A MUM in North Petherton has realised her dream by opening a new nursery for the area.

Nicola Holman finally registered Buttercups Nursery with Ofsted at the end of January after months of paperwork.

Nicola, who has five children with her husband John, said: “I wanted to start a nursery ten years ago but then I started my own family.

“It’s been a long hard struggle to get this open. I started this back in April, looking for premises, going through all the paperwork and medical forms – there was a room full of paperwork.”

The children had only just started their first day at the nursery last Tuesday when the flooding situation in Somerset worsened.

Nicola decided to use her premises to help those affected.

She said: “I wanted to do something for the families in the floods.

“I have this facility so, if there’s a family with young children, we can offer them somewhere to take care of the children while the family are evacuated.”

Buttercups Nursery is now registered with the police as a place families hit by the floods can leave their children while they evacuate.

It’s been a very hectic few weeks for Nicola but she believes she’s up to the task.

She said: “I have done parenting before so I hope that means I’ll be ready for the job.”

Buttercups Nursery, in Parker’s Field, North Petherton, takes children from three months old and is open five days a week from 7am to 6pm.