The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Scandal-hit nursery set to close
Annual meeting hears of decline in numbers and reduced income
A Perth nursery caught up in a paedophile scandal is on the brink of closure.
Parents are now fighting to save the group which is based at Kinnoull Church.
Last night’s AGM delivered the bombshell that a “dramatic decline” in children has significantly reduced income – and there is just enough cash left to keep going until October 5.
The husband of a committee member was exposed as a paedophile in June which caused the group’s roll call to dwindle significantly.
Parents in Perth were last night given the bombshell news that their nursery is just days away from closure.
The husband of a committee member was exposed as a paedophile in June which caused the group’s roll call to dwindle significantly.
The annual general meeting of Kinnoull Nursery was told that the preschool group has suffered a “dramatic decline” in numbers which has “significantly reduced income”.
The nursery, which is based at Kinnoull Church, only has enough cash in the bank to keep going until October 5 and staff have been given a risk of redundancy letter.
Families are furious that the actions of Alister Coull, 58, who was caught with a stash of obscene pictures of children, were not revealed by nursery staff for about a year.
The nursery had already been given 14 months to leave its base at Kinnoull Parish Church, just weeks before Coull’s crime came to light.
Temporary chairman Mark Wilson – who later resigned from the role during the stormy meeting – told the AGM the nursery was losing up to £3,000 per month.
“There has been a dramatic decline in the number of children which significantly reduces the income coming in,” he said.
“The nursery currently spends more than it is bringing in.
“At the moment we have enough money to last until October 5.”
Parents demanded to know why they weren’t made aware of how bad things were before now.
One said: “What the hell has happened in the past couple of months?
“There has been a severe lack of communication.”
Some suggested that if they’d known how close the nursery was to closure then steps could have been taken to save it.
Terry Myers from Bridgend, Gannochy and Kinnoull Community Council, said: “There is a great deal of concern about the loss of our nursery.
“What I don’t hear from you (Mr Wilson) at the moment is a sense of urgency – a programme that you might suggest to us that might help get the nursery going again.
“What I’m hearing is a rather depressing summary from you of what has gone wrong.
“I didn’t even know the nursery was closing – nobody told us.”
Mr Myers said the community council now wants to work with the nursery to save it.
There was a suggestion the children could move into the Isle of Skye building for a temporary period.
A longer-term suggestion would be moving to Rio House with other groups if a community asset transfer can be agreed with Perth and Kinross Council.
Parents have formed a new committee and the future of the nursery will be on the agenda at Thursday’s community council meeting.