During the last set of local election our Liberal Democrat colleagues from Frome in Somerset came up to help our campaigning in Bury. Now Damon Hooton who was in Holyrood and St Mary’s wards on polling day is standing in a County Council By-Election on 25 September. It’s going to be a close election so anything you can do to help would make a huge difference. It would be fantastic if we could help repay the Damon and the Frome Liberal Democrats’ generosity by making some phone calls for them. If you can help, the VPB code can be found here: https://www.openvpb.com/vpb_bycode/636CEL-7709.

Equally, if you fancy a trip to Somerset, please contact Damon on 07850 681163! Some activists from Bury may be going down for Poling Day please let Victor know on 07977240568 if you may be able to join them.

Liberal Democrats in government are delivering free school meals for all infant school pupils – now we plan to go one step further and extend the scheme to all primary school pupils.

Following evaluation of this policy, the free school meals scheme would be extended, as resources allow, while ensuring that school food standards apply to all schools, including free schools and academies.

The benefits of free school meals is clear. Pilot areas show that where children were given a free school lunch, they were academically months ahead of their peers elsewhere.

Extending the scheme would make sure that every primary pupil gets a healthy meal in the middle of the school day, boosting their education, health and saving parents money.

Liberal Democrats are making sure that every child gets a fair start in life. Our pupil premium has given schools extra money targeted at the children who need the most help. We have expanded free early years education and introduced free school lunches for all infant school children.

Get the facts about free school meals here.

Bury Council will tonight (Wednesday 3 September 2014) consider a proposal to close EIGHT of the borough’s Children’s Centres.

Currently the service is a ‘universal’ service (i.e. anyone can make use of the services), but if the proposals happen the the only service that would be offered would be a ‘targeted’ service – i.e. for those people who are identified as being most in need.

The proposal is that seven of the eight Children’s Centres would be rented out to nursery operators to run as nurseries.

The government is extending the current nursery provision to offer 15 hours of nursery care for less well off families so the Council have identified a need for more nurseries.

We are extremely concerned by these proposals. It’s great about the child care guarantee from Government, but Children’s Centres have only been open a few years in Prestwich, but many families have found them a great service to help give children a good start in life.

Cllr Tim Pickstone said “Toolde Hill is actually the ONLY council run facility in Holyrood Ward, and one of the few community venues we have which seems a great shame to lose. We are very concerned that parents and families in most need will not make the journey to Sedgley Park to use services which is significantly less convenient to people than Cuckoo Lane.”

A campaign group has been set up oppose the proposals which, if agreed, will see a twelve week ‘consultation’ period.

Find out more and add your support at their Facebook Page here.

Read the Bury Times article on the subject here.