A NURSERY school which has struggled for years to make ends meet has been rescued -- thanks to a £4,600 grant.

Children First, which dispenses Government cash in Lancashire in a bid to improve child care, has awarded the money to Cherry Tree Pre-School in Rawtenstall.

Cherry Tree treasurer Abigail Hadjigeorgiou said: "We were finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet with the introduction of the minimum wage, government legislation on holiday pay and an increase in our weekly running costs."

The pre-school, which provides education for the under fives, had kept fees low so that parents could afford to send their toddlers.

Increasingly, however, income was falling short of requirements.

Then last year organisers at Cherry Tree, a registered charity formed in 1982, were told they would have to move.

The church-owned premises they rented were being sold to finance renovation work.

Abigail said: "The church kindly agreed to let us stay at Woodtop Mission for a year to allow us enough time to find a new home.

"This solved one problem -- however, we still couldn't see how we were going to manage financially."

However, a Children First development worker helped Abigail and her colleagues apply for a grant.

Now, the £4,600 booster will help Cherry Tree extend its sessions and buy much-needed equipment and resources.

And the pre-school has found new premises at the Cherry Crescent Centre in Rawtenstall.

Cherry Tree now offers wrap-around care by opening an additional four hours a day, five days a week, so that parents can get back to work or embark on further education.

Abigail added: "It is hard to see how Cherry Tree could have continued after last year's financial crisis without the help of the Children First early years team.

"Their continued support, coupled with the hard work and dedication of the pre-school staff and committee, means that Cherry Tree's future looks brighter than ever."