Community benefits from Laura's move "home"

“This excellent small business, driving the local economy and community, is exactly the type which our Small Capital Grants programme, and the County Council’s business support as a whole, is designed to help and support to achieve ambitious and inclusive growth in Warwickshire.”

A Coleshill businesswoman has “come home” after setting up her own pool for her business, Laura’s Swim Academy, to the benefit of both the local economy and community, supported by a Small Capital Grant from Warwickshire County Council.

Laura Doig has run Laura’s Swim Academy at various locations across the region for 20 years, hiring pools and associated facilities at each to provide invaluable swimming lessons to people of all ages and abilities. Alongside helping local schoolchildren to achieve their national curriculum to be able to swim 25 metres safely, the academy provides public leisure swims and aqua fit sessions, as well as private hire for pool parties.

The Academy, which has nearly 900 customers a week, still operates at four sites but now has a long-term central base with a pool and facilities of its own in Coleshill where Laura lives.

She spotted an empty unit and took the plunge by transforming it into an intimate, well-equipped venue with an above-ground pool, modern changing and shower facilities, a shop, cafeteria and dedicated staff areas. The conversion has created a warm, clean, and friendly environment where everyone can enjoy the benefits of swimming.

It was a major investment for Laura, supported by the £35,000 Small Capital Grant, but the advantages of the business having its own premises are numerous and substantial. The Academy, on Coleshill Industrial Estate, Roman Way, has hit the ground running, or rather taken adroitly to the water, at its sparkling new location.  

“This was a huge investment for us,” said Laura. “The place was just an empty unit so we started from scratch but, in a way, that helped because we could shape it exactly the way we wanted. We are really pleased with it.

“We wanted every aspect to be high quality and the grant from the County Council ensured that is the case. It enabled us to go the extra mile for the comfort and safety of our customers.

“We are proud that we can offer the personal touch. We have customers of all ages and abilities and they can choose the environment they want; the water temperature, the music, the level of training. It is great to see how much people enjoy coming here. One regular visitor said, ‘it’s the best thing I do each week.’ That’s nice to hear.”

“It is lovely to be in the heart of my community. It does feel like the business has come home!”

The Academy has also created job opportunities, offering full-time positions to swim instructors and support staff, and continuing Laura's successful apprenticeship scheme for young swim instructors.

Laura’s Swim Academy is one of more than 100 businesses to have benefited from the County Council’s Small Capital Grants scheme. The programme, which has so far supported the creation of 291 new jobs, is expected to open again to new applications in the new financial year.

Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economy, Cllr Martin Watson, said: “I am delighted that the Small Capital Grant proved so valuable to Laura’s Swim Academy and helped Laura to provide a top-quality resource that is at the heart of her community.

“This excellent small business, driving the local economy and community, is exactly the type which our Small Capital Grants programme, and the County Council’s business support as a whole, is designed to help and support to achieve ambitious and inclusive growth in Warwickshire.”

* Please find out what other support is available to your business by calling Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub on 0300 060 3747 or visiting https://www.cwgrowthhub.co.uk