A PRESCHOOL in Thornbury, which was desperately trying to raise £125,000 by September to save its new home have received fresh political backing.

Plans by First Step preschool to create a new building on the grounds of Crossways Infants School were left hanging by a thread when the money it had raised to fund the project ran out.

The group had been given a £225,000 grant from the Department for Education, what the preschool expected to amount to 75 per cent of the cost, under the proviso that they were ready to open next month.

But the cash failed to arrive until March, resulting in a short turnaround for construction, and then they learned that despite being a registered charity, they would not be tax exempt, meaning the project would cost them £350,000.

Having heard of the preschool’s situation, Thornbury and Yate MP Luke Hall has put his support into the project, meeting with Cllrs Matthew Riddle and Toby Savage, the leader and deputy leader of South Gloucestershire Council, to establish what assistance could be offered.

After a broad range of discussions on the barriers to completing the project, the meeting concluded with a positive atmosphere and with the councillors saying they would go away and task the education and finances department to see what practical help could be offered.

Mr Hall said: “With the introduction of the Governments 30 hours of free childcare for working parents on the horizon, I was concerned to hear of the preschool’s situation.

“After discussing the issue with Matthew and Toby, I was delighted when they agreed to meet with the committee to understand the barriers to completing this important project for the community.”

Cllr Savage, who is also the council’s cabinet member for education, said; “It was great to be able to meet with the preschool leaders to see and hear first-hand the fantastic work they are doing locally and how they want to expand to do even more in the town.

“They have encountered some bumps along the way and, as a council, we are looking urgently at what assistance we could potentially offer to smooth the way forward and complete this important scheme.”

A spokeswoman for the preschool said they were very grateful for the valuable assistance offered by Mr Hall and Cllrs Riddle and Savage, following their disappointing setbacks.

She said: “We very much look forward to strengthening our partnership with South Gloucestershire Council to complete our new building and open our doors to more families in the community.

“High quality preschool is proven to have long-lasting effects on the learning journeys and wider outcomes of our young people, and we are delighted that our local representatives equally share our values in providing this solid foundation for our local children.”

A follow-up meeting is set to take place on Friday, checking the progress of the actions agreed at the first meeting.