Salvation Army predicts bright future for Histon pre-school

Salvation Army leaders in Histon have taken over the running of a well-established pre-school in the village.

The Ladybird Pre-school has been running from the church and charity on Impington Lane for some time but The Salvation Army is now responsible for its day-to-day management.

Majors Rob and Georgina Symons arrived at Histon Salvation Army in 2018 and said as soon as they arrived, they were struck by the school’s investment in children and families.

Rob said he believed The Salvation Army and the pre-school were a perfect fit.

He said: “Our mission is to support communities in meaningful and practical ways and early years education is such a crucial foundation for a child’s development. We look forward to building on its existing strengths and ensuring it continues to thrive. The pre-school already had an extremely good reputation.”

Georgina has been on the pre-school management committee for a number of years and said the move was an obvious and natural transition.

She added: “It feels like a God-given gift to our church. It’s a joy being able to spend time in the setting. There is a need for early years settings in our area, and this is a great opportunity to invest in our community, and for the preschool to be part of something bigger, where there is holistic support available for the family.” 

The school currently has 24 children and opens for three days a week. Plans are already underway to extend this to four days later in the year.

Claire Butcher has been joint leader of the pre-school for a number of years and said she is excited what the future holds. She first came to the school as a parent.

She said: “We have people on our waiting list and are fortunate that our numbers are really consistent. As we are a small setting, we can really get to know children and families. Those who need practical support are made aware of how The Salvation Army can help from a community perspective. There is a crossover between The Salvation Army and the pre-school.”

As well as the pre-school, Histon Salvation Army also runs Seedlings, a parent and toddler group, for one morning a week and Claire said she is thrilled children have so many positive opportunities to learn and play. 

Sarah Stonham, joint leader of the pre-school, is also involved with Seedlings.

She said: “We are excited about this new chapter and are dedicated to maintaining and enhancing these facilities which parents and carers have come to trust. Our setting allows us to get to know families really well and we look forward to working hand in hand with them to make a lasting impact on young lives.”

For more information on The Ladybird Pre-school or to get on the waiting list, call 07786 752949 or email Sarah.Stonham@salvationarmy.org.uk