Lichfield MP Sir Michael Fabricant visited the newest Busy Bees to catch up on how the company has grown from its roots in the city to be one of the biggest childcare providers in the world.
Mr Fabricant was welcomed by Busy Bees co-founder Marg Randles who introduced him to the Lichfield centre team, led by Kelly Allington, and the children who benefit from high quality early years education at the Birmingham Road site.
After the tour of the centre, he said: “It was a delight to visit the new nursery of Busy Bees and meet the staff and children. Everyone seemed so happy!
“I was particularly pleased to meet up with Marg Randles again to celebrate Busy Bees’ 40th Anniversary and their founding in Lichfield. I am very proud that such a marvellous enterprise – spread over four continents – originally started in our Cathedral city. I wish them all the best for their next 40 years!”
From its 1983 beginnings in Lichfield, Busy Bees has become a worldwide success story. The company now cares for almost 70,000 children every day across 10 countries – the UK, Ireland, Italy, Canada, USA, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand.?
Marg Randles said: “It was our pleasure to host the visit by Sir Michael, who has always shown an interest in the Busy Bees story and how we ensure all our children get the best start in life.
“Our Lichfield centre represents a ‘coming home’ for Busy Bees, as our very first nursery was in the city. Whilst we are now one of the world’s largest childcare providers, our values have remained the same, to provide children with the highest quality early years care and education.”
The flagship Lichfield nursery has been carefully designed to include environmentally sensitive features such as solar panels and ‘living walls’, creating a setting focused on the health and wellbeing of up to 110 local babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers.
The centre features bright and spacious rooms, with lots of room for children to play and explore including creative play areas, large outdoor spaces, a living nature wall, and bespoke furniture. It was developed to the highest possible environmental and sustainability standards and creates a blueprint for all future new Busy Bees nurseries in a child and parent-friendly facility.
The nursery has also created 40 new jobs for local childcare professionals and apprentices.