Sure Start and communty midwife groups being shut down

[mockingbird1]

If Sure Start centres and local childrens centres run by community midwifes are being shut down at the end of March what on earth are new mums going to do and how are they supposed to meet other mums in their areas? I have started going to some local baby groups and they have been a lifeline for me- without these facilities surely the levels of post natal depression will rise, or is this a sympton of decisions being made yet again by men who have never sat in the house day after day with no-one but a small baby to look at... Health visitors are already over stretched and GPs are not intersted in having a chat so it can get pretty lonely as a new mum. Surely I am not alone in being worried about this? Or do the government have an alternative plan that I dont know about- if so can someone fill me in please!

Why is that weird?

i guess moondog was a company director / trustee for the charity as well?

While I appreciate that there are many opportunities available for new mums to get out and about, I have to say that our local SureStart centre (now run by Spurgeons) has made a real effort to reach out to the community. I live in an extremely rural area (3 miles to nearest shop!) and they have started an activity playgroup in my village, just once a week. Means that we can go out once a week without having to take the car... and we are in the fortunate position of being a 2 car family! Many of the other mums in the village don't have a car, and their options for socialising are far more limited.

Am I the only person who has barely ever used Surestart? We didn't have one locally until much later than everywhere else.

We still have a place called a "Children's centre" in town, are those being closed down, too?

Which centres are closing?

What is a sure start director?