Bedfordshire nursery group expands
Anna Pujol-Mazzini
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Davidson Roberts has acquired a former day nursery in Flitwick, Bedfordshire, which is due to open next month.
The nursery will be the group's seventh.
The building was empty when acquired, and used to be a nursery on the bottom floor as well as a music school on the first floor, before the tenant vacated it in October 2013.
It is now being refurbished to include a new kitchen, children’s toilets and a pre-school garden area. Fencing has been added for additional security.
Jane Roberts, owner of Davidson Roberts, said, ‘I am delighted with the building, it’s got a lovely home-from-home feel, which is in keeping with our type of nursery and we are looking forward to shortly opening it up to children once more.’
The place will include all the typical features offered in the other nurseries owned by the group. This includes home-cooked food and ‘comfy slippers’ for the children.
The new nursery is expected to accommodate around 85 children aged five and under, with a dedicated under-twos garden and one for three- to- fives.
The team will be offering classes such as yoga, music, Spanish and drama.
Refurbishment is still underway and Ofsted is expected to visit the place next week. Ms Roberts said there has been an ‘awful lot of interest’ due to the proximity to Woburn Centre Parcs, and that 14 children had already been signed up.
Davidson Roberts, launched in 2006, owns six nurseries and ten out-of-school clubs in Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire. The new nursery brings the group to a total of around 450 places.
Later this year, the group is also planning on launching Welcome Home Day Nurseries, a new franchise business, which will offer ‘franchise packages ranging from operational support to complete turnkey settings,’ Ms Roberts said. Turnkey settings packages can include a complete set of services, from acquiring or building the nursery, to providing operational support functions and staff.
Robert Mellamphy, of specialist property adviser Christie + Co Ipswich office, who brokered the acquisition said, ‘It is always satisfying to see the results of a positive, long term working relationship with our clients.’
