AN oversubscribed pre-school has finally expanded thanks to community help after families stepped in to help get the project finished.

Stanway Preschool, at Littlehands Children’s Centre in Winstree Road, has created a new room to support extra children.

This increases capacity from 48 to 78.

The newly available spots have already been filled due to a long waiting list.

For the first time in 14 years, the pre-school reached out to families and the community, receiving an overwhelming response.

Inside the newly expanded siteInside the newly expanded site (Image: Public) Families, friends, and staff members eagerly volunteered their time and resources, providing everything from furniture and shelving to cleaning services.

The pre-school raised the money through donations and a grant from Stanway Parish Council. 

Construction was managed by local company Lexden Builders, but as the project progressed, it became clear that additional community support was needed to complete the build on time.

A GoFundMe campaign was also launched, with generous contributions from families helping to cover additional costs.

This increases capacity from 48 to 78This increases capacity from 48 to 78 (Image: Public) “We are incredibly grateful to our pre-school families, friends, and local businesses who stepped up to help us finish this project,” said Joanna Gallant, trustee at Stanway Pre-school.

“Their contributions made it possible for us to open our new two-year-old room and refresh our existing room.”

Businesses that assisted included Matthew James Property Consultants, JCE Property Maintenance, and CJS Painting Solutions.

The pre-school now aims to improve its outdoor garden area to match the quality of its indoor spaces.

With support from Liraa Maintenance and Landscape, who will help develop a planting and paved area, Stanway Pre-school continues to fundraise.

Its goal is to create a nurturing and inspiring outdoor environment for its young learners.