First-time buyer couple snaps up day nursery setting in peaceful Northamptonshire village

Established in 2009, Simba's Den Day Nursery is a reputable, Ofsted rated ‘Good’ setting with forest school provision and capacity to care for up to 30 children aged zero to four-years. 

The business operates from a beautiful, peaceful town setting in the heart of the Northamptonshire countryside, offering a relaxed and homely feel while making excellent use of natural resources and an emphasis on child-led learning inspired by both Reggio and Montessori approaches.

Following a confidential sales process with Christie & Co, the nursery, which has been owned by Samantha Butterwick since 2009, has been purchased by property developer, Leigh Harris, and his wife, Charlotte, who has a background in education. They have recently moved to the area and were looking to acquire their first nursery with a view to growing a small local group in the future. 

Samantha Butterwick, previous owner of Simba's Den Day Nursery, comments, “It was an emotional time for us to sell our family business but I was able to spend time getting to know Leigh and Charlotte and, at the point of completion, we all felt in a confident position. The handover period has been a success and I'm pleased that the nursery will continue to thrive under new ownership.”

Leigh Harris, new owner of Simba's Den Day Nursery, comments, “We're thrilled to have acquired this fantastic day nursery and forest school in such a special location within Northamptonshire. It's our first venture into the industry, but we are lucky to have inherited such a loyal and dedicated staff team that we know will help us to achieve our vision. We wanted to thank the previous owner, Sam, for allowing us to continue her legacy as well as David Eaves for his full support and guidance throughout what has been quite an unfamiliar process. It's all hands-on deck now and my wife and I are both very excited to build upon this truly unique setting and create a bright new future for Simba's Den!"

David Eaves, Director – Childcare & Education at Christie & Co, who handled the sale, comments, “I was delighted to support Sam through the sale process of her fantastic nursery. Simba’s Den is truly a destination nursery, with its homely environment and tremendous forest school offering, in particular, attracting parents from far and wide. We see a huge demand from buyers, especially post-COVID, for nurseries that have a particular emphasis on the outdoors, and Simba’s Den is one of the finest examples of forest school provision that I have come across. Sam has built an enviable setting and should be rightly proud of all she has achieved over the years. I wish Leigh and Charlotte all the very best in taking Simba’s Den to new heights.”

Simba's Den Day Nursery was sold for an undisclosed price.

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For further information on this press release, contact:
Phoebe Burrows, Corporate Communications Manager
P: 07540 063 598 or E: phoebe.burrows@christie.com

Contact the agent:
David Eaves, Director – Childcare & Education
P: 07711 767 094 or E: david.eaves@christie.com

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