Therese is the founder of Forbes Children’s Nursery, which opened the doors to the first nursery in 1996. Her passion for education has been a guiding force across the nurseries ever since. She is a strong advocate for the importance of outdoor experiences in early childhood education and the many benefits they offer young children.
Anthony, Therese’s son, serves as a Director of the nurseries. Having grown up around the nursery, he joined the team in 2008 after a successful business career. Anthony is committed to supporting the children in developing the skills and social awareness they need to become happy, healthy individuals.
Carol is the Business Manager for Forbes and a Director within the nursery group. With over 10 years of experience as a contractor in the financial sector, she brings a wealth of expertise to her role. Carol joined the nursery group in August 2017 and is also a mother of three young children.
Andrea is the Director of Care and Education and has been a cornerstone of our nursery since it first opened in 1996. It’s hard to imagine the nursery without her. Over the years, Andrea has achieved her HNC in Early Learning and Childcare, HND in Childhood Practice, and PDA in Childhood Practice. While she supports all four of our nurseries, she is currently based at Claremont Park Nursery.
Lauren is the Nursery Manager and joined Forbes in 2016. She works across all the rooms, supporting staff and helping to develop the nursery. Lauren is currently completing her PDA Level 9.
Abby joined Forbes in 2017 and is now our Assistant Manager, based in the Preschool Room. A qualified practitioner with a PDA Level 8, she is passionate about creating engaging learning experiences and supporting both children and families with care and dedication.
Annabel is our Operations Manager and joined Forbes in November 2022. She works across all four of our settings, supporting the managers and their teams. With over 15 years of management experience, Annabel brings strong leadership and organisational skills to her role. As a mother of two, she also brings empathy and understanding to her work with children, families, and staff.
Mercy is our Preschool Team Leader at the Greenhill setting and has been a valued member of the Forbes team since May 2019. She holds an SVQ Level 3 qualification and is known for her enthusiasm and dedication, creating engaging learning experiences for the children in her care. Mercy is currently on a six-month secondment with the Preschool team at our Bruntsfield Place nursery, where she continues to share her passion and commitment to early years education.
Lucy is a qualified practitioner who has been working in our Preschool Room since September 2022. She successfully completed her SVQ Level 3 in Social Services (Children and Young People) in March 2024.
Emily has been part of the Forbes team since 2017 and is our Room Senior in Preschool. She works closely with Abby and Mercy to support the smooth running of the Over 3s, helping to create a positive, engaging environment where children can learn and thrive.
Barbara joined the Preschool team in September '23 as an Apprentice. Barbara is currently completing her qualification through one of our training providers and joined us with a background in Arts and Photography.
Sarah is our Under 2s Team Leader and a qualified practitioner who has been working with the youngest age group at Forbes since 2018. She works closely with the management team to ensure the smooth and effective running of the Under 3s rooms and is dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of care and learning. To further enhance her knowledge and leadership skills, Sarah has completed her PDA Level 8 qualification. She is known for her calm, caring approach, which helps babies and toddlers feel secure and nurtured while encouraging their early development. Sarah supports the Management team as third in change after Lauren, Nursery Manager and Abby Assistant Manager.
Hanna joined the nursery in June 2023 as an apprentice, bringing with her a year of prior childcare experience. We are supporting Hanna as she works towards her qualifications. She is currently on maternity leave.
David joined Forbes in August 2025 and is a valued member of our Toddler Room team. Already holding an SCQF Level 6 qualification in Social Services (Children and Young People), he is now working towards Level 7 to further develop their skills and knowledge.
Sasha joined our Toddler Room team in August 2025 and brings with her a wealth of early years experience, having worked in the sector since 2017. She holds an SVQ Level 7 qualification in Social Services (Children and Young People) and is passionate about supporting children’s learning and development through play. Sasha’s caring and enthusiastic approach helps create a nurturing environment where toddlers feel safe, happy, and confident to explore.
