Acquisition is child’s play for nursery group
STAFFORDSHIRE-based children’s nursery group Busy Bees has expanded operations with an acquisition in Scotland.
The firm has acquired The Teddy Bear Club children’s nursery, a childcare provider situated within the grounds of Ninewells Hospital in Dundee. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
The nursery offers 92 places to children aged between three months and five years, employing around 40 staff.
Busy Bees is the largest childcare provider in the UK. With this acquisition, the group now operates 267 nurseries around the UK. It employs and trains more than 7,700 staff and provides care for over 30,000 children.
The group has been keen to expand further in Scotland and Dundee is an area the company is already familiar with. This latest acquisition takes the group to 17 nurseries across Scotland.
Marg Randles, managing director, Busy Bees said: “We are delighted to welcome The Teddy Bear Club into the Busy Bees family. The nursery has a fantastic reputation for providing quality childcare in Dundee and we can’t wait to start working with such an exceptional team.
“We will be working very closely with the management team to make this transition as seamless as possible for everyone involved.
“We will ensure that our parents are kept up-to date throughout the transition process, as we continue to improve the excellent care, resources and services The Teddy Bear Club currently provides.”
Angela Gatford, current owner and founder of The Teddy Bear Club Nursery in 1998, said: “I am positive that the staff and children will benefit from the new investment and experience that Busy Bees will bring with them, and wish them all, every success.”
The first Busy Bees nursery – The Rocklands in Lichfield – was opened in 1984, by three couples who were dissatisfied with the childcare options available to them. Two of the founders, Marg Randles and John Woodward (CEO), are still working full time in the business.
The couple were recognised earlier this year for their successful by being named the EY’s Entrepreneurs of the Year for the Midlands. They will represent the region in the national fin of the competition, which takes place in London next month.
