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Leader Live
a day ago
- Business
- Leader Live
Childcare Show to return after success in Wrexham college
The first-ever Childcare Show took place at Coleg Cambria's £14 million Nant building at Yale, drawing attendees from across the childcare sector and beyond. The event was organised by childcare assessor Lauren Lawrence, a former nursery manager with more than a decade of experience. Ms Lawrence said: "The event was filled with an incredible atmosphere that truly inspired our students. "We took great joy in celebrating their achievements together. "This experience has instilled in us a genuine optimism for future Childcare Shows, and we look forward to deepening the partnerships we've established." The show also served as a platform to promote the college's facilities and courses, with more than 30 organisations and businesses in attendance, alongside up to 100 students, their families, charities, and industry stakeholders. Visitors included students from Level 2 and 3 cohorts of the Children's Care, Play and Learning qualification. Exhibitors and partners included the NHS, Forest School, Wrexham Family Information Service, quality assessors, and private nurseries. Ms Lawrence believes collaboration is key to making childcare a more appealing career choice for young people. READ MORE: Comb through the competition to nominate your best barbershop She said: "There are so many options out there, but traditionally this hasn't been seen as a viable long-term career, a perception we want to change. "We are already being asked to make this an annual celebration and after the success of our first event we definitely plan to do so." For more information on childcare programmes, visit the Coleg Cambria website.
Time Magazine
20-05-2025
- General
- Time Magazine
María José Iturralde
The destruction of the Amazon rainforest often perplexes outsiders, who might attribute it solely to corporate greed. But for many forest inhabitants, there are often 'literally no other alternatives to make money' but by clearing land for cash crops, says María José Iturralde, executive director of Fundación Pachaysana, an Ecuadorian nonprofit that partners with Indigenous communities to restore the rainforest. Iturralde is flipping that script. In 2019, Fundación Pachaysana launched its Humans for Abundance program, a radical intervention that involves paying locals to become stewards and restorers of their ancestral lands. Today, 12 families receive monthly paychecks to collectively revitalize 370 acres of what was once farmland and protect another 740 acres of pristine forest. For Iturralde, the mission is personal. Her grandfather, the former president of Ecuador, signed a resolution while he was in power that absolved Texaco, a U.S. oil company, from responsibility for dumping billions of gallons of toxic wastewater into the rainforest, contaminating an estimated two million acres. Iturralde says. 'I feel like my own grandfather is righting the wrongs through me.' Through the foundation, Iturralde, a former teacher, also operates the Forest School, which teaches local children Indigenous knowledge and promotes the ecological value of the Amazon, cultivating the next generation of restorers.
Leader Live
04-05-2025
- Health
- Leader Live
Coleg Cambria Wrexham to host inaugural childcare expo
The Childcare Show will take place on Wednesday, May 14, from 5.30pm to 8.30pm. The event will be held in the new £14 million Nant building at Yale, which is a health and wellbeing centre that features Iâl Spa, simulated hospital wards, and virtual reality environments. The event is being organised by childcare assessor Lauren Lawrence, a former nursery manager with more than 10 years of experience in the sector. The event will bring together more than 30 organisations and businesses with up to 100 students and their families, charities, and relevant stakeholders. Ms Lawrence said: "Ultimately, it will be an opportunity for the learners and staff to showcase the amazing work that takes place here and out in the community. "We wanted to celebrate that while promoting best practice and bringing childcare providers all under one roof at our cutting-edge Nant centre to engage and encourage the next generation of workers in this arena, because there is so much demand." Ms Lawrence added: "The providers see our learners in a workplace setting but not the amazing facilities we have here, so it will be fantastic to show them the building, the training, and demonstrate the academic side of our programmes." The event will see attendees from Levels 2 and 3 of the Children's Care, Play and Learning qualification. Organisations such as the NHS, Forest School, Wrexham Family Information Service, quality assessors, and private nurseries have also signed up to attend. Ms Lawrence said: "Childcare is an amazing and rewarding world to be in and can also act as a launchpad to many other areas due to the transferable skills, it is not just playing and looking after children, hence the need for these qualifications. "There are so many options out there, but traditionally this hasn't been seen as a viable long-term career, a perception we want to change, starting with this event." The childcare sector in Wales faces a high demand for qualified and trained practitioners, particularly for early education and childcare assistants and practitioners, due to government initiatives which have made provision more accessible. READ MORE: Variety of past moments from the Leader photo archives Ms Lawrence believes that by working together, they can make childcare a more attractive proposition for young people, given the jobs available within schools, day nurseries, the health service, play work and care settings, special needs units, the travel sector, and with private families who require nannies. She said: "We are already being asked to make this an annual celebration so watch this space!" For more information on the range of childcare programmes available at Coleg Cambria, visit their website. To attend the event and for more information, email
Business News Wales
02-05-2025
- Health
- Business News Wales
Inaugural 'Childcare Show' to Celebrate Industry and Meet Surge in Demand for Workers
The Childcare Show is to be held on Wednesday May 14 from 5.30pm-8.30pm in the new £14 million Nant building at Yale in Wrexham, a health and wellbeing Centre featuring the popular Iâl Spa, simulated hospital wards and virtual reality environments. Organised by Childcare Assessor Lauren Lawrence, a former nursery manager with more than 10 years' experience in the sector, the event is a first for the college, uniting more than 30 organisations and businesses with up to 100 students and their families, charities and relevant stakeholders. 'Ultimately it will be an opportunity for the learners and staff to showcase the amazing work that takes place here and out in the community,' said Lauren. 'We wanted to celebrate that while promoting best practice and bringing childcare providers all under one roof at our cutting-edge Nant centre to engage and encourage the next generation of workers in this arena, because there is so much demand. 'The providers see our learners in a workplace setting but not the amazing facilities we have here, so it will be fantastic to show them the building, the training, and demonstrate the academic side of our programmes. 'My vision is for there to be pockets of people gathering ideas and information, bilingual networking and groups sharing best practice, which due to the nature of the job and hours people operate – early morning until evening – they won't usually get a chance to do. 'From the interest we've had already it looks like being an incredible event, so we are excited to welcome people on the night.' Among those in attendance will be cohorts from Levels 2 and 3 of the Children's Care, Play and Learning qualification. Organisations including the NHS, Forest School, Wrexham Family Information Service, quality assessors and private nurseries have also signed up. In Wales, the childcare sector faces high demand for qualified and trained practitioners, particularly for early education and childcare assistants and practitioners, due to government initiatives which have made provision more accessible. Lauren says by working together they can make childcare a more attractive proposition for young people, given the jobs available within schools, day nurseries, the health service, play work and care settings, special needs units, the travel sector and with private families who require nannies. 'Childcare is an amazing and rewarding world to be in and can also act as a launchpad to many other areas due to the transferable skills, it is not just playing and looking after children, hence the need for these qualifications,' she said. 'There are so many options out there, but traditionally this hasn't been seen as a viable long-term career, a perception we want to change, starting with this event. 'We are already being asked to make this an annual celebration so watch this space.'
