ParentPay consolidates operations with new offices at Ricoh Arena
ONLINE payment service for schools, ParentPay, has consolidated its operations at new offices at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena, bringing 50 staff with it in the process.
ParentPay, founded in 2002, was previously operating from various sites spread around the city.
The business enables parents to pay schools securely online for items such as school meals, trips and clubs using credit and debit card or to pay cash at 23,000 PayPoint stores across the UK.
The system is now used in over 4,000 schools and one million parents throughout the UK. This year ParentPay will collect £400m on behalf of schools, dramatically reducing the administration burden in school offices.
More than 70 staff are employed by the company across the UK with 50 of those previously based at the University of Warwick Science Park’s Business Innovation Centre in Binley and the Middlemarch Business Park in Siskin Drive, Baginton.
The company has now moved all its technical operations, customer service, marketing and software development teams in Coventry into 6,500 sq ft of office space at the Ricoh Arena to facilitate its continued expansion.
Finance and administration teams will continue to be based in the South West at new offices in Bridgwater, Somerset.
The company has recruited a dozen new staff in Coventry this year, including a team dedicated to developing a new product for parents and children due to launch in 2015. More staff are expected to be employed within the next 12 months.
Clint Wilson, Chief Executive of ParentPay, said: “ParentPay is growing quickly, so it was very important for us to ensure we had the right facilities to meet the ever increasing demand from schools and parents. The Ricoh is a perfect central base, it has great transport links and gives us the room to expand.”
Liz Cooper, Marketing Director at the Ricoh Arena, said: “The Ricoh Arena has always been a multi-purpose venue and we are looking forward to being part of ParentPay’s continuing success story.
“The business is increasing its client base and with their staff numbers rising annually it made sense to bring their entire Coventry workforce to one flagship building and we are pleased the Ricoh Arena is going to be their new home.”
