Excited tots are loving new nursery

The £2.8million Forgewood Family Learning Centre was declared officially opened last week.

The early years facility in Motherwell is a large, busy nursery with children aged from birth to aged five attending.

The nursery has 24 staff, including the caretaker, catering and clerical staff.

The council’s deputy leader Paul Kelly was delighted to be at the official opening and said: “It was wonderful seeing how well everyone has settled into their fantastic new nursery.

“The children were happy and enjoying playing in the fantastic indoor and outdoor spaces.

It’s a clear example of the council’s commitment to giving our young people the best start in life.

“The centre is just one of several to have opened in communities across North Lanarkshire and they are making a big impact on children and families lives.

“These new facilities form a key part of our vision for the area.”

North Lanarkshire Council is successfully delivering t he expanded national entitlement of 1140 hours of funded childcare, along with private, voluntary, and independent nurseries and childminders across the area.

Louise Tiffney from Forgewood added: “Our children are so happy with their new learning environments and it is a joy to see them happily engaging in their creative play within it and in their wonderful outdoor space too.

“It’s a wonderful facility and I’ve had so many positive comments from the wider community – everyone is really proud of it.

“There is a wonderful sense of a collective team here and I believe that we can only go from strength to strength and look forward to lots of happy days of learning and growing.”

Work on the new Forgewood Family Learning Centre started in March last year, with children and staff moving into their new nursery in December.