It is day 19 of our series of Independent Business on The Bay

I have worked as a Team Leader, supporting vulnerable adults in a supported living environment for a period of 12yrs, I have a passion for helping people and with my can do attitude, we find alternative ways of achieving things, never say your not able to do something!

I studied hard to achieve my Diploma level 2 in Autism, Diploma level 3&5 in management & leadership and other qualifications, however over the years my job changed to more of an admin role, something I wasn’t happy with?

So, I decided to look into starting my own business. Morecambe & Lancaster don’t have a sensory room, people have to travel to Kendal or Preston. This is how I came up with the idea of a sensory room and hydrotherapy hot tub. Having worked with individuals with Autism, I know how they struggle with sensory sensitivities and how they would feel the benefit from being able to access a sensory room. Now we have access to this in our local area, this will be great for families to experience it together and also with friends

The staff at Serene know a lot about how our children and young people struggle and are able to not only show an awareness of Autism but also accept that our families need this in their lives. We look forward to using the sensory room but also being able to get our children's haircut by hairdressers who understand the sensory impact this can have on some children too.

Serene Sensory-Salon Unit 2, Park road Middleton business park Middleton Heysham LA3 3PX

01524 874850 Serene Salon & Sensory http://www.facebook.com/SereneSalonAndSensory/ Serensensory-salon@outlook.com

Gosh it is day eighteen already in our Independent Business on The Bay Series!

Meet David ..

I’m David Waddington, owner of ‘Miaitalia’ pizzeria In Bolton-le-Sands, ‘Miogelato’ wholesale and ‘Scoop&Grind’ Gelateria in Morecambe.

Grown up locally, then following a brief flirtation with Television Production and Journalism, started a small business with my wife Katy in 2007. We bought a mobile coffee franchise, trading for six successful years at UCLan in Preston, along with all manner of outdoor events! In 2010, we also created and opened ‘Miaitalia’ in its first guise, as a retail shop in Kirkby Lonsdale. In 2013 we moved to current location in Bolton-le-Sands, opening the pizzeria. Katy and I have three gorgeous boys, Joseph, 11, and George and Leo, both eight - and we live in Arkholme.

In 2016, I started a spin off business, ‘Miogelato’, with Jon Mole, who’s also the general manager of the ‘Miaitalia Family’ of businesses. The idea behind Miogelato was to be able to produce and supply Miaitalia with gelato, whilst also looking to wholesale.

We’d previously used a brand of gelato from Soho in London, which was really high quality, so our aim was to better that! In 2017 we opened a retail front at the premises on Queen Street, selling twelve different flavours of our gelato.

In that time, Paul Hart, owner of Hart’s ice cream shop on the Promenade had been in touch about selling to retire. I negotiated over the Summer, eventually buying Hart’s in November 2017. After a rebrand, I opened ‘Scoop&Grind’ in February 2018, where we retail 22 flavours from our Miogelato range, as well as hot & cold drinks and snacks. In the same year, ‘Miogelato’ won ‘Best Newcomer’ at the U.K. Ice Cream Awards.

I’m driven to continually improve, craft and perfect - whether that’s the quality of food or the consistency in how it’s produced and delivered. I also enjoy creating a ‘brand’. Hart’s could’ve simply been rebranded as ‘Miogelato’, but I was keen for it to have an individual identity - and one that suited the seaside location, hence the slightly tongue in cheek name. The overall ‘look’ is one of nostalgia but with modern elements.

In 2007, there was just Katy and I, whereas I now have 20 employees working across all three sites, so I’ve had to draw on my own experiences as an employee, but also develop a business ethos that is attractive to other people in terms of working environments. I’ve employed approaching a hundred people in the past 12 years, from baristas, to retail sales, to pizzaiolo and hospitality, to gelato makers and sellers.

You learn something new from each person you employee - and I hope I’ve inspired a few along the way. I’m very proud that I’ve created jobs for local people, that previously didn’t exist.

I feel vindicated in my efforts by the retention of our employees, the environment in which they operate and the support we receive from our customers (as well as the awards we’ve collectively won!). Miaitalia has won ‘Best Pizzeria’ at 2016 U.K Italian Awards, ‘Best Italian Establishment’ at the Food England Awards 2017 and ‘Best Family Dining’ Award at 2018 Lancashire Life Awards, along with several other nominations across the years. Miogelato won at the U.K. Ice Cream Awards last year and ‘Scoop&Grind’ has been nominated in the ‘Best Gelateria’ category at this year’s Italian Awards.

Scoop&Grind is on Marine Road Central (Promenade) in Morecambe, opposite the Clock Tower.

Award-winning Gelato. Quality Coffee http://www.scoopandgrind.co.uk Treats@scoopandgrind.co.uk

WOW It's Day 17 And it's time to meet the gorgeous pooches and Vicky from Dog Gone Fabulous !

Hi I’m Vicky Dixon and I own Dog-Gone Fabulous Grooming Parlour based in Ambleside in the Lake District. I live in Morecambe but was brought up in Ambleside and my parents still live there.

I chose to train to be a dog groomer 3 years ago because I have 2 dogs of my own and had started clipping them myself, my dog walker remarked how good they looked and so I decided to go on an 8 week taster course and loved it, I am now fully qualified and have a city and guilds level 3 diploma.

I originally started out mobile grooming in people's homes in & around morecambe but my dream was to have my own salon which I achieved with the help of Ruth at The Consult Centre. I opened in February 2018 working 3/4 days a week in the parlour and 2 days employed at a local college, since then the business has gone from strength to strength & I’m now in the salon 5 days a week.

When I set up the grooming parlour I wanted a vintage look and so we upcycled furniture including a 1960’s kitchenette & created dog beds and cages out of second hand furniture.

I fall in love with my customers everyday and absolutely love my job. We treat each dog as if it was our own & provide an gentle, caring environment for the dogs when they come in for their groom.

You can contact us in a variety of different ways, by phone on 07790 538811, Email vickyjd72@yahoo.co.uk, https://www.doggonefabulousgrooming.com http://www.facebook.com/DogGroomerAmblesideLakeDistrict