A County Armagh playgroup has launched a fundraising drive to “secure our future” after its accommodation was deemed “unfit for purpose”.
Clady Tiny Tots has set up a GoFundMe page in the hope of drumming up sufficient community support.
The group provides early years education for children between the ages of two and four in the local community and, as such, provides a vital service to the local community.
Clady Tiny Tots, however, was left reeling when a notice from environmental health essentially ‘condemned’ its mobile unit, leaving leaders urgently having to vacant and relocate at very short notice.
According to the group, via its GoFundMe page, no capital support was made available despite “extensive lobbying efforts” of both the Department of Education and the Education Authority.
“Faced with that reality, we took professional advice and developed the most feasible and sustainable solution available to us within a very tight timeframe, which is to refurbish our existing unit to a safe, long‑term standard,” the group said.
There was some good news on the horizon, with confirmation of a £20,000 award under ABC Council’s large capital grand programme.
Clady Tiny Tots described it as a “significant vote of confidence in the work we have done and the plan we have put in place”.
But they added: “We must match fund it, meaning we now need to raise a further £20,000 to complete the renovation.
“While refurbishment may seem like a significant level of investment, the cost of a new mobile unit far exceeds both our available funding and what is achievable for our small voluntary committee. Having explored all viable options, refurbishment is the most practical solution to ensure the preschool can reopen safely within the necessary timeframe.
“Thanks to the generosity of our community, we are not starting from scratch. Over the past year, local families, individuals and businesses have donated to our cause, and we are so grateful to everyone who has contributed so far.
“Every event, donation and gesture of support has brought us closer to this point.
“We have also reached a major milestone with our refurbishment works, having officially begun. If we can close the remaining funding gap, we are hopeful of moving back into our refurbished unit in time for the new academic year.”
The group offered sincere thanks to both Clady Community Hall and Clady GFC for providing temporary premises, saying that without their support they would not have been able to open their doors at all this year.
“Once our refurbishment is complete, the hall will once again be fully available to the many community groups who depend on it throughout the year,” according to the GoFundMe page.
“We are very proud of how far we have come without any statutory capital support, and we are only reaching out now because we are genuinely at the final stage. Any contribution, no matter the size, will go directly towards completing the works, securing the future of Clady Tiny Tots, and returning vital community space back to full use.
“For over 30 years, Clady Tiny Tots has supported generations of local families, with many former pupils now parents themselves. Completing this refurbishment will help ensure that this legacy continues while protecting preschool provision in our rural community.”
A target of £4,000 has been set and anyone who would like to donate can do so here.
