Hayley and Tom have been married for 24 years. Hayley gained the NNEB qualification in 1993. She has worked in childcare and education in Dorset, Devon and Cornwall ever since. Tom joined the Royal Marines in 1991 and retired in 2020. They have four children, one an A&E nurse, one in the Army and two in higher education.

“Opening our own nursery has been a long standing dream which began when we helped to set up Archway Nursery in Blandford in 1996. We are really excited to be opening Little Minnows Nursery in Truro.”

Hayley completed her Nursery Nurse Examining Board (NNEB) course at Weymouth College in 1993. Once qualified, her first position was as a private nanny to a family of teachers at Bryanston School near Blandford Forum. Here she cared for a newborn baby Alice and her brother Henry who was 4 (who would later play rugby for Scotland).
In 1996 a former RAF family, Sandra and Michael Slater, opened Archway Nursery in the grounds of Bryanston. Hayley took the position of Baby Room Leader, helping to decorate and set up the nursery prior to it opening. Sandra and Michael saw a passion in Hayley and told her that one day she would open her own nursery. 25 years later that dream has been realised with the opening of Little Minnows in Truro.

Tom joined the Royal Marines in 1991, earning the coveted green beret and passing for duty in January 1992. Initially he served ashore in 42 Commando and Comacchio Group. In 1995 he specialised as a Landing Craftsman , serving at sea in HMS FEARLESS and HMS ALBION, in Northern Ireland on Operations SEALION and LIFESPAN and with the Landing Craft Training Squadron in Poole. In 2009 as a Colour Sergeant he was commissioned from the ranks, returning to 42 Commando for Operation HERRICK 14 in Afghanistan. Promoted to Major in 2015 he served in Navy Command Headquarters, attended Joint Services Staff College Shrivenham and returned to sea with 4 Assault Squadron in HMS ALBION. His final appointment before retiring in 2020 was as Officer Commanding Logistic Squadron with 30 Commando.