Nursery World - Rescue plan for nursery fails to move city council

A local authority workplace nursery threatened with closure was the focus of a protest in front of a full city council meeting. Around 40 parents packed the public gallery at the Leicester City Council cabinet meeting, while nursery staff, parents and the nursery's founder Val Jones proposed saving it by forming a co-operative to buy and commission services such as staff, cleaning and catering from the city council. They said they would offer members of the public places at the nursery, which would be non-profitmaking, but rely on fees.

Around 40 parents packed the public gallery at the Leicester City Council cabinet meeting, while nursery staff, parents and the nursery's founder Val Jones proposed saving it by forming a co-operative to buy and commission services such as staff, cleaning and catering from the city council. They said they would offer members of the public places at the nursery, which would be non-profitmaking, but rely on fees.

The Val Jones Centre in Leicester has been used exclusively by families working for the council since it opened 20 years ago. But the council decided that the 5,000 a month running costs of the 50-place nursery were too expensive to keep it open, and gave its staff and parents six weeks to come up with a business plan.

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