The owners of Beyond The Walls outdoor nursery in Lancashire, Diane Calvert and Naomi Sugget, along with nursery manager Louise Caton, announced on their Facebook page at the end of last week that after 12 years in business the setting would be closing.
Understood to be the first outdoor nursery established in the North of England, the 15-place setting for two to four-year-olds was rated outstanding by Ofsted.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Calvert, Sugget and Caton say that they are ‘in the terrible position of being unable to fill enough places to make their small personal setting sustainable.’
And, ‘With the state of the economy, it seems that many families’ circumstances have changed.’
They go on to say, ‘We have tried out utmost to continue with this work that we love so much. We are devastated to be in this position as it has been our passion for all these years.’
The post has received over 80 comments of support from parents, many who have used the setting since it opened in 2011.
It comes after Ofsted figures revealed that in England there was a net loss of 400 nurseries and tens of thousands of places in one year.