TOWN councillors could dip into their own budget to try to save Abingdon’s under-threat children’s centres.

Oxfordshire County Council plans to cut funding to 44 centres across the county to save more than £6m of its budget, proposing a replacement targeted service that would help people up to the age of 19 using a referral system.

But Abingdon Town Council said it would investigate using its own money to try to save at least one of the two children’s centres in the town.

Councillor Mike Badcock said there was a “great need” for the services, at a meeting on Monday.

He said: “Personally I would rather spend the money on keeping children’s centres open, than doing our neighbourhood plan. There is a great need for them, particularly in South Abingdon.

“The amount of money we could put in would not save all the services. We don’t know how much it would cost but the reality is that we wouldn’t be able to support two. If we had to support one it would be South Abingdon.”

South Abingdon Children’s Centre in Caldecott Chase costs the council £275,000 each year, and North Abingdon Children’s Centre in Northcourt Road receives £175,783.

Leader of the council Sandy Lovatt, who is also an Oxfordshire county councillor, said it was “impossible” for the county council to continue to fund all children’s centres.

But he added: “We should make a very strong case that the council should find all possible means in finding funding.

“The Chancellor of the Exchequer is squeezing us, but perhaps we can do something in our own budget.”

Councillor Samantha Bowring, representing Caldecott, has been going to South Abingdon Children’s Centre for 18 years.

She said: “I’m proposing we send a very strongly-worded response to the county council that we believe they represent real value for money. They make sure all children are school-ready.”

She urged the committee to contact Nicola Blackwood, MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, to “ask her to fight on our behalf”.

Retired midwife Sue Richards, who runs the Baby Café at North Abingdon Children’s Centre, told the committee the centres were “vital”.

She said: “They provide non-stigmatised care to all. This work can’t be done effectively in churches or village halls. Any move to provide help on an ad-hoc basis will have disastrous effects.”

Dave Huish, who has lived in Abingdon for 25 years, also defended the centres. His daughter Jill Huish, head of campaign group Save Oxfordshire’s Children’s Centres, used children’s centres to save her from an abusive relationship.

County council spokesman Paul Smith said: “Our consultation on creating a new service based on eight new children and family centres concludes on January 10.”