First Neighbourhood Nursery in Cumbria gets go ahead

Cumbria Early Years Development & Childcare Partnership are celebrating this week after receiving over £70k capital funding from the New Opportunities Fund (NOF) for Safe Hands, the first NOF funded Neighbourhood Nursery in the County. Revenue funding linked to the successful provision of 25 new childcare places will also be provided through the Cumbria Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership to assist with running costs in the first three critical years as the nursery becomes established. 

Nurseries and childcare places which are established using Neighbourhood Nursery funding are situated in selected areas of Cumbria which qualify for targeted assistance. They will provide high quality, affordable childcare to local parents, and ensure that their opening hours and policies are helpful to parents who want to work and take up training opportunities. Safe Hands is one of 20 such projects County-wide, which will be opening in the next 15 months. 

Safe Hands Childcare Limited will be set up in Barrow by April this year and will ultimately offer 120 new full day-care places for babies right through to school age children. The Nursery will open all year round. 

An old sawmill in Barrow Town Centre will be completely re-developed to create a friendly and safe environment for the range of children who will use it. The organisation will create up to 21 jobs and it will offer flexible and extendable opening hours and help with transport problems. Directors of the company are already working closely with parents on shifts and those wanting to continue their learning through evening classes. 

County Councillor Joan Stocker, Cabinet Spokesperson for Education says 

"I am delighted that this money has now been secured so this important initiative can get under way in Cumbria. We have a strong commitment to the services that we provide to the under fives and access to good nursery education and childcare are essential to contribute to the well-being of families and educational progress. Neighbourhood Nurseries are one of the Government's major childcare initiatives which is managed in Cumbria by the Early Years Development & Childcare Partnership. Neighbourhood Nurseries will create over 600 new full day-care places throughout the County over the next three years. Safe Hands Childcare Limited will be the first of many neighbourhood nurseries to be set up throughout the County and I wish it every success." 

Helen Sykes, Neighbourhood Nursery Officer at Cumbria Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership says, 

"The Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership has been working on the funding application with the Directors now for some 12 months. It has been extremely hard work with many setbacks particularly on the property front but the Directors have really proved they have the tenacity and determination to make this new venture a success. The Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership will now continue to support Safe Hands Childcare Ltd to ensure their building project stays on schedule and assist them with their recruitment, marketing, training, OfSted registration and many other practical challenges to be met in establishing a venture of this kind. The Directors have done extremely well to have their application processed so speedily and I wish them continued success" 

Donna Duff, Director of Safe Hands Childcare Ltd 

"As a Mother of three young children I have experienced the barriers that have to be overcome to be able to return to work. This grant will help Safe Hands Childcare create out of hours child care for those parents who need it. I feel the Barrow-in-Furness will benefit dramatically from these new child care places and will be a large step into helping parents of our town. It is fantastic, without this grant Safe Hands Childcare would not have been able to provide such benefits to working parents." 

For more information about the childcare that Safe Hands Ltd will be able to offer please contact Donna Duff on 01229 828444.