Plans to close children’s Sure Start centres in Medway will be discussed by councillors for the second time tonight.

Councillors voted to put proposals to restructure the service, due to a reduction of government funding, out to public consultation earlier this month.

The council’s preferred course of action is to close 19 centres and create four larger so-called ‘superhubs’ – prompting successive protests from users.

But Medway Labour has called in the decision so the plans will be discussed at the children and young people’s overview and scrutiny committee meeting at the St George’s Centre, Chatham Maritime, tonight.

Campaigners from the Save Childrens Centres in Medway are planning to protest outside and took to social media to invite other parents along.

They also issued a plea for professionals to get in touch.

Posting on their Facebook page, they said: “If you are a professional who can advocate the importance of core services which need to be provided in neighbourhood children’s centres, not superhubs, message us.

“If you are a schoolteacher who can speak up about how these centres lead to better outcomes in Key Stage 1 and beyond, message us.

“If you are a parent who feels these services saved your sanity, family or life, message us.”

They also asked for families to “bring your fight and let Medway Council see just how many of us are demanding these services are not cut deeply and fatally to the detriment of our children and families”.

The committee will vote on whether to refer the matter back to cabinet, which would mean it would be discussed at the next meeting on Tuesday, June 6, support the original decision, or refer the matter to full council for discussion.

As the plans have been called in, the public consultation will not start until Wednesday.

If the matter is referred back to cabinet the consultation will start on Monday, June 12.

During the six-week consultation period the council plan to hold 38 events within the community to hear people’s views.

Responding to concerns, Medway’s portfolio holder for children’s services, Cllr Andrew Mackness, said: “All I will say is we’re undergoing consultation and listening to a broad range of people.

“This isn’t just about he or she who shouts loudest.

“It’s about listening to a range of people in the community who have something to suggest.”

But he added: “The reality is we’ve got £2 million rather than £3.6m [of government funding] and the consultation needs to take account of that.

“The suggestions around the new structure are to focus on the most vulnerable in our community and to go out to them, rather than them having to go to a specific building and specific centres.

“My view is we would be better having a service that is both in the home, in the community and in a centre.”

He said he was very much aware of the range of services provided by the centres and spoke regularly to officers, volunteers and service users.