Full marks for business support from this Suffolk Business!

Friends Heidi Franklin and Denise Winder, who run the award-winning Wild Play Ltd, received fully funded support for their growth plans and recruitment strategy after applying via MENTA to the Business Resilience and Recovery Scheme launched by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership.

The MENTA business advice team were linked by the MENTA business advice team with a member of  MENTA's business coach and consultant register, Karen Saunders, it was Karen that worked with and guided the business and offered her perspective with their forward planning as the business prepared to reopen following the latest Covid lockdown easing.

Heidi said: “The consultancy has been extremely helpful. Karen was very approachable and understood what our business was all about. After emerging from lockdown, our focus has been on forward planning, developing our growth strategy and recruitment processes. We used the time effectively and we were really happy with the way it worked.”

Denise and Heidi first met at antenatal classes when they were expecting their first children, and each has more than 20 years’ teaching experience. They decided to set up the business with help from the team at MENTA and now their business helps people of all ages to enjoy the great outdoors.

Wild Play Ltd runs sessions for children, families, schools and businesses at Gallowsfield Wood, Haughley, and is about to add an additional branch in Suffolk and its first in Essex as part of its expansion plans.

Covid hit the company hard, and it was ineligible for the initial funding announced by the Government, although it eventually received a discretionary grant.

Discover more business support across Norfolk and Suffolk from both MENTA and the New Anglia Local Enterprise by emailing 121@menta.org.uk

See the full list of MENTA business coaches here