Buckie Teddy Bear Developmental Playgroup plea – 'Help us find a home!'
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
HELP us find our own home – that was the plea from a Buckie charity working with children with developmental delay and learning difficulties.
The Teddy Bear Developmental Playgroup (TBDP), which was formed back in 1985, has spent the last few years leading a nomadic existence after spending 30 or so years based at the Lady Cathcart Centre in Buckie.
However, they were forced to move out when the centre was upgraded to provide places for three to five-year-olds as part of the Scottish Government's expanded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) policy.
A room at Buckie Community High School provided a temporary, although not ideal, refuge until the Covid pandemic forced the group to shut down in 2020. A highly uncertain and homeless future beckoned as the pandemic receded. Desperate attempts to find accommodation in Buckie came to naught, with the Teddy Bear Group eventually coming to an agreement with Moray Council to use part of the open plan space at Cullen nursery.
The group currently has four children aged between 0 and four attending, looked after by three members of staff.
Group chairman Dr Jim Tuckerman explained: "We currently have a temporary resource at the new nursery at Cullen, which is excellent, but I think the real issue is that the vulnerable and disadvantaged families we've targeted are going to find it more difficult to get from Buckie to Cullen.
"It is well known that disadvantaged and vulnerable families are the least likely to to attend facilities at a long distance from home but they are the most likely to benefit from attending the playgroup and so it is essential that the Buckie Teddies playgroup returns to a venue in central Buckie.
"When we were working at Lady Cathcart families could use it as a drop-in, which is what happened most of the time. We aim to support families and children with particular needs or vulnerabilities by providing children opportunities to play learn and socialise while offering parents to meet staff and health professionals and share their experiences.
"The resource at Cullen is not big enough and now we're looking at something more permanent in the centre of Buckie. There is currently a waiting list for the playgroup and to be honest if it was centralised in Buckie that would likely disappear."
However, they now have the chance to find a place to call their own, but they need the support of local businesses and individuals to make their long-held dream a reality.
Dr Tuckerman continued: "Our project objective is to raise funds for purchase of suitable accommodation for the Teddy Bear Playgroup in Buckie.
"One option we're looking at is procuring the former Church of Christ on Cluny Place. The asking price is £90,000 and, if we were able to secure it, the total project would cost around £150,000, including the necessary refurbishment work required to bring it up to Care Commission standards.
“The council have recently advertised the sale of two portable cabin units which were designed specifically for nursery education.
"We are looking at all opportunities for a new venue and if a suitable green site in Buckie could be found, such as Ian Johnston Park, then we would be keen to go down this route.
"We are appealing for support from the community, both public and business community, for both financial and physical help to help us to find a venue.
"The Teddy Bear group is not just for children, it has become an important support for families facing stressful life circumstances alongside low social support and economic pressures."
Dr Tuckerman went on to say that a meeting had been arranged between TBDP and the Rotary Club of Buckie to discuss ways in which local businesses could be approached with a view to coming on board with the project. He added that he would be delighted to go and speak to any groups to give a background talk on the project.
New Teddy Bear Playgroup manager Gillian Stevenson said that having their own accommodation would allow them to expand the vital services they offer.
"It would allow us to provide more hours," she said.
"The resource we've got just now is 12 noon-5pm – if we had morning sessions as well it would allow us to open up and expand.
"It would allow us to offer a lot more."
The Teddy Bear Playgroup face a continual financial struggle, TBDP treasurer David Paterson revealed, making public backing all the more vital.
"At the moment we have to raise around £3000 a month to cover things like wages and pensions.
"At the moment we get approximately £950 per month from Moray Council."
Any groups, firms or individuals who would like to help the Teddy Bear Group's mission to find a new home should contact Dr Tuckerman by emailing james.tuckerman@aol.co.uk or phoning 07796 617025.
