Comments made by the provost of Perth and Kinross have angered parents fighting to save Errol Kids Club.
Explaining why the council intends to shut the club this summer, Provost John Hulbert told one mother, “other people’s taxes are paying for your childcare.”
In his letter to Fiona Wilson, Dr Hulbert, councillor for the Carse of Gowrie ward, added that the decision announced during last month’s budget was “final” and could not be reversed.
Mrs Wilson has launched a campaign to save the service, which she describes as a lifeline for local families. A ‘Save Errol After School Club’ Facebook group set up last week has already attracted nearly 100 members.
The cost-cutting measure will see 10 clubs across the region close their doors from July 1 and a further five will provide only a reduced service, saving the council an estimated £180,000 a year. Parents have been offered the chance to take over the running of loss-making clubs or receive help to set up a new venture. However, many are in full-time employment and do not feel they will have the free time needed.
Mrs Wilson said the decision to axe the club was made without consulting either the users of the service or the community.
“For those of us who are working parents or juggling competing demands in busy lives, this service is absolutely essential,” she said. “Many parents moved to this area specifically because there was such a provision for their children, and have accepted employment on the basis they could fulfil certain hours because this club was available to them.
“Some will be forced to give up work or reduce their hours, whether they can afford to or not, simply because there will be no one to help care for their children otherwise.”ManagementPerth and Kinross Council last year spent a total of £18,500 subsiding the club, which operates at Errol Primary School on Station Road. However, Mrs Wilson believes better management of its finances could have prevented the problem.
“Although the council has no statutory obligation to provide such a service, they took on the responsibility to provide it and should have ensured the service was managed properly and effectively to mitigate the risk of the situation we are now faced with. It is appalling that parents and children are to be left with no sensible, viable alternative if this service is closed.
“We have essentially been given a four-month window to try and seek an alternative or set up our own version of the kids club. We have started negotiations to have the decision reviewed or find an acceptable compromise or viable alternative but don’t feel very supported in doing this.”
Replying to Dr Hulbert, she said, “For you to say that other people’s taxes are paying for my childcare is reprehensible and an insult to my husband and I. We are both hard working tax-payers, contributing to society and paying for plenty of things through our taxes that we might not choose to otherwise.
“Parents feel badly let down by these decisions which might be small by your standards but have a huge impact on our daily lives and that of our children and far-reaching consequences for our working lives and I fear you are failing to properly recognise this and display greater empathy to our plight.”ReducedThe children’s clubs expected to close are Abernethy, Birnam and Dunkeld, Blackford, Coupar Angus, Craigie/Moncrieffe in Perth, Crieff, Comrie, Errol, Longforgan and Pitlochry. Clubs in Bridge of Earn, Scone, Invergowrie, Milnathort and Blairgowrie will be managed and subsidised by the council but will offer reduced services.
While 410 children are registered to use the 15 affected clubs in term time, only 156 children attend on average on a daily basis. Seven clubs will continue to operate as normal.
During 2010/11 the projected subsidy required for 13 of the clubs ranged from £8142 to £26,288 or up to £6926 per child based on average daily attendance over a year. This compares to an average cost of £4182 per year to provide full-time education to a primary school pupil in Perth and Kinross.
A council spokesman said a review was carried out before the decision, which looked at criteria including daily attendance, overheads including room hire, the level of subsidy required and the number of families registered.