Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools Expands Its Portfolio With New Acquisitions

Happy Days Nurseries and Pre-Schools is delighted to have been given the opportunity to expand its portfolio further with the acquisition of Toddletown and Mulberry Corner. Toddletown consists of two nurseries located in Godalming and Farnham, with Mulberry Corner located in Chandlers Ford. This represents a strategic acquisition as all of these areas are new to Happy Days and demonstrates its desire to move into new communities outside South West England as part of its ambitious expansion plans.

The Directors and members of the Senior Team at both Toddle Town and Happy Days have had close relationships for a number of years.  The vision and values of all the directors are closely aligned, with a focus on providing inspiring childcare and education, nurturing children to become learners for life, making Happy Days the perfect fit for this group of nurseries. Given the similarities, a catch up between a member of the Toddletown director team and Happy Days’ Marcia Viccars naturally led to an agreement to sell without going to market.

Toddletown was established in Godalming in 2020 with Farnham opening in August 2023. Both nurseries provide an environment that feels like home and where children are free to explore and lead their own play. Their open-ended resources help children with their imagination, self-confidence and problem-solving skills and they focus on helping children with their emotional wellbeing and regulation. With fantastic outdoor spaces full of opportunities for even more learning and play, the children are outdoors in all weather.

Mulberry Corner Nursery has been based in Chandlers Ford for over 30 years, with its location making it an ideal choice for families commuting and for those who live locally. Their long-standing, highly qualified and experienced staff team ensures the children in their care are respected as unique individuals with a learning programme tailored to suit their different needs and interests.

Marcia Viccars, Merger & Acquisitions Director, said, “Having known the outgoing Directors for a number of years, we were delighted to be given this exclusive opportunity as we knew that the nurseries would fit seamlessly into the Happy Days portfolio. It was a privilege and a pleasure to work with the team through this sale process.”

Kim Herbert, Managing Director for Happy Days Nurseries and Pre-Schools stated, “We are thrilled to be growing our portfolio again with this acquisition. Not only have we had the exclusive opportunity to work with the directors whose values and beliefs of providing children with the very best care and education align with our own, it has also allowed us to expand into new areas of the country. The staff team at all three settings will remain in place and we are looking forward to working with them, to continue to provide quality childcare, ensuring all children have the best possible start in life.”

Eamonn O’Connor, spokesperson for the outgoing owners said “We are immensely proud of Toddletown and Mulberry Corner and the impact the nurseries have made in their respective local communities. It has been a privilege to watch so many children flourish under our exceptional nursery teams. Having known key members of the Happy Days team for some time, we are confident that the nurseries will continue to go from strength to strength and impress everyone who works at, attends, or visits the nurseries. We extend our sincere gratitude to our dedicated teams and supportive families for their loyalty and commitment. We would also like to thank the team at Harrison Drury, led by Mark Traynor, who provided valuable legal advice to us on this important transaction”.