A new workspace and crèche is coming to Truro, offering an innovative solution for parents looking for a flexible way to manage work and childcare.
Desks and Daycare will provide a comfortable place to work, alongside an onsite crèche staffed by childcare professionals.
It will enable parents to get on with a few hours’ work while their children are safely cared for in a nearby room.
The new venture is being run as a pop-up service on Monday mornings at the Truro Story and Play Cafe, a dedicated baby and toddler cafe which is accessed through the Lock and Quay pub on Quay Street.
The workspace will be hosted in the main area of the Lock and Quay, which provides comfortable seating, free WiFi and serves tea, coffee and food.
Desks and Daycare has been set up by Alice Davis. As a freelance writer and mother of two young children – Arthur, three and Lamorna, one – she saw a need for a more flexible approach to childcare, providing self-employed parents with a service they can use as and when they need it.
Davis said: “When I started work again after having Arthur it was a challenge to balance work and childcare. As a freelancer, my workload can vary from week to week. So one week I might suddenly need a few extra hours’ childcare to meet a deadline, while during a quiet week I may need much less.
“Traditional childcare settings can be quite inflexible, requiring you to choose set sessions per week, which you pay for upfront whether you need them or not.
“I thought it would be amazing if there was a more flexible alternative that I could use, and pay for, when I needed it. Nothing like this really exists in Cornwall, so I decided to set it up myself.”
The crèche will cater for children from 0-4 years and will be staffed by qualified and experienced childcare professionals. It will be fully insured and adhere to the Ofsted guidelines for ratios. Parents can book up to 24 hours in advance – as long as spaces in the crèche are available – and can either use the service on a regular basis or as and when they need it.
Desks and Daycare is holding an open morning on Monday June 26 before launching on July 3.
Email Alice Davis for more details.
