Children’s nursery group to expand with backing of £1m funding package

A children’s nursery group in Chester is set to expand after acquiring an additional site thanks to the support of a £1m funding package

The owners of Jigsaw Curzon House Day Nursery have acquired nearby Ash Grove Farm Nursery – to be renamed Jigsaw Ash Tree Farm Day Nursery – and are close to completing refurbishments that will allow the group to offer up to 100 additional childcare places per day.

The move marks a significant expansion for the nursery group, which was established in 1999 by Claire Taylor.

Jigsaw currently offers 150 places per day but, following the acquisition and refurbishment of Ash Grove Farm’s barn and stables, the group will be able to look after more than 250 children across both sites.

Plans are in place to increase Jigsaw’s current team of 55 employees to 80 over the next 6-12 months.

Claire Taylor, founder of Jigsaw Day Nurseries, said: “Our business has grown rapidly and, having invested more than £350,000 in the last five years to expand our Curzon House site, it was clear that acquiring another nursery was the next big step forward.

“Ash Grove Farm was our dream option but we hadn’t expected it to come onto the market.

“Fortunately, with Lloyds Bank’s backing, we were able to move exceptionally quickly when the opportunity arose.

“They have been by our side every step of the way since we launched 20 years ago and this funding has enabled us to put more resources into upgrading the new facilities ready to receive the long waiting list we’ve generated. To be able to make such a leap forward in our anniversary year is really special.”

Numan Rezaul, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “The way the business has grown is testament to the inspirational, high quality care Claire’s team provide to children in the local community. With further residential development expected in the area soon, it made sense to expand now.

“Providing funding to help increase the number of places on offer for families is just another part of our commitment to Help Britain Prosper. We’ve pledged to lend up to £1.3 billion to firms in the North West this year and it’s rewarding to be able to support both new businesses and ones, such as Jigsaw, who we’ve developed a lasting relationship with.”