About Happy Days Nurseries
Happy Days Nurseries is an Education company based in Newquay (United Kingdom) founded in 1990 by Sarah Karkeek and Robin Karkeek, and was acquired by Livingbridge in June 2012. A regional chain of pre-school childcare centers is operated. Happy Days Nurseries has raised $5.95 million across 4 funding rounds from investors including Livingbridge, Zetland Capital and OakNorth Bank. Happy Days Nurseries has completed 2 acquisitions, including Hollies Pre-school Nursery and Teddybears Nursery. Happy Days Nurseries offers products and services including Childcare Services and Curriculum Programs. Its focus areas include Early Education & Child Care Centres. Its legal entity is Happy Days Nurseries Limited.
Company details
Operator of pre-school center. It is a regional chain of childcare nurseries. It provides children with the oppotunity to learn, experiment, explore, and enjoy and hence helping parents back to work after maternity nbsp.
- Headquarters Newquay, United Kingdom
- Founders Sarah Karkeek, Robin Karkeek
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsEducation
- Email••••••••
- Phone•••• ••••
- Website happydaysnurseries.com
- Social LinkedIn X Facebook Instagram YouTube
- Acquired by Livingbridge (Jun 2012)
- Legal Name Happy Days Nurseries Limited
- Total Equity Funding$5.95M (USD)
in 4 rounds
- Latest Funding Round$39.45M (USD), Debt – Conventional
Nov 2025
- InvestorsLivingbridge
& 2 more
- Investments & AcquisitionsHollies Pre-school Nursery
& 1 more
- Acquired byLivingbridge
(Jun 2012)
Products & Services of Happy Days Nurseries
Happy Days Nurseries offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services, including Childcare Services and Curriculum Programs.
Childcare and early education services are provided for young children, focusing on high standards of care and development
Early years curriculum programs are developed to foster learning and exploration in children, preparing them for future education
Apps and channels of Happy Days Nurseries
its YouTube channel Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools has 49 subscribers and 30 videos.
Videos from Happy Days Nurseries
The most watched videos on Happy Days Nurseries's YouTube channel, Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools (49 subscribers). Click a video to play it here.
More on Happy Days Nurseries & Pre-Schools.
Funding Insights of Happy Days Nurseries
Happy Days Nurseries has successfully raised a total of $5.95M across 4 strategic funding rounds. The most recent funding activity was a Debt – Conventional round of $39.45 million completed in November 2025. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $5.95M
- Total Rounds 4
- Last Round Debt – Conventional — $39.45M
- First Round $5.91M
(Apr 2012)
- Investors Count 3
All 4 funding rounds of Happy Days Nurseries with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | $39.45M | Debt – Conventional | – | – | |
| Oct 2023 | Unspecified | – | – | – | |
| Jul 2022 | $36,005 | Private Equity Round | – | – | |
| Apr 2012 | $5.91M | Private Equity Round | – | – |
3 investors in total: 3 institutional.
Investors in Happy Days Nurseries
Happy Days Nurseries has secured backing from 3 investors, including venture fund and institutional investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Livingbridge, Zetland Capital and OakNorth Bank.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Livingbridge is engaged in mid-market private equity investments. | 1999 | livingbridge.com | UK | |
Flexible capital solutions are offered for complex business situations. | zetlandcapital.com | London, United Kingdom | ||
Commercial bank | oaknorth.co.uk |
Investor details for Happy Days Nurseries
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
- Complete investor list
- Round participation
- Investor portfolios
- Co-investor network
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
People of Happy Days Nurseries
17 people are tracked at Happy Days Nurseries (11 in leadership, 6 in team).
