Parents have shared their upset and frustration after an afterschool club said it had 'no choice'  but to fold.

Silvia Preza – who has a seven-year-old son at St Peter and St Paul's CE Primary School – says she received a letter in July of this year, stating that the afterschool club at Heywood Park Young People's Centre would not continue in September.

The letter – seen by The Bolton News – stated the reason was due to not being able to recruit enough staff.

Silvia,who lives in Halliwell, says she never 'expected' it to close, and she is now at a loss what to do.

She said: “I work for the NHS, and they are quite flexible when I work from home, but it’s not sustainable, and I feel like I might have to find something else.

The Bolton News: From Left to right: Paula with her two children Miguel and Bruna, Silvia, Marco who has a boy in Silvia's son's class, and Erik (16) who attended the after school club from 4 to 11From Left to right: Paula with her two children Miguel and Bruna, Silvia, Marco who has a boy in Silvia's son's class, and Erik (16) who attended the after school club from 4 to 11 (Image: Public)“Other parents have stopped working because their employer did not  allow them to finish early.

“I have been using some annual leave, and I am relying on friends and work.

“Childminders I have spoken to won’t collect the children.

“It’s making me feel unstable and unsure if I will have to leave my job, but how can we support our family without two incomes?”

Silvia and another parent from the school, Paula Silva, from Deane, say that someone from the afterschool club used to collect them and take them to the club.

And although one of the alternatives is Castle Hill, Silvia says that they do not have enough spaces.

Paula - who has two children at the school - said: “I don’t have any other options because I can’t leave work early.

The Bolton News: Heywood Park Young People's CentreHeywood Park Young People's Centre (Image: Public)“It’s hard and I feel like the only option is to change their school, but they love the school, and I love the teachers.

“My husband helps me two days a week, but sometimes he needs to travel for work.

“It’s very hard finding a job during school hours.”

Both parents say they are unsure that there is anything else available to them in the area, which is convenient for their working hours, and ensures they can be picked up and dropped off at a club.

The council say that no other activities running out of the centre are affected, and that families have been supported to find alternatives, with further support being available

A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “Unfortunately we have been left with no choice other than to stop the paid-for childcare provision at Heywood Young Peoples’ Centre from the beginning of September.

“This is due to a shortage of the qualified staff needed to run the service safely.

“Multiple attempts to recruit sufficiently qualified staff have been unsuccessful, and this reflects broader recruitment challenges faced by the sector as a whole.

“No other activities running out of the centre are affected.

“Free play sessions, youth club and other community activities will continue.

“There are other providers in the area that provide childcare provision.

“Families have been supported to find alternatives and further support is available where required via the Families Information Service who can be contacted by emailing families@bolton.gov.uk.”

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