Bottle Green Training
24 March 2025
Sector: Veterinary Nurse Training and Animal Care
Location: South Derbyshire
Bottle Green Training has provided specialist training for the animal care industry since 1999.
Based in Melbourne, Derbyshire, the company offers apprenticeships in Animal Care & Welfare, Veterinary Nursing for Small Animal and Equine Practice, and Functional Skills. Their dedicated team consists of 28 employees.
Challenges faced
Director, Judith Parry identified two key challenges affecting the company's growth. They have seen a decline in student numbers due to the post-Covid downturn in veterinary practices and the rising operational costs driven by the current economic climate.
Solution and Impact
Judith first heard about the Accelerator project and the support on offer through the Chamber’s Business Adviser Sonny Lakhani. The Accelerator Project is funded by South Derbyshire District Council’s allocation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and delivered by East Midlands Chamber. Accelerator provided Judith with several valuable opportunities to develop her business.
Sonny provided dedicated one-to-one advice and guidance, outlining the funded support services available to help drive the business forward.
As a result of this support, Judith enrolled on the Help to Grow: Management course to develop key business skills and how to navigate change effectively. Judith also engaged with Nottingham Business School, collaborating with their change management and research students looking at data and analytics in animal health and care. This tailored support allowed the business to identify a gap in the market and diversify their product and service range.
The business also took advantage of NTU’s Digital Skills Coach service, funded by Accelerator and were able to access dedicated support to raise the social media presence of the company and engage in digital marketing. This support has provided the company with the tools to create multiple social platforms which has resulted in a significantly increased digital footprint. With the use of AI tools, the business has been able to send out bespoke marketing to raise revenue without increasing costs.
The business also undertook a funded energy audit to identify cost-saving opportunities and has developed a comprehensive decarbonisation plan to become sustainable. Improvements included reducing print and paper waste, improving energy efficiency when heating the buildings and working towards improving insulation to reduce costs and energy usage. They are also exploring grant funding opportunities for solar panels to be fitted.
This tailored support has enabled Judith to diversify and expand the business, safeguarding jobs and ensuring business resilience during a challenging time for the industry.
“Without Sonny’s support, we would have been in serious trouble and wouldn’t have known about the funded support we’ve accessed so far. His guidance has made a huge difference to our business.”
- Judith Parry, Managing Director
This initiative is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and delivered by East Midlands Chamber on behalf of South Derbyshire District Council.
