Bishop joins calls for family hubs to be saved

The Bishop of Dover has joined last-minute calls for two family hubs in Kent to be saved.

Seashells in Sheerness and Millmead in Margate are both due to see their funding discontinued from April, and are to be discussed by Kent County Council (KCC) on Thursday as the authority looks to save money in its annual budget.

In an open letter, the Right Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin urged KCC to "reconsider their decision and find the necessary funding", adding: "Seashells is more than just a service provider, it's a lifeline for vulnerable families."

Council leader Roger Gough said it would be wrong to "pre-empt" the debate at full council.

It was proposed in the budget that funding for the two centres would discontinue at the end of the financial year and family services would be delivered in-house by KCC.

In her letter, Bishop Hudson-Wilkin said of the in-house alternatives proposed: "This falls far short of the level of need and risks leaving many families without the critical support they rely on."

Speaking ahead of the debate, Mike Whiting, the independent councillor for Sheppey, said: "I urge all of my former colleagues to realise these services matter."

"I cannot see any argument around finances for these centres," he told BBC Radio Kent. "We know it exists."

The decision to withdraw funding was called into a council scrutiny meeting earlier this year.

In March, KCC cabinet opted to send the decision to full council where it will be debated later on Thursday.

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