Specialist business property advisor, Christie & Co, has announced the freehold sale of Rocking Horse Day Nursery in Broughton, Flintshire. Funding for the purchase was sourced through commercial finance specialist, Christie Finance.

Owned and operated by Mark and Evelyn Aindow since 1998, Rocking Horse Day Nursery is a real ‘home from home’ setting, offering a high-quality provision for up to 70 children aged from babies to four years. This family-run nursery boasts consistently strong occupancy generated by reputation, repeat custom, and word of mouth referrals.

The nursery is located within a prime position extremely close to the Wales/England border and to the west of Chester, with immediate access to the A55. 

Following a confidential sales process with Christie & Co, Rocking Horse Day Nursery has been purchased by childcare ‘preschool and out of school’ club operator, S4YC Limited which now has 31 settings across the UK.

Mark and Evelyn Aindow, former owners of Rocking Horse Day Nursery, commented: “We acquired the business in August 1998. Since then, we have increased our registration from 50 children to 70 children by extending the building which we did within a couple of years of taking over the nursery. We have built up a lovely nursery which has a very good reputation within the local community and further afield. Both the indoor and outdoor environment has been developed to create a really positive area for our children to play, learn, and grow in, and we have a great staff team – many of whom have worked in the nursery for over 20 years. We hope that the nursery will continue to go from strength to strength under the new owners, David and Marc from S4YC.”

David James, managing director at S4YC Limited, said: “We are delighted to have taken over the management of the Rocking Horse Day Nursery, adding another early years setting to our ever-growing family. Our aim is to build on the hard work that has gone before use, offering high-quality, affordable childcare and education within Flintshire. We are extremely lucky to have inherited a very experienced, loving group of staff that care for the children, and we look forward to working alongside them to ultimately provide the very best outcomes for the children that come through the nursery. Over the next couple of months, we will be working with the community to identify ways of developing the environment and care on offer, ensuring the nursery continues to move forward.  Finally, I would like to thank Mark and Evelyn for their dedication and hard work over the last 25 years, the nursery is well-respected and has a very strong footing to provide exceptional childcare.”

Sofia Beck, director – childcare & education at Christie & Co, who handled the sale, added: “I was pleased to assist Evelyn and Mark with their sale and exit plan. After almost 25 years, I know it wasn’t an easy decision for them to sell the nursery and I wish them all the best with their next venture. This is the second purchase we have assisted S4YC Ltd with after they acquired Hooton Childcare via ourselves in 2021. It’s great to see their nursery portfolio building nicely and I’m sure there will be more opportunities to work together in the future.

“We are generally seeing a lot of buyer activity from smaller group operators who are looking to add high-quality childcare nurseries to their portfolios. They look for locations within a reasonable distance and that are a good operational fit with their current settings. This often means they can benefit from staff sharing which, with the ongoing staffing issues, really is an advantage for nursery businesses.”

Rocking Horse Day Nursery was sold for an undisclosed price.