A group of three day nursery settings in North Yorkshire, trading as Kids at Heart, have been sold to expanding operator, Hamzah Arshad.

Kids at Heart is a well-established, highly-regarded children’s day nursery group with three settings located across Harrogate and Knaresborough, including its flagship site in Nidderdale.

Together, they have the capacity for up to 137 children, are all rated ‘Good’ with Ofsted.

Since Julie Shaw acquired the group in 1994, she has built a successful childcare offering, but she recently decided to sell to allow her to retire after over 30 years in the sector.

Following a confidential sales process with Vicky Lowe at Christie & Co, the group has been purchased by Hamzah Arshad.

Arshad said: “Expanding my portfolio with the acquisition of the Kids at Heart group is an exciting step forward.

“The settings are highly respected, with strong teams and a long-standing reputation for excellence.

“I am committed to ensuring continuity for families while also exploring opportunities to further enhance the learning environments and experiences offered across the three settings”

Lowe added: “Through our continued marketing efforts, I’m pleased to have introduced the buyer for the desired sale, which allowed Julie to take a very well-deserved retirement.

“Hamzah has been highly committed to finding settings that align with his values and ethos, bringing the knowledge and expertise needed to ensure this established group continues to thrive.”

Kids at Heart was sold for an undisclosed price.