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• Maryvale Nursery

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Shevingtons Lane, Kirkby

Maryvale Nursery opened in 1983 and serves the families of the local community, currently caring for over 30 children. The nursery is situated within a converted barn, and the children have access to outdoor play areas within the grounds.

The Nursery, like all others, is required by OfSted to be smoke-free to protect the children from secondhand smoke. However, following a discussion with Knowsley MBC’s Smoke-Free Business Support Team, the management felt that the awareness of the risks of secondhand smoke was not getting out into the community, and that children may be exposed to secondhand smoke outside the nursery and in the home.

In September 2005, The manager decided to implement a no-smoking policy which covered the whole grounds, and apply for the National Clean Air Award to certify the nursery as being smoke-free. They received the Gold award – the highest level available under the scheme for taking the extra steps to protect the children as well as their own staff.

The reasons for the implementation of the new policy were communicated to parents to highlight the problem of secondhand smoke, and the achievement of the National Clean Air Award was documented in local papers. The Certificate was presented to the nursery by Cllr O’Hare, portfolio councillor for the Department of Corporate Resources at that time.

Les Briscoe, Nursery manager, said: “Working with the nurseries in this way will raise awareness among all parents about what their children breathe in and to encourage smokers to think about where they smoke.

“…All parents deserve to know about these risks because they have the right to protect their own children from it.”