Practical experience. Independent advice. A personal approach.

I'm Dan Allen, founder of Wagtail Services.

I've spent over 25 years working with small and medium-sized businesses, helping them develop, overcome challenges and grow. For the past 20 years, much of that work has been within the swimming industry.

I started as a supplier of specialist learn-to-swim equipment, building relationships with swim schools across the UK and overseas. I later became Managing Director of one of the UK's largest franchised swim school businesses, supporting a network of more than 50 franchises across the UK and Ireland.

Following the COVID pandemic, I decided to focus my experience on helping independent swim school owners, many of whom were facing significant challenges without the support networks available to larger organisations.

Over time, one particular challenge became increasingly apparent.

As swimming pools closed, operating costs increased and competition for available water space intensified, more swim school owners began asking the same question:

That question has shaped what Wagtail Services has become today.

I now focus primarily on helping established swim school owners explore, plan and develop their own swimming facilities, whether through new developments, refurbishments or partnerships with existing pool owners.

I work personally with clients throughout the process, drawing on a network of trusted specialist professionals when their expertise is needed.

My approach is practical and commercially focused. It's about understanding your business, identifying what's achievable and helping you make informed decisions about the next step.