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2025 is an exciting year for Banana Moon, as we’re celebrating 15 years of franchising!

As a trusted nursery franchise, we’ve been building a legacy of learning, community and opportunity since 2010. We’ve helped passionate entrepreneurs transform their love for childcare into thriving businesses, and are proud to have a growing network of dedicated franchisees shaping the future of our next generation.

Now, as we mark this milestone, we’re taking a moment to reflect on our success and why we continue to thrive in a competitive market.

Stay tuned – over the course of this special year, we’ll be sharing 15 brand promises that have shaped our journey. From our people to our proven framework, community ties and family feel – it’s everything that makes us who we are.

So, whether you’re dreaming of starting your own Banana Moon franchise or are simply curious about our story, revisit this page to discover what sets us apart – and why this could be your year to make a difference.

Supporting little hearts to have brighter futures

We’re extremely proud of our Little Hearts, Bright Futures initiative, where we installed a life-saving defibrillator in each of our 50+ nurseries, supporting the children, teams and local areas. This lifesaving equipment will help us to ensure our children have the best chance of a bright future, no matter what life throws at us.

The initiative was driven by a deep sense of responsibility. As well as reassuring parents that their little ones are in the best possible care in our nursery settings, it positively benefits franchisees by cementing our commitment to best practice in the childcare industry. We were recently awarded the Natalia Shvarts QFP Community Builder of the Year Award at the Elite Franchise Awards, for our positive community impact.

Here’s to little hearts and bright futures!

15 years of a successful franchise framework

We firmly believe being part of an established franchise can be one of the safest and most reliable ways to own your own business. We’ve spent years perfecting our business model and, when followed, franchisees are able to reap the benefits. Indeed, we’ve seen first-hand how dedication to the proven franchise system leads to success.

And the proof is in the pudding – we’re delighted to be recognised in the Top 20 Large Nursery Groups in the daynurseries.co.uk awards for the second year in a row.

Feeling part of a family

What sets Banana Moon apart from other childcare franchises is our deep-rooted family ethos.

We’re proud to have three generations of directors: our MD and Founder, Mark; his father and our Chairman and Founder, Mike; and Mark’s nephew (Mike’s grandson) and Director, Josh. Together, they’re dedicated to the same mission: to become The Most Loved nursery group and franchise.

Our journey began when Mark struggled to find quality childcare. He and Mike quickly realised that families everywhere faced the same challenge. That light-bulb moment sparked them to co-found Banana Moon and open their first nursery – a local business that soon evolved into a vision for something much greater: a national franchise network.

“Continuing to grow the family legacy fills me with great pride as it represents not only honouring the hard work and dedication that built this business, but also ensuring that its values, vision and impact continue to thrive for future generations.”
– Mike Bates, Chairman

Our directors play a key role in driving the business forward, ensuring our franchisees receive expert support. And being family means open and transparent conversations, while sharing a common vision for Banana Moon’s future!

Find out more about our directors individual Banana Moon stories.

Mike's story Mark's story Josh's story

Shaping the future of our next generation

The first years of a child’s life are magical – no two days are the same, as they develop at the fastest rate of their lifetimes! We’re excited by this and have designed Our Early Learning and Development Programme (ELDP) to support these unique developmental journeys.

Here’s how our ELDP contributes to our mission to create a world of memories and inspire a generation, and why it sets our franchisees apart!

Growing together as a franchise

Did you know that more of our franchisees own multiple nurseries, compared to those with a single unit? What’s more, several are moving on to their fourth and fifth territories – something that’s rare in nursery franchising!

This growth shows just how passionate our franchisees are about our mission to inspire a generation, as well as how we’re supporting them in scaling their nurseries for success.

Here, our Director and Founder Mark talks to Susie Glenister, who was of our first franchisee in 2010. Together, they reminisce about the last 15 years, which have seen Susie open multiple units, and discuss what our brand promise ’15 years of growing together as a franchise’ means to her.