Determined parents have saved a pre-school from closure.

The Trent Road Church pre-school in Chelmsford faced the axe after the congregation announced they no longer wanted the responsibility of running the playgroup.

Worried parents clubbed together and decided to try and run the group themselves rather than find new pre-schools and split up young friends.

But the rent at the church had also been increased and the emergency committee could not afford the new charges.

Committee member and mum Claire Merry said: "The church was happy for us to stay but we looked into it and decided that it just wasn't going to work."

With only days left to find a new home before the end of term, the Blessed Sacrament Church in Melbourne Avenue stepped in. Now the pre-school - which is changing its name to ABC - is preparing to move into the heart of the Melbourne estate which it serves.

Mrs Merry said: "It is still going to be run as a parent-committee pre-school and the rent is very reasonable so we won't have to raise our fees.

"We will be re-opening under the new name in September, and will still be offering five sessions a week."

All the current pre-school staff and the 36 children are planning to move to the new premises.

Mrs Merry added: "We're so relieved that the pre-school isn't closing. We're also hoping that the new location will actually benefit us because it is in a more central position on the estate."

With the pre-school saying goodbye to Trent Road at the end of term on Thursday, the committee is already busy preparing the new hall, and arranging an open day before the start of the next academic year in September.

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