DETERMINED parents in Quarry Bank will hold a peaceful protest to show their opposition to Dudley Council‘s plans to axe children’s centres across the borough.

Quarry Bank Children’s Centre is one of seven facilities facing closure in a bid to save £2.3m but the centre’s Parent’s Voice group will not take the decision lying down.

An open meeting will take place at the centre tonight (Wednesday), from 4-8pm, to allow people to fill in consultation forms and a buggy march will take place next Friday (November 29).

Protestors will meet outside the centre at 11.30am and set off at 11.45am to march up and down High Street before arriving back at the centre at around 12.30pm.

The group’s vice chairman, Kyra Hill, aged 25, said: “When we get back, we will all stand around the centre holding hands. It will be a peaceful protest but we want to show people that we mean business.”

Miss Hill, who has used the centre regularly since her daughter, Lilly, aged two, was a newborn, added: “I was absolutely devastated when I found out they wanted to close it. I can’t believe they want to cut something that is so important to the community.”

Other centres across the borough will hold meetings to give parents an opportunity to find out more about the proposals.

Campaigners will be holding an open day at Hob Green Children’s Centre on Saturday November 23 from 10am to 3pm and centres in Wordsley and Kingswinford will hold closed meetings for parent to discuss the consultation process.

The Wordsley meeting will be on December 2 and the Kingswinford meeting will take place on December 3, both between 4.30-6pm.