Nursery World - Opportunity knocks

A husband and wife team are providing affordable, community-centred childcare in an area where few private operators have dared to venture. Judith Barrett reports A commitment for the long term - that is how Kemi and Dele Balogun, directors of Alphabet House, see the development of their nursery chain in Newham, east London.

A commitment for the long term - that is how Kemi and Dele Balogun, directors of Alphabet House, see the development of their nursery chain in Newham, east London.

The borough offers tremendous opportunities. With one of the highest birth rates in the country and children under five already constituting 8.25 per cent of its population compared with 5.7 per cent nationally, the need for childcare is huge. But the area, which takes in much of London's former docklands, remains one of the most economically deprived in the UK. The challenge for any private operator is to provide quality childcare at a price parents can afford.

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