A Fun Fest franchise owner has received industry recognition – having rebounded from post-pandemic losses to being on track for a seven-figure turnover by 2026.
Operating just 72 days a year and nearing a £1.5m turnover sounds like a dream, but Helen Wilson has made it reality. Her children’s holiday club empire keeps expanding across Cheshire and Stockport, with £75,000 in Covid-related debt now behind her.
The remarkable turnaround has earned Fun Fest Cheshire the title of ‘Disruptive Franchisee of the Year’ at the 2024 Disruptive Franchise Awards. ‘Director of Fun’ Helen has also received finalist spots in the 2024 British Franchise Awards and the Natwest EWIF Awards.
Ahead of a possible hat trick, Helen explained to Elite Franchise why growth does not mean compromising your values.
“There is a misguided belief that growing profitably means passing expansion costs on to your customers,” said the 41-year-old from Weston.
“Aggressive price hikes for parents are not something that my husband and co-Director Westly or I would ever consider. Instead, we partner with schools in need of high-quality holiday clubs; invest in amazing staff; and maintain the high standards Ofsted praises.
‘It all comes back to: How do the children want to spend their holidays? We offer more than 50 activity sessions, so they get to choose their own programme. When you are laser-focused on satisfying customers, you don’t need to cut corners. Your offering speaks for itself.”
This year marks Fun Fest Cheshire’s sixth year at The Grange Junior School in Hartford. There are other independent schools among the six venues across their territory – including Cransley School in Great Budworth.
“Just as we regain our post-Covid rhythm, future VAT on independent school fees looms,” said Helen, who also won three Fun Fest Head Office honours – including ‘Franchisee of the Year’.
“That is on top of the average 8% increase in fees reported by the Independent Schools Council (ISC) for the 2023/24 academic year. In our experience, a private education is something many parents move heaven and earth to make happen for their children. Any increase in cost is felt in a very real way, so we are conscious that we need to work positively with private educators and families to continue to make our holiday club service viable and value-adding.”
Looking ahead to the 2024 British Franchise Awards in November, Helen will soon find out if Fun Fest Cheshire has succeeded in the ‘Franchisee Trailblazer’ category.
“Other Fun Fest franchisees across the country are following our example and they look to us for inspiration to thrive,” added Helen. “Moving forward, we will continue leading the way – opening five more Ofsted-registered holiday clubs and expanding our 60-member team.”
While the trophies are stacking up, Helen stressed that recognition is not what motivates her and Westly.
“Our goal is to support working parents and provide safe, fun spaces for children to learn and make friends; however, it means a lot to have our passion recognised as ‘disruptive’ and ‘trailblazing’. Thank you to all who have honoured our work.”
