The provider, Schoolfriend etc, has made at least 300 staff redundant inthe past three months. The charity recorded almost 3m in lossesfor the year ended 30 September 2006. Chief financial officer StephenArgent said that the charity was expecting to gain extended schoolsfunding to keep the clubs open.
'We were developing clubs that were delivering the Government's extendedschools agenda,' said Mr Argent. 'We made our private funding availableon the basis of the Government's vision for extended schools - thatevery school should be an extended school by 2010.'
Schoolfriend etc was founded in 2004 and began widespread expansionacross England and Wales in 2005. It has since received over 600,000 in grants.
During the year ended 30 September 2006, nearly 1.3m was spent on'activity materials' and just over 1m on salaries.
The 3m losses have been made up from loans from private sources,including the chair of Schoolfriend etc, Anthony Mitchell. 'I think weare financially secure on the basis that the majority of our loanfinance is provided by Mr Mitchell and he will support the charity to goforward,' said Mr Argent. 'It was never his intention to fund all thishimself. He has given money to support the development of Schoolfriendetc, expecting that there would be funding from central or localgovernment to continue that. In order for this situation to go forwardwe must have more support.'
Schoolfriend etc is due to meet Children, Schools and Families secretaryEd Balls in the next fortnight. Mr Argent said, 'We will present EdBalls with the evidence of what we think is happening regarding funding,and put forward some suggestions of ways that it can be resolved. As thesingle largest provider, we are in a position to tell them what is goingon across the country.'
Areas worst affected by Schoolfriend's closures include Kent, Essex,Northamptonshire and West Sussex.
Sue Hope, headteacher at Elham Primary School in rural Kent, toldNursery World, 'We are very unhappy and feel we were treated reallybadly. They (Schoolfriend etc) told us on the Tuesday before half-termthey were going to close on the Friday, and we couldn't speak toanyone.'
'We had problems with them all year. The rent was in arrears, althoughthat has now been paid. The staff were constantly changing. They neededat least 16 pupils to be viable, and they had that at one point.Unfortunately, because of their unreliability, only the most desperateparents carried on. No chance was given to make it sustainable.'
