STAFF at a York day nursery are celebrating after taking home an unprecedented three awards in a national contest.

Little Green Rascals Organic Day Nursery triumphed against scores of other entrants in three categories of the National Day Nurseries Association’s Nursery Awards: Manager Of The Year, Healthy Nursery and Investing In Your People.

The awards were presented by TV star and maths legend Johnny Ball at a dinner at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester.

Nursery owner Vanessa Warn said she was ‘thrilled and delighted’ by the awards.

She said:“We could not have achieved them without our dedicated and inspirational team.

“This has given us confirmation that we are on the right track and we will continue with even more enthusiasm moving forward.”

Rebecca Casserly, who won manager of the year, impressed the expert judging panel with her ‘solution- based practice and upside down management’.

An association spokeswoman said: “Judges were also impressed with her vision, attitude towards nurturing staff and the way she is leading her nursery to continually improve.”

She said that as an organic day nursery, Little Green Rascals provided the ‘whole healthy package, with a focus on homegrown fruit and veg and jam-packed physical activity schedules’.

It also invested in its team, with members of staff regularly progressing from apprentice to leadership level, and regular holistic treatments are provided “to help them unwind”.

Association chief executive Purnima Tanuku said: “Congratulations to the team at Little Green Rascals Organic Day Nursery, who are truly a shining example of the great work happening in nurseries across the country. It’s thoroughly deserved and I am delighted for them.”

The association is the national charity representing children’s nurseries across the UK.