Leading Lancashire nursery becomes part of thriving nursery group

One of the top children’s nurseries in the North West of England has become part of the high-quality Thrive Childcare and Education Group, which is growing its presence in the region.

Poplars Nursery in Leyland, Lancashire, which is ranked in the North West’s Top 20 nurseries by daynurseries.co.uk, becomes Thrive’s 12th nursery in the North West, with a further 26 in Scotland.

Founded more than 35 years ago, Poplars Nursery was extended and fully refurbished over the past five years to provide modern nursery and pre-school services for 68 children from just months old to five years.

Thrive CEO Cary Rankin said: “Poplars is a very successful, well-equipped and well-run nursery, providing a high-quality indoor and outdoor environment which gives children the space to play and learn.

“We share the vision and ethos of former owners Vanda and Geoff Hope in putting children and families first and recognising the importance of the dedicated nursery team.

“We want Poplars to remain first, trusted choice for parents and employees in the Leyland area. Like all our nurseries, it is part of the local community and we are committed to maintaining its local identity. We will work with and continue to develop the excellent and trusted team.”

Nursery Manager Hayley Hinton, who has worked at Poplars for 13 years, said: “Poplars is well known and loved by families in the Leyland area, thanks to its dedicated and, in many cases, long-serving team, who will continue to maintain the ethos and values that are shared by Thrive Childcare and Education.

“We are all looking forward to working under the Thrive umbrella and are excited about the similarities in our vision and the unison that this will create. I am particularly looking forward to being a part of the Thrive nursery ‘family’ and the wealth of experience that they will bring as they support us in maintaining the reputation that we are so proud of in the community.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to pass on heartfelt thanks to Vanda and Geoff for their dedication and investment in the nursery during their time here. Poplars is a nursery I am proud to be at the forefront of, with a fantastic team behind me. The scale of development that Poplars has undergone in recent years is so very much appreciated and we all thank them for enabling this.”

Established 20 years ago in Scotland, Thrive has acquired a number of high-quality nursery groups including Happitots, Holyrood, Corner House, Bright Beginnings and Enchanted Forest, as well as successful independent nurseries.