CORSHAM’S Children’s Centre will be taken over by the RISE Trust as of July 1, leaving a local mum feeling uneasy about its future.

Children's charity Barnardo's has run the Kings Avenue centre since 2011 and helped support more than 460 families across the town last year but will hand over the reins in a few weeks.

Mother of two, Sarah Goodwin, who has used the centre for five years and now volunteers there, is worried that some services may be lost in the transfer.

“I really hope none of the services or classes get cancelled with this takeover. It would be very sad if people do not have the brilliant access that I have had for five years,” said the 30-year-old.

“I am so grateful for how they helped me, encouraged me and supported me over that time. So many members rely on this wonderful service that is incredibly helpful to the community. It will be sad to see Barnardo’s go.”

The centre, open five days a week from 9am-5pm and owned by Wiltshire Council, provides parenting programmes, breastfeeding peer support groups, cookery courses, baby massage, first aid training, dads’ groups and links with local health services, training and employment.

CEO of the Rise Trust, Pauline Monaghan, said: “I am delighted that The RISE Trust will be taking over Corsham’s Children’s Centre services from July 1.

“We have made arrangements for all of the centre’s groups, sessions and activities to continue as normal until September 5. We are also doing everything we can to maintain the same staff in delivering those services until that time.

“People may find that some of the activities have already been cancelled because staff were not aware of our plans to continue your existing services. I am very sorry if this has been the case. We will do everything we can to bring the services back after the takeover day of July 1.

“We will be arranging consultation meetings before then so that people will have an opportunity to shape their future services and to tell us what they would like in the area.”

Barnardo’s regional director, Hugh Sherriffe, said in a statement: “We are deeply disappointed that Barnardo’s will no longer be managing the Calne and Corsham children’s centres from July 1.

“We have been involved in the Wiltshire Sure Start programme for more than a decade, beginning with the mini-Sure Start pilots, and had been managing the Calne project since 2007 and the Corsham project since 2011.

“We also welcomed celebrity supporters including actors Andrew Lincoln, Rosamund Pike, Jane Asher, Simon Shepherd and the late Lynda Bellingham who all took a keen interest in what we had achieved.

“Barnardo’s would like to thank all of our staff and volunteers for their outstanding dedication and commitment, and we will now support them during this period of change.”