Older mothers' playgroup ban

Angela Hayes must find a new playgroup for her son Scott

Mothers over the age of 30 have been told they are too old to take their toddlers to a playgroup.

The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) has written to the women saying it is to "refocus" its services on the 30 and under age group.

Angela Hayes of Burry Port has been taking her three-year-old son Scott to the Cosytoes play group at the charity's centre in Llanelli for the past 18 months.

But when the three-mornings-a-week group starts up again after the summer break, the 38-year-old mother has been told Scott must go elsewhere.

"It's not just me - everyone over 30 has been given the letter including about half a dozen grandmothers who call there because their daughters and sons are working," she said.

Gutted

We had a fantastic welcome when we first went there which was nice because I started a family later in life and most of my friends had children who were older Angela Hayes

"They have given us a list of other mother and toddler groups but there is nothing as regular as Cosytoes and why should I have to go anywhere else anyway?

"Scott loves going there. When we go in he just goes and plays and it has brought him out of himself and given him confidence.

"The people who run it are nice people and they are very good with the children.

"We had a fantastic welcome when we first went there which was nice because I started a family later in life and most of my friends had children who were older."

Her husband Peter said he thought there was mistake when his wife told him.

"When she came home she was gutted," he said.

Gill Tishler, chief executive of the YWCA said: "The main focus of the YWCA's work in England and Wales is young women aged 11 to 30.

"As a charity we have to ensure that we use our resources as effectively as we can in order to develop services which will make the most positive difference possible to those young women's lives.

Mothers over 30 can no longer attend the Cosytoes group

"Where we have work outside this age range we will be looking at how best to find alternative options for the women involved.

"We are very sorry that this hasn't happened with the Cosytoes group in Llanelli and that some women heard about the changes by letter.

"We want to make sure that every woman over 30 who currently attends the group will have one-to-one support from us to find alternative groups to attend locally.

"We have already said that we will be arranging a meeting as soon as possible with the women to rectify this and to talk to them about the changes.

" We are not minimising in any way the challenges facing older women but our particular contribution is in relation to younger women."