Children join club cuts protest

Children from threatened clubs released 200 red balloons

Children from some of the 200 after school clubs facing the axe in Northern Ireland have taken part in a protest at Belfast City Hall.

Two hundred red balloons were released for each threatened voluntary club.

Funding has run out for the facilities, which are mainly used by parents who cannot afford private child care.

A petition to be given to the Northern Ireland Secretary was also handed in during the event organised by the Child Care Lobby Group.

Marguerite Hunter Blair from Playboard said the clubs' loss would be devastating for low earning families.

"The parents who would lose their jobs are those on low incomes who can least afford to do so," Ms Hunter Blair said.

"The government's negligent disregard for the after school clubs we've worked so hard to establish simply beggars belief," she added.

Provision

Earlier this month, the group said plans for a massive expansion of out-of-school provision should be extended to Northern Ireland.

It said European and lottery money had almost run out and the government had not earmarked any specific funding.

The group said NI's voluntary out-of-school sector was now "in real danger of being virtually wiped out".

The government is putting £680m into encouraging more schools in England to set up breakfast and after-school clubs.

There are 237 voluntary out-of-school clubs in Northern Ireland.

If the clubs closed, hundreds of parents could be forced to give up their jobs, said PlayBoard.