Much-loved Caia Park nursery facing closure

A Wrexham-based charity has announced plans to scale back its role in providing childcare for working parents, with a proposal to close its much-loved Sparkles Day Nursery in Caia Park by the end of this summer.

Caia Park Partnership provides a range of family and community support services across Caia Park and the wider County Borough – ranging from childcare, to youth mentoring, youth work, parenting, community development, volunteering, tenancy support, older people’s day services, meals on wheels, and luncheon clubs.

It employs 71 people and manages seven community buildings in Caia Park.

But the impact of the pandemic and rising costs has led the charity to consider closing Sparkles Day Nursery by the summer.

Up to 20 jobs are at risk and the Partnership’s management team have started a formal 30-day consultation with staff to explore alternative options and to minimise compulsory redundancies.

Parents have been informed and invited to engage directly to help address their concerns.

The Partnership intends to retain its two smaller childcare settings near to Hafod Y Wern and Gwenfro primary schools, and to grow their provision of the Welsh Government’s Flying Start programme at those locations.

The Partnership’s Chair of Trustees Mrs Pat Williams explained: “Times are tough for everyone at the moment, and as a relatively small charity the Partnership has done well to come through the impacts of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis in one piece.

“However, over this period our costs have risen far quicker than our incomes, leading us to need to use some of our reserves to keep delivering all of our charitable services and facilities.

“Sparkles Nursery is the largest of our trading activities, and it has been loss-making for several years.

“We have tried to keep our prices down to maintain our aim of providing affordable childcare, but persistent levels of childcare fees debt and rising operating costs have led us to conclude that significant change is now needed to protect the charity.”

Chief Officer Gary Brown added: “Completely closing Sparkles and relocating our Flying Start provision to two smaller nurseries would mean that the Partnership would save around £130,000 in the year ahead.

“As well as talking with staff and parents we are engaging with partners including Wrexham Council and neighbouring day care nurseries to see how the changes can be managed between us.”

Wrexham’s Member of the Senedd, Lesley Griffiths said: “It was disappointing to hear the news about Sparkles, a nursery which I officially opened not long after first being elected as the MS.

“Caia Park Partnership plays crucial role within the community and I know this difficult decision will not have been taken lightly.

“I am pleased the Partnership plans to sustain and grow its childcare offering via alternative means and I will, of course, be happy to provide whatever help and support I can.”

Evening meetings with parents are scheduled for 7pm on both Wednesday 1 May and Thursday 9 May in the café area of the Hub building, which is opposite Sparkles on Prince Charles Road.