Pre-school plea to help build its new home in Scarning
Scarning Pre-School have been given planning permission for a new brick building - From left, Rosey Grauwiler and Donna Wales with children who attend the pre-school. Picture: Matthew Usher.
A generous donation from an anonymous benefactor, and planning approval, has enabled Scarning Pre-School to take the first steps to build an new home for its valuable community facility.
Scarning Pre-School have been given planning permission for a new brick building. Picture: Matthew Usher.
But staff and the committee are now appealing for more people to come forward to sponsor the rest of the build cost.
The pre-school, which sits in the grounds of Scarning Primary School, has been housed in an old mobile classroom since 2007.
But the weakening structure has clearly seen better days and badly needs replacing.
With half the money secured - £150,000 - plans were submitted for a new brick building and were approved last week by Breckland Council planners.
A plea has now gone out to the local community to help them raise the rest of the money. They are also collecting the EDP's Community Chest tokens.
Manager Rosey Grauwiler said: 'If anyone would like to let us have their tokens we would be very grateful. We have sent out information packs to parents and friends of the school as well as local businesses so we hope to get lots more donations.'
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Anyone who sponsors more than £500 will have the option to have their name engraved on a brick that will form part of the new build.
The school and the trust which owns the land around it have donated some more land to the setting which will give the whole building and grounds a larger footprint.
Childcare assistant Donna Wales said a new building would make a huge difference to the children and staff.
'This is a very small building at the moment and the new one will have two rooms so we can have the two to three-year-olds in one and three to four-year-olds in another and open it up to all be together when we want.
'The windows will be low so the children can see outside all the time and there will be French doors. We can have a disabled toilet and take more children at a time so it could provide more jobs as well.'
The setting also offers a popular breakfast club for the pre-school and primary.
Committee chairman Margaret Hollingworth said: 'The building has reached the end of its life. It is hot in summer and cold in winter. The school had this mobile before us so it wasn't new to start with.
'With all the new homes being built in Dereham the town will need more pre-school places. Children who come here have such a good transition to school.
'The money we have been given has given us such a good start we just need to get final amount.'
* For more information contact Mrs Grauwiler on 01362 699360 or email office@scarningpreschool.co.uk.
* If you have any fundraising ideas email donna.lambert2@yahoo.co.uk.
* Are you collecting the EDP Community Chest tokens for a good cause? Email kathryn.cross@archant.co.uk.
