A nursery in Chadwell Heath that was displaced in a major fire has found temporary premises thanks to a fundraiser.
Monkey Puzzle in Kemp Road was forced to vacate its site following a huge blaze at the Spectrum Building in Freshwater Road on August 26.
The nursery is just a five minutes' walk from the building, which suffered major damage.
A GoFundMe page was set up on behalf of Monkey Puzzle by Claire Moore, a parent of the nursery whose daughter has been attending for less than a year.
The donations page saw furniture, toys and equipment donated by people from the community and businesses, including Pentagon Play.
Claire said: “My daughter goes to Monkey Puzzle Chadwell Heath, and I, like all of the other parents, was devastated when I heard the news about the fire.
"I knew I had to do something to help – setting up the GoFundMe page was the least I could do.
“My little girl has only been going since the beginning of the year, but she absolutely loves it there, so the fact that the team have so quickly found alternative premises is wonderful."
The nursery has set up temporary premises at a nearby church, arranging standard security measures and separate rooms for each age group.
The temporary site has even been given a brand-new kitchen to make meals for the children thanks to the local Howden's branch.
Monkey Puzzle was able to resume its day care earlier this month.
According to Claire, her daughter is "thrilled" to be back with "her favourite people".
Maryam Khan, the franchisee for the nursery, said: “It’s been wonderful to have received such support from our community – from local people, families and businesses.
"We couldn’t have jumped into action as quickly without their generous donations and unwavering support.
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"I’m proud to play such a big part in the community and to provide care for so many children.
“Thank you to everyone who helped get us back up on our feet in our temporary premises."
The nursery has been open for eight years and is looking to relocate to a new, permanent location in the next six to 12 months.
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