At Tops Day Nurseries, we’re passionate about growing minds for a greener future. That’s why we’re proud to be recognised with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development—one of the UK’s most prestigious business honours. Out of thousands of organisations, we are one of only 226 winners nationwide, and the only nursery group leading the way in sustainable childcare.
This recognition celebrates the steps we have taken to drive real change in the childcare sector while giving children the very best start in life.
The Queen’s Award celebrates organisations making an outstanding contributions in sustainability. For us, it’s a recognition that early years childcare can be innovative, eco-friendly, and socially responsible, all while giving children the best start in life.
Our Founder and Managing Director, Cheryl Hadland, explains:
“We are truly delighted and proud to achieve this award, despite the challenges of Covid and the underfunding of early years provision. Educators provide the foundations for today’s children to grow into tomorrow’s leaders, and it’s vital we show empathy and respect for our environment, people, animals, and plants. Words are not enough—every decision we make must embed sustainability, and we continue to learn as we go. This award celebrates what we have achieved so far and motivates us to encourage more nurseries, parents, businesses, and schools to join us in safeguarding our children’s future health and happiness.”
To achieve the Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development, organisations must go far beyond promises. They must prove real impact. Applicants are required to show:
At least two years of outstanding sustainable development practices.
Clear evidence of the positive outcomes and benefits from their actions.
This makes the award one of the most rigorous and respected recognitions of sustainability in the UK.
Earning the Queen’s Award required a combination of long-term planning, innovation, and action across all areas of our nurseries. Here are some of the key steps we’ve taken:
Children deserve to grow up in a world that is healthy and thriving.
By making sustainability part of daily nursery life, we:
Reduce our environmental footprint.
Inspire children to reuse, recycle, and respect nature.
Show families that childcare can be both high-quality and planet-friendly.
Every small change, from washable nappies to waste awareness, helps protect the future our children will inherit.
The Queen’s Award for Sustainable Development is a proud moment for everyone across Tops Day Nurseries. It represents the dedication of our teams, the support of our families, and our shared belief that we can—and must—do things differently.
We’ve come far, but our journey doesn’t stop here. The Queen’s Award strengthens our mission to keep innovating and leading as disruptors in sustainable childcare. We’ll continue learning, adapting, and inspiring others to join us.
Our promise remains the same: Growing minds for a greener future.
Want to dive deeper into our sustainability story?
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