A CLASS supporting parents with young children has been saved thanks to a kind donation and a Good Samaritan.

The Stay and Play session at Greenstead Children’s Centre, run by Barnardo’s and Virgin Care, came to an end in August as management said not enough people attended.

Families who used the class as their lifeline were devastated, as they enjoyed socialising at the craft and activity session.

After receiving a number of calls from distressed parents, ward councillor Tina Bourne (Lab) threw £500 of her locality budget into setting up a new Stay and Play class at the Colchester community centre.

She said: “The Stay and Play session stopped with little notice.

“On bleak mornings it was somewhere to socialise, there was toys and equipment, it was a lifeline.

“We pleaded for it to stay but we were at a loss, we weren’t just going to throw our hands in the air and say ‘That’s it’.”

After reading a story in the Gazette on the closure of the Stay and Play class, Good Samaritan Jill Cowling, who has the right qualifications to manage the sessions, stepped forward and offered to run the new class on a voluntary basis for the next year.

Mrs Bourne’s locality budget money, which can be spent on anything she feels would benefit the community, will go towards set-up costs as the group will need to replace the toys and equipment.

She, alongside fellow ward councillors Tim and Julie Young (Lab), are appealing for help from groups which can supply equipment and healthy snacks for the pre-school children.

She said: “We want to keep the services for the community in Greenstead and we hope all the parents who attended the Stay and Play sessions will come to the independent group.”

Mrs Young had also been campaigning to keep the class open.

She said: “At the first session we had about 40 children and 30 parents which was a great turnout.

“Everybody was having a great time and we are delighted it has been warmly welcomed back by the community.

“All credit goes to the organiser who stepped forward following the story in the Gazette saying she could run the class.

“We have also had mums saying they would be willing to help run the class in the future.

“It looks like it is going to be a tremendous success and there is a great atmosphere, the first session ran like a dream.”

The classes are held every Friday morning from 10am until 11.30am and there is a voluntary contribution in order to keep the class sustainable.

If anyone is able to assist with equipment, call Mrs Bourne on 07837 735165 or Julie Young on 07905 403188.