Lambeth cutting family centre funds | Letters
All councils have to react to government cuts - the test is how, says David Hopkins. Plus Dr Harry Harmer considers austerity's legacyWe read with interest Zoe Williams' article "Red-on-red-warfare won't stop austerity" (Red-on-red-warfare won't stop austerity, 29 January) and Cllr Jack Hopkins' subsequent response (Letters, 1 February).
Coin Street family and children's centre is one of the five centres that Lambeth council is proposing to withdraw funding from. Unlike other children's centres in the borough, our Ofsted "outstanding" centre is run by social enterprise Coin Street Community Builders. We invest our own income, generated from a range of commercial activities, into supporting an 84-place nursery and more than 70 hours of free and affordable activities every week for families, children, young people, adults and older people. We make our building available without charge for these programmes and we work closely with local volunteers and partners including Guys and St Thomas' Hospital, Rambert Dance Company, and the Colombo Centre who make staff, trainers and specialist facilities available without charge for the activities we organise. Both Lambeth and Southwark councils refer families at risk or facing complex challenges to our highly experienced and committed staff for one-to-one support. Why would a local council not want such a partner?
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