A children's nursery in Shipston-on-Stour has been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of its local community after its toys were stolen.
Greenfields Nursery, in Mayo Road, was left devasted after its outdoor storage was broken into and outdoor toys were taken.
Everything from scooters to ride-on tractors and cars were taken, and the storage facility itself was left damaged.
Parents have now joined together to replace the items, generously donating even more than was taken.
The community has also raised more than £1,000 for the nursery and the neighbouring rugby club which was also affected.
The nursery, owned by Lesley Tavener and Pam McGuinness, remained open for the children of keyworkers during the lockdown period.
It has now re-opened to all families following the easing of government restrictions and has filled most of its available spaces.
Lesley said: "Myself, Pam and everyone at the nursery were devastated when our outdoor storage was broken into, but we've been absolutely blown away by the whole community.
"Our parents have been especially fantastic, donating both used and brand-new toys, but we've also had donations from people we didn't even know, which is amazing. The money raised by people living across the area is also truly heart-warming. Shipston has a real community atmosphere, it's incredibly special and everyone has been so supportive - we really can't thank them enough."
Speaking about how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the nursery, Lesley added: "The lockdown has been challenging, but we just knew we needed to show our support to those keyworkers that needed us.
"We tried to keep everything as normal as possible for the children while implementing additional safety measures such as extra handwashing. We have also used the time to redecorate, and we have reconfigured certain areas to encourage social distancing with the children.
"We are now open, operating on reduced numbers, and have received some extremely positive feedback from our parents. Keyworkers have been very thankful that we remained open during the lockdown, and other parents are confident that we have effective strategies in place to ensure their children can safely return to the nursery.
"We're extremely pleased that despite the current situation most of our places are filled, and we are operating a waiting list for when we are able to increase class sizes further. We are hoping to be fully operational by September 1 this year."
Jo Barker, Stratford District councillor for Shipston South and Warwickshire County councillor for Shipston, visited the nursery to meet with some of the staff and children and take part in outdoor activities, including picking courgettes.
She said: "I am so proud of all of the staff at Greenfields for remaining open during the lockdown period for the children of keyworkers, they are a credit to their profession. It is incredibly sad to hear that the outdoor storage was broken into, but the nursery is such a big part of the community so it is no surprise that everyone has joined together, going above and beyond to offer their support.
"I'm delighted to see that Greenfields is now once again fully operational, and it is clear that all of the children are incredibly happy to be back."
Businesses are being now supported by Stratford District Council to promote the safe reopening of the High Streets in response to Covid-19 through the Government's Reopening High Streets Safely Fund which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
European Regional Development Fund
The project has received £116, 036 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.
The Department for Communities and Local Government is the Managing Authority for ERDF. Established by the European Union ERDF funds help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations. For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/european-growth-funding
