Category: West Pilton

North Edinburgh Childcare will close THIS FRIDAY, making staff and sessional workers redundant and causing a huge problem for scores of local parents.

The sudden closure is dreadful news for the North Edinburgh community. NEC was seen as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the Pilton Partnership activities in the 1990s, when local activists saw their dream of an affordable local childcare facility become a reality at last. Today, it seems that dream is over.

NEC staff member Astrid Hederson wrote on Facebook:

Dear Families of North Edinburgh

‘As many of you will now be aware, North Edinburgh Childcare will be closed suddenly this Friday . As a member of staff, it saddens me deeply that our journey has ended this way.

‘We were kept in the dark — under the pretence that surveys were being taken to improve the company, while behind closed doors decisions were being made that affected all of us. They didn’t reach out to parents, carers, or the community — and they didn’t reach out to the staff who are here from 7am till 6pm, Monday to Friday.

‘Our General Manager has been off sick and effectively disappeared — and while we respect that people need time away, what we needed most was a leader.

‘We needed someone to stand with us, someone to fight for us, someone to help us navigate what was happening. Instead, we were left without guidance, without answers, and completely unprepared for what was coming.

‘It feels like we were abandoned — and we believe there was so much more that could have been done to save our service.

‘We have stuck by this community through the tragedies, the hard times, through COVID, and through some really wonderful, good times too. We want to stay. We want to fight. But we can’t do it alone. We need our parents, our carers, and our community to back us up — just as we have always backed you.

‘This workplace isn’t just a job to me — the people there are my world. I’ve been through so much with some of them. This is the family I don’t want to lose.

‘As staff, we weren’t given the opportunity to fight — not just for our jobs, but to fight to stay and serve the children we love, the families we care about, and the community we are part of.

‘We weren’t given the chance to say goodbye to the children we love, serve, and protect. We don’t get to say goodbye to the parents and carers we’ve grown so close to — the ones we’ve walked alongside, watched their children grow, shared joys and worries and dreams with.

This post is not to ask for money. It’s simply to speak the truth — because the truth deserves to be heard. I don’t know how far this will reach, but our children still need us. The parents still need us. We deserved better than to be left in the dark.

‘If this matters to you — please reach out. Speak to your MP, your councillors, anyone who will listen. Stand with us, just as we’ve always stood with you.

North Edinburgh Childcare’s website states:

North Edinburgh Childcare first opened its doors to children in the spring of 1997.

The organisation developed in response to an identified need for high quality, childcare in North Edinburgh that would enable local parents and carers to access opportunities for work, training or education. ​

​A group of local residents campaigned over a 6 year period for the creation of a custom built (state of the art) childcare facility. In the Spring of 1997, the dream became a reality.​

​Since opening the organisation has gone from strength to strength and grown into the multi stranded operation that it is today. Our early learning and childcare services currently consist of a nursery service which takes place within the organisation’s purpose built centre and an out of school care service which is delivered from various locations across North Edinburgh.​

​Continuous feedback from the Care Inspectorate ensures that we never stop adapting and striving to always reach the highest of standards and our unwavering focus is with the ongoing development of our child-centred approach.​

​North Edinburgh Childcare strives to be the provider of choice through the delivery of services that are of the highest quality. As a forward looking organisation we actively embrace equal opportunities and social inclusion in the creation of learning environments that enable people to confidently reach out for the future.

In a statement released this afternoon, North Edinburgh Childcare said: “It is with enormous sadness that North Edinburgh Childcare announces that the organisation is facing insolvency and is closing on Friday 30 October 2026. For the avoidance of doubt, we will be open as normal on Friday 30th but will be closed thereafter.

“The Board of Trustees has explored every possible option and scenario to keep the organisation open and financially viable. Sadly, despite our best efforts, a sustainable way forward cannot be identified and, having taken legal advice, the decision has been made to close forthwith.

“This is a devastating outcome for an organisation that has supported children, families and the local community for many years. Our thoughts are very much with the children and families who rely on our services, and with our dedicated staff who have worked so hard to support them.

“We continue to liaise with the City of Edinburgh Council to ensure that all available support is identified for families affected by the closure and for our staff during this very difficult time.”

SNP Education spokesperson Cllr Euan Hislop said: “North Edinburgh families deserve better than this.

“The closure of North Edinburgh Childcare’s nursery and out-of-school clubs from Monday 2 November will leave families across Davidson’s Mains, Ferryhill, Forthview, Pirniehall/St David’s, Trinity (FortELC) and Juniper Green facing huge disruption, with no alternative provision in place.

“This crisis was foreseeable. As SNP Education Spokesperson, I repeatedly warned that withdrawing funding from established childcare providers put services at risk. SNP colleagues called for the cuts to be halted and alternatives found, but our warnings were ignored.

“Labour and the Liberal Democrats must answer for the decisions that brought us here.

“I will be tabling an emergency motion at Thursday’s council meeting demanding answers and calling for emergency assistance for families who have no alternative childcare.

“If your family is affected, please get in touch. We need urgent action, not excuses after the damage has been done.”