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Fears for acclaimed special needs work

1 min read Early Years
An award winning scheme for pre-school children with special needs that has been running for 16 years faces imminent closure because its Lottery funding has been withdrawn.

Staff at the scheme have offered to stay on and work for free, but the project cannot continue if no extra support is found.

The Worcestershire Pre-School Learning Alliance has been running its VIP scheme since 1991, supporting children aged five and under who have a disability or illness.

But now the Big Lottery Fund, which has given the scheme more than £700,000 over the last six years, has withdrawn its support. If the scheme cannot find alternative funding it will have to close at the end of this month.

The Pre-School Learning Alliance has pledged its support to the programme. Chief executive Steve Alexander said: "We are very concerned to hear the award-winning Worcestershire VIP scheme, which offers a vital service to young children with special needs and disabilities and their families, is threatened with closure. We are giving our colleagues all the support we can to secure the future of this much-needed scheme."

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