Who are we? 

We're a group of parents, carers and local community members trying to stop Hackney Council from closing two Children's Centres, Fernbank & Hillside, in Stoke Newington, N16.

We have the support of Hackney's Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, Women’s Equality Party and Socialist Party, as well as Hackney UNISON. 

Why are we asking for your support? 

It is well established that the first three years of a child’s life is where the biggest impact can be made in terms of health, education and wellbeing outcomes. Access to high-quality, affordable childcare is a critical part of supporting children and families at this key time of children’s development.  

Closing these two Children's Centres will result in the loss of 109 affordable childcare places to Hackney families. This is around a 20% cut of subsidised nursery places in Hackney and a 26% reduction in subsidised spaces for 0-2-year-olds, to just 93 places. The closures will disproportionately affect vulnerable children, lower-income families, women, single parents, and people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds. 

These places can serve over 150 families as many use the nurseries part-time. The centres also provide daily stay and play/drop-in sessions to hundreds of children and their carers, as well as support to children with special educational needs or disabilities. 

The proposed closures also mean that 35 amazing staff are facing possible redundancy. The average time served by a member of the nursery staff is 14 years. 

We have identified that: 

1. The data and evidence included in the rationale for proposed closures is incorrect, incomplete and, in places, actively misleading. 

2. There is no evidence that other options have been explored or exhausted prior to proposal of these closures. 

3. The public consultation is not being conducted properly and is leading people to respond in favour of closures. 

How much are we trying to raise and what for? 

We are hoping to raise £3600. This will cover the legal fees of the solicitors and barrister, plus the costs of VAT. They will be investigating and considering all of the decision making and consultation paperwork, advising us on the merits of a challenge, and preparing pre-action correspondence to the local authority. Our solicitors have also agreed to act at a reduced hourly rate. 

Please contribute and share this page now!

What else can I do to help?

- Hackney Council is running a consultation about the new Early Years Strategy and the proposed closures here. The Early Years Strategy Document is here. To support us, please complete the consultation as soon as possible. The Consultation on the closures will close on 16th November 2021. 

- Write to your Councillor, MP and/or the Mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville, to tell them how you feel about the closures.  

- Follow us on Twitter @Save_Fernbank and @SaveHillsideN16 

Thank you so much for your support!