Our Team

The Essential Ingredient: The Snuggles Team

Snuggles can only be a brilliant nursery if we have brilliant staff – so we invest in them and make sure they are given the right training. They’re all qualified to the legally required standard, and undergo extra training in important areas such as safeguarding children and first aid – areas where we believe it is vital to go the extra mile.

The profiles of all our staff are on display in the nursery, and you’ll be introduced to the key team members of your little one’s room when you join us. Your child will also be allocated a key worker, who will spend extra time with your child and provide you with feedback on their progress.

All our staff are specifically trained for the age group they work with, so they know how to get the best out of the children in their care.

To come and meet the team in person, please contact us or click the icons below to join us on social media.

Laura Sykes

Snuggles Owner

Although Laura’s career has taken her all over the world, she’s always been a Bangor girl at heart. She grew up here and sees Snuggles as a way of giving something back to a community that she feels she owes so much to.

She holds a Level 3 Children’s Care, Learning & Development award as well as an MBA. She pours her heart and soul into making Snuggles the success it is today – with a great vision for the future too.

Susanne Nixon

Manager

Susanne is the big cheese, and has just completed her CCLD level 5 (as if running Snuggles wasn’t enough of a challenge!) She’s been working in childcare since 2000, and joined us in 2016. She loves it here, and enjoys being part of what she describes as ‘a great team’. The best part about being manager, she thinks, is going into all the rooms and getting as many hugs as she can every day.

Elizabeth Fitzpatrick

Chef

Elizabeth is our cook, and is responsible for cooking healthy dishes from Annabel Karmel that give your little ones the fuel they need to get through the day! She has 20 years’ experience working school canteens and is very much looking forward to getting her apron on and whipping up the delicious and healthy meals and snacks the children have become accustomed to – and becoming part of the Snuggles family too, of course!

Grazyna Wood

Relief Nursery Assistant

Graz is our relief assistant, moving between the rooms as required to make sure she can offer help and support wherever it’s needed. She’s been working in childcare for 17 years, and loves how flexible the children at Snuggles keep her! She particularly enjoys taking the children out for walks, reading them stories, and generally chasing them around the playground.

Lesley Maguire

Nursery Assistant

Lesley has been working in childcare since 1993, and loves looking after children – which is just as well, considering she has six grandchildren! She loves playing musical instruments with the children, as well as painting and going to the park.

Aimee Davidson

Baby Room Assistant

Aimee is a lady you could set your watch by – literally! A nursery assistant in our after school club, she does a lot of our school pick-ups so knows just how important it is to be on time for absolutely everything.

Laura Widdowson

Baby Room Nursery Assistant

Laura also has her level 3 CCLD. She loves a good game of peek-a-boo, and works hard to build relationships with the babies she cares for – she loves nothing more than seeing them smile at her when they arrive for their session!

Amy Simpson

Baby Room Supervisor

Amy loves babies – which is just as well, considering she is our baby room supervisor. She works hard to provide an interesting and varied weekly plan for the babies in her care, helping them to learn and develop in their time with her. She’s also one of our designated safeguarding officers.

Emma Crawford

Pre-School Supervisor

Emma has her Cache Diploma level 3, and has been with us since 2016. She loves working with children. She finds the relationships she builds with them to be very rewarding, and enjoys getting creative with your children. She’s a keen baker, so expect your little one to bring home some home-made tasty treats from time to time.

Christina Ackerman

Pre-school Nursery Assistant

Christina has her CCLD level 3, and has been with us for 13 years all in. She loves spending her time making children happy. Another keen baker, she also enjoys taking children on trips out of the nursery, helping them to explore the world around them.

Bobbi McCullough

Toddler Room Supervisor

Bobbi has been with us since 2016, and holds CCLD level 3 – and is currently working towards her level 5 qualification. She loves the friendly supportive atmosphere at Snuggles. Her favourite activities with the children include singing, dancing and our fabulous outdoor activities, and she has a two year old daughter who keeps her busy when not at work!

Sarah Kane

Toddler Room Nursery Assistant

Sarah has also been with us since 2016, and holds her CCLD level 3. She likes to spend as much time as possible with the children so that she can get to know and understand their personalities. She’s a big fan of messy play and making things, so expect to see your children getting hands on and creative when they spend time with Sarah!

Alison Widdowson

Snug Club Supervisor

Alison holds her CCLD level 3, and has been working with us since 2006. She likes getting to know the children she looks after, but also enjoys meeting the parents too, so she can tailor the way she delivers the curriculum to them. Away from the nursery, she can often be found travelling the country supporting her son, who plays rugby.

Jodie Carley

Nursery Assistant

Jodie’s been working in the nursery since she was a student, taking time off to have her own children but coming back to us each time – vindication of the family feeling we have amongst the Snuggles staff. She’s also a keen crafter and every time she comes back to us, she seems to have learned even more crafting skills!

Jolupe Doherty

Deputy Manager/Toddler Room Supervisor

Jolupe has been working with children for six years, and is the proud holder of a Level 3 Diploma in Childcare Learning & Development. Always keen to learn more, she is currently undertaking a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership & Management in Childcare.

A keen dog walker and cross-stitcher, Jolupe loves seeing the children at Snuggles learn and explore. In particular, she enjoys helping their creative development though stories, songs, games and play.

Louise Kane

Nursery Assistant/ Relief

Our resident football fan, Louise is one of our newer members of staff. She joined us in 2018, and has a Level 3 Diploma in Childcare. She loves the homely feel at Snuggles, crediting the kindness off the children and other staff for helping her to settle in almost immediately.

She loves the variety her job offers, but is a particular fan of arts and crafts – so expect your little ones to come home with some weird and wonderful creations when they’ve been spending time with Louise!

Nicky Henderson

Driver

Nicky is a hugely important part of the Snuggles team – he’s responsible for taking your little ones to and from Snuggles safely, and making sure they spend the whole journey laughing and singing. He finds the children to be great company, and he knows all the words to ‘the wheels on the bus’. Of course he does.

Ian Hutton

Driver

Our resident joker, Ian loves starting and ending his working day by laughing and joking with the children on his bus. He enjoys working with the rest of the staff at Snuggles, and appreciates the close-knit nature of the team. If he looks familiar when picking up and dropping off your children, that’s probably because you’ve seen him on one of his TV quiz show outings.