Angry parents in Auchterarder have launched a petition demanding the children’s summer camps in the town be saved from budget cuts.
Residents of the Perthshire town were notified last month the camps would not be held this year due to Live Active Leisure withdrawing its management of sports facilities at the Community School of Auchterarder from June 28.
Perth and Kinross Council will take over the running of the facilities in August but this has left many parents with childcare headaches over the holidays.
The Langtoon Childcare Hub has now launched a petition to get the summer camps reinstated saying the move leaves 35 families without any viable childcare services in the local area.
A spokesperson for the Childcare Hub said: “The Auchterarder community demand the reinstatement of the Live Active Leisure summer camp service by Perth and Kinross Council as a matter of urgency.
“We strongly believe that Perth and Kinross Council should reverse its sudden decision to cancel the Live Active Leisure summer camps for our community.
“Perth and Kinross Council’s removal of the only local service that can flexibly and affordably accommodate 40 to 45 children will have a serious impact on the quality of life for these families.”
Live Active Leisure have previously stated decisions were made as “part of the annual budget setting process with Perth and Kinross Council.”
It is understood the two bodies have been in discussion regarding the summer camps but that due to the withdrawal of the Live Active staff the council no longer has a resource available in the Auchterarder area to deliver the service.
A spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council said: “As part of this year’s budget setting, the council opted to reinstate £200,000 of the projected savings Live Active Leisure were seeking to make, leaving a savings requirement of £24,000 from Perth and Kinross Council.
“However, Live Active Leisure are unique in that they own and operate a number of the leisure venues throughout Perth and Kinross and are therefore faced with a number of financial challenges.
“Live Active Leisure has extremely sound financial management and governance in which the council is wholly confident; it is currently carrying out a strategic review of changing trading conditions with support from Perth and Kinross Council.”
