Marcia Viccars to Join Industry Panel for Christie & Co’s Childcare Market Insight Webinar

We are delighted to share that Marcia Viccars, Mergers and Acquisitions Director at Happy Days Nurseries, will be joining the expert panel for Christie & Co’s Childcare Market Insight 2025 webinar on Wednesday 10th July.

Hosted by Courteney Donaldson and Nick Brown of Christie & Co, the session will bring together industry leaders including Jordan Tully (Toots Nurseries) and Marcia Viccars to reflect on key developments in the UK childcare business market during the first half of 2025. The discussion will explore how nursery owners, buyers, and investors are responding to current challenges and opportunities, and what trends may shape the sector in the months ahead.

With over 20 years of leadership experience in the childcare sector, Marcia brings a wealth of expertise in operational growth, acquisitions, and driving quality outcomes for children. Her passion for high-quality, sustainable childcare will bring valuable insight to this important conversation.

📅 Webinar: Wednesday 10th July 2025
📍 Register & Join via Facebook or LinkedIn:

• Facebook Event
• LinkedIn Post

Join us for what promises to be an informative and forward-thinking session on the future of the childcare business sector.

Happy Days Saltford Launches Community Food Swap Shop

Happy Days Nursery Saltford has launched a brand-new Food Swap Shop — a simple but powerful idea to help reduce food waste and support families and staff.
The concept is straightforward: if you have any unopened, in-date food items at home that you no longer need, you can pop them on the Food Swap shelf at the nursery. Likewise, if you spot something on the shelf that you’d like, you’re welcome to take it — no questions asked.

Nursery Manager Jay explains:
“Let’s prevent good food going to waste and share what we have. The shelf is open for everyone to use.”

The initiative reflects the nursery’s community spirit and commitment to sustainability. It’s not only about reducing food waste, but also about creating a supportive environment where families can help one another in small, meaningful ways.

The Food Swap Shop is now open and ready to use — just inside the nursery entrance. Whether you’re dropping off something or picking up a little something extra, every small act helps make a difference.

Happy Days Droitwich Awarded Eco-Schools Distinction for Sustainability Excellence

We are thrilled to announce that Happy Days Droitwich has been awarded a Distinction by the Eco-Schools programme, recognising our outstanding commitment to sustainability and environmental education.

In their official feedback, Eco-Schools highlighted our greatest success: engaging children in exciting energy experiments — such as making clocks work with lemons and batteries — which encouraged curiosity and taught valuable lessons about renewable energy.

The team were particularly impressed with how we included children of all ages, even those aged 0–2, in our eco-activities. From exploring garden books and planting seeds to getting hands-on in our nursery grounds, every child had the chance to connect with nature in a meaningful way.

Our energy-saving practices and themed days — including Soil Day, Bee Day, Turtle Day, Wildlife Week, and Butterfly Education Day — were also recognised as inspirational ways of deepening children’s understanding of environmental issues.

Eco-Schools wrote:
“The positive impact of your efforts is evident in the children’s increased knowledge and enthusiasm for protecting the environment, setting them on a path to becoming responsible Eco-citizens.”

We are incredibly proud of our children, families, and the entire nursery team for their dedication to making sustainability a part of everyday learning. This award is a celebration of everything we do together to build a brighter, greener future. 🌍

At Happy Days Nursery in Charlton Heights, Patchway, we believe every child deserves a warm and welcoming space to feel safe, calm, and supported. That’s why we’re excited to unveil our brand-new cosy/regulation space – designed especially for our little learners to take a break, relax, and regulate their emotions.

This peaceful corner features soft furnishings, tactile cushions, and calming natural textures – all thoughtfully arranged to promote comfort and emotional well-being. Whether children need a moment of quiet reflection or simply a cosy place to unwind, this new area is here to support their needs.

We warmly invite families to come in and take a closer look. See how our environment is carefully tailored to support not only learning, but the emotional growth of every child.

Come and explore the comfort for yourself – we’d love to show you around!.

Happy Days Truro City Celebrates Green Tree School Gold Award!

Happy Days Truro City is thrilled to announce that we’ve been awarded the Green Tree School Gold Award by the Woodland Trust, recognising our commitment to outdoor learning, sustainability, and helping children connect with the natural world.

