A CHESTER pre-school is delighted to have opened its new building.

The new larger building at Oldfield Pre-School, Green Lane, Vicars Cross, replaced the old mobile classroom in the grounds of Oldfield Primary School and will enable up to 30 children from the local area to attend each day.

The original building could only take a maximum of 20 children and this limited the amount of sessions local children could attend, with many children unable to get a place each year.

The replacement building was much needed as the old mobile classroom came from the side of the M53 in 1995 and had reached the end of its natural life.

The new building was made possible by grants from local charities The Ursula Keyes’ Trust, Dr Robert Oldfield Charity, Chester Grosvenor 76 Round Table, national charity the Garfield Weston Foundation, local company Active Control Solutions and donations from past and present families of Oldfield Pre-School and the community of Vicars Cross.

Manager Jeanette Jolliffe said: “We’ve had an amazing response to the new building. We are extremely grateful to everyone who has contributed to enable us to replace this building and ensure that we can support the families in our local community for another 40 years.

"The staff with the help of past and present parents worked incredibly hard to ensure that the new building opened on time and within budget and we are looking forward to meeting new families who are looking for an outstanding pre-school for their children”.

A spokesperson from major funder The Ursula Keyes’ Trust said: “We are delighted to see the difference our legacy can make and especially in this case to Oldfield Pre-School with their new building which replaces the old mobile classroom.

"For the first time since opening in 1974, Oldfield’s waiting list has disappeared and even more children can continue to learn in safe, secure, warm and comfortable surroundings over the next 40 years and beyond.”