Kids will have 'nowhere to go' if club closes for good (From This Is Local London)

Kids will have 'nowhere to go' if Streatham Vale One O'Clock Club closes for good

7:00am Thursday 4th October 2012 in News By Alice Foster, Reporter

This summer’s closure of a children’s activity club has left parents with “nowhere to go”, it was claimed, amid fears it could disappear altogether.

The One O’clock Club, in Streatham Vale Park, was closed by Lambeth Council for improvement works several weeks ago, but no work has yet started and users have not been told when it will re-open.

The council plans to transfer the borough’s One O’clock Clubs to private children centres and voluntary groups as part of the as part of its ‘cooperative council’ model.

But last week, the Streatham Guardian revealed the list of clubs and preferred providers contained no mention of Streatham Vale.

Karen Morfey, chair of Friends of Streatham Vale Park, said the club was vital for giving parents and children a place to come together.

She said: "It’s really been a big loss. The whole summer has gone by with nowhere for parents and children to go."

"If you are a single mum stuck in a bedsit it is useful to go the One O’clock Club to talk to some other parents and feel you are not alone."

Last month, a group of mothers held a protest against the outsourcing of clubs and raising fears the service could be broken up, resulting in funds drying out and less rigorous monitoring of staff. A council spokesman said: "We are determined that [the improvement works] should happen as soon as possible.

"We plan that these should be completed by November and once this is done we will consider how the site can be part of the co-operative council programme."

"In the meantime we’ve put in place a range of alternative activities for young people in Streatham, and there will be more introduced over the coming weeks."

Potential providers for the One O’Clock Clubs:

• Weir Link (Agnes Riley)

• Effra Children’s Centre (Brockwell Park)

• Clapham Manor Primary School & Children’s Centre (Clapham Common)

• Larkhall School and Children’s Centre (Larkhall Park)

• Kids Company (Loughborough Park)

• Loughborough Pre-School (Max Roach Park)

• Myatts Field Project (Mulberry Centre)

• Holmwood Nursery and Children’s Centre (Windmill Gardens)