AN award-winning nursery group which has a site in Grappenhall is continuing to grow and thrive under new ownership.

The Village Nursery Group, which owns The Quays Day Nursery on Thelwall New Road, hit the milestone of caring for more than 1,000 children last week.

And it has now become part of the Thrive Childcare and Education.

The group was founded in 2005 in Alsager by Julie and Ian Lightley when they were seeking a nursery where children come first for their own family.

From this point, the Village Nursery Group has grown as the couple acquired and invested in developing their nurseries.  

With the Village Nursery Group becoming part of Thrive Childcare and Education, the Thrive Group now provides more than 40 nurseries across North West England and Scotland. 

Thrive CEO Cary Rankin said: “Village Nursery Group is an incredible group of nurseries, all with either “good” or “outstanding” Ofsted ratings.

“Julie and Ian have invested in developing great facilities and a fantastic and committed team, who we look forward to working with.”  

Julie said: “As our group has grown, we have retained the individual names and character of the nurseries because they are very much part of the communities they serve.

“When we were talking vision and values with Thrive, it was clear they shared this commitment to ensuring each nursery meets the needs of its local community.” 

A year after founding the group, Julie and Ian bought Trafford Park Nursery in Manchester, which they doubled in size.

Nurseries in Warrington, Knutsford, Congleton and Crewe followed, with some being saved from closure. 

The group’s success has been recognised by many awards – including The Quays in Warrington which was also shortlisted for a number of awards.

As the Village Nursery Group continued to grow, Julie and Ian realised it was time for support from a larger group to continue to develop their beloved nurseries, investing in the local and management teams and ensuring they have the resources to succeed. 

 “As the group has grown, taking it forward requires so much more energy and investment – in time and money,” Julie explained.  

“After 17 years, with our three children growing up, we want some time for ourselves, without talking about nurseries, and valued time to spend with our family.” 

Julie said it was a tough decision, but she knows the nurseries are in good hands, with her long-serving director of operations, Emma Jones, remaining with Thrive to ensure continuity and a smooth transition. 

Thrive has purchased the eight nurseries in Alsager, Crewe, Congleton, Warrington, Knutsford, and Trafford Park.

While Thrive will operate the nurseries, they have entered into a sale and leaseback arrangement with Jurassic Portfolios for the freehold sites within the group.