THERE was a sad, bad time when Kaleidoscope was nearly drained forever of colour.

Jane Middlebrook, founder of the educational day nursery and out-of-school care business, even had to sell her car to pay staff their wages one month.

But, determined not to give up, she went back to her previous career as a teacher to back the venture part-time, and, while bringing up her son, bought out her ex-husband’s stake.

Her staying power paid off. Today, as Kaleidoscope Day Nurseries Ltd, based at Westfield Primary School, Acomb, celebrates its 20th anniversary, it employs 130 people and offers 512 nursery and out-of-school club places at ten venues across York and Leeds. What is more, it is growing at ten per cent per year.

Cue for Jane to pitch for the Small Business Of The Year and Women In Enterprise titles in The Press Business Awards 2011.

Given that she is a former teacher, Jane has a large annual training budget, a fact that is reflected in Kaleidoscope’s Investors In People standard, which has three times been successfully reassessed.

Leading by example, and achieving a Master’s degree in Leadership and Management in Education, eight Kaleidoscope staff have achieved degrees while four are in the pipeline.

Four of her senior staff – including herself – have achieved Early Years Professional status (EYP) and many more have earned NVQ levels 2 and 3 in childcare.

Today the organisation has a purpose-built nursery on the site of Westfield Primary School, Acomb; a nursery on the campus site of University of York St John; one at St Olave’s School, off Bootham in York; an out-of-school club at Park Grove Primary School at The Groves in York; and a holiday club in Haxby Road Primary School, York.

Its Leeds area interests include a day nursery and out-of-school-club in Morley; a nursery and out-of-school club in Gildersome; and out-of-school clubs in West Ardsley, Burley and Lower Wortley.