Kindred
Kindred Nurseries named Nursery Operator of the Year 2025
Kindred Nurseries has been named Nursery Operator of the Year 2025 at the prestigious EducationInvestor Awards. This recognition reflects the group’s commitment to purposeful growth, unwavering quality, and placing children, families, and team members at the heart of every decision.
“This is a celebration of our incredible teams, whose passion and care define everything we do. We grow together, with intention, integrity, and heart.” – Ruth Pimentel, CEO
The past three years have marked an exciting period of expansion for Kindred, with the group doubling in size. With a clear mission and a deep sense of purpose, it has welcomed some exciting new nurseries into its growing family and now proudly supports children and families across 50 settings in England. A shared ambition guides every setting: to create inspiring worlds full of awe and wonder where children thrive, families feel part of the Kindred village, and teams feel empowered and valued.
A significant milestone in Kindred’s journey came in December 2024, when Livingbridge joined existing investor Unigestion to support the next phase of the group’s growth. This strategic investment marked the start of an exciting new chapter. It enables Kindred to expand its reach and impact across the UK while continuing to deliver sector-leading care and education.
With a strong track record in scaling high-quality, education-focused businesses, Livingbridge brings more than financial backing. They offer deep sector expertise and strategic insight. Their support is helping to accelerate Kindred’s next ambition: to grow to over 100 nurseries across the UK. As always, the group remains focused on growing with care and intention, making sure every new setting is firmly rooted in the same values of quality, community, and child-led learning.
The past year has brought some significant recognition for Kindred’s approach. The group was named Winner of the NMT Parent Engagement Award 2024 and is a proud finalist in the Nursery World Awards 2025 in the Working with Parents category. It was also named a Top 20 Nursery Group 2025 by daynurseries.co.uk for the seventh year running. As this particular honour is based entirely on feedback from families, it is one the team is especially proud of. Kindred is also the first nursery group ever to be named Nursery Group of the Year by both the Nursery World Awards and NMT Awards in the same year, a unique achievement in the sector.
At the heart of it all are the children: kind, curious, confident learners who are supported to believe in themselves and their potential, and the families who value the strong sense of belonging and support Kindred is known for. As Kindred looks to the future, it remains driven by its core belief that when you grow together with care and intention, you can build something truly special.