Teenage Cancer Trust invites Forum members and friends to their Christmas Carol Service taking place St Nicholas' Cathedral on Thursday 16th December.
Tickets are on sale priced at £7.50 each and are available to purchase at Guitar Guitar, 27 Grainger Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 5JE or alternatively call Jen Buck on 07507 197 225. The evening will begin at 7.00pm.
All proceeds from the evening will go towards the Teenage Cancer Trust Unit at the Great North Children's Hospital (RVI).
A Gateshead based firm of IT experts has expanded its business by purchasing an IT Support company with hardware expertise.
Transcendit, which has offices in Team Valley, has bought Durham’s Nectar Electronics in a move to provide fully integrated IT services to the region’s business community, while expanding operations into the south of the region.
The company, which celebrated its tenth birthday in September by raising £2,500 for Newcastle Hospitals’ Children’s Heart Unit Fund, will now be able to provide tailor made software and hardware solutions from under the same roof.
Adam Kuznesof, Transcendit Director, explained: “Buying Nectar Electronics broadens our offer and makes us more competitive. It enables us to provide clients with the complete bespoke package. This means that our clients receive joined up personal service at a lower price than the big household names provide.
“Hardware engineering is a dying art, many engineers end up working for the global corporations and the majority of companies just call up Dell or Hewlett Packard, because they’re not aware of the alternative. By purchasing Nectar we have added four exceptional people to our 13-stong staff to give the north east business community a real alternative choice.”
Tom Tinsley, Transcendit Director, said: “We’ve never done anything like this before, we’re normally quite conservative and we’ve been growing organically. However, Nectar Electronics was such an attractive proposition – a successful business with good turnover and profit. There’s also a synergy between the services we provide to a similar client base, so it made perfect sense.”
Transcendit worked closely with Crutes legal firm and accountants Ryecroft Glenton to ensure the deal went smoothly.
Thursday night was an evening of celebratory achievement as Entrepreneurs’ Forum member Darren Williams, founder of hair and beauty business Hair X-Tensions, took home the title of North East Young Business Executive of the Year at the annual awards run by the Journal and the Evening Gazette.
Newcastle’s Brewin Dolphin Investment Management firm has made two new appointments to support the firm’s strategic growth plans. Vicky Casebourne and Tom Solly took up their posts in October as trainee investment managers.
Vicky, a former student of Durham University studied anthropology and then went on to complete a master’s degree in business management. She’s a keen skier having spent a ski season in Val D’Isere, and is looking forward to developing her career in one of the UK’s leading private client investment firm.
Originally from Stocksfield Tom was educated at Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire, and is now a former student of Leeds University where he read politics. Prior to his appointment with Brewin Dolphin he spent a gap year in America.
Charles May Head of Office “We are having a good run of business which has seen us secure some significant clients. We continue to grow our business here in Newcastle. Turnover is up this year and we have taken on a good number of clients. We are delighted to have sourced Vicky and Tom, two outstanding individuals to join our teams. We wish them well in their careers here at Brewin Dolphin.
Brewin Dolphin, one of the UK’s largest independent private client investment managers is delighted to have won the 2010 Citywire Large Firm Adviser Choice award. The firm was chosen by independent financial advisers (IFAs) throughout the UK, who rated both service and performance and the award was presented at the Citywire Wealth Management Retreat at the Grove Hotel in October.
Charles May, Head of Brewin Dolphin in Newcastle said, “This is a tremendous achievement for Brewin Dolphin. To be recognised by other professional advisers endorses the high levels of service and commitment we continually strive to offer”.
The Brewin Dolphin Group manages £23 billion of funds for over 130,000 private clients and of this over £13 billion is on a discretionary basis. BD has 41 offices throughout the UK and Channel Islands and Brewin Dolphin Corporate Advisory and Broking is adviser to 90 small and medium size quoted companies and institutions.
