Furious parents urge council to save amazing' North London nursery facing closure

Islington Council has agreed to close nursery provision at Paradise Park Children's Centre Nursery at the end of the summer term. The council says the closure is at the request of Islington Play Association, which faces significant financial challenges. Families using the nursery have protested, arguing the nursery is a valuable community asset and that closure would harm children, including those needing special educational needs and disabilities support. Staff have reported job risks and have urged the council to halt the closure, meet with families, and consider a peaceful leadership transition supported by experienced local early years charities. The council says it is working to keep other adventure playgrounds open.

"London parents have hit out at scandalous plans to close a local nursery amid a dispute between its managers and the council over who proposed the shutdown. For years Islington Council has commissioned the independent charity Islington Play Association (IPA) to run Paradise Park Children's Centre Nursery and other adventure playgrounds in the borough. On Wednesday (May 20) the council said it had reluctantly agreed to close nursery provision at the end of the summer term."

"The council said this was at the request of IPA, which was facing significant financial challenges. The move has sparked uproar among families using the service, who are pleading with the council to halt the closure. Parent Jonny Singer said: We feel pretty powerless. It just feels scandalous that a few days after being elected a Labour council will be shutting down an amazing community asset. The nursery staff are so caring and wonderful, and the quality of SEND care is fantastic here."

"If you uproot these children, that is going to do significant damage. It all just feels so unnecessary, he said. The council's announcement came days after 29 staff employed at the nursery and several adventure playgrounds the charity operates were told their jobs were at risk. Though Paradise Park is slated for closure on July 22, the council has stressed that it is working hard to ensure all the council's adventure playgrounds remain open."

"Staff members, many of whom are facing redundancy and wished to remain anonymous, have also called on the council to review a plan for a peaceful leadership transition supported by experienced local early years charities. This distress is unnecessary and entirely avoidable, the group told the LDRS. Though the charity has not denied having financial difficulties, it has rejected the"

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