Sparkle centre blighted by cash shortage (From South Wales Argus)

Sparkle centre blighted by cash shortage

6:30pm Friday 27th January 2012 in Gwent news By Andy Rutherford - Health correspondent

GWENT health bosses need to close a £600,000-a-year gap in running costs for the new Serennu Children’s Centre.

The business case for the centre, which opened last April, assumed hundreds of thousands of pounds of extra cash would come from the former Newport, Torfaen and Monmouthshire local health boards, which existed when it was approved.

There are also shortfalls in energy and IT costs.

The boards were replaced by Aneurin Bevan Health Board in autumn 2009, and that money has not been made available.

The centre replaced Newport’s Eveswell Clinic as a base for services for children and young people with disabilities and developmental difficulties.

Eveswell cost £72,000 a year to run, money transferred toward Serennu Centre running costs. But the latter is a bigger, more modern building, with increased energy and IT costs.

However, a health board report reveals the costs of running “a far superior” IT infrastructure at Serennu “were omitted from the business case.”

The board hopes a range of grant applications, including one of £480,000 to the Big Lottery, if successful, will help plug the gap.

It is also creating a volunteer bureau, to build a bank of volunteers for reception, clerical, grounds maintenance, and other roles.

There is also the prospect of £40,000 rent from Newport and Torfaen social services, and rent could be saved by transferring clinics from private premises.

“I find it absolutely amazing we could be in the position that somebody would not make provision for heating, lighting, council tax,” said health board chairman David Jenkins.

“These are things we know bills will come in for. In future we should agree we can meet future costs. It seems to have been something of a deficiency in this case.”