Fatima Whitbread backs funding cut hit centre

Fatima Whitbread said the Pen Green Centre was helping children in Corby integrate into the community

World Champion javelin thrower Fatima Whitbread has urged a council to "go back to the drawing board" over budget cuts to a children's nursery.

The Pen Green Centre in Corby will have its budget cut by half, North Northamptonshire Council said earlier this year.

Whitbread, who has spoken about her own time in care, visited the centre and said it was "a lifeline for our young families and children in care in the community".

Jason Smithers, leader of North Northamptonshire Council said the authority was "getting behind all our maintained nurseries" and had made the funding fairer.

Supports of Pen Green protested outside the Corby Cube earlier this year

The Conservative-run authority has been allocated £933,309 from the government's maintained nursery schools grant programme for 2022-23 - down from £1,204,011 the year before.

That money must be used to support provision for children at four maintained nursery schools, including Pen Green.

Pen Green, which received £1,027,620 last year, will now see its allocation reduced to £503,987.

It will receive a one-off payment of £350,000 to help with the transition.

'A safe environment'

Fatima Whitbread met users of the centre and those that work there

Whitbread said it was "imperative that [North Northamptonshire] Council go back to the drawing board and look at the situation and release more funding for them".

The 62-year-old, who won BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1987, said the centre was "a flagship for us as a country".

"It enables the communities to come together and support a young families and integrate these youngsters into the community and I don't think you'll find a better opportunity for that to happen in a safe environment as Pen Green Centre," she said.

'Important to us all'

Mum Daisy Evans brings her son Teddy to a group for premature babies at the Pen Green Centre

Daisy Evans comes to the premature baby group at the Pen Green Centre with her son Teddy.

She said it was "a safe space for us to meet other parents in similar situations".

Ms Evans said the centre was "brilliant, I can’t imagine not coming here anymore… me and Teddy have a great time every time we come".

She added her son was "born very premature" and the group was the first she felt comfortable taking him to.

"Along the other mothers as well, it's a really safe space for us and we don't know what we'd do if we didn't have it, it's definitely important to us all," she added.

'Fair, equitable and transparent funding'

North Northamptonshire Council said it had invested an extra £650,000 to support its maintained nurseries

Conservative Mr Smithers said the council had "not cut funding to our maintained nurseries".

He said the authority was "using a fairer, more equitable and transparent funding arrangement aimed at giving all the maintained nurseries the same opportunity".

He added the grant was "based upon the numbers of children attending the nurseries ensuring full transparency and equity across all settings".