No nursery closure

Published: 2nd June, 2011

• YOUR article (Caversham is offered a lifeline, May 26) about the threatened closure of the nursery perhaps need a little clarification.

Currently it serves two wards each of which have 43 per cent of children in poverty according to government statistics; some four times the national average.

Queen’s Crescent Community Association, a local charity, drew up a financial plan which shows how considerable savings could be made. It could, it believes make a success of it but would have to do more work before its board would agree to taking it on. Unfortunately it is unable to do this extra work as the council is “unable” to supply the necessary detailed financial information to allow us to make more accurate calculations. 

Hopefully the cabinet will decide on June 8 to give a stay of execution in order to allow other options than closure to be explored. 

There may, of course, be organisations other than QCCA able and willing to come to the rescue. 

QCCA’s role so far has been to retry to demonstrate that there are financial options other than the very hasty closure proposed by the council.  
Mick Farrant
Chair, QCCA Ltd