Education consultant Kevin Lancaster secures £50,000 start-up loan to create new jobs at his Liverpool nursery Tillymints. Tony McDonough reports

After 30 years working in the education sector Kevin Lancaster acquired a Liverpool nursery in 2022 and has now secured a £50,000 cash injection for the business.

Tillymints Nursery in Fazakerley has already seen an extra three members of stafff taken on thanks to the start up loan from the British Business Bank via GC Business Finance (GCBF).

Kevin began his career as a teacher and now works as an education consultant, travelling around the world to provide training.

He initially had the idea of setting up a nursery around 20 years ago, but it wasn’t until after the pandemic, when his own children had grown up, that he decided it was the perfect time to do it.

Tillymints Nursery stood out to Kevin because of its strong focus on supporting families in the local area. This is something that he wanted to highlight within the nursery, providing support to not only the children but to their families and the local community.

To generate the finance needed to purchase the nursery and run the business, Liverpool City Region Finance Hub recommended the Start Up Loans programme to Kevin.

Since receiving the loan Kevin has also been able to improve the building’s facilities and decorate the nursery. He hopes to expand further by adding a temporary building to the current nursery, increasing the number of children that the team can provide care for.

“I’d wanted to set up a nursery for a long time, so it is great to now see the growth Tillymints has achieved in just two years,” said Kevin. “We are already operating at full capacity and are looking to expand even further.

Alex Mearns, head of Start-up lending at GCBF, added: “It was great to work with Kevin and Liverpool City Region Finance Hub to get this Start Up Loan application completed swiftly and smoothly.

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“The business has already achieved amazing growth since securing the loan, expanding the team and looking to grow its facilities.

“Tillymints proves that it’s never too late to make a great idea a reality. It has a bright future ahead of it and I look forward to seeing the continued success Kevin and the team will have in the future.”