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Nursery protesters stage march
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| Parents, children and staff from Abacus on the march |
MOTHERS and fathers wheeled buggies through the centre of Witney in protest at the closure of a much-loved nursery for their children.
The youngsters also went to the West Oxfordshire District Council offices carrying home-made banners.
They also sang a version of a children's song, with the lines "the children go marching in one by one, 'cause soon our nursery will be gone".
About 40 parents and children, along with staff, took part in the walk though town to the Wood Green offices, asking passers-by to put their signatures to a protest letter to the council and appeal for help in finding new accommodation.
Nursery deputy manager Eileen Tyrell said: "We told the children this was a field trip to see those nice people at the council."
Earlier in the afternoon the council gave the go-ahead for the redevelopment of the town's Abingdon and Witney College campus.
It set a July 4 deadline for Abacus to close. Despite the nursery providing places for children of students and staff since 1999, there is no place for it in the £30.5m rebuild.
Among the protesters was Jessica Lay, 22, who has been sending her boy Matthew, now four and a half, to Abacus since he was five weeks old. She became pregnant during her A-Level course and said "I was only able to stay at the college by using the nursery."
She eventually won student of the year award and is now in her final year of a law and sociology degree at Oxford Brookes University.
Kate O'Hare, marketing manager for a software company, said she had been "reduced to tears". Her daughter Sophie, 17 months, has been at Abacus for over a year.
Ms O'Hare, who lives on the town's Madley Park estate, said: "The college will no longer have child care for its students, not only young mums but mature students as well.
"Witney is growing. When Abacus closes where are these 90 children going to go?"
Abacus, run by Olivia Hill and Claire Taylor, caters for 85 children, up to five years old at the nursery, and up to eight years old for after-school care. It employs 16 staff.
Witney MP David Cameron has been enlisted to help Abacus find a new site, so far without success. Oxfordshire County Council, as education authority, is also involved.
Steve Bilcliffe, the college's director of development, said: "We need the precious weeks during the summer holidays to get temporary classrooms in place.
"There is no room for Abacus. They were first told about this two years ago and given notice about it a year ago.
"They have been here nine years, paying no rent, and the students and staff have been using them to our advantage. The college is very sorry."
Anyone who can help Abacus is asked to call 01993 773337.
8:57pm Monday 19th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: mrs dore, witney on 9:40pm Mon 19 May 08
Having used the nursery for seven years i am very dissapointed no one can help with the situation.I feel for the staff and the childern being forced to look for new jobs and nurserys. Where do 90 childern go with all the extra houses being built in Witney i feel this is going to be a major problem in years to come. Having found the BEST i feel now the best is being taken away.
Having used the nursery for seven years i am very dissapointed no one can help with the situation.I feel for the staff and the childern being forced to look for new jobs and nurserys. Where do 90 childern go with all the extra houses being built in Witney i feel this is going to be a major problem in years to come. Having found the BEST i feel now the best is being taken away.
Posted by: Mrs S, Witney on 4:51pm Tue 20 May 08
We are devastated about the closure of the nursery, both from a personal view and for the staff. I’m daily having to try to explain to my 3 ½ year old daughter why her nursery is closing; she keeps asking if her friends and the staff will also be at her new nursery.
I know that Abacus have had a year to find new premises, and I know that Olivia and Clair have explored every possible solution in often challenging circumstances. I would like to thank all the staff for all their hard work maintaining the extremely high standards at the nursery during this time, and can assure them that like everyone else I have spoken to, we are keeping our fingers crossed that a solution is found to stop this closure going ahead.
The government is keen to get women with young children back into the workplace – surely there must be some help available to avoid a high quality childcare provider close down in an expanding town like Witney!
We are devastated about the closure of the nursery, both from a personal view and for the staff. I’m daily having to try to explain to my 3 ½ year old daughter why her nursery is closing; she keeps asking if her friends and the staff will also be at her new nursery.
I know that Abacus have had a year to find new premises, and I know that Olivia and Clair have explored every possible solution in often challenging circumstances. I would like to thank all the staff for all their hard work maintaining the extremely high standards at the nursery during this time, and can assure them that like everyone else I have spoken to, we are keeping our fingers crossed that a solution is found to stop this closure going ahead.
The government is keen to get women with young children back into the workplace – surely there must be some help available to avoid a high quality childcare provider close down in an expanding town like Witney!
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