Jelly Babies Day Nursery changes hands through Christie & Co

The nursery has an effective operating capacity for 72 children and enjoys an exceptional local reputation, providing high quality childcare from versatile premises with vibrant and spacious facilities and promoting an individual approach to learning. Located in Little Lever, a densely populated village of Bolton, the business also includes a successful out of school club which operates from a local primary school.

The previous owners, Maxine and Darren Philips established the business nearly 30 years ago, growing organically and creating an unrivalled local reputation, resulting in consistently high occupancy and word of mouth referrals. After taking the difficult decision to hand the business over, Mr & Mrs Philips approached Christie & Co to handle the confidential sales process. 

Mrs Philips comments, “Selling the nursery was a huge decision as it has been a massive part of my life for thirty years. Sofia Beck at Christie & Co helped me through a difficult time and was always on hand to speak to and discuss any of my fears and concerns. Finding the right buyer was very important to me as I wanted to ensure that I was leaving the children and their families in the safe hands of someone who had the same ethos about childcare as myself. I also wanted to guarantee that my staff team, many of which have been with myself for years, were also in safe hands. 

“I feel that Kids Planet will continue to offer an outstanding service for the community of Little Lever. They will also be able to offer the staff that wish to further their careers, opportunities for growth within their family run company. I will continue to follow their journey and wish them the very best for the future.”

Jelly Babies Day Nursery was sold on a freehold basis to established childcare provider, Kids Planet Ltd. Clare Roberts, Chief Executive of Kids Planet comments, “We are thrilled to have completed on the purchase of Jelly Babies in Little Lever. We recognised a lot of synergy between how Maxine and her team ran the nursery and how we operate our nurseries. We are really excited to work together with the already established staff team as we move forward building on the high standards already established.

“We wish Maxine and Darren well for the future in whatever they decide to do.”

Sofia Beck, Associate Director at Christie & Co, who handled the sale, comments, “It’s extremely rewarding to find an ideal match in a seller and a buyer, especially in this sector. The sale of a nursery is such a difficult thing for an owner to do, so when they form a strong and trusting relationship with an incoming purchaser, it makes it a lot easier for them to let go.

“I wish Mr & Mrs Philips a well-deserved, happy future. It really was a pleasure to assist them with their exit plan.”