AN extra school in Brecon has been turned into an coronavirus crisis childcare hub, due to an increased demand for spaces.

Powys County Council’s education boss, Lynette Lovell told members of the cabinet on, May 12 that Llanfaes Community Primary School had been added to the number of emergency childcare hubs in the county.

It takes the figure up to 14 school hubs with two special schools, Ysgol Cedewain in Newtown and Ysgol Penmaes in Brecon being used as Emergency Childcare Specialist Hubs.

Interim chief education officer, Lynette Lovell, said: “We have opened a second hub in the Brecon area.

“This is due to the fact that numbers are increasing, as the work of children’s services ensuring more vulnerable learners are accessing the hub has been successful.

“As a result of that, we had over 50 children coming to the one hub which was too many to ensure social distancing measures.

“We now have 14 hubs and two special ones.”

She added tht she had visited a hub over the last bank holiday weekend and said that it had been “inspirational.”

Ms Lovell said “There are children there from 8am to 6pm whose parents are doctors, nurses, carers and they are in with staff they might not know, not from their own schools.

“Staff are providing wonderful activities for the children all day.

“The catering staff are cooking meals for breakfast, dinner and tea, the cleaners are working all day.

“It really is fantastic how the workforces from different service areas are working together

“They are happy places.”

Ms Lovell told councillors that the numbers using Hubs had been 145 at the start but that was now up to 245 “and rising.”

She also said that staff who had been tested for coronavirus had all received negative results.

Dylan Owen, head of adult social services commissioning, added that an extra childcare nursery setting had been set up in Welshpool, due to the demand.

This means that there is 29 nursery setting across the county looking after the children of key workers.

Mr Owen said: “There are 157 children that are booked into early years childcare provision from the week starting May 11.

“And of that, 12 of those children are from vulnerable families and require that additional support.”

He added that the staff from social services and education had been working “very well” together.

Council leader, Cllr Rosemarie Harris, thanked all of them for the hard work and said: “It’s not done yet and we are heading towards recovery, all sorts of things will have to be put in place.”