'Heartbroken' preschool under threat of closure

A preschool has months to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds or face potential closure.

Rainbow Early Years in Trowbridge has been told by Wiltshire Council that the building it leases is "beyond economical repair".

The preschool has been quoted between £400,000 and £950,000 to replace the timber building.

Wiltshire Council said it will provide 25% of the cost of the building, which it said needs replacing in order to continue to provide early years provision.

The thought of the closure has left the community feeling "heartbroken"

Parents have said that the thought of the preschool closing has left the community feeling "heartbroken".

"I came here as a child," parent and school volunteer, Cayla Harle, said.

"My twins came here last year and my little boy Arthur comes here.

"(I feel) absolutely heartbroken. This place means so much, the staff here are incredible, they don't deserve it."

Hayley Galliers said she is unsure what the problem with the building is

Rainbow Early Years has been a registered charity since 1993 and currently has 41 children enrolled, aged between two and four years old.

Manager Hayley Galliers, 25, told BBC Radio Wiltshire that she is unsure what exactly the problem with the building is.

"Wiltshire Council said to us there's an issue with the roofing, the electrics and the flooring," she said.

"We've recently passed our health and safety inspection, the guy who did it said the flooring is absolutely fine.

"We've recently had our electrics done and also had our roofing repaired, so I just don't see what the problem is."

Despite several requests Miss Galliers said the council has been unwilling or unable to provide her with the latest survey report, which was completed in 2022.

Sarah Fox's daughter attends Rainbow Early Years and she volunteers as the charity's treasurer

The school has been quoted up to £950,000 for the work, with Wiltshire Council contributing 25% of the cost as part of the Early Years Capital Policy.

Miss Galliers said: "I understand they keep referring to the capital policy scheme but I just feel like there is more help that they could be giving.

"It [75%] is a lot for a charity run setting to raise within such a short timeframe and especially with the cost of living crisis.

"It's hard to even start to raise that."

'Waiting game'

Parent and charity treasurer, Sarah Fox, said they have now set up a Just Giving page and are doing some sponsorship events.

"We are also in the process of applying for several different grants," she added.

"We've applied for some and there's a very long wait list to see whether we are successful or not.

"It's a waiting game, we can't afford it, we're on such a short timescale that we need to know yesterday, it's a worry."

Rainbow Early Years currently has 41 children enrolled, aged between two and four

Councillor Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Skills, said “We have shared the contents of the survey with Rainbow Early Years but not the actual survey.

"There is a great amount of detail in the condition survey which would need to be explained, but we are happy to share this and talk through the details with Rainbows.

“The electrical and roof repairs that have been carried out are a short term solution to a building with a limited life and the setting needs a long term solution to be able to continue to offer early years places.

“Cabinet has agreed a funding formula for Early Years capital works that allows us to fund Rainbows up to a maximum of £182,865 of the costs.”