TWO nursery and family centres that have helped thousands of Wirral children and parents down the years have been saved from closure.

Ganneys Meadow and Leasowe, which are both nursery school and family centres, both needed hundreds of thousands of pounds in funding just to stay open.

Ganneys Meadow in Woodchurch needed £240,000 over the next two years, while the Leasowe facility on Twickenham Drive required £160,00 over the same period.

Today, Wirral council announced it would step in with the necessary funding, securing the two schools' futures.

It comes after it was announced Ganneys Meadows would stop providing day care from the end of the summer term, as staffing costs were higher than the amount of income generated.

Cabinet member for children and families, Cllr Bernie Mooney, said: "I'm delighted Wirral council has approved the necessary funding for Ganneys Meadow and Leasowe Nursery to remain open.

"As a result of the ongoing financial crisis in young people's education, the two nursery schools – which deliver high quality learning to some of Wirral's most vulnerable children – faced the threat of closure."

It comes after it was announced both schools would stop providing day care from the end of the summer term, as staffing costs were higher than the amount of income generated.

Cllr Mooney said after visiting the Leasowe school and speaking to councillors representing Ganneys Meadows, she "felt the need" to lobby on their behalf and find a solution.

Cllr Mooney added: "The support from the council now means the nurseries have the financial backing over the next two years to find suitable alternative funding."

During their most recent Ofsted reports, Ganneys Meadows was rated 'outstanding' across all categories, while Leasowe was rated 'good'.