A DAY nursery chain across the South, with a site based in Newport, has been honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development.

Tops Day Nursery, based at the Isle of Wight College, is one of 226 organisations nationally to be recognised with a prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise.

Announced today (Thursday), Tops has been recognised for its excellence in Sustainable Development.

Cheryl Hadland, founder and managing director, said: “We are truly delighted and proud to achieve this award, despite suffering the crippling impact of covid, and even worse, the under-funding of early years provision in this country in recent years.

“We welcome this award to celebrate what we have achieved so far but, also to encourage us to continue our sustainability journey and to encourage more nurseries, parents, businesses, and schools to join us, in trying to safeguard our children’s future health and happiness.”

In its 56th year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the country, with winning businesses able to use the esteemed Queen’s Awards Emblem for the next five years.

Rated outstanding by Ofsted, the Newport nursery early education and care for children aged three months to school age.