Wigan centre for vulnerable children changes hands after national charity's collapse

Families outside Hop, Skip and Jump, including Emma Eastham and son Alex, 14, right

Wigan families were devastated when national charity Hop, Skip and Jump, which catered for young people with disabilities and special educational needs, went into administration in March.

Staff were offered support by Wigan Borough Community Partnership to consider the formation of a community interest company (CIC).

But council bosses say it was not possible for staff to form the CIC and the only alternative was to provide the services themselves, along with Wigan Youth Zone.

Parents are concerned about the progress made so far, claiming a much reduced number of children are able to attend and essential items have been removed, and they want the service previously available to be reinstated.

Shevington mum Emma Eastham, whose 14-year-old son Alex has complex health needs and disabilities, contacted the Observer on behalf of families using the centre.

She said: “It was somewhere my son spent a lot of time and the people that work there were like family, even all the parents were friends and all the children. It has been really difficult. They have not only had to shield, but when they come out of shielding, they can’t go to their favourite place.”

Mike Chew, the council’s director of community services, said: “It became apparent that the only viable way forward immediately was to deliver this service ourselves in partnership with Wigan Youth Zone. Employees, parents and carers have been involved in these conversations and are aware of this decision.

“The provision is temporarily closed and we are working with Public Health England to see how we can reopen safely in line with Covid-19 guidance. We will inform families and the public when we have confirmation of when the service will resume locally.

“We would like to reassure our families that we are committed to ensuring they receive all the support they need. We also want to work with children and their families about the long-term future of this provision to make sure we are providing services that they value”.