Memorandum from Nick Bennett, Naval Area
Community Officer
1. There has never been any publicly funded
pre school provision with the UK Armed Forces in the UK. (In the
Joint Service Publication there is provision for Community Centres,
houses, single living accommodation etc, but no provision for
pre schools).
2. Royal Naval pre schools are housed mostly
in misappropriated Service Family Accommodation (SFA) (Married
Quarters) houses or non publicly funded pre school buildings such
as the modular building adjacent to the Crownhill RN Family Centre.
This pre school building was part funded by the Naval Community
Funds raised in Plymouth and the Sailor's and Fleet Amenities
Fund and the Seafarers Fund (Formerly King George's Fund For Sailors).
In Plymouth we have five RN pre schools catering for more that
100 Service children.
3. Service families are frequently moving
around the UK, Germany, Cyprus and Gibraltar. When they arrive
at the SFA estates, Service pre schools always afford priority
to Service children but the only help given by MOD is to pay the
utilities and allow free rent of misappropriated SFA houses or
modular buildings. Here in Plymouth we also have Alexandra House,
a registered tri service charity providing high quality sessional
day care and overnight facilities when required.
4. Pre schools are vital in the 21st Century
to give all our children the best start to their education.
5. The Government could consider looking
to publicly fund pre school buildings on or adjacent to SFA estates
in the same way that SURESTART funding is now available near social
housing or deprived areas..
6. Service pre schools often struggle to
survive with no public funding to help them through the lean times
(when rolls fall due to service families moving or drops in birth
rates)
27 June 2006
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