Duo secure £175,000 to launch pet cremation firm

A Northumberland-based family business is launching a new service to support pet owners across the region.

Renwick Animal & Pet Cremation Services, founded by mother and son team Jane Jobling-Purser and George Renwick, has secured £175,000 in funding from Reward Finance Group. 

Based near Morpeth on the Southwitton House estate, the start-up offers cremation for pets and animals of all sizes.

Backed by years of experience in the farming and animal welfare sectors, the duo aim to meet growing demand for compassionate end-of-life services.

They say the funding will allow the business to purchase essential equipment and avoid delays in opening.

George, who previously worked with the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency, and more recently with Peaceful Pets, in Norfolk, said: “Having worked with pets and livestock all our lives, we recognised across the North East that many businesses and pet owners with larger animals were increasingly forced to travel as far as Derbyshire to access cremation services. 

“Equipped with this knowledge and our passion for animal welfare, we invested in refurbishing the former equestrian centre located on the estate and converted it into the new pet and animal crematorium.

“The missing piece of the jigsaw was securing the finance in order to acquire the vital equipment needed to launch. 

“As a new company, this was a real challenge since we had no previous trading history to present to banks and other lenders. 

“Therefore, we were delighted that Reward was able to support us by recognising our long-term vision and plans for the business. 

“The whole process moved at pace, ensuring we didn’t face the financial headache of having to delay the launch and put everything on hold.”

The deal was brokered by Graeme Harrison of Newcastle-based Corporate and Commercial Business Solutions Group (CCBSG), with Reward offering a fast and pragmatic approach to financing based on the company’s strong business plan and projections.

Aaron Tinmouth, Reward Funding’s North East business development manager, added: “Being able to provide alternative finance to help launch a new business like Renwick underlines our entrepreneurial mindset and innovative approach to lending. 

“Whilst this is a new venture for Jane and George, we made sure that we sat down with them to truly understand their plans, ambitions and their funding needs to ensure we could provide the right solution tailored to them.

“Many SMEs and property investors across the region are unfortunately denied finance by risk-averse traditional lenders, which stifles their business growth ambitions and negatively impacts the wider economy. 

“It’s rewarding to help Renwick unlock this market opportunity and we are confident the business will now go from strength to strength.”

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