Small ‘n Tall, officially known as Moffat Childcare, closed last autumn after operating at a loss for years.
The closure was a huge blow for the community – at the time the centre was the town’s only childcare provider for young people from newborn to 16.
But some hope has come from Small ‘n Tall’s demise, as now the charity have wound up and sold their assets, with £50,000 left over to donate to the groups locally.
A statement from the former trustees of Moffat Childcare said: “We are pleased to have completed the business of closing down in an orderly manner, without imposing any cost on taxpayers.
“We were able to sell our building, Ladyknowe Hall, in which there was quite a bit of interest, to a local leather working business.
“That left us with enough money to pay off all our debts, most of which took the form of severance pay owed to the former staff of the nursery.
“The staff showed a lot of patience and understanding – some of them should have received their severance pay at the end of November, and the rest at the end of December, but they all had to wait until the middle of January before we had the funds available. Most of them have now found alternative employment.”
And the group’s remaining funds have been split between local charities and not-for-profit groups that provide services for children and young people.
The trustees’ statement added: “We have tried to spread the money around between sports, arts and outdoor activities, to complement mainstream schooling, and we would ideally like to see it invested in things which will have a long lasting benefit for the town.”
Groups who received funding include: the Scout Hut, Moffat Community Woodlands, Moffat Youth Theatre, Upper Annandale Youth Football Club, Moffat Rugby Club, Beechgrove Bowling Club, Moffat Cricket Club, Beechgrove Lawn Tennis Club, Jog Moffat, Moffat Gala, the Shepherd and Lass Club, Moffat and District Community Nature Reserve, Moffat Wildlife Club, Borders Forest Trust and the fundraising and social committee at Moffat Academy.
Meanwhile, Moffat Childcare trustees were involved in the early stages of discussions between Jaybees Nursery and Moffat Academy, which led to a collaboration that sees Jaybees providing some childcare cover for the town.
