A Garnock Valley childcare organisation has secured vital funding from North Ayrshire Council to help support its service. 

Beith Hive Childcare Ltd is a not for profit social enterprise wholly owned by Beith Trust and integral to their mission for community-led regeneration. 

The enterprise was established in 2022 by Beith Trust to address the Garnock Valley’s post-pandemic economic challenges.

They hope to mitigate the impact of childcare service closures and meet rising childcare demand and asked North Ayrshire Council for £41,000.

They had already secured funding of £30,000 over three years from the North Ayrshire Venture Trust and £12,000 for start-up costs and a director’s loan of £10,000 over two years from Beith Trust.

Following a series of discussions with the authority, Beith Primary School and negotiations with ChildsPlay – the existing service which was closing – Beith Trust took over four full-time staff members, and the attendee role of 52 children.

They established a registered childcare service operating primarily from Beith Primary School with a full year service. This provides flexible child care provision for parents in work, in education or children referred as in need of nurture or respite for vulnerable families.

This intervention ensured that local families retained childcare provision.

Since then, Beith Trust have invested time, energy and resource to design an enterprise, which provides the communities of the Garnock Valley with a quality, sustainable registered childcare option, which is a crucial part of a community’s social infrastructure. 

The service operates from 7am – 9am and 3pm – 6pm. 

There are 300 places available to book each week and parents have the flexibility to book regular slots and also ad-hoc slots via an app or the on-line website. 

Since May 2024, the service offer has increased to provide parents and carers with a full year service with school holiday provision. 

The group structure supports Beith Hive Childcare Ltd and Geilsland Enterprise as wholly owned subsidiaries of the parent charity, Beith Trust. 

To ensure the Beith Hives success and widen their reach across the Garnock Valley, organisers sought a contribution towards funding for a nine-seater electric vehicle and the installation of charging points at Geilsland Estate.

The cash will also cover costs to develop the EV service, both within Beith Hive and through partnerships with other organisations or services. 

Specifically, this staff role will ensure that Beith Hive operations align with environmental sustainability and social inclusiveness aims. 

The funding was agreed by North Ayrshire Cabinet on Tuesday.