Petition launched to save Lewisham's Children's Centres

A petition has been launched to save the Early Learning centres threatened with closure across Lewisham, including Beecroft Garden in Crofton Park. The petition explains:

"Lewisham Council is proposing to Ofsted-deregister 13 of the 17 existing Children's Centres in Lewisham. Besson Street Gardens, St Swithun’s, Heathside and Lethbridge, Evelyn, Amersham, Hatcham Oak, Manor House, Torridon, Marvels Lane, Kelvin Grove and Elliot Bank, Beecroft Garden and Kilmorie are all affected.

"If a Children's Centre is deregistered, then Health Visitors, Social Services and GPs can no longer refer vulnerable families to it for support....

"The Children's Centres are designed to support vulnerable families and have targets set around the support they offer, on both the number of families they help and how effective that help is. If families cannot be referred, the Centre cannot meet its targets and loses it purpose for being. Deregistration is effectively closure by stealth..."

"Fewer families will be included in the contracts for targeted support. As these will be families in need they will have fewer services to rely on in the borough and their needs may escalate, leading to poorer outcomes for children."

"This petition calls on Mayor Bullock to save our Children's Centres, and to commit to maintaining the services they provide to our most vulnerable families now and in the future."

Click here to sign the petition.