Tiny Tree to create jobs after £2m investment

A NEW Leeds children’s nursery is to create up to 40 new jobs following a £2m renovation programme of an historic Grade-two listed building.

Supported by HSBC’s West Yorkshire Commercial Centre, Tiny Tree Day Nursery opened its doors at the beginning of August, offering 163 places for children aged up to five.

The nursery is based at Sycamore Lodge in Hyde Park, which dates back to the 1860s but had been in a state of disrepair for four years until husband and wife team Graham and Amika Abbott acquired the site last year.

After securing a £1.8m funding package from HSBC to support the acquisition and redevelopment of the site in a deal managed by senior commercial manager Adam Kelly, the couple have spent the last eight months renovating the building.

The nursery is the third in the couple’s portfolio, which includes Newbank Nursery in Oldham and Little Angels in Huddersfield.

Graham Abbott said: “HSBC has been a committed supporter of the project and Adam and his team recognised our ambition and goal for the nursery. I had been looking for a site in Leeds for a long time and had given up hope before I found Sycamore Lodge. It’s a stunning building and we believe it will offer the children a fantastic environment to learn and play.”

HSBC West Yorkshire area commercial director Mike Hemingway added: “When you talk to Graham and Amika, their passion for excellence comes across clearly. They have developed a top class facility where children will learn and develop in a safe, secure and fun environment, plus they are also helping the local economy by creating 40 new jobs and bringing a derelict building back into use.”