Calls to save under threat nursery
PARENTS are calling for action to save a Coventry nursery threatened with closure.
Coventry University is consulting colleagues and parents over the future of its nursery, which is used by colleagues, students and the general public.
A spokesman stressed that no decision has yet been made but added that the nursery ‘has not been financially viable for some time.’
Coventry South MP Zarah Sultana has joined calls to save the service. More than 500 people have signed a petition calling on the nursery to reconsider the plans and collaborate with staff and community stakeholders to make the nursery financially sustainable.
Supporters said the closure would be “devastating” for local parents and nursery staff, and claimed it would mean that some of the next generation of NHS workers would have to leave their studies and jobs due to lack of provision of early years care and education.
The petition was raised by Ms Sultana in Parliament on Thursday May 25 who praised the “excellent early years care and education” provided by the service and highlighted the disproportionate impact it would have on women.
Leader of the House Of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, responded and said she “hopes the university is listening” to Ms Sultana’s call.
General Secretary of the University and College Union, Jo Grady, also described the proposal as “devastating for the community.”
A spokesman for Coventry University said: “We are currently consulting colleagues and liaising with parents over the future of our Day Nursery, which is currently used by less than 30 of our near-30,000 staff and students in the city.”
“No decision has yet been made but we have fully evaluated the options and it is clear that it has not been financially viable for some time and increasing costs mean that losses are set to continue and worsen.
“The building used for the nursery is approaching the end of its working life and replacing it would add to the current losses.
“Colleagues are now being consulted over the potential closure of the site.
“The increasing costs and deficits are not unique to our day nursery. The National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) has reported that in the months April to July 2022 65% more nurseries have closed in comparison to the same months in 2021.
“OFSTED have reported 196 net closures from September 2021 to March 2022 with several reasons cited, including: soaring fuel costs, inflation, staffing costs and difficulty of raising income to meet much higher operating costs. The full impact of price rises is likely to further increase the deficit at our nursery from July 2023.”