This afternoon there was a party to celebrate the work of the South Abingdon Children’s Centre.

The Children’s Centre has been a place where children up to five, and their familes, can find a variety of activities, play, information and support from professionals working in a wide range of fields.

At the party were Morris Dancers, and staff, Carbon Cutters, and volunteers, along with many familes that have used the facilities.

The Children’s Centre opened about sixteen years ago as a replacement for the Family Centre on Saxton Road. It is recognised that there has always been the need for such a place in this part of town to give children a good start in life.

Budget cuts mean that the County Council are now strictly targeting families at risk, and Children’s Centres across Oxfordshire are closing.

It is yet to be seen how the South Abingdon Children’s Centre will find new life. The Green Man recited a poem about new life from old, and the phoenix rising from the ashes. The future could be as a part of Caldecott School with a charity group running part of the premises. That is still being worked on.

It began life as the Family Centre and was run by the NCH (National Children’s Home). There was quite a controversy when PACT took over running the centre back in 2006.

As well as being a centre for young families, it was also a place with meeting rooms for community groups in South Abingdon.

The Family Centre became the Children’s Centre.

Lots of family and child support has been happening there over the last decade. I often went there to report events like the apple days organised by the Abingdon Carbon Cutters.

There will be an event on Saturday 18th March between 1 & 3 pm to Celebrate the work of the South Abingdon Children’s Centre which is in danger of closing. People are very sad that this brilliant local facility is being cut off in it’s prime. This will be a chance to look back at all it has achieved.

Other groups are still trying to work out a future for the much needed centre.

The Jumble Sale at 11 a.m., yesterday, at the Northcourt Centre was a fund-raiser for the Abingdon Peace Group.

The entrance fee was 50p but after that there were a lot of bargains to be had. Books and clothes and shoes were mostly 20p.

Near the entrance were a group of tables piled high with a daunting pile of clothes, with shoes nearby. The clothes and shoes were mostly women’s and children’s. Along the back wall was a table of books, and CDs. Along the side wall were toys, and games, and at the square of tables near the stage was bric-a-brac. On the stage itself were an assortment of travel cases and a sign that read ‘Fanny’s Rest Room: Eat Here and Get Gas’.

Coffees and teas were served in the smaller room at the side.

Today a community interest group including local charities who have been trying to put together a proposal to continue running the South Abingdon Children’s Centre has run into a brick wall.

The Children’s Centre is due to close at the end of March because of OCC cuts to services, but could be saved by community investment.

However, the council is insisting that half of the commercial rent has to be paid in addition to the normal running costs for the building which means any community group would need to find £1,000 per week just to open the doors. Added to this the full costs of maintaining the building to its current standard have to be found.

For the 30 years I have lived in Abingdon there has been a centre to support children and families in South Abingdon. The need is as great as ever.