CHILDREN have become the focus of a regeneration programme on a Droitwich estate with the official opening of a new nursery.

Worcester MP Peter Luff was today due to cut the ribbon for the WANDS neighbourhood nursery on the Westlands, one of the poorest estates in the county.

As well as providing children with the best possible start to life, the nursery, in Farmers Way, will also offer parents the chance to start work or acquire qualifications without the worry of childcare costs.

WANDS is part of the Sure Start centre, which, among other things, provides facilities for parents to get to know other people and advice clinics.

The Westlands estate is one of the 30 per cent most deprived in the country and suffers from severe economic and social need.

"It will be a great honour to open this nursery, which I know will be warmly welcomed into the community at Westlands," said Mr Luff.

"There can be little of greater importance than ensuring every child gets a good start in life by spending time in a secure, warm and creative environment. This nursery will be hugely important for local people."

The nursery offers daycare five days a week and provides a home-from-home setting for children between six weeks old and school age.

"It is very exciting for Sure Start to have this joint project with the neighbourhood nursery, which enables us to offer the whole package of early education, childcare, health and family support to the Westlands community," said Karen Childlow, project manager at Westlands Sure Start.

The nursery is the first to be opened by the Pre-School Learning Alliance in Worcestershire.

It has been opened as part of the Alliance's campaign, Changing Lives, Changing Life.

This seeks to obtain a childcare or nursery place for everyone who needs one and calls for the involvement and full consultation of parents in their child's education.

"The neighbourhood nursery has only been open for a short while but already the feedback I am receiving from parents is very positive," said Helen Guyer, nursery manager.

"The whole building is having a very uplifting effect on the Westlands community."