Town Centre Recovery Grant Scheme
The Stapleford Town Deal business grant scheme was one of six projects to benefit from share of the £21.1m awarded by the Government’s Towns Deal fund.
This was to help the town’s businesses to recover from the pandemic. The scheme was opened to local businesses in January 2022 to apply for a share of £1m grant funding to help improve their existing premises and facilities and to retain their presence in the town. Applicants needed to provide their outputs which was a requirement of the scheme to consider job creation, accessibility and improve the buildings’ energy efficiencies that will stand the test of time.
We received over 100 applications which were reviewed by Grant Panel Members and funding awarded. There were a range of small schemes from £2,000 to provide signage and digital advertising up to £97,000 which was the largest award to refurbish derelict units to bring them back into use with 30% co-funding.
The scheme closed on 31 January 2023 supporting 74 businesses. Many businesses took the opportunity to improve their shop frontages during a difficult time of rising material costs and labour shortages but they have shown resilience to achieve their goals. All schemes were due to complete by 30 June 2023 with an extension of time given to a dozen projects which will be completed by 30 September 2023. There have been some challenges which we believe we were able to overcome working closely with the owners, tenants and landlords to bring this new vibe to the town.
Case Studies
Jelly Beans Nursery: Expanding nursery provides home from home in Stapleford
A nursery committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for young children is set for expansion after receiving a grant from the Stapleford Towns Fund.
Jelly Bean Day Nursery on Albert Street was launched by former childminder Kelly Sinclair to give local children a great start in life in safe surroundings where they’re looked after by an experienced and dedicated team.
Now, Kelly’s is looking to grow the nursery after receiving a £17,500 grant that has enabled her to accelerate investment in better facilities at the Ofsted-registered business.
Kelly said:
“I’ve always been family-orientated and passionate about providing excellent childcare. I started off with a child-minding business, but this grew into a day nursery and my priority is to give children a home-from-home environment where they can thrive in safe surroundings.”
Jelly Bean Day Nursery’s current nine-strong team delivers the Early years Foundation curriculum to up to 40 children from birth to five years-old, but Kelly is now aiming to increase staff numbers to 15 as it expands.
“We want to create more jobs for local people, and alongside the experienced team we already have we also take on apprentices so that we can get them qualified and grow their careers with the business,” said Kelly.
“It’s been a really positive journey so far. We’ve had excellent reviews from parents because we’re giving their children a solid foundation that takes them from birth all the way through to school.
“We were thrilled to get the grant from Stapleford Towns Fund. It has enabled us to change the frontage of our building, make renovations that have improved security and surroundings sooner than we might have been able to.
“We can develop the team and the business, bring in some new ideas, but more than anything else provide that safe and welcoming environment for more local children.”
Wake Cup Café: Vibrant new cafe to become a hub for community connection in Stapleford
A passionate, community-minded Stapleford woman is opening a vibrant new coffee shop on Church Street in November aimed at building local connections and tackling social isolation.
Recognising the need for a sociable gathering spot in town, Charmaine Silver, drawing from her experience as a carer, seized the opportunity to establish the Wake Cup Café.
With £16,500 funding from the Stapleford Towns Fund, coupled with a co-founder contribution of £10,000, Charmaine has extensively refurbished and enhanced the building to create a distinctive, fully accessible café for people of all ages with top-of-the-line equipment and modern furniture and interiors. To further support the local economy, Charmaine will be employing a passionate team of four.
A native of Jamaica, where she successfully managed her own café, Charmaine has called Stapleford home for the past five years, working diligently as both a carer and cleaner. Reflecting on her experiences.
Charmaine said:
"Throughout my previous roles I have witnessed firsthand the visible impact of pandemic-induced social isolation. Although Stapleford boasts a strong communal bond, I realised that a welcoming and comfortable coffee shop was missing—a place where individuals of all generations could convene and enjoy each other's company."
The Wake Cup Café will fulfil Charmaine's vision, offering a unique culinary experience with an array of bread, cake and breakfast options, including authentic Jamaican dishes alongside traditional favourites.
"Think of my café as a fusion of the beloved English café culture with distinctive Jamaican influences," she explains.
Charmaine recognises that the café's transformation would have taken countless years to achieve without the funding. She said: "I am truly elated and proud to finally unveil a café that exudes beauty both inside and out. I eagerly anticipate the day we open our doors to the community!"
Former Hyper building: New lease of life for former Hyper supermarket building
A much-loved former supermarket in Stapleford is being transformed with funding from the Stapleford Towns Fund.
The large unit at 26-28 Derby Road that used to house the Hyper supermarket was bought by local entrepreneur Mr Krishanand who is keen to bring the building back to life and boost the town’s high street.
A total of £29,000 of improvement work, co funded by the owner, has already transformed the shop front externally with new windows, doors, facias rendering and guttering, with a second phase, currently underway on the internals. This will split the substantial space into two smaller units by refurbishing the units with new floors, installing energy efficient lighting, plastering and decorating. Kris’ plan is to rent one unit out and run a business himself from the other.
