Centre closure avoidable

It’s a travesty that community centres are being closed during the school term break.

Harthill community centre is a very busy centre. It’s used by various community groups, job seekers who need to use the computers, community care workers who need a break and toilet facilities, council tenants for contacting housing via the direct phone line and councillor, MP and MSP surgeries.

This cost cutting exercise that is affecting this centre does not make sense to me when I look at what the centre is used for.

All that will be achieved by closing this centre for the eight weeks of the summer holidays is a reduction in people returning to use it and to ask job seekers to try to pay for a bus to Shotts is not acceptable.

The clue is in the name, these centres should be used for the benefit of the community. Is it just me or are “Community” Centres being turned into “Culture NL” centres? Being run for profit?

The council should be looking at abolishing Culture NL and bring these centres back into Council control with the emphasis on community activity and engagement.

Centres with limited use should have a council “Community liaison” officer appointed to oversee better use of the centres, especially during term breaks.

Areas of high deprivation are going to be left with children trying to find their own entertainment and the withdrawal of Free Swim at NL Leisure Centres will not help the matter. It seems like a two pronged attack on some of our most needy and deprived children.

I praised the council for trying to feed underprivileged children during the term break, but it seems like they are using this as the roses to disguise the bad smell that is underneath.

I urge Councillor Logue to look deeply into this, we need to show compassion to our children. Let’s be a forward-looking council and have a full programme for children in our community centres over the summer