We are still fundraising for Muddy Puddles Pre-School!

Dear friends and supporters,

Despite many of your generous efforts to help save Muddy Puddles Pre-School, we were not able to reach our ambitious target of £20,000 and will sadly be closing our doors from the end of this academic year due to financial constraints.

The heartwarming laughter of our children, curious questions from pre-schoolers and tiny footsteps of the two-year olds that filled Muddy Puddles will all have to move on to pastures new after 19th of July.

However, we continue to fundraise to ensure Muddy Puddles is able to meet all of its financial liabilities and the staff can receive some redundancy pay to help see them through the next few months as they look for new opportunities. Thank you in advance for reading our story below.

This is our story

Muddy Puddles Pre-School, nestled in the community of Long Ditton, has provided a safe and stimulating environment for children to learn, grow and develop essential skills for over two decades. And combined with its special location next to one of the most peaceful green spaces in the area, Muddy Puddles is able to offer an ideal setting that is increasingly rare to find. It is also one of a precious handful of not-for-profit pre-schools in the local area with an ethos of inclusivity and community at its core. It is managed by a committee of passionate volunteers, who are current and former parents of Muddy Puddles.

Our pre-school's journey is a testament to the power of community and resilience. Founded over two decades ago as the humble Stepping Stones playgroup, run by volunteers, Muddy Puddles has evolved over the years into an Ofsted-outstanding pre-school. In 2017, faced with the loss of our Surbiton Hill premises to property developers, we found new roots (and a new name!) in Long Ditton, carrying with us the unwavering ethos that every child, regardless of background, should be welcomed, kept safe and made happy. As a registered charity, inclusivity, active community engagement, and providing a haven for children to thrive remained throughout at the heart of our core values.

The challenges we faced

The past few years have been a rollercoaster of challenges. The lasting effects of COVID-19, which hit us hard, depleted our hard-earned reserves and left us in a delicate financial situation.

Additionally, government funding has not been enough to keep pace with the rapidly rising costs of providing top-quality education and care, including the cost of retaining experienced practitioners. This put immense financial pressure on our ability to offer the enriching experiences that defined Muddy Puddles.

We have explored every avenue, including applying for grants; organising fundraising events, cake sales and toy sales; increasing our fees to cover the margin between government funding and the actual cost of providing childcare; and negotiating down costs where possible, to name just a few. Unfortunately, despite our efforts to make incremental improvements to our strategy and business model, we do not have the cash flow to survive the next academic year due to the challenges highlighted above.

How you can help

While we are all heartbroken that Muddy Puddles will close its doors after 19th of July, we continue to fundraise to ensure Muddy Puddles is able to meet all of its financial liabilities and the staff can receive redundancy pay they all deserve. Your generous donations could make an immediate and lasting difference to our wonderful staff.

Here is how you can be part of this important mission:

1. Donate: Click “Donate now” to make a donation. Every donation, no matter how small, makes a difference.

2. Spread the word: Share this link with your friends, neighbours, family and social networks. Let’s create a ripple effect of compassion.

Our promise to you

We pledge transparency and will aim to be transparent about how the funds raised will be used.

Thank you for your continued support!

https://www.muddypuddles.org.uk/

Note: We are a registered charity and your donations are eligible for Gift Aid.