Dear all,
As you will see the petition has now received an amazing 1,300 signatures – THANK YOU SO MUCH 🙏
Sadly, as you know, the Sunrise & Sunset Holiday Club had to close last September due to the unexpected charges being made by Chorleywood Parish Council for us to use the Common. Rather interestingly, the school where we ran our holiday clubs has been unable to find a replacement provider. This is perhaps unsurprising given the considerable responsibilities, financial risks and OFSTED requirements involved in running a holiday club.
I am left wondering what the Parish Council ultimately achieved by introducing these charges. A small local childcare service was closed, children lost a valuable holiday activity, parents have lost a trusted local provision, the school lost the opportunity to offer year round wrap around care to their families and the Council has lost a service that was using the Common at no cost to the Parish Council.
This week I wrote to the Parish Councillors, to our MP & District Councillor informing them of the 1,300 signatures now on the petition and to simply ask that, in future, the Parish Council considers not only what it can charge, but also what might be lost as a result – particularly when the service is supporting local children, families, a local school and the wider community.
THANK YOU for your support. I REALLY appreciate it. Bless you - Pippa
PS Lots of you have very kindly made contact with me showing concern for myself & wondering what I am doing, now that I am no longer taking care of children. The good news is, I believe that I have used my time well. I am now a qualified Pyschotherapist & have set up my own practice in my Garden in Sarratt called The Garden Haven. I have attached a leaflet for those that are interested & provided a link to my new website. As they often say, as one door closed (as painful as that experience was for me) another one can delightfully open.