Ealing (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Parents and campaigners in Ealing launch crowdfunding for a legal battle against the council’s move to shut 10 of 25 children’s centres, raising concern.
In order to pay for first legal advice from attorneys and a barrister, the campaign is trying to raise £5,000.
A legal team will look at and take into account every facet of the Ealing Council’s consultation and decision-making procedures, according to the advocacy group Save Ealing’s Children’s Centres.
They will draft pre-action letters to the local government and offer advice on the merits of a legal challenge. On behalf of specific families who will be directly impacted by the closures, the advice will be requested.
The measures were passed by the Ealing Council last month (June 11, 2025), which caused a great deal of anxiety among early childhood educators, parents, and carers.
Despite popular opposition, three centers—Jubilee, Petts Hill, and Dormers Wells—were kept; nonetheless, activists contend that the overall concept is still detrimental to community support and services.
Citing a lack of transparency and appropriate interaction with people who may be impacted, Save Ealing’s Children’s Centres has been outspoken in its criticism of the consultation process.
They assert that a large number of families were either ignorant of the ideas or unable to take part in the consultation because of limited access to technology, language hurdles, and other obstacles that made it impossible for them to do so.
On its crowdfunding page, the campaign group said:
“There is a strong case to be made that the council has acted improperly through the process leading up to the decision. We have exhausted the few democratic routes available to try to pressure the council to do the right thing – and we continue to protest and lobby councillors.”
An Ealing Council spokesperson previously told EALING.NEWS:
“Children’s centres provide vital services for families and are cornerstones of the community, but the current set up is not working. We have 25 centres, but despite increased demand for statutory children’s services, not all families who could benefit are using them.
Supporting our most vulnerable residents is a top priority for us, and our aim with the children’s centres is to design a service more tailored to our families’ needs and move services into the community to better reach those who may need our help, while retaining the largest number of children’s centres in London.
The goal is to reach more families, earlier, with better support, and while some centres will no longer operate in their current form, the services themselves are being enhanced, with all seven towns seeing an increase in children’s centre activity following the changes.”
They have worked closely with the community throughout this process, engaged with over 2,000 residents, and have adapted plans based on what they have heard. They remain open to ongoing dialogue with all community stakeholders.
How might the council’s plan to move services into communities affect families’ access?
Locating services within places families already frequent, like libraries or schools, can create a “one-stop-shop” and facilitate connections between different types of support (e.g., early years, health, social care) through family hubs or partnerships.
Bringing services into community venues may increase outreach and engagement with underserved populations by making services feel more accessible and locally embedded. Embedding services across multiple community sites can allow more tailored responses to local family needs, potentially making support more relevant and visible.
Using community spaces that foster social networks can help families build connections and access informal support alongside formal services.