A nursery school principal has turned to crowdfunding for repairs to a collapsed roof after education chiefs said no amid budget pressures.
While children at the school remain safe and dry, a room used to store play equipment has had to be abandoned due to the gaping hole in the roof.
Anne Burke, Principal of Belmont Nursery in Derry, has now launched a fundraising campaign after being told by the Education Authority it can't afford to pay for the repairs.
Read more: Education leaders warn of 'funding crisis' in NI schools
The Education Authority, meanwhile, is braced for a funding crisis following a Stormont budget passed late last year by the Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris in the absence of a functioning Assembly.
Leaders of seven education bodies wrote to Mr Harris and the head of the Civil Service Jayne Brady warning of the crisis back in January.
Mrs Burke, meanwhile, said it will be the children at her nursery who miss out unless money can be found to pay for the repairs to her nursery.
Speaking to Belfast Live, she set out a plan to try and raise the money by climbing three local mountains in a single day with colleagues.
She explained: "There are two stores out the back for play resources. We noticed issues with one of them just before Christmas. There was a leak in the roof. A temporary roof was put over it but there was a very bad spell of weather and the roof caved in at one side.
"I was advised to get everything out of it as soon as possible. I worked late with my brother and some of my nephews to get everything cleared out. They said they would put a new roof on it and, after Christmas, they came out but one hour into the job they came in and said it won’t be financially viable. It turns out they have to put a whole new roof on it.
"Everything was taken out and put in our ‘busy bee’ room. I assumed it would be replaced within a week or two, but I was told those resources could sit in that room for a year longer. That ‘busy bee’ room is used day and daily for special needs, for Jo Jingles, to relax kids, so I thought ‘no, this is no good’.
"Again, my brother came and helped me take everything out of that busy bee room and move it into the other store – but it was already at capacity. Some is stored up in my house, some is stored up in Ardnashee.
"I’ve had person after person from EA out but they’ve now more or less written a report saying they won’t be replacing it. I’m sitting with a big problem.
"The store is just rammed to capacity."
She continued: "I have been in touch with [Foyle MLA] Mark Durkan who really did try to make the case to EA, but to no avail.
The EA has since said it’s not safe, it’s full to capacity, but they still say there’s no money. It can’t be replaced. We’re very disappointed and it’s just so frustrating."
The nursery school principal added: "The children are suffering as they are not being afforded the same play experiences (both indoors and outdoors) as previous year groups did. This is just not fair."
On the fundraising challenge, she said: "Myself and some of my colleagues from work are now doing three peaks in one day – we’re going to start off with Benevenagh. Once we have that done we’re going to Donegal and do Muckish, and then hop in the car and do Errigal as well."
A £10,000 target has been set and, to date, £1,785 has been raised.
An online fundraiser titled 'Ain't No Mountain High Enough For Belmont' can be found here. Alternatively, donations can be made in person by calling into the nursery on the Racecourse Road in Derry.
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