Campaigners will be at the Millmead Children’s Centre trade fair on Friday to help people fill out a consultation over service funding cuts.
Kent County Council wants to save £426,000 by not renewing contracts for commissioned services at Millmead centre and Seashells in Sheerness, when they end in March 2025. It is understood around £225,000 of that is funding for the centre at Dane Valley Road in Margate.
This sum is around half of the centre’s annual funding. The centre is funded in two, separate ways – the nursery (62 places) and community development and support (1104 people in June 2024).
The centre has 27 staff and seven volunteers whose roles are likely to be under threat.
The “pantry” at the rear where a foodbank and subscription food service operates from will also be at risk.
A consultation on the funding withdrawal runs until 22 September.
To help people have their say there will be a stall at the family trade fair where help will be given to complete paper copies.
The family trade fair takes place on Friday (August 16) from 10am to 2pm and will have a range of stalls from services as well as crafts and food. The large red play-bus will be on site for children under seven and there will be plenty for families.
Cllr Barry Lewis says support for the campaign has been overwhelming, with former Eastenders star Shaun Williamson (character Barry Evans) backing the bid to save both Millmead and Seashells in an online video.
East Thanet MP Polly Billington is also putting her weight behind the campaign and is calling on Kent County Council to reconsider their decision to cut the funding.
Cllr Lewis said: “I want to thank all the people who have signed petitions and filled out the consultation.
“If you come to the trade fair there will be a stand to help people fill out the paper forms. So far we have knocked on 1,500 doors, given out 300 posters and helped send off 1,400 paper consultation forms.”
Have your say
The consultation will run until 22 September.
For full details of the proposal and to have your say visit: www.kent.gov.uk/familyhubsconsultation
For queries or requests for hard copies, email [email protected]
For alternative formats, email [email protected] or call 03000 421553 (text relay service number 18001 03000 421553).
IF it was value for taxes payers money it would not be in this situation but it’s clearly not so closing makes sense. Still the figures given are not true which shows how desperate they are to keep it going. Would be nice if the labour councillors have the guts to show the daily visitors but so far backtrack on every question asked.
Your figures for June is 1104 visit’s that equals 20 days open, so 55.2 a day. Your own figures show very clearly that it’s NOT VALUE FOR MONEY.
The figures for june is 1104. You answered your own question!!!!
Previously the number was given as how many people had entered the centre, no clarification as to how many of those were repeat visits by the same people, i could say 20 people a day enter my home, but it’ll only be the two of us doing it 10 times each.
The 1104 means nothing without some detail, it’s similar to the huge numbers of visitors the Turner centre used to claim they had, eventually it turns out the numbers were just the number of times the sensors were triggered and counted as a visitor. Great for a headline figure but useless in terms of determining how many real visitors were attracted to margate and the gallery.
So you agree that it’s not working and value for money yet you still think it’s worth fighting for. It’s a lost cause
Fighting to save the centre,doing it for the children. It is tremendous value for money as it saves lives
“Tens of thousands of lives” by any chance, can you prove it saves lives or is it just another bit of your dramatic exageration? But carry on , your antics are rather entertaining.
No funding is actively being cut or withdrawn from either centre.
Fixed term contracts are ending.
There is no guarantee either would win any bid for any new contracts, even if KCC offer them.
I know it’s nothing to do with the contract that’s ending in Millmead, but can anyone confirm exactly how many places there are in the nursery? 62 & 65 have both been reported on this site.
Saying it saves lives is over stating as closing will not lead to mass suicide it’s an under used nursery and not a mental institute. You clearly live in Cuckoo land and still no real facts or figures to prove it’s value for money or that any life has been saved
I do hope that the video on the centres Facebook page is not a true representation of the effort of support for the centre by it’s users.
If it is, it’s such a shame for the stallholders.
Seeing the solitary push chair there has reminded me of some questions to ask Cllr Lewis. Not that I really expect any straight answers.
When is the Pram Push due to take place? And how many invites have you issued? Also, could you confirm the number of nursery place’s?
So funny how its the same 3 “people” probably all the same person with the negative comments. Why don’t you have the guts and ask the Centre themselves? and “Chris” you keep mentioning about the visitors, are you sitting outside a childrens centre and watching people go in and out? if so, maybe the police need to check your hard drive, you creep!
If you consider pertinent questions being asked and half truths being corrected as negative then I believe that says more about you than anybody else.
It’s not so funny that the 1 “person” refusing to clarify these questions is the “person” who has been elected to represent all of the “people” in the district, not just the “people” he see’s fit to.
The £225000 figure is per year. Supplying numbers of individuals this money helps for one isolated month (June) is no help at all.
I would love to go to the centre to ask but unfortunately I am at work when it is open.
Wouldn’t it have nice for the centre’s manager to save all of the confusion and just given the numbers here herself?
That way everyone could have an educated view on the situation.
Lilly Kellows, I do think you need to be mindful of your wording on a public platform.
Your comment to Chris, that maybe the police need to check his hardrive is unbelieveable, all because he wanted answers to questions on this article.
I am truly amazed, not only on comments you have made, but also the arrogance and rudeness of a County Councillor who represents this area.
All the manager of the site has to do is post the link.
When public money is involved, everything has to be open and transparent and rightly so.
James, do you not think sitting outside and counting the amount of people entering a children’s centre is creepy?????
Its ok for this “Chris” to FLATTEN a centre for CHILDREN but it’s not ok for me to call someone out about been obsessed with CHILDRENS centre.
Maybe, YOU should mind your own business what I say and get off your keyboards and find answers, sad little men!
Childless white men I’m assuming that DEMAND answers, how about request in writing to the centre then instead of petty arguing with a politician that doesn’t work at the centre.
Maybe you should all check your FACTS before attacking a CHILDRENS centre!
Lilly Kellows
You really are such a rude person.
What has a mans colour got to do with it?
Once again I am amazed at your choice of words.
For the record, yes, I am white, with two children and five grandchildren, not that it has anything to do with anybody asking pertinent questions regarding this article.
My goodness, if your sort of thinking is anything to go by, I am afraid it does not say a lot about the centre.
Maybe CHRIS should seek advice, about your comments regarding the police.
I am certainly offended by your comment implying a persons colour.