A FUND set up by Co-op Childcare, which operates the Tavistock Little Pioneers nursery, has provided over £40,000 worth of childcare support to key workers.District nurse Jessica Scott is among those benefiting from the scheme, which gives her little boy free care at the nursery while she is working.She said: 'As an NHS worker and a single parent I am heavily reliant on nursery for my little boy. 'I work as part of a team of district nurses who provide care and treatment to poorly patients in their own homes and our workload has massively increased due to the Covid-19 pandemic.'I'm so grateful that the Tavistock nursery has enabled me to continue to work in the fight against Covid-19 while knowing my little one is safe, well and happy. I cannot thank the staff enough for the love and care they have shown to him during this time of uncertainty and worry.'

Co-op Childcare, part of Co-op Midcounties, set up the Frontline Hero Support Fund in April with a £25,000 donation and received over 300 contributions from Co-op Midcounties members and the general public. All the money raised has been used to pay for childcare support for critical key workers who opted in to the scheme, resulting in around 170 parents having 50% of their nursery costs in May paid through the fund.

At the beginning of the lockdown period, Co-op Childcare paused fees for parents who were unable to send their children to its nurseries. Instead the business asked them and other members to consider making a donation to help key workers who may have needed additional childcare support in order to continue providing critical frontline services to their communities. Following a large number of enquiries, the fund was subsequently opened to the general public, resulting in over 200 donations.

Co-op Midcounties has kept a third of its nurseries fully operational and open for business during the coronavirus lockdown, focusing on those sites closest to hospitals in order to ensure NHS and critical workers have easy and local access to childcare where needed.