Success Story
| Region/Nation | Wales |
|---|---|
| Sector | Education |
| Programme | Start Up Loans |
Father and son team, Trevor and Peter Jones, run the Eden Education Centre, the largest innovation education studio in Europe.
As the first and only organisation that Lego Education have sold to directly, the Eden Education Centre works with school children of all ages, as well as A-Level and university students. It works across five counties in South Wales, covering the majority of primary schools in local areas. The education centre is situated next to the Eden Centre, a hugely popular soft play area, also owned by the Jones’.
Having previously worked for an electronics firm, Peter took voluntary redundancy in order to venture out on his own. Towards the end of his career he realised there was a lack of new, young engineers emerging in the UK. It was this that led him to start the Eden Education Centre in the hope that it would provide a foundation across Wales to encourage an interest in Maths and Science amongst students and school children.
After leaving his career behind, the biggest challenge that Peter faced was sourcing funds to start his business. He and his father received £15,000 between them in May 2014 from The Start Up Loans Company, allowing them to take their first steps. Peter described the service he received from Start Up Loans as “exceptionally good” and highlights the open and flexible approach of those that worked with him.
As his business has gone from strength to strength, Peter’s reputation has risen and he has been made an Apprenticeships Ambassador for the Welsh Government. He currently employs 28 people across the two sites and is in conversation with the Welsh government to expand further. In July 2017, the education centre began to provide team-building exercises for a variety of local businesses, meaning that they now cater for all age groups.
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