Benhall Preschool Case Study
Benhall is a growing village. With significant new housing being built to cater for first time buyers and young families, there is an expectation that there will be a significant increase in need for pre-school places. Established for thirty years and located next to Benhall Primary School, Benhall Pre-School is ideally positioned to fulfil this need. However, to do so would require substantial investment in developing the existing premises so that there would be enough room for a larger intake.
“We are a popular pre-school. At the time of applying for funding, we had 25 children on the roll from a wide catchment area, 62 percent of these were identified as from a disadvantaged background (many with complex needs) we cater for children of all abilities and from all walks of life,
Aware of the growing demands coming from the village’s growth, we surveyed local parents to establish ongoing needs. It was established that there was a local need for more wraparound, affordable childcare, including breakfast and afterschool clubs.
“Without social investment we wouldn’t be where we are today,…it’s been brilliant!” Jenny Cribb, Manager at Benhall
Thanks to the Community Action Suffolk, we discovered social investment from Transforming Suffolk Fund through Suffolk Community Foundation . The work we do at Benhall Pre-School has enormous social impact in its own right in enabling parents to go back to work, or step up from part-time to full time work, and in preparing pre-school children so that they are better able to thrive once they start primary school. “ says Jenny Cribb
The Investor adds:
“We were delighted to provide a loan of £26,350 loan over 5yrs to Benhall Pre-School. We exist to strengthen the communities we serve. Their cashflow demonstrated that they could easily meet the repayment terms and it was clear that they would be creating more jobs in the area, one of our key social impact criteria, both directly through employment and indirectly through supporting parents who want to return to work or extend their hours.”
