Peckham Rye One O Clock Club -update

[Renata Hamvas]

Thank you to the parents who attended this morning's meeting at the One O clock Club.

To those of you unable to attend, local Councillors, myself (Peckham Rye) and Nick Dolezal (Lane) attended. Cabinet members Cllrs Catherine McDonald and Veronica Ward came and Catherine opened the meeting, talking about the severity of cuts to Southwark's budget from central goverment both to our core grant and to Child specific service funding. Council Officer Mike Smith explained where we currently are in terms of the club's future.

Southwark Children's Services will continue to operate the Club on its current stay and play basis until the current building is replaced. The One O Clock club uses a former POW hut, which is not fit for purpose and Capital has been allocated to build a new, for purpose facility for children's activities. Discussions are currently underway with Ivydale Children's Centre re the responsibility of managing the building. This has not yet been finalised, but if it is run by the Children's Centre, a much wider range of child-centred activities wll be encouraged so that the new building is better utilised than the present one. Stay and play activities (ie One O Clock Club) would form part of the package. The council are also interested to hear from alternative providers such as community groups. One person has approached me and I forwarded their expression of interest in the Club.

Renata