Margaret Mason OBE Trust
Leading the way, Making a difference
Supporting Families
Our aim is to support families through challenging times as they raise children in today’s world by offering emergency childcare across 24 UK midlands based settings.
Margaret Mason OBE Trust
The Margaret Mason OBE Trust supports families facing challenging times and extraordinary circumstances by providing emergency childcare across 24 settings across the midlands.
The Trust History
The Trust was established by Margaret Mason OBE in 2022 and aims to expand its mission across the UK early years sector. We believe that having access to emergency childcare access and professional support can help families facing hardship and challenging circumstances. During such times, continuity and certainty is something a child needs the most. Therefore, having access to a nursery place can provide that safe haven for a young person and be hugely helpful for a child and their families.
The Trust was established by Maggie’s founder Margaret Mason OBE. Margaret has been a leading expert in the UK early years sector for decades. She was the former Chair of the National Day Nurseries Association and founder and Chief Executive of Children 1st Day Nurseries.
Lifelong Ambition
Margaret’s lifelong ambition and ‘work’ (although she doesn’t call it that!) has been to offer a place for children that is centred around them and their development, offering the very best in childcare and education. Through her work, Margaret has encouraged others across the country to see the importance of these formative years and the impact they have on children.
Through developing her 24 nurseries across 6 counties, as well as her work in Early Years prior to starting up Children 1st, Margaret has created nurseries that are a second home for children, warm and nurturing environments full of opportunities to learn and grow surrounded by the right teams to spark imaginations and build confidence.
Ethos
She has successfully embedded an ethos across her company of teams who hold the same values dearly and are committed to delivering this with her.
Over the years, Margaret has always been involved in charity work across the nurseries, encouraging to help others less fortunate or in a time of need.
Margaret always had the ambition to start her own charity, enabling children and families going through a difficult time the opportunity to have a place with us at one of our nurseries.
In 2020 when Margaret acquired ‘The Honey Pot nursery’ in Derby, then Children 1st @ Oakwood and now Maggie’s, it was Margaret’s mission to make this dream a reality.
In 2022 following on a full refurbishment of the nursery, creating her flagship setting, The ‘Margaret Mason Trust’ was launched and is headquartered at the nursery.
The Trust now collaborates with other professionals and nurseries across our region to help identify, support and signpost families and children in need to the Trust and other available services.
Through ongoing fundraising and work across the UK early years sector, our aim is for this vision to be supported by other nursery groups, providing much needed support for children.
Margaret believes every child should be able to access an early years experience like the ones we’ve offered at Children 1st.
Supporting Other Settings
The Trust is also supporting the work of Touchstone Community Development in Staveley Chesterfield by providing mentoring and support to their community nursery Treasures.
Our Nursery Community Playrooms
The Margaret Mason Trust aim is to provide the opportunity to have a safe place to support learning and development for children and families going through a difficult time in these important years of children’s lives. Margaret believes every child should be able to access an early years experience like the ones we offer.
Come and have a drink with us and let your little one have a play in our community room.