Our Baby Is All Grown Up, And So Is WRAP!
Our youngest daughter, Sofia, graduates from The WRAP Nursery at the end of the summer.
She is heading off to school as a confident, sociable, (sassy!) small person who has been prepared perfectly by her nursery teachers to take the next steps on her life adventure.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
She is heading off to school as a confident, sociable, (sassy!) small person who has been prepared perfectly by her nursery teachers to take the next steps on her life adventure.
As she leaves WRAP, it feels like an especially significant milestone because it also marks five years since we opened our doors to the Brighton community. The business, and little Sofia, have grown up together and have both presented Ed and me with plenty of tears and tantrums along the way! I must admit there have been many times when we have referred to WRAP as ‘our problem child!’
Recently however we have had a chance to pause, look back and reflect on what WRAP has become and I am really proud, especially of our family focused and independent values.
At WRAP, being family founded and owned is a huge part of our story. I think it’s at the heart of what makes us really special.
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Across both the coworking and childcare sectors, there is a growing trend towards large national chains and investor-owned/private equity organisations. Whilst these businesses operate successfully, their priorities are shaped by shareholder return and financial targets. As a family-owned business, I have always felt like our priorities are very different - the children, families, members and the team that place their trust in us every day. That responsibility has, at times over the past five years, felt incredibly heavy for Ed and myself, but I think it’s helped us create something very special.
We prioritise, and always ask for, input from our members, team and families - even when it's been hard to hear! Using suggestions and feedback from our community we invest where we believe it matters most. Whether that's working with our amazing chef to prepare fresh plant based meals, transforming a local unloved outdoor space into our very own nursery garden, supporting our staff with training and wellbeing initiatives or developing spaces that meet the needs of working parents - including a dedicated breast feeding area.
It deserves long-term thinking, stable relationships and to be run by people who are deeply connected to the community they serve. As owners, we are here (literally in the building!) every day. We know our families by name, we listen, we adapt and we take personal responsibility for the experience people have at WRAP. Decisions that affect us all are not made in a boardroom hundreds of miles away, they are made by the people who will see the impact of those decisions - almost immediately.
The same philosophy runs through our coworking community. Rather than creating a one-size-fits-all workspace, we've built a place that reflects our brilliant Brighton community: creative, welcoming, flexible, family-focused and genuinely connected to the local community. Independence gives us the freedom to innovate, respond quickly and create something with real personality. I believe a space like this simply could not exist if every decision had to satisfy Private Equity Investors.
For myself and Ed, the success of WRAP over the last 5 years hasn’t been solely measured by growth. It has been measured by the families who trust us with their children, the members who choose to build their businesses here and the team who are passionate about their roles.
Here’s to the next five fabulous years.
WhatevHere’s to the next five fabulous years. er it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Sarah x
