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A nursery owner who set up her first nursery 30 years ago in a deprived area of Leicester has been awarded an OBE.
Now the managing director of Kiddycare Nurseries, Kala Patel was just 22 when she started her first nursery by converting office space with a bank loan and a £65 a week Enterprise Allowance.
After just a few months she had a long waiting list and was able to move into larger premises.
Ms Patel has grown the business into a group of five nurseries in areas of deprivation in the city, supporting the predominately Asian community, struggling families and children with special educational needs.
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