A family training company specialising in first aid learning has almost doubled revenues in a year since accessing finance from social impact lender UKSE.

Safe Haven Training, based in Mill Street, Cannock, is providing work for twice the number of people employed prior to receiving a five-figure funding package from UKSE in 2024.

Safe Haven Training has grown by delivering high quality workplace first aid and health and safety training courses to schools, nurseries, councils and businesses.

Established in 2012, Safe Haven Training used the UKSE funds to invest in a brand-new customer relationship management system, upskilling staff and employ more trainers.

Providing strategic loan and equity packages of up to £1m to generate growth and create jobs, UKSE’s team based in Keys Business Village, Cannock, supports SMEs across Birmingham, the Black Country, Coventry, Staffordshire and Telford.

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, UKSE supports the economy with unsecured loans up to £200,000, often without the need for personal guarantees, as well as equity investments.

The lender has operated nationally since 1975 and appointed UKSE Midlands Area Manager Steve Grice and Regional Executive Mike Lowe two years ago to deliver investment in the West Midlands to give added focus in the region.

Safe Haven Training owner Shane Bryan said: “The investment from UKSE has transformed our business and allowed us to realise our dream of becoming a nationwide training provider, which would not have been possible otherwise.

“We have invested in a bespoke CRM system to support our growth plans and have increased employment from 25 to 50 people, including 18 full time staff compared with 11 previously.

“Our revenues have close to doubled and we are working with some leading national and international companies, some of which are household names, as we are meeting a niche of focussing on first aid training for clients nationwide.

“Cashflow was always an issue for us but UKSE have been brilliant from start to finish, we could not have asked for better people to help us through the process. We have been able to reinvest in upskilling staff and employing more trainers.

“We would definitely recommend UKSE as working with them is pain free and relatively simple.”

In total Safe Haven secured a joint six- figure sum from UKSE and business investment specialists ART Business Loans.

UKSE is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Steel UK Limited with a mission to enable and encourage businesses and the people behind them to create jobs, grow and prosper, within communities affected by current or historic changes in the steel industry and its jobs.

UKSE provides investment in scenarios including the purchase of new equipment, business acquisitions, expansions and management buyouts. Since 1975, UKSE has invested over £115m, helping 8,000 businesses and stimulating the creation of 83,000 new jobs.