What is your connection to the group?
My eldest boy, now six, attended the pre-school, and my three-year-old son started in September, until it closed in February. The pre-school has been a lovely place to send my children and they really enjoyed it there.
What happened to the pre-school?
We were informed two weeks before the closure. I was furious. It just felt like everything my son loved was being taken away from him. The letter we received said they where closing due to lack of staff and funding. Myself and a few other mums requested a meeting to try to change their minds; we also went to the papers. Nothing changed. We were given a list of other local pre-schools, but due to my and my husband’s work commitments no-one had a place for him at such short notice.
How did you organise the group?
It was suggested the room would be vacant. The building is owned by the trust, so it was decided then that something needed to be put in place. I am the group leader, but with the help of a few mums we manage to run our parents and pre-schools group three times a week, for a couple of hours. We charge £1 per family. We have now had more than 20 different families come on a stay-and-play basis. We have access to pretty much all of what was in the room, it’s fantastic. It’s to try to make the children who lost their beloved pre-school still feel connected and happy in their familiar surroundings. The room is let to us for free.
What’s next?
My son goes to primary school in September so I’m not sure I wish to continue being involved then. I always pray that Showfields and Ramslye will get a pre-school back.
