DOZENS of parents are set to stage a street protest on Monday in a bid to save their children’s centres in Prestwich and Whitefield.

Bury Council is considering shutting Butterstile Children’s Centre in School Grove, and Toodle Hill Children’s Centre in Cuckoo Lane.

If the proposals receive the go-ahead in December, the centres would be turned into nurseries for two-year-olds.

The nearest children’s centres would be at Besses in Ribble Drive, Whitefield, and Sedgley in Bishops Road, Prestwich — but services would only be open to the 40 per cent most deprived children in the borough.

Donna Procter was so outraged by the proposals she has got together with other concerned parents and organised a protest.

The mother-of-two, of Venwood Road, Prestwich, said: “Butterstile has been a godsend to me and my family.

“When I was starting out at a single mum, it was a hard time and the centre was there for me.

“I did everything from baby massage for the children to a computer course for me and even a confidence-building course,” said the 31-year-old, whose children are Macey-Jo, aged nine and Connor, aged five.

“Now my children go to Butterstile Primary School and got a great start in life thanks to the centre.

“The people making this decision don’t seem to know about the goodness that comes from the centre, and from the others. We want them to understand.”

The protest is set to take place outside the Butterstile centre at 9am on Monday (Sep 29) to coincide with a visit by councillors.

Prestwich’s Lib Dem Cllr Tim Pickstone said: “We are extremely concerned by these proposals.

“Children’s centres have only been open a few years in Prestwich, but many families have found them a great service to help give children a good start in life.

“We are very concerned that parents and families in most need will not make the journey to Sedgley Park to use services.

“Toodle Hill is actually the only council-run facility in Holyrood ward, and one of the few community venues we have which seems a great shame to lose.”

The council’s children’s representative, Cllr Gill Campbell, blamed the government for expecting the council to provide more services on a reduced budget.

She said: “If we had this money to spend on children's centres, we could increase provision by 40 per cent, rather than cutting it by 30 per cent, but we are not given that choice as government believes it knows best what priorities in Bury should be.”

Other children’s centres set to become nurseries are based at Radcliffe Hall and St John’s primary schools in Radcliffe, St Stephen’s and St John with St Mark primary schools in Bury, and Ramsbottom Children’s Centre. Tottington Children’s Centre could close completely.

The 12-week consultation is underway and people can have their say by visiting tinyurl.com/childrensconsultation