THE owner/manager of a private nursery for the under-fives in Galashiels has spoken of her “heartbreak” at having to close the facility at the end of this month with the loss of 11 jobs.

Lesley Anderson, who founded Limelight Childcare at the Galabank Business Park in Wilderhaugh in 2011, has cited “acute financial burdens” on her business which is currently losing around £2,000 a month.

“Although personally working 60 hours a week and not taking a wage for six months, that is still not enough to keep us afloat,” she told The Border Telegraph.

The recent imposition of the minimum wage – and the impending introduction of a living wage – allied to high business rates and a lack of adequate funding for private pre-school places have all, she claimed, contributed to the demise of Limelight which offers 32 child places per day.

All affected families have now received notice the nursery will close on August 31.

A former senior critical care nurse and health care lecturer, Mrs Anderson told us: “Over the past five years – during which we’ve had three brilliant reports from the Care Commission – we’ve been consumed by negative economic factors.

“Firstly, there is the matter of business rates which are now actually higher than our rent and which I’ve thrice unsuccessfully appealed. It means I have to find £1,000 a month just to open the doors.

“Then there is the Scottish government’s funding of pre-school places at private nurseries which is much less than that paid to local authority providers.

“We are basically tasked with delivering an unequivocal learning experience at a fraction of the money. We were told three years ago our hourly rate for pre-school children would rise by 5 per cent each year, but this has not materialised.

“While the amount we are paid has stayed at £3.65 per hour for two years, the costs of providing the service have continued to increase.

“Although I fully support the national minimum wage [of £7.20 per hour for over 25s from April 1 this year], we have been unable to absorb the significant hike in expense this has caused.

“Despite increasing our childcare fees, there is a limit to what we can expect a family to pay. With the new living wage looming, it is unrealistic to expect families to meet the full costs of this.

“Despite our commitment, it is heartbreaking that we’ve simply been overwhelmed by financial burdens initiated at central government level without a means of supporting the small businesses like ours which are required to implement them.

“I am genuinely devastated for my brilliant team of staff who will now be out of work – individuals who been loyal and committed to providing an excellent level of care for each child and family using our service.”

The closure will not affect Limelight’s after school care service for P1-7 children which operates Monday to Thursday at St Margaret’s School in Galashiels.