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Sign up to the Central Counts Petition here: http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/page1675

What is the Central Counts Campaign?

PARENTS and residents in Weston-super-Mare’s Central Ward have formed a community action group to support their local children’s centre.

Central Counts aims to get larger premises for Weston Central Children’s Centre, which is currently turning  families away due to lack of space.

The group says the centre does not get fair funding compared to elsewhere in North Somerset and because the building it uses is too small, staff are forced to close the door to around one family every week.

The action group, set up by local campaigners Clare Kingsbury-Bell and Mike Bell, has formed a petition and is asking residents and parents for their support.

There are 953 families in Central Ward with children under 5 and Weston Central Children’s Centre has managed to link up with 266 of them. But now the building in Meadow Street has reached its limit and families are missing out.

Other children’s centres in North Somerset get significantly more funding, despite Weston Central Children’s Centre serving the most deprived in the whole district.

Central gets £119,663 while Ashcombe Children’s Centre gets £139,148 and South Weston Children’s Centre £273,074.

However, on the scale of deprivation where 1 is the worst, Central is ranked 1284, while South is the next closest on 1664 and Ashcombe is 10,105.

The Meadow Street site was opened in April 2008 as a temporary location for the children’s centre.

Previously it was suggested that a new children’s centre could be included in a council office development in Carlton Street, but those plans have been shelved since the council is moving to Castlewood in Clevedon instead.

Weston Central Children’s Centre is a one stop shop for families with preschool children. It provides access to a health visitor, feeding and weaning advice, connection with the Job Centre, stay and play sessions to build communities and one to one family support. It is important to provide these services at a dedicated centre because parents are more likely to access them in this kind of environment.

Central Counts is asking supporters to sign a petition to support the development of the children’s centre and to join a Facebook group supporting the cause.

To find out more visit www.centralcounts.wordpress.com