Award for Wollaston nursery workers praised for going 'above and beyond' during lockdown

Staff at a Wollaston pre-school have been named as unsung heroes for their work to help the children in their community during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Busy Bees, based in the village hall in High Street, has been open throughout the pandemic and the hard-working employees were honoured in the 'Rose of Northamptonshire' awards.

The nomination was made by Karina Kelly, a committee member and parent of a former pupil, as a thank you to the staff for all the efforts during the pandemic.

In an online ceremony to recognise those who have worked tirelessly to help others, playleader Kelly Wright accepted the award from High Sheriff of Northamptonshire Paul Parsons, on behalf of her team.

She said: "We are exhausted but proud to have been nominated for the award. When every other education setting closed we've kept going.

"Busy Bees is special and we put the children at the heart of everything we do. We have tried to bring joy into the children's lives while everything is so different.

"It's all about the little people who come here. We make hand washing fun and we encourage them to talk about their feelings

"It was lovely to hear what Karina had said about us. As a village school we know everyone so well. We want to make a bit of normality for the children."

To keep in regular contact with the pupils, Busy Bees' team members- Claire Bull, Emma Tuthill, Nikki Shelton and Kelly Wright - have been producing videos of themselves performing familiar songs and reading favourite stories to provide continuity for pupils.

The team has also stayed in regular contact with parents through phone calls and email during the lockdowns and delivering resources to aid their transition to school.

Karina, who made the nomination, said: "The team at Busy Bees Pre-school have worked tirelessly during the lockdown period to ensure key worker and vulnerable children have been able to remain at the school. They joined forces with Wollaston & Strixton Pre-School to work together to ensure a Covid-safe environment for the eligible children across both settings.

"The ladies went above and beyond to keep things normal during extremely challenging times. They sent my daughter Isla who is six and is autistic the videos so we could see them singing songs and telling stories.

"They are absolutely brilliant - they don't realise how special they are and how they go above and beyond. They are really amazing."

The Rose of Northamptonshire awards scheme was designed by Northamptonshire County Council and its leader, as well as the formal institutions of the High Sheriff's office and Lord Lieutenancy, to recognise that many across the county have committed themselves to response and relief efforts since the beginning of the outbreak.

The awards seek to highlight those in every sector and locality of the county that have played a key role.

To nominate someone, visit the page here.