We are delighted to have secured investment from Social Investment Scotland’s Growth Challenge Fund. This was the final piece in the jigsaw that will see us build phase one of our outdoor nursery development. In, total we have secured a funding package of £725,000, this includes a £225,000 loan funding from Social Investment Scotland (SIS) matched by a £225,000 grant from the SIS Growth Challenge, with the remainder comprising patient capital from Willow Den’s founder, Inspiring Scotland, and a pool of private investors. The support we have received has been remarkable.
Funding the outdoor movement
Willow Den CEO Deborah Grant, stated: “With funded childcare hours doubling from August, and Covid-19 continuing to impact children’s health and wellbeing, there is growing demand for increased access to outdoor nurseries across Scotland. Our aim is to help to meet this demand and support the wider outdoor learning movement to gain traction by increasing the number of outdoor early learning and childcare nurseries across the country.”
What next? Well, we have the plan, we have the passion and now we have the funding. Watch this space as we expand the Willow Den team in the weeks ahead and get ready to open our very first outdoor nursery, Willow Den at Spartans in Edinburgh.
Get the tools out folks!
