WILBURTON S Humpty s Pre-School, which was heading for a fall this time last year, has been put back together again thanks to the Ely Standard. The group was forced to close for a brief period after being hit by a cash crisis and it looked as though it wo

WILBURTON'S Humpty's Pre-School, which was heading for a fall this time last year, has been put back together again thanks to the Ely Standard.

The group was forced to close for a brief period after being hit by a cash crisis and it looked as though it would be lost forever after 15 years.

But after the Ely Standard told readers about its plight in a series of articles, cash started pouring in and now the group has been saved.

Former chairman, Sarah Thompson, said: "Following the publicity we received a sustainability grant of more than £2,500 from Cambridge City Council. We also had our most successful Christmas fair which raised a profit of over £1,200.

"We are now 12 months on from the point where we had to close."

The group, which caters for children from the age of two years and nine months to school age and meets in a portable building in the grounds of Wilburton Primary School, also received a National Lottery Awards for All grant of nearly £1,300 which bought a new laptop computer and toys for the children.

Member Rachel Garrett said: "Humpty's Pre-School is the only facility of its kind in the village and provides a vital service to children and their carers. At Humpty's the children gain essential skills and abilities in line with the early years' school curriculum.

"Fundraising is vital for the survival of our pre-school. Due to fantastic community spirit we have managed to keep going."

The group is holding its annual Christmas fair on Saturday between 2-4pm at St Peter's Hall, Wilburton. There will be stalls offering a variety of traditional and more unusual Christmas gifts and games and events for young children and their parents.

Father Christmas will also be dropping in to meet the youngsters.