Carmarthen-based nursery secures £1,000 from Business Wales’ Childcare Grant.
Based in the Carmarthenshire countryside, Meithrinfa Ysgubor Fach Nursery offers childcare services to babies, toddlers and school children up to the age of 12. Owner Eleri Thomas applied for a Welsh Government’s Business Wales Childcare Grant which has allowed her to:
- secure £1,000 of grant funding
- create new childcare places including for children with special needs
- develop new facilities for children with disabilities and special needs
Introduction to business
Founded by Eleri and Robert Thomas, Meithrinfa Ysgubor Fach Nursery is a spacious, bright, bilingual nursery, offering a happy, stimulating environment, where caring and dedicated staff encourage all children to maximise their potential and develop while being ‘at home away from home’.
The nursery was Eleri’s long-term dream, which she turned into reality in 2014. The family-run business is set in the grounds of the former Pontcowin Farm and offers day-care services and facilities which have been specially developed and designed for children from a few-week old babies to 12-year old school children. Thanks to Eleri’s previous experience, the nursery also caters for children with disabilities and special needs.
Why did you apply for the Business Wales Childcare grant?
“We applied for the grant as we needed additional funding to convert the upstairs of the nursery into a sensory room which would allow us to create extra places for children with special needs. The project would cost us £1,600 which we couldn’t afford on our own as other costs always got in the way.”
How has the grant helped you?
“The childcare grant has helped us tremendously. We’ve been able to invest it into the creation of a sensory room which has made an enormous difference to our business.
It has been extremely valuable when looking after children with special needs, including children with severe forms of autism, as it offers a stimulating and relaxing environment. Without the grant, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve this and create the additional places.
The funding has also allowed us to grow our business as it has helped with our marketing, reassuring parents that we have the necessary specialist facilities to look after their little ones. Additionally, we have had an interest from the wider community to use our sensory room as a meeting space for mothers and their disabled children.”
Future plans and ambitions
“We are always looking to grow and provide better facilities as well as an inclusive service for all children. We are now looking to purchase specialist bikes and buggies for children with special needs, which would allow them to go on longer walks. We are also exploring the possibility of turning our outside space into a sensory garden to enable all children to enjoy a stimulating, engaging experience outside in the fresh air.”
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