Christmas came early for two Hamilton nursery schools as they received help from the City of Hamilton’s Community Give Back Initiative.

Playgrounds were updated and improved by City staff at Flying Start Nursery School, Cedar Avenue, and Kiddie Academy, on Laffan Street as part of the project.

The City of Hamilton’s Operations Manager Allan Somner said: “At Kiddie Academy, city staff removed an old, metal playset, which was in poor condition.

“This work included the removal of all of the old concrete pads in which the playset was secured, using jack hammers and hand tools to dig up any remaining debris.

“After this was completed, the parks team members put down fresh soil and grass seeds to complete the work, providing the students with a bigger, grassed playing space.

“At Flying Start Nursery, the city’s carpenter made minor repairs to a wooden playset and the nursery office was given a fresh coat of paint by our in-house painter.”

The owner of Flying Start Nursery School Liz Tatem said: “This last year and a half has hit many small businesses hard and jobs that previously we could complete all at once have now been prioritised. Their kind offer to help with yard repairs and inside painting is very much appreciated.”

Kiddie Academy’s Sharon DeSilva said: “Special thanks to all the hard-working city staff members who volunteered their time and effort and worked so diligently to help to make our playground safe again.

“I know that this was no easy task for these men; this was a huge piece of equipment that had been cemented into the ground, hence our need for assistance in removing it.”