News

Cuts threaten deprived area out-of-school services

Huge funding cuts to children's services being planned by a local authority could lead to the closure of 14 after-school clubs and 23 summer play schemes in deprived areas.

The Unite union, which is planning a rally to protest against the cuts, claims that the Conservative-led Coventry City Council is planning to slash more than £250,000 from the budget of its Children and Family Education Services department, which funds the out-of-school clubs, in the next financial year. A further £360,000 was cut from the Youth Service over the two years from 2007 to 2009.

Unite estimates that 22 full-time jobs are under threat. The union criticised the council for spending £64,000 on management consultants for a three-month review of its Youth Service.

News of the council's plans broke just one week after children's minister Beverley Hughes called on local authorities to do more to ensure out-of-school clubs are sustainable (News, 5 February).

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