Campaign succeeds in saving local Children's Centres

Six Sure Start Children's Centres that were due to be closed by the Conservative County Council have now been saved thanks to campaigns from residents and Lib Dem councillors.

24 Children's Centres in Leicestershire were due to be closed by the Conservative County Council. Hinckley Lib Dem County Councillor Michael Mullaney tried to amend the County Council budget earlier this year to save the Children's Centres but this was voted down by Conservative County Councillors who voted to close them.

Huge protests in Barwell and other villages helped force the Conservative County Council to change its mind and now keep Barwell and five other Sure Start Centres open. Amongst the others saved was Bagworth Children's Centre also in Hinckley and Bosworth Borough. Michael Mullaney said "Congratulations to all the Barwell residents who joined the protests to save the Sure Start Centre and to everyone who signed the petitions to save it.

"It's clear these protests were instrumental in forcing the County Council to change it's mind. Barwell Sure Start is a vital local facility supporting local families and children. For it to have been lost would have been a huge blow to the village, especially as Barwell has already lost its library in recent years."