A TAMESIDE childcare company which specialises in supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities has seen an increase in demand.
The Sunflower Childcare Group operates two nurseries in Stalybridge and Hyde, offering childcare to families across Tameside.
With over 250 children across both sites, the early-years education provider has reported a 25 per cent rise in admissions and the expansion of its waiting list for 2026.
It follows the development of its leadership team and business strategy through the Small Business Charter’s Help to Grow: Management Course.
Sunflower was founded in 2014 by Elaine Sagar – who won an award recently for signing the company up to a pledge to adopt healthier habits when it comes to travelling to work.
Operations director Dawn Gibbons joined soon after and she was recently encouraged by Elaine to develop her business skills by enrolling on the 12-week course, delivered by Manchester Metropolitan University Business School.
The course enabled Dawn to create and lead on a strategy tailored to Sunflower’s specific needs, leading to ‘significant growth’ and a ‘clearer direction for future expansion’.
She has reconfigured the nursery on Victoria Street in Hyde to maximise capacity and add a forest school, as well as holding workshops with staff and parents to revise a set of core values integrated into the company’s operations.
“The Help to Grow Management Course taught me how to shift from working in the business to truly working on it,” said Dawn.
“I realised I didn’t need to set aside my childcare experience to become more business-focused; instead I could combine both perspectives to strengthen my role. This new confidence has had a positive ripple effect across the whole business.”
For Elaine, the course has delivered everything she hoped.
“Sunflower Group is run like a family business,” the founder explained. “When I decided I wanted to take a step back from some of the operational detail, it was really important to me that I upskilled the management team so that I could invest my time in other projects without worrying what was happening.
“In Dawn, I’ve now got somebody running my company who thinks like a business owner, providing the best care possible for the children while ensuring Sunflower is performing well enough to invest in our people and the nursery.”
Business leaders can find out more about the Help to Grow: Management Course and sign up for the course in their area by visiting www.smallbusinesscharter.org/help-to-grow-management