**FUNDRAISER UPDATE** THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HELPING US REACH OUR TARGET IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS!! WE ARE OVERWHELMED BY YOUR SUPPORT AND THE LOVE IT SHOWS FOR TODDLER HUT. WE WILL KEEP THIS CAMPAIGN OPEN FOR ANOTHER FEW DAYS IN CASE YOU STILL FEEL LIKE GIVING, SINCE WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S AROUND THE CORNER IN 2021. BUT FOR NOW WE CAN SEE DOWN THE ROAD A LITTLE FURTHER - AND WITH FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS LIKE OURS - WE FEEL SO MUCH STRONGER. THANK YOU!!

You probably know us. Perhaps your children or grandchildren were looked after here, or your neighbour's kids, or your daughter's best friend. Since 1929, Toddler Hut has been at the heart of Edinburghs seaside; the oldest, self-funded community nursery in the UK caring for the people that made Portobello this place you love. As a charity, we have always put children before politics or profit, nurturing play and childhood through some pretty seismic moments in history. In almost a century, the only times we have ever closed our doors to the diverse families who call us their home-from-home has been during the Second World War and this past year.

Sadly, our enforced closure during two national lockdowns has hit us hard and we need your help. The modest reserves we have built over many years are gone, meaning we have lost the financial security net we need to keep our not-for-profit nursery afloat. We aren't a business that can take on loans, and were not a big charity with lots of other income streams. So, we (the parent-run committee, on behalf of children past, present and future) are doing something we've never done before asking for our community's direct support.

If you know the Toddler Hut, if you value our values and the spirit of Portobello we embody, please make a donation today so we can continue to provide affordable and loving care for the children of Portobello. Your donation and our target of £3,000 will ensure we can leave the fear of childhoods diminished by Covid-19 far behind us, and get on with the job we have been doing as a values-led charity for another hundred years. Nurturing Portobello's future generations.

Thank you for your gift, and for sharing this campaign with friends of Portobello.