'Desperate' Jersey mum among callers for sports centre crèche

Marie Raine

BBC News, Jersey

Heidi Baker said having childcare facilities at her gym would have helped her post-natal depression

BBC Heidi Baker, who has blonde hair, is smiling while looking off to the side. She is wearing a light-coloured sweater with a yellow-green pattern. She is holding a baby, dressed in a white outfit with a red bandana bib. — Heidi Baker said having childcare facilities at her gym would have helped her post-natal depression

People are calling on ministers to consider reopening a crèche at Les Quennevais Sports Centre to help parents of young children enjoy more regular exercise.

The centre in St Brelade used to have childcare facilities but they were closed in 2019. Previous users said they were told that the crèche was not used enough, and was too expensive to run.

Heidi Baker, who has an eight-month-old son, has set up an online petition hoping to demonstrate public support for reinstating the service.

The BBC has approached the government for comment.

Les Quennevais Sports Centre in St Brelade is run by Jersey’s government

Les Quennevais Sports Centre. A modern single-story building with a front wall comprising of a mixture of concrete and stone, with an entrance featuring an solid awning above it on the right-hand side. In front is a lawn with two picnic benches — Les Quennevais Sports Centre in St Brelade is run by Jersey’s government

Ms Baker said: “I’m desperate to get back to doing fitness and I’m finding it very difficult to find childcare for my son.

“It’s socialising. It’s mixing with other people. It’s making new friends. It’s good for your health and well-being.

“When my son was four months old, I had postnatal depression.

“I think my recovery would have been a lot quicker if I had been able to go to the gym and have someone look after him there.”

Fitness coach Vicky Barratt used the crèche at Les Quennevais to train when her own children were young

Vicky Barratt is standing outdoors on a sunny day, smiling at the camera. She has dark brown windswept hair and is wearing a black hoodie layered under a dark-coloured vest. In the background is a green metal fence, a paved path, a modern white building with large windows, and several parked cars. — Fitness coach Vicky Barratt used the crèche at Les Quennevais to train when her own children were young

Fitness coach Vicky Barratt used the crèche at Les Quennevais when her own children were young.

She said: “It’s hard bringing up a new-born baby.

“If you can just do something for yourself for an hour a day where you know your child’s cared for, you’re going to be in a better place for your child.

“I’ve got a lovely lady who desperately wants to come to spinning class [indoor cycling] but is often late because she’s had to get a family member to look after two small children.

“If we still had the crèche, she could just pop downstairs, come into the class and not have that pressure of wondering who can look after them today.

“The government should be leading the way with this.”

Deputy Lucy Stephenson, who represents the nearby parishes of St Mary, St Ouen and St Peter, said she had asked the minister for infrastructure to explain the reasons for its closure, and whether it could be reopened in line with government plans to encourage more people to exercise more often.