The Gazette’s Give Us A Chance appeal is raising money to make up for the shortfall of grant from Wiltshire Council for Devizes Opportunity Centre.

This year the centre must raise £50,000 to cover its running costs – up from £40,000 last year, after the council passed on a £10,000 reduction in Government grant money.

Our readers have already passed our original target of £10,000, but we are continuing to get as close as possible to £50,000.

The Tidworth satellite branch of Devizes Opportunity Centre was set up in 2010 in part of the NSPCC Ashdown Family Centre in the heart of the town.

Opportunity centre manager Betty Newman was delighted when she found there was space available in Tidworth as until then children from the town and surrounding villages needing a specialist nursery had to travel the 20 miles to Devizes.

In 2011 the Tidworth branch was declared outstanding by Ofsted and it is licensed to take up to ten children.

At the moment there are seven children on its books who attend on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Supervisor Ginette Peach is in charge at Tidworth, assisted by special needs practitioners Anna Faulkner, Lucy Stacey and Kerry Faull.

The Tidworth nursery has a playroom, multi-sensory stimulation room, soft play room and fully enclosed outdoor play area. It can cater for children with special needs from birth to five years old.

Mrs Newman believes the demand for places at Tidworth will increase dramatically over the next few years as the MoD pushes ahead with creating a super garrison in the town and thousands of new houses are built.