Streatham Youth and Community Trust Announces Closure of Sprig Ludens Outdoor Nursery

Streatham Youth and Community Trust (SYCT) regrets to announce the closure of Sprig Ludens outdoor nursery. The difficult decision to close the nursery was made due to a lack of the funding needed to maintain good quality provision for children, in line with the charity’s ethos.

Since its establishment in 2018, Sprig Ludens has provided high quality, affordable childcare with a strong focus on outdoor learning. However, the failure of central government funding for free childcare hours to cover the real costs involved has made it increasingly challenging for SYCT to sustain the nursery without incurring a significant deficit. This financial strain has inevitably had a detrimental impact on SYCT’s ability to deliver its core services of afterschool clubs, sports, and holiday provision.

Following the departure of the registered manager, SYCT also encountered difficulties in ensuring that its staffing meets the Ofsted requirements in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Despite the organisation’s best efforts, and amidst the current recruitment crisis in the early years childcare sector, the issue could not be resolved in a way that ensured the charity could maintain its very high standards of safety and care in its service provision. SYCT has therefore made the difficult decision to close the nursery with immediate effect.

Al Walmsley, Chair of the Board of Trustees at SYCT, expressed his regret at the closure, stating, “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of Sprig Ludens outdoor nursery. We understand the impact this decision will have on the families and children in our community. ‘We are heartbroken that we no longer have the resources to keep the nursery open.  But we cannot continue to provide a service if we are not satisfied that we can do so safely and to the high standards the community rightly expects of us.”

SYCT remains committed to serving the Streatham Vale Park community and will continue to provide high-quality afterschool, holiday, and sports provision in the park. Plans are underway to recruit a new manager to lead this effort, and SYCT is eager to engage with the community to co-produce services together. An open house event will be held on Friday, April 12, to initiate this dialogue.

For more information about Streatham Youth and Community Trust and its services, please visit https://syct.org.uk/.