As part of the award programme, our children have taken part in a wide range of nature-based activities — from creating beautiful nature-inspired art to enjoying outdoor adventures and even going on woodland walks with their families at weekends. These experiences have encouraged a deeper appreciation for the environment while supporting learning through creativity, exploration, and teamwork.

Emily Marsh, Nursery Manager at Truro City, said:
“The children have absolutely loved being involved in this journey. It’s been such a fun and inspiring way for them to engage with nature, and the enthusiasm they’ve shown has been amazing. We’re incredibly proud of what they’ve achieved — and we’re already excited to work towards the next stage.”

The Green Tree Schools Award, run by the Woodland Trust, encourages schools and early years settings to get involved in outdoor learning, tree-related activities, and sustainability projects. Earning the Gold Award is a significant milestone, and we’re excited to keep growing our environmental learning journey even further.

Congratulations to all of the children, families, and team members who have contributed to this fantastic achievement! 🌳🌿✨

🌈 Rainbow Run 2025 Raises £100,000 for CHSW – And Happy Days Was Proud to Be Part of It! 🌟

On Saturday, colour, joy, and community spirit took centre stage at Rainbow Run 2025, held at RAF St Mawgan and we were thrilled to once again take part in this unforgettable day in support of Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW).

Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools proudly sponsored the Yellow Paint Station for the seventh year running, helping bring sunshine (in paint form!) to the course. This vibrant, high-energy event saw hundreds of participants run, walk, skip, and dance their way through a rainbow of paint to raise funds for a truly incredible cause.

💛 And the total? An amazing £100,000 raised—every single penny of which goes directly towards providing care, support, and respite for children with life-limiting conditions and their families across the South West.

But our involvement didn’t stop with the paint-throwing! We also ran the Happy Days stand in the event village, offering £1 rainbow face paints to help boost the day’s fundraising even further. It was a brilliant way to connect with families, spread cheer, and add even more colour to the atmosphere before the run began.

Once the event was underway, the Happy Days team headed to our Yellow Paint Station, where we had a blast covering runners in a cloud of sunshine yellow. It wasn’t just about raising money—it was a joyful, bonding experience for our staff, who threw paint, laughed together, and celebrated the spirit of giving back.

“It’s always such a special day,” said Alice Avery, Digital Marketing Executive at Happy Days. “We were honoured to sponsor the Yellow Station again and bring extra colour and energy to the course. The team had such a fun time, and seeing the total fundraising figure just makes it even more meaningful.”

A massive congratulations to the CHSW team for organising yet another phenomenal event, to the fellow sponsors who helped make the day possible, and to every runner, donor, and volunteer who played a part in making Rainbow Run 2025 such a huge success.

We’re proud to continue supporting CHSW through events like this and throughout the year—and we can’t wait for next time!

👉 Donate to our fundraising page today: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/happy-days-nurseries
Let’s make this year the most colourful, impactful year yet for Rainbow Run!

Teddy Bears Nursery School in Portsmouth is helping to inspire a love of stories in their local community – one book at a time!

As part of a fun new community initiative, the nursery team has been leaving books in public places around Portsmouth for children and families to discover, enjoy, and share. Each book comes with a message encouraging families to read together and then pass the story along to someone else.

“We wanted to do something simple but meaningful that would help connect children and families through reading,” said a member of the Teddy Bears team. “There’s something really special about finding a book when you’re not expecting it – it can spark curiosity and joy, and that’s exactly what we’re all about.”

Located on Southampton Road, North Harbour, Teddy Bears Nursery is proud to be part of Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools, offering high-quality early years education in a warm, safe, and inclusive environment. With a strong focus on child development, literacy, and community engagement, the nursery team is always looking for new ways to extend learning beyond the classroom.

Keep an eye out around Portsmouth – you might just stumble upon a story waiting to be read!

📍 Teddy Bears Nursery School, 232 Southampton Road, North Harbour, Portsmouth, PO6 4QD
📞 023 9238 5005
📧 teddybears.nursery@happydaysnurseries.com

Happy Days Nursery in Falmouth has officially reopened its doors following a major refurbishment, unveiling a fresh new look, extended facilities, and upgraded resources throughout. The transformation was marked with a vibrant “Happy Fest” music-themed open day, despite heavy rain and thunder!

