NORTH WEALD: New nursery will let parents check up on kids via web cam

A FORMER leisure centre is to be converted into a children's nursery, creating 14 new jobs and catering for up to 100 children.

And parents using the new Barley Barn Day Nursery will be able to check up on their children via a secure webcam, helping them feel more involved in their day-to-day routines.

Owner Stacey Smith, 30, a mum herself, explained why she is investing in the technology.

"I certainly know that a lot of my friends have worried about how their child was settling at nursery and whether it was the right atmosphere for their kids."

In total, she plans to spend more than £100,000 converting the former North Weald Health and Leisure Club, which has been sitting idle for more than seven months, into a nursery.

Stacey and her partner Bradley will be renting the 3,500 square-foot premises from her father, Andrew Lloyd-Skinner, who also owns the golf club next to the Rayley Lane centre.

Stacey, of Walter Mead Close in Ongar, said: "The idea came about because I have a little boy who is two years old and, being an overprotective mum, I wasn't sure about leaving him with someone else."

Stacey, who currently works at her father's golf club, said she took her son to work with her for the first six months after he was born.

"I am in a position where I can understand people's anxieties. A lot of parents have to go to work and want to know their child is getting the same care at a nursery as they would if they were at home," she said.

Stacey has no background in childcare but will be employing a qualified manager to oversee the nursery.

"I will be there from the business and marketing side of things and to give support so the manager can concentrate on looking after the children," she said.

Stacey is looking to employ a number of staff with an NVQ Level 3 in childcare.

Barley Barn Day Nursery is expected to open on July 1 and will cater for children aged three months to five years.