Staff at Springboard Opportunity Group in Chippenham are off to London on Saturday to find out if they have been successful in the national Nursery World awards.

The nursery for children with disabilities has been shortlisted in the team development category of the awards, which recognise the best in UK childcare.

Springboard, which caters for children from about 50 families a year from north Wiltshire, faced a huge challenge this year after its central government grant was cut by £10,000, funding which had paid for its sessions for children under two.

Fundraising in the community, as well as a successful grant application to Children in Need for more than £7,000, means it is able to accommodate all the pre-school children whose parents have approached them.

Staff at ACT (Applied Card Technologies) in Kington Langley raised £1,500 with a big cycle event on August 24.

Eight people, including the CEO and another two directors, cycled 66 miles from Castle Combe to the Severn Bridge and back.

Ian McKenzie, head of service delivery management, said: “Springboard hit home the most and got the most votes from our staff.”

Springboard’s manager Jane Boulton said: “We need to raise £51,000 a year just to stand still, so it is really lovely when people like ACT ring us up and say they’d like to do something for us. It means we can help people now and not say that we need to wait until a child leaves or we’ve got a bit more money.

“We’re starting an extra hour session on Fridays now. It costs £10,000 a year to open for an extra hour. Staff is our biggest, but most vital, cost.”

June was a good month for Springboard, based in Pewsham, with £1,500 coming from its patron Lady Lansdowne’s Bowood dog show and another £6,000 raised at an open garden event at Middlewick House in Corsham, home of Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason.

A fundraising quiz night will be held at the Lansdowne Arms, Derry Hill, on Wednesday, October 1.