The refurbished nursery was officially opened by the Mayor of Falmouth, Councillor Alan Jewell, who enjoyed a guided tour of the upgraded setting, led by Nursery Manager Kate Bower. Visitors explored the many enhancements, including new flooring, state-of-the-art educational resources, an extended Under 3’s area (including the Baby Unit and Discoverers Room), and a brand new staff cabin designed to support the growing nursery team.

The event welcomed both new and existing families, who braved the weather to join in a fun-filled day of activities. From face painting and a candyfloss machine to Sing and Sign sessions and children’s yoga, the nursery was alive with music, movement, and celebration.

“This refurbishment marks an exciting new chapter for our nursery,” said Kate Bower. “It was wonderful to see so many families come together to celebrate – even the rain couldn’t dampen the fun!”

With the government’s expanded childcare funding rolling out this year, Happy Days Nursery in Falmouth is encouraging families to register now, as September places are filling up quickly.

A Bittersweet Goodbye as Thornbury Children Graduate and Get Ready for School

Last week, Happy Days Nursery Thornbury held its annual Preschool Graduation – a heartfelt celebration marking the end of an incredible journey and the beginning of an exciting new chapter for our school leavers.

While saying goodbye is always bittersweet, the ceremony was filled with pride, joy and reflection on how far each child has come. Surrounded by families, the children were presented with certificates to mark the completion of our Journey to a Positive Transition to School programme – a carefully designed roadmap that supports children in becoming school-ready, confident, and curious learners.

Jamilla, Apprentice at Thornbury, shared: “Graduation was really beautiful. It was lovely to have all of our preschoolers and parents together to celebrate them taking a really big step to school.”

Our Journey to a Positive Transition to School is a 16-week programme that prepares children emotionally, socially and developmentally for starting school. Using a tailored roadmap, each child works through key milestones, supported by their Key Person, daily routines, and our bespoke curriculum. Each step is carefully observed and celebrated, with weekly activity cards sent home to engage parents in the process.

Throughout the journey, parents contribute to their child’s development with “Special Memories and Achievements at Home” sheets, strengthening the partnership between nursery and home life. The programme culminates in the Graduation Ceremony – not only a celebration of achievements, but a confident send-off for each child as they begin school life independent, resilient and ready to learn.

Congratulations to all our graduates at Thornbury – we are so proud of you, and we’ll miss you! Wishing you all the best as you take your next big step. 🌟🎓

Water Babies at Summercourt Join Our Summer Open Day!

We’re excited to announce that Water Babies at Summercourt will be joining us at our Summer Open Day at Happy Days Nursery & Pre-School Summercourt — and you’re warmly invited to come along, explore our setting, and meet the team!

Water Babies are the UK’s leading baby and toddler swim school, passionate about helping children learn to swim safely from birth. Their fun, structured lessons teach children how to float, hold the poolside, move to safety, and gain confidence in and around water — all while having fun and bonding with their grown-ups.

Drowning sadly remains one of the leading causes of accidental death in young children. In 2024, the Royal Life Saving Society UK reported that one child under five drowns every month at home in England — a figure that has doubled over the past four years. But drowning is preventable, and that’s why Water Babies believe that water safety education should begin early — starting at home, then in lessons with qualified professionals.

At Water Babies, every teacher is trained in the National Rescue Award for Swimming Teachers and Coaches. They’re not only experts in safety and swimming techniques, but also warm, encouraging, and passionate about helping families. As one teacher shared:
“It’s not just about teaching swimming; it’s about building trust, confidence, and connections. Watching children grow, learn life-saving skills, and become confident in the water is an experience that fills my heart every day.”

If you’ve ever considered swim lessons for your child or want to know how to support water confidence at home (even during bath time!), don’t miss the chance to speak with the team from Water Babies at Summercourt. They’ll be on hand during the event to offer advice, answer questions, and share simple ways you can support your child’s safety around water from day one.

We can’t wait to welcome you to our Open Day — and we’re delighted to have Water Babies at Summercourt joining us as we celebrate learning, safety, and fun.