Save Our Stanley’s South Tyneside

16/10/2026

💙🧸

Another quick post, me (mark, page creator), kirsty, Eve, Sophie, Catherine and Paul at the minute are still here and still going to try to fight on.

16/10/2026

Another quick post, me (mark, page creator), kirsty, Eve, Sophie, Catherine and Paul at the minute are still here and still going to try to fight on.

16/10/2026

💔 A PERSONAL STATEMENT FROM JO, RACHEL & DECLAN

It is with genuine sadness that we have made the difficult decision to step back from public-facing roles within the Save Our Stanley’s campaign.

This is not a decision we ever wanted to make.

Our only intention has ever been to stand up for children, families, staff and a service that means so much to our community. We have asked questions, challenged decisions and demanded transparency and accountability. We have not received this. There are still over a hundred questions unanswered, cast aside and ignored.

We never imagined that standing up for children and families in our own community would leave us feeling the need to protect our own names and reputations.

Sadly, that is where we now find ourselves.

We are deeply concerned by comments and insinuations surrounding the campaign, particularly suggestions of aggression and violence. We categorically reject any implication that we have encouraged, supported or engaged in such behaviour even when we have been faced with antagonistic opposition. This has the potential to cause serious harm to views on our character and our standing in the community both professionally and personally.

Asking difficult questions and attempting to hold those in authority accountable for their decisions and action or inaction should never result in your character or integrity being called into question.

We make absolutely no apologies for standing up for what we believe in or for our communities.

While we feel we are being forced to step away from the public-facing side of the campaign, we are not abandoning the cause. We will continue to offer our support and contribute behind the scenes to the rest of an amazing campaign group wherever we can.

To everyone who has stood beside us, supported us and believed in what we are fighting for, thank you. It has meant more than you know.

Our commitment to the children and families has not changed. We simply cannot allow standing up for them to come at the expense of our own families stability and safety.

With heartfelt thanks,

Jo, Rachel & Declan 🩵💛

07/10/2026

❤️🐻

Campaigners back calls for government intervention into South Tyneside nursery closures

06/10/2026

❤️🐻

South Shields Labour Party is trying to reverse the decision by the Reform-led South Tyneside Council to close 10 publicly run nurseries

05/10/2026

You think this won’t affect you?

Maybe you don’t use Stanley’s. Maybe you don’t have young children.

But the people who do are everywhere.

They’re your nurse. Your mechanic. Your bus driver. Your neighbour. Your accountant. Your child’s teacher. Your friend’s sister.

When childcare disappears, the impact doesn’t stop at the nursery door.

It ripples through our whole community. 🧸💙

03/10/2026

🚨 COUNCILLORS TOLD NOT TO SPEAK ABOUT STANLEY’S?

Today, at a ward surgery, we were informed that the Leader of South Tyneside Council is advising councillors that they are not allowed to speak about Stanley’s. Again.

We want this clarified — publicly.

Stanley’s affects hundreds of children, families and staff across South Tyneside. The decision may have been made, but the questions surrounding that decision have not disappeared.

Residents should be able to approach their elected councillors, ask questions and expect them to be able to discuss an issue of enormous importance to their communities.

So we are asking:

Has the Leader advised councillors not to speak publicly about Stanley’s?

If so:

Why?
What is the basis for that advice?
Who does it apply to?
And how long is it supposed to remain in place?

If what we were told today is incorrect, we would welcome the Council or the Leader confirming that councillors remain free to discuss Stanley’s with the residents they represent.

We have spent months asking for transparency, scrutiny and answers.

We will continue to do so.

🧸 SAVE OUR STANLEY’S

02/10/2026

💔 THE DECISION HAS NOT BEEN CALLED IN

We are deeply saddened to confirm that the decision to close all 10 Stanley’s nurseries has not been called in to Overview & Scrutiny.

We fought incredibly hard to get this decision back in front of scrutiny — because we believe a decision of this magnitude deserved every possible level of challenge and examination before being allowed to proceed.

The Council’s constitution gives Overview & Scrutiny a formal role in the call-in of decisions.

What has become painfully clear through this process is just how much can depend on the actions of a very small number of people.

No one person should be able to wield that much power over whether something this important receives further scrutiny.

Tonight, we are sad. We are disappointed. And we know thousands of people across South Tyneside who have stood beside us will feel exactly the same.

To every parent, grandparent, member of staff, business, organisation, councillor, MP and resident who has supported us, signed our petition, shared our posts, written emails, attended meetings, protested alongside us or simply told us to keep going:

Thank you. ❤️

Thousands of South Tyneside residents have stood with Save Our Stanley’s, and we will never take that support for granted.

But please don’t mistake this post for us saying goodbye.

We are still fighting.

We will now take some time to carefully look at what avenues remain open to us, what our next steps are, and how those responsible for the decisions and processes surrounding the closure of our Stanley’s nurseries can be held properly accountable.

We have come far too far, uncovered far too much and asked far too many questions that still need answers to simply walk away now.

🐻 This fight is not over.

SAVE OUR STANLEY’S

02/10/2026

😡😢🐻

📍I’m deeply saddened and concerned that, on such a serious and time critical matter (noon on October the 2nd), there has still been radio silence from the Vice Chair of Overview Scrutiny coordinating and Call-In committee following the Chair raising concerns about a potential conflict of interest.
My understanding is that, procedurally, even though this Councillor’s declaration of interest is published on the Council website, the Monitoring Officer should still be informed separately and only then if found necessary would the vice chair step back from this particular matter and as the monitoring officer has heard nothing that just seemed to be that. Like end of story. Absolutely baffling. It's really not good enough, morally or democratically.

The call-in could have allowed so many unanswered questions to be finally answered and allowed a more robust decision to be made. The lack of effective scrutiny worries me greatly. This has left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth who has campaigned, read the reports (the ones actually shared with us) and supported a quest for answers and accountability.

We need change going forward. Our scrutiny process must be robust, must be transparent and must be completely independent.

And my heart breaks for the children, parents and staff caught up in all of this. They deserve better!!

*Photo credit Shields Gazett

02/10/2026

Reminder of my previous post regarding the impact of housing developments in the Local Plan for our area.

Recent events around Stanley’s are not just instantly devistating but the long term impacts and added pressure we are going to see is immense.

166 extra pupils expected just here in Boldon. With the council admitting in writing “insufficient”. Along with a national average of in 5 children needing SEND support, that’s an extra 33 SEND children expected. While taking away these vital and limited support spaces.

So I ask the council to please elaborate on how we manage this?

Unless as a community we really add pressure, demand answers and don’t back down, we will never see results that reflect what South Tyneside needs, including us here in Boldon.