Bridgend College

ddraig-valley-and-ruth-rowe

TestTown People: Support and Mentoring

Participants

Geraint Robson and Caitlyn Corless, Ddraig Valley Farm Park and Ruth Rowe, Enterprise Officer, Bridgend College

About The Project

In May 2016, TestTown Bridgend winners, Geraint and Caitlyn signed the lease with Bridgend College which would see their vision of opening Ddraig Valley Farm Park on the college’s land turn into a reality. Ddraig Valley Farm Park is being set up as a visitor attraction in South Wales where families can come and learn about animals of all sorts, from farm animals to more exotic species. Alongside this, Geraint and Caitlyn also want to provide a place for work experience, where people leaving the college can come and get real-life experience and improve their skills and chances of employability. Their vision was three years in the making and throughout supported and nurtured by the Enterprise team at Bridgend College.

We also have been working non-stop with Bridgend College’s enterprising officer, she has been a valuable asset and has been able to help us mould and focus our minds to become a much more productive team.

From being awarded Bridgend College Business Student of the Year Award and the Bridgend Business Forum Student Entrepreneur of the Year, to taking part in the 2015 Big Ideas Wales Boot Camp to Business, to winning TestTown Bridgend and participating in the finals in Glasgow Saltmarket, both Geraint and Caitlyn acknowledge and appreciate the support they have been given. “We also have been working non-stop with Bridgend College’s enterprising officer, she has been a valuable asset and has been able to help us mould and focus our minds to become a much more productive team.”

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Words of Advice

  • I would have allowed myself more time without a doubt...Until you help facilitate a project such as this, I don’t think you are aware of all the little details involved and the local politics which can often send you three steps backwards. It was, however, the most interesting project I have worked on and all the hours were well spent !!

    TestTown 2014 Host

  • The animation of the town centre through pop-ups and performances created a wonderful atmosphere for new and returning shoppers.

    TestTown 2015 Host

  • Make sure you have the commitment from key players in the local area. Without the dedication of the local authority and the City Strategy group, it would not have been possible.

    TestTown 2014 Host

Highlights from the recent years

Five Ways To Supercharge Your TestTown

We believe there are five things which would Supercharge your TestTown:

  1. Every town should create a clear, supported pathway into trading and opening up a shop  for new town centre entrepreneurs.
  2. Every town should have a permanent pop-up facility in a viable trading space which offers flexible lease arrangements up to a year for new town centre entrepreneurs to learn.
  3. Every town should work, within their means, to reduce financial barriers in reduced rates and rents for new traders during their first year of business.
  4. Every town should carry out a regular (every five years) entrepreneur-led consultation which would feed into a business-led strategy for town centre development and business support.
  5. Every town should develop a hyperlocal cross-sector partnership to lead local innovation, ensuring that agencies, businesses, and residents are all powerful in leading local development.