Lucy joined the Forbes team in August 2025 as a Support Worker in our Tweenies Room and is currently working towards her childcare qualification. She brings a positive and supportive energy to the room, helping to create a fun and nurturing environment for the children. Before joining Forbes, Lucy spent time travelling across Asia, where she gained valuable experience teaching English in both a school and nursery setting. Her enthusiasm and caring nature make her a wonderful addition to the team.
Zaynab is an Apprentice in our Tweenies Room and is currently working towards her childcare qualification. She brings enthusiasm and a caring approach to her role, supporting the team in creating a safe and engaging environment for the children.
Maryam joined our Baby Room in April 2024 as a qualified practitioner, bringing over nine years of experience in Early Years Education. She has completed a range of qualifications within the Early Years sector and is currently working towards her BA in Childhood Practice.
Kitija joined our Bruntsfield Place team in October 2024 through one of our training partners. With prior experience in childcare, Kitija will be working with our Toddler team while completing her SVQ Level 3 qualification.
Laura became part of our Bruntsfield Place team in October 2024 through a partnership training program. Coming from a recent career change and move to Edinburgh, she will be working with our Toddler team as she pursues her SVQ Level 3 qualification.
Sara joined our Bruntsfield Place team in October 2024 through one of our training partners. Following a recent career change, she will be working with our Toddler team while completing her SVQ Level 3 qualification.
Caitlin joined the nursery in August 2024 after completing her SCQF Level 6 in Social Services, Children and Young People. She is currently based in the Baby Room, where she works alongside the Under 2s team. We are supporting Caitlin as she works towards her SVQ Level 3 qualification.
Lily joined the team in January 2025 with three years of nannying experience. She is based in the Tweenie Room, working alongside the Under 2s team. We are supporting Lily as she works towards gaining her childcare qualification.
Rosemary is a qualified Practitioner and is one of our bank staff members who works across all our sites supporting the different age groups.
Joe is our nursery chef since January 2023. Joe joined our nursery in 2021 covering maternity leave at our Greenhill setting . Joe is a fantastic chef with years of experience.
Amie is a qualified practitioner who joined Forbes in May 2021. As part of our support staff team, she works across the nursery to help ensure children feel safe, happy, and engaged in their learning. Her caring and flexible approach makes her a valued member of the team.
Craig is a qualified practitioner and our dedicated Forest School Team Leader. He joined the nursery in 2016 and leads both our Forest School and Beach School programmes. Craig supports our Greenhill, Bruntsfield Place, and Claremont nurseries, sharing his expertise and passion for outdoor learning across all settings. He has completed his qualification in Forest Kindergarten Leadership (Level 7). With his calm, knowledgeable approach and genuine enthusiasm for the outdoors, Craig has made a lasting impact on so many children over the years.
Karen works in our nursery admin team joining the nursery in 2003. Karen works across our four settings supporting the managers and staff. Karen is a mother herself.
Chris is one of our teachers who works across all Nurseries. Chris is a qualified primary teacher with over 10 years of experience and joined Forbes in November 2021. Chris is also an illustrator and loves sharing his passion for art with our children.
Mike is a skilled joiner with over 50 years of experience, and he supports Forbes by helping with general maintenance across our nurseries. Alongside this, he puts his craftsmanship to wonderful use by creating beautiful bespoke wooden teepees, tables, and chairs, which are loved by both staff and children. Mike’s dedication and creativity make him a much-valued part of the Forbes team.
Kay, our Teaching and Learning Coordinator, has over thirty years of experience in education. She began as a primary school teacher, later moving into outdoor education in Glenshee, and has worked with Barnardo’s Inclusive Education programme and at an outdoor therapeutic school in Colorado. A trained Forest School Leader, Kay is passionate about creating environments where children thrive through child-led play. She values the power of stories and books, and is committed to helping children explore the maths and science in the world around them, especially outdoors.
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