A DESPERATE bid has been launched to raise £15,000 in two weeks to save a much-loved pre-school from closure.

Devastated parents and staff at Barbara Rose Christian Pre-School were told the charity-run facility was no longer financially viable and would be closing at the end of the academic year.

The committee that runs the school, which caters for around 65 children, cited a number of reasons including reduced funding for free childcare places, increased running costs, and lower registration for sessions. A message by staff said they were “willing to fight to keep this special pre-school open”.

A fundraising page to raise £15,000 has been set up, and more than £1,400 has been donated so far. A cake sale will also be taking place on Chesildene Drive by Cadnam Way tomorrow (30.6) morning to raise funds.

Davina Andrews, whose two-year-old son Bobby attends the school, said it was a “terrible shock” when news of its closure was received.

“All the parents were devastated, we couldn’t believe it,” she said.

“My son was really shy before he went to Barbara Rose. The school has brought him out of his shell. The staff are absolutely amazing, I couldn’t fault them.”

Another parent, Laura Brown, said: “Barbara Rose is a fantastic setting where children feel safe and supported so that they are able to learn. The pre-school has a wonderful ethos and the staff are incredibly kind and supportive. My little boy adores going to pre-school, and I feel happy leaving him in an environment where I know he will be cared for as if he was in his own home.

“I personally would be devastated if this incredible pre-school was to close. The children of Muscliff, Throop and the wider area need this fantastic start in life.”

David Penfold, chair of the pre-school committee, said: “Unfortunately the financial forecast for Barbara Rose Christian Pre-School indicates that it will cease to be financially viable after the end of this academic year and so the pre-school committee will be holding a meeting on July 10 for members of the charity to agree the process to close it down.

“We are very sorry for the impact that this will have on the children, parents and staff in our community. The current climate for financing early years provision is very challenging and, despite the pre-school committee attempting to find cost-effective approaches to running the pre-school, no sustainable, long-term solution has been found.”

According to the Early Years Alliance costs for childcare providers have risen sharply in recent years amid a funding shortfall of over £615 million.

The organisation launched a campaign earlier this month calling for the government to increase funding levels.

Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Year Alliance, said: “Unfortunately we’re hearing more and more from providers who have had no choice but to close their doors.

“It’s not hard to see why. Early years funding levels were set in 2015 using data that was already two years old and they haven’t changed since. That means that current childcare funding rates don’t take into account significant delivery cost increases like rises to the national minimum wages, higher business rates and new employer pension rules to name a few.”

“This has left a two thirds of a billion black hole in the government’s childcare funding and ministers have effectively asked parents and providers to pick up the tab. Unfortunately, as thousands of families and communities across the country are finding, that’s just not possible. The government need to get a grip of this situation by increasing funding and committing to reviewing levels annually.”