The Livesey Museum, the first children's museum in Britain, whichattracts 18,000 visitors per year and has won several awards, will closeat the end of February, as Southwark Council tries to cut costs by35m over three years.
Council leader Nick Stanton delayed the start of the assembly meeting totalk to the protestors gathered outside.
Mr Stanton said, 'We faced a stark choice between museums, libraries andleisure centres. The simple fact is that keeping the Livesey Museum openwould mean closing a leisure centre or two libraries instead. These werenot easy choices, but given levels of child literacy and childhoodobesity in Southwark, we felt that continuing support to libraries andleisure centres took precedence.'
Bridget McKenzie of Friends of the Livesey, who organised thedemonstration, said, 'We were depressed by the decision to close themuseum but we are still feeling positive and trying to see it as anopportunity to have the museum run by charity funding. We have alreadyhad some approaches from charities. We are hoping to meet with SouthwarkCouncil on Monday evening to find out if the council will let us use thebuilding.'
