Ashbourne has bought Harp Nurseries’ seven settings based in the Midlands and North England.
It comes after Ashbourne acquired four nurseries from Harp in 2023. The nursery groups initially shared a director in common, Sarah Blyth, but she resigned her position at Ashbourne last year, continuing to remain a director of Harp.
Ashbourne has confirmed that Blyth will not be returning to work for the nursery group.
Formerly known as Welcome, Harp Nurseries was established in August 2022 after its owner Simon Fox bought 26 settings from the group, operated by Jonathan Jay and Linda Cuddy, after it went into administration.
At the time, Welcome was considered to be the fourth largest nursery group in the UK, having reported they had a total of 48 settings.
Upon buying the nurseries from Welcome, Simon Fox, director of Harp Group, said, 'I am delighted to have been able to take this opportunity to acquire Welcome Nurseries. We are excited about investing in putting Welcome back on a sound financial footing and re-establishing it as one of the foremost nursery groups in the UK, building on the hard work and experience of Linda Cuddy and her team.’
Following the deal, Harp closed a number of the settings, with Nursery World reporting last June it operated just a third of the nurseries it acquired from Welcome.
Ashbourne Day Nurseries managing director Jo Turley said, ‘We are thrilled to welcome these exceptional nurseries into the Ashbourne family. This acquisition represents a landmark moment for us as we expand our presence into the North of England for the first time. We are excited to bring Ashbourne's ethos of providing top-quality childcare and education to families in these communities.
‘We extend a warm welcome to our new team members and families joining us on this journey. Together, we will uphold the values of excellence, compassion, and innovation that define the Ashbourne experience. We are committed to working collaboratively to create a positive impact on the lives of children and families in our communities.’
Ashbourne Nurseries' 41 sites include two they recently opened - Birmingham Central and Pebworth -along with a further three that are opening next month - Dagenham, Grantham and Orton Southgate.