A family run business in the heart of Neath has turned personal tragedy into an opportunity to help others in the community through difficult situations.
Co-founded by a mother, daughter and best friend trio, the inspiration to open Magnolia Health & Wellbeing spurred from personal loss in the family when father & husband Richard Booth sadly passed away due to cancer.
Magnolia is a health & wellbeing centre helping others to feel their best by bringing together some of the best wellness, spa and beauty professionals that South Wales has to offer. The centre also offers free treatments to people fighting cancer on select Sundays in memory of Richard.
Since first starting the business, Magnolia Health & Wellbeing has received support and guidance through NatWest’s Entrepreneur Accelerator Hub. The NatWest Accelerator programme supports and empowers entrepreneurs across Wales to scale their businesses to the next level, offering one-to-one coaching, a programme of thought leadership and events, access to a network of like-minded peers, and full-time use of a modern co-working space.
Based out of NatWest’s One Kingsway offices, the scheme offers local businesses the chance to work in the centre of Cardiff. The programme is currently accepting applicants, with ambitious entrepreneurs encouraged to apply soon before spaces fill up. Entrepreneurs can also search for the “NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator”online to find out more and apply.
The inspiration to open the business came to wife Selena as she sought ways to come to terms with the loss, feeling that she had exhausted traditional medical routes for mental and physical recovery until her cousin suggested that she tried acupuncture.
Despite initial scepticism, Selena started to feel better with each session and continued regular treatment. A number of weeks later, at an acupuncture session, a flippant comment about starting her own centre sparked inspiration for Selena, despite having no previous experience as a business owner. The trio found their perfect base in a dilapidated Victorian townhouse in the local Neath area, which they carefully renovated by giving it the much-needed care and attention it required.
The centre is now home to around 15 local wellness therapists and aims to create somewhere special to go when life throws challenges at you. Catering to those looking for holistic wellness and beauty treatments, the business offers everything from acupuncture and homeopathy to reflexology, hypnotherapy and art psychotherapy to name a few.
In recognition of the business’ exciting potential, Magnolia joined NatWest’s Entrepreneur Accelerator Hub. With the guidance of mentors within the Hub, the trio have been able to scale the business and look forward to further expansion with the support of dedicated advisors.
Commenting on the support for the business, daughter Hannah said: “We founded Magnolia Health and Wellbeing as a way to remember my dad and to improve the accessibility of wellness in the local area. My mum credits acupuncture as changing her life and we want to create the same moments for other people who are going through a challenging time.
“As first-time business owners, we were a bit lost when founding the centre and so the support of NatWest and the Entrepreneur Accelerator Hub came at exactly the right time. They were able to provide expert guidance, but we also found a community of other business owners with shared experiences to be so incredibly helpful.
“I would highly recommend the Hub to any Welsh businesses looking for guidance, no matter your size, as the community spirit is absolutely unmatched and has been the biggest support and motivator for us throughout our business journey.”
Entrepreneurs interested in finding out more about the NatWest Accelerator Hub and how it could support their business are invited to attend a free taster session at the Cardiff Hub on the 4th, 12th and 19th of July as well as the 10th, 15th and 20th of August.
