Save our Children’s Centres !

THE people of Thame have shown their support for the fight to keep the town’s and other Children’s Centres throughout Oxfordshire, from closing.

Mary Stiles (second left) with some of her supporters in Thame

In just two hours on Saturday, over 300 people signed a petition calling on Oxfordshire County Council not to close its Children’s Centres.

Thame Town Councillor, Mary Stiles, who is leading the Thame petitioners, was very pleased with the support shown for the cause when she stood outside Thame Town Hall on Saturday, seeking signatures to her petition.

Mary, who is Chair of the Red Kite Children’s Centre Advisory Group said: “I would like to say a big thank you to all those people in Thame town centre last Saturday, who signed the petition to Oxfordshire County Council, calling on the council not to close our Children’s Centres.

“Thanks also to everyone who came to help to me. We had four clipboards of petition sheets and collected 330 signatures in the two hours we were there – that is 2.75 people per minute!

“Together with the 57 signatures I had collected before Saturday, they will be added to the hundreds of others from people across the whole of Oxfordshire and sent in to Melinda Tilley, the OCC Cabinet member responsible for Children’s Services.

“Let us hope that Ms Tilley, her cabinet colleagues and all the other county councillors take notice of the petition and the views expressed in the consultation, which is still open until January 10, and that they think again and keep this vital service running.”

To take part in the Consultation on ‘Early years intervention’, visit the website: LINK HERE