A new purpose-built 100 place nursery and pre-school has opened in Warwick following a £900,000 investment by The Midcounties Co-operative.

The opening of the brand new Your Co-op Little Pioneers Warwick Gates nursery – located on Lower Heathcote, on Vickers Way Road – was marked with a cutting of the ribbon ceremony, attended by representatives including Cllr Parminder Singh Birdi (Mayor of Warwick), Phil Ponsonby (group CEO for The Midcounties Co-operative), Sally Bonnar (COO for the Childcare Group at Midcounties), and Leanne Potts (nursery manager).

The £900,000 investment will fund interactive tables, a growing garden, CCTV, air con, and a state of the art kitchen to cook all meals and snacks fresh on site every day.

 The nursery, the second Midcounties Co-operative owned nursery in the area, provides a holistic child-centred approach to education and development with a focus on preparing children to fulfil their potential alongside helping them understand the impact they can have on their communities and the planet.

 All 47 of the existing Your Co-op Little Pioneers nurseries hold Eco-Schools Silver status as a minimum, which recognises their efforts to empower children to understand and take responsibility of their environmental impact, with the nursery team at Warwick Gates excited to secure this accolade quickly.

 Warwick Gates has been designed with a children at the centre, meaning each room is tailored specifically for each age group from low level access to stimulating resources that support their learning and development in a fun and inspiring way.

 The nursery offers a large garden for outdoor play with a special growing area that enables children to understand where food comes from, growing their own so that the on-site chef can get involved in helping them try new foods.

A designated parents' room is accessible to families when the nursery is open, between 7.30am and 6.30pm, with free WiFi and coffee on tap for work or relaxing alongside on-site parking including electric charging points.

Nursery fees are all inclusive for parents and cover all nappies, wipes, and nutritious snacks, plus meals throughout the day.

Leanne Potts, nursery manager at Warwick Gates said: "We are so proud of our new nursery in Warwick. The children are settling in really well and enjoying their amazing new indoor and outdoor spaces.

"Demand has been really high, helped by our reputation at our Leamington nursery, and I am excited for the team to support all our new children to achieve great things.

"Our nursery team has been carefully selected and trained so children and their families will quickly feel like part of the family with parent priorities and children's happiness front of mind. We're looking forward to welcoming all of our little pioneers as they begin or continue their education and development journey.

Sally Bonnar, chief operating officer for the Childcare Group at The Midcounties Co-operative said: "This Your Co-op Little Pioneers nursery opening forms part of our ambitious five-year growth plan that will see us bring our Little Pioneers brand to so many more communities across the country.

"Our investment is significant, but the value of quality childcare has really proven its worth over the past two years and we're committed to ensuring the childcare we provide is nurturing and supports all our children in becoming kind, caring members of their communities."

Your Co-op Little Pioneers is owned by The Midcounties Co-operative, one of the UK's largest independent co-operatives.

For more information about becoming a member of The Midcounties Co-operative, visit the website.

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