Crèche Campaign Wrapped Up In The Guardian

Today the Guardian launched a new local Edinburgh site and the end of the Save Our Crèches campaign was one of the featured articles.

You can see the article and hear the accompanying audio interview here.

Last Day of Crèche Services Tomorrow

Just to remind you that Edinburgh Leisure's four remaining crèches close tomorrow. Down at Portobello this morning the team were sifting toys and chatting to visitors, as well as playing with their last few customers!

I'm sure you'll join with us in thanking all of the crèche staff for all they've done for us and our children over the years, and in wishing them very well for the future.

The End Of The Road

Sadly, the campaign received news yesterday that the four remaining Edinburgh Leisure crèches are to close on 26 March 2010.

Edinburgh Leisure have confirmed that they will not trial a scheme proposed by the campaign, the intention of which was to charge enough to cover the cost of the crèche. This is in spite of the fact that many of you have said directly that you would pay more for the crèche. And in spite of the fact that a Council Motion to find an alternative way to provide crèches was passed unanimously in December. This has to raise serious questions about who exactly public bodies such as Edinburgh Leisure are accountable to. And it has to raise serious questions about how committed Edinburgh Leisure ever were to providing crèches long term.

This is clearly a very disappointing end to the campaign. It's also a blow to the health and wellbeing of women and children across the city, many of whom will now be excluded from leisure facilities which have been paid for with public money, and should be available to all.

Many, many thanks to all of you who joined the campaign. All that remains now is for us to support the fantastic crèche staff in the coming weeks - I'm sure all of you agree that they have done a sterling job and we, and our children, will miss them greatly.

That Council Budget Cut In Full...

The campaign received confirmation yesterday that City of Edinburgh Council have gone ahead with the full proposed budget cut for Edinburgh Leisure - sadly there will be no money ringfenced for creche provision.

Clearly this isn't the news we were hoping for.

However, we are still awaiting a decision from Edinburgh Leisure as to whether or not they will pilot a new costing scheme proposed by the campaign.

A massive thank you to you all for your support so far, and if you can, please help by contacting Edinburgh Leisure to give your further support to the proposed costing plan - you can read details in the previous post. We're hopeful that it could really work!

Last Chance - Radical New Cost Neutral Proposal For Crèches

Last chance to Save Our Crèches! A radical new cost neutral proposal for keeping the crèches open has been worked up by the on behalf of the campaign. Just as a reminder, this campaign has been backed by:

- the Royal College of GPs
- the Royal College of Midwives, and even
- City of Edinburgh Full Council themselves, in a motion passed on 17 December last year.

Deidre Brock, Convenor of the Council's Culture and Leisure Committee kindly agreed to meet Save Our Crèches to discuss any new proposals we had. These had to be cost neutral proposals that would enable the Full Council motion to be met, whilst also generating a saving to EL.

Therefore a completely new proposal has been worked up. You can view it here.

This proposal would enable Edinburgh to retain some crèches, at no further cost to Edinburgh Leisure and so should hopefully ‘tick all necessary boxes’ for CEC and EL. However, it's all down to Cllr Brock now to take forward!

Please give her your support (deidre.brock@edinburgh.gov.uk ) and show her that this is something YOU care about and not just the 5 of us who were able to meet her in person.

Save Our Crèches gets growing support in House of Commons

We've just had an update from Mark Lazarowicz, MP about the progress of his Early Day Motion in the House of Commons. So far 13 MPs have signed the motion - you can see the details here.

Many thanks to all the MPs who have supported us!

Edinburgh Evening News - Councillors Need To Take Note!

Please take a look at today's Edinburgh Evening News for coverage of the campaign's latest way of attracting the councillors' attention. We're working on persuading the councillors to ringfence the £130,000 Edinburgh Leisure say they need to subsidise the creches - and focussed on this by handing out "Bank of Hope" notes worth just that much to all of the councillors on Friday.

Let's keep hoping!