Duns Community Nursery
DCN Management Team
Jo Gardner – Director/Chair
Hi, I’m Jo, a proud mum to my daughter. I was one of the original Directors who founded DCN in December 2022, bringing it to life in April 2023. From the very beginning, I have been committed to its success and growth. My own daughter benefited immensely from her time at the previous nursery and I knew I had to help secure the future of DCN, so that many more families could experience the same support and care for generations to come. Over the past two years, I have had the privilege of watching DCN’s staff develop into the incredible team they are today. Their dedication, warmth and passion create an environment where children feel safe, valued and inspired to learn. Seeing them nurture young minds and foster confidence, curiosity and growth is truly rewarding. DCN is more than just a nursery - it’s an extension of our family. My daughter feels completely at home with the team, surrounded by care and support, which is everything we could ask for. I know the staff treat each child as the unique individuals they are, nurturing their personalities as they blossom and preparing them to embrace their next steps after nursery. As the Committee Chairperson, I provide leadership and strategic direction, ensuring that DCN remains aligned with its mission. My role involves overseeing governance, strengthening our ethos of community support and shaping a nursery that truly meets the needs of families. With two years of experience as a Director, I am now focused on building a strong parent-led committee to further secure DCN’s long-term sustainability. DCN thrives on community spirit, built on the collaboration between dedicated staff, engaged children and committed parents. I am excited to see what the future holds, including new opportunities to work with the wider Duns community and surrounding areas. This shared commitment is what makes DCN so special and I look forward to seeing it continue to grow and flourish.
Kim Stewart – Vice Chair
Hello, I’m Kim & I’m mum to one sassy little girl! My background is management/HR & I’m currently working in payroll for a corporate veterinary group. My position as vice chair at DCN involves supporting the chairperson with leadership responsibilities, meetings & working alongside other committee members to maintain organisational operations.
Nicky Seed - Director/Funding and Grants
Hi I'm Nicky, mum of three. My background is in recruitment and contracts management but I now work for a local charity. I'm responsible for grants, funding and supporting our Director.
Harriet Jennings – Continuous Improvement
Hello, I’m Harriet, mum of two boys. I spend my time off from parenting working in the NHS. My role in the team is to lead on continuous improvement which involves further developing our nursery so that it can be the best it can be for both the children and the staff. I am keen to hear any feedback (positive or negative) about current experiences or ideas on what we could do differently in the future.
Lorna Douglas – Secretary
Hi, my name is Lorna and I'm a very proud mummy to a now-toddling little miss. Currently working in data protection, I previously lived in New Zealand for 10 years were much of my time was spent working for a biosecurity company which educated importers on keeping our neighbour's many spiders, snakes and other critters and contaminants out of Aotearoa. As Secretary for the DCN committee I am looking forward to assisting wherever needed across the different Committee task groups, plus all the usual Secretarial duties you'd expect. I'm always happy to lend a hand wherever needed. As a Co-Fundraising committee member, I will be overseeing the coordination of exciting upcoming DCN events designed to raise as much funding as possible for our nursery to ensure our parents and children get the best service possible. Our Fundraising team is a highly motivated, proactive and engaged group of amazing parents and families, and so I will be jumping in to help the team wherever needed and ensure we are all tracking in the same direction each event to ensure we hit our fundraising targets. In the current climate fundraising is a vital part of sustaining our much-needed and loved nursery, and so the team are very much focused on rolling out events and projects throughout the year that the community will also benefit from and enjoy. We appreciate the support of our wonderful local community! Please keep an eye on our Facebook page to ensure you don't miss out on any of our fun events/projects, and if you'd like to contribute to our fundraising efforts in any way (volunteering, contributions, suggestions, resource sharing, mutually beneficial business partnerships etc.) please don't hesitate to reach out and get in touch with me.
Mairi Thompson – Treasurer
Hi I'm Mairi, mum to 2 wildly independent children. I work part time as a nurse and have a huge background in care work as well as customer service and complaints. My role as Treasurer will be to help manage financial reports and budgets, overseeing payments and ensuring compliance with current regulations around finances. Along side this, I will be supporting with Fundraising and Development so will welcome any and all ideas that will help raise funds.
Victoria Letham – Charity Status
I’m Victoria Letham, originally from Aberdeenshire. I am Mum to 3 children, my littlest of the bunch is Clark who is currently at DCN. In my spare time, I work as a Nurse for the NHS and enjoy being outdoors with the kids on the farm. I was initially involved in the fundraising to allow the transition for DCN to open and now I join the management team to assist the phenomenal team that have run DCN over the past 2 years. I am passionate about this amazing service being here for years to come for future families of Berwickshire. I have taken on the role to transition Duns Community Nursery from a Community Interest Company run by directors to a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation run by a committee of trustees.
Lauren Spaven-Donn - HR Lead and Communications
Lauren Spaven-Donn - HR Lead and Communications
I’m Lauren, mum to one Threenager daughter. My career background is in politics and I’m now a Communications Manager with the Civil Service. My role at the nursery is HR Lead, which means supporting our staff in the delivery of their exceptional care of our children, acting as a liaison to the nursery manager and working with staff to problem solve and consistently improve. I am also the Communications Lead, helping promote the nursery externally