People and places a monthly round-up
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
* A local fisherman has donated a rescued boat to Wells Nursery School in Norfolk for the children to use in their outdoor play. After finding the boat abandoned in Wells harbour, Daniel Warnes gave it a lick of paint and invited other locals to contribute parts to the project. The boat was soon fitted out with a new mast, an engine, a radio, levers and a control panel. Nursery teacher Janice Whitaker said, 'The children are delighted with their new boat. They have been pretending to be fishermen, coastguards and pirates. We are very grateful to Daniel for all his hard work.'
Nursery teacher Janice Whitaker said, 'The children are delighted with their new boat. They have been pretending to be fishermen, coastguards and pirates. We are very grateful to Daniel for all his hard work.'
* West Exe Children's Centre in Exeter held a special spring fete with cream teas and donkey rides to say goodbye to a long-standing member of staff. Pat Cusa is retiring as family services manager and will be greatly missed after working at the centre for 17 years. During her time there, Mrs Cusa helped set up the Merry Go Round children's toy library, which she will continue to run in retirement.
* Bideford Children's Centre in North Devon has joined forces with Edd's Greengrocers of Mullacott Cross to bring boxes of fresh vegetables to local families. Under the vegetable box scheme, collections are delivered to the children's centre every Wednesday to be picked up by families, many of whom are eligible to get them free with Healthy Start vouchers.
* An NCH charity resource centre in Lancashire that provides support for children with disabilities and their families has won a five-year contract with Bury Metropolitan Borough Council. The centre, which was under threat of closure just two years ago, is now in a position to provide more secure services and build on its core offer of support.
* Heath Lane Nursery School in Hemel Hampstead, Hertfordshire, has been awarded an 'outstanding' rating by Ofsted in every section of its recent report. Inspectors praised the nursery school for giving 'value for money'
and said that it had 'established an outstanding partnership with parents and the local community'.
* The Mayor of Wigan was shown around a combined children's centre and extended school that managed to incorporate a childcare centre that was in need of accommodation. The Young Person's Centre, formerly based in Pemberton, cared for children aged up to 16, including many who had special educational needs. Westfield Children's Centre and Westfield Community School have taken on board the services to offer a home for the centre for nine months.
