New Ark Play Association

About this day nursery

New Ark Play Association is an independent charity dedicated to providing a secure, nurturing, and adventurous environment where individuals can develop essential life skills. Their facilities include a traditional Adventure Playground, an Eco Centre, and a City Farm, catering to individuals, families, and groups.

They offer a diverse range of services for children, families, young people, and adults of all ages and abilities. New Ark also provides various volunteering opportunities, fostering social integration, facilitating corporate social responsibility projects, and offering enrichment activities for programmes like Duke of Edinburgh, Prince's Trust, and National Citizen Service.

Additionally, they provide work experience placements in animal care and childcare. Governed by a dedicated management committee of local volunteers, New Ark relies on grants and fundraising efforts to supplement income due to the absence of local authority funding.

They are registered with and inspected by Ofsted for their childcare and preschool services, employing professional play workers and childcare workers. The organisation strives to maintain low user charges, ensuring accessibility regardless of financial constraints.

Although officially named Newark Play Association, it is commonly known as New Ark.

What it's like

Children are confident, articulate and friendly, enjoying a wide range of activities at this unique provision, including animal care at the on-site farm and nature exploration at the eco-centre. They show confidence with new routines for safety, calmly leaving parents at the door to wash hands and choose activities, and demonstrating good self-regulation and risk management.

Pricing & funding