A DEESIDE man who left school without high grades but now has a rapidly growing company says he hopes to inspire other people to set up their business.

Nathan Woodworth, 23, left Connah's Quay High School with a mixture of C and D GCSE grades, but now has a football and swimming coaching business which he hopes will be UK-wide in several years’ time.

He formed Galactico Sports three years ago - having started out with a bag of footballs on Gladstone playing fields in Hawarden.

"I literally started out by offering one-to-one football sessions at Gladstone," he said.

"It was a cash in hand thing."

Nathan met Maddie Burrows, a qualified swim coach, and they started running two sessions a week at the pool at Mollington Banastre Hotel & Spa, near Chester.

The company is now running over 190 sessions a week and has expanded its services to Liverpool at Hotel Novotel in the city centre.

Nathan, who is also first team coach at Chester FC, began offering things like half-term and summer football camps, and expanded the one-to-one sessions across north east Wales.

He said: "I'm basically someone who didn't achieve a lot in school, but I have been relentless in pursuing my goal.

"It hasn't happened overnight, it's taken such hard work and a lot of sacrifices. While my mates were going out, I was staying in spending hours on my laptop.

"But I'm living proof that you don't need good grades and a degree to be successful - I got a D in business studies but now own my own company. If you want it enough, you can make it happen.

Nathan says he wants to inspire other people who are in the situation he was.

"I want to help people who aspire to own their own business," he said.

"If I had that guidance when I was starting out, I would have been where I am now 10 times quicker.

"If anyone is looking to start their own business, the Galactico team are more than willing to help guide and support you along your journey."

Nathan says there's been some very tough times along the way.

"There's been times when we haven't made any money at all," he said.

"We had to try and grow our business in the middle of a global pandemic. But whether by luck or great recruitment, we have a team of amazing individuals who make a fantastic team.

"Surrounding yourself with the right people plays a massive part in being successful."

Nathan's focus has now turned to expanding his business to the rest of the UK.

"We've set ourselves the task of expanding to every part of the UK by 2027.

"At the rate at which we're expanding at the moment, this is definitely achievable."

For information on Galactico Sports, visit https://www.galacticosports.co.uk/