Nursery celebrates 20th anniversary (From Swindon Advertiser)

Nursery celebrates 20th anniversary

7:20am Wednesday 15th February 2012 in Local By David Wiles

MAGIC, balloon modeling and a fancy-dress competition were all part of the 20th anniversary celebrations of a Swindon nursery yesterday Windmill Hill Day Nursery, on Windmill Hill Business Park, Whitehill Way, first opened its doors on February 14, 1992 and yesterday marked two decades of caring for children.

As well as the party, the day also saw the opening of a new outdoor covered classroom, complete with artificial grass, which allows children to go outside whatever the weather.

Deputy manager Laura Malyon, who started at the nursery as an 18-year-old apprentice 14 years ago, said the children enjoyed the celebrations.

“It has gone very successfully, they love having their parties,” she said. “We are all very proud of what has been achieved at Windmill Hill in the last 20 years.

“We have a range of outstanding facilities and equipment, designed to inspire and feed the imagination, and a staff team that is not only highly trained and experienced but committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for every child in their care.”

The day nursery has more than 100 children on its books and caters for youngsters aged from six weeks to five years.

VIPs at the birthday party included three-year-old Darcy Foot, who joined the nursery aged just six months, and 10-month-old Poppie Worthington, whose team leader mother, Lora, joined Windmill Hill as a trainee nursery practitioner.

The three were given the honour of cutting the special birthday cake, featuring a windmill, caterpillars, bumblebees, ladybirds and butterflies – representing the different age groups at the nursery.

The cake was made by administrator Lynne Burkitt.

There were fancy dress competitions with books as prizes. Other attractions included a magician, a balloon modeller, face-painting, and games.

Windmill Hill Day Nursery is part of the employee-owned company The Childbase Partnership, which has 41 day nurseries and a school in the South and was named Education Investor’s Nursery Group of the Year 2011.