A daycare nursery has opened in Blackwood after £170,000 funding was provided from BCRS Business Loans, via the British Business Bank’s £130m Investment Fund for Wales and Community Investment Enterprise Fund (CIEF).
Greenfields Blackwood, which is registered to take 63 children up to the age of five, has opened on the former Mason’s Arms on Bridge Street after BCRS provided support to enable owner Jason Roberts-Jones to purchase and refurbish the property to meet the childcare needs of families across the area.
The nursery is the second Greenfields site and follows Greenfields Rogerstone which opened in 2015.
Former primary teacher Jason Roberts-Jones said:
“The Rogerstone nursery has been running for nearly ten years and our childcare numbers fluctuate near, or at, capacity. I have been wanting to open a second site for a few years, but the available premises haven’t been quite right. When I saw the former pub in Blackwood was on the market, I had a feeling it would be perfect.”
Not wanting to lose the opportunity Jason quickly worked to put the finance in place and contacted Business Development Manager at BCRS Business Loans, Graeme Lewis. Working together, Graeme took time to understand the business and secured finance of £100k from the Investment Fund for Wales, which went towards purchasing the property, whilst £70k for refurbishment was forthcoming from the Community Investment Enterprise Fund (CIEF).
The site has now undergone vast renovations, with upstairs now catering for under twos, whilst downstairs is focussed on providing for children age three to five. The nursery, which has indoor and outdoor provision, focuses on sensory, role play and interactivity. Greenfields Blackwood will now benefit from shared management between the two sites, whilst up to 25 staff will be employed in a range of full and part time positions.
Jason continued:
“Seeing the nursery come together has been fantastic and we are delighted to throw open our doors. The support from BCRS Business Loans has been fantastic and without it we wouldn’t have been able get to this point.
“We are looking forward to offering families in and around Blackwood a nursery that suits their childcare needs locally and can’t wait to enrol more young children and help them learn and grow through play and friendship.”
Graeme Lewis, Business Development Manager at BCRS Business Loans, said:
“Jason and the Greenfields team have built a nursery offering that is centred on young children, and their families, and we have enjoyed working with them to secure the finance needed to help the business grow.
“BCRS are a story-based lender, and our mission is to make a positive social and economic impact. Jason has worked hard to find a site that fills a gap in the market, and we are delighted that Greenfields Blackwood has opened its doors to fulfil a nursery provision locally.”
Bethan Bannister, Senior Investment Manager, Nations and Regions Funds at the British Business Bank, said:
“The Investment Fund for Wales exists to support companies with growth ambitions like Greenfields, who require finance to realise their goals.
“The opening of Greenfields Blackwood is an important milestone and we wish Jason every success as he continues to scale and grow the Greenfields brand.”
The British Business Bank backed Investment Fund for Wales operates across the whole of Wales and includes a range of finance options with loans from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investments up to £5 million to help small and medium-sized businesses start up, scale up or stay ahead. BCRS Business Loans is managing the smaller loans part of the fund (£25,000 to £100,000). FW Capital will be responsible for larger loans (£100,000 to £2 million) and Foresight will manage equity deals (up to £5 million).
The Investment Fund for Wales helps to increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance by providing options to smaller businesses that might otherwise not receive investment. Funding is designed to help businesses with activities including expansion, product or service innovation, new processes, skills development, and capital equipment.
Having worked with SMEs unable to access finance from traditional sources in the West Midlands since 2002, BCRS Business Loans has expanded into Wales to help smaller businesses there prosper and thrive under the fund, which was officially launched in Cardiff in November 2023.
Since BCRS was founded as a community development financial institution in 2002, it has provided loans worth more than £90 million to businesses across the West Midlands and Wales. A social impact report for the last financial year showed BCRS lent £5.8m to 72 businesses, safeguarding 675 jobs and creating 186 roles, adding £29.9m in value to the economy of the West Midlands, surrounding regions and Wales
Since BCRS was founded as a community development financial institution in 2002, it has provided loans worth more than £90 million to businesses across the West Midlands and Wales. A social impact report for the last financial year showed BCRS lent £5.8m to 72 businesses, safeguarding 675 jobs and creating 186 roles, adding £29.9m in value to the economy of the West Midlands, surrounding regions and Wales.
