Ryhall parents fight to reopen a pre-school in the village following the closure of Ryhall Childcare Centre

Parents have launched a campaign to reopen a pre-school in their village.

Children at Ryhall Childcare Centre said goodbye to their friends for the final time last week after the owner decided to close the business.

Parents were disappointed to learn of the decision when they received a letter during May half term.

Owner Mary Darlington said she had struggled to find a buyer for the nursery because the building needs significant investment.

The letter said: “This decision has not been made lightly as I am a huge advocate for all children having a nursery in every community where children can socialise and learn together.

“Unfortunately, due to the nursery building requiring refurbishment, potential buyers are reluctant to purchase a building that needs to be refurbished/replaced. Considering the current climate with the rising cost of living and low nursery funding from the government, the buyers would not receive a financial return for many years.”

The parents are now setting up a committee with the aim of reopening a pre-school as a community venture.

Mother-of-two Katie Adams, of Mill Street, Ryhall, said: “The way the news was presented to us was a shock and quite sudden. If we had known about the problems with the building sooner, we would have done something.

“I’d rather see the nursery close for a year and campaign for a new building than lose it permanently. It’s such an asset to the village.”

Villager Rebecca Bass has teamed up with Katie to launch the campaign. Although her son Jude will start primary school in September, Rebecca is keen to help future generations enjoy the same experiences her son did.

She said: “It has been really good for Jude to attend a nursery so closely connected to the school. The transition has been so slick.

“Ryhall is a big village not to have its own pre-school so we want to get something back up and running for the sake of the community.”

Ryhall Childcare Centre was based in the grounds of Ryhall CE Academy and the building was privately owned.

The parents intend to set up meetings with the school, the Peterborough Diocese Education Trust and Ryhall Parish Council to discuss possible options for reopening a nursery facility.

They are keen to recruit a committee of interested people before becoming a registered charity. Anyone with experience in planning or childcare, or tradespeople who could help with the build process, are encouraged to get in touch.

Details are available via the Facebook page “It takes a village to save a preschool” or by emailing ryhallpreschool@gmail.com

A fundraising page has also been set up.

Katie said: “Our plan is to fundraise for a new building and establish a pre-school that will be community-led. We want children in Ryhall to have this wonderful experience for generations to come.”

Mrs Darlington was unavailable to comment.