Published: Wednesday, 26th September, 2007 11:15
Kids weep over project closure
By Caitlin Smith
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A PIONEERING childcare centre in Galashiels is to close.
Stepping Stones for Life provides minimum-cost childcare for single mums and young parents on low income who want to get back into education.
However, the Wilderhaugh centre has suffered due to high rent costs, despite having only officially opened on March 1.
The Centre also had difficulty in recruiting senior staff prepared to work for an affordable salary following the departure of manager Sue Spure.
The initiative was the first of its kind in the Borders to have changed from a commercial outlet to a social enterprise.
Around 30 children attended the centre every day, with a marked increase over school holidays.
They have reacted tearfully to the news that the club is closing down.
Voluntary directors said they could have remained open until December, but decided to shut now so as staff weren’t made redundant near Christmas.
Janice Douglas became a voluntary director at SSfL because she had been impressed by the range of activities and clubs they provided for children, like her son Peter, who attended the Young Engineers’ group.
Janice told the Border Telegraph she was devastated by the news.
“All the staff and parents were so enthusiastic about the Centre, so it is completely heart-wrenching that we have to close.
“The kids have been in tears and all the parents just don’t know what they’ll do now.
“We had a lot of children there who were from single-parent families or had been referred from social services and it will be the worst for them.
“We could have limped along until Christmas, but the rent is £2000 a month and we are a social enterprise.”
Profit was all donated to the Central Borders Association of Voluntary Services (CBAVS) and was the first social enterprise in the area to raise funds through childcare and adult learning courses.
SSfL staff hold out hope of an 11th-hour reprieve and have contacted local councillors and local MSP Jeremy Purvis.
Speaking to the Border Telegraph, Mr Purvis said: “This was a pioneering community company model and it will be very disappointing if it doesn’t continue, but I have to say I’m pessimistic.
“I think there’s a definite need for a voluntary sector, not-for-profit, low cost childcare for young mums and parents and I’ll be pressing this issue with the Council.
“Childcare in the Borders is very expensive and the difficulty Stepping Stones has had really demonstrates that we need to reduce the cost of childcare.”
Chairman Derek Wilson said: “The childcare staff have done a wonderful job caring for the children, but with the continuing problem of finding senior staff for the childcare side as well as the adult learning, and the crippling level of rent for the accommodation, it has been impossible to ensure that the business is run to the high standard we would wish.”
Another of SSfL’s voluntary directors, Isabel King, said that SSfL had received various grants from the Council, but financing the venture had still proven difficult.
“Finance for social enterprise is precarious,” she said. “You can’t get access to core funding and because of the nature of the enterprise it is incredibly difficult to get a bank overdraft for example.”
A Scottish Government spokesman said: `It is disappointing to hear that Stepping Stones is closing down, but we believe the social enterprise model can continue to deliver for Scotland.
`The Scottish Government just recently announced that additional economic development support is to be made available to support social enterprises across the country, including the Borders.”
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