I am petitioning on behalf of myself and my work colleagues, we work in a chain of private day nurseries. We have been open throughout the whole pandemic and have been putting ourselves at risk to look after key worker children and most currently all children aged from 0 to 4 years old.

We are writing this petition as we are now becoming very angry, bitter, and upset that we still are unable to qualify for the Covid 19 Vaccination.

We're here on a daily basis looking after children who we all care deeply for and would do anything to protect these children. Although, we now feel like we are just being stamped on and pushed to one side by the government, the local councils and by others. We sit here and see people getting the vaccination that are sat at home working via a computer, people not working, tutors who are working from home, lorry drivers, people who do not appear within the priority groups who all seem to be eligible plus many more who seem to be in the right place at the right time and they gain a vaccination.

Well what about us? Are we not entitled to these vaccinations? Are we not on the front line enough compared to these people sat at home or the people who are not working? Are we not putting our own lives at risk to make sure others can work? Also, what about us who are sat here working and seeing leaked emails from Councils that tell us that they are combining a list for people to go and have the vaccine and that each department has their own system and they will all be vaccinated? People who are currently working in nurseries have had enough! When will we be listened to?

We are here following rules WITHOUT PPE! WITHOUT regular testing! WITHOUT being on full pay if we have to be off due to bubbles closing! WITHOUT support money from the government because apparently, we earn too much! Basically, we're sat here working and putting ourselves and our families at risk to ensure others can go on. Well you know what we have had enough!!!!!

Since September we have had 2 sites closed fully, this is due to 7 members of staff at one site and 10 on another site suffering after contracting Covid 19! This has happened even though we spend our days making sure we are doing the right thing! We have social bubbles, we're cleaning toys, handles, switches, you name it we clean it! We do all of this to ensure the children are safe which according to the government they are! Well I’m sorry but this is not true! How can we protect children when we are unable to protect ourselves!

Our staff are not abusing the system for the vaccine, yet we seem to be the ones at fault and putting ourselves at even more risk whilst others around us are still gaining unnecessary vaccinations! We have several emails from the council saying NOT to go for the vaccines after we're sent links to book one as we will be turned away. So why are other people who are not within the priority groups getting phone calls to book them in for the vaccine. Why are they not being turned away? Why have they got priority over us who are working on the frontline, who are scared to come to work, who are scared to go home and be taking the virus home. Please tell me why!!!!

I am really losing faith with working in the childcare sector. We have had no support at all from anyone other than our directors who are trying their damn hardest to support us, fight for us and to ask the questions for us too as well as trying to survive! They are the only ones helping, the council just want us to fill out attendance records and to make sure their information is correct for assessment. How about some support on how we protect ourselves and how we get some answers on why we don’t qualify for things? We just want answers!!

We are petitioning, writing, emailing and contacting anyone from anywhere to try and get our points across as No one seems to be listening!!! What would it take for us to get noticed??? A strike day taken by all nurseries on the same day?? Would people notice then when true key workers are unable to go to work due to child care reasons??? 

Please help us get this petition to parliament to make them see how important it is for us to gain eligibility for a vaccine.