Festivities were well underway across the 44 Childbase Partnership nurseries and Newport Pagnell-based Head Office today as colleagues came together to celebrate EO Day, the UK’s annual celebration of employee ownership.
Childbase Partnership was founded in 1989 and has been 100% Employee-Owned since 2017, making the organisation the first Early Years company to transition in the UK. Every member of the company is a ‘partner’ invested in providing superior care and early years education to each child and tailored support for their families.
To mark this year’s EO Day, celebrations took place across the settings, with teams enjoying picnics, garden parties, wellness initiatives and special treats. As part of the event, members of the senior leadership team spent the day visiting nurseries across the group, joining colleagues and children in the festivities and taking the opportunity to personally thank teams for the vital role they play in delivering exceptional early years education and care.
Founded on the principle that employee wellbeing, engagement and retention is critical to consistently high-quality provision, all partners work under the banner ‘We All Contribute, We All Benefit’. It is the collective efforts of all partners that drives the overall success.
Westwood Day Nursery Practitioner, Matthew Sherwood explained;
“To me, employee ownership gives every one of us a voice and the opportunity to influence decisions. I see first-hand how Childbase Partnership listens to and values ideas from anyone willing to share them. Recently, I became a Partnership Councillor for my nursery, a role I’m passionate about because it allows me to help ensure everyone’s voice is heard and their suggestions are represented.
“I also take part in the Men in Childcare Forum, one of the many colleague forums that Childbase hosts to understand different experiences and ensure we continue to build an inclusive workplace. Every Partner plays an important role in our success, and it’s this collective contribution that helps make Childbase a leader in the sector. Employee ownership is something truly special about our organisation because the benefits of that success are shared by everyone.”
EO Day is celebrated on 19th June 2026.
