The Closure of Holy Rood Playgroup - We Need Your Help (From Swindon Advertiser)

The Closure of Holy Rood Playgroup - We Need Your Help

11:43am Tuesday 26th October 2010 in Walcot News

Hood Rood Playgroup, having existed for over 30 years, was given notice of eviction from its current location i.e. on the grounds of Holy Rood Junior School on Upham Road, by the Trustees of the Clifton Diocese in March of this year.

Members of this Board of Trustees included our local Parish Priest, Monsignor Twomey and our Bishop, Bishop Declan Lang, the Head of the Clifton Diocese.

Following months of meetings, petitions, discussions, and highlighting the plight of the Playgroup in the Advertiser in July 2010 a decision has now been reached by the parents involved with this Playgroup as to it's future direction.

Following a final Extraordinary General Meeting on Tuesday 19th October 2010 to discuss the future existence or otherwise of the Playgroup, a unaminous decision was reached at that meeting to relocate to the grounds of Lainesmead School under a new name.

This means that although catholic families within the Holy Rood community will now no longer have access to a catholic playgroup, families within the general Walcot area will still be able to access an early years education for their children. That is the good news. The bad news is that the Playgroup has to find £50,000 for a new building and will need community support in raising this amount of money otherwise the relocation can not go ahead.

The Playgroup has to leave its current location by no later than July 2011.

The Playgroup will be working hard to raise the money needed by applying for grants, seeking donations of time, services and money from the local community, seeking assistance with fundraising events. Mr Buckland and Mr Mallinson have also been supportive over the past 6 months and the Council may provide some support but budgets are tight.

Therefore, it is very unclear as to how much support the Council can provide and so the Playgroup must press ahead and try and achieve this amount in order to be able to purchase a new or refurbished porta cabin or a new brick building to meet our needs.

Based on information supplied by Martina Haugh, Committee Memeber.