Kettering-headquartered children's nursery group make £7.5m investment to expand business

A Kettering-headquartered children’s nursery business has acquired three new nurseries to expand their portfolio of out-of-county sites.

Kindred Education supported by £7.5m funding from Santander UK has bought three nurseries in Cambridgeshire in a one-off deal, expanding the company’s portfolio of Kindred Nurseries to 21.

The business’ latest acquisitions from HRH Nurseries are in Huntingdon, St Ives, and Girton near Cambridge. Kindred Education, based from Brooklands Court, Kettering, plans further acquisitions throughout the UK.

Ruth Pimentel, CEO of Kindred Education, said: “Santander UK quickly proved invaluable when it came to supporting our growth plans, with its strong expertise in the nursery sector and knowledge of the challenges we would face with acquisitions.

"The bank’s help and guidance are beginning to open many opportunities for us, and we are excited to be growing into a sizable nursery group with Santander UK right beside us.”

The latest acquisitions bolster Kindred Education’s existing portfolio of 18 Kindred Nurseries located in Greater London, Essex, Salisbury and Bournemouth, and extend its geographic reach. The business was founded in 2015 and has a staff of 450 across its nurseries. It aspires to acquire 30 new nurseries in the next five years and expand its staff to 750.

Andy Casey, relationship director at Santander UK, said: “We are delighted to be working with the team at Kindred Education, who have built an excellent brand and reputation in the nurseries sector. We look forward to supporting the business to achieve its aspiration to grow rapidly over the next few years.”