Family is at the heart of our nursery. Toni Weidner, an infant teacher, started the nursery on its journey of enriching the lives of young children in the local area in a Territorial Army hut on Hullbridge Road in 1990. The success and reputation of the nursery was built on Mrs Weidner’s values and genuine love of teaching children. After a short time at Park School the nursery moved to it’s purpose built home on Lubards Farm. The build was a labour of love by Mrs Weidner’s husband and son. The nursery remains in the Weidner family as Nicole Sturman (Mrs Weidner’s daughter) and Jenny Weidner (Mrs Weidner’s daughter-in-law), took over Happy Days in 2016. In 2023 Nicole took sole ownership of the nursery working alongside her talented and extremely experienced team, including Kate, the manager who has been at the nursery for over 25 years. Inspired by Mrs Weidner’s values, Nicole’s sole aim is for Happy Days to nurture every child to become the best they can be.
With many of our staff having been here for a number of years, the Happy Days Family has extended to include staff members and their children, many of whom have attended the nursery. We consider it fundamental to our nursery that many of our staff are long standing. The values are embedded in everyday life in the nursery and, with our open door policy, we welcome and support families on their child’s journey through Happy Days.