Nursery children will be making the most of unwanted wooden pallets and old truck tyres donated by a Wrexham distribution firm.
Firstly, the McCarthy Distribution, based on Wrexham Industrial Estate, delivered the items to Homestead Nursery. They will be used to construct treehouses, adventure trails and also work stations.
The new partnership started after Homestead Nursery co-owner Kim Sankey-Jones met Mike McCarthy. The McCarthy Distribution Managing Director, and also his wife Louise, Marketing Manager, through a mutual friend. She told them about her Reggio-inspired nursery which focuses on outdoor learning. Using natural materials and reused items during playtime to encourage children’s innate curiosity and imagination.
Kim’s Impressive Passion
Louise went along to the nursery to see for herself how their donations would fit in. She said; ‘Mike and I were very impressed with the passion Kim has for her nursery, It’s an exciting new partnership for us and we are delighted to contribute to the children’s enjoyment. This is a novel way for us to look at how we find ways of reusing things we have at our warehouse, it will stop some of them from ending up in landfill.
A Welcoming Feel
‘The nursery has such a homely and welcoming feel, it’s bursting with all sorts of creativity and the children all look so happy and engaged. It’s also a wonderful environment with an amazing array of natural materials available.’
Kim said: ‘We are always on the look-out for all sorts of different things, such as; printed material, unbroken tiles, bottle tops, candles, also old jewellery or larger items like the pallets. We are open to suggestion and welcome any businesses to talk to us about items they would like to find a new home for’.
Kim, a former nurse, midwife and healthcare visitor, opened her business on Old Wrexham Road almost two years ago, with co-founder Rachel Lloyd, a former early-years teacher.
The pair, have been friends since their daughters started a local playgroup together. They became so frustrated in their previous jobs being unable to put their research-based beliefs about pre-school care and learning into practice. Their motto being ‘Give your child the best day every day.’
The Reggio Approach
It follows the principles of the internationally-admired Reggio approach for early-years education. Reggio views young children as individuals curious about their world and the potential to learn from all that surrounds them.
Rachel added: ‘At Homestead, we have very few plastic toys, we prefer to focus on natural products. It’s all about encouraging the children to be independent and explore the world for themselves. It’s lovely to watch how inventive and creative they are.
If you want to donate your unwanted items or stock to Homestead Nursery, call 01978 853 946 or email enquiries@homesteadgresford.com.
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