‘A lifeline’ - More than 2,000 people urge South Tyneside Council to stop Stanley’s daycentre cuts
More than 2,000 people have echoed a Hebburn mum’s calls to stop cuts to Stanley’s daycare centres.
Residents across the borough are calling on South Tyneside Council to reconsider making cuts to the South Tyneside Accredited Network for Learning in the Early Years (Stanley’s).
Earlier this week, social media posts leaked information that the local authority was set to make cuts to the childcare provision.
The Council has confirmed the cuts were set out by the previous Labour-run administration in South Tyneside Council’s 2026/27 budget and that talks with staff and trade unions are underway.
‘The staff are at the heart of Stanley’s’
Joanna Taylor’s three-year-old daughter, Thea, attends a Stanley’s daycare centre and she has told the Shields Gazette how she felt went she found out that it is under threat.
The 39-year-old said: “Both parents and staff heard the news via the social media leaks on Monday [June 8] and to be honest, we are absolutely disgusted to have found out that way.
“From a parents point of view, we don’t know where we stand, what is going to happen and where our children are going to go.
“Then you start thinking about the staff because it isn’t just childcare, it is a social hub for families and a lifeline for some.
“The staff are understandably very upset and worried because a lot of them have worked in the childcare industry for more than 20 years.
“They are at the heart of Stanley’s and they go above and beyond for the children - it isn’t just a job to them, it’s a passion.”
Petition backed by more than 2,000 residents
Following the news, Joanna launched a petition calling on South Tyneside Council to cancel the cuts, which has been signed by more than 2,000 people at the time of writing.
The mum-of-one has urged the Council listen to residents and to consider the impact on the children who use the Stanley’s daycare centres.
Joanna added: “I knew that the people of South Tyneside would rally around this because at the core of this is the children who go to Stanley’s.
“People just can’t believe that this is even being considered.
“How can parents go to work to support their families if they can’t access childcare?
“I’m urging South Tyneside Council to be open with its constituents and the decision makers need to listen because more than 2,000 people have signed a petition saying that we don’t want this to go ahead.
“There needs to be consideration regarding the impact this could have on all of the children at Stanley’s and the community as a whole.
“Everyone needs to keep in mind that at the heart of all this, it is about giving the children of South Tyneside the best possible start in life.”
‘No decisions’ on the future of Stanley’s
A spokesperson for South Tyneside Council said: “Discussions with staff and trade unions are underway, and no decisions have been made at this stage.
“It would not be appropriate to comment on specific service models or potential changes while this process is ongoing.
“We understand there has been external speculation and that this may be unsettling. However, we would ask people not to draw conclusions at this stage.”
You can view Joanna’s petition by visiting: https://www.change.org/p/save-our-stanley-s.
More information can be found at: https://www.saveourstanleys.help/.