Community saves Walberton pre school

The combined effort should result in the popular facility for young children being able to move into dedicated premises next Easter.

Delighted co-owners Helen Baxter and Mandy Foulds had threatened to close the pre-school because its current premises no longer met government standards.

They are delighted by the turnround in the situation in the past six months.

Mandy said: "We are indebted to everyone who has supported us. Having a new purpose-built building is like a dream come true.

"This is exciting and a fabulous opportunity. Without doubt, the pre-school is something parents and villagers want in Walberton.

"This gives us a unique opportunity to provide what we provide now but to an even better standard."

It was last January she and Helen announced the pre-school was unlikely to survive after some 40 years of providing care for local children.

They had been running it together since 2003 and catered for 42 children at a time on weekday mornings in the village hall.

But the need to share the space with other hall users meant it fell short of the latest statutory curriculum requirements brought in by the government.

A meeting in the village attracted 130 members of the public in support.

This led to talks with Walberton Parish Council whose members agreed to lease some land to West Sussex County Council for a new building which could be let to the pre-school.

The county council also decided to enable the pre-school to benefit from some of the grant it had received from the government for pre-schools to update their premises.

The new building is still at the planning stage but Mandy said the final cost was likely to exceed 100,000.

It is hoped the building will comprise two classrooms, toilets and a kitchen along with an outdoor play area.

Mandy said the maximum number of children to be looked after by the 12 staff was likely to stay unchanged.

But being the sole users of the new building would enable more sessions to be held by removing the need to clear equipment away before the next hirer moved in.

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