One of East Kent’s oldest nursery schools is looking to raise funds to help it relocate as its current site is preparing to close.

Linwood Under 5s, based in Linwood Youth Centre in Mill Road, Deal, has organised a sponsored walk from Deal Castle to Kingsdown on Saturday June 13 in a bid to raise some of the £40,000 needed to get a new base up and running.

The walk starts at 11am.

Parent and committee member Emma Robinson, whose three-year-old son, George, attends the nursery, said: “Linwood is closing and we haven’t got a new building at the moment. The only building the council have found us needs a lot of work.

“It hasn’t got all the facilities we need. We will need a kitchen, a phone line and storage.”

The building, based near Deal household waste recycling centre in Southwall Road, also only has one toilet, which will not suffice for the 33 children on the nursery’s books.

Ms Robinson said a council grant would only cover some of the costs.

She added: “We are a charity nursery and the longest running in east Kent. It started running in 1966. We are trying to raise as much money as we can.”

The council has asked Linwood Under 5s to leave its current premises by the end of July when a new youth centre is set to open in Park Avenue, next to Tides Leisure Centre.

Work on the new nursery building could take up to six months to complete.

Ms Robinson said: “We may have to close from July until the building is ready.”

Linwood Under 5s manager Gill Castle and the nursery’s committee would like as many past and present children and their families as possible to support the event.

To take part in the walk and to collect a sponsor form, pop into the nursery, open Monday to Friday 9am until 1pm, or call Emma on 07894 942215.