Younger Entrepreneur Strikes Goal with New Axe-Throwing Venue and “Rage Room” in Swansea

A 24-year-old enterprise proprietor is hoping to make his new leisure venue all the trend in Swansea.

Matthew Griffin, 24, opened the primary Lumberjack Axe Throwing on Catherine Road, Cardiff in July, 2019 aged simply 21.

Now, because of a £35,000 micro mortgage from the Growth Financial institution of Wales, Matthew has opened a Lumberjack web site on Dilwyn Road, Swansea.

As properly offering a venue for axe throwing – an more and more fashionable indoor sport – the brand new venue will see the addition of Wales’ first everlasting “rage room”, which supplies clients the possibility to work out their stresses by freely smashing up crockery and different gadgets, which Matthew plans to open later within the yr.

Matthew, who received Businessperson of the Yr on the Cardiff Enterprise Awards 2020, noticed the hole out there for an axe-throwing venue in Cardiff and took the chance to open his first web site whereas persevering with to work as a self-employed carpenter and dealing in direction of his college diploma.

On the Cardiff venue, which was the primary city axe throwing centre in Wales, visitors have the possibility to check their bodily and co-ordination abilities and compete in opposition to each other by throwing axes at targets, below the supervision of educated members of workers.

After opening in mid-2019 and efficiently navigating the enterprise by the difficulties posed by the Covid-19 pandemic by working within the Nightingale subject hospital in Cardiff, Matthew set his sights on increasing Lumberjack in late 2021 and found an appropriate web site on Dilwyn Road in Swansea metropolis centre.

The £35k micro mortgage from the Growth Financial institution allowed him to maintain the enterprise secure throughout renovation work for the brand new web site, with the event additionally supported by Swansea Metropolis Council’s Property Enhancement Grant.

Matthew added:

“Working with the Growth Financial institution was a breeze – I’d all the time thought coming for a mortgage would imply a cycle of refusals as being a youngster can have its limitations, however this was confirmed to not be the case and I can’t reward the Growth Financial institution sufficient.”

“I used to be funding Cardiff on my own and it took all my private financial savings on the time to get it off the bottom. The mortgage has assisted massively in making certain the Swansea development doesn’t have an excessive amount of of an influence on the cashflow of the corporate as an entire.”

“As you possibly can think about, working an organization whereas making an attempt to assemble a premises twice the dimensions of the one bringing within the income can majorly drop capital reserves, risking the entire firm and making the challenge virtually inconceivable after the years of financial uncertainties that we’ve got had.”

“The method was easy, and funding government Donna Strohmeyer was all the time readily available to clarify issues when wanted, which I can’t be extra grateful for. They took the stress out of it fully. I’ll all the time method the Growth Financial institution for any future funding I may have.”

Matthew plans to host tournaments for the game on the new web site, in addition to persevering with present relationships with hospitality companions Smoke Haus, who work alongside Lumberjack Axe Throwing to offer meals and leisure packages for purchasers.

Donna Strohmeyer, a micro loans funding government on the Growth Financial institution, stated:

“We’re more than happy to have labored with Matthew in serving to him to safe new premises in Swansea, permitting him to increase his present enterprise and convey this thrilling new sport to an entire new buyer base.”

“It’s nice to see the Swansea web site accomplished, and we want Matthew the perfect as he brings Lumberjack Axe Throwing to a brand new metropolis.”

Bethan Cousens, new investments director on the Growth Financial institution, stated:

“We’re eager to work with promising younger entrepreneurs like Matthew, who won’t suppose they’ve a powerful base from which to search for funding.”

“We might help examine their suitability for any funding, and information them by each step of the best way, giving them the possibility to make their enterprise goals a actuality.”

To search out out extra on how the Growth Financial institution might help younger entrepreneurs, head to www.developmentbank.wales/young-entrepreneurs

Mae perchennog busnes 24 oed yn gobeithio y bydd ei leoliad hamdden newydd yn Abertawe yn boblogaidd dros ben.

Agorodd Matthew Griffin, 24 oed, y Lumberjack Axe Throwing cyntaf ar Catherine Road, Caerdydd ym mis Gorffennaf, 2019 ac yntau’n ddim ond 21 oed.

Nawr, mae Banc Datblygu Cymru wedi rhoi micro fenthyciad o £35,000 i Matthew er mwyn iddo allu agor safle Lumberjack ar Stryd Dilwyn, Abertawe.

Yn ogystal â darparu lleoliad i daflu bwyeill – camp dan do sy’n dod yn fwy ac yn fwy poblogaidd – bydd y lleoliad newydd yn cynnwys “ystafell torri tensiwn” barhaol gyntaf Cymru, sy’n rhoi cyfle i gwsmeriaid ryddhau straen drwy falu crochenwaith ac eitemau eraill. Mae Matthew yn bwriadu eu hagor yn nes ymlaen yn y flwyddyn.

Roedd Matthew wedi ennill gwobr Individual Busnes y Flwyddyn yng Ngwobrau Busnes Caerdydd 2020. Sylwodd fod bwlch yn y farchnad am leoliad taflu bwyeill yng Nghaerdydd. Achubodd ar y cyfle i agor ei safle cyntaf ar yr un pryd â pharau i weithio fel saer hunangyflogedig a gweithio ar ei radd prifysgol.

Yn y lleoliad yng Nghaerdydd, sef y ganolfan taflu bwyeill drefol gyntaf yng Nghymru, mae’r gwesteion yn cael cyfle i brofi eu sgiliau corfforol a chydsymud a chystadlu yn erbyn ei gilydd drwy daflu bwyeill at dargedau, dan oruchwyliaeth aelodau o workers sydd wedi cael eu hyfforddi.

Agorodd y safle ganol 2019 a llwyddodd i lywio’r busnes drwy’r anawsterau a achoswyd gan bandemig Covid-19 drwy weithio yn ysbyty maes yr Eos yng Nghaerdydd. Roedd Matthew eisiau ehangu Lumberjack ddiwedd 2021 a daeth o hyd i safle addas ar Stryd Dilwyn yng nghanol dinas Abertawe.

Roedd y micro fenthyciad o £35k gan y Banc Datblygu yn caniatáu iddo gadw’r busnes yn sefydlog yn ystod gwaith o adnewyddu’r safle newydd. Mae’r datblygiad hefyd yn cael ei gefnogi gan Grant Gwella Eiddo Cyngor Dinas Abertawe.

Ychwanegodd Matthew:

“Roedd hello’n hawdd gweithio gyda Banc Datblygu Cymru – roeddwn i wastad wedi meddwl y byddai gofyn am fenthyciad yn golygu cael fy ngwrthod dro ar ôl tro oherwydd mae anfanteision yn perthyn i fod yn ifanc, ond doedd hynny ddim yn wir ac alla i ddim canmol y Banc Datblygu ddigon.”

“Roeddwn i’n ariannu Caerdydd ar fy mhen fy hun ac roedd yn rhaid i mi ddefnyddio fy holl gynilion personol ar y pryd i gychwyn pethau. Mae’r benthyciad wedi bod yn assist mawr i sicrhau nad yw gwaith adeiladu Abertawe yn cael gormod o effaith ar lif arian y cwmni yn ei gyfanrwydd.”

“Fel gallwch chi ddychmygu, mae rhedeg cwmni wrth geisio adeiladu safle ddwywaith maint yr un sy’n dod â’r refeniw i mewn yn gallu llyncu cronfeydd cyfalaf yn sylweddol, gan beryglu’r cwmni cyfan a gwneud y prosiect bron yn amhosibl ar ôl y blynyddoedd diweddar o ansicrwydd economaidd.”

“Roedd y broses yn syml, ac roedd y swyddog buddsoddi Donna Strohmeyer bob amser wrth regulation i esbonio pethau pan oedd angen, ac alla i ddim bod yn fwy diolchgar am hynny. Fe wnaethon nhw dynnu’r straen allan o’r broses yn llwyr. Byddaf bob tro’n cysylltu â’r Banc Datblygu am unrhyw gyllid byddaf i ei angen yn y dyfodol.”

Mae Matthew yn bwriadu cynnal twrnameintiau ar gyfer y gamp ar y safle newydd, yn ogystal â pharhau â’r cysylltiadau presennol â’r partneriaid lletygarwch, Smoke Haus, sy’n gweithio ochr yn ochr â Lumberjack Axe Throwing i ddarparu pecynnau bwyd ac adloniant i gwsmeriaid.

Dywedodd Donna Strohmeyer, swyddog buddsoddi micro fenthyciadau yn y Banc Datblygu:

“Rydyn ni’n falch iawn o fod wedi gweithio gyda Matthew i’w helpu i sicrhau safle newydd yn Abertawe, gan ei alluogi i ehangu ei fusnes presennol a dod â’r gamp newydd gyffrous hon i gwsmeriaid newydd sbon.”

“Mae’n wych gweld safle Abertawe yn cael ei gwblhau, a dymunwn y gorau i Matthew wrth iddo ddod â Lumberjack Axe Throwing i ddinas newydd.”

Dywedodd Bethan Cousens, cyfarwyddwr buddsoddiadau newydd yn y Banc Datblygu:

“Rydyn ni’n awyddus i weithio gydag mentergarwyr ifanc addawol fel Matthew, sydd efallai ddim yn meddwl bod ganddyn nhw sylfaen gref i chwilio am fuddsoddiad.”

“Gallwn helpu i sicrhau eu bod yn addas ar gyfer unrhyw fuddsoddiad, a’u harwain drwy bob cam o’r ffordd, gan roi cyfle iddyn nhw wireddu eu breuddwydion busnes.”

I ddarllen fwy am sut gall y Banc Datblygu helpu mentergarwyr ifanc, ewch i https://developmentbank.wales/cy/mentergarwyr-ifanc