Cllr Mike Cox - Gazette Article July 2007

11.53.29pm BST (GMT +0100) Sat 7th Jul 2007

Last week the council approved the Hillingdons First Early Years Strategy which sets out the future of children services in our community. There are some considerable developments in the pipeline such as the development of new "Children's centres". The strategy was full of warm words and big hopes. The security and health of our youngest children depends on many of its objectives being achieved. The strategy its littered with references to important partners and voluntary organisations such as Healthy Hillingdon and Hillingdon Homestart.

As treasurer of Hillingdon Homestart for a few years I appreciate what a tightrope these voluntary organisations are balancing on a year by year basis. Homestart's future is more secure now through a service level agreement where funding is longer term and more secure. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Healthy Hillingdon where there has been a series of tit for tat cuts initiated by the PCT and copied by the Council.

During the last Council an excellent all party report showed the value this borough received from Healthy Hillingdon. The Early Years strategy makes it abundantly clear that Healthy Hillingdon is vital to the health of our future generations. It is time these tit for tat cuts are reversed.

Investment in our Early Years is vitally important which is why the administration should reverse their proposed cut to the Cwm Pennent facility for young adults. It is a place where characters are made. Let us hope they have the character to think twice.