Family Adventures Group secures £5m for South West expansion
Family Adventures Group, which runs children’s leisure venues and day nurseries across the South West and West Midlands, has secured a £5 million investment from Foresight Group.
Founded in Bristol by husband-and-wife team Tom and Laura Filer, the group operates a hub and spoke model.
Its nurseries in Cheddar, Worle, Weston-Super-Mare, Bridgwater, Taunton and Dudley are thereby supported by two leisure sites, Ocean Adventurers in Cheddar and Space Adventurers in Taunton.
And with a third site due to launch in Weston-Super-Mare this spring, the investment from Foresight will help the founders further extend their reach.
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Tom, group CEO, said: “We’re proud of the growth we have been able to achieve since starting in 2019, creating high-quality childcare and leisure venues.
“The whole team is delighted to have investment from Foresight into our company to allow us to turbocharge our growth.
“From the moment we met with their team, we knew they were the perfect partner due to the shared values we have around ESG and growing with purpose.
“We couldn’t be more delighted to be working with Foresight Group.”
As part of the investment, Jennifer Taylor has been appointed CFO of Family Adventures Group, while Ann Elliott has been named chair.
Jennifer joins the business from iQ Student Accommodation and Pearson Plc and Anna brings extensive experience in the hospitality industry, having sat on the boards of Pizzza Hut and Beefeater.
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The Foresight-backed expansion plans are expected to see Family Adventures Group create up to 140 skilled jobs a year, as well as help to meet growing demand in the South West and Midlands for early years childcare.
Nick Mettyear, senior investment manager at Foresight Group, added: “Tom and Laura have created an exciting business model that shows real potential for growth.
“The team are targeting areas where there has been a chronic shortage of quality early years education options and will provide an excellent alternative to parents.
“The imaginative playscapes in the leisure sites will also bring a new approach to educational and interactive play which will be enjoyable for all children from 2 to 12.
“Foresight is looking forward to supporting Tom and Laura on this journey.”
Family Adventures Group was advised on the investment by Evelyn Partners (corporate finance) and Michelmores (legal). Foresight was advised by PKF Francis Clarke (financial), Shoosmiths (legal), Confidas (management), Vista (insurance), KryptoKloud (cyber) and Whitecap Consulting (commercial).
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