A PRESCHOOL has celebrated the opening of its new home.

The new purpose-built extension, which houses Downton Community Pre-school as well as a suite of modern conferencing rooms and community spaces, was officially opened on November 9.

The extension will allow the preschool to accommodate more children. It has a large playground area, kitchen and sensory area.

Pre-school chairman Sarah Nutbeam said: “We are very excited about the fantastic new pre-school in the Memorial Hall extension. We have worked hard to raise funds, have equipped it with fun and stimulating resources for the children and can’t wait to see them enjoying it.”

The development work has been taking place over the last year, with an investment of over £1.1m from housing developer’s contributions, Wiltshire Council’s Early Years contributions and local residents’ council tax.

Dave Mace, the chair of Downton Parish Council, said: “We’ve been working hard to deliver a welcoming and well-equipped new centre, owned by and managed on behalf of the local community. We’re delighted we have now reached the stage where people can start making the most of the great new facilities on offer.”

As well as continuing to be able to hire out the hall area of the centre, two new first floor rooms are now available.

The extension also offers air conditioning, wi-fi and the latest audio-visual equipment, together with kitchen facilities, making the space suitable for a wide range of activities.

Susan Barnhurst-Davies, the chair of Downton Memorial Centre, added: “We’re expecting the centre to host everything from conferences and club meetings to yoga classes and networking events – it’s such a versatile space that will benefit so many people. We’ve had a great reaction from everyone who has seen the centre so far, and it looks like it will be a real hub for local businesses and enterprise.”