Oxford garden opening a 'major achievement' for charity

The Bright Horizons Foundation for Children has opened its 100th Bright Space alongside Life Charity, which supports women, men, and families facing unexpected pregnancies.

The new space in Oxford is a "thoughtfully designed, safe, and enriching" garden for families to enjoy.

Mel Pease, regional director at Bright Horizons, experienced homelessness 35 years ago when she was pregnant.

Bright Horizons' new garden in Oxford (Image: Bright Horizons) With the help of Life Charity, she was able to raise her daughter and pursue a successful career.

She said: "I’ve always wanted to have a Bright Space in my local area, so when the foundation presented the opportunity to partner with the Life Charity and create a Bright Space, I was delighted.

"Giving back to an organisation that did so much for me is a surreal, full-circle moment."

Life Oxford manager Beckie Reeves added: "This Bright Space will bring joy and comfort to the families we support.

"We are incredibly grateful to Bright Horizons for their partnership, and to Mel for helping others who find themselves in the same situation that she was in 35 years ago."

For nearly two decades, the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children has been creating Bright Spaces in domestic abuse refuges, police child protection suites, prison visit areas, and hospices across the UK.

This year, six new Bright Spaces have been opened in various locations such as a police protection suite in Hertfordshire, a women’s refuge in Sefton, and a prison in Manchester.

Tracy Wilkes-Green, Bright Space manager at the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children, said: "The partnership for this milestone Bright Space is particularly special because of Mel’s connection to the Life Charity.

"Going into 2025, our foundation has ambitious plans to expand further the number of Bright Spaces we provide and bolster the offering of programmes, grants, and resources available.

"We are always looking for more volunteers and fundraisers to help us achieve these goals and be the difference in a child’s life.

"If this sounds like you, please don’t hesitate to contact us."

Fundraising efforts for the Bright Spaces have seen Gemma, nursery manager at Bright Horizons St Mary’s Day Nursery and Preschool in Abingdon, raise £4,600 by completing a sponsored climb of Mount Kilimanjaro.

This year, an initiative called ‘100 Your Way’ has seen many Bright Horizons colleagues complete 100 of anything in any way they can to raise funds.

The foundation said "thanks to their creativity and tenacity, funds raised are nearing the incredible £100k target, which will further support the foundation’s exciting 2025 plans".