Spotlight on…Katherine Eves

Why are you trying to fundraise £300,000?

We were first approached by Lavenham Community Council early in 2015. They proposed we build a new pre-school building adjoining the village hall to celebrate its 10-year anniversary. We jumped at this opportunity as it would enable us to enhance our provision and offer extended services.

We currently occupy a pack-away setting within the grounds of the local primary school, and although the building we share offers a suitable environment, it does not allow for the flexibility needed for growth and progression. But of course a new build doesn’t come cheap. The fundraising is a joint effort between the community council and the pre-school and will be through funding providers and charitable trusts, donations and fundraising events, all with a view to complete the build by September 2017. We have already had a cabaret evening, wine tasting and a concert by Lavenham Contemporary Choir, and we have many more events planned.

Why is the extended provision so needed?

The population of Lavenham is growing, with proposed areas of development all potentially offering family homes. We are the only pre-school in Lavenham and have a key responsibility to continue offering this vital service to the village. We also surveyed our parents and identified a need for extended sessions and a holiday club.

What is the pre-school like now?

We were inspected in October 2015 and were over the moon to be rated Outstanding. This was something that we thought would be hard to achieve as a pack-away setting and all the challenges that can bring, but we had a very complimentary report that praised us on our ‘excellent quality of teaching’ and our ‘very experienced and knowledgeable staff’.