Newport Nursery, Isle of Wight – part of the Tops Day Nurseries family – is already a sustainability champion, having introduced many initiatives and policies in support of changing behaviour to protect the environment.

Now, it has decided to provide only vegetarian or vegan snacks and lunches to all staff members. This includes drinks and the milk provided for teas and coffees will be either oat or rice milk.

Farmed animals account for up to 50% of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions. Animals produce a huge amount of methane, especially ruminants like cows. Methane is much worse for climate change than carbon dioxide (cars), plus animals produce ammonia which pollutes our water.

Cheryl Hadland, Managing Director of Tops Day Nurseries, said: “Anyone who wants to reduce their impact on the planet needs to reduce or cut their meat and dairy intake and eat a more plant-based diet. Add to this the cruelty factor of killing animals and tearing baby animals away from their mothers and you have the reasons why Tops Day Nurseries and Aspire Training Team buy only plant-based food for staff snacks and food for meetings. We want the children that we love and educate to have a chance at a healthy future and that means acting now, by adults, to protect them from climate change.”

Tops Day Nurseries provides childcare for over 3500 children in the South West from three months old to school age, as well as having an afterschool and holiday club for children up to the age of 11.