Little City Gloucestershire expands to new venues thanks to new mum and daughter management team

Toddlers and pre-schoolers in Gloucestershire will soon have even more opportunities to make the most of imaginative play time, as Little City UK expands its sessions to fresh venues across the county. 

The award-winning mobile role-play franchise, already a popular choice for Gloucestershire families, is now under the new management of mum-and-daughter duo Sam and Lily Quinnel. The team has taken over the local branch and will host Little City play sessions at venues across Gloucestershire. 

Starting this February, Little City Gloucestershire will host regular sessions at:

• Bushley Village Hall, Tewkesbury – first Monday of the month

• Southam Village Hall – Second Monday of the month

• Newent Community Pavilion – Second Tuesday of the month

Each venue will offer two sessions: 9:30–10:45am and 11:00am–12:15pm, giving under-6s the chance to immerse themselves in imaginative, child-led play. 

Sam and Lily decided to take over the Gloucestershire franchise together, as it offered them an opportunity to work together while also complementing their own skills. 

Mum-of-two Sam had previously run toddler play sessions when Lily and her brother Jack were younger, and had always been an active member of their school PTA. When Lily completed her teaching assistant training earlier this year, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do but knew that it would involve working with young children. Her additional experience as a volunteer with her local Girl Guiding unit further cemented the idea that the two of them could be the perfect partnership for the Little City UK brand. 

Sam says, “Lily had always talked about creating a toddler group focused on role play,” says Sam. “When we saw the Gloucestershire branch was available, it felt like a sign. We knew this was exactly what we were looking for. Since starting our journey, it’s been fantastic, and we’ve loved every minute.” 

For Lily, joining Little City has been a transformative experience. She says, 

“Doing this with my Mum means I have her support. It’s so much fun playing with the children, and it’s helping my own confidence grow as much as it is our visitors! There’s something special about seeing how differently each child plays and how they are interpreting the sessions in their own ways.”

Little City Gloucestershire is a mobile role-play experience designed for toddlers and 

preschoolers, where children can explore a miniature world, building their confidence, social skills and learning new vocabulary. Unlike traditional toddler groups, Little City encourages completely child-led play, allowing little ones to express themselves freely and interpret each activity in their own unique way. 

Sam and Lily plan to make Little City Gloucestershire accessible to all, offering pay-as-you-go sessions, school workshops, and birthday parties. They are also exploring SEN-friendly and home education sessions in the future, making the most of Lily’s qualifications as a trained teaching assistant. 

Nationally, Little City UK has built its reputation on delivering imaginative play sessions for toddlers and pre-schoolers in a wide range of settings. Its mobile nature means it can pop up almost anywhere, from schools and nurseries to community groups and even care homes. The concept has even been used for corporate events and prison visits, transforming spaces into child-friendly play areas.

As founder Vicki Fletcher says, 

“We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Sam and Lily to the Little City team. It's always exciting to see how far we can grow, and we now have 38 franchises across the country. Under Sam and Lily’s expertise, the local sessions in Gloucester will continue to grow, and the sky is the limit for them. It’s all very exciting, and I can’t wait to cheer them on from the sidelines.”

For more information about Little City UK, please visit www.littlecityuk.com or follow Little City Gloucester @littlecitygloucestershire