It’s a double celebration for Sadie Ayton after winning the prestigious Lingerie Retailer of the Year award at the 20th annual Drapers Awards. The event, held to celebrate the best in UK fashion and retail, saw over 1,000 of the UK’s top fashion stores and brands come together for a glamorous ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on 17th November.
Sadie, who also celebrates 40 years in business this year, was joined on-stage by her granddaughter and her husband Tom after receiving her award.
Operating four stores in Consett, Darlington, Sunderland Ashington, Sadie the bra Lady beat off stiff competition from the likes of Debenhams to take home the award, presented by TV personality and model Lisa Snowdon. Stocking brands including Fantasie, Gossard and Curvy Kate, Sadie the bra Lady takes over from the 2009 winner Boudiche of Glasgow.
To mark the closing day of Global Entrepreneurship Week, If We Can You Can is hosting an Unplugged event in partnership with Get British Business Online, with very special guests who have made their mark in the online industries and are keen to share their thoughts and experiences.Friday 19th November from 8:30am – 11am at the Regus Centre The Axis Building, Maingate, Kingsway North, Team Valley, Gateshead NE11 0NQ
Using the successful Unplugged format we will hear from experts in the fields of e-commerce, Search Engine Optimisation, Internet Marketing and Web Design. Our speakers will be covering what inspired them to start, the challenges that they’ve overcome, and their experiences within the industry. So far, confirmed to be in the hot seats are If We Can You Can member Darren Williams of Hair X-Tensions Ltd and Pascal Fintoni from The Centre for eBusiness.
We are also delighted to announce the recent addition of Dominic Allon, Agency Leader for Google UK, to the stellar line-up to offer his technical (yet jargon free) expertise and offer hints and tips on the world wide web. Google UK is the biggest market for Google outside the US and the most advanced major country in terms of e-commerce and online advertising spending. Dominic’s role focuses on helping Google’s agency partners get the most out of the internet and he will be divulging industry secrets and lessons learnt to our guests at this not to be missed event. Before joining Google in January 2007, Dominic worked at The Economist for seven years where he led international ad sales across the prime business and financial categories, and pioneered the Economist Group's integrated sales initiative.
Join us to hear from three industry and entrepreneurial experts, be inspired by their stories and gain invaluable insight from their unique experiences. You will also have the opportunity to chat, mingle and exchange ideas with likeminded people during this informal gathering. Please be assured that the event will be jargon-free and relevant to anyone in business at any stage, whether you’re a novice on internet marketing, unsure of how to make the most of the internet or are looking to grow your presence online.
For more information, or to register for this breakfast Unplugged event for free, please contact Will McLean on 0191 226 7488 or will@entrepreneursforum.net
Global economic woes haven’t stopped the region’s only virtualisation specialist double its projected turnover for the third year running and push through the £1.5m turnover point. Newcastle-based SITS Group is about to move to bigger offices at Quorum Business Park to accommodate growing staff numbers after hitting its growth targets eight months ahead of expectations.
SITS has also recently joined an elite group of technology experts after being awarded two sought after industry accreditations.
The company specialises in the £180billion market for virtualised computer solutions and is the only specialist within the North East.
Virtualisation works by creating networks of virtual servers housed on a small number of physical machines, which reduces operating and capital costs while boosting resilience and efficiency.
Commercial director Phil Cambers says the board is delighted with the company’s results: “Our predictions were that turnover would reach just under £1m by the end of year three, which is actually next summer, but we are actually on target to achieve £1.5 M turnover by next March.
“We achieved our first year’s sales targets in just five months and we’ve repeated that pattern of 50% growth year on year. This is great news, especially in the teeth of a fairly challenging recession.
“Part of our success is down to more organisations turning to virtualised solutions to help them lower costs and manage their IT assets much more efficiently. The average non-virtualised IT environment is likely to be running at about 10% of its capacity, which is a chronic waste of assets, and sadly it’s the case at so many organisations.
“In the North East, our findings show that around 75% of organisations have made no significant IT investment in the last two to three years, and a lot of that comes back to the fact that their existing infrastructures are simply not delivering the return on investment that they should be.
