New name, same Co-operative feeling! The move to Little Pioneers…

We’re changing the name of our nurseries from Co-operative Childcare to Little Pioneers. But why?

We’re proud to be a co-operative, so we’ve changed our name to reflect what we stand for as a co-operative business with values at the heart of the service we provide and the children we care for firmly in our minds.

So to take Co-operative Childcare into the world of all things Little Pioneers, we got a team of creative people to take inspiration from the co-operative values. Whilst the Co-op Childcare logo was designed in line with our other Midcounties businesses, we’ve always believed we had work to do on making it more appealing to the people we really want to please: our little ones. So our new look and name is all centred on the child, demonstrating diversity and fun with an adventurous theme.

However this change is more than a logo…the Little Pioneers are five characters, each of them representing values that we believe are important whatever your age; being given the opportunity to talk, listen, be open, be involved, be treated fairly and equally, co-operate, share and take care of the world in which we live.

Our values, Democracy, Openness, Equality, and Social Responsibility, are all things children can relate too – if we explain them to our little ones correctly, and that’s where the Little Pioneers come in…

Introducing the Little Pioneers!

Ping, who was born in the UK to Chinese parents, represents Openness and believes in the Chinese motto ‘Gung ho’, meaning ‘Work together’. Ebo, who has just moved from Ghana, represents social responsibility. From fair trade to recycling, he shares his values with other children. Alice stands for equality. She has a loving step-family and is great fun to play with. Charlie represents co-operation. At almost five, he’s one of the eldest, and he helps the younger children by encouraging them to share their toys and teaching them to count. Finally, Ella represents democracy and makes sure that everyone gets a chance to talk and has their say.

Why do they matter?

Whilst social responsibility may not be an easy concept to explain to a child, Ebo and his family’s background in fair trade means that our little ones are able to understand the impact of his actions. Each Little Pioneer even has their own story book that makes big words like ‘democracy’ easy to understand…really! Our Little Pioneers are at the heart of what our nurseries want to impart to children and parents – letting everyone have a say, celebrating differences, caring for the world around them and their local community.

If you pop in and visit us, you’ll see this lived out in each of our nurseries from the get-go, with parent councils, the opportunity to offer feedback and have your say, and the exciting projects our little ones can get involved in, like our work with Eco Schools England and providing intergenerational play.

So why change our name?

We want to represent the values that we are already so proud of, and really show off our Little Pioneers. Our new name demonstrates the Co-operative ethics and principles on which we operate, and what makes us that little bit different… plus we wanted a name that children could actually say!

Alongside this name change comes some exciting new developments for our parents also. We know just how important the early years of a child’s development are and we know just how precious your children are so it’s only right that our parents get a say in how our nurseries are run, and a say in the decision making too. Remember that democracy value we think is so important?

So we’re making a commitment to really listen and take action, after all – as a Co-operative member – our nursery is owned by you. Keep an eye out for some exciting developments in the near future.

So join us on this new adventure as a member, and parent, of Little Pioneers. Not part of the family yet? Find your local nursery and start your journey today.