So much more than a nursery (From Gazette Series)

So much more than a nursery

IN quite spectacular style a portable building - to be the home of a Government-backed nursery - was crane-lifted into Dursley in the autumn. Nursery staff are now hoping to make a similarly spectacular affect on the lives of families in Cam and Dursley. KIRSTY RAMSDEN visited Treetops Nursery to find out more.

PROVIDING affordable, good quality childcare for the people of Cam and Dursley is the ethos of Treetops Nursery.

Within the grounds of Dursley Church of England Primary School, the nursery is expected to open to children at the end of this month (march).

Much of the funding for the nursery, some £250,000, came from the Government-backed SureStart initiative.

The remainder of the sum was given by the New Opportunities Fund and Gloucestershire County Council.

Nationally SureStart aims to achieve better outcomes for children, parents and communities by increasing the availability of childcare.

The scheme also aims to improve health, education and emotional development for young children and support parents in their role and in developing their employment aspirations.

SureStart nationally aims to achieve this by helping services develop in certain areas of need, while providing help to enable parents to afford quality childcare.

SureStart Dursley and Cam targets specific pockets within the area.

SureStart aims to encourage parents back into the workplace by funding a nursery which is as flexible and supportive as possible.

To this end 80 per cent of nursery places at Treetops will be available to children living within particular post-code identified areas.

Nursery manager Sally Campion said: "There has been tremendous interest in places which is really encouraging.

"Judging by the interest we have had there is a need."

She added the nursery would be helping parents gain access to funding opportunities to ensure their childcare is affordable.

She explained the organisation had a wealth of information about funding possibilities open to parents.

The nursery will open five days a week 7.30am-6pm 51 weeks a year - it will close for a week over Christmas.

Open to children from birth to school age, it is packed with brand new equipment and freshly decorated rooms.

There is a baby room, with a sleep area and a separate milk kitchen, for tots up to a year old.

The baby room can house up to six children at any one time and will have two members of staff.

There is a room for one to two-year-olds, another for two to three-year-olds and a pre-school room.

Each room has access to an outside play area.

The nursery will have spaces for 50 children at any one time.

As well as the children's rooms the nursery building has a family support room, which will be a venue for activities as varied as computer courses, a breast feeding support group and health visitor clinics.

There is also a small meeting room available to parents.

Sarah Birch, programme manager for SureStart Cam and Dursley, explained activities arranged by the organisation were dependant on what people wanted.

As well as the nursery, SureStart funds a toddler group in Cam and hosts a baby massage group at Sandpits Clinic.

It provides swimming vouchers to families living within the SureStart area for particular sessions at Dursley Pool.

SureStart has also employed two family involvement workers who are based at Treetops.

Ms Birch said: "They will be doing some group work and outreach work."

SureStart now has a people carrier to transport those who find it difficult to get to certain of the activity venues.

Stroud MP David Drew is to officially open Treetops today (march26) at a launch attended by dignitaries and those involved with the neighbourhood nursery project.

The SureStart initiative is Government funded until March 2006 - the nursery itself is expected to become self-funding.

For details about the nursery call 01453 543712.