”Helping businesses from SMEs through to global names to get more out of the infrastructure they already have in place, and future-proof their investment so the IT is scalable alongside the growth of the business is actually fuelling the growth of our own business too.”
As part of the company’s plans to open up new markets next year it will tap into the cloud computing market by offering IT as a completely bought-in service for clients who do not want to host any IT on their own sites, or invest directly in their own IT infrastructure.
Virtualisation solutions market leader VizionCore has awarded SITS Platinum Partner status, making it one of only eight in the UK licensed to advise on top tier solutions; and Dell, the world’s third largest Server and PC manufacturer, has named SITS a Dell Enterprise Architecture Partner.
“There’s no denying trading conditions are tough, and set to remain so,” said Phil.
“But we are fairly bullish about the fact that our expertise is helping businesses of all types and sizes to save money and improve their efficiency, and when times are hard that’s more important than ever. That’s one of the reasons we are very optimistic about the future.”
A Newcastle creative agency put its best foot forward this month when it helped TV judge and choreographer Craig Revel Horwood to find Britain’s Star sausage for British Sausage Week 2010. Uniquethinking worked closely with the British Sausage Appreciation Society to promote the awards which were staged in six cities across the UK to celebrate the taste, quality and diversity of the sausage, of which there are some 400 individually named varieties in Britain alone.
The event in the North East was staged at Blackfriars Restaurant and saw nine local butchers from the North East dazzling the judges with their sausages in a bid to win the prestigious best banger award and a donation to the charity of their choice. The winner was local butcher Allisons of Ferryhill, winning the much coveted title and £150 to donate to the charity of their choice thanks to their Durham Pork Sausage.
Britain’s toughest judge, Craig Revel Horwood commented: “I’m known for being a tough judge but I can genuinely say the standard of entries was so high picking a winner was hard work, however the pork sausage was just fab-u-lous! A worthy winner of the North East Star Sausage!
Uniquethinking provides PR and marketing services to regional, national and international clients such as Windjammer Landing in Saint Lucia, Restaurant Design Associates, Costa Coffee and Vodafone where the agency helped to launch Vodafone’s World of Difference Campaign scheme last month enlisting celebrity Gok Wan, the face of the campaign.
Sam Hook, managing director of Uniquethinking, said: “We were delighted to meet Craig Revel Horwood and to see the British Sausage Appreciation Society back at Blackfriars for this year’s competition. It was great to see regional talent and fantastic food being recognised and Craig was the perfect judge.”
For more information visit www.uniquethinking.co.ukA rapidly expanding auto specialist has embarked on a two year £2m investment strategy in a bid to bring 250,000 extra tyres to market.
North Eastern Tyre and Exhausts (NETE) is investing £2million into its wholesale division, NE Wholesale, in a bid to offer the market close to quarter of a million tyres, spanning 1000’s of product lines.
NETE has acquired a vast 69,000sq ft warehouse in Stockton, almost the size of two football pitches to accomodate the new drive for business.
Tim Darcy, general operations and logistics manager for NE Wholesale, said: “The acquisition of this massive storage space is in addition to our current NE Wholesale storage sites, and is a strategic move in NETE’s growth plans.
“We are now able to work even closer with our wholesale customers and offer an incredible range of tyres we now have at our fingertips, all with a substantially decreased delivery time.”
The storage site which relies on 1400 stillages and three forklift trucks to manage its stock base of 100,000 of tyres, is the first stage of NETE’s current drive to be lean and smart in tough economic times.
Next on the auto specialist’s agenda is to invest in state of the art automated technologies which will enable faster picking and stock optimisation.
Story courtesy of www.bdaily.info
Congratulations to Sadie Ayton, better known as Sadie The Bra Lady, upon her being shortlisted for the prestigious Lingerie Retailer of the Year Title, sponsored by Panache. The awards are organised by Drapers and this year is their 20th anniversary of celebrating the best of the country’s retail talent.
