Coventry nursery group marks tenth anniversary with further expansion

AN award-winning Coventry nursery chain is planning to mark its 10th anniversary with a further expansion of the business.

Tiny Teddies Day Nurseries Ltd, which operates three day nurseries, an after-school service, a holiday club and its own child care voucher company, is planning on opening a fourth outlet.

The business, which employs 55 staff, was founded by Michelle and Paul Ingram in November 2003 after the couple were unable to find suitable child care for their son.

After identifying a suitable site in Radford, the couple approached Yorkshire Bank for funding and the first nursery opened a short while later. The couple have remained with Yorkshire Bank ever since.

The bank said the key to the company’s success had been its strong management team. The nursery group is also well known for its high staff retention rates.

Last year the group was a finalist in the 2012 Midlands Family Business Awards, while in 2010, it was one of the first nurseries to receive a Coventry Early Years Setting Healthy Award, which recognises nurseries and other early years care providers for promoting healthy eating and exercise.

Paul Ingram, managing director of the business, said: “From the outset, we’ve had a clear vision of the high quality child care we wanted to provide – a warm, caring, and professional environment where children can grow and develop. Yorkshire Bank understood our aims and has supported us every step of the way since. As a result, we’re now in the process of acquiring our fourth nursery, marking a significant expansion of the brand.”

Richard Williams, relationship manager at Yorkshire Bank’s Regional Business and Private Banking Centre in Birmingham, said: “Tiny Teddies Day Nurseries has been recognised by a host of industry awards for its strong management, its business innovation and its excellent marketing work.

“More importantly, it has earned an outstanding reputation among parents for its quality childcare, welcoming atmosphere and commitment to providing a first class learning experience.

“We are proud of our role in helping the business to grow over the past 10 years and it gives us great pleasure to continue assisting the team as they progress their expansion plans.”