Day care nursery short listed for regional award

Maple Leaf Day Care based in the grounds of RAF Digby, are in the running for the National Day Nurseries Association’s Regional Nursery of the Year Award.

NDNA is the national charity representing children’s nurseries across the UK, providing information, training and advice as well as campaigning on cost, choice and quality of childcare.

If the nursery scoops this award, it could go on to win the UK title of NDNA Nursery of the Year at an awards ceremony on July 1, hosted by children’s TV presenter Dave Benson Philips at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel in Milton Keynes. Half of the 20 staff will be going down to the awards event to find out if they have won.

Scores of parents wrote glowing testimonials to help Maple Leaf become a finalist after the nursery entered.

Manager Michelle Randle said: “We are delighted to be singled out for this award and are really proud that our parents have voted for us in such numbers.”

One parent commented, ‘Fantastic care. The staff understand the added pressures placed on the children of Service families and work with parents to ensure any disruption because of it is barely noticed by the children’.

Mrs Randle said: “This is a great boost for the staff and children here.”

Maple Leaf Day Care, rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted, caters for up to 100 children from the base and surrounding community, and was previously successfully nominated by the community for a Queen’s Commendation in June 2015. The nursery also supplies before and after school clubs.

NDNA Chief Executive, Purnima Tanuku, said: “Congratulations to Maple Leaf Day Care which is a great example of the amazing, inspirational work happening in the childcare sector every day.”