Margaret Mason OBE receives Lifetime Achievement Award at the Nursery World Awards

We’re proud to share that our founder, Margaret Mason OBE, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s Nursery World Awards, recognising her remarkable contribution to early years education over more than 70 years.

Margaret’s story began here in Derbyshire. In 1988, she founded Children 1st Day Nurseries in Long Eaton with a simple vision – to create a place where children could feel happy, safe and inspired to learn.

From that one nursery, she went on to build one of the UK’s most respected nursery groups, educating and caring for thousands of children and employing hundreds of people across Derbyshire and beyond.

Many of her nurseries went on to achieve Ofsted Outstanding ratings, reflecting the high standards and values that have guided her work throughout her career.

Alongside running her nurseries, Margaret also played an important role in improving quality across the wider early years sector. She became the first Chair of the National Day Nurseries Association, helping to raise professional standards and give a national voice to childcare providers.

Her lifelong dedication to children and families was recognised in 2017, when she was awarded an OBE for Services to Education.

Last year, Margaret sold the Children 1st group to national nursery provider Storal, ensuring the future of the nurseries she created. She has retained Maggie’s Day Nursery and Forest School in Breadsall, which continues her child-centred approach to early years education.

Maggie’s is also home to the Margaret Mason OBE Children 1st Trust, a charity set up to support vulnerable children and families across Derbyshire. The Trust helps provide essentials and emergency childcare to families experiencing hardship, ensuring that every child can access care and learning when they need it most.

The award was presented by Neil Leitch, Chief Executive of the Early Years Alliance, who described Margaret as having “a life dedicated to making the lives of others better – and that is a true lifetime achievement.”

Reflecting on the award, Margaret said:

“I am honoured to have received this award and feel so proud of what we’ve achieved. This award isn’t just mine – it belongs to every member of our team, past and present, who has shared that same passion for giving children the very best start in life.

When I opened my first nursery, I just wanted to create a place where children could feel happy, safe and inspired to learn. I never imagined it would grow the way it has or touch so many lives.”

Click here to find out more about Maggies Day Nursery.