Mulberry Bush Day Nursery, situated on the common at Mulbarton in Norfolk, has flourished since its launch in 2003 and partners Ros Cutts and Jo Billham are now determined to repeat its success with the launch of a second site in nearby Wymondham.
Ms Cutts says, 'Jo and I are both mothers who got together seven years ago to plug a gap in local provision. We had been looking to open another nursery in Wymondham for some time, because it is a growing town and there is no provision for under-twos. It is a great location - it's on the way to Norwich Hospital and close to the Norfolk Police Headquarters. It's also near the park and ride into Norwich and a large housing estate, with a Waitrose, is currently being built.'
The partners acquired their new nursery last August. The 27-place setting is housed in St Edmunds, a 19th-century chapel, which had recently been converted into a private home.
Ms Cutts says, 'We originally set up our business with help from a Women in Rural Enterprise loan from HSBC and we rent our premises in Mulbarton. But for the second site we were keen to buy a property - and found ourselves looking for finance right in the middle of the credit crunch.
'We went to NatWest and put together a package including a business plan, projections and market research. A sufficiency report carried out by the local authority supported our proposal and we acquired the finance we needed.'
Inevitably, planning permission took time. 'However, the council was behind the project so in the end it came together,' says Ms Cutts. 'One of the advantages we had was that in the prevailing economic climate there was not much competition to acquire the building.'
Extensive refurbishment was needed to transform the site into a nursery and the planning permission includes potential extensions. 'The building has a lot of land and we plan to build a baby and toddler unit in part of the garden,' says Ms Cutts. 'There is also a large garage that we are going to convert into a meeting room. Work will start in May and it will push our capacity up to 56 places.'
Occupancy has been building steadily with eight to ten new children joining every month. 'It is very demanding and for a while we have put a ban on taking in extra children,' says Ms Cutts. 'We are focusing on staff training at the moment and ensuring our practice is at a high standard.
'Between us, we have everything covered. Jo is a qualified teacher with Early Years Professional Status, while I am a former personnel manager and school admin officer. The new nursery has a lovely feel; it is very homely and we have a beautiful conservatory, with a big orchard to the rear of the site. It is a real home from home.'