Case Studies

Lifted Drinks took out their loan of £25,000 in May 2023. Lifted Drinks, based in Staffordshire, creates an alcohol-free beer that offers the taste of the beverage while incorporating the post-workout benefits of a protein shake.

Matt Everett borrowed £10,000 in July 2023 to grow into Dragonfly films. Dragonfly films is a London-based video production company using state-of-the-art equipment and modern techniques to deliver high-end video content for businesses nationwide.

Robin Valley, co-founded by husband and wife entrepreneurs Wanchong Chen and Liang Zhang, is a wooden jewellery brand that combines innovation, sustainability, and unique design.

Pets and Picasso received a £25,000 loan in June this year. The community interest company (CIC), set up by Anna Corwood and her partner Luke Gash, aims to provide animal and art assisted therapy to local people living with a wide range of health conditions.

A landscape architect turned liqueur maker from Skewen has established an artisanal liqueur business inspired by the slow food movement, linking the pleasure of using traditional methods, sustainable ingredients and slow consumption for maximum taste.

Glasgow-based DamGoodDrams, an ecommerce platform specialising in independent spirits, is gearing up to launch its own line of whisky and take its business overseas, following a successful first year.

Emma Hamlett took out a £25,000 loan to open Collected, an independent bookshop specialising in work written by women.

Chloe Bruce took out a loan of £12,500 to launch the Chloe Bruce Academy in 2020, a business offering virtual martial arts classes and tutorials.

In April 2022, Emma and Sebastian took out a loan of £20,000 each to set up Pastéis Lisboa, Scotland’s first specialist Pastel de Nata bakery, in the heart of Glasgow’s buzzing West End.

Alice Wu, founder of Peace and Pure, took out her loan of £19,000 in 2020 to start the business.

Hannah Saunders took out a £14,700 loan in 2020 to launch Toddle Born Wild, a natural vegan children skincare brand.

Cherisse Brown took out a £10,000 loan to launch Urbee, an e-shop aiming to raise awareness about the importance of bees and other pollinating insects and the need for their conservation.

Chantal Charles-Smith took out a £25,000 loan in April 2021 to launch Laughing Llama Coffee and Bistro, a family-friendly destination in York.

Alan Lock and business partner John Mercer took out a loan of £15,000 in February 2020 to support the growth of Icarus Originals, a company founded on the premise of giving decommissioned aircraft a new life by turning them into bespoke, handmade jewellery and accessories – making memories out of icons.

Jeroo Doodmal secured a £15,000 loan in December 2021 to launch her sustainable Children’s footwear brand Pip & Henry, having noticed a gap in the market for sustainable, organic, and fair-trade children’s footwear options.

Ben Caspary launched Booheads in November 2020. His company makes sustainably made and biodegradable bamboo toothbrush heads for consumers seeking an alternative to the disposable plastic versions that end up in landfills.

Melissa Sinclair took out a Start Up Loan to open Big Hair + Beauty, a natural haircare brand for afro and curly hair.

Arabella Hill and Flavia Paterson took out two loans of £25,000 in January 2020 and £10,000 in June 2020 to set up Paterson and Hill, a clothing brand for women working in manual jobs.