Scottish nursery group celebrates 100 staff milestone

24 September 2015

An independent Scottish nursery group now employs over 100 staff after opening its latest childcare centre with support from Clydesdale Bank.

The Enchanted Forest Nurseries Group opened its newest setting and its first in Glasgow in April. The centre – the chain’s fifth such facility - has created 12 new jobs since it began trading six months ago, bringing to 101 the number of staff employed by the group.

The award-winning group opened the Glasgow centre with the support of a six figure funding package from Clydesdale Bank’s Regional Business and Private Banking Centre in Glasgow. The deal was supported by relationship manager, Peter Burton, who is based at the Glasgow centre.

Husband and wife team, Bernie and Mariessa Devlin – a former primary teacher - founded Enchanted Forest in 2006. In addition to the new Glasgow centre, the group operates a further four centres across the West of Scotland at Erskine, Thornliebank, Inverkip and Greenock. In total, the group cares for 572 families including 50 families at its Robroyston facility.

The new centre, which caters for 81 children aged from six weeks to five years old, is based in the Nova Business Park. A specially adjoined outdoor discovery space is used to encourage active play and learning.

Mariessa Devlin, managing director and co-founding director of Enchanted Forest Nurseries, said: “We are thrilled that we have helped to create over 100 jobs over the last 10 years.

“Our successful expansion is due to our investment in providing the highest possible standards of early learning and childcare. We’re extremely proud of our dedicated staff, high quality facilities and the warm and welcoming atmosphere offered at each of our nurseries.

“Clydesdale Bank has played an important role in helping to us to develop our business. Its knowledgeable team have taken the time to understand the group and what we want to achieve.”

Enchanted Forest has won widespread acclaim for its nurseries with awards from Renfrew Chamber of Commerce, Scottish Nursery Management Awards and Mumsnet. The new nursery was officially opened by the Scottish Government’s Acting Minister for Children and Young People, Fiona McLeod.

Derek Breingan, care sector head at Clydesdale Bank, said: “We welcome the opportunity to work in partnership with Mariessa and Bernie to expand the Enchanted Forest Nurseries group, which is renowned for its high quality childcare and learning environment. It is also extremely rewarding to know that our support is helping to create jobs and boost the local economy by enabling parents to work.

“Our specialist knowledge of and focus on different sectors helps to bring a challenge to the market giving small and medium sized businesses the speed and flexibility they require to achieve their growth ambitions.”