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Sarah Karkeek | Co-Founder | Leadership |
Robin Karkeek | Co-Founder | Leadership |
Fiona Blackwell | Operations Director | Leadership |
Jackie Arthur | Managing Director | Leadership |
Kim Herbert | Managing Director | Leadership |
Marcia Viccars | Merger & Acquisitions Director | Leadership |
Karen D’aguilar | Head Of Sales & Marketing | Leadership |
Jackie Cambridge | Head Of Quality | Leadership |
Kay Howick | Head Of HR | Leadership |
Toni Kilby | CFO | Leadership |
Kevin Higgs | Development Director | Leadership |
Sally Newell | Early Years Operations Manager | Team |
Rebekah Fice-Thomson | Marketing Manager | Team |
Nicola Brookes | Operations Development Manager | Team |
Samantha Richardson | Early Years Operations Manager | Team |
John Cassidy | Talent Acquisition Lead | Team |
Alice Avery | Digital Marketing Executive | Team |
Complete people profiles for Happy Days Nurseries
Full employee and board profiles, team structure, tenure and professional contact details require an active premium plan.
- Full employee list
- Team structure
- Board tenure
- Professional contacts
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Investments & Acquisitions by Happy Days Nurseries
Happy Days Nurseries has strategically engaged in corporate development activities, having acquired 2 companies. Notable acquisitions include Hollies Pre-school Nursery and Teddybears Nursery.
| Company Name | Description | Domain | Location | Founded | Acquired | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Childcare and early education services are provided for young children. | teddybears-nursery.com | Portsmouth, United Kingdom | 0 | Nov 2024 | •••• | |
Childcare and education services are offered for children aged 2-11. | theholliesnursery.org.uk | Chorley, United Kingdom | 1994 | May 2023 | •••• |
Complete acquisition details for Happy Days Nurseries
Acquired stakes, deal sources and the complete acquisition history require an active premium plan.
- Acquired stakes
- Deal sources
- Complete history
- Exports
Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Timeline of Happy Days Nurseries
6 dated milestones of Happy Days Nurseries across 35 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Happy Days Nurseries is founded.
- Funding First funding round of $5.9M.
- Exit Acquired by Livingbridge.
- Acquisition Acquires Hollies Pre-school Nursery.
- Acquisition Acquires Teddybears Nursery.
- Funding Latest funding round, Debt – Conventional, of $39.5M.
Web traffic of Happy Days Nurseries
The website of Happy Days Nurseries (happydaysnurseries.com) receives about 10K visits a month.
- Monthly visits10K
▲ 9.8% vs previous month
Top companies in Early Education & Child Care
3 companies that operate in the same segment as Happy Days Nurseries (Early Education & Child Care) in United Kingdom, ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Provider of childcare and early years education services | 1984 | Burntwood, Staffordshire, United Kingdom | ||||
Kids Planet Nurseries is operated as an award-winning nursery group across the UK. | 2008 | Warrington, England, United Kingdom | USD 21.25 M | USD 42.39 M | 1,446 | |
Provider of childcare services | 2002 | Faringdon, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom |
Unlock complete access to The Company Check
Get unrestricted viewing across everything we track — from companies and brands to investors, funding rounds, acquisitions, financials, and more.
- Unlimited viewing on all profiles Companies, investors, financials, funding, acquisitions & directors
- Full access to every database India & global coverage, advanced filters and rich profile details
- Always-on access from your team account Single premium plan for everything you see on the portal
Frequently Asked Questions about Happy Days Nurseries
Happy Days Nurseries was founded in 1990 and raised its 1st funding round 22 years after it was founded.
Happy Days Nurseries is headquartered in Newquay, United Kingdom. It is registered at Newquay, Cornwall, United Kingdom.
Happy Days Nurseries is a funded company, having raised a total of $5.95M across 4 funding rounds to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Private Equity Round of $5.91M, raised on Apr 2012.
Operator of pre-school center. It is a regional chain of childcare nurseries. It provides children with the oppotunity to learn, experiment, explore, and enjoy and hence helping parents back to work after maternity nbsp.
Happy Days Nurseries offers Childcare Services and Curriculum Programs.
Happy Days Nurseries has made 2 acquisitions, including Hollies Pre-school Nursery, and Teddybears Nursery.
Happy Days Nurseries has 3 investors. Key investors include Livingbridge, Zetland Capital, and OakNorth Bank.
Happy Days Nurseries operates through Happy Days Nurseries Limited.
Yes. Happy Days Nurseries was acquired by Livingbridge in June 2012.