A CHILDCARE service forced to close by funding cuts held a farewell party for children and parents last Friday.

The Pre-School Learning Alliance (PSLA), based at the Sweets Way Children’s Centre, in Barnet, marked two events on the same day. In the morning it celebrated its fiftieth year of providing affordable and accessible childcare and in the afternoon said goodbye to families at Sweets Way.

The centre, which opened last April, will no longer be run by the Alliance due to severe cuts to their funding from Barnet Council and will instead be managed by two out-of-town centres, Hampden Way children's centre, in Southgate and Stonegrove children's centre, in Edgware, which is also run by PSLA.

Jacqui Reid, centre co-ordinator for PSLA, said: “I’ve been in tears already. We’re already running out of tissues. These are such difficult times with the cuts, but we have to remain positive.

“We’ve been here from the start and built a really strong relationship with the parents of Sweets Way. I feel as though we’ve made a real difference.

“Today really is for the parents and children. Everyone at Sweets Way seems to integrate so well and you don’t seem to get that in other centres. That’s why it’s so hard to leave. I’d do it all over again if I could.”

Party activities for the centre’s children were organised throughout the day, including face painting, sing-alongs and an entertainer in the afternoon.

Sarah Lawlor, team manager of PSLA, said: “The parents, children and the PSLA team are so special to us all. There just isn’t enough funding for our core work anymore.

“It’s clearly necessary for the Government and local authorities to make cuts, but they’re causing more issues by closing centres like this.”

Friday was the last day the PSLA ran services and its contract terminates on Thursday, March 31.

Sarah Wu, 34, of Whetstone, mother of two-and-a-half year old Sammy, said: “It’s all very sad. The PSLA have been so helpful for the community.

“Sammy loves it here and the facilities they provide such as cooking and messy play. It’s been so great and gives the kids a real chance to develop social skills.

“Other centres are so far away and the new bodies may bring along a completely different dynamic. It’s just going to be difficult to get used to.

“Cutting funding for things like the PSLA just seems like such a waste of resources. There’s definitely going to be tears when we have to say goodbye to the staff.”

Barnet councillors and representatives also visited the centre in the afternoon to congratulate the PSLA for their childcare services over the past 50 years.

In a recent committee meeting, Barnet council proposed a new model for the funding of children’s centres that aims to provide full service provisions at 13 children’s centres rather than the current 21.

A statement from the council said: "The decision to restructure children’s centres was made after extensive consultation with families who use the service. All eight centres no longer funded as full children’s centres will operate as venues for children's centre services from 10th April.

"We are currently looking at the needs of each community and are devising programmes of frontline face-to-face services to be delivered from the venues 10 hours per week.

"We're also currently reviewing our outreach services and will continue to offer support to families in most need from our main centres. The restructure supports the council's policy of moving away from a universal service and targeting support to areas of highest need."