PARENTS eager to enrol their children at an Ipswich pre-school are celebrating today after the announcement of a massive lottery grant.Today's award of £282,572 will be used to rebuild Buttons and Bows Pre-School based at Chantry Infants School, trebling the number of places.

PARENTS eager to enrol their children at an Ipswich pre-school are celebrating today after the announcement of a massive lottery grant.

Today's award of £282,572 will be used to rebuild Buttons and Bows Pre-School based at Chantry Infants School, trebling the number of places.

The cash injection will enable it to increase its size by 46 places.

A specially-designed building will replace the ageing prefabricated buildings currently on site and create a 70-place nursery open from 8am to 6pm.

Pre-school supervisor Sandie Edwards was today delighted the project could ahead and said it was a dream come true.

She said: "At the moment we have about 20 places here, in old prefabricated buildings. The new building will have everything we need, designed just the way we want it.

"At the moment we have a waiting list as long as my arm, and has been for two years. I have 74 children on the books who come part-time, but I just can't take all the children who apply.

The new nursery due to open in January will also broaden its age range - catering for children from three months to eight years, instead of the current two-and-a-half years to five.

The new building will be built off-site and craned into position, after the old buildings have been removed.

Ipswich Council for Voluntary Service is a partner in the project, and spokesman Kevin Garrod said: "This award gives us the opportunity to expand to meet the needs of our local community. For the first time we will be able to provide affordable local day care, education and community projects for babies, children and their families in Chantry.