Children’s centres in two of the county’s most deprived areas face an uncertain future as Kent County Council strives to find savings of £100 million over the next two years. But the potential loss of the Family Hubs at Millmead at Margate and Seashells in Sheerness could deliver a devastating blow to those who need them most, as Simon Finlay and KMTV’s Gabriel Morris discovered..
. Down the cool corridors on one of the hottest days of an otherwise forgettable summer, the sound of children at play is strangely calming. There are baby noises amongst the chattering of mothers and staff busying themselves here and there.
Beyond the serene ordinariness, there is a pervasive sense of kindness and, of course, love. The centres are built on foundations of hope, good intentions and, crucially, the common denominator - poverty. On one level, these are indeed pleasant places to congregate, amuse children and provide common sense advice to parents getting by, day to day.
In some cases, especially in Margate, they help ensure vulnerable people do not go hungry. Yet the one thing that allows them to survive is also what will shut services down - money. For Seashells, on the edge of housing just outside Sheerness’s town centre, the loss of £200,000 Kent County Council (KCC) funding does not necessarily spell the end, as it has many other aspects to its business model.
The service to parents and children will be lost but the centre will continue to operate. An hour down the road at.