SureStart (Friday catch-up)

I love SureStart so f*cking much. These ladies have kept me sane, made me laugh and picked me up off the floor while I was weeping.

In the run up to the general election David Cameron promised us that Childrens Services such as Sure Start would be untouched. Fast forward to January 2011 and Mr Cameron and the coalition government are cutting funding by 60%. My local centre is running on a stretched staff and these staff members are also supporting satelite centres in the local area, they cannot afford to have any further cuts.

My Friend Lucy is rallying the troops and is arranging for as many people as possible to write letters to 10 Downing Street. This is mine :

16^th January 2011

Dear Mr Cameron,

I am writing to you to implore you to reverse your decision to cut Sure Start funding by 60%.

My local Sure Start: Lune Park in Lancaster is already stretched with the demand for their services and the staff are also supporting other local centres in Halton, Galgate and Carnforth.

Sure Start is a vital resource for parents and you promised us in your election manifesto that you would leave Sure Start alone and that parents on lower incomes would benefit from a conservative government. On these two areas alone you have failed parents BADLY.

Please allow me to share my experiences of Sure Start and how they have helped us as a family:

I am a married mum of three and I have used Sure Start since the birth of my first child Abigail in December 2002. It wasn't until the birth of my second child Harry in February 2005 that I came to truly rely on Sure Start.

After Harry's birth I quickly succumbed to post natal depression, resulting in suicidal thoughts. Jan an outreach worker from Sure Start was assigned to our family and she encouraged me to go to groups. Jan even went as far as arranging childcare for Abigail and Harry so I could attend a special group called 'Life after Birth' which was a support group for other mums who were suffering the same as me. This proved to be a great help in my recovery as this support made me realise that I wasn't alone nor was I as worthless as I felt.

Sure Start also arranged for me to attend several parenting courses, all of which gave me insight and strategies for dealing with two small children while suffering with PND.

Unfortunately Harry's behaviour has always been troublesome and erratic. We suspected that Harry may have had an autistic spectrum disorder as well as a speech delay. On speaking to Liz Grice who was helping at Harry with speech and language at Sure Start's chatter-play group. She immediately referred us to Christine Branscombe and Trisha Wilkinson.

Working together, these ladies helped us by getting Harry referred to our local child development centre. These ladies have also supported both Harry and I in his integration in to infant school.

Even though Harry is now in school. We are still being supported by another Sure Start group called AOK. This club is run by Trisha and parents of children with additional needs. These ladies and gentlemen have quite simply saved my life and my sanity. Without Sure Start support I would have nothing. Most recently Sure Start have placed me on another course for supporting my family as following the birth of my third child Phoebe, I am once again suffering with post natal depression.

Please do not cut the funding for Sure Start. Sure Start is vital for parents and children alike. Please show us that you are a man of integrity and a man that will honour his promises and leave Sure Start alone.

So far under the coalition government we are struggling for money. We were happier under the Labour government. Please help families like us Mr Cameron. Please don't condemn us by taking away our support structures as well.

Please help us by writing one too - let the PM know if Sure Start have helped you.

I would like to publically thank - Trisha, Liz, Paula, Carole, Jan, Carla, Christine, Dawn and others at Lune Park who have supported me and helped me over the past few years. I am fairly certain I wouldnt be as balanced (as prozac and wine allows) as I am now.

I owe these ladies so much, so I will start with a letter.

Please Help