FSB Wales Member Spotlight: Sparkle Cleaning Services Wales and West Ltd

Local News 7 Apr 2021

This Barry-based business is a stunning example of how to diversify to thrive during the pandemic.

Sparkles Cleaning team member, Jill

Ceri Jennings runs the Barry-based cleaning business with her dedicated, female-led team and are a stunning example of how to diversify to thrive during the pandemic. The firm provides both domestic and corporate cleaning services around South Wales.

The business was established in 2003 and has two core ambitions; to provide stress-free, high quality cleaning and to provide training and secure employment opportunities to those who might be facing difficult circumstances.

Sparkles Cleaning Services inspires pride within their teams and work closely with every member of their 35-strong workforce. Throughout the pandemic, the management team have undertaken wellbeing calls with every member of staff on each occasion that the Coronavirus regulations have changed to maintain regular contact and understand the needs of their team. On top of this, during one of the most difficult economic years on record, Sparkles Cleaning Services have become an accredited Living Wage Employer. This is something that Ceri and her team are incredibly proud of.

Ceri manages the business alongside her colleagues Sarah Baker and Charlotte Jennings who are an integral part of the team and have been crucial to managing the events of the past year.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Ceri took the decision before announcements on lockdown and shielding were made to shield at home with her daughter and began running the business from her kitchen table.

As the weeks passed during the first lockdown, it became obvious to Ceri, Sarah and Charlotte that action would need to be taken to shore up the future of their business against such a difficult economic outlook. They retrained and upskilled their staff to start undertaking construction cleaning for the first time – ensuring that they had a strong foothold in a sector unaffected by Coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns.

This horizon-scanning paid off, and the business continues to have a strong place in South Wales.

Sparkles Cleaning is an example of a striking foundational economy business that is at the heart of its community, and surely will be for many years to come. All of this was achieved by Ceri and her team working remotely, adapting to mammoth change in their landscape and whilst supporting their team through the pandemic. Sparkles Cleaning Services is quite clearly a business to watch for the future.