Telford day nursery celebrates 30th birthday
A day nursery centre in Telford has celebrated its 30th birthday, with members of staff still working there since the day it opened.
Halesfield Day Nursery Centre opened on January 28, 1989, and two members of staff are still helping out 30 years later, with another racking up 25 years.
As well as a party thrown for members of staff and the children at the nursery, the centre has also seen snakes, chameleons and meerkats as its newest entries through the door, as Priorslee's Exotic Zoo came to join the celebrations.
Working as part of the management team, Donna Smith and Sharon Dodd helped found the nursery when it first opened, with Melanie Moore joining five years later.
All three still work at the centre and helped put on refreshments, a selection of old photos, and organise the Exotic Zoo for past and present families to enjoy.
Fantastic
Helen Childs, nursery manager, said: "It's a fantastic achievement for not just the nursery as a whole, but of course our three members of staff who have managed to last this long.
"I think it really shows how much of a nice place this is to work – we've all become a family here and it's such a nice working environment.
"The children have absolutely loved the Exotic Zoo and at the end of the day that's what the nursery is all about.
"Scott who bought the zoo along was great and gave the children a chance to see snakes, millipedes, lizards and meerkats.
"The celebrations have been fantastic and it's lovely to see so many familiar yet old faces that we haven't seen for a number of years."
She added: "We really couldn't do it without the staff here, everyone that works here, whether it be for 30 years or 30 days, plays such a great part of our team.
"We're lucky to have a dedicated group of people to be able to put on so many activities and opportunities for all of our children."
