Pine Pixies pre-school is under new management as Cath Regan leaves after 17 years

Pine Pixies pre school which is at St Luke's Parish Hall on Kirklake Road is now under new mangement as their previous owner leaves after running the nursey for the last 17 years.

When Cath took over Elbow Lane Pre-School in 2001 it was a well established facility that had been running for approx 30 years and was well known throughout the village. Cath was running the creche at Tone Zone gym at the time and the parents whose children attended Elbow Lane were desperate to save their pre-school, which was in danger of closing.

Cath said: "St Luke’s playgroup owner approached me a year later to buy her playgroup at Kirklake Road. I registered it with OFSTED and put in place the free funding and so another pre-school was initiated. We needed a name for both combined facilities so ‘Pine Pixies Pre-Schools’ was born. Our logo came from a staff member and friend who attended a creative course for our setting, we loved it so much, it was kept as the logo".

Cath has built up an exceptional reputation for the name of Pine Pixies Pre-School over the seventeen years it was open. Pine Pixies used to annually run the pre-school area in the ‘All Churches Together’ fun day at Duke St Park every August, they also had fun attending the Victorian Day in Formby"

Pine Pixies OFSTED reports always showed a positive, happy and safe environment for the children who attended and they had good ratings from them. Feedback from parents has always been positive and parents have returned time again with other siblings.

Pine Pixies filled an essential gap within the local community, as they found they were needed not just for the children but for the parents too. Pre-school has always been looked on as a different ethos to a full day nursery or a parent/toddler playgroup. It is a gentle stepping stone to either full time school nursery or reception not just for the children but parents too, as they begin to ‘let go’ of their toddler for perhaps the first time.

Cath went on to say:"I have loved ‘every single minute’ of setting up and running this successful pre-school business for the last seventeen years and will miss the staff and setting dreadfully. Due to ongoing health problems since April I had to bow out, but I believe it will continue to grow from strength to strength as Footprints@Pinetots with the new owners First Steps Enterprises".

"Many staff have come and gone, but two have been with us for fifteen years, Lynda and Kay. Sue nine years and Martine for eight and a half years. Lynda and Martine (below) joint managers of Pine Pixies are two of the best people I have had the pleasure of working with. Their professionalism is second to none and the working relationship the three of us had was fantastic. They are continuing at the nursery and I must also congratulate Alesha in her new role as Deputy".

"A big thank you goes out for the lovely leaving gifts from colleagues and friends, also to the lovely card from the children. Our family will miss you all".

First Steps Enterprises are running Footprints@Pinetots Pre-School from the same location, St Luke's parish Hall on Kirklake Road. For more information on the new pre-school you can visit their website: https://firststepsenterprise.co.uk/

Cath can be seen here with her great colleagues to finish her seventeen years with. Left to right; Lynda, Joanne, Sue, Kay, Zoe, Martine, myself and Alesha.

To read Cath's full story you can visit: https://cathregan.blogspot.com/2018/11/pine-pixies-pre-school-changes-hands.html?fbclid=IwAR0yxOuO75KTcZBU_PzgH0erjPDArEvlfe7Ow8pyUpkJzdBOjmJLcbezJH4