A CAMPAIGN to save a popular playgroup, which has been closed by a charity due to management and viability issues, is being mounted in Bere Alston.

The closure of the playgroup, which has been run for the past few years by the Pre-School Learning Alliance, will leave parents without any childcare facility in the community and six people without a job.

With a 30-year-history in Bere Alston and providing a local need, parents are determined not to lose the facility — an appeal is being made for people to rally around and help form a new committee so the playgroup can be run independently.

The Pre-School Learning Alliance said the nursery had been struggling for several months and issues surrounding the viability and difficulties in appointing a manager had led to the decision.

Former playleader Hilary Boot-Handford said: 'This will be very detrimental to the children and the parents.

'Bere Alston is cut off to a large extent and people are not able to travel here, there and everywhere to find childcare.

'There is a group at Gulworthy and one at Tavistock but you are talking four and seven miles away which is no good if you have not got any transport.'

Parish councillor Mike Benson said 30-plus children attended the nursery and there was a waiting list: 'There are plans to hold a public meeting as soon as possible with the hope that a new committee structure can be set up to run it.

'This is a desperately needed facility and the closure has knocked the heart out of a large part of this community.'

Toddler group leader Julie Marks was critical of the Pre-School Learning Alliance because she felt the role of manager had not been advertised enough.

'There are now many children in the village aged three and upwards who have nowhere to go. It is absolutely devastating,' she said.

'I am confident there is enough support to set up our own committee after the Christmas holidays. We will be having a meeting to see where we can go from here.'

Director of communications at the Pre-School Learning Alliance Neil Leitch said it was not simply a matter of closing the playgroup for the sake of it but over a period of time there had been problems in various areas such as the levels of viability and the struggle to appoint an appropriate manager.

'A manager is central to the effective running of a nursery and continuing like we are would prejudice the quality of care we offer,' he said. 'We have probably gone on longer than we should have but that's because we have exhausted all possible avenues.'

Mr Leitch said he understood people's concerns about having to travel outside the village for nursery care but that could not be prioritised above the quality of childcare. 'I hope people will understand the motive behind it because it is about the welfare of children,' he said.

He said economically the playgroup was somewhat challenged but most of the PLA's nurseries were subsidised in one way or another: 'Often a manager will play a significant part in that and if we do not have a manager in place then it is inevitable that things will suffer.'

Anyone who can join the campaign to save the playgroup should call Julie Marks on 01822 840349 or email her at [email protected]">[email protected]