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Mr Woodward received the honour at an award’s ceremony at Symphony Hall in Birmingham on Monday (24 February) in recognition of his ‘major’ contribution to the nursery and early years sector.
John Woodward, who started his career as a PE and maths teacher, set up Busy Bees over 30 years ago with Lynn Woodward and their friends Margaret Randles and David Thackery.
Unable to find flexible, high-quality daycare for their children, the three families sold their homes and moved in to a property in Staffordshire, turning the ground floor into their first nursery. The setting, known as "The Rocklands", was opened in March 1984.
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