Post by Madhatter on Mar 10, 2007 13:54:18 GMT
TRACY ROBBINS
10:30 - 08 March 2007
The Future of an Atherstone nursery is still uncertain a week after parents and staff arrived to find the gate locked and barred against them.
Parents intending to drop their tots at the Starfish Nursery in Mancetter last Wednesday morning (February 28) arrived to find a bailiff's note attached to the entrance gate telling them the business was closed.
Now parents are counting the cost, as many claim they had already paid March's fees in advance while the 15 members of staff are believed not to have received their last month's wages.
"I was unable to go to work that day and haven't been able to since because I have no-one to care for the children," distraught mum Fleur Fernando told the Herald.
"Starfish is an excellent nursery and my two children were really settled there. If the nursery doesn't reopen I'm very concerned that I won't be able to find anywhere to take them together," said Mrs Fernando whose children are aged four and two and have attended the nursery for 18 months.
The nursery, housed in three modular buildings on land belonging to the Mancetter Memorial Trust, was opened in 2004 and provides places for 30 children five days a week.
It also includes SureStart provision for local youngsters.
It is understood that bailiffs were called in by Mancetter Memorial Trust, which owns the land and had a lease agreement with nursery owner Steve Rymell.
And it is believed that due legal processes were carried out enabling the bailiffs to take action.
Mr Rymell, who invested £180,000 in developing the nursery, told the Herald that closing the nursery was 'entirely unnecessary' and he was hopeful that a resolution could be reached soon.
"I want to see the nursery doors open as soon as possible so that my staff have their jobs and the parents and their children can be happy," Mr Rymell said.
Trustee Rev Adrian Mairs said he was unable to comment, but hoped to attend a public meeting called by parents, at Mancetter Memorial Hall in Old Farm Road this evening (Thursday) at 6.30pm.
Warwickshire County Council sent a five-man team to support and advise parents and staff after the nursery closed.
Norma Smeaton, Head of Early Years and Childcare said: "Although we do not have any responsibility for running the nursery we were concerned at the sudden loss of provision in the village and the impact this would have on local families."
Free advice is available by calling the Children's Information Service on 0845 090 8044.
Tamworth herald.co.uk
10:30 - 08 March 2007
The Future of an Atherstone nursery is still uncertain a week after parents and staff arrived to find the gate locked and barred against them.
Parents intending to drop their tots at the Starfish Nursery in Mancetter last Wednesday morning (February 28) arrived to find a bailiff's note attached to the entrance gate telling them the business was closed.
Now parents are counting the cost, as many claim they had already paid March's fees in advance while the 15 members of staff are believed not to have received their last month's wages.
"I was unable to go to work that day and haven't been able to since because I have no-one to care for the children," distraught mum Fleur Fernando told the Herald.
"Starfish is an excellent nursery and my two children were really settled there. If the nursery doesn't reopen I'm very concerned that I won't be able to find anywhere to take them together," said Mrs Fernando whose children are aged four and two and have attended the nursery for 18 months.
The nursery, housed in three modular buildings on land belonging to the Mancetter Memorial Trust, was opened in 2004 and provides places for 30 children five days a week.
It also includes SureStart provision for local youngsters.
It is understood that bailiffs were called in by Mancetter Memorial Trust, which owns the land and had a lease agreement with nursery owner Steve Rymell.
And it is believed that due legal processes were carried out enabling the bailiffs to take action.
Mr Rymell, who invested £180,000 in developing the nursery, told the Herald that closing the nursery was 'entirely unnecessary' and he was hopeful that a resolution could be reached soon.
"I want to see the nursery doors open as soon as possible so that my staff have their jobs and the parents and their children can be happy," Mr Rymell said.
Trustee Rev Adrian Mairs said he was unable to comment, but hoped to attend a public meeting called by parents, at Mancetter Memorial Hall in Old Farm Road this evening (Thursday) at 6.30pm.
Warwickshire County Council sent a five-man team to support and advise parents and staff after the nursery closed.
Norma Smeaton, Head of Early Years and Childcare said: "Although we do not have any responsibility for running the nursery we were concerned at the sudden loss of provision in the village and the impact this would have on local families."
Free advice is available by calling the Children's Information Service on 0845 090 8044.
Tamworth herald.co.uk
