A CHILDREN’S centre which fought to keep its doors open has been handed a donation of more than £1,000.

Halstead banded together to save the Acorn Centre, on Beridge Road, last year, convincing Essex County Council to perform a u-turn on their plans last year.

Now they are £1,066 better off after they were presented a cheque at Monday night’s Halstead Town Council meeting.

The Acorn Centre was selected as town mayor Shirley Diver’s charity of choice, with donations comprising of her Civic Donation and collections made at the Torchlight Procession.

Mrs Diver said: “I have been involved since I became a councillor and the work they do is really important.

“They cover such a large remit and they help a lot of different people from different walks of life.

“They help anyone who needs support from across Halstead, and this is a great way for me and the council to give something back.”

In June last year, it was announced that the centre would close, much to the disappointment of parents.

But after campaigning by staff, the council and parents, Essex County Council reversed their decision, converting the site to a ‘family hub delivery site’, run by Barnados.

Mrs Diver has made certain the donation will be spent on the Halstead site, and for the benefit of Halstead families.

She added: “They are a great group of girls down there, and we really did have to fight to save it.

“It wasn’t easy, but everyone on the council knew this was a group worth fighting for.

“They offer a lot of support to families, and in turn the families do trust them, which takes a long time to build up.

“The staff really do care and it makes all the difference.”

Staff at the Acorn Centre were delighted, and slightly taken back when they saw the amount they would receive.

Dawn Wright, senior family practitioner, said: “It was a really nice surprise.

“We were quite shocked when we saw the amount, but also really excited.

“We are looking forward to using the money to really make a difference to these families.

“We need to have a few discussions about how to use it, but it will be good to talk to everyone about how best we can spend it.

“Honestly, it is a lovely amount, and hopefully we can use it on something the families will enjoy.”