Tick Tocks Day Nursery, Axminster

Ticks Tocks Day Nursery had a great business, but its future was limited by unsuitable premises. Axminster Property identified a site, designed and then created a striking building over two floors where the accent is on colour and fun in a safe and inspiring environment.

There is also an outdoor play area and a café where parents can relax over a bite to eat and a drink.

Lynn and Alison opened Tick Tocks Day Nursery in Axminster in 2005, though they had been offering childcare facilities locally since 2002. With their wealth of experience and knowledge, they provide day care for 0-6 year-olds in a nurturing, home-from-home, environment.

Their main aim is to create a happy, caring and secure atmosphere where children can learn and develop to their own full potential through play and structured activities. Fun with safety, both indoors and outdoors, is at the heart of everything they do.

Whilst Lynn and Alison had the support of a long-standing and experienced team of childcare professionals around them, the ongoing success of the nursery was hampered by two things. The demand for places was outstripping the capacity of their premises in an unsuitable bungalow on a residential street where security and compliance were difficult.

What was needed was a fun, bright, attractive purpose-built building in a secure location with all the space and facilities parents expect from a child care provider. In addition, Lynn and Alison wanted to complement any new premises with a Play Cafe where children could safely enjoy soft play whilst their parents relaxed with a drink and a bite to eat.

From the outset, and at every stage thereafter, Axminster Property worked with Lynn and Alison to produce a building that would meet their demands and enable their business to flourish.

First up was the location – a site on the Millwey Rise Industrial Estate (who would have thought – a nursery and a cafe could find a home within an industrial estate). The land is owned by a local pension fund, the members of which were also prepared to fund the new build as a long term investment.

Working with associated professionals, Axminster Property designed a building that was not only fit for purpose but was also of a very unique and striking design. Utilising latest building materials and techniques, the vision of an iconic, attractive and fun premises was realised. Over two floors, the new nursery offers light and bright rooms for varying age groups, a sensory room, sleeping quarters and kitchen facilities along with administration offices and staff rooms. Outside is a secure area with purpose flooring, bi-fold doors and canopies, enabling all-year-round outdoor play, whatever the weather.

A separate building alongside the nursery is home to the Play Cafe, built in a design which complements the nursery and with plenty of parking and safe drop-off and pick-up points.

The verdict

Tick Tocks Day Nursery is about the people who provide the care but it is also about the environment in which that care is given. With its new nursery, Tick Tocks is not only able to continue to provide its children with a nurturing and fun environment; it is also able to secure the future of its business for the long-term benefit of its team and clients.

The number of places has doubled and the cafe alongside enables prospective parents to see first-hand the care ethos which Lynn and Alison advocate. In their own words: “We wouldn’t be in business today if we hadn’t had the support we have received from Axminster Property – the transition to this building would not have been possible. It’s been an incredible journey and we are so proud of where we are today in our beautiful purpose-built building. Who says dreams don’t come true!”

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