Kate Peach has acquired the lease of the building in Hove she used to work in when she was managing director of the former Early Years Childcare group, and has turned it into 'the most beautiful nursery'.
Each Peach Childcare has been busy over the past ten weeks settling into its impressive Victorian home. The location is ideal - opposite two schools and with a high density of young families in the adjacent streets. Parking might have been a problem but Mrs Peach reports that most families are reaching the nursery either on foot or by bicycle. One of the first challenges was finding a way to store 20 buggies.
With more than 100 PVI settings in Brighton and Hove, competition is intense, but Mrs Peach is confident she has got the profile right. She says she has developed a 'family-centric nursery completely in keeping with the cool, funky feel of the city itself'.
Registered for 76 children, the nursery currently has 32 on its books with more due to start this month. Mrs Peach honed her business skills at the nine-setting, Sussex-based Early Years Childcare, which was bought by Busy Bees at the beginning of 2012. After the acquisition she left and set up the ongoing Peacharno Consulting, while also searching for a site of her own.
Between March and August 2012 she almost completed on three different Sussex sites, but was frustrated when these all fell through.
'Having worked in the Hove property I could see its huge potential and I think I might have given up if this hadn't worked out,' she says. 'Fortunately everything finally came together.'
Mrs Peach's business partner, Julie Smith, was responsible for masterminding the refurbishment, which has cost around £200,000. 'Julie was the one who sat down with the builders and drew up the plans, and she has done an amazing job,' she says.
The entrance and hallway have a very adult feel. 'We don't want to overload our parents' senses with childcare paraphernalia, so this area is very elegant, without a child's coat peg in sight,' says Mrs Peach.
The rooms are bright but simple, benefiting from a lot of light from the large sash windows and amazing views. Meanwhile the outdoors space is being developed by the children themselves,
'In the year that I have been out of a nursery, there has been a big change in the hours requested,' says Mrs Peach. 'Ninety five per cent of our enquiries are for a day, two days or two half-days. The leads which aren't converting are those with very unusual attendance patterns. Meanwhile Mondays and Fridays tend to be quiet.'
The long-term aim is to develop Each Peach into a flourishing group. 'I definitely want to grow,' she says. 'But it would have to be to a manageable size. Eight nurseries would be great - and even 12 might be possible.'
