WHEN First-Step Preschool in Thornbury announced they had only a matter of weeks to raise £183,000 and save their new home, many felt that it would take a miracle.

While the council intervening to foot the bill is not far off, it is still an impressive ‘in the nick of time’ victory and one that many parents with young children in the area will be celebrating.

But then it is hard to get past the fact that the preschool is still a business and there will be many that have appealed for equally as vital money in a similar fashion before who will be reading about First-Step and asking ‘why not me?’

With council budgets getting tighter and everything progressively getting more expensive, it is a tough call to make, and a large amount of the taxpayer’s money to hand over in one go.

Does this move by South Gloucestershire Council also set a dangerous precedent that they will bail out anyone in a similar situation? We will have to wait and see what reaction the next group coming along gets.