WHEN it comes to being the new kids on the block, Evolution Childcare takes some beating.

Now shortlisted for The Newcomer Award, the nursery opened its doors to the public only nine months ago, but it has already made its mark.

It is ideally situated on Shadsworth Business ParK, an easy drop-off point for busy mums and dads who are employed on the site itself or at the nearby Royal Blackburn Hospital.

Manager of Evolution Childcare, which is one of a nationwide franchise of 11, is Sarah Fox, a trained early years teacher with a real passion for her work.

She said: “We’ve quickly established ourselves here, with 45 of our 64 places taken by children from as young as just eight weeks up to school age.

“We spent a long time searching for the right building and no expense has been spared in refurbishing it to provide the highest quality childcare; it’s second to none and has a great team who all work so hard.”

Sarah said Evolution was in a strong position in having spare capacity.

She forecast this would be quickly taken up by parents taking advantage of the additional funding for free nursery places which would be available from September.

In the meantime Sarah has set her heart on winning The Newcomer Award.

She said: “I’m both excited and determined to win. I don’t want to come second.”