Bank managers do good deed at nursery

3:53pm Monday 18th August 2008

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YOUNGSTERS and staff at Much Marcle Nursery school have discovered how many bank managers it takes to paint a log cabin.

The nursery recently received a £1,000 grant from Barclays Bank towards the cost of a building make-over.

But with the cost of enough waterproof paint running at £600, Barclays decided to send in a team of fifteen bank managers to do all the painting for free.

More than that, the managers built a pirate-ship sand pit, plus a timber-framed vegetable planters, so that the youngsters, aged from three to five, will be able to grow some of their own healthy lunchtime treats.

The squad also gave a lick of blue paint to the nursery’s timber Wendy house.

Darren Farnell, the leader of the Barclays team, has several good reasons for wanting to break out the paint brushes.

He lives in Much Marcle and his own daughter, Amelia, is a regular at the nursery.

Mr Farnell, Barclay’s regional performance director said: “The £1,000 grant from us is a way of putting something back into the community that our bank serves. The grants go to good causes, and this is one.”

He added: “We are all doing this as volunteers, so no huge labour costs are incurred for the work. The labour costs would be huge.

“We are using this as a kind of team event, and all the members are working incredibly hard and enjoying it.”

With such a large team, the work was completed in one day.

Now the nursery’s log cabin, which was built around three years ago, is ready to face another series of winters.

Nursery manager Tracy Barrow said: “The grant from Barclays and the hard work of the team has left us with resources which we can use in other ways. It’s fantastic, and because of the planters the children will be able to plant their own vegetables for lunchtime.

“We did our bit by providing the team with coffee and scones.”

On the painting day, Friday August 15, Barclays announced further support.

Nursery youngsters recently carried out a sponsored walk around the grounds and raised £480 for nursery funds.

Now Barclays has agreed to match this funding, penny for penny.