A FUNDRAISING SOS has been issued in a bid to save a pre-school nursery in Melrose from closure.

For the past 54 years Gibson Park Little Learners has been caring for and educating the town's children ahead of them starting school.

And even the most recent inspections show the high standards the non-profit making nursery follows - being graded 'very good' by the Care Inspectorate.

But dwindling numbers since the summer has put Gibson Park Little Learners on the verge of closing.

Fiona Smith, chair of the voluntary parent committee, told the Border Telegraph: "We lost a lot of children to school in the summer and there hasn't been the same interest in places this year.

"We do know that there will be more children next year from enquiries made by parents but we don't know if we will be able to survive until the end of the month let alone until the end of this year.

"It's a fabulous facility and we don't want to lose it."

From a high of 16 or 17 children during the 2017/18 session, the Parish Church Hall-based nursery currently has only five or six youngsters on its books this year.

Little Learners is open on weekdays between 8.50am and noon, apart from a Wednesday when it is open from 12.20pm to 3.30pm.

And it caters for all children between 2.5 years and school age.

The parents who make up the committee have been investigating longer opening hours as well as catering for children younger than 2.5 years.

But they will need to overcome the current operating crisis before any future plans can be made.

Fiona added: "We need to raise the operating costs now to stay open before we can make any future changes.

"We are appealing to the community and local businesses to help us in our hour of need and hopefully we can make it through to next year."

The Gibson Park Little Learners committee has created a crowdfunding page in a bid to raise the required £5,000 to cover operating costs.

Since the page was set up many parents of former Little Learners children have donated with the running total nearing £1,000.

But much more is required in the coming days to keep the doors open.

Kirstie Dodds, who is a member of the committee, told us: "In order to survive, we urgently need to raise £5000 in donations by September 21.

"If we are unable to meet this sum, we will be forced to close the doors of this wonderful group."

To support Gibson Park Little Learners go to https://bit.ly/2p4b2Hk