Christie & Co sell Harrogate nursery group to Just Childcare

The well established group comprises three Ofsted rated ‘Good’ settings which provide an effective operating capacity for 200 children altogether. Sitting in prime locations spread throughout the town, the Woodlands, Playaway and Little Dragons nurseries are situated in Woodlands, south of Harrogate on the main A661, in the residential area of High Harrogate, and in the town centre, respectively. The nurseries, which all maintain a strong local reputation, are ideally placed to accommodate for parents across Harrogate and further afield.

Previous owners of Funcare, Josy & Ian Thompson purchased their first setting in 2000, growing the group into three highly performing day nurseries. They decided to sell the business in order to retire and comment, “We have loved every minute of our 19 years as nursery operators, but the time has come to hand on this wonderful little business to a thriving company who will be able to give it the passion, investment and vision for the future that it deserves.  

“We would like to thank Vicky Marsland at Christie & Co, our local solicitors, Raworths LLP, and our accountants Haywood & Co for all their hard work and professionalism in completing this deal.”

New owner, Just Childcare is a group operator with nurseries across the North West, South West and Yorkshire, with its portfolio now comprising of 53 settings. David Johnson, CEO at Just Childcare comments, “We’re always on the lookout for high-quality settings to add to our growing portfolio, so we’re delighted to be able to welcome Funcare Ltd to our family.

“Their nurseries have won multiple local awards for excellence and have fantastic reputations within the community. We look forward to working with their teams, alongside the Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ nursery we already operate in Harrogate, to provide exceptional care and education to the town. 

“The year so far has been an exciting one. We’re on track with our expansion plans and with the further funding we’re currently raising, we hope to make more acquisitions throughout 2019 and beyond whilst continuing to invest in our existing settings.”

Vicky Marsland, Business Agent at Christie & Co handled the sale and comments, “It was a pleasure to assist Josy & Ian in the sale of their group, allowing them to take a well-deserved retirement after almost 20 years in the sector. I’d like to thank them both for their cooperation and patience through the process and wish them both the best with their future endeavours.

“I’d also like to thank the team at Just Childcare, and I believe these three settings will be a fantastic addition to their growing group.”