A LOCAL playgroup has been left devastated after it found out that funding for its programme for two- to three-year-old children had been cut with just a day’s notice.

The Railway Kids programme, part of Newtownbutler Playgroup, that is funded through the Pathway Fund, was due to commence this month – however, the playgroup only found out about their unsuccessful funding application through an email from the Pathway Fund, dated March 29, resulting in the loss of three jobs and leaving 24 children without access to the service.

Michelle McGrory, Newtownbutler Playgroup leader, said they came in to work on March 30 to an email telling them their funding application was eligible, and had passed the minimum quality threshold; however, it did not score highly enough to receive a funding award, due to available funds being expended.

This meant the 2021/22 programme for the playgroup could not go ahead after Easter.

“We’ve have been on the programme for five years now,” explained Michelle. “Tuesday morning [March 30] we came in here, and we’ve got an email ... to say that we didn’t score high enough, and we weren’t receiving the funding this year.

“That was a day’s notice, as the programme stopped the next day. So then I had to go in and tell three staff members that the jobs were no longer [viable], and they were gone. They got one day’s notice.”

As well as having to tell staff, some who had been working as part of the programme since it began five years ago, Michelle had to tell the parents of the 24 children that they would not be reopening.

“It’s such a good programme. We’ve a waiting list for it. And we don’t understand why they’ve just pulled the funding like that with no real explanation to it other than we didn’t score high enough.

“But the programme is thriving. We have 24 places at full capacity, and these are two- to three-year-olds. We are in shock.”

Michelle says that even if they had got more notice about the unsuccessful application for funding it would have given them more time to plan what to do next, but says the loss of the programme – which gives younger children an easier transition when they move into the pre-school room – is “devastating”.

She admits that they don’t know where the children can go now, and with numbers limited in the playgroup, they may not be able to fit all of them in.

The playgroup also have no right to appeal as they passed the quality threshold and will have to wait until at least April 29 for a feedback appointment with the Pathway Fund team.

The playgroup committee have also written to the funding team expressing their disappointment, and questioning how the playgroup has scored differently to the previous five years they have received funding.

The letter stated that they felt it is “very unfair” to remove funding during the school term and is “another example of a small community located along a Border region being let down and forgotten”.

Michelle has also received letters from parents complaining about the decision, which she will be forwarding on to the funding agency, and she will continue to look for answers as to why they did not score highly enough this year.

In response to questions regarding the allocation of funding a spokesperson for the Department of Education, which oversees the Pathway Fund, stated: “Newtownbutler Playgroup applied to Stream A of the Pathway Fund (awards from £15,001 to £30,000). “They met all eligibility requirements and their application was scored against the Fund’s six criteria.

“The score awarded to Newtownbutler Playgroup placed them below the score for which provisional award could be made. A notification was issued advising of this.

“Pathway Fund guidance that was issued advises that there is no guarantee of funding at any level for the Pathway Fund in 2021/22 and applicants should not enter into commitments on the basis of funding applied for. Pathway fund awards for 2020/21 expired on 31 March 2021 and recipients were advised not to commit to spend for their Pathway project beyond this date.”