Parents relieved after Willesden children’s nursery saved from closure

Council-run establishment will be taken over by Sai Children’s Centre

Parents are relieved a children’s nursery in Willesden will stay open after a campaign to save it.

Determined mums and dads have been fighting to save Treetops nursery, in Doyle Gardens, Willesden, since Brent Council announced it no longer wanted to run it.

However, this week the council selected Sai Children’s Centre to take it over from July 20.

Charlotte Sones, whose daughter Margot attends Treetops, said: “I am over the moon that our campaign has been a success and that the council has accepted a private bid on the nursery.

“While we would have loved the council to have continued running the facility itself, ultimately we have achieved what we set out to do, which is to keep Treetops open as a day nursery.

“A team of dedicated parents have worked very hard to achieve this and I hope it will prompt others in the same situation to take up the fight themselves.”

In February, the council agreed to defer the closure of the nursery at Treetops until July to minimise disruption to children and to give an independent provider the chance to come forward.

Parents were considering putting forward their own bid but at the last minute decided not to.

A nursery at Harmony Children’s Centre, in Bridge Road, Neasden, closed in March.

The council said it could not run the two nurseries anymore because of Government funding cuts.

Sue Gates, Brent’s head of early years, said: “We are delighted that Sai Children Centre is the new operator for Treetops and we have every confidence that this much-loved nursery will continue to thrive under their management.

“Over the coming months, Brent Council will work closely with Sai Children Centre to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible for all children, staff and parents at Treetops.”