Sadie, who is celebrated for her unique attention to bra fitting and expert service, first won the prestigious award ten years ago and her friends and supporters in the North East are all willing her on to bring the award back to the region again. The award will mean a double celebration for Sadie as this year she is celebrating her 40th anniversary of the business.
Jessica Brown, editor of Drapers said, “We may be in the midst of some of the toughest trading that the fashion sector has experienced for years, but there are still many success stories that deserve to be celebrated. In fact now, more than ever, is the time for the industry to recognise and reward its very best.”
The awards take place at the Grosvenor Hall Hotel, Park Lane, on the 17th November. For more information on the ceremony and to see the full shortlist, please visit http://www.drapersawards.co.uk
Talking of her 40 year reign as an entrepreneur, Sadie says, “Success to me is recognising that more and more people know about what we’re doing here. I’m very close to my customers and every single one of those has been personally, shall I say, handled.”Forum member Frances Chalmers is putting the final touches to what should prove to be a spectacular launch party at her newest venture.
Exclusive Footwear have recently opened a second store on Newcastle's Shakespeare Street, following on from the success of the firm's York branch and online operation.
The launch party takes place from 6.30pm on Thursday 18th November and there are a limited number of places left for anyone who would like to samples some champagne and canapes while preview the Autumn/Winter 2010 ranges of men's, women's and children's footwear from brands like TipsyFeet, PacoGil and GEOX. Frances also stocks a range of designer bags and accessories.
There will also be discounts available on the evening.
If you are interested in attending the launch party please call Marielle at the Newcastle store on 0191 232 7610 or email Frances at frances@exclusivefootwear.com
Despite concerns over the region’s economy, Hexham based r//evolution marketing are bucking the economic trend with a record number of new business wins over recent weeks.
A Newcastle software developer is set to put small businesses all over the world on a level playing field with their big rivals, as it launches an innovative software tool to help them manage customer relationships. Experts at hedgehog lab, which develops web, software and mobile applications whose clients include companies like Starbucks and AXA, believe their new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system – solomon – has the same growth potential as Sage’s market leading ACT software.
hedgehog lab’s co-founder Sarat Pediredla says solomon has been designed around a low-cost, easy to use, ‘buy and go’ principle specifically for small and micro businesses such as freelancers.
“solomon was created through my own experience of working within the IT industry on big software development projects,” said Sarat.
“Small and micro businesses have the same needs as big businesses to be able to manage customer relationships and keep track of information. However what they don’t have is a big budget, plus the time for meetings with sales consultants, demonstrations and advanced training sessions where they struggle to get to grips with the system.
“Far too many software solutions are marketed as easy to use, but the reality is that so few of them really are. We designed solomon so that customers literally pay, download the software and go. They can have everything up and running within just one hour. Whether you are in the office, at home, or on the road, solomon allows you to access your customer data through the web or your mobile phone.
“For around £30 per user, they get access to all the enterprise functionality that a top of the range software solution would give them, but at a fraction of the cost. We provide total support completely free of charge, and we are even giving away a free trial version so people can try before they buy.
“solomon gives SMEs a leg up and a chance to compete against bigger rivals. They have all the benefits that big companies enjoy but at an SME price tag, and we think it fills a much-needed gap in the market that no other product is addressing.
“Having a very cost effective but feature-rich CRM system in place means business owners can spend their time managing their company and helping it to grow. We are already selling to customers in the USA and Europe and sales are really taking off.
“Here in the UK, SMEs are recognised as being key to economic recovery, and we think solomon can play a big part in supporting the sector.”
Entrepreneurs' Forum members are to join forces to raise funds for a men’s cancer charities this month...but their appearance in doing so might not be to everyone’s liking!
Better Brand Agency’s Mark Easby and Declan Metcalfe are joining forces with Quay2 Media’s Christian Cerisola for ‘Movember’, a special month-long awareness campaign which aims to raise much needed funds for The Prostate Cancer Charity and Everyman by encouraging all males to grow a moustache throughout November.
