Parents are occupying a London community centre with a buggy blockade in protest at a lack of affordable childcare and school holiday support.
The parents have been joined by grandparents and youth workers in the occupation of the recently-closed centre, which was run by the Living Under One Sun (LUOS) charity, in Tottenham Hale on Friday evening.
The group, averaging 50 to 60 people a day over the weekend, has said the occupation will continue for as long as possible to provide a community space throughout the summer holidays.
Amid a UK-wide shortfall, the protesters said they are demanding urgent action to increase the borough’s childcare and school holiday provision. They said they are also calling on Haringey Council to protect the centre in Down Lane Park from demolition and guarantee its long-term use as a space for community groups to run services and activities.
With a buggy blockade at the entrance and a family fiesta outside, the demonstrators have begun running a programme of free meals and kids activities from the space.
Gemma Brown, a local mum and dance teacher said: “We didn’t know what kind of reactions we might but support from the community has been overwhelming. On Friday when we reclaimed the centre over 100 neighbours turned up to celebrate with us. We already have a programme planned for the summer but it keeps growing.
Rebecca, a single mother and kitchen volunteer at the community centre who only wished to give her first name, added: “When the centre closed, I felt like I lost my other home... We won't let them take our community centre.”
The six-week summer break poses a severe challenge for thousands of London families. Childcare costs in inner London now average £306 per week for a childminder, which totals more than £1,800 over the course of the summer holidays, according to a survey conducted by the children’s charity Coram this year.
Many parents, therefore, cannot afford to work while schools are closed, with many relying on community centre programmes over the school holidays.
Haringey, the borough where the Tottenham Hale community centre is located, has some of the highest child poverty rates in the UK.
However, demand for the government’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, appears to exceed supply, with nearly three-quarters of eligible children not attending the programme last summer, according to a Department for Education report this year.
Nationally, HAF reaches only 29 per cent of eligible children, according to the government’s latest data, while most councils offered just four weeks of clubs, leaving a gap of up to two weeks with no funded support.
According to the protesters, the community centre run by LUOS was one of the last in Haringey to run a programme of free kids activities throughout the summer holidays, including multi-sports, crafts and gardening.
But the council has announced the centre is now set to be demolished. Local newspaper Haringey Community Press reported LUOS confirmed it was leaving the premises in March following a funding dispute with the council.
In response, the local parents and childcare workers said they decided to occupy the centre and run a free community holiday programme to support families who are struggling over the school holidays with food and childcare.
Alongside their childcare calls and demands for the centre, the protesters are also urging transparency and real community control over money spent on planning in Tottenham Hale.
Pamela, a play worker involved in the occupation, said: “I run playgroups and parent support groups for the Latin community in Tottenham.
“All the council cares about is ‘regeneration’ plans that are making private developers rich while local families are priced out. And now they want to bulldoze the one community space we all rely on.
“Tottenham has a long history of community resistance and we won’t let them get away with this. We fight because we care.”
Haringey Council cabinet member for placemaking and local economy, Councillor Ruth Gordon, said individuals “stormed the building” in an “unlawful occupation” on Friday and “injured a member of staff”.
“We want to provide the best services for our residents and the council has already held discussions with community groups about the short-term usage that included summer holiday activities for young children and had already purchased equipment from LUOS to support this,” she added.
“The council will be seeking possession of the building to remove the unlawful occupants so we can ensure the parties we have engaged with are able to run activities through the correct channels.
“As part of the planned long-term programme, the council have engaged extensively with residents and will be providing a new building and other facilities in the park to ensure long-term community provision.”
The Metropolitan Police told The Independent the protest was not a police matter.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We recognise the school holidays can be a pressurised time for parents, which is why through the Plan for Change this government is putting pounds back in parents’ pockets both during the holidays and in term time.
“We’re rolling out 30 hours of government-funded childcare from this September, helping to give every child the best start in life and saving parents up to £7,500 a year. We’re also continuing to fund free holiday clubs through the Holiday Activities and Food programme, which provides six weeks of activities and meals for children from low-income families during the school holidays.
“To support families feeling the pinch, we’re also expanding free school meals to all children in households on Universal Credit and introducing free breakfast clubs in primary schools.”
The Independent has approached the LUOS charity for comment.
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