Holistic impact of funding for local nursery

Independent children’s day nursery, Playmates, in Wellingborough received £2,700 of grant funding from Groundwork Northamptonshire’s Grow Cook Eat initiative. 

Playmates Director, Lisa Bowyer, talks about the holistic impact the funding has had on the children, their families and the wider community. 

No access to green spaces at home  

At Playmates Children’s Day Nursery, we look after around 50 children, from babies to pre-schoolers, and we strive to create a family, home-from-home environment. 

We are proud to welcome children from all backgrounds within the local area around Wellingborough, and we understand that some of our children don’t have access to gardens and green spaces at home.  

When we heard about the possibility of grant funding from Groundwork Northamptonshire’s Grow Cook Eat initiative, we immediately thought this might be an exciting opportunity for us. We had a piece of un-used land at the front of the nursery, and we thought this could be the perfect place to create a garden for the children.  

Applying for the grant funding was simple 

The team at Groundwork were a pleasure to work with and could not have been more helpful. They are so passionate about what they do and are always full of amazing ideas and inspiration. 

Using our £2,700 funding, we purchased a greenhouse and several raised beds, installed hedges, trellis, some seating and some multi-textured stepping stones for the children to explore.  

We planted tomatoes, herbs, beans and edible flowers. In the greenhouse, we grew lots of flowers and plants that we used to green up the playground area of the nursery, as well as the children taking plants home to look after.  

We purchased books for the children on growing plants and vegetables, and also on insects, birds and wildlife that the children love to discover. 

The wider impact 

The children and staff alike are thrilled with the development of the new garden so far, and there is the added benefit that, when finished, it will also improve the environment for the local community, as we have turned a piece of un-loved land into something rather wonderful for all to see. 

We have also really embraced the wider learning impact for the children as a result of having the garden. We have run a family workshop on growing plants and sent the children home with plants including cress and sunflowers to tend. We are building a Bug house for all the mini-beasts that the children love to study in the garden, and soon we plan to build bird feeders to encourage more wildlife.  

And our ambitions do not stop there; we plan to plant potatoes that will harvest over the winter months, to continue the children’s involvement and learning throughout the year. We also plan to develop their knowledge and understanding of cooking – our recent blueberry muffins were most definitely a hit! And we plan to continue this by sending home simple recipes that they can create with their families.  

What’s next 

When we can, we would love to introduce some trees. Perhaps small varieties in pots, suitable for little ones to study up close. Trees are a wonderful way of learning about the seasons; from blossom and leaves in Spring, fruit in Summer and the beautiful colours of Autumn.   

We also have a building that would make a wonderful site for a nature-themed mural. The garden really has inspired us all to embrace nature and bring it to life for the children, in all its forms.  

Our Grow Cook Eat project – funded by Public Health Northamptonshire – includes a dedicated pot of funding for 2024-2025. That means we have grants of up to £3,000 for community groups and not for profit organisations in the north of the county. These grants are designed to help groups and people expand their cooking confidence and skills, tackle obesity, and are also about giving people access to green spaces and revitalising communities. 

Visit https://www.groundwork.org.uk/northamptonshire/grow-cook-eat-2024/ and scroll to the bottom of this web page for grant forms and details. 

Visit https://www.groundwork.org.uk/northamptonshire/grow-cook-eat-2024/ and scroll to the bottom of this web page for grant forms and details or email growcookeat@groundwork.org.uk