Outcry at plans to close abused children centre in Whitehaven
VOLUNTEERS, politicians and the community are united in their fight to try to stop the proposed closure of a vital Whitehaven lifeline for abused children.
Copeland MP Jamie Reed described the move as “shocking” and said he was calling for urgent talks with the NSPCC, which runs the Wedgewood Centre.
The proposal has met with concern and anger right across the community. Based at Mirehouse, the centre provides support for hundreds of vulnerable children across West Cumbria.
One person has even warned that closure could ultimately lead to a child’s death and morale among local fundraisers is said to have plummeted.
Mr Reed told The Whitehaven News this week: “This isn’t acceptable. There is too much at stake to simply lie down over this. The children who use this service – through necessity, not choice – need the help which the Wedgewood Centre provides.”
The MP said: “The NSPCC is a magnificent charity, its work on behalf of children in our country is at times remarkable and so for them to be behind this decision is effectively heart-breaking for all of those who have supported the organisation for so long.”
He added: “The work is now on to find an alternative charitable operator for the centre, to ask – with real justification – for the County Council to consider taking over completely the financial provision for the centre, to ask other organisations, including the Church to help and, if necessary, moving the centre to different premises.”
Anne Burns, Cumbria County Council’s cabinet member for children’s social care, says she too is going to fight to keep the vital services provided by the experienced staff at the centre.
“I am absolutely dismayed about this and more dismayed that they have announced this without coming to talk to us about the way we can work together.”
Coun Burns, who was involved in the opening of the centre in 1992, said: “We are demanding that they (NSPCC) talk to us,” she said. “We are determined that if the NSPCC are insistent they will move away from our area, we are determined that the service cannot be lost. We are looking at how we can safeguard that service.”
Josephine Thursz, chairman of the West Cumbria branch of the NSPCC, said members would be questioning a senior official from the charity on November 5 to ask them to reconsider the closure proposal and may start a petition.
“Morale is so low among the fundraisers, people are so shocked,” she said.
“We have tried very hard to understand the new way in which the NSPCC is going, some of it is very good. But we don’t know if they close the Wedgewood Centre, what will be offered to the children of our area?
“In a geographically isolated area such as ours, this service is vital. It is vital to the children, it is giving them back a life. And the staff at the Wedgewood Centre are very highly trained.”
The NSPCC says the proposal to close the centre follows a review of its services but stresses that it remains committed to protecting children in Whitehaven and will continue to do so.
The centre provides therapeutic support for families and children affected by physical, emotional or sexual abuse. If it closes, it will do so by next March.
A woman who says she has very close connections with the centre fears closing it could ultimately lead to a child’s death. She asked not to be named and said: “This has come totally out of the blue and West Cumbria needs a consultation on this.
“They are removing highly-skilled, highly trained professionals, there is 80 years of experience of working with abused children at that centre.
“Someone is going to have a child’s death on their hands,” she warned.
Gordon Ratcliffe, northern divisional director for the NSPCC, said the charity had carried out a national review which concluded their direct services should be provided from a smaller number of regional centres that would have more social work practitioners in them.
He said it was about how the charity could use its resources to make a difference to more children’s lives.