Kris, who lives in Bramcote and has run his business DSK from Stapleford for 16 years, said:
“I wanted to invest in another property in the town as I love it and really believe it’s got a bright future ahead.
“Compared to other areas, Stapleford has less vacant shop units, which I think shows the strength of the community and the demand for local businesses on the high street.
“You can really see the visible difference these Towns Fund business grants are making to the high street and I’m so incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received. Without this funding, it would have been difficult to renovate and repair this property to a good standard and by doing so, it improves the aesthetics of the high street, which is more welcoming to residents and visitors and will attract more investors into the area. A big thank you to the council for enabling this to happen.
“Once the work’s finished we’ll be looking at what people want from these two units so that we can help the town continue to improve and become a place that more businesses and shoppers want to come too.”
Cliffe Hill House: Building improvement work keeps businesses local in Stapleford
The owner of a small office block in Stapleford says a Towns Fund grant has safeguarded his business and helped keep other businesses in the town.
Ravi Veeramalla bought Cliffe Hill House at 22-26 Nottingham Road three years ago, home to five businesses, including Freightliner, Haynes Watts accountants and the Peak My Body fitness centre.
While Ravi has invested in internal improvements over the last few years, he’s been unable to fund some of the bigger jobs that he knows are important to his tenants.
However, thanks to a £19,200 grant from the Stapleford Towns Fund, plus £10,800 co-funding, Ravi has brought forward this important work to create a new modern exterior to the building, improved disabled access and significant improvements to the building’s energy efficiency.
Ravi said:
“There was a lot of work I wanted to do to make the building and facilities better but wouldn’t be able to do for some time. I had become worried that my tenants would start to look elsewhere, but thanks to the Towns Fund grant I’ve been able to do this much sooner.
“The feedback’s been very positive. Peak My Body on the ground floor has had many more enquiries since the exterior work finished which is great.
“I feel assured that these improvements have helped encourage my tenants to stay as they now have a more modern, fit for purpose building - great for their staff, their business and for Stapleford’s economy.”
New lease of life in store for dilapidated Derby Road building
An important Stapleford high street building will soon offer new business opportunities for people in the town thanks to a £97,330 grant from the Town Centre Recovery Fund.
The Victorian 20 Derby Road, used most recently as a commercial storage facility for local tradespeople, will be converted into three fully accessible offices, with green-spaces and cycle storage with charging points.
The building is owned by local property owner Barbara Demetriou, who owns a number of high street buildings.
20 Derby Road has had a variety of uses over the years, and despite the owner’s grand plans for converting the building, the increased costs of building works has meant it hasn’t been affordable.
The Town Centre Recovery Grant Scheme, in addition to personal funding, will help bring the building back to life, with a purpose that will attract businesses and jobs to the town.
Barbara, said:
“I’ve lived, worked and invested in Stapleford for over 30 years and love what the town has to offer. I’ve seen first-hand the difference that investment can make and it’s great that so much money is coming through this grant and the Towns Fund to make it a more popular place to come to, to work in and call home.
“Being able to improve the appearance of the high street and provide new opportunities will have a huge impact and we can’t wait to get started as we really want to create something really special for Stapleford.”
Grant funding secures healthier future for Stapleford food outlet
A town centre takeaway food business is able to secure its future thanks to a £5,000 grant from the Town Centre Recovery Grant Scheme.
Like many businesses, the pandemic was hard for family-owned Sun Shine Fish and Chicken on Derby Road, and the rise in the price of oil and a lack of availability of oil has been a real worry.
The marketplace has also changed with more demand from local people for healthier options.
Subaranjani Kapilraj, who has run the business since October 2020, said:
“Business has been very slow. Oil has been in short supply and we’ve had to increase our prices to keep the business going. We’ve had to look at other ways to secure the future of our business.”
The grant will fund a new rotisserie machine that means the business is not solely reliant on oil and Subaranjani can diversify his menu, offering a range of new healthier grilled chicken dishes.
“This grant means we can offer grilled food for the first time, something that isn’t available in Stapleford at the moment, and it’s healthier too, which is something that we know people want,” he added.
Business expansion on the horizon for local plumber Ryan
Improvements to a plumbing and heating showroom on Derby Road will pave the way for a bright post-Covid future for local plumber, Ryan Leggat.
Ryan, from Stapleford, who set up Ryan Plumbing and Heating in 2006, saw a gap in the market for a showroom in the town, and has worked hard towards opening his store fully to the public this month.
However, the pandemic and increasing costs of building materials meant that some of the jobs he wanted to do to complete his showroom were no longer possible.
With a £6,000 grant from the Town Centre Recovery Grant Scheme he is now able to finish his project, with new exterior signage and fixtures and fittings inside the 137a Derby Road showroom.
Ryan said:
“Opening the showroom is really important to me. It means I can display and sell products which will provide me with the income I need to expand my team from two to three. As a small business this just would not have been possible without this grant,” said Ryan.
“A good first impression can make all the difference and I know that once the new signs are up we will see more people coming through our doors. I know it will also make the high street look better as a whole which can only be a good thing for Stapleford,” he added.