Village Pupils To Get New Home Thanks to Generosity

Work Starts in Helmdon

By Laura Lehman

Children from a village  pre-school have been lending a hand in the construction of their new building.

Helmdon Acorns Pre-school operates from the Reading Room in the village but from January 2011 a new purpose-built facility in the village will be ready to accommodate up to 24 children.

Since the site received planning permission in April the pre-school committee has been raising funds to help build and equip the new premises.

It also received cash from Northamptonshire County Council and the West Northamptonshire development Corporation for the £173,000 project.

Building work has now started and pre-school pupils have been on site to help, dressed in fluorescent jackets and hard hats and armed with trowels.

Liz Hart, treasurer of the pre-school’s voluntary management committee, said: ‘The children show great excitement and interest on our regular visits to the new building.  They are especially looking forward to having an outside area in which to ride their bikes.

‘We were very fortunate to gain a number of grants allowing the project to move forward, but we still had a huge financial mountain to climb.

‘We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of local people and businesses that are helping us to achieve our dream.

‘We have the basics now in place but we are still working hard behind the scenes to provide the children with everything they need.

‘The new premises will allow us to extend our current opening hours to move more in line with school hours, which is something parents have requested.

‘There are lovely views over the fields where the children will see lambs in springtime.’

The Banbury Guardian – 21 October 2010