The trio are a part of a wider group of ten who have joined the North East-based ‘Taching Aboot’ team, which is captained by Martin Stout from the North East Times. Organisers of Movember have encouraged those taking part to form teams to offer mutual fund-raising support and share all-important grooming tips.
Mark, Declan and Christian are now appealing for sponsors to help their team become one of the most successful in the North East. The trio have even opened up the bidding for the privilege of being the lucky individual to whip off their facial hair at the end of the month.
Mark Easby said: “The debate has been long and passionate among the team as to which styles of ‘Mo’ would suit each of us. It’ll be interesting to see, come the end of the month, who has the ability to grow the best moustache.
“Critically, we are now looking for sponsors, as well as bidders and perhaps a suitable venue for the ‘shave off’ at the end of November. Those looking to donate or bid can do so by going on the Movember website and searching for the ‘Tasching Aboot’ team.”
Christian said: “Facial hair is like Marmite. You either love it or hate it. The wife is already dreading this month and has offered double for me NOT to take part. Movember offers a chance to fulfil that that deep rooted desire which I think exists in every male to have a moustache for just one time in their life.
“On a serious note, however, Movember is a great way to raise awareness of a very real problem for hundreds of thousands of men in the UK so I hope all the team can raise much needed funds for these very important charities. “
Donations, bids and messages of support can be made at http://uk.movember.com Search individual members or the team name, ‘Taching Aboot’
Teenage Cancer Trust have invited you and a guest along to their evening reception to celebrate their work in the North East and to find out more about the new Teenage Cancer Trust unit that they are developing at The Freeman Hospital in Newcastle. This unit will complement the facility that already exists at the Great North Children's Hospital. You will hear from staff and patients about how, with your support, Teenage Cancer Trust has helped Teenagers in our region to fight disease in the best possible environment. Refreshments will be provided.
You are invited to join the TCT team on the 4th November to hear about the future plans for the Teenage Cancer Trust services in the North East.
Please contact Angie Jenkison at angie.jenkison@teenagecancertrust.org to book your place. Alternatively e-mail Rachel at the forum on rachel@entrepreneursforum.net
Time: 6.00pm - 8.00pm
Venue: The Vermont Hotel, Heritage Suite, Castle Garth, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1RQ
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Durham-based injury claims services provider Insurance Medical Group (IMG) is on track with plans to push through the £12m turnover point, after calling in technology experts ITPS to put a virtual ring of steel around the way it manages and stores millions of pieces of highly sensitive medical data on people pursuing compensation claims.Supplying power to 4 million domestic customers and businesses across Scotland and the North West of England is a massive responsibility and Scottish Power Energy Networks (SPEN) place huge emphasis on managing the customer journey.
Contact with them can come in several ways; loss of supply, planned interruptions, connections, complaints or a general enquiry but however mad, SPEN maps the journey the enquiry takes. They use customer journey mapping (CJM) to outline and identify interaction with the customer or ‘touch points’ as they are known. CJM visualises the process from the customer’s perspective with the ultimate objective being to meet or exceed their expectation, leaving them delighted. It is important to manage this expectation within a ‘realistic outcome’ since clearly the delay in restoring power varies according to the problem, the location and the weather. For example a winter storm in a rural area may lead to a several hour delay before supply is restored, whereas a junction box failure in an urban area in June, may be restored in less than an hour; it’s the difference between ‘the dream’ and reality and this is known as ‘the gap’.
Newcastle-based customer insight company Explain has worked with SPEN since 2006, providing customer insight and measuring ‘the gap’ is a major part of the research programme for the next two years. The programme uses Explain teams from both the qualitative and quantitative departments and the resources of the CATI centre. SPEN supplies the databases from which Explain selects customers for participation in focus groups or telephone interviews using a specially designed questionnaire.
SPEN is leading the way in monitoring the quality of service given to SME and large contract customers when they seek a quotation to provide a connection. Many organisations do not realise that this market is now open to competitive tender but taking nothing for granted, a sample of enquiries for both successful and unsuccessful tenders is regularly carried out.
The most challenging aspect of customer research is the insight process on complaints. Although small in volume, the outcomes can highlight where the service given went wrong. Managed carefully, a one to one discussion with a customer can be the most rewarding if it leads to a change in process or communication. Customers can and often do contribute in a constructive way and well handled, research can redress some of the negativity that may have formed from the initial complaint.
According to the Department of Health (DOH), 40 per cent of people who claim incapacity benefit have a mental health problem [1]. Most of them want to work - but unfortunately one DOH survey shows that only around 37 per cent of employers are willing to take on someone with a mental health problem [2].
In contrast, more than 60 per cent of employers are willing to take on someone with a physical disability.
A report from the Social Exclusion Unit paints a similarly grim picture [3]. The report suggests that 75 per cent of employers would not consider employing anyone who had a diagnosis of schizophrenia and that 55 per cent of people with a mental health problem found that stigma was a barrier to employment.
Now a new national campaign called Time to Change is trying to challenge stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems and encourage people to talk more about mental health in the workplace in a bid to help end mental health prejudice.
Thanks to the Time to Change programme, people like Stephen Wedderburn, from North Shields, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1984, is now speaking out about his experiences of stigma at work.
According to Stephen, family and friends that have known him from childhood don’t treat him any differently. Sadly, this is not true of other people and Stephen has found it virtually impossible to get a job due to the stigma around his mental illness.
Having studied for three years gaining a degree in environmental management, Stephen knows he has the ability to work but says he gets very few job interviews and is tired of being knocked back.
“I am often discriminated against by potential employers because of my illness. I am completely honest in declaring my mental health problem on application forms as I want people to be aware of my condition – why should I hide it? It makes me who I am,” he said.
“I understand that some employers could be nervous because they fear people with mental illness as being violent. I, however, would not hurt a fly. I am the gentlest person you could wish to meet and avoid trouble at all costs.”
Although the Government says it wants to help people with mental health problems back to work, a recent DOH survey into attitudes to mental illness found that respondents were far less likely to be comfortable talking to an employer about their mental health than a friend or family member (39 per cent versus 69 per cent) [4].
Sue Baker, Director of Time to Change, said: “For many of the 1 in 4 people that experience mental health problems, it is discrimination rather than the illness than becomes the biggest obstacle to overcome. Stigma can even prevent people with mental health problems from starting a career or being promoted.
“Mental health problems are a common part of life in the 21st century, and we all know someone who has a mental health problem, whether we realise it or not. The stigma surrounding mental illness can make it hard for people to speak out - this is one of our last great taboos in the workplace.”
Time to Change is a nationwide campaign led by leading mental health charities Mind and Rethink and funded by £16m from the Big Lottery Fund and £4m from Comic Relief. The campaign in the north east is being supported by NHS North East through the New Leaf New Life programme.
Time to Get Moving events, which bring people together to get active and challenge stigma, will be happening across the region all week. To find out more go to http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/what-were-doing/get-moving
Callstream has joined the newly formed Bluebell Telecom Group to provide inbound call services as part of Bluebell’s strategic drive into the unified communications market. Callstream becomes the first company to join the group whilst retaining its own brand and operations, as part of a wider ‘buy and build’ strategy operated by Bluebell.
Bluebell has built a reputation for market-leading managed services in the retail, hospitality and care markets, in particular helping organisations rationalise costs and consolidate services. It operates direct and indirect sales channels and has developed innovative partnerships with organisations ranging from retail franchise owners to systems integrators.
The move will see Callstream retaining its operations, customers and staff, whilst also forming part of a wider unified communications offer from Bluebell. Callstream founder, Mark Drury, will continue to manage the business, supported by the existing team in Warwickshire, and will also join Bluebell's board.
The completion of the Callstream deal not only brings the Bluebell Telecom Group a strong blue-chip customer base, but also marks another significant milestone in the company’s ‘buy and build’ drive into the unified communications space.
In five years, Bluebell has grown its turnover from £1m to £11m. The acquisition is the first to be funded from this significant warchest, secured from YFM Private Equity, Octopus Ventures and Natwest. The deal brings Callstream’s fully-managed inbound telecommunications service and powerful cloud-based platform to the group.
“Callstream has a reputation for providing high-quality cloud-based inbound call solutions into contact centre environments, which fits perfectly with our wider strategy of becoming the UK’s number one provider of unified communications in our key verticals,” says Michael Smith, Bluebell Director. “Large and medium-sized businesses increasingly want to appoint a single communications provider with the experience, capability and a track record of delivering all their voice and data requirements.”
“We represent an alternative option to vendors that might be considering an exit to the likes of Spiritel or Daisy. We are dedicated to investing in solid companies and working closely with them on an ongoing basis, rather than merely acquiring and absorbing customer bases. This approach is clearly illustrated in the deal with Callstream,” said Mick Crosthwaite, Bluebell Director.
Callstream Director Mark Drury added: “Joining the Bluebell Telecom Group gives us the opportunity to continue our strategy of growth whilst delivering the same high quality of service to our current clients. We feel this is a new and sustainable approach to a fast-moving and rapidly changing market.”
More information on Bluebell Telecoms can be found at www.bluebelltelecom.com and Callstream at www.callstream.com
Students from Newcastle and Northumbria Universities have helped shape how enterprise education will be delivered nationally in a new programme to help bridge the ever widening gap between university and a crucial first job. As part of a national review of its programmes the Young Enterprise ‘Start-up’ Programme has launched this month after students, their business mentors and lecturers from local universities were chosen to help make the former Graduate Programme fit more closely with the reality of starting a business.
The students have been chosen to pilot the new programme, which is supported by global bank Santander, and will see them working more closely with business owners in the region.
Through working together to set up and run their own companies and with mentoring from Young Enterprise North East business volunteers, students taking part in the programme will gain vital first-hand experience of business.
Young Enterprise North East chief executive Catherine Marchant said: “With the job market remaining an increasingly competitive place for graduates, Young Enterprise has launched the Start-up Programme to universities in the North East this month.
“Research shows that nearly two-thirds of UK businesses have found employees joining from University are lacking in business acumen and commercial awareness.
“As the coalition Government beds down and economic uncertainty continues, it is essential we ensure our future workforce is prepared to help the North East compete globally.
“We are in danger of failing our young people by not providing them with the necessary business skills and experience they need to succeed. A workforce lacking in business acumen simply cannot drive an economic recovery.
“But it seems the recession has spawned a new entrepreneurial spirit. These young people aren’t waiting for a job to land in their lap but creating their own opportunities. Recessions, as many top business people will know, can lead to people exploiting niches, creating new business models or going it alone- and this is what the new Start-up Programme aims to inspire graduates to do.”
Newcastle University lecturer Katie Wray, who was involved in consultation process of the new Start-up programme said: “At university, students are used to living on very little, so it’s not much of a sacrifice for them to go on doing that while they build up their own company. It’s sink or swim for thousands of gradates, the new Young Enterprise Start-up programme means it’s graduates will be more equipped to enter the real world and see the recession as an opportunity.
“Students and graduates should seek support, have a go at starting their own business or learn to be more entrepreneurial within one.
“Unfortunately a university degree in itself is no longer a passport to a great career, these days you need more than that and participating in the entrepreneurial activities whilst at university is one piece of advice I would give to people going to university this year.
“There has never been a better time to think imaginatively and create your own future."
The survey, carried out by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development, found that employers would like to see their employees more equipped with leadership skills, customer services skills, communication and interpersonal skills and work ethic.
With graduates fearing more than ever that they won’t be able to bag the job they want, Young Enterprise North East is calling on universities and businesses across the region to work together and ensure that graduates are equipped with the confidence, ability and ambition to be the driving force behind the North East’s economic recovery.
For more information about how universities can get involved with Start-up Programme visit www.young-enterprise.org.uk.
One person who has gone through the Start up programme and has set up their own business as a result is Pip Lawrence: Case Study Below:
CASE STUDY
Part of the Northumbria University student team that set up vintage clothing company Mango Moon, young entrepreneur Phillip Lawrence has used the experience he gained to go on to set up the successful Naughty Knitwear Company.
As part of the Young Enterprise North East Start Up programme (formerly known as Graduate Programme), Phillip worked alongside his third year team mates to get to grips with business planning, raising finance, marketing and a range of other issues involved in running a business.
The Mango Moon team was supported by business mentor Sheila Walker, who owns Gosforth-based vintage clothing agency the Dressing Room, and whose years of experience in the fast-moving clothing sector made her input invaluable.
By the end of the year-long project Mango Moon was firmly established as a thriving name in the North East vintage and retro clothing market, with a band of devoted clients.
Graduating in summer 2010 with a 2:1 in Business Management, Phillip said: “I learnt such a lot by setting up Mango Moon. Not just in terms of how to go about raising finance for example, but also about assessing what I wanted to do, and about taking calculated risks to get there.
“I’d always wanted to be my own boss, but before the YENE programme I had no real idea how to go about it. Setting up a business is portrayed as scary, mainly because it’s an unknown quantity. But the biggest thing I learnt was that it’s all do-able, if you have the right advice and support.
“YENE gave me the toolkit – and the confidence - to go ahead and set up a business on my own, which I couldn’t have done before. I was busy setting up the Naughty Knitwear Company before I graduated, and six months down the line I’m busy selling at vintage and craft markets around the region, as well as building up an online presence through Facebook and Twitter.
“Now that the business is taking off I’ve also got plans to launch another idea, which is something I could never have seen myself doing if I hadn’t been part of the Start Up programme.”
http://naughtyknitwearcompany.blogspot.com
According to the Department of Health (DOH), 40 per cent of people who claim incapacity benefit have a mental health problem [1]. Most of them want to work - but unfortunately one DOH survey shows that only around 37 per cent of employers are willing to take on someone with a mental health problem [2].In contrast, more than 60 per cent of employers are willing to take on someone with a physical disability.
A report from the Social Exclusion Unit paints a similarly grim picture [3]. The report suggests that 75 per cent of employers would not consider employing anyone who had a diagnosis of schizophrenia and that 55 per cent of people with a mental health problem found that stigma was a barrier to employment.
Now a new national campaign called Time to Change is trying to challenge stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems and encourage people to talk more about mental health in the workplace in a bid to help end mental health prejudice.
Thanks to the Time to Change programme, people like Stephen Wedderburn, from North Shields, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1984, is now speaking out about his experiences of stigma at work.
According to Stephen, family and friends that have known him from childhood don’t treat him any differently. Sadly, this is not true of other people and Stephen has found it virtually impossible to get a job due to the stigma around his mental illness.
Having studied for three years gaining a degree in environmental management, Stephen knows he has the ability to work but says he gets very few job interviews and is tired of being knocked back.
“I am often discriminated against by potential employers because of my illness. I am completely honest in declaring my mental health problem on application forms as I want people to be aware of my condition – why should I hide it? It makes me who I am,” he said.
“I understand that some employers could be nervous because they fear people with mental illness as being violent. I, however, would not hurt a fly. I am the gentlest person you could wish to meet and avoid trouble at all costs.”
Although the Government says it wants to help people with mental health problems back to work, a recent DOH survey into attitudes to mental illness found that respondents were far less likely to be comfortable talking to an employer about their mental health than a friend or family member (39 per cent versus 69 per cent) [4].
Sue Baker, Director of Time to Change, said: “For many of the 1 in 4 people that experience mental health problems, it is discrimination rather than the illness than becomes the biggest obstacle to overcome. Stigma can even prevent people with mental health problems from starