A present business specialising in customised mementos is targeting growth after protecting financial investment from Finance Yorkshire.
The financial investment will allow Brough-based The Lovely Gift Group to buy brand-new equipment, stock and utilize extra staff as it considers opportunities in the funeral service care and animal memorial sectors.
In the next stage of growth following the financial investment, the business will provide its own brand name memento items ‘Angels, Wings & Feathers’ to funeral care companies consisting of Central England Co-operative.
The the ‘Oh So Precious’ brand name variety is likewise being introduced in the animal and veterinary sectors, providing owners mementos to keep in mind their family pets.
Owner Helen Davies introduced the memento business after her experience of bring to life early twins who invested 10 weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Hull Royal Infirmary.
She said: “It was such an unique time in the NICU and I wished to treasure and remember it. The nurses were offering me keepsakes like the twins’ oxygen masks however I didn’t have a memento box to put them in.
“My experience offered me the bacterium of a concept for a memento business to provide individuals ingenious concepts to show or secure unique products from individuals, locations or events from all through life, that bring them a great deal of convenience.”
Davies introduced The Lovely Keepsake Company online from the family home in 2015 and it now forms part of The Lovely Gift Group, which likewise consists of online shops Lovely NICU Gifts and Lovely Memorial Gifts and the 2 brand-new item brand names.
Her other half Jason signed up with the business in 2020 and as the business relocated to facilities in Newport, Brough in 2021, tape-recording substantial development in its sales. It is targeting £750,000 turnover this year.
Bestsellers consist of convenience bears including tins for cremation ashes or voice recorders, customised memento boxes, bears and cushions made from garments, handprint frames and significant baubles that are specifically popular at Christmas.
Finance Yorkshire’s financial investment from its Seedcorn Fund will allow the purchase of engravers, cutters and printers as the business moves into wholesale in addition to being an online business. The financial investment will likewise allow the business to increase its staff from 5 to 10 in the coming months.
Alex McWhirter, president at Finance Yorkshire, included: “Helen and her group at The Lovely Gift Group have actually developed a strong series of items for a number of sectors where need is growing for mementos and memorial products. The ingenious concepts and innovative elements of their growing item variety is absolutely nothing except outstanding.
“Our Seedcorn Fund is preferably put to support SMEs like The Lovely Gift Group to help them to attain their development aspirations and produce tasks. Finance Yorkshire anticipates supporting The Lovely Gift Group in this interesting brand-new chapter for the business.”
Finance Yorkshire’s Seedcorn Fund becomes part of its local fund which is anticipated to offer more than £50m to SMEs over the next 5 years. Investment is likewise available from its Growth Fund in addition to through big and little business loans.
