Peterborough council ‘surprised’ children’s farm and play centre facing closure after funding cut

This week staff and volunteers at the New Ark Centre said that as a result of council funding being cut, the centre - which has been open for 40 years and helped hundreds of families in the city - was facing closure.

A fundraising campaign has been launched, with a £50,000 target set to keep the site open.

MORE: Campaign launched to save much loved Peterborough family and play centre from closure

In 2018 the centre was receiving £33,000 from the council. However, in 2018, the council announced that funding would be reduced by £11,000 each year, with all funding cut in August 2021.

Yesterday, Jo Curphey, Chair of the New Ark Committee urged the council to re-think their decision to cut funding, saying the site had been impacted by the pandemic and the energy crisis, as well as council funding stopping.

But today, a city council spokesperson said: “In 2018 we informed the management of New Ark Play Centre that we could no longer provide financial support because of our very difficult financial challenges. However, we wanted to give them every opportunity to secure alternative funding and so we agreed to reduce the centre’s funding by £11,000 each year over a three year period. The grant funding stopped altogether in August last year.

“We have kept in regular contact with New Ark to offer support and understood that other sources of income were being secured and visitor numbers were now increasing following the impacts of lockdowns. Therefore, this latest position about the future of the centre has come as a surprise. We will continue to offer any assistance we can and will continue to share with them suggestions of ways to raise money.”

Stacey Myhill, a parent of a child who regularly visits the centre has also called for the funding decision to be reversed.

She said: “New Ark Play is an amazing part of our local community, which not only support their local schools and children but also supports children from all over Peterborough.

“The staff create such an wonderful environment for the children , building their confidence and teaching skills that will last them a lifetime. Without their play centre and city farm, childcare would be very difficult for us as working family of four.

“The walk over service and after school club is a home from home for our children. They love being collected by new ark staff at the end of the school day and their favourite part is the city farm and helping to care for the animals!”

The support service offers provision for up to sixty children in a year who experience social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties from around twenty different schools in the area. By attending New Ark Play, the children are helped to manage their feelings in a positive way, through hands on activities in the Eco Centre, the Adventure Playground, and the City Farm. The New Ark Holiday Play Sessions can keep up to ninety children throughout a year, entertained, energised, and active. They too benefit from access to the farm and the outside adventure playground.

The After School Play Sessions provide an invaluable service to working parents for up to thirty children each evening, twenty-four of whom are escorted from the school to New Ark each evening, ensuring that they are safe and protected from danger.

The Preschool Play Group cares for up to forty children at any one time. The centre provides a stimulating environment to provide care and education of children from two years nine months onwards, with emphasis on their health, development, and learning.

The City Farm has housed up to eighty-five guests at any time. Everything from turkeys, pigs, sheep, ducks, guinea pigs, and ponies are rescued and lovingly cared for at the facility every day of the year.

An army of volunteers (over a thousand sessions per year) help keep the farm going, supporting cleaning, feeding, maintenance and care of the animals. Many of these volunteers suffer with emotional or mental health issues.

New Ark Play has supported education across the community by providing training in animal care for up to sixty students each year from both Peterborough and Stamford Colleges in addition to young people and adults through the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and the Princes Trust.

Since being launched on Tuesday, the fundraising campaign has raised £900.

To donate to the campaign, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-new-ark

As well as public donations (which will be gratefully received), if you are a local business owner, the managing director of a national company or a retail store manager and would like support New Ark Play in a substantial way, please email [email protected]