Enterprising Julie Gartland is looking forward to launching her own business after buying a village building and restoring the community’s private pre-school facility.
Mrs Gartland, 48, has had five children of her own and already successfully runs a playgroup in Douglas.
Now she has bought the former Noah’s Ark Nursery in Laxey which has been closed for two years.
The Shore Road building, which used to be owned by the Salvation Army, is planned to re-open nextMonday (September 7).
As well as running a business Mrs Gartland hopes she is also helping villagers who now have a pre-school nursery again.
Her niece Michelle Cannell will have returned fresh from her honeymoon to take over as manager of the nursery.
And Cathy Hinks is the deputy manager of the nursery which is called Trinity Laxey Nursery.
Mrs Gartland has worked with youngsters for years. She has been at the helm of Trinity Playgroup, in Trinity Church Hall on Buck’s Road, Douglas in 2004.
The nursery, rented from the church, caters for two to five years, is thriving and currently has 32 youngsters attending.
She explained that she has harboured a dream of owning her own business and two years ago she put a bid in when the former Noah’s Ark nursery came on the market,but it was unsuccessful. She said: ‘But whoever won the bid, that fell through, so it came back on to the market in about August 2014. So I submitted my bid to buy the building from the Salvation Army and this time it was accepted.’;
Mrs Gartland has since gained full planning approval and has undergone all the legal and regulatory work with the Department of Health and Social Care that has to be done, including police checks.
She told Business News she was ‘very excited’ about finally owning her own business.
She said while she would continue her work at the Douglas playgroup she will keep a close eye on day to day activities of the Laxey nursery.
It will be open 8.30am to 4pm with term time provision for two to five year olds.
Mrs Gartland said: ‘There is no provision currently available in Laxey so I think it’s good for the community. It’s something that has been missing down there.
‘They have had to travel to Onchan or Douglas, or wherever.
‘It will be great for the pre-school children to form some friendhips before they are passed on to Laxey School.
‘I’ve been getting some good feedback on this.’
An openday was held earlier in the summer and the new nursery has been featured in social media.
She said it had been a real shock to the village when the original Noah’s Ark nursery closed.
Now she says: ‘I hope we will be welcomed in, you like to be part of the community when you open a new business.’
Manxwoman Mrs Gartland who was educated at Ballakermeen High School, is married to postman and well-known football referee John Gartland aged 52. Coincidentally he also coaches the Laxey under-12 football team.
The eldest of Mrs Gartland’s five children, Alexandra, 28, is a nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital for sick children in London.
The others are Elisha, 18, Juliana, 17, Arianna, 14, and Jonny 11.
Mrs Gartland is herself a qualified nursery nurse.
She said that she learned about keeping accounts and bookeeping when she worked for her father Peter Gilbertson when he ran a printing company called Nelson Press.