Newport-based The Lovely Gift Group is on track for £2m turnover this year, as the firm celebrates 10 years this week.

It's a decade since mum of  three, Helen Davies, launched her first online store selling keepsakes, which include the pet brand Oh So Precious. 

Helen’s son Zac, who is now 17 and in 6th form at South Hunsley, pressed the button to officially make The Lovely Keepsake Company live in June 2015.  Helen’s twins, Anya and Xavi, whose 10 weeks in Hull NICU as premature babies inspired the business, are now also at South Hunsley in Year 7 and all three children regularly help out at the company, now based in 4 industrial units in Newport. 

Since launch 10 years ago, the business has grown exponentially, now with in-house personalised gift production, 6 further consumer websites, 2 retail brands, a wholesale business and the recent acquisition of personalised gift business, Always Personal.  Employing 14 team members the company has come a long way from the dining table in South Newbald, with a garage stacked high with boxes of stock.

Joined by husband Jason in 2020, Helen negotiated investment from Finance Yorkshire who acquired 30% of the business for £300,000.  This injection enabled the team to purchase machinery and open up procurement from the Far East, both of which helped transform the company’s scale capabilities and the opportunity to meet increasing demands from trade customers and consumers. 

Helen said: “Ten years really has gone in a flash in both a family and business sense.  That little boy, who was so excited to press the launch button, now works for us every Monday in the warehouse outside of studying, and we have a whole team of terrific people now working with us.

“I honestly love every product we design and sale we make and I really do  have regular ‘pinch me’ moments when I literally see dreams become reality.  We still have so much more to do and so many plans yet to realise and I thank each and every one of our team members who give so much day in day out.  Being trusted with someone’s precious keepsakes really is a privilege that we all take seriously. 

She continued: “Taking one day at a time but always looking 5 years ahead had helped to steer us towards what we always knew was possible, but felt like a dream for a long time.  We have remained true to our specialized area, researched our markets thoroughly and never taken a step without considering whether it was ‘Caring, Quality, Creative’.  That mantra has served us well and I look forward to pushing ahead for another 10 years.”