Nursery stunned as nearly 200 join seaside trip

A nursery which had hoped to be able to take one coachload of families on a recent seaside trip ended up organising four, after an unexpectedly huge response from parents and relatives.

Little Adventures Nursery, in Washwood Heath, Birmingham, saw almost 200 people sign up for the trip to Weston-super-Mare, near Bristol, this summer, with many children and family members visiting the beach for the first time.

Manager Karen Gordon said the response from families had exceeded every expectation they had.

"To see four coaches leaving together with so many excited children and their families, was incredibly special," she added.

When they arrived at their destination, the nursery children paddled in the sea, built sandcastles, played games on the beach and enjoyed all the trappings of a traditional British seaside day, staff said.

Gordon said there was something else which made it extra special.

"What made the day even more memorable was seeing grandparents, mums, dads and brothers and sisters all sharing the experience together," she said.

"For many of our children it was their first visit to the seaside and seeing their excitement when they reached the beach was something none of us will forget.

"We've received so many lovely messages from parents afterwards thanking us for organising the trip and telling us how much it meant to them. It really showed what can happen when a community comes together."

The trip was made possible largely through the Department for Education's early years pupil premium funding.

The cash aims to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and their families.

The nursery is part of the Family Adventures Group and co-founder Laura Filer said the day out demonstrated the importance of making family experiences available to everyone.

"This wasn't simply a day at the beach," she said.

"It was about giving families the chance to spend uninterrupted time together, explore somewhere new and enjoy experiences that many of us take for granted."

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