Dudley MP welcomes rescue deal for Sycamore Adventure Centre
Dudley’s MP has welcomed a deal to secure the Sycamore Adventure Centre despite a "best-case scenario option being missed.
The centre, in Sycamore Green, Dudley, faced an uncertain future while Dudley Council searched for an organisation to take over the loss-making facility.
As she presented a petition to Parliament calling on the Government to ‘stop the privatisation’ of the centre, MP Sonia Kumar said it ‘must remain solely controlled by Dudley Council’.
The Labour MP however did not get her wish after the authority announced it was to be taken over by Dudley Academies Trust, which runs four secondary schools and two primary schools in the borough.
Ms Kumar said: “Whilst the best-case scenario was for Sycamore Adventure Centre to continue to be council-run, I am a realist and acknowledge that this new arrangement ensures stability for the centre and the staff who have worked so hard to make Sycamore Adventure Centre the much-loved community asset it has become.”
After discussions with Jo Higgins, chief executive officer of Dudley Academies Trust, Ms Kumar says she was given assurances that all staff contracts would be honoured, there would be no increase in entrance fees either inside or outside term time and there would be no change in the number of weekly sessions or to access for families, schools or groups.
Jo Higgins said: “First and foremost, Dudley Academies Trust is a charitable organisation, funded by the Government and shares the values that underpin Sycamore Adventure.
“We recognise the importance of protecting and expanding resources for vulnerable groups, including children with special educational needs and disabilities, and will strive to deliver programmes that enrich their lives.”
Councillor Wayne Little, Dudley Council cabinet member for children’s services, said: “This decision follows a thorough and competitive process, and we are confident that the trust’s robust proposal will deliver long-term financial security through a sustainable model that generates surpluses for reinvestment into the centre.”
Ms Kumar added: “I know we can build on the excellent work already done by the team at Sycamore, continuing the centre’s reputation as a place of inspiration, adventure and learning for all.”
