The nursery chain, listed as the UK's seventh largest in this summer's issue of Nursery Chains, is now operating the 62-place Eldonians nursery in Liverpool, in partnership with the community development charity the Eldonian Trust. Earlier this month, it opened a new purpose-built facility in Crewe, Cheshire, offering 144 places, and is about to open the Fig Tree nursery in a converted Victorian chapel at St Pancras Hospital in London, the sixth NHS facility operated by Kidsunlimited and its second for Camden Primary Care Trust.
Last year Kidsunlimited appointed Chris Wistanley as managing director. He has introduced a regional structure into the company to enable a significant expansion programme to occur.
Chairman Graham Smith and finance director Steve Chalmers-Morris have secured 900,000 of additional funding from venture capitalists Isis to back the expansion, and have moved the company's existing debt of 1.5m to Bank of Scotland, which has made available an 8.75m undrawn loan facility.
