A SALISBURY day nursery has thanked a city school for its donation of visor masks which will make staff feel "valued and appreciated".

St Joseph's Catholic School in Laverstock has been busy creating face shields and reaching out to the community for support, in order to supply PPE to anyone who needs it.

40 visors were made and delivered for colleagues at Tops Day Nurseries: Salisbury, based onsite at Salisbury District Hospital.

A number of early years settings across the UK have remained open throughout the coronavirus pandemic to ensure children of key workers can be cared for whilst their parents are at work.

However, the hospital-based nursery feels that childcare workers who put themselves at risk of contracting the virus are often "forgotten about".

Cheryl Hadland, Managing Director of Tops Day Nurseries said: "We are extremely grateful for the kind donation from St Joseph’s Catholic School. We would like to say a special thank you to the staff and volunteers who have been quite clearly going above and beyond to help key workers during this unprecedented time.

"We note that the government do not consider that the Early Years sector need any additional PPE equipment compared to the days before Covid-19, and it’s very difficult to source PPE without impacting on the NHS supplies plus the sector has serious financial difficulties so has not been able to pay to import anything themselves.

"However, we believe this donation will help nursery staff feel valued and appreciated and give them the option to protect themselves a little more, which is wonderful. So thank you to the school, and their suppliers. They have done a fantastic job to make such a large quantity of visors and masks. Tops Day Nurseries will do whatever we can to support the funding for this.

"At this time, it is important that we remain united and support each other in any way possible I am so proud of all of our colleagues across the Tops family and in fact all early years staff across the UK who are still going in to work each day wiping noses, giving cuddles, changing nappies and putting the children and families before themselves with no additional PPE.

"The Early Years sector is undervalued, but not by us, well done to you all."

Tops Day Nurseries care for children aged from three months – school age, plus over half of the settings offer a Hi5’s Club for primary school children.