Northern Ireland faces a continuing shortage of high-quality, specialist care facilities for adults with complex needs. For over four decades, CWC Group has worked to address this gap. Founded in 1983 in County Down by sisters-in-law Monica Byrne and Imelda McGrady, the family-run business now operates across seven locations, delivering domiciliary, residential nursing, and disability care.
Today, BGF has made its first investment under its new pledge to deploy at least £300 million into female-led businesses across the UK, providing growth capital to support CWC Group’s expansion plans.
Aisling Byrne, CEO of CWC Group, explains: “This investment from BGF comes at an exciting time for CWC Group and will enable us to take the next steps towards developing our care services and our footprint in Northern Ireland. We have a solid pipeline of new specialist care homes that will help us further support NI Trusts with high-quality, dedicated care for adults with specialist needs.”
The funding will back CWC’s acquisition of new sites and allow it to broaden its service offering, ensuring more people across the province can access the care they deserve.
Pioneering female-led growth in the UK and Ireland
BGF’s £300 million commitment to female-led businesses is part of a broader £3 billion strategy to back high-potential UK enterprises over the next five years. In the past decade, BGF has invested over £500 million in female-led companies, making it the UK and Ireland’s most active growth capital investor in this area.
Andy Gregory, CEO of BGF, says: “As a founding member of the Invest in Women Taskforce, we have reaffirmed our determination to help shape a more balanced and representative entrepreneurial economy—one that reflects the full spectrum of talent across the UK.”
Taskforce Co-Chair Debbie Wosskow called the deal “a huge moment,” noting the kind of transformational shift needed in how capital is allocated to female entrepreneurs. With recent data revealing that all-female-founded businesses in Northern Ireland received just 2% of total equity funding in 2024 (versus 78% for all-male teams), Co-Chair Hannah Bernard said: “More investments, like this from BGF, are critically needed to support economic growth.”
With BGF’s backing, CWC Group will expand its network of specialist care facilities, preserving its heritage of family-led, compassionate service while shaping the future of healthcare provision in Northern Ireland.
