Nursery Group first in UK to achieve Eco-Schools Green Flag at all settings
Tops Day Nurseries are the UK’s first family of early year’s education providers to be awarded the Eco-Schools Green Flag at all of its settings. Even Christmas has been celebrated with sustainability in mind, for example eco-Christmas crackers, recipes with less meat and dairy, and re-using wrapping paper for “pass the parcel”. Children can have fun, gain a great education, and look after the environment all at the same time.
The prestigious family of eco-sustainable nurseries have been working hard to become one of the UK’s leading sustainable Childcare Provider, using the challenges of Covid-19 to focus on something positive. Now all nurseries across Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Plymouth have achieved their Bronze Award, Silver Award and international Eco-Schools Green Flag. Funding for the Eco-Schools Green-Flag external assessment costs for all the nurseries has been donated by Frugi, the UK’s leading ethical and sustainable children’s clothing brand.
Lara Smrtnik, Head of Marketing at Frugi commented “A huge congratulations to Tops Day Nurseries on their Green Flag award, supported by Frugi, and for all their hard work in raising awareness about our environment. Benefiting children, communities, and our environment, the Green Flag award from Eco-Schools is part of our collective global effort to support the education of children on sustainable and environmental issues and to help them to change our world for the better.”
The Eco-Schools is a global programme engaging millions of children across 69 different countries, making it the largest eductional programme in the world. The programme provides a framework for learning and action around ten topics – biodiversity, energy, litter, global citizenship, healthy living, grounds, transport, waste, marine and water. It follows a very simple seven-step process to lead schools on their journey to achieving an Eco-Schools Green Flag. Children and staff have been able to focus on the areas that are most fascinating, and relevant to them in each nursery.
Cheryl Hadland, Managing Director of Tops Day Nurseries commented “Being the first “large chain” of nurseries in the UK to achieve Eco-Schools Green Flags across the board is the best Christmas gift I could have asked for! I believe the education of our children is the most effective way there is to provide a sustainable environment into the future; by instilling a passion in our colleagues and children to learn more about how everyone can made sustainable decisions each day.
‘I think given 2020 has brought on new challenges with Covid-19 with the almost intolerable stress that’s been put on colleagues in the early years sector. We have continued to be open, throughout the pandemic, adapting to all the challenges as and when they hit us. It’s a huge salute to staff resilience that they been able to focus on positive sustainability with the children, despite the negative news surrounding them.”
Tops Day Nurseries have also been shortlisted for Nursery World’s brand new award category for 2020, the ‘Eco-Friendly Early Years’ Award. The award showcases early years settings and services who are developing an eco-friendly approach in all aspects of their work, from management, resourcing and design, to educating young children about sustainable development.
