Parents step up campaign against Staffordshire children's centres closure
Unhappy parents took part in a demonstration outside a children's centre in protest at cost-cutting plans to close it.
Boney Hay children's centre is one of 43 to be axed by Staffordshire County Council in a bid to save £3 million.
The council needs to cut £102m from its budget over the next five years.
Burntwood has fared badly in the scale-down, with the council also withdrawing its involvement with the town's only other children's centre, at Springhill.
Mother-of-four Tracey Matthews, who runs the toddler group Bright Stars at Boney Hay, said: "We're devastated over this.
"We've been given notice that we have to be out by the end of March but we have nowhere to go."
Plans are in place for Springhill Primary School to take over the running of Springhill children's centre, but no guarantees have been given over its future.
Parents have launched a petition to raise awareness of the county council's intentions and hope to reverse its decision.
More than 500 people have signed it in under a week. A paper and on-line petition are both doing the rounds.
Ms Matthews, of Longfellow Road, Burntwood, said many parents would not be able to afford the £7 return bus fare to Cannock or Lichfield, where children's centres have escaped the council cull.
She said: "I moved into this area a few years ago with a young family, feeling vulnerable and not knowing anybody.
"The children's centre helped me a lot and gave me confidence, and now I run my own group, helping families who were in my situation. They are devastated. Many of them are on low incomes, and that's why we're fighting it."
Local district councillors Sue Woodward and Diane Evans joined the demonstration, and have spoken in support of the campaign.
County councillor Mike Lawrence, cabinet member for children's and community services, claimed the reorganisation of the children's services was necessary in order focus more on families which needed the most support.
He said some services were being wasted as they were based in communities where parents did not need them. Under the new system, staff would visit children in their own homes where necessary.
