“Conventional care fails people who have needs outside quite narrow criteria. We saw the need to expand what care can do for people and provide positive solutions to people with complex needs.”
So says Martine Verweij, Partner at Te Hira Care Home, who approached Swoop when her company needed funding to purchase a building for a bold new project. The aim is to found a working farm that provides meaningful activities for users, allowing them to retain and build skills that they can use in other aspects of their lives.
Originally from the Netherlands, Martine says that the UK is far behind her home country when it comes to care.
Martine herself joined Te Hira as a partner 18 months ago, following a career in catering and charity. With business partner Christina Robinson, the pair make a formidable double act combining experience across a range of sectors.
In their next venture, Martine and Christina will create a care facility that provides activities including horticulture, animal therapy, baking and cooking and running the household.
“People need activities to stay engaged,” says Martine. “People have needs that are not well served by requiring them to sit still and be quiet.”
Finding the right funding for the new building was a challenge, however – until Swoop was recommended by Cottons, Te Hira’s accountants, and the process of closing a deal on a commercial mortgage began.
Martine says that she immediately knew she was in safe hands:
“What I liked was the mentality I encountered. Ed Brown, Account Manager at Swoop, was not just selling me a mortgage, he really wanted to see that the solution we ended up with would contribute towards making the business work. He was very frank about what was and was not possible and I valued that honesty throughout the process.”
This honesty proved invaluable as the project encountered complications and delays. Martine describes the attitude of the Swoop team as being “creative, willing and daring – no English reserve, they just got on and got things done.”
Today, Martine has secured the funding her company needs to take the next step to making their new care facility a reality:
“After half a year of delay, we are beginning the building and are able to lock in a schedule that will see us opening our doors 24th April 2023. We are able to think about future projects now and as Swoop made me feel valued throughout this process, I won’t be looking elsewhere for funding.”
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