Congl Menciau Enterprise Centre

I’ve been working here since 2016 and as well as managing the center, I offer business advice through the Enterprise HWB scheme, the Welsh Government’s business support scheme.

We currently have many different companies in the offices – from a company that produces children’s underpants on site to companies that make goats’ milk soap, a marketing company and a computer science company.

I’m also very proud that all of the companies are run by local people – which was, of course, one of the main goals when the Center was set up.

We get a lot of people calling for support with a business idea – what grants are available, how to write a business plan, help with writing an application for sponsorship and so on. That’s an important part of my job and one that gives me great satisfaction.

I love when I get to go to local schools, primary and secondary, to run the entrepreneurship competitions and I’m always amazed at children’s abilities and ideas. It’s nice to create an interest in business early on and I hope that they will use the Centre if they have business ideas in the future

One interesting recent development is Egin Cegin – a kitchen that people can use if they are interested in starting a food or drink business and looking for a place to develop ideas.

The lockdown gave us a bit of a knock back, as many of the community groups that used to meet here had to stop coming but it’s nice to see them returning slowly as the restrictions start to relax again.