A NURSERY business fresh from winning a Queen’s Award has discussed childcare and the environment with a visiting MP.

Bournemouth West MP and government minister Conor Burns read the book The Colour Monster to children at Tops Day Nurseries in Herbert Avenue, Parkstone.

He pledged to support childcare providers, parents and children.

Mr Burns met Micah Faure, legal director of Tops Day Nurseries, to congratulate the business on winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in sustainable development.

Tops said the discussion covered:

  • Funding for early years provision and the effect it was having at a time of rising costs
  • The importance of apprenticeships
  • Means testing for the funding of early years places
  • Councils not applying rate relief to day nurseries
  • Immigration restrictions on potential employees
  • Pollution caused by single-use plastic
  • Air pollution; and
  • Dairy milk for early years children, which Tops argues is unsustainable.

Tops Day Nurseries founder and managing director Cheryl Hadland said: “I am delighted Conor Burns, MP visited our Tops Day Nursery in Herbert Avenue, Parkstone to celebrate our Queens Award for sustainability with us and take the opportunity to discuss issues we face as a sector.

“All the colleagues at Tops are contributors to the winning of this award and we all want a healthier environment and future for our children and grandchildren, with fewer diesel and petrol fumes, more attention to reducing waste and recycling and to reducing carbon footprints. Therefore, I look forward to working with our local MP to campaign for a more sustainable future for childcare providers, parents, and children.”

Conor Burns said: “I was delighted to visit Tops Day Nursery, and thoroughly enjoyed meeting the children and reading to them.

“It was great to learn of the work that led to them receiving a Queens Award for sustainability, which was thoroughly deserved.

“I also learnt about some of the challenges facing the wider early years sector and I will make sure their concerns are heard by my colleagues in government.”

Tops has 12 nurseries in Dorset and provides care and education for children from three months to school age, as well as running an after school and holiday club.