Day nursery in Whitchurch rated 'Good' by Ofsted sold as owner announces retirement
A day nursery on the outskirts of Whitchurch has been sold as its owner announces her retirement from the sector.
Established in 2002, Whitchurch Pre-School Nursery in Shakespeare Way is an Ofsted-rated Good day nursery with a great reputation for providing quality childcare to up to 65 children.
It is located on a busy business park in Whitchurch, and benefits from the improved funding and housing developments in the area.
The setting was previously owned by Julie Allmark for 15 years and was brought to market to allow her to retire.
It was a “difficult decision,” Julie said.
“I bought the nursery back in July 2010.
“As I was previously the manager before taking ownership of the nursery, I developed it from the ground up, but as the owner, I was able to develop our service and the building further to benefit the many families using our service.
“Deciding to sell was a very difficult decision.
“I felt the need to re-evaluate my work/life balance and a change of pace after being a part of the nursery for over two decades in one capacity or another.
“Going forward, I wish for Whitchurch Pre-School Nursery to continue to flourish under its new ownership. I’m sure there will be changes which will positively impact the development of the nursery.”
Following a confidential sales process with Jassi Sunner at Christie & Co, Whitchurch Pre-School has now been sold to Hannah Vyse for an undisclosed price.
Hannah previously owned a small group of nurseries as a joint venture and sold it a few years ago to focus on her young family.
But now, as she moves to Shropshire, Hannah said she wanted to ease back into the sector with a small acquisition and with the target of growing a group.
Hannah said: “I was really interested in this setting due to its great location and superb potential.
“I’d like to develop further on from the hard work which Julie and the team had put into the setting and to create a further community around the nursery and what it has to offer to the families of Whitchurch and the surrounding areas.”
Jassi Sunner, associate director of Childcare & Education at Christie & Co, who handled the sale, said: “The sale of Whitchurch Pre-School is a great example of the breadth of buyers on our database.
“Although this was a smaller day nursery business and set in a rural location, we still attracted a range of interest.
“With over 15 enquiries and a range of offers, my client accepted the offer from Hannah as she was very experienced and felt the business would be best placed in her capable hands.
“Although there were difficult aspects to the deal, we were able to navigate and work closely with both sides to get to completion in good time.
“We wish Julie all the best with her retirement from the sector, and we hope to work with Hannah in the near future as she returns to the childcare sector.”
