An animal-loving couple from Bedfordshire have upped sticks and moved to Chepstow in Monmouthshire, South Wales, to run their own cattery, thanks to £152,000 funding from NatWest.
Boosted by the bank’s funding along with the sale of their Bedfordshire home, Roger and Annie Shenton have taken over Iris’s Animal Farm Cattery.
Roger and Annie wanted to take a step back from their careers as an engineer and carer to start a business which could see them through their retirement. With their love of animals and backgrounds in animal care and rescue, opening the cattery seemed like the perfect choice.
With the funding, the couple purchased Iris’s Animal Farm Cattery on Hayes Gate Lane from its previous owners and have given the cattery a much-needed facelift. They have already upgraded all single and family units and renewed paving around the site, with plans for a range of other improvements in the coming months.
As Roger and Annie neared retirement, they knew they wanted to do something that involved animals. On becoming aware of the sale of the cattery, which is close to where their daughter Victoria lives, they took the opportunity to run the business with the help of their daughter.
Roger said:
“Annie and I have always planned to work together with animals in our retirement. We have both grown up around animals and Annie was already involved with animal rescue charities. When we heard about Iris’s being up for sale we knew it was something we wanted to do and with the help of NatWest, that dream is now a reality.”
Iris’s Animal Farm Cattery, which is licensed for up to 28 cats, currently employs two workers from the local area and Roger and Annie have plans to increase this number as the business expands.
Joanne Kinsey, relationship manager at NatWest, said:
“It has been great working with Roger and Annie and the work they have done on the cattery so far looks great. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to seeing Iris’s once all the work is completed.”
NatWest Broker Development Manager Neil Southern helped support the deal activity, which was initially referred from HAA Wealth Management Ltd
