News

CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED TO SAVE MUSEUM

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8 February 2008

A campaign has been launched to save the Livesey Children's Museum, as it along with other services waits to find if it will be axed to make up the shortfall in the council budget, writes John Prendergast...

Kids, parents and councillors joined forces to stage a demonstration outside the museum, based on the Old Kent Road, on Tuesday, to supplement the petitions and Facebook groups that have been launched and garnered more than 300 signatures in less than a week.

The 'News' has learnt that council officers have been asked to prepare a report to prepare for the museum closure, and staff members fear that the council is after the building for an asset sale, as the running costs of the museum amount to £140,000 a year.

Parent Paulette Hart said: "If this closed there would not be anything to do nearby. The place just attracts kids from all over the place and I have been coming here once a week for five and  a half years now."

Fernanda Belen, six, is a regular visitor and said: "I have been coming here with my friends for about four years. It would make me sad if it closed because I would not get to come here anymore."

Livesey Ward councillor Andrew Pakes said: "This is a vital asset for children and the local area. I am appalled with the way the council has handled this - over 20.000 people use this and they can't be wrong."

As the clock ticks down to February 12, when the final budget recommendations will be made, rumours about which services are to be axed have been rife. Officially the council has not changed its stance and a spokesman said until
the budget meeting had taken place it would be unfair to speculate on what could go.

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Comments (1)

1. At 05:52 PM on 10 Feb 2008, jane kelly wrote:
While the government can give £25 billion of taxpayers money to bail out Northern rock Bank, spend billions on wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Southwark Council has a shortfall in its funding and cannot see their way to keep a small, educational and inspiring children's museum open. Something wrong with priorities here!
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