Parents with children that attended XL Childcare in Little Hulton were furious after the nursery closed without notice.
It was revealed to staff members on Friday that they: “Would not be returning to work on Monday and to collect their belongings” by owner Lynda Crowther.
Company Director as registered with Companies House, 55-year-old Lynda Bernadette Crowther, told staff they were to attend an emergency staff meeting. Employees were then told to collect their belongings and that “the business was in debt” and would be closing.
Cheryl Van Dieman, 23, who was a nursery nurse at XL, told SalfordOnline.com:
“She (Lynda) basically came in crying and said, ‘I’m sorry girls I’m going to have to close the nursery as from today, as I’m in debt and owe thousands and thousands of pounds, I’ve tried getting help and other stuff but HM Revenues are on me, so I’m going to have to ask you to take all of your belongings and empty yours lockers and go’.”
Cheryl who has worked at XL Childcare since April 2011 said, “This situation has affected about 17 staff and 50 children.”
“Also we have all worked a full week, and not been paid for it.”
“She gave us no warning at all, there have been times in the past where XL have been short on money so they sent a few staff home early, but no notification that things were this bad.”
XL Childcare Companies House
Staff members proceeded to ask for parent’s phone numbers so that they could inform them before Monday morning. Apparently this was refused by Miss Crowther.
The children’s work and folders are still inside the nursery and many parents are keen to retrieve them.
The nursery’s website says, ‘XL Childcare was founded in 1997 at Walkden Methodist Church to provide primarily after-school and holiday care. This service was called Schools Out.’
‘In September 1997 with the full support of what was then the Salford Registration and Inspection Unit (now Ofsted) they opened a playgroup called Little Munchkins.’
‘In January 1999, Ofsted, registered them as a full day care facility.’
XL Childcare’s website went on to say, ‘From August 2006 both Schools Out and Little Munchkins were known collectively as XL Childcare.’
XL Childcare’s website is still operational with no notices for parents explaining the situation. However the nursery’s Facebook page has been deleted.
SalfordOnline.com ran a check with Companies House and we revealed that ‘Little Munchkins Ltd’ was struck off from Companies House register in March 2010, one year before the company dissolved, the registered office was changed to Horwich, Bolton.
Little Munchkins Dissolved
This was also the registered office for XL Childcare Ltd until January 2013 when 55-year-old Crowther again changed the address.
A subsequent search on website CompanyCheck suggests that XL has been in trouble for a number of years, with no profit whatsoever since 2010, owing over £82,000 to creditors.
The companies finances were in trouble Credit: CompanyCheck
Another concerned parent, 22-year-old Lisa Cawte told SalfordOnline.com: “I am majorly gutted, all the staff are amazing and brilliant at their jobs.”
“It’s disgusting how the staff are now out of a job because she can’t be upfront and tell them in advance.”
“I’ve never heard a bad word about XL until tonight, had I not come on Facebook I wouldn’t have even known about it.”
She went on to say, “She needs to grow a backbone and communicate. You can’t have business and not communicate with people.”
“I feel sorry for the parents who paid their fees upfront who have now lost all that money and need to find childcare on such short notice.”
Lisa’s two year old daughter had been going to XL Childcare since September 2014.
XL’s Customer Promise
Rebecca Wilkes’ two year old daughter had been attending for three weeks, the 20-year-old said, “I’m absolutely gutted and annoyed at the fact that she didn’t have the decency to to tell any of us that she was closing XL Childcare down.”
“I feel sorry for the staff and the bonds the children have with them.”
“My daughter loved going to that nursery and she was coming home with new words she had learnt on a daily basis.”
SalfordOnline.com have contacted management for comment.
We want to hear from you:
Have you been affected? Are you a staff member? Parent?
Are you a manager of another nursery and can help out affected parents and children?
Maybe you can offer positions within your nursery to affected staff members.
Email us: newsdesk@salfordonline.com
Or contact myself or Tom Rodgers on Facebook
