Nursery funding campaign goes to Westminster

Nursery campaigners will travel to Westminster on Wednesday 25 April to press the case for prover government funding of this key early-years service for children and working parents. Campaigners from Salford will be to the fore, having arranged the day with the city’s three MPs. Salford UNISON branch secretary Steven North says the city “faces the closure of five nurseries, all of which are rated outstanding by Ofsted, but we know that there are many other areas around the country facing a similar threat because of changes to the funding arrangements.” A coach full of campaigners from Salford, including parents, workers, councillors and Salford mayor Paul Dennett will travel to Westminster, on the day. They have arranged a meeting with Rebecca Long-Bailey, MP for Salford and Eccles, Barbara Keeley, Worsely and Eccles South, and Graham Stringer, Broughton and Blackley. The move to build a country-wide campaign has grown out of action to save five council nurseries in Salford, threatened with closure because of central government budget cuts. Campaigning over the five nurseries in March included a successful march and rally in Salford, attracting more than 1,000 people and addressed by shadow education secretary – and UNISON member – Angela Raynor. Watch a Granada TV report on the Salford march and rally Salford council found enough funding to keep the nurseries open until the start of the 2019-20 school year in September next year, but their existence is still under ...
Source: UNISON Health care news - Category: UK Health Authors: Tags: Article News children's services education services local government local government and financing local government cuts nurseries nursery schools Source Type: news