The Arc Nursery has 50 children in its care Parents have formed a charity to save a south London nursery which was threatened with closure. In November parents were informed that the Arc Nursery, in Crosby Row near London Bridge, would shut as it had failed to find a buyer. About 100 families collaborated to form The Arc Community Trustees which took over the administration on Wednesday. The "heartbreaking" prospect of closure prompted the parents to take action, the new management said. 'Special place' The nursery, which opened in 2002, was being run by local charity Charterhouse-in-Southwark but when a potential buyer pulled out the charity was forced to contemplate closing the centre. The current management has eight trustees, who are all parents, advised and supported by Southwark Council. Currently 50 children attend the nursery and 25% of the places will be available at a subsidised rate to local families in need of financial support. It was just heartbreaking, the thought that it would close down

Karen O'Connor, parent Many parents whose children had previously attended the school also supported the bid for management. Karen O'Connor, a parent and now the project manager, said: "It just was heartbreaking, the thought that it would close down." Julie Nelson Rhodes, a parent and a trustee, said: "We've got 14 permanent staff and they are all staying which is amazing. "We are certainly not looking after the kids on a day to day basis but in a supporting role in fundraising, marketing, looking after the building and making sure all the facilities are up-to-date." Councillor Lisa Rajan, Southwark Council's executive member for children's services, said: "I can see there's something very special about a nursery that's run by the parents whose children are on the receiving end of the care it's providing - there's a level of understanding of the local needs that's difficult to better." Alison Garnham, chief executive of the Daycare Trust, said: "There is a real danger that if parents get made redundant and pull their kids out of nursery some nurseries will become unviable and they may need to consider closing down or they start making a loss. "So it's a matter for real concern and we would like the government to take a look at it."



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