A day nursery goes from strength to strength in rural Mid Wales with Business Wales support.
Fulfilling a lifelong dream and with a wealth of experience in the childcare sector, Dwynwen Davies launched her own day nursery in Cellan, Lampeter, providing day care, after-school club and holiday care. Dwynwen received start-up and sustainability support from the Welsh Government’s Business Wales service, enabling the successful launch of Y Dyfodol in 2016.
- successful launch
- sustainability policy
- 10 jobs created
Introduction to business
Y Dyfodol is a Welsh language day nursery, set up in 2016 by Dwynwen Davies in Cellan, Lampeter, providing children with a fun and welcoming ‘home from home’.
With a skilled and highly trained staff, the nursery cares for children aged from birth to 12 years and offers day nursery, after-school club and holiday play-scheme facilities and services.
Why did you decide to set up your own business?
I had always dreamed of owning my own nursery: I have worked in the childcare sector from a young age and made sure I studied hard whilst at work to ensure that I had the most up-to-date knowledge and skills. I gained an accreditation, NVQ CLD Diploma in Child Development and Education, and nearly 20 years later, I am in the process of completing NVQ5 Management Diploma with Coleg Sir Gar. I also followed a LEAD Wales Management Diploma which was a priceless opportunity.
I purchased the former school building in Cellan in 2016 and completely renovated it, with the sole purpose of opening a Welsh language children's day nursery, after-school club and holiday play-scheme facility.
I have a passion for high quality childcare provision within rural Wales and I am literally living the dream with Y Dyfodol. The business employs 10 people, all female, and we have a strict Welsh language policy. I am extremely proud of our team – all our staff are Welsh speakers, local to Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire and highly qualified in childcare, safeguarding, first aid and food safety and hygiene.
Business Wales support
Dwynwen approached Business Wales to seek start-up advice with her new day nursery venture and subsequently, its growth. She benefitted from Relationship Management support through the medium of Welsh with all issues on setting up and running a business.
A specialist Sustainability Adviser, Gareth Davies, also advised on waste management, heating cost reductions and legal compliance, enabling Y Dyfodol to adopt a sustainability policy to drive forward continual improvement in the business.
Outcomes
- successful launch
- sustainability policy
- 10 jobs created
We have received support from our Relationship Manager Geraint Williams from Business Wales who helped us set up our facility as a CIC business. This has enabled us to seek funding and access further support to aid the development and growth of the nursery.
Future plans and ambitions
In 2017, we created Dyfodol Disglair in the upstairs area of the nursery: this is a training facility specialising in training local people as well as our own workforce. This area was empty during term time as this is where we hold our holiday play-scheme, so it was an excellent opportunity to enhance training and develop the business. Coleg Sir Gar rent the facilities at Dyfodol Disglair whilst training over 20 individuals from far and wide. 17 students have received accreditation with CCLD and Playworker at Level 3 Diploma which is an excellent turnover: several have gone on to be employed locally, so the economic effect on their families and our local economy is all-encompassing.
We are looking forward to developing even more aspects of the business in the near future.
If you want to read more success stories of how Business Wales has helped other people like you to start or grow their businesses, visit https://businesswales.gov.wales/case-studies or follow @_businesswales / @_busnescymru on Twitter.