A social enterprise which helps women who have experienced domestic abuse get back into employment has grown from four employees to 44 after securing new contracts with a major building contractor.
Commercial and domestic cleaning company Thrive Group Wales has grown the number of its housekeeping staff after renewing contracts with Bouygues UK to maintain its welfare buildings on the Kingsway in Swansea and the Pentre Awel project in Llanelli.
The enterprise is now set to reach a turnover of £400,000 this year.
Thrive was founded in June 2017 to develop a sustainable income stream to support the work of parent charity, Thrive Women’s Aid, by creating employment opportunities with child-friendly hours for women who had experienced domestic abuse.
The Port Talbot-based enterprise has three key commercial areas including a cleaning company with contracts for construction, retail and office workplaces across the Swansea Bay City Region. Its other two commercial areas include a catering company and play centre.
Thrive first partnered with major building contractor Bouygues UK in 2016 to supply four cleaners to the contractor’s school building sites in Port Talbot.
After more job opportunities were created as a result, Thrive decided to become a social enterprise with support from the European Regional Development Fund.
Lucy Reynolds, director of Thrive Women’s Aid, said: “Five years ago, thanks to Bouygues UK we took on four women and from 2016 to 2017 that social enterprise turned over around £48,000. Now in 2021 we employ 44 women, run a play centre and a sandwich bar, and our latest draft turnover is looking at being around £400,000, all of which gets invested back into the business to help more women and families in need.”
She added: “We are thrilled to be working with Bouygues UK again at these local sites. We are now a sizeable employer in the area and that is all down to that initial investment and faith from Bouygues UK. They planted the seed that led to where we are today, and we will always be very grateful.”
Donna Griffiths, business development manager for Bouygues UK in Wales, said: “When I heard about the success story of Thrive WA I was overwhelmed and so proud. Social value is pivotal to everything we do at Bouygues UK, but when you leave a project you don’t often get to hear about how it’s progressed afterwards – this is beyond all my expectations.”
Ms Griffiths added: “The fact that Thrive Group Wales has gone on to employ 44 people and make a real difference to its community is testament to the fact that business can and does give back and it only takes one small gesture, like offering someone a job, can make such a massive difference.”
