Case Studies

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.

Siblings Albert, Betty and Minnie Alexander took out a loan of £22,000 in 2021 to launch Kitty’s Herbery, a perfumery based in Bude, Cornwall.

Michael Hughes secured £7,000 from Start Up Loans – through The Hub – to launch a new service providing respite and mentoring sessions for young people with autism.

Whitley Bay-based supplier of organic seaweed products Seaweed & Co, is a recipient of the Start Up Loans programme.

Three female entrepreneurs used funding from Start Up Loans to launch an Indian restaurant and takeaway in Nottingham.

Eleanor Howie took secured finance of £6,500 through Start Up Loans delivery partner Virgin Start Ups in Spring 2020. Her business Valiant Lingerie provides empowering lingerie for women who have been impacted by breast cancer or risk-reducing mastectomies.

Sophie had visited, built, and worked in climbing facilities and centres all over the world and distilled their favourite parts from each to create the Tide Climbing Centre.