Child nursery group with two facilities in Glasgow area changes hands

A Scottish childcare nursery group has changed hands following the owners’ decision to retire.

Children’s Hour comprises two well-established nurseries - Children’s Hour Nursery which is registered for 30 children aged six weeks to five years, and Abbey Nursery Houston, registered for 92 children within the same age range.

Children’s Hour Nursery is located in Clydebank while Abbey Nursery is situated in the village of Houston, Renfrewshire.

The group has been owned by Kevin and Trudy Johnson since 2008. They recently decided to sell to pursue a retirement plan.

Following a confidential sales process, the business has been sold to ICP Education, a new entrant to the Scottish market.

The sale was handled by Rosie Adlem and Martin Daw from specialist business property adviser Christie & Co. The sale price has not been disclosed.

Daw said: “It was a genuine pleasure working on behalf of Kevin and Trudy. Their passion for childcare was obvious to children, staff and parents.

“Having sold them Abbey Nursery back in 2009, it was great to have the opportunity to see the improvements and growth in the nursery and to help them get a return for their hard work over the years.”

Children’s Hour comprises two well-established nurseries - Children’s Hour Nursery which is registered for 30 children aged six weeks to five years, and Abbey Nursery Houston, registered for 92 children within the same age range.

Speaking on behalf of ICP Education, mergers and acquisitions director Kirsty Ibbott said: “Trudy and Kevin have established nurseries with a strong reputation for providing excellent care and early years education. We look forward to building on this reputation whilst supporting the current teams for a seamless integration and to ensure that, like all our nurseries, we will maintain their local identity in the community.”