Mums 'gutted' at the news their children's nursery is to close

Enterprise Childcare, who run the Pre-3 Nursery at Greenock Sports Centre, say ongoing financial problems are to blame.

Parents were stunned to receive a letter this week which told them that the centre will have to shut down on June 14 if the organisation can't reduce its losses, or find another provider to take on the nursery.

Many of the parents with tots at the nursery are studying at West College Scotland just round the corner.

Mums have told the Tele they now fear that they'll have to abandon their further education courses until their children are older.

Stephanie McClumpha, 27, from Port Glasgow, said: "I'm gutted about it.

"I've got two children at the nursery Niamh, two, and Caiden, who is 10 months.

"I don't know how I'm going to get support next year for Caiden.

"I'll maybe have to stop my college course.

"It's a great nursery, Niamh doesn't want to come home.

"It's boosted Caiden's confidence and he's more sociable now.

"I couldn't have done the course without this place.

"I feel as if I've been left stranded."

Students get their childcare provision paid for through their college bursary and many couldn't avoid to pay for a private nursery.

Dee-Anne Knox, 25, of Greenock, who is studying make-up artistry, says she was stunned by the closure warning.

She said: "I've not got the money to pay for a private nursery, it works out at £60 a week."

Dee-Anne says her son Ethan McFayden, two, has come on leaps and bounds at Enterprise Childcare.

She said: "He loves the staff and cries when he has to come home."

Lisa Rigby-Gillen, 31, is studying complementary therapies and her two-year-old son Grayson attends the nursery.

The mum-of-four, from Suffolk Road, said: "Grayson loves it. He is always happy when I pick him up and it makes it easier to go to college when I know he is somewhere that he is happy.

"I think finding alternative childcare will put a lot of people off going to college. The drop-off and pick-up times fit in with courses and the bursary pays for the nursery."

Lisa's mum Edith Gillen added: "I'm a concerned gran, Grayson loves coming here and it's a lifeline to the mothers."

Bosses at Enterprise Childcare say they have tried their best to save the nursery and are looking at all options to keep it open.

A spokesman for the board said: "The board and management team of the charity have been working hard over the past 24 months to try and address the ongoing financial losses at the Pre3+ nursery based at Greenock Sports Centre.

"We have been in discussion West College Scotland and the local authority.

"As part of this work, we have also reached out to the local MSP and Minister for Children and Young People.

"It is with regret, that at this point, we do not have a recovery plan in place which could secure the service for our customers and our skilled and loyal employees at the nursery after June 2019.

"We will however, continue to pursue all avenues open to us and thank our customers for their support.”

Samantha Lang, 25, has sent two children to the nursery while she studies for an HND in make-up artistry.

She said: "We want to try to save this nursery for the mums and dads who need help.

"Parents need this nursery to get their education and go and work.

"Without this nursery a lot of parents and families are going to struggle.

"I think the college should take over and fund it.

"The college fund their own nursery, but that is only for three to five year-olds.

"My son Kerr, who is three now, came here and so does my son Odin, who is 10 months old.

"I've nobody to watch Odin, everyone in my family works.

"Fortunately this is my last year, I finish up in June.

"But I'm really sad about what is happening."