Specialist business property advisor, Christie & Co, has announced the sale of a Little People Nurseries setting in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire.

Established in 1992, this Little People Nurseries setting in Heckmondwike is a fully managed childcare business with a capacity for up to 78 children. It occupies a purpose-built property that combines a homely atmosphere with the feeling of space and light. Its large and colourful playrooms have a modern feel with the children being cared for in peer groups with easy access to the outside play area.

The setting has been owned by Vicky Hallas-Fawcett of Little People Nurseries since 2016 and was brought to market to allow her to downsize her operations and concentrate on the three other settings in the group.

Following a confidential sales process with Vicky Marsland at Christie & Co, and with funding sourced through David Quigg at Christie Finance, it has been purchased by Jill Dyson and Carly Cowling, both of whom have backgrounds in primary education. They had been looking to purchase or set up their own children’s day nursery following an increase in demand for childcare over the last few years and, having looked at a number of opportunities in the market, this setting was perfectly located close to where they live, so they knew the area and demographics.

Vicky Hallas-Fawcett, Director and Co-Owner at Little People Nurseries, comments, “Since arriving at Goose Hill eight years ago as Little People, we have enjoyed seeing the nursery develop into the confident and welcoming nursery it is today. We are delighted that we have found new owners who share our drive and enthusiasm for the children’s experience in the nursery. We are confident that, with the support of Jill and Carly, our wonderful staff team, and our delightful children, will continue to thrive in the future.”

Jill Dyson and Carly Cowling, new owners of the Little People Nurseries setting in Heckmondwike, comment, “Working in education allowed us to visit nursery settings. It was often easy to understand why children were not school-ready. We wanted to make a real difference within our local community, to give the children the best possible start to education. On viewing the property, we could see the potential to create our vision as it had vast outdoor space in which we can create an all-weather outdoor provision. Going forwards, we plan to heavily market the setting as it is currently unknown in the local area. We also aim to provide the staff with high-quality CPD to ensure that they deliver the best practice therefore enabling the children to be school-ready. We have already introduced resources to create a homely and cosy environment.”

Vicky Marsland, associate director – Childcare & Education at Christie & Co, commented: “We brought the opportunity to the market offering both a freehold and leasehold option. Shortly after going to market in October 2023, we received a high number of enquiries which, after having been vetted, we proceeded to viewings with three interested parties which resulted in three strong offers. We proceeded with the sale to Jill and Carly and quickly completed the transaction within five months.

“Amidst the changes we’re seeing in the childcare sector, largely the increase of funding hours subsidised by the Government, we’re experiencing an increase of new entrants to the sector and local operators looking to acquire day nurseries in a range of sizes, locations, and budgets. There is no doubt of an increased demand for quality childcare settings across Yorkshire and beyond.”

David Quigg. finance consultant at Christie Finance, said: “It was a pleasure to arrange the funding for two enthusiastic first-time buyers. Their passion and knowledge in childcare were impressive and inspired confidence in both the funder and me regarding their business venture. Special thanks to Asset Advantage who took the time to understand the requirements and really made the process as painless as possible for the customer.”

Legal advice was provided by Jack Stephenson at Harrison Drury Solicitors who acted for the purchasers, and Katie McAlister at Excello Law who acted for the sellers.

This Little People Nurseries setting was sold for an undisclosed price.