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Pen Green demo at County Hall
Children and parents preparing signs and banners ahead of tomorrow's meeting
More than 100 parents and staff from the Pen Green Centre are to protest against cuts on the steps of County Hall tomorrow.
At least two coaches are leaving Corby for Northampton as families fight the proposed cuts of £1.1m in the centre’s budget over the next three years. Demonstrators carrying placards are to lobby county councillors as they arrive for the authority’s crunch budget meeting.
The cuts planned for Pen Green represent 56 per cent of the centre’s core budget.
Campaigners say if they go ahead it will have a devastating impact on services provided for the community, threatening the future of as many as 51 groups for children and families, all after-school provision and facilities for the youngest nursery children.
The cuts are being proposed by the Schools Forum, which allocates the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG).
The independent body, made up of headteachers and county council officers, is making cuts because of additional financial pressures on the DSG.
Heather Donoyou, head of the centre, said: “Some of us will be speaking at the budget meeting to ensure that county councillors know who we are at Pen Green, what we do and how we do it.
“We want them to know the impact the proposed cuts will have on our families and the wider community.
“The demonstration at County Hall is our chance to have a voice.
“We have had terrific support from the county councillors who represent Corby and we are hopeful we can influence opinion and stop the cuts going ahead.
“The fight will continue to save the future of our services.”
The Schools Forum is to meet on Tuesday, March 15, to finalise its budget and Pen Green campaigners are planning to lobby members.
A petition with 5,000 signatures opposing the cuts has been handed in at 10 Downing Street and Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove is also supporting Pen Green after a meeting with Corby MP Louise Bagshawe. Last month 1,000 supporters of Pen Green, including families who use the centre, staff and Corby councillors, held a mass demonstration against the cuts.
The coaches will leave Pen Green at 8.30am. For more information call 01536 400068.
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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Comments
There are 4 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Subcomandante
Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 10:34 AMThis website is pants by the way ! I posted that once !
Subcomandante
Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 10:32 AMLouise Bagshawe supported this Con-Dem Comprehensive Spending Review. This has indirectly cut Pen Green from Tory ran County Hall. Her position on this issue is sheer electioneering. Come the next election we'll see nothing but millionaire 'dumbed-down' Louise in a green 'Save Pen Green' t-shirt, all over Tory flyers. Oundle Tory OUT OF CORBY
Subcomandante
Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 10:32 AMLouise Bagshawe supported this Con-Dem Comprehensive Spending Review. This has indirectly cut Pen Green from Tory ran County Hall. Her position on this issue is sheer electioneering. Come the next election we'll see nothing but millionaire 'dumbed-down' Louise in a green 'Save Pen Green' t-shirt, all over Tory flyers. Oundle Tory OUT OF CORBY
Subcomandante
Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 10:31 AMLouise Bagshawe supported this Con-Dem Comprehensive Spending Review. This has indirectly cut Pen Green from Tory ran County Hall. Her position on this issue is sheer electioneering. Come the next election we'll see nothing but millionaire 'dumbed-down' Louise in a green 'Save Pen Green' t-shirt, all over Tory flyers. Oundle Tory OUT OF CORBY
Page 1 of 1
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