New life for baby shop, thanks to Wansbeck fund

Aug 10 2009 by Karen Dent, The Journal

A“MUMPRENEUR” has expanded her family business after tapping into a fund designed to help small firms improve their premises.

Mother-of-six Tracey McGhee was looking for extra storage for stock at Cradle Days, a baby goods shops she has been running at Ashington in Northumberland since 2005.

Ms McGhee, who employs her sister as the shop’s manager and staffs the business with her mother, sister-in law and a family friend, received half the funds she needed to expand and refurbish the store from enterprise agency Go Wansbeck’s Business Premises Scheme.

The programme was set up to help businesses struggling to find the money to improve their premises. It can provide some of the cash to help firms move into either speculative or purpose built projects for sale or let and covers new builds, refurbishment and building conversions.

Ms McGhee said: “The grant gave us the opportunity to completely refurbish the store and create an extension, meaning we can stock more.

“We were closed for four-and-a-half months while the work was being completed, which is a long time, but I have been pleasantly surprised at the loyalty from previous customers.

“We even had one lady set her alarm so she could be here at nine o’clock on the day we re-opened.”

Cradle Days used the money to employ two other local businesses, Teamforce and Created4U, which had also received help from Go Wansbeck in the past, to carry out the work.

Emma Bird, from the Business Premises Scheme, said: “The improvements at Cradle Days go to show how successful the Business Premises Scheme and the Go Wansbeck programme have been and continue to be.

“Most importantly, Tracey at Cradle Days was able to renovate her shop to gain more storage space and a fresh appearance, with the use of local labour resources to help her achieve it.”

Wansbeck is through to the national finals of the Enterprising Britain competition to find the area that can best demonstrate how it has transformed its local community using enterprise.

Go Wansbeck oversees a four-year £16.5m Government-funded local growth initiative (LEGI) programme to boost enterprise through entrepreneurship and inward investment .