‘You can’t ignore us now’ - Protesters call for South Tyneside Council to back down on proposed Stanley’s cuts
Protesters have told South Tyneside Council they “can’t be ignored” over proposed cuts to Stanley’s daycare centres.
A group of protesters have gathered at South Shields Town Hall to call on South Tyneside Council to back down over proposed cuts to the South Tyneside Accredited Network for Learning in the Early Years (Stanley’s).
Parents, children, Stanley’s staff members, trade unions, local councillors, and more all joined together outside the building on Thursday morning (June 18) to make their opinion heard.
The demonstration comes after a social media post leaked information that the local authority was set to make cuts to the childcare provision.
‘You can’t ignore us now’
Joanna Taylor, from Hebburn, launched an online petition following the news in an effort to urge the Council to change their mind over making cuts to the service.
At the time of writing, the mum-of-one’s petition has been backed by more than 4,000 people who are calling for the childcare provision to be saved.
Speaking at the protest, Joanna has told South Tyneside Council that those opposing the proposed cuts can ‘no longer be ignored’.
The 39-year-old said: “The parents, carers, grandparents, guardians and wider community have all rallied together in support of this.
“It has been a bit of a whirlwind week getting the word out as much as we can on social media and we’re also now starting to pound the pavement.
“The parent reps from each of the Stanley nurseries are getting together every night to help each other and think of ways about how we can get this out to the wider community.
“We’re getting some very good support, even from people outside of the borough - the National Education Union (NEU) is even involved now.
“Things like this doesn’t just affect South Tyneside, it affects the wider North East as well.
“You [South Tyneside Council] can’t ignore us now, we are speaking and we, as well as our children, need to be heard.”
‘No decisions’ on the future of Stanley’s
A Council spokesperson said: “We are reviewing how we support children and families, with a focus on building a stronger, more joined-up system that helps families get the right support at the right time.
“This work forms part of the Council’s 2026/27 budget, agreed in February, which includes delivering a range of efficiencies, service improvements and income generation across all services.
“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.
“Our focus is on ensuring children and families can continue to access the support they need in their local communities, including looking at how services can be delivered in the most effective and accessible way.”
You can view the petition calling for Stanley’s to be saved by visiting: https://www.change.org/p/save-our-stanley-s.