Crieff parents have accused Perth and Kinross Council of taking over the running of an after-school club when the going was good, only to hand it back when purse strings were tightened.
“I’m lucky I have a great manager who understands my situation, but she has other staff who are able to cover all the necessary hours,” she said.
She added, “If parents have to give up work there will be less cash floating around the town, and shops will suffer. On the one hand the council promises to safeguard the high street and on the other they are taking away business.”
Discussions are taking place to find out if spaces are available at nearby St Dominic’s RC Primary School, but parents would have to fund buses.
A council spokesman said, “Along with other local authorities, Perth and Kinross Council faces significant financial challenges over the next five years due to a reduction in our funding from the UK Government. This will bring about a significant degree of change in the way we deliver our services.
“Major savings were required to be identified in setting the council’s budget for 2011-12 but there were no easy choices. It has been necessary to find ways of delivering quality services at a much lower cost by reviewing, reducing or stopping some services and, regrettably, sustainability has been an ongoing issue with kids’ clubs for some time, with many requiring high levels of subsidy and funding.
“At present, 22 kids’ clubs are currently managed by the council for school-age children and almost 75% of these operate at a loss.
“During 2010/11 the projected subsidy required for 13 of these 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.
“In the present financial climate it is not sustainable for the council to continue to subsidise loss-making provision to this extent.”
The spokesman said the council had held a series of meetings for parents and carers of all registered kids’ clubs users in the areas identified as likely to be affected by closure or reduction of current service, adding that it was committed to providing guidance and support to all affected.
Clubs in Abernethy, Birnam and Dunkeld, Blackford, Coupar Angus, Craigie/Moncrieffe, Comrie, Errol, Longforgan and Pitlochry are also earmarked for closure.
The Bridge of Earn Village Kids’ Club will only run in term times and the breakfast club will be shut after summer. The clubs in Scone and Invergowrie will be reduced to term-time only, and Milnathort will cease to pick up from Portmoak.
Blairgowrie Kids’ Club will get rid of one play assistant and cut supervisor hours to 20 during term time and 37 in the holidays.
Council bosses announced in February that the kids’ club at Crieff Primary would close in the summer as part of major cost-cutting measures.
The news shocked many residents, who describe the 3.30pm-6pm service as a “lifeline”.
Unlike some of the other clubs under threat in the region, the Crieff group is regularly at its full capacity of 20.
Mother-of-two Nicola Christie is worried she will have to give up on her dream of going back to university.
Mrs Christie, whose six-year-old son attends the club Monday to Friday, has started an online petition to pressure the council to reconsider.
Parents have been offered the chance to run the venture or receive help to set up a new one, but this has only frustrated them further, Mrs Christie said.
“The club was started by a group of local mums a few years ago and it was really profitable,” she told The Courier. “Interestingly, Perth and Kinross Council decided to take over when it realised there was money to be made.
“It makes our blood boil that now that it isn’t making as much money the council decide to hand it back.
“Most of the parents have work commitments and don’t have the time to start it up again as a new business. The fact we are in the middle of a recession won’t help, either.
“Surely there is a way for the council to restructure it to make money? It was the responsibility of council staff to keep it ticking over.”
The economic crisis meant Mrs Christie was forced to give up on an online venture and she now works part-time in a cafe a job she loves. However, if she is unable to find after-school care for her eldest son she is worried she might have to hand in her notice since her husband Adam works full-time in Falkirk.
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