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Parents’ holiday childcare scheme cancelled
26/06/2020
Popular activity hubs pulled due to coronavirus
Parents in North Oxfordshire will have to find alternative plans for the forthcoming summer holidays as Cherwell District Council has announced the popular Activity Hubs have been cancelled this year.
Cherwell says it has made the decision to call off the popular childcare provision for the first time in fifteen years following Government guidance. The hubs have previously run at The Warriner School in Bloxham, The North Oxfordshire Academy in Banbury and The Cooper School in Bicester.
Councillor George Reynolds, Cherwell’s lead member for leisure and sport said: “This has been an incredibly difficult decision to make, but on advice from the experts at Oxfordshire Public Health, we can confirm Cherwell’s school holiday hubs will not run this summer. The safety of the children and staff has to be the number one priority and the nature of these active clubs means social distancing would be too difficult to adhere to”.
The childcare sessions are run by Cherwell’s team of Youth Activators and offer a healthy mix of sports, arts, craft and games for children aged five to 15 years. They provide a place to socialise and stay active. Last year more than 2,700 bookings were made to attend the sessions.
Councillor Reynolds said, “We know this decision will come as a disappointment to parents and children alike. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has meant the clubs are impossible to run. We hope by making this announcement now, it gives parents enough time to make alternative childcare arrangements this summer.”
Cherwell says that adapted family activities will be made available through the FAST programme during the school holidays with further details coming very soon.
In addition to help keep youngsters busy at home, Cherwell’s Youth Activators have been posting regular activities on their Instagram account @youthactivators and on Cherwell District Council’s YouTube channel.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam