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Nature Trails Day Nursery make vital food bank donation

After pledging a year-long donation and fundraising drive for The Trussell Trust, generous parents and practitioners from Nature Trails Day Nursery in Cawston have made a donation of essential food and household items to the Rugby Foodbank for the third time this year.

Following a record-rise in demand for items at food banks across the country due to the cost-of-living crisis, families from the setting on Coventry Road have been making regular contributions of products including pasta, cereal, tinned goods and teabags in efforts to keep the charity well-stocked in supplies to support local people who need it most.

Nature Trails Day Nursery Charity Representative, Louise Gulliver explained;

“We are delighted to be supporting The Trussell Trust this year and helping them in their important mission to end food poverty. We are so grateful to our nursery families for their kindness towards the cause and the brilliant example they set for the children.”

Rugby Foodbank are urgently appealing for items including tinned custard, tinned fruit, tinned sweetcorn, jam, cuppa soup, shampoo and strong carrier bags.

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West Cambridge Day Nursery children enjoy ZooLab visit

There were exciting learning opportunities at every turn for children at West Cambridge Day Nursery in Cambridge as they received a special visit from the ZooLab and its animals.

At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Charles Babbage Road, pre-schoolers were delighted to get up close and personal with an array of creatures, including a New Caledonian Giant Gecko, tarantula and rats, all whilst learning facts from expert handlers.

As part of the experience, children were able to hold and stroke the creatures, before learning about their basic needs and care routines, including diet and habitat, as well as copying the animal movements in an activity to develop gross motor skills.

West Cambridge Day Nursery Business Administrator, Amanda Derouich explained;

“Our children love animals and had the best time meeting these exotic creatures. Everyone was captivated and it was a brilliant opportunity for the pre-schoolers to learn more about the responsibility that comes with owning a pet or caring for other living things.”

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Celebrating service at Hampstead Gate Day Nursery

There was cause for celebration at Hampstead Gate Day Nursery in Milton Keynes as the childcare team honoured their beloved colleague, Olivia Cherry, as she marked her milestone five-year anniversary at Childbase Partnership.

Having started with the company in 2018 as a Kitchen Assistant at Woodlands Day Nursery in Byerly Place, talented Olivia has since made the transition to the day nursery on Eelbrook Avenue, where she shines as Nursery Chef, running her very own kitchen and only last month, receiving yet another 5 Star Food Hygiene Rating from Milton Keynes Council.

During her time at Childbase Partnership, Olivia has showcased her passion for providing children with balanced and nutritious meals, educating them to make healthy and informed choices for the future, as well as highlighting the ways in which food can bring people together through exciting activities such as baking for cultural events and celebrations.

Raising money for worthy causes has also been integral to Olivia’s time at Childbase, taking part in team fundraisers including dress up days, charity auctions and food bank drives, which have helped contribute to the £3 million and counting raised by Childbase Partnership for charities including ‘Mind’ and ‘Bliss’ over the past 30 years.

Olivia also serves as the nursery’s Partnership Councillor, representing the interests of her colleagues and putting forward ideas to drive change at the employee-owned company.

Hampstead Gate Deputy Manager, Katie Hughes explained;

“Olivia is incredible and we feel so lucky to have her at Hampstead Gate. We can’t thank her enough for all she does for us, including keeping us fed with the most amazing meals and creating such rich learning opportunities for the children when it comes to nutrition. We have had a fantastic time celebrating her and all her wonderful achievements this week.”

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Mother’s Day celebrations at Devonshire Day Nursery

Festivities were well underway at Devonshire Day Nursery in Chiswick as children and colleagues showcased their appreciation with a series of Mother’s Day celebrations.

At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Bennett Street, parents were delighted to join their children for a special Mother’s Day breakfast, complete with fresh pastries, fruit platters, yoghurt, cereal, smoothies and orange juice to mark the occasion.

Meanwhile, talented children were proud to present their loved ones with homemade cards, as well as discussing the important ladies in their life and why they love and care for them.

The breakfast celebrations was inspired by a recent parent partnership meeting at the setting, where families expressed their enjoyment of events at the nursery and put forward ideas for key calendar events, as well as fundraising initiatives for The Trussell Trust.

Devonshire Day Nursery Manager, Emmy Avery explained;

“We have such a fantastic network of nursery families and we pride ourselves on our parent partnership and strong bonds. We love to have their input and aim to show our gratitude whenever possible. The children also had a wonderful time showcasing their creativity with cards and gifts and proudly showing their parents around the nursery environment.”

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Seabrook Day Nursery children welcome spring arrivals

Children from Seabrook Day Nursery in Luton were delighted to celebrate the arrival of their newly born ducklings, having waited patiently for them to hatch from their eggs.

At the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Lewsey Road, children were thrilled to follow the exciting process from start to finish, observing what was happening inside the incubator and the process of life cycles, as well as getting to name the ducklings once they had hatched, with new additions including Daisy, Donald, Sarah, Quackers and Nelson.

As part of the learning experience, children have been learning to effectively care for the creatures as they grow, with opportunities to hold, feed and stroke them within small groups.

Seabrook Day Nursery Business Administrator, Karen Emson explained;

“The ducklings have brought so much joy to the nursery and their arrival has been hugely insightful for the children. Not only is this a fantastic first-hand experience of life cycles, but teaches valuable lessons such as the responsibility in caring for other living things.”

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‘Culture Day’ for new Childbase partners

Nothing says ‘You belong’ like lunch with the Chairman as 40 new recruits to Childbase Partnership discovered during ‘Culture Day’ at Head Office – the highlight of the newly launched four-part induction process at the company.

As Angela Brown, Chair of the Partnership Council – the 45 member ‘face’ of employee ownership at Childbase Partnership – explained, the realigned induction process goes much further than simply ‘how to do the job’, with an emphasis on individual belonging and thriving.

“Culture Day is about demonstrating that support for the individual extends further than each workplace and that employee voice and feedback is paramount in achieving the very best outcomes for the children in our care and for each other. It is also about myth-busting and putting faces to names of the people who support us,” she said.

In addition to Head Office support teams circulating during the chef prepared lunch, members of the senior team – Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Operations Director – joined the new recruits to talk about their experience and encourage feedback.

The meal and sweet treats followed a morning focusing on, for example, company values – the five principles defining company identity and motivating everyone in common goals. The Values are the result of lengthy consultation and deliberation in each of the 45 settings in the company and not top-down decision-making.

Culture day – one a month at Head Office – is the culmination of a stream-lined, four-part process of induction that offers greater flexibility to appeal to individual learning styles and needs, with delivery by video, Zoom/team meetings, on-site and lastly at Head Office.

Pictured: Angela Brown, Partnership Council Chair, with Chef Emanuel and new partners.

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Cedar Park Day Nursery children enjoy firefighter visit

Following an interest in ‘people that help us’, children from Cedar Park Day Nursery in Twyford were delighted to welcome local firefighters to the setting for a special visit.

At the award-winning day nursery on Bridge Farm Road, firefighters spoke to captivated pre-schoolers about the equipment used to extinguish flames, before showing them the protective clothing worn and giving a guided tour of the fire engine and its sirens.

As part of the learning experience, children were able to ask the Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service heroes questions to further their knowledge, before heading inside to assess any possible risks and ensure everyone knew fire drill procedures in place.

Cedar Park Day Nursery Manager, Rachael Main explained;

“This was such an exciting learning experience for the children, who were all captivated by the visit. As well as furthering their understanding on the emergency services and their important role within the community, this taught some hugely valuable messages on identifying potential hazards in our environment and tips for staying safe.”

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Emscote House Day Nursery children create spa experience

Following a focus on wellbeing and self-care, children from Emscote House Day Nursery in Leamington Spa were delighted to create their very own spa, complete with treatments.

From a yoga and conscious breathing session to a morning foot soak to invigorate the senses, pre-schoolers from the setting on Warwick Place were immersed in relaxation opportunities, complete with warm dimmed lighting to create the tranquil atmosphere.

As part of the experience, children enjoyed relaxation time in their pyjamas with a drink of cucumber water and positive affirmations to encourage confidence and self-esteem, as well as using cucumber slices to help cleanse and rejuvenate the eyes.

Emscote House Day Nursery Practitioner, Lilly Bradley explained;

“We have been focusing on children’s mental health and reinforcing the importance of taking care of both mind and body. The children had a fantastic time creating their own spa and this created lots of lovely learning opportunities. The role of Early Years in determining and maintaining good mental health through childhood has really never been more vital.”

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Celebrating 20 years’ service at Windermere Day Nursery

There was cause for celebration at Windermere Day Nursery in Kettering as colleagues honoured beloved Nursery Practitioner, Martine Fear, as she marked her milestone 20-year anniversary at the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ setting.

Having started at the Kettering General Hospital Site in 2003, Martine has helped to positively shape the lives of hundreds of children in her care throughout her career, working predominantly in the baby room and supporting them as they reach their early milestones.

Raising money for worthy causes has also been integral to Martine’s time at Windermere, taking part in team fundraisers including dress up days, charity auctions and food bank drives, which have helped contribute to the £3 million and counting raised by Childbase Partnership for charities including ‘Mind’ and ‘Bliss’ over the past 30 years.

To mark the special occasion, adoring colleagues organised celebrations complete with balloons, cake, banners, bubbly, flowers and photo displays from the past two decades, with applause from the staff team and congratulations from nursery families and children.

Windermere Day Nursery Practitioner, Martine Fear explained;

“I feel incredibly spoilt by the team and can’t believe how quickly the last 20 years have gone. It has been wonderful to witness so many children grow up and begin their journeys with us, I have made friends for life and have so many cherished memories from my time here. I am delighted to be celebrating this anniversary and am looking forward to the future.”

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Seabrook Day Nursery make vital food bank donation

Generous parents and practitioners from Seabrook Day Nursery in Luton have made a donation of essential food items to the Dunstable Foodbank to help local people who need it most, having pledged a year-long fundraising and donation drive for The Trussell Trust.

Following a record-rise in demand for items at food banks due to the cost-of-living crisis, families from the Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ Day Nursery on Lewsey Road made contributions of products including pasta, tinned goods and teabags in efforts to keep the charity well-stocked in supplies, with their contribution weighing over five stone in total.

Colleagues from Seabrook visited their local Trussell Trust drop-off point to deliver the donations, which were gratefully received by volunteers, who gave the team a better insight into how the food parcels are packed and the positive impact their support would have.

Seabrook Day Nursery Manager, Becky Smith explained;

“We are delighted to be supporting The Trussell Trust this year and helping them in their important mission to end food poverty. We decided to ask for a food donation instead of a monetary donation for our Valentine’s pink and red dress up day and were overwhelmed with the response from our incredible nursery parents. This generosity also sets a brilliant example to the children about the importance of kindness and sharing with others.”

Dunstable Foodbank are currently appealing for items including tinned tomatoes, tinned custard, sponge puddings, tinned fish, cereal bars and teabags.

Author: childbase

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Nature Trails Day Nursery make vital food bank donation

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West Cambridge Day Nursery children enjoy ZooLab visit

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Celebrating service at Hampstead Gate Day Nursery

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Mother’s Day celebrations at Devonshire Day Nursery

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Seabrook Day Nursery children welcome spring arrivals

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‘Culture Day’ for new Childbase partners

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Cedar Park Day Nursery children enjoy firefighter visit

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Emscote House Day Nursery children create spa experience

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Celebrating 20 years’ service at Windermere Day Nursery

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Seabrook Day Nursery make vital food bank donation

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Cedars Day Nursery - Leighton Buzzard