whilst continuing to provide essential services for families and young people in these areas.