Desperate battle to save nursery
A desperate battle has been launched to save a Horsham children’s nursery from closure.
HeadStart Day Nursery has been based at Collyer’s College in Hurst Road for the past 27 years - but the college now needs its premises and the nursery has been told it must go.
Devastated nursery owner Clare French said that if another venue is not found, the nursery will have to shut on March 31.
“Staff will lose their jobs and the children will have no childcare,” she said.
Now worried parents have banded together, launched a petition and written to local councillors and Horsham MP Jeremy Quin appealing for help.
The nursery currently cares for more than 50 youngsters aged from four months to five years and is viewed as vital by the youngsters’ working parents.
Clare said it was a ‘devasting blow’ to be told by Collyer’s that they needed the nursery space. She has been searching for alternative venues but has so far been unsuccessful.
One parent - Alyson Devereux - set up a petition which gained hundreds of signatures in just one day. “We as parents are willing to do whatever it takes to keep HeadStart operational as its closure has a huge impact on our lives, both in the ability for us to work and contribute to the local economy and knowing that our children will be devastated and traumatised by its closure.”
Fellow parent Nicola Harris said: “Clare and the team are absolutely amazing,” adding: “The thought of our children having to move nursery and the team losing their jobs is devastating.”
And Guillaume Parrin said the nursery’s closure “will force its fantastic and caring team into unemployment and displace a large number of children, with very limited options for continued early years education in the local community.
“Lots of other nurseries are already full.”
Parent Lorna Lace added: “Someone needs to step in and help this fantastic nursery who have been rated as outstanding by Ofsted. They have been part of childcare in Horsham for nearly 27 years.”
Parent Luke Ward said he was concerned about the impact of the nursery’s closure “on each and every one” of the children.
To access the petition, see https://chng.it/GrCt4wDGZB