Derry Day of Action against funding cuts

“The cuts are disgusting and I see them as an attack on my son’s future and the future of his contemporaries.”

This was the passionately expressed opinion of Shauna Doherty, chairperson of the Friends of Longtower Primary School group at Thursday’s Community Day of Action rally in Derry’s Ebrington Square.

Organised by the 36 Neighbourhood Partnerships across the North, the rally coincided with similar events in Strabane, Limavady and Belfast.

Shauna Doherty from Friends of Longtower Primary School.

Shauna was one of the platform speakers, along with: Alison Walace (strategy manager of Waterside Neighbourhood Partnership); Mayor Sandra Duffy; Ollie Green (Greater Shantallow Community Arts);  Gareth McCafferty (youth worker); Chris Cooper (Foyle Down Syndrome Trust); John Lynch (Youth Work Alliance); and Joyce Logue (Principal, Long Tower Primary School).

Speaking to Derry Now, Shauna said: “In the last couple of weeks, we have been bombarded with so much political jargon and I wanted to make sure people actually know what it means whenever they hear the Extended Schools programme is being scrapped. 

“Because, I think that name is a wee bit of a cheat. It gives the impression people are getting a free upgrade to first class, that it is some sort of extra bonus. Actually, what we are talking about is a scheme  in place to ensure the parity of education to which every child is entitled.  

“You are talking about breakfast clubs, so children can get fed. You are talking about homework clubs. You are talking about speech and language therapy, so children can gain the communication skills they need to engage in a classroom and be ready to learn, but also so they can grow up and enter into the workforce. The cuts are disgusting,” said Shauna.

Rally co-organiser, Charles Lamberton (Strategy Manager of Triax Neighbourhood Partnership Board) said it was important to give people a voice. 

IN PICTURES: Derry community come together for Day of Action against ‘austerity and cuts'

Photos - Deirdre Heaney (nwpresspics)

He added: “We have all heard over the last number of weeks numerous announcements of impending cuts, particularly to the community and voluntary sector. And a lot of those cuts are going to target the most vulnerable, especially children and young people. We are losing funding for Pathway, Sure Start, the Youth sector, and women’s groups, on top of the European Social Funding (ESF) lost at the end of March. 

“The thing is, a lot of these cuts are very immediate and we believe the Government and the British Secretary of State are being penny wise but pound foolish.

“The funding cuts are only storing up trouble for the years ahead. If you don’t invest, particularly in our children and young people, through early intervention, you are storing up problems.

“We have been in this ongoing Tory cuts and austerity for 12, 15 years and the community and voluntary sector can’t take it any longer,” he said.

Alison Wallace, (Strategy Manager of Waterside Neighbourhood Partnership) said it was important to get the  message across that these budget cuts had to stop.

“They are really, really impacting on the services we are delivering across the city, especially for children and young people,” she added.

“The Pathways Programme, which promotes early years development is going to be cut. I know of one small community nursery in the Waterside which is losing Pathways funding. It is going to have to close its doors and that service will be lost to those parents and those children will not get the best start in life that they have been promised time and time again.

“The services which provide early intervention and give children the best start in life are all now going to be lost. 
“Youth Service is another big one that is going to be lost. We are coming into the summer now and young people are out building bonfires. Where are the interventions for those young people? They are all going to be lost. It is disgraceful.

“I also work with the Extended Schools Cluster here in the Waterside. Those services are also going to be lost. It is not just services in school that the Extended Schools budget funds. It also funds our summer scheme programme across the Waterside and parenting programmes and a lot of good work we do in partnership with schools to tackle educational underattainment. All of that is gone,” warned Alison.

Christopher Cooper (Manager of Foyle Down Syndrome Trust) believed the community  / voluntary sector had been at the bottom of the pecking order for years, regarding funding and financial support.

He asked: “When there is a crisis in the community, who do people come to? The first place they go is the community / voluntary sector and we have stepped up time and time again. 

“Think about covid, when everything else was closing down, it was the community / voluntary sector which was going out on the streets. We were visiting people, making meals. We were doing lessons in people’s gardens, just to keep interaction and to give the vital service that our children and young people needed. 

“For Foyle Down Syndrome Trust (FDST) it is the Pathway funding cuts that have had the biggest impact. It is our future. It is our children’s future. 

“These cuts are laying the foundation potentially for disaster in years to come, in terms of health implications not getting picked up, child protection issues not getting picked up, before a child is four or five,” said Christopher.

“I would say to Chris Heaton-Harris to come and walk in our shoes,” said Christopher, “come and meet our parents. Come and meet our children. You will see the devastation that  is going to happen to these children if these cuts go ahead. 

“At the minute in England they have actually increased childcare provision from 16 hours a week to 30 hours a week for children from nine months old to four years of age. 

“Currently FDST has 117 families and even with 0 to 4 years old alone, we are sitting with 40 children. That is 40 children from multi deprived areas, who also have a learning disability. Their need is even higher. We fought for years to get children into mainstream education that will not happen if we don’t have intervention like FDST. 

“Children will struggle to meet their milestones and all those things, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, communication skills and this  will link into challenging behaviour as they get older and mental health problems,” said Christopher.

John Lynch (CEO of Youth Work Alliance) said his organisation was dedicated to creating safe spaces for children and young people.

“Spaces where they can be themselves,” he added. “We try to create pathways for those children and young people to gain education and get into employment and support them through whatever health issues they may be facing.

“These cuts will see our services reduced massively in the area. Centres will be down from 7 nights a week to 4 nights a week and Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision will be reduced.”

Derry Now also spoke to Strathfoyle Women’s Activity Group, which was well represented at the rally.

Strathfoyle Women's Activity Group staff and clients at the rally.

Ann Montgomery (Childcare Manager) said the centre was facing potential closure. 

“The whole community is devastated. Because we will no longer be able to offer childcare for our centre users, they may not be able to take part in our classes and come to our counselling service. Knowing your child is being well looked after, means a parent or carer can relax and enjoy whatever activity or class they are involved in,” said Ann.

The Waterside’s Hillcrest Centre users, Colette, Alice, Anne and Molly, said they had come to Ebrington Square because funding cuts to their centre could spell the end of the many activities they enjoyed in Hillcrest. “We also love the social aspect of the centre and going along and meeting all of our friends,” said Alice.