Announcement
Last autumn Hampshire County Council (HCC) Library Service announced its proposals to reduce opening hours at many of Hampshire's libraries in order to make savings of £450,000 in 2012/13 in response to budget cuts.
At the same time HCC Library Services assessed usage of the smallest libraries, one of which is Stanmore library and found that Stanmore is the least well used library in Hampshire. HCC concluded that it was not viable for the Library Service to continue to run the current library in Stanmore.
Since then HCC Library Services have entered into discussions with local groups and organisations who might be interested in taking over running Stanmore library, with support from the Library Service.
Winchester City Council and the Carroll Centre have been involved in these discussions and are exploring the possibility of moving the library into the Carroll Centre. As part of this process WCC has recently commissioned architects Design ACB to explore ways of making better use of the Carroll Centre buildings to create space for a community library.
On Thursday 17 May plans will be on view at the Carroll Centre that show some of the ideas which Design ACB have developed for incorporating a library into the building.
The architects and library staff will be at the centre from 11.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m. and 5.00 - 7.00 p.m. to discuss the plans and to collect feedback from the community.
I hope you will take this opportunity to view the plans and to comment on the proposal for locating a community library at the Carroll Centre
Jool Heller-Dixon
Head of Centre
May 2012
The Carroll Children's Centre March 2012
Changes to the current provision
The Carroll Centre in Stanmore provides very good quality SureStart Children's Centre services and a wide range of other activities for children, young people and families who live in and around Winchester. We have been working successfully with local communities since 1990, and running the Carroll Children's Centre since 2008.
Carroll Children's Centre activities are integrated with many other services at the Carroll, such as the popular Poppins after school club, lads and dads days, a crèche, a community cafe, further education classes, counselling, sexual health information, a job club, bumps and beyond, and opportunities for young people in the local community.
In 2011, Hampshire County Council decided to contract-out the provision of SureStart children's centres across the whole of Hampshire, rather than provide those services directly, or through partnerships with local charities such as the Carroll Centre.
In March 2012, Hampshire County Council announced that it had decided to award new contracts to a national charity and two combinations of national and regional organisations.
As a result of these changes, the Carroll Centre's provision of high quality children's centre services will be changing, with effect from 23 April 2012. The County Council has chosen Action for Children to manage the children's centre that is based at the Carroll Centre.
The Carroll Centre is making plans to work with Action for Children and expects to develop an excellent partnership for the benefit of children, young people and families.
At the time of writing, the Carroll Centre does not know how Action for Children and Hampshire County Council wishes to proceed. It is anticipated that the changes being implemented will impact on other services that the Centre currently provides, but we are working with the County Council to ensure - as they wish - there is no reduction in services for families at the Carroll Centre.
During the next few weeks and beyond, the Trustees, the Children's Centre Partnership Board, the Family Forum and the staff are working together to provide the best possible services. We will, as always, listen carefully to children, young people, families and our partner organisations, and we will work with them to achieve the best possible results! A further statement will be posted on our website as soon as more information is available from HCC and Action for Children.
Colin Smith
Chair of the Board of Directors and Trustees March 2012
