Socialist Party Wales Socialism In Wales
By Dani Smith
On Wednesday, members of the St Mellons community and Socialist Party Wales members gathered outside the Church of the Resurrection St Mellons to protest the eviction and subsequent closure of Little Fishes Nursery School. The nursery has served the community from the church premises for 30 years and is widely recognised as one of the only affordable and quality childcare facilities in the area.
A petition, which has gained nearly 600 signatures, explains that the nursery faces imminent closure due to the eviction and this could not only effect the all important start to education for many local children but also leave numerous nursery staff facing redundancy at a time of global job insecurity caused by the pandemic. The church itself has responded to pleas to reconsider the decision to evict by explaining that it is inappropriate to house the nursery in a church which is open to the public. However, it is clear that steps can be taken to ensure the safety of children within the church as a separate creche facility within the church is still permitted to run.
Local grandmother and campaigner Georgina tells us that this decision has caused uproar within the community: “This left the nursery staff shell shocked, not only entering a time of great uncertainty with the Coronavirus pandemic but also facing redundancy. It also left multiple parents questioning where they could place their children in affordable childcare.”
We argue that all parents should be able to access decent and affordable childcare and that all children are entitled to a solid start to their education. A recent survey by the Coram Family and Childcare trust found that childcare costs have risen by 5% in the last year alone and the current systems of childcare support, such as the Flying Start program in Wales, are complicated a difficult to navigate. This feeling was echoed by parents who attended Wednesday’s demonstrations.
All childcare services should be fully funded and run under accountable, democratic committees that include representatives of service workers and users. Therefore, we demand that Cardiff Council work with the nursery workers and concerned parents to find a solution to this problem. Several councillors have responded to emails regarding the nursery closure saying that they will investigate the situation and try and find and outcome that satisfies all parties. Parents and workers must not be fobbed off. If the church will not reconsider the eviction, then alternative premises must be found so the Little Fishes Nursery can continue to serve the parents and children of St Mellons into the future.
