Wrexham Childcare Awards: Playworkers & Practitioners Celebrated at Prize Giving Ceremony

Childcare providers and playworkers across the county borough have been celebrated for their work at an annual ceremony.

The second Wrexham Childcare Awards – organised by the Wrexham Family Information Service (WFIS) – took place in a ceremony held at the Racecourse Stadium.

More than 100 people were in attendance, and 11 winners were crowned and many more were lauded for their contribution to childcare and support of the industry.

Introducing the awards, Dr Helen Paterson, Chief Executive of Wrexham County Borough Council, said: “We cannot overstate the many advantages to children who benefit from high quality childcare, both English and Welsh medium provision, and this is a message we need to keep communicating to families and those who may have misconceptions about the sector.

“We must make sure that all childcare in Wrexham is of the highest quality for our children and we work hard to provide a comprehensive training programme. We also encourage and support settings to work towards quality assurance.

“Tonight we are celebrating excellent and innovative practice – we had so many worthy nominations that it has been quite a challenge for the panel to decide on the winners and runners up.”

Among the successes on the evening were Acton Children’s and Family Centre who were awarded the accolade of ‘Playgroup of the Year’.

The event also saw Garden Village Playgroup, who were awarded two titles on the night – including the ‘Celebrating Excellence’ award and ‘Learner of the Year’ which was won by a tearful Lindsey Borrelli.

After winning the award, Jill Kenny, the Playgroup Supervisor who has been with the playgroup for 14 years, said: “To be recognised for all the effort my team and I put in on daily basis is a great honour. We are very proud of our playgroup; we are the longest running playgroup in the area, celebrating 50 years this year. We would like to thank all those who nominated us and for the continued support.”

Lindsey Borrelli, who is currently working towards her NVQ Level 2 at Garden Village Playgroup said: “Thank you so much everyone. I am very happy and overwhelmed. And thank you to all my special friends at Garden-Village Playgroup for all your support and a push in the right direction.”

Groundwork North Wales scooped up two awards for ‘Parents’ Choice’ and ‘Holiday Club of the Year’, while Rob Cooper from Rogues and Rascals was awarded ‘Childminder of the Year’.

Cllr Michael Williams, Lead Member for Children’s Services and Education, said: “Until these awards began, the efforts and hard work of many play workers and childcare providers went largely unnoticed, so it’s excellent that these awards are now in place.

“I congratulate all our winners on their awards – they’ve each clearly put in a lot of effort in the last year.”

A full list of all the winners can be found below.

Playgroup of the Year – Acton Children’s and Family Centre
Nursery of the Year – Homestead Day Nursery
Out of School Club of the Year – Bwlchgwyn Cabin Crew
Childminder of the Year – Rogues and Rascals – Rob Cooper
Holiday Club of the Year – Groundwork North Wales
Celebrating Excellence – Garden Village Playgroup
Children’s Choice – Acton Park Wraparound Care
Learner of the Year – Lindsey Borrelli
Inclusive Practice Award – Sprouts
Parents’ Choice – Groundwork North Wales
Second Language Acquisition – Maria Costa

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