New nursery will celebrate a fresh start

EFFORD and Laira children enjoyed a day of fun which raised money for a new pre-school created in the aftermath of the Vanessa George case.

A group of parents said they organised the event, which raised almost £2,000, to bring the community together and create some fun for children to celebrate a fresh start.

Greenshoots, a new pre-school, is due to open in September after Little Teds Nursery was closed in June 2009 when nursery worker George was arrested for child abuse.

Based at Laira Green Primary School, the pre-school will be run by a board of trustees from a charity, The Laira Green Trust, which was formed earlier this year, parents said.

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The charity invited parents to set up a community forum to prepare for the opening of Greenshoots.

Janie Paxton-Yeo, a member of the Greenshoots Community Forum, said: "We wanted to create a special day for the children to make new beginnings after what happened at Little Teds Nursery.

"We want to put it all behind us and start afresh with Greenshoots. The fun day was organised by about 10 of us over three months and our main aim was to do something positive to bring the community back together."

The team of volunteers focused on making as many free activities as possible, such as face painting, a bouncy castle, games and competitions.

Children were entertained by Zigzag, a children's entertainer, hoopla and balloon modelling.

Parents said that raising £1,800 was a bonus and might go towards new play equipment for Greenshoots.

Head teacher at Laira Green primary school Daisy Bailey, a trustee on the Laira Green Trust, said: "This is just the start for Laira. We have wonderful children and a community committed to giving their children the best. With our popular DELL Children's Centre, our new pre-school and much loved primary school that is exactly what the children will have.

"I am so impressed with the dedication, drive and energy from our parents and look forward to supporting their future aims and vision for Laira. I would encourage all local business and community projects to jump on board and be ready to hold on tight. Laira is rocking!"

She added: "Bringing the local community together clearly demonstrates the progress and commitment being made to build trust between parents and carers after a difficult year."

Members of the forum said they'd had an active role in the direction of the new pre-school. They'd been to meetings where they were able to ask questions and give their opinion on prospective staff at Greenshoots. They also hoped to provide a valuable link between new parents and staff.

The forum sent out a huge thank you to all volunteers involved in the event.