Always Responsive Commercial Cleaning has become one of Wales’s leading commercial cleaning contractors. Based at Tondu Enterprise Centre in Bridgend, the company operates across cleaning, security, janitorial supplies, bio-misting, washroom services and pest control. But for co-directors Ashley Davies and Chloe Stanford, commercial success has never been the whole story. Since joining the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme (AGP) in August 2024 and working closely with relationship manager Carmel Gahan, the company has been doing something less common: systematically embedding the Well-being of Future Generations Act’s seven goals at the heart of how it operates and grows. Across its workforce, communities and supply chain, here is how they are doing it.
What does it mean for a cleaning company to take the Future Generations Act seriously?
It means looking at decisions with a longer view. We have always believed that how you treat your staff, how you engage with your community and how carefully you manage your environmental footprint matter just as much as winning the next tender. The Future Generations Act gave us a framework to put into words something we were already trying to do and AGP helped us pursue it more deliberately.
How has AGP supported this work?
AGP has helped us take what we were doing in a fairly instinctive way and build it into something more structured and more intentional. Our relationship manager, Carmel Gahan, has pushed us to think bigger, spot where we could go further and connect our everyday decisions to the Future Generations goals in a way that is useful both internally and externally. That strategic clarity has been one of the most valuable things AGP has given us.
How is Always Responsive Commercial Cleaning contributing to a more prosperous and resilient Wales?
We have been investing in roles that build real capability: sales, marketing and operations positions that help us compete on quality rather than just price. AGP supported us through the ISO accreditation process, and we now hold ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 accreditations. AGP also helped us develop our formal Carbon Reduction Plan, which sits alongside a move to battery-powered equipment and an active recycling policy. We ensure customers always have environmentally friendly alternatives, whatever they ultimately choose.
Tell us about your work in schools and communities. How does that connect to a healthier Wales?
We run “Clean and Proud Workshops” in local schools, covering handwashing, hygiene and caring for shared spaces. Building those habits early has a genuine impact on public health and on how young people see their environment. We also deliver “Confidence for Your Career” sessions through a partnership with Careers Wales, working with students, including those from more disadvantaged backgrounds. The sessions cover employability and self-belief, helping them build social and life skills. AGP has helped us think about how these activities connect to our wider growth strategy, rather than treating them as separate from the business.
What steps have you taken towards a more equal Wales?
We have introduced a formal Fair Work, Equality and Diversity policy and completed a gender pay analysis, which we plan to conduct annually. We have achieved Disability Confident recognition, and we pay young employees the same minimum wage as adults, which is not standard in our sector as it ought to be. Our goal is to pay the Real Living Wage to all employees as we grow and to actively encourage all clients to adopt it as an option. AGP has helped us understand that these commitments strengthen our business. Fair pay and fair treatment are how you build a team that sticks around and cares about the work.
Your “Feed the Families” initiative has attracted real attention. Can you tell us more?
Every Christmas, we run a “Feed the Families” campaign with food banks in Cardiff and Bridgend, as well as other fantastic charities such as Llamau. It is funded through company contributions, employee fundraising and supplier donations, and staff are given time off to take part. It came about because we saw a need and knew we had the relationships and reach to address it. Our employees now take real ownership of it. AGP has encouraged us to consider how initiatives like this can become part of the way we tell our story to clients and partners and we plan to grow the campaign and strengthen those partnerships over the coming year.
What would you say to other SMEs thinking about the Future Generations Act?
The seven goals cover the same things a well-run business should already be thinking about: good jobs, fair pay, community involvement, environmental responsibility and respect for Welsh culture. Start with what you are already doing, be straight about the gaps and use the support available through AGP to go further. If you can do something to make a difference, however small, always choose to do something.
Find out more about how the Accelerated Growth Programme can support your business.
Learn more about Always Responsive Commercial Cleaning.