A TOWN centre nursery is planning to create a weekend stress-free haven for children of broken marriages.

But staff at the planned Stonecross Nursery Contact Centre in Leigh are looking for volunteer helpers to make the venture a success.

The Centre will be a neutral and safe place to meet and where children can spend time with their absent parent.

And the Centre's most important feature is that it is totally independent of the authorities such as the courts, probation office or the council.

Margaret Tucker, the Day Nursery Manager, said: "Contact Centres are very important places for children whose parents no longer live together. Every year 180,000 marriages end in divorce, affecting 160,000 children.

"It is calculated that 70,000 of these will lose touch completely with one parent, usually the father. And there are also lots of couples who separate without divorcing, and couples who live together, have children and then part."

It is estimated that about 2,000 children make use of Contact centres every week across the country.

"There badly needs to be such a place at this end of the borough. We have the premises but to run it properly we need at least 20 volunteers, who will give up three or four hours of a weekend once a month."

Anyone interested is welcome to attend an information evening on Tuesday, November 4, starting at 7pm or ring Margaret on 01942 674556.

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