Little Oaks Nursery Acomb take on outdoor challenges to boost funds

They aim to collectively run, walk, cycle and kayak over 500km this year to raise thousands of pounds for Little Oaks Nursery in Acomb, which is a charity.

Nursery manager Catherine Fergus is doing 20 x 5km walks this month, starting and finishing in Orkney where her son lives, with walks in and around Acomb in between.

Meanwhile, trustee Louise Phillipson began her Team Little Oaks challenge with a 2.6km kayak paddle on Lake Bassenthwaite in Cumbria with her family. They will be traveling 25km on the water together this summer.

Trustee Louise Phillipson kayaking with her family.

Louise's children all attended Little Oaks and she said her family were supported through the autism diagnoses of both of her boys.

"We can never repay Catherine and her team for everything they did to support us - they truly earn their outstanding rating and reputation every single day," she said.

Three more trustees will be taking part in the Great North Run and Chair Amanda Wilson will be cycling 250km in September.

Little Oaks Nursery, which offers early years education for children aged 2-4, was rated as outstanding by Ofsted for the third time in a row earlier this year.

Trustee Sam Tranter said the nursery has gone "above and beyond" in the last few years.

"As trustees, we're so passionate about fundraising for the nursery because they don't just look after the child, they look after the whole family," she said. "They're so supportive of us all."

Sam added: "Every penny received helps maintain high value and high-quality education and experiences for every child at Little Oaks. The Little Oaks team are committed to making outstanding childcare as accessible as possible to the Acomb and wider Tynedale community.

"Additional funds will help with sensory resources, specialist training for staff and creative sessions."

To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/f/team-little-oaks