A teacher with a mission to increase opportunities to learn through the medium of Welsh has enlisted Business Wales support to launch a private tutoring company, dedicated to providing tailored academic support to Welsh-speaking learners.
Recognising that local demand for tutoring delivered in Welsh outweighed existing provisions, Dafydd Jones, from Hawarden, Flintshire, founded Tiwtora ATOM in January 2024, offering personalised tutoring in maths, science, and biology, for Welsh-speaking learners.
Qualified teacher, Dafydd, turned to Business Wales for vital support in structuring and launching his venture that directly aligned with the Welsh Government’s Cymraeg 2050 goal to support and facilitate a million Welsh speakers by 2050.
Business Wales Adviser, Gwawr Cordiner, played a pivotal role in guiding Dafydd through the initial phases of business development, helping him identify effective paths to achieve his company’s objectives. He benefited from one-to-one guidance and workshops covering essential business skills such as financial management, administration, and strategic planning.
Thanks to the comprehensive support Business Wales provides to companies, Dafydd has successfully established and rapidly grown Tiwtora ATOM into a viable and sustainable service offering focused learning for Key Stage 3, 4, and 5, specifically designed for Welsh-speaking students.
Speaking about the inspiration for his service and the Business Wales support that made its creation possible, Dafydd said: “Tiwtora ATOM was born from my desire to make a meaningful impact on students who need extra academic support, particularly Welsh speakers who may find fewer tutoring options. I want to give each student a personalised experience where they can thrive without the pressure often associated with traditional classroom settings.”
“Since our initial communication, Gwawr has been a rock of support for me. She listened to me and my thoughts about the kind of service I wanted to provide from the beginning, and she supported them. That greatly increased my self-confidence.”
Dafydd participated in several Business Wales webinars to support entrepreneurs to gain valuable insights into the fundamentals and practicalities of business ownership, including ‘Start and Run Your Own Business’ and ‘Managing Your Finances and Taxes’.
Dafydd continued: “Gwawr took the time to understand my objectives and skill set before making recommendations that enabled me to rapidly acquire and hone the abilities I would need to launch my company.
“She has been instrumental in helping me navigate the challenges of running a business, especially the administrative side. Their guidance has made it much easier for me to get started and feel confident in my decision to go self-employed.”
Dafydd plans to hire additional staff ahead of the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham, allowing him to focus on further developing the business and expanding Tiwtora ATOM’s ability to deliver a positive impact for Welsh-speaking students.
Business Wales Adviser Gwawr Cordiner said: “By offering his services in the Welsh language, he has a real niche that other similar businesses in the area don’t have. This may seem strange considering the level of love and use of Cymraeg in Flintshire, which is clear to see from the scale of customer demand Dafydd has experienced.
“It’s rewarding to know that the services we provide exclusively to Welsh companies are directly supporting the crucial Cymraeg 2025 target to create a million Welsh speakers. Passionate teachers and entrepreneurs like Dafydd are key to achieving that goal, and I look forward to further supporting the continued growth Tiwtora ATOM.
“I hope that other Welsh entrepreneurs both follow Dafydd’s example in supporting our Welsh language and understand that they have ready access to expert business support that simply isn’t available in other nations.”
