Midlands day nursery group joins Storal in landmark acquisition

  • 29th October 2024

Midlands-based day nursery group, Children 1st Day Nurseries, has been sold to Storal, with the national group becoming one of the largest and highest-rated in the sector, offering over 5,000 places across 52 nursery settings.

Founded in 1988 by Margaret Mason OBE, Children 1st Day Nurseries is renowned within the sector for providing the highest levels of childcare across 24 settings located in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, and South Yorkshire.

The group also includes a leading training centre in the Midlands and Sheffield.

Together, these offer 2,567 childcare places and continue to grow year on year, with a group turnover fast approaching £30m.

Following a sales process with Nick Brown and Courteney Donaldson at Christie & Co, the group has been purchased by Storal.

Margaret Mason OBE, founder and former owner of Children 1st Day Nurseries, said: “I can’t imagine it in better hands.

“It’s been my focus for so many years and I’m delighted that it will continue to flourish under Storal’s management.”

Brown, director and head of brokerage for childcare and education at Christie & Co, added: “It was a privilege to be invited by Margaret and the family to run this once-in-a-lifetime process for one of the most-sought-after groups in the UK.

“A highly-confidential process resulted in a superb result for not only Margaret, but also Storal.

“A prerequisite for the family during this process was to make sure that the group was passed onto the right people who would continue to build and nurture all of the attributes that Margaret has instilled into her staff and the children over the last 36 years.

“This is the end of an era for the family and, as a broker, I have always dreamed of one day selling this group and we are delighted and very proud to have been able to make this happen.”

Children 1st Day Nurseries was sold for an undisclosed price.

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