A landmark building on Bristol’s Whiteladies Road is to be converted into one of the city’s best equipped day nurseries.
Work is about to begin at the former Bristol Auction Rooms building on the corner of Whiteladies Road and Apsley Road which is being converted by Bristol-based Mama Bear’s Day Nursery to provide an 80-place nursery for children aged three-months to five years.
The Grade II listed building, formerly the church of St John with St Anslem, is located next to the River Cottage Canteen in the converted St John’s Court Hall which was opened earlier this year by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall,
The opening of the day nursery is a further boost to that part of Whiteladies Road bringing back into use a closed-down building and creating up to 40 new jobs once the nursery is fully occupied.
The interior of the building, which was open plan to allow the storage of large items for auction, will be divided into separate rooms where babies, toddlers and pre-school children can spend the day having fun and learning.
An outdoor play area is being created and a drop-off zone for parents is being constructed off Apsley Road. It will be the second Mama Bear’s Day Nursery in the Clifton area – both in impressive 19th century buildings.
Building work is expected to be completed next January when the nursery will open its doors to its first children.
Claire Godfrey of Mama Bear’s Day Nursery said: “We are so excited to be opening a new nursery on Whiteladies Road. It is in a convenient location for working parents and the building itself is perfect for the kind of home-from-home environment we aim to create.
“During the summer while the building is being converted we will be taking registrations for the new nursery. Families will soon be able to take a look inside and see for themselves the layout of the brand new nursery. Recruitment of staff will also begin over the next few months with the aim of opening in January 2014.
“Mama Bear’s has gained a reputation in the South West for offering the highest quality, affordable care and has been awarded an Outstanding grade by OFSTED every year since 2009.”
Mama Bear’s Day Nursery is a family-run business founded in 2002 with its offices in Hanham, Bristol. The Day Nurseries are aimed at providing children with their first vital level of education to give them a head-start when they start at primary school.
