Little Larkies toddlers group could fold after cutbacks

Parents, grandparents and guardians whose wee ones attend the Little Larkies toddlers' group in the Larkfield Tenants' Hall have hit out after Inverclyde Council cut the posts as part of their budget for the coming financial year.

They say they have been told that the group could now be discontinued after June, due to family support workers being laid off by Municipal Buildings bosses.

Nicola Campbell, whose daughter Kali attends the sessions, told the Telegraph she was shocked by the news.

She said: "It's going to be terrible, as we get so much from this playgroup.

"Coming here has boosted my wee girl's confidence so much.

"Everything that the family support workers do is so important, it's lots of hands-on stuff.

"This is also a great first step for mums getting back out there after having a baby, it's local and you know everybody.

"Once you get confident here you can go to other classes and meet other young parents, it's a great way to get out and build relationships.

"We've been told the group's closing in June and that's that.

"It's heartbreaking."

Nicola says the group is a lifeline to local families and its loss will do real damage.

She said: "This is the only form of interaction and outlet for some people.

"As much as I'm here for Kali the interaction is valuable, and for a lot of parents it's the only adult time they get.

"Nobody tells you how lonely maternity leave can be.

"Going to these classes gave me confidence to start other things and I've got lots of friends that come here now.

"We've got mums, dads, grannies and grandads of all ages in here, it's a great social thing.

"Parents in Larkfield are going to be losing out when this is gone."

Arlene Keogh, whose granddaughter Freya also attends the classes, said she was sad to see the local support workers go.

She added: "The group is well run and well managed and that's down to the work of the family support workers.

"They go above and beyond, it takes a long time to set up everything for the parents.

"A lot of these parents have had their children during lockdown and not had the ante-natal experience that most mums have.

"They've missed out on so much, their mental health will have been impacted and something like this that they can just turn up at is so important.

"These young mums have got other children and other commitments and they want to be able to come here and let their children play.

"This is a successful service, Wednesdays and Fridays the place is full. The future is very bleak for this group now.

"The council have got to reverse this decision and reconsider.

"If they take this away there's nothing."

An Inverclyde Council spokesperson said that the local authority had faced tough choices as part of its budget setting process.

They added: "The financial settlement for local government meant that tough decisions had to be made by councils throughout the country to deliver a balanced budget.

"That was no different here.

"A wide range of savings proposals across all service areas were put forward and while we did all we could to mitigate the worst of those savings proposals, we were still faced with some difficult choices.

"We provide support to community groups and venues throughout the area in many different ways and will continue to do so where we can using the resources we have available."