Orchard Leisure Center in Armagh
An Armagh mother has called on the council to restart a “lifeline” childcare service at the city’s Orchard Leisure Center.
Mother-of-two Paula McGee said the service would give mothers the peace of mind that their children were looked after and would be able to safely get some much-needed exercise time. .
She says further efforts are needed to revive this service and believes this is essential to help mothers improve their physical and mental health.
Child care services provided at Orchard Leisure Center were suspended during the pandemic and have not yet resumed.
Previously, this service ran two hours a day, three days a week. In other words, parents were free to take care of their children and exercise freely.
In February, Armor I Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has reported that it is assessing demand for the resumption of services at both Orchard Leisure Center and Banbridge Leisure Centre.
A public consultation was also carried out to assess the possibility of supporting the facility.
Nevertheless, if you contact us, Armor I A council spokesperson said this week: “There are no plans to reopen child care facilities at Orchard and Banbridge leisure centers due to a lack of demand for this service.”
“I think this is a huge mistake in this day and age where mental health and physical health are everything,” Paula said.
“Some parents I know have said that with this service they would be able to attend classes right away. In terms of attendance, classes would be even more full. I think it’s a huge gap in service, and I honestly can’t believe there’s no one who can do it.
“There are private gyms that offer this service, but I don’t understand why a leisure center run by the council can’t provide the service. Especially when we weren’t looking for something new, it was very It was successful and went smoothly.”
Paula said she has raised this issue with many local councilors, but has not yet received a response.
The mother of a two-year-old boy added that the reintroduction of the facility would ease a huge burden on mothers, allowing them to exercise and have much-needed personal time.
She added: “Early on, whenever I felt shitty and wanted to start making a move, the opportunity would have been there if this was in the mix, it would be the loop that would anchor the chain.
“There’s nothing better than a little banter and banter while you’re exercising. Whenever I go to a private class, I have one eye on my child and the other on what I’m doing. Switch off. Just by doing this, you can see that your child is having fun, safely, energetically, and happily at the nursery facility.
“On the days I attend a private class, I feel a little groggy, my stress melts away, and I go home a better mother.
“I don’t understand why it’s been completely abandoned. Even if they could reopen it temporarily to see if there was demand.”
Paula added that the cost benefits for mothers alone are an added incentive to get the service off the ground.
“In fact, I go to a private exercise group where I can take my children and pay £130 for 12 classes, whereas my gym membership costs less than £30 a month and You might end up going there three mornings. It’s an incentive for people to know that the service is available.
“When I went to class on Monday to distract my young son, there were 22 people in the class. We chatted amongst ourselves and several people said it was a shame there was no nursery school. They said the numbers would have been higher in the past.
“The mothers were relieved too. They lived through those three mornings. For people who are more isolated, it would be a huge plus for those who are more isolated to have that service again.”
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