Company History

A24Group: Leading Healthcare Staffing Since 1996

In 1996, Penny Streeter and her mother, Marion Hewson, founded their recruitment business in Surrey after overcoming several challenges. They quickly recognised a major gap in the market: nursing agencies operated only from 9am to 5pm, while healthcare services required support 24/7. It was nearly impossible to secure a nurse outside of regular working hours, leaving healthcare providers dependent on staff goodwill or facing critical shortages. This realisation led to the creation of Ambition 24hours, a service designed to meet the ongoing needs of the healthcare sector. 

Built on integrity and a commitment to doing things right, Penny and Marion’s business has grown into the A24Group, now a leading name in healthcare staffing across the UK and South Africa. Today, Penny’s son Adam serves as Chief Executive, continuing the legacy of strong values. Penny's three daughters are also involved in the business in various ways: Bonnie is a practising midwife, Giselle works in early childhood development, and Tilly is the Operations Manager of the South African operations, making A24Group a true family-led enterprise.  

1996 Established, 24-hour nursing, UK branches

Ambition24hours was launched in 1996 as a temporary staffing agency to meet for the first time the need for a 24-hour staffing service in the nursing sector. Following rapid growth, over the next decade the company expanded the service to cover locum doctors, allied health professionals, carers, social workers and teachers and lecturers, and we established a national network of UK branch offices. 

2004 Expanding into South Africa

In 2004, the A24Group expanded into South Africa, opening back-office facilities for the UK and SA markets. We also launched an £11 million ($17.25 million), three-year investment plan in South Africa, based at 130,000 sq ft (12,000 m²) freehold premises acquired in Cape Town. We also initialised locum and nursing agency services in South Africa: 2004 marked the launch of domiciliary home care services, to provide private nursing and care giver directly to people at home for post-operative, geriatric, paediatric and other care. 

2006 Our first major acquisition: NSSA

In 2006, the company made its first major acquisition: that of South African agency NSSA (Nursing Services of South Africa), the largest provider of temporary nursing personnel in the country, supplying over 3,000 staff each month. A second office opened at 50 on Long Street, Cape Town. 

2009 More service agencies and offices

In 2009, Nursing Services of the UK was launched. Today, the A24Group is a multi-million-dollar medical staff recruitment and management organisation operating with multiple brands in the United Kingdom and South Africa. The A24Group has interviewers based nationally throughout the two countries and employs over 300 office staff across the world, with 27,500 personnel on its books - locum doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, care givers, teachers and social workers for major institutional service providers in two continents. 

2010 We expand even more

Arabella Health Staffing Ltd - a wholly-owned subsidiary of the A24Group – acquired BNA, The British Nursing Association, and its associated nursing agency brands Grosvenor Nursing and Mayfair Nurses. Pinnacle Staffing Group Plc, the owner of BNA, accepted an offer for a consideration in cash of £2,750,000. 

2023 We’re still going strong

Throughout the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the A24Group continued to deliver exceptional services to clients and agency staff. Proving that we have the drive, infrastructure and determine to succeed. The group looks forward to a future of further opportunity and growth, in support of clients, candidates and patients.