Tue, 20 May 2025 | BUSINESS SALE
Stockport-based day nursery group Nurtured Childcare has acquired a Sheffield-based business that operates three nurseries in a deal financed by a £2.7 million loan from OakNorth.
Elmore Kindergarten Group operates three settings in Sheffield: Broomhill Nursery, Middlewood Nursery and Ecclesfield Nursery. The company was established in 1991 by Richard Marshall.
Marshall initially contacted Nurtured Childcare regarding a potential acquisition last year and the sale of the business now enables him to retire.
Nurtured Childcare Chief Executive Craig Brennan said that each of the Elmore Kindergarten sites “is in a prime location and is already equipped with significant resources, which we plan to build on with further investment and an expansion of the extra-curricular activities they offer”.
Discussing OakNorth’s role in the deal, Brennan added: "OakNorth's deep understanding of the nursery and early years sector, coupled with their flexible and transparent financing approach, made them our ideal funding partner for this acquisition-led project.”
Following the acquisition of Elmore, Brennan said that Nurtured Childcare is "well-positioned to expand high-quality early years education across more areas of the North of England."
OakNorth Director of Debt Finance Stewart Haworth said: "The combination of an award-winning and experienced operator with the projected tailwinds for the UK’s childcare market, means this acquisition is set to be another success story for the group. We look forward to watching their growth story going forward and supporting Nurtured Childcare on future projects."
Nurtured Childcare worked with KeySME Business Finance to secure the facility from OakNorth. KeySME Founder Ash Richardson said that the company was appointed "to support Nurtured Childcare with a competitive, bespoke funding package to facilitate the acquisition of Elmore Kindergarten Group and consolidate existing finance.”
He continued: "Working with our lender partner, OakNorth, we have collectively delivered a flexible structure to support Craig's ambitions for the business. This has been a rewarding deal to work on and highlights the abilities of KeySME Business Finance to unlock tailored funding solutions for UK SMEs.”
While traditional financing may be increasingly difficult to secure, there are a range of alternative options available to businesses seeking to grow through M&A.
Find out more about M&A in the UK childcare industry.
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