Tag Archive for: News

Start, strengthen or grow your business with finance from the Development Bank of Wales

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Whether you’re starting a new business or growing an existing one, the Development Bank of Wales offers a range of finance packages. Funding from £1,000 up to £10 million is available for most business needs, both equity and debt.

We offer micro loans from £1,000 up to £50,000 to Welsh businesses and sole traders. If you have been trading for two years or more we also offer fast track loans up to £25,000, where a decision on your application will be made in just two business days. This is ideal for businesses looking to take advantage of time-sensitive opportunities like buying stock, securing a lease, or for working capital to support a new contract.

Start-up case study: Brighter Minds Childcare

A new Risca wraparound childcare service has launched, with provision for up to 45 children, following a micro loan from the Development Bank of Wales.

Brighter Minds Childcare, who encourage learning through play, converted a large garage at their base on Gwendoline Road, Risca into an additional room for their bright and friendly childcare facility. Wraparound, breakfast, afterschool club and holiday club support is available to parents of children who attend local primary schools.

Fast track case study: Emily May Interiors

Narberth’s Emily May Interiors are now showcasing a range of high-end kitchen designs at their expanded showroom following a £25,000 fast-track micro loan from the Development Bank.

Owner of Emily May Interiors, Emily Black studied Contemporary Textile Practice at Cardiff University and has over a decade’s experience as an interior designer. She wanted to act quickly when a neighbouring unit at her Narberth base became available. The fast-track process meant she had a decision on her loan within just two business days.

She began construction on the new showroom space shortly before Christmas to showcase a new range of high-end and bespoke in-frame kitchens alongside her existing living area design business.

To find out more about finance from us here, or for an informal chat please email Investment Executive Claire Vokes – [email protected]  

One Week to Rescue Pioneering Disability Charity

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A much loved UK charity, which has been a pioneer in disability adventure and social inclusion, faces closure unless it can find £1m by this Friday.

The Jubilee Sailing Trust, which was founded by a Grant from The Queen’s Silver Jubilee Fund in 1978, owns and operates two globally unique, purpose-built tall ships that are fully enabled for people with disabilities. Named Lord Nelson and Tenacious, they are two of the last four remaining UK flagged, square rigged ships on the sea.

Ben, a 42-year-old IT professional and beneficiary of the Jubilee Sailing Trust, said: “In June 2016 I collapsed on a train going into work and got taken into hospital with what was believed to be an Autoimmune Disease. Five days later I was paralysed from the waist down, five weeks after that from the neck down. I spent seven months in an acute ward and then four months in rehab.

“This summer I completed a week’s voyage on the Lord Nelson. Being now paralysed from the chest down, I rarely left my adapted apartment. And now here I was on a tall ship, out to sea with 40 people I’d never met before.

“I was treated as a working member of crew like everyone else, but my mindset had been so negative over the past year I felt that I couldn’t join in with anything due to my disability. That all changed when I hoisted myself out of my wheelchair up the main
mast to the lookout point.

“When I got to the top, absolutely shattered, I heard the whole ship cheer. When I sat there taking in the breathtaking view everything suddenly seemed to click. Gone was the negativity and the constant ‘I can’t don’t this’ rattling around my head.”

Duncan Souster, CEO of the Jubilee Sailing Trust, said: “The JST has been a world leader on inclusive adventure since its inception and has played an important role in changing the perception of people with disabilities, long before these issues were in the public eye. Our work is transformative and life changing for the thousands of people who sail with us. It is so important it continues for the benefit of generations to come.”

The 40 year old charity has taken nearly 50,000 people to sea, many of whom have physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities, or faced other challenges in their lives. Although focused mainly on the UK, their mission has reached every continent and over 150 countries.

During the organisation’s voyages, which are typically a week or longer, the ship is crewed by people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. The intensity of the experience encourages profound personal growth and the different groups onboard have to work together as a team, breaking down social barriers and promoting inclusion. The charity has a challenging business model, with two expensive ships to operate, and has been operating without any significant reserves for some time. Despite recent progress improving its financial footing, it has been hit by short-term cash flow issues brought about by the deferral of some partner projects to 2020 and unplanned
engineering issues on both ships. Their aim is to raise £1m this week to safeguard the future of their work and Trustees
will meet on Monday July 8th to determine the organisation’s fate.

If you would like to learn more about the JST, or support their emergency appeal, then visit their website: https://introbiz.co.ukjst.org.uk/emergencyappeal/

Volunteering Opportunities With The Cranfield Trust In Wales

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Volunteering has been a hot topic on the political agenda in recent years. With the launch of the Welsh government’s policy, ‘Supporting Communities, Changing Lives’, and the rise of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) many business leaders are recognising the benefits of their employees volunteering.

A recent survey published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), showed a trend towards skills based volunteering. This is good news for the Cranfield Trust, as they rely on skilled volunteers to support their work. For nearly 30 years the Trust has been uniting skilled business volunteers from the commercial sector with charities supporting people in need.

The Cranfield Trust https://introbiz.co.ukwww.cranfieldtrust.org/ is national charity and a leading provider of pro bono management consultancy support for the voluntary sector. Their remit for consultancy projects is to support organisations addressing issues of poverty, disability and social exclusion.

Every year their network of over 1,000 highly skilled volunteer management consultants share their knowledge and experience with charities, by providing independent advice and support on everything from business planning to charity governance, finance, HR, IT and marketing.

They’re currently looking to recruit new volunteers to work with charities and non-profit organisations in South Wales to work on specific projects in the areas of business and financial planning, marketing, PR, Digital, and HR
Volunteering time input (face to face and/or remote) ranges from 2 – 12 days in total on projects typically lasting between 3 and 6 months. Projects are specified to fit around the volunteers’ work and personal commitments, rather than taking solid blocks of time.

Most of their volunteers report how much they learn from their projects – about managing resources, motivating people, and simply achieving a lot with very little. Their help is highly valued by the client charities, and their feedback reminds them of the huge contribution charities make to social problems that affect us all.

If you are a skilled management professional, confident operating as an independent management consultant or adviser, The Cranfield Trust would love to hear from you. Please contact [email protected] in Cardiff for more information.

Easter Monday Family Raceday

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Head down to Chepstow Racecourse to enjoy their eagerly anticipated Easter Monday Family Raceday!

As well as the 7 great horse races on the card, there will be plenty of free entertainment on site to keep the whole family amused including live music from a fantastic Little Mix and Ariana Grande tribute, Panic Circus where your family can practice their circus skills, fairground rides, face painting, a fire engine, go-karts, donkey rides and more!

Advance family discount tickets are now on sale at just £25 (2 x adults and kids go free) that makes it just £12.50 per adult! Remember, all entertainment on site is free of charge too! This ticket will be £30 on the day

Single adult entry tickets are available at £17 in advance, these will be £20 on the day.

Children aged 17 and under go free and parking is free.

Hospitality options start from just £50pp for a two-course carvery in the new View Restaurant. Please call a member of the team on 01291 622 260 to find out more.

Networking Queen and The Entrepreneurs’ Godmother Offer Training

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Our very own networking queen, Tracey Smolinski and The Entrepreneurs’ Godmother, Alison Edgar are joining forces to bring you the ultimate sales and networking training event.

The event, which will be held on Wednesday, 20th March from 9:30am, will be an interactive session to nail your networking and improve your sales skills.

Tracey is the founder and managing director of Wales’ leading professional business network, Introbiz. Since creating the company back in 2009, Tracey has become a highly knowledgeable and successful businesswoman. Today, the Introbiz network boasts hundreds of members from a wide range of sectors, whilst hosting over 60 networking events a year. With so much experience and knowledge, Tracey regularly hosts networking training sessions and visits local schools and universities to deliver her training on behalf of the Welsh Government and is a proud Big Ideas Role Model.

Alison is one of the UK’s top 10 business advisers, and is an Entrepreneur’s Godmother to a number of The Apprentice’s winners and Dragon’s Den winners, a bestselling author and iDEA award representative.

A thought-leader in the field of sales, Alison Edgar has over 25 years’ experience as an award-winning salesperson. She decided to leave the world of blue-chip sales and start her own business, helping entrepreneurs, start-ups and established sales teams.

The event will cover topics such as the importance of networking, why should invest your time to network and how to wow your new connections. The session will also cover how to sell in the right way and how to close and exit conversations effectively.

Tickets for this event cost £47 per person and spaces are limited. You can book your place to attend this highly useful and informative training workshop by calling us on 02920 291002 or email [email protected].

The Pituitary Foundation 25th Anniversary Gala Dinner

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