About Cbabiesafe

Cbabiesafe the story

Being a working mum it was important for me to get a balance of multiple roles – but overall I wanted my daughter to be safe whilst I was working. I was unable to find a nursery that I liked and trusted so became a nanny (or child minder).Whilst nannying I was always dropping off children to various schools and playgroups and I soon realised the huge demand for 0-3’s nurseries that no-one was catering for. I decided to open a nursery and the first Cbabiesafe nursery opened in 2002 nearly 10 years after I started nannying.

One night after thinking about this for weeks, I literally dreamt I had a nursery with camera's that parents could check their little ones were safe on, I woke up that morning and told myself that if I didn't do this someone else would! I had no money and being a single Mum on income support didn't have much enthusiasm from the banks, but I did own my own flat that had collateral in. To cut a very long story short, I bought 64 Palmeira Avenue and moved in with Mia, then 9, with £80 in my pocket! And so it started…

I met Jan Young, from Sussex Accountancy Services, and told her of my wonderful new business idea and my problems of knowing it would succeed but not having an income. She suggested having foreign students, and introduced me to a bank manager that had a heart! He saw the potential in my webcam nursery and the idea to transform the cellars, now the lower ground floor of the nursery into a 4 bedroom apartment.

After a year of trying to get the webcam idea off the ground Cbabiesafe opened its doors. My friend introduced me to Sara whom had been a nursery nurse, she became a lodger, an employee and now she has left to become a midwife she is still a very good friend. We had 1 child whose Mum heard about me from another friend of mine, and he had all the attention of the 2 of us until the 2nd and the 3rd!! Parents started asking me if we would be able to cover up to age 5, so we did.

My vision was for a nursery that catered for parents that worked – we offered extended hours, were open 51 weeks a year, had the webcams, introduced language classes and much more. The webcams proved a success with people whom travelled and checking their little ones from as far as Australia!

The word spread, the business took off, and I won an award that my bank manager put me up for - the Natwest every woman award for a woman entrepreneur "inspirational woman of the year". The award was to recognise a woman that had to break down barriers and overcome tremendous challenges in business. I had a party at 11 Downing Street and dinner with Gordon Brown at the houses of Parliament!

The nursery has grown and grown, and many nurseries have followed the ideas of Cbabiesafe from the camera's to the classes, food, extended hours etc., we are now open Saturdays and go up to age 8, no doubt they will all follow suit, but Cbabiesafe has always been at the forefront of new ideas and different ways of a traditional nursery.

I opened the Worthing nursery in 2006, the same year my 2nd daughter Evie was born. In 2008 I opened a baby scanning clinic that was in the nursery, but due to the need for more nursery space, and the extra work, I sold Cbabiesafe Scans to a lovely local business called Clinic Nine.

I am hugely passionate about Cbabiesafe, may I point out that Cbeebies came 6 months after I thought up the name Cbabiesafe, it was great for business as people used to say are you anything to do with Cbeebies? I love my business and do everything possible to keep it up to date and fully resourced and if you are not already asleep, would love you to read our latest Ofsted report that agrees with what I think.

It has been lovely reminiscing over the last 10 years hard work! but so worth it, I hope you will agree, and if there is anything you ever need to discuss my staff and I are always here to help.

Many thanks
Philippa Stephen-Martin