Mitie and Orbit worked together to refurbish the much-loved Little Daydreams Nursery in Erith, Kent, as part of its community investment programme. The refurbishment project that was completed in late 2017 to
completely overhaul an unused, dilapidated building into a fit-for-purpose, state-of-the-art, nursery. The building sits beneath the Orchard House tower block and local estate, where there is a direct need for childcare. The nursery is positioned right at the heart of the local community providing a central hub for children to grow and learn.
The Housing Association Charitable Trust (HACT), provides data analytics and insight across the housing sector. In their latest Community Insight profile for Orbit Housing, they found that statistics for the number of
children living in poverty, children in ‘out of work’ households, and children in lone parent households were all higher than the UK average. With 31.1% of children living in lone parent households, it is integral that
children have the opportunity to learn through playing with their peers and adults.
The previous nursery building had been unused for 8 years and had fallen into disrepair. Without a facelift, the building would have been an unsafe and unwelcoming environment for young families. The closest nursery is in an area that is inaccessible for pushchairs and involves crossing dangerous roads. The need for a safe place for children was immediate. At the same time, the remodeling would provide Orbit Housing with a source of financial revenue, providing funding to be invested in future community projects.
