12/4/2020 | Childcare Mortgages

Award winning day nursery in Richmond acquires second site to expand their business

Specialist commercial finance broker, Christie Finance, has helped secure funding for renowned childcare operator of My Sunshine Day Nursery to purchase a second property in Barnes, Richmond that they will renovate into a new nursery setting.

My Sunshine Day nursery is well located in the affluent area of Mortlake, Richmond, bordering South-West London. It has been voted to feature in the “Top twenty nurseries in London” and has received high praise since opening in 2018. Having the capability of hosting sixty places but currently operating at fifty, the nursery has a large waiting list with continuing demand in the area for quality childcare. The owners appreciate the need to expand their business and this has led to their acquisition of a building in shell-form, a short distance away in Barnes, Richmond.

My Sunshine Day nursery is owned and operated by Trilium Ltd. a family business who since opening have continued to keep up to date with the childcare market. They have identified a core business model which they want to carry into their expansion projects, allowing them to retain their medium sized setting for 60 children whilst providing the best childcare for the area. Trilium Ltd is made up of three directors, Mike Ballardie, who has been actively running the business since opening three and a half years ago and has a clear passion for the childcare industry, his wife Penny Shepherd, who maintains work as an administrator at a private school in Surrey but her expertise in safeguarding, HR and reporting has been essential for the business. Alongside their daughter Harriet Ballardie who manages the day to day running of My Sunshine Day nursery and has ten years’ experience in the sector with a BA Hons in Childcare with Special Needs. Their skills and management will be transferred to the new site and ensure that it also becomes award-winning.

The new property will need to be renovated to cater for the new nursery and the business are excited to take on this new venture. They have had noticeable interest in their new nursery, even without it being advertised or having started it yet, word of mouth from the current parents in Mortlake has allowed interest to soar. This has increased the confidence in the new setting and that the services will be well received and required by these areas of Richmond.

Mike Ballardie comments, “Christie Finance has demonstrated its in-depth knowledge and understanding of the Nursery sector, offering both buyers and sellers a full complement of services across finance, insurance and business marketing. My Sunshine, as a 3-year old business, looked to the experience of Chris Field to identify the optimum long-term financing partner to facilitate its expansion through the acquisition of a freehold property In Barnes. Chris quickly appreciated our business model, the opportunity for expansion and identified and introduced us to numerous lenders grounded in the childcare sector, providing expert advice and continuous communication throughout the process. A fantastic service!”

Consultant on the deal, Director and Head of Corporate, Chris Field comments, “It has been a real pleasure working closely with Mike, Penny and Harriett, their knowledge, expertise and passion for what they do shines through and this got the attention of the specialist lender we introduced. With a proven track record as exceptional operators, it’s no surprise that expansion plans are in play due to such strong demand. The new Freehold setting is in such a prime location, just a short walk from My Sunshine at Mortlake and I am absolutely confident that it will be at their chosen capacity before it even opens the doors!

I’d like to wish Mike and the team all the very best for the launch of their second Nursery and very much look forward to helping out with No.3 before too long.”