Flash to become emergency childcare hub

The Flash Leisure Centre is to become an Emergency Childcare Hub and will host the children of key workers who were not part of the previous hub scheme set up during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The centre is one of five Freedom Leisure-run centres that will be used by Powys County Council to look after the children of NHS workers, emergency workers and social workers from 8.30am-4.30pm Monday-Friday until the end of summer term.

“School-aged children who attend the emergency childcare hubs at the leisure centres will not be able to attend their school during the last four weeks of the summer term as Welsh Government advises that children should just attend one setting. This is to reduce the likelihood of the Covid-19 virus spreading between different groups,” said Phyl Davies, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Education and Property, in a letter to parents yesterday.

But one parent we spoke to said the arrangement was not fair on their child who would be separated from their friends as a result. They also questioned the suitability of The Flash as an educational facility.

“I understand we need to be very careful and safety comes first, but this arrangement just doesn’t seem to make sense to me,” he said.

Parents will be expected to drop off and collect their children themselves, but they have until just 3pm today to register for a place at covid19.hubs@powys.gov.uk