News

BGF exits A Wilderness Way

We successfully exited our investment in the business, which provides specialised residential care, education, therapy and outdoor activities for young people with complex needs.

3 March 2023

BGF has successfully exited its investment in A Wilderness Way, following a strong period of organic growth.

A Wilderness Way (AWW) provides specialised residential care, education, therapy and outdoor adventure activities for vulnerable young people with complex needs. With BGF’s support since 2020, AWW has grown its team from 150 to 350 staff, all making a life-changing impact on the young people in their care. With a firm focus on developing talent and providing the highest standards of care, AWW has developed its own Level 3 diploma qualification, which all new care staff complete within 12 months of joining.

As well as a significant investment in people, BGF’s growth capital has been used to fund the expansion of new homes from 19 to 45 freehold properties, alongside expanding the care provision through education and therapeutic services. AWW’s bespoke education function has been developed for an individual’s needs by in-house teachers and its therapy offering has been built using AWW’s own unique framework led by specialist psychologists.

Harry Jones, investor at BGF, said: “BGF is proud to have backed the team at AWW to expand its provision and reach over the past two-and-a-half years. With significant investment in people and infrastructure, AWW has been able to make a positive, life changing impact on more young people than ever before. We wish Geoff and the entire team all the best for the future as they continue to deliver against their purpose.”

Geoff Jenkinson, CEO at AWW, adds: “With BGF’s support, we have built an excellent team who are key to everything we do. The investment allowed us to open more homes, accelerate hiring plans and invest in further training and development at a time in which the competition for talent has been fierce. The partnership with BGF has been extremely successful and we’ve valued their approach, which is supportive yet non-controlling as a minority investor.”

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