Dame Jackie Baillie MSP visited Busy Bees Lenzie nursery yesterday (Tuesday 8 April) to see how an early years nursery team is giving children the best start in life.
The nursery, which opened its doors in December, is led by a team with over 100 years of combined early years’ experience. This month, the nursery located on Stoneyetts Drive, successfully secured funding for children aged 3-5 years, supporting more families to gain access to high quality childcare in Lenzie.
During her visit, Ms Baillie was shown around the nursery by Centre Director, Nicole Smith and Busy Bees Scotland’s Managing Director, Yvonne Smillie. Throughout the tour, she spoke with the team about the positive impact that the early learning and childcare expansion programme has had on children and families.
It was also an opportunity for Ms Baillie to see how Busy Bees fosters professional learning and development for its educators who are participating in formal qualifications through Busy Bees Education and Training as well as engaging in continuous professional development in adherence to their SSSC membership and professional status.
The nursery in Lenzie boasts a dedicated workspace for colleagues to use for their work and study requirements, a space Dame Baillie praised while touring the nursery. During her time in nursery, Dame Baillie also spent time with the children, taking part in activities and joining them as they prepared for lunch. The meals are cooked daily on-site by the nursery chef, providing nutritious and NHS-accredited meals for children.
Jackie Baillie MSP said: “It was a pleasure to visit Busy Bees Lenzie and gain insight into the incredible work they are doing. Lenzie holds a special place in my heart, as I spent many years here with my family. It’s wonderful to see the team’s unwavering commitment to providing every child with the opportunity to learn and play, and this new nursery really is a welcome addition to the community, creating new jobs both now that it is open, but also while being built by a local contractor and his team. This boost to the local economy is not to be underestimated and now more families can return to work, secure in the knowledge that their children and being educated and cared for within such wonderful facilities.
“High-quality early years education is crucial to children’s formative years and we can see the difference that Busy Bees is making to help shape young lives. I’d like to thank the team for taking the time to talk to me about how we can continue to support the childcare sector.”
Busy Bees Lenzie caters for 90 local babies, toddlers and pre-school children, offering them a home-from-home environment where they can thrive, learn and play, and are now proud to be able to offer funded places too.
Centre Director Nicole Smith who has been with Busy Bees for over a decade, said: “We were thrilled to welcome Dame Jackie Baillie to our new nursery and showcase how our highly trained team creates a supporting and nurturing environment for our children. We have been so warmly welcomed into the community and are thrilled to be working so closely with so many families already.”
From its 1983 beginnings in Staffordshire, Busy Bees has become a worldwide success story. The company now cares for over 70,000 children every day across 10 countries.
Yvonne Smillie, Managing Director for Busy Bees Scotland, added: “It was a privilege to welcome Ms Baillie and have an honest and productive discussion about the challenges the sector has faced, and how Busy Bees has shown resilience by continuing to deliver exceptional standards in the face of adversity. Our recent success in securing funding for 3- to 5-year-olds is a testament to our ongoing commitment to supporting even more families in need of quality childcare.”
To find out more about Busy Bees Lenzie, please call 0330 333 8133 or click here