Bertram makes its Community Playthings Nursery Gym

Martin Huleatt of Community Playthings explains what happened:

'When Julie Campbell, operations manager of Bertram Nursery Group, attended the Nursery World awards night in September, she never dreamed that a visit to Santa’s workshop near Hastings would result.

'Bertram was voted “Nursery Chain of the Year” and also won Community Playthings’ £1,800 Knightsbridge Nursery Gym that had been donated to support the event charity, Save the Children. The surprise went further: the Nursery Gym was not simply to turn up at the nursery in a lorry; instead Bertram received two tickets to fly down to East Sussex from Scotland and help make it!

'Jodi Byars, nursery manager at the Bishopbriggs site, joined Julie and arrived ready to work on 7 November. After a tour of the workshop, they were introduced to Dave, the craftsman who would help them make it happen. A short lesson on using pneumatic screwdrivers was step one, and after graduating with honours they moved on to the real thing.

'Jodi said, “When I heard I was going to a factory, I thought it would be dark and dreary, but it was the exact opposite! Everybody was smiling. It was airy and bright –really lovely and calm.”

The lorry then delivered their Nursery Gym and within an hour the children were putting it through its paces – better yet, they know their manager helped make it for them.'