TWO children’s day care services are to shut at the end of the month because the charity that runs them is struggling with financial problems.

 

Panda Day Nursery and Panda Pre-school were set up by the West Swindon Family Centre – the nursery officially opening for business only a month ago.

 

But this week the charity suddenly announced it was going to stop delivering early years services.

 

In a statement released on its Facebook page it said: “As a direct result of cuts to our funding, the charity is unable to maintain services as they currently are. The impact of this decision is the planned closure of both our Panda Preschool and Panda Day Nursery.

 

“We are working closely with families affected by the closures and, together with the local authority, helping them to find and transition into alternative settings.”

 

It added that three grants had recently been given for family support services and it was seeking further funding to relaunch them as soon as possible.

 

However Swindon Borough Council has made it clear the pre-school and nursery were not part of the services it commissioned from the charity.

 

The Advertiser asked the centre for a comment but was told its business development co-ordinator Mike Smith was off sick and unable to speak to us.

 

However a spokeswoman said the charity was still hoping to bring someone in to support the pre-school and nursery and other options were being explored.

 

Places were being located for the children at other organisations. “Our priority is to ensure that we can find places for the children within the west Swindon area,” said the spokesman.

 

The family centre, which has been running for 25 years, provides support, guidance and parenting skills.

 

A Swindon Borough Council spokesman said: “The nursery and pre-school were set up as an independent business by the charity that runs the family centre and it was hoped profits made by the business would support the family support services currently on offer when the Council’s contract ended in March. Sadly, financial pressures have meant this has not been possible.”

 

The authority said it would be doing all it could to help affected families and would help them find alternatives.

 

“The council reduced its funding of the family centre in October because the charity was struggling to deliver the right outcomes for the families it was supporting,” said the spokesman.

 

There are family services at Butterflies and Ladybirds centres and the new service at the Everleigh Centre in Penhill will support families from west Swindon.

 

Some mums who had used the Panda services praised them.

 

Jo Wilson said: “My little girl loved Pandas. They helped her so much. I wish all the lovely ladies the best of luck.”

 

Emma Jayne Goodman said: “This is such sad news. Bobby absolutely loved his time at Pandas and it helped him prepare for school.”