REAL LIVESWonder women BY HELEN HAGUE
Mums drum up support
Unite’s Lisa Fletcher and local mums fight for their local Sure Start
Protesting mums are at the forefront of a grassroots campaign to save seven Sure Start centres in Portsmouth from closure. Waving homemade placards, toddlers and babies in tow, Sure Start mums and supporters made a splash marching through the streets on a rain-soaked Saturday in April.
The mums oppose the Lib Dem controlled council’s plans to slash seven out of 16 centres, cutting staff and services to save £1m from now until next April. Over 1,000 people had signed the Save our Sure Start petition. Some Sure Start staff had already lost their jobs before the cuts “consultation” closed in April.
Unite Community member and joint head campaigner of Save our Sure Start, Lisa Fletcher (pictured) said, “We want the council to recognise how important Sure Start is to our community. Ask the mothers, ask the local schools.
“Sure Start has brought people together. Now they want to divide us by bringing in means testing. Fifty per cent of parents are on benefit. Means testing would cause divisions and stigmatise claimants.
“I’ve never been political – but Sure Start centres are worth fighting for,” says Lisa, who takes 16-month old Eleanor to their local centre.
As uniteWORKS goes to press, campaigners are due to meet the Lib Dem leader on the cuts. Tory and Labour councillors had pledged to oppose the closures – if they get
a chance to vote at full council. The decision could be taken by the council’s ruling “cabinet” – comprising just Lib Dems.
Along with fellow campaigner and mother of two, Nikki Coles, Lisa has led a canny campaign – lobbying councillors from all parties, putting the case against closure, through meetings, flyers, posters, demos and coverage in local papers and regional TV news.
Lisa and Nikki are passionate in the belief that Sure Start brings communities together – regardless of income. “Sure Start is much more than a drop-in centre,” says Lisa. There are trained professionals who can spot anything from undiagnosed post-natal depression to the need for crucial early intervention if a child shows signs of language or learning difficulties.
“It’s not only people on benefit. Sure Start centres should be for everyone who wants to use them, with trained professionals on hand to help. But, as part of its cost cutting package, the council wants to sack trained
22 uniteWORKS May/June 2013
staff and bring in volunteers instead. Parents and children in Portsmouth deserve better,” she adds.
Mark Thomas
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