Parents are up in arms after the council decided to slash a vital children’s service.

Sessions held at the Family Hub in Southampton have been combined – much to the disdain of parents and guardians.

The free council-run service has hubs across the city, offering children and families to enjoy stay and play sessions, receive advice, and more.

Following the decision, the ‘Stay and Play’ and ‘Tots and Tunes’ sessions have merged.

It is believed Southampton City Council is scrapping ‘around 20 sessions’ but this has not been confirmed.

Among those hubs affected is Pickles Coppice in Windermere Avenue.

There has also been talks of job cuts as a result of the merger - but the city council was unable to comment on this at present.

First-time mum Lucy McDiarmuid from Harefield said the play sessions were a ‘safe and secure’ setting for her and her daughter Luna.

She said: “It is a little haven.

“The Cutbush hub I go to has ‘Stay and Play’, ‘Tots and Tunes’, and ‘Bump and Baby’.

“The staff there also offer breastfeeding support.

“I know there are other services you can pay for but that is not always an option for people.”

Daily Echo: Sessions at Pickles Coppice are among those affected Sessions at Pickles Coppice are among those affected (Image: Newsquest)

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For Lucy, the staff are what make the Hub sessions so special.

She said: “I can’t rate the staff enough and how much they care for everyone.

“They offer personal care and they have really built on their relationship with Luna.

“When I found out the council was making cuts, I was devastated. This is a short-term fix for a long-term problem.

“My concern is that these great places will eventually stand derelict.

“And I think this could hinder my daughter’s development as she has a great bond with staff.”

Cuts have been taking place across the cash-stricken authority to tackle its precarious financial position.

Last October, the council identified £16.6m of savings, including increasing parking charges, cutting IT jobs and reducing the arts centre budget.

Earlier this year it was revealed £7.7m needs to be saved by the council this year alone.

The decision to cut the sessions offered by the Family Hub will impact voting at this year’s local elections, according to one furious mum.

Lisa Hellyer has been attending the Family Hub since her son Harry was three and a half months old.

The 35-year-old from Sholing said she saved a lot of money by utilising this service – but will now have to pay out.

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She said: “This is going to affect my weekly routine now having to find something on a Friday to fill the gap.

“Looking at other classes they will cost between £3 to £10 a session which I haven't budgeted for, being at the end of my maternity leave.

“My son absolutely loves attending ‘Tots and Tunes’ and I have seen a real progression from when we first started going.

“I feel we only benefited from it for a small fraction of our experience, and I worry about other families who really rely on the Hub and the social learning environment for all.”

Addressing concerns raised, Southampton City Council said it has ‘reconfigured our outreach service to work with even more families within their communities’.

This has resulted in a reduction of demand at the council’s satellite hub at Northam Community Centre, where sessions will no longer be offered.

The spokesperson said: “Our Family Fun sessions are coming to an end, however, all seven Family Hubs across the City, including one half a mile from Northam Community Centre, remain open between 8.30-4.30pm Monday to Thursday and until 4pm on Friday.

“As always, we welcome families to continue to visit and make use of all the great services available.”