A BUSINESS which started out in a York garden shed 13 years ago is celebrating after beating the recession by winning a number of high-profile contracts.

While many small businesses struggled their way through 2009, Elvington-based Playscheme has been able to take on extra staff after winning four contracts to provide equipment to children’s play areas in York.

The family business also hopes to take on more work this year from City of York Council, as the authority looks to upgrade more parks through the Government’s Playbuilder grants scheme.

Steve Danby, 33, who is the director of Playscheme, said: “We have been quite lucky in being able to get four out of the 11 jobs put out to tender so far. As a local company, we have done quite well out of it.

“We are a family-run company which was started up by me and my dad in a shed at the end of his garden.

“We have 20 staff now. We have increased and grown.”

The Playbuilder scheme has also seen the company win a contract with Northumberland County Council and it is currently bidding for more. Mr Danby said the move to Elvington Industrial Estate meant the company could keep its suppliers local, working with other companies based on the site.

“There’s a chap here who does welding and we get our vans serviced here. There’s even a sandwich shop.”

So far the company has provided, or is working on, new play equipment for parks in Elvington and Viking Road and Sowerby Road in Acomb, as well as Copmanthorpe playing fields.

Mr Danby said: “We have employed an extra designer and two workshop carpenters, which has been nice for us too. Unfortunately some companies seem to be laying people off.”

He said: “For this year we are stable, and next year’s looking pretty good too.”