Ddraig Valley Farm Park – Support and Mentoring

TestTown People: Ddraig Valley Farm Park – Support and Mentoring

Participants

Geraint Robson and Caitlyn Corless, Ddraig Valley Farm Park

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 on South Wales where families can come and learn about animals of all sorts, from farm animals to exotic species.  Alongside this, Geraint and Caitlyn also want to provide a place for work experience for college leavers.  Their vision was three years in the making and throughout supported and nurtured by the Enterprise Team at Bridgend College.

“We have been working non-stop with Bridgend College’s Entrepreneurship Officer Ruth Rowe, 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, Bridgend Business Forum Student of the Year, talking part in 2015 Big Ideas Wales, to winning TestTown Bridgend and participating in TestTown Glasgow Saltmarket, both Caitlyn and Geraint acknowledge and appreciate the support they have been given.

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Words of Advice

  • I would advertise the event on local radio stations and also in the local newspaper to create local interest in the town to raise awareness of the event. As not everyone who shops in the town uses the internet.’

    TestTown 2015 Participant

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

    TestTown 2015 Host

  • The younger generation is the future, so spending the time to encourage them to care and solve problems regarding the high street is a wonderful step forward.

    TestTown 2014 Participant

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.