Ashridge Nursery Relocated After Fire

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Following a devastating fire earlier this month, Ashridge Nursery has been temporarily relocated in Wokingham Borough Council’s Brambles Children’s Centre.

“We’re so pleased to have been able to step in and help accommodate the nursery temporarily. It was a terrible situation for everyone – especially for the children, parents and staff. The nursery has been at the heart of the Norreys community for so long and we wanted to help as much as we could,” said Cllr UllaKarin Clark, executive member for children’s services. “We knew the importance for the nursery to open quickly, and for it to remain locally.”

“We’ve always had a good relationship with the nursery, often working together, as they share the same site as the children’s centre. It made sense to be able to offer the nursery space there as many of the children are so familiar with the centre having attended since babies. This was important for a smooth transition during this difficult time.”

Ashridge Nursery

The council has been able to accommodate the nursery without too much disruption to the children’s centre. Some of the targeted work carried out by the centre has been relocated so planned sessions with families can run as intended. At the time of the fire, work was already underway to update the children’s centre timetable so the council was able to make some small tweaks to allow the nursery to move in, whilst maintaining services that many families rely on.

Cllr Clark added: “The community really rallied together to support the nursery, from online fundraising pages and toy donations to messages of support. I am glad we were able to support them too and I wish the nursery all the best in their temporary home.”

“We are delighted to be able to offer a temporary nursery setting to the children and families at Ashridge Nursery. We would particularly like to thank Wokingham Borough Council’s officers, who worked in partnership with our committee and staff to make the move happen within a week of the fire. We are very grateful for all of the support and donations from local families over the last few weeks. Ashridge Nursery has been a key part of the Norreys and Keephatch community for almost 40 years and we will be working hard to make sure there is a bright and exciting future ahead,” said Jenny McKellar, chair.