Conor Burns has met with local childcare provider Tops Day Nurseries at the nursery in Herbert Avenue, Parkstone and pledged his commitment to support local childcare providers, parents and children

Conor Burns, MP joined Micah Faure, legal director of Tops Day Nurseries to congratulate Tops on winning a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development and took the opportunity to spend time with the children and read stories on Friday 20^th April 2022.

The Queen’s Award was given to Tops because it has provided inspiration and is genuinely driving change in its sector. 

Micah and Conor discussed:

• Tops Day Nurseries Queens Award for Enterprise (Sustainable Development)
• Issues with the funding for early years provision and the effect this is having with increasing costs, due to inflation, utility bills, national insurance, and staffing wage increases and the wider impact this is having on retention of nursery teachers
• The importance of apprenticeships from starting to degree level for early years staff
• Immigration and requirements for opening up the workforce for skilled migrants
• Means testing for funding for early years places and funding to enable all children to attend for 30 hours
• The local authorities not applying for relief on business rates for day nurseries despite notice to do this from the Department for Education and other local authorities now doing this. Wales and Scotland already refunding business rates, schools have rates refunded
• The positive impact that Tops Day Nurseries has on children and their families lives in Bournemouth, good and outstanding teaching, healthy safe environments, 

Speaking after the official opening event, Cheryl Hadland said:

“I am delighted Conor Burns, MP visited our Tops Day Nursery in Herbert Avenue, Parkstone to celebrate our Queens Award for sustainability with us and take the opportunity to discuss issues we face as a sector.  

“All the colleagues at Tops are contributors to the winning of this award and we all want a healthier environment and future for our children and grandchildren, with fewer diesel and petrol fumes, more attention to reducing waste and recycling and to reducing carbon footprints. Therefore, I look forward to working with our local MP to campaign for a more sustainable future for childcare providers, parents, and children.”

Conor Burns commented:

“I was delighted to visit Tops Day Nursery, and thoroughly enjoyed meeting the children and reading to them.

It was great to learn of the work that led to them receiving a Queens Award for sustainability, which was thoroughly deserved.

I also learnt about some of the challenges facing the wider early years sector and I will make sure their concerns are heard by my colleagues in government.”