A RAFT of innovative business support is boosting trade and the economy in West Wales.
And nowhere more than Cardigan, where access to guidance and funding via Antur Cymru Enterprise has provided start-ups and entrepreneurs with a platform to grow in past months.
The South Ceredigion Local Business Support project, delivered by Ceredigion County Council via the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, has had a positive impact on ventures looking to develop their strategies and products.
As well as advice and expertise, small businesses have been given space at the town’s historic Guildhall market, which reopened during the summer following a £3m revamp.
Among them were Amaze Me 3D, Under the Laurel handmade jewellery, and The Craft Wife of Teifi.
Clive Davies, a Project Manager for Antur Cymru’s Smart Busnes programme, said they are already reaping the rewards.
“The Guildhall has the potential to be a destination space for Cardigan, and I’m sure will attract a lot of footfall,” he added.
“It’s great to see their progress in taking an idea through to their own trading space and business.
“This Antur Cymru project has been a big support to them and others, and I’m so pleased they had the confidence to relocate to the market, which as it develops will benefit them even further.”
As well as offering a space to trade, advisors are delivering training workshops and one-to-one advice to existing stall holders at the Guildhall.
In addition to the South Ceredigion Local Business Support project and Smart Busnes, local start-ups have capitalised on the Cynnal y Cardi Fund – also delivered by Ceredigion County Council via the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund – which aims to support and engage local people, businesses and communities in delivering sustainable solutions to address some of the economic, social and environmental challenges facing the Ceredigion area.
Beverley Winn, owner of The Craft Wife of Teifi, has now based her sustainable crafts venture at the Guildhall, as well as receiving advice on visual merchandising and administrative tasks.
“Without the encouragement and ‘hand holding’ throughout the process I wouldn’t have had the self-belief and confidence to launch and run my little business,” she said.
“I only started three months ago at the Antur Cymru trading space in Cardigan and have now relocated, which has enabled me to continue running things – the rent is affordable – and engage with the local community, especially neurodivergent young adults who are highly creative.
“I buy and sell their items through my shop, and they also help with serving customers and learning new communication skills, which has had a positive impact on their self-esteem and confidence.”
“For me, that is a mark of success, rather than any monetary gain.”
Another to join the Guildhall was Loren Nash, who founded Under the Laurel in 2021 after learning to make bespoke jewellery – and later painted designs for greeting cards and prints – during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I would not have been able to do this had it not been for the encouragement and support of Antur Cymru and the low risk of trying a new product in the shop initially,” she said.
“And now, being in the Guildhall has allowed me to have a permanent base for local customers and opened my business up to the tourist trade. It’s the first time I’ve been able to see my products in a space that I decorated and designed. It makes me so happy every time I walk in there.”
Loren added: “A constant challenge for me is my health. I have a disability called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which is unfortunately degenerative, so I am always constantly adapting how I work.
“But that won’t stop me working towards my goal – with the support of my partner, Rob – to have a shop on the high street where I can set aside a percentage of my profits to pour into free art workshops, where people can turn up to create, relax and possibly learn a new skill.
“Antur Cymru afforded me the opportunity to grow my product base and gave me the belief in myself that I could run my business from a bricks and mortar location, and I’ll always be thankful for that.”
Others in Cardigan to have accessed the services of Antur Cymru this year are Theo Latham, who produces stylish card wallets made from Italian leather; Andrea Edwards, whose Amaze Me 3D venture uses 3D printers to build model animals and dinosaurs from sustainable materials; Three Little Pigs, which sells high-end crafts and furniture online, and Neil Croucher, whose Mellangell brand is growing in popularity, creating stained-glass art, jewellery, candles and more.
