1st March 2022

Development Bank Loan Helps Paramedics Set Up New Business

The Development Bank of Wales has supported two qualified paramedics Andrea and Gethin Bateman with a new business venture in the hospitality industry.

Having worked as front-line paramedics for the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Andrea Bateman is now a clinical adviser for the NHS Wales 111 Service and Gethin Bateman is a serious incident investigation manager for Digital Health and Care Wales.

However, a love of camping and caravanning coupled with a £300,000 loan from the Development Bank of Wales means that they are now also the new owners of Pelcomb Bridge Holiday Park which incorporates the Rising Sun Restaurant and Grill.

The Batemans completed the purchase of the three-acre site which comprises the Rising Sun Inn and associated caravan park that includes numerous caravan and tent pitches, winter storage facilities, three chalets and a static caravan.

Refurbishment work on the Rising Sun Restaurant and Grill has already begun and the Batemans have recruited head chef Matthew Cox from St Davids, who is also guiding the modernisation of the kitchen to increase capacity.

Andrea and Gethin said: “We’re both very people focussed and enjoy meeting new people so we wanted to use these skills to try a new venture that gave us the opportunity to invest in our future; something that combined our love of the outdoors, camping, caravanning and food. The Rising Sun ticked all the boxes plus it is local to our hometowns of Haverfordwest and St Davids.

“A chance conversation led us here and we immediately saw the opportunity to breath a new lease of life into the business and realise its full potential. The funding from the Development Bank means that we’ve been able to buy the business and crack on with our plans to upgrade the campsite facilities and give the Rising Sun a revamp.”

Clare Sullivan, an investment executive with the Development Bank, added: “Andrea and Gethin approached us needing help to fund the purchase of this well established and profitable business so that the previous owners could retire.

“As a going concern, it was an attractive proposition because it provides various income streams and there was the opportunity for us to help safeguard the jobs of seven local people. Furthermore, they’ve certainly got the skills and determination to make it work and we are particularly pleased to see them already investing in biodiversity and energy efficiency measures on site that will help to reduce carbon footprint.”