Childcare & Early Years: Residents fight Sure Start centre plans

The group claims the move will damage services at the centre, and is symptomatic of problems faced nationwide by the rollout of Sure Start.

Manchester City Council is planning to transform the Broom Avenue Children's Centre, in the Levenshulme area of the city, into a Sure Start children's centre. It intends to convert one room at the centre into a creche and build an extension to make up the extra space needed for existing state-run daycare.

As part of the plans, private childcare provider Aisha Childcare will be brought in to run the creche. The Big Life group, a social enterprise that backs a number of charities and private businesses, helps run the company.

But the residents' group, Friends of Levenshulme, is concerned the changes will mean there is less space for state daycare and a smaller outdoor play area.

In a letter sent last week to councillor Richard Leese, the Labour leader of the council, the residents' group claims Sure Start and the Big Life group are "hushing up" the impact the changes will have on provision at the centre. The group says that as well as the loss of space, there will also be a change of management.

The letter states: "Elsewhere, Sure Starts are monopolising community spaces and making it impossible for voluntary playgroups to operate without restrictions. Voluntary playgroups run by parents have been filling the gap left by the council for years, only to now have their venues taken by Sure Start."

But the council insists the changes will improve services. A spokesman said: "There will be no reduction in services. All proposals are in addition to what currently exists."

Fay Selvan, chief executive of the Big Life group, said: "Aisha Childcare is a social business. Our priority is to make a difference to the children, families and communities we are working with. Any profits the business makes are reinvested into making it a better service.

"We do this through recruiting local staff who reflect the diversity of the communities we work in, and by offering training and employment opportunities to local people who want to work in childcare."

Despite the concerns of the residents' group, not everyone from the area is opposed to the plans. Ian Spence, the local Baptist pastor, said: "Having looked at both sides of the argument I'm convinced that Sure Start has a lot to offer. While the changes will be disruptive for some of the parents that are using the centre at the moment, in the long term there will be significant benefits for the community."

CHILDREN'S CENTRE FOCUS - Thorplands Sure Start Children's Centre

Where is it? Thorplands, Northamptonshire

Who runs it? Northamptonshire County Council

What does it do? Services range from drop-in classes to daycare

Who does it work with? The local primary care trust, Thorplands Primary School and Northamptonshire Police

Where does its funding come from? Sure Start Grant and Northamptonshire County Council

Ofsted rating: Good (March 2007 inspection).