A CELLAN nursery school reopened this week, eight months after being devastated by fire.

Staff at Meithrinfa y Dyfodol were able to welcome parents and children back onto their revamped premises on Monday after the privately-run facility was restored through insurance to the cost of £500,000.

Monday’s happy scenes were in stark contrast to the widespread despair evident last October when parents were forced to make alternative care arrangements in the wake of the early morning blaze.

At the time, nursery manager Dwynwen Davies, who has run the facility at the old village school since January 2007, said: “I lost everything I had in one single night.”

She received a further blow when moves to temporarily house the nursery at Cellan Millennium Hall were vetoed by education chiefs due to inspection regulations.

The nursery, which caters for up to 60 children per day, employs 12 members of staff including a full-time cook.

Ms Davies told the Cambrian News this week she was “ecstatic” to see the nursery back up and running having at one time feared it would never reopen.

“I honestly thought I would have to put my hands up and say enough is enough,” she said.

“There was massive damage. Not only from the fire but from the water used by the fire-fighters.

“We had 200 children on the books, so overnight the children had no childcare - it had a massive impact locally.

“If I hadn’t have had the support and love from the local community I wouldn’t have reopened. I was on the floor."

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