Galgorm Collection launches subsidised childcare scheme for 1,100 staff with new Ballymena facility

Galgorm Collection will become the first hospitality employer in Northern Ireland to provide its employees with access to subsidised childcare. Pictured from left: Katherine Baillie and her daughter Lily; Bronagh Creery, Senior Director, Sleepy Hollow Group; Nikolai Koplewsky, Director of Sleepy Hollow Group; and Laura Millar, People and Development Associate Director at Galgorm Collection.

Monday 28 September 2026

Galgorm Collection is introducing subsidised childcare for its 1,100 employees, with a new childcare facility at Galgorm Castle set to open in October as part of a partnership aimed at tackling one of the biggest pressures facing working families.

The hospitality group says it will become the first employer in Northern Ireland’s hospitality sector to offer its workforce access to subsidised childcare, with the benefit available to employees from their first day of employment and regardless of their role.

New childcare facility at Galgorm

The initiative is being delivered in partnership with Sleepy Hollow Group, which has more than 30 years’ experience providing childcare services across Northern Ireland.

A new Sleepy Hollow Early Childhood Centre at The Courtyard, Galgorm Castle, Ballymena, is due to open in October 2026, providing childcare for Galgorm Collection employees based at its flagship Galgorm property. Sleepy Hollow’s website currently lists the Galgorm centre and describes its pricing as being for “Galgorm Staff only”.

Employees working elsewhere across Galgorm Collection’s portfolio will also receive priority access and discounted rates at Sleepy Hollow locations throughout Northern Ireland.

The initiative is intended to reduce the financial and practical barriers childcare can create for parents and carers who want to enter, return to or progress within employment.

Support for working parents

Galgorm Collection will become the first hospitality employer in Northern Ireland to provide its employees with access to subsidised childcare. Pictured from left: Nikolai Koplewsky, Director of Sleepy Hollow Group; Jade Strain and her daughters Ivy and Ruby; Bronagh Creery, Senior Director, Sleepy Hollow Group; and Laura Millar, People and Development Associate Director at Galgorm Collection.

Laura Millar, People and Development Associate Director at Galgorm Collection, said:

“We know that childcare can be one of the biggest challenges facing working families and we wanted to introduce a meaningful solution that would make a real difference to our team members’ everyday lives. As a major employer with more than 1,100 team members across Northern Ireland, we are continually looking at ways to strengthen our employee offering and help people build rewarding, long-term careers with us.

“Our people are at the heart of everything we do and this partnership with Sleepy Hollow Group reflects our commitment to creating a workplace where employees feel genuinely supported both professionally and personally.”

The childcare support adds to a wider package of employee benefits offered by Galgorm Collection, including private healthcare, complimentary spa access, discounted overnight stays, training and development programmes, wellbeing initiatives and referral bonuses.

The group says the scheme also forms part of a broader strategy focused on staff retention, career development and helping employees achieve a better balance between work and family life.

Discounted childcare across Northern Ireland

Ruby and ivy enjoying play!

Sleepy Hollow operates early-years and school-age childcare services across Northern Ireland, including early childhood centres and childcare provision based at primary schools. Its corporate childcare programme offers employers several partnership models, including discounted childcare and priority enrolment.

Nikolai Koplewsky, Director of Sleepy Hollow Group, said:

“We are delighted to partner with Galgorm Collection to establish this new childcare facility and make high-quality childcare more accessible for working families. By combining our expertise in early years education with Galgorm Collection’s commitment to employee wellbeing, we can offer practical support that helps parents and carers balance family life with their careers.

“In addition to the new facility at Galgorm Courtyard Business Park, team members will benefit from priority access and discounted rates across our wider network of locations throughout Northern Ireland. We look forward to supporting Galgorm Collection employees and their families for many years to come.”

Sleepy Hollow says its early childhood centres provide services for children from babies through to pre-school age, alongside holiday provision, while its wider network includes breakfast, after-school and holiday clubs.

Removing a barrier to hospitality careers

Ruby

For Galgorm Collection, the initiative also has a recruitment and retention dimension in an industry where working patterns can include evenings, weekends and periods of high seasonal demand. The group is continuing to recruit across hospitality, culinary, food and beverage, housekeeping, spa, leisure, administration and management roles.

By linking employment benefits directly to childcare — including a dedicated facility at Galgorm and discounted provision elsewhere — the partnership is designed to make it easier for parents and carers to remain in work or pursue longer-term careers within the group.

Details of current Galgorm Collection vacancies and applications are available at: https://www.galgormcollection.com/work-with-us.html