PARENTS, staff and children at a Suffolk pre-school are celebrating after welcoming the delivery of their new £100,000 premises.Members of Debenham Roundabout pre-school, located within the grounds of Sir Robert Hitcham Primary School, have been raising money for many years to fund a brand new building.

PARENTS, staff and children at a Suffolk pre-school are celebrating after welcoming the delivery of their new £100,000 premises.

Members of Debenham Roundabout pre-school, located within the grounds of Sir Robert Hitcham Primary School, have been raising money for many years to fund a brand new building.

Thanks to grants, donations and their own hard work, they have finally been able to take delivery of a new log cabin, which will be the children's new pre-school from September 10.

The pre-school has been in operation for 35 years and is currently registered to accommodate 16 children between the ages of two-and-a-half and five - although staff hope a recent Ofsted inspection will extend this to 20.

A number of fundraising activities were organised to help generate the cash needed for a new base -including a 'flog a log' scheme where parents could sponsor a log on the new cabin and a double entry in the London Marathon.

Suffolk County Council's early years development and childcare partnership provided a grant of £55,000 towards the scheme, Corporate Regeneration handed over a grant of £10,000, Rural Services donated £5,000, Adnams in Southwold provided £1,000, councillor Eddie Alcock gave £1,500 from the localities budget and British Telecom and Mendlesham Christian Fellowship also contributed.

Bev Bridges, chairman of the new build committee, said: “It's been amazing. It's been a real journey from highs and lows and despair to seeing it go in last week. It gave us a warm feeling in out hearts.

“All the staff love it, the children are overwhelmed by the size of it. The sense of freedom and space is great.”

The pre-school still has about £5,000 to raise before it hits its target. Anyone wishing to donate or fundraise should contact Bev Bridges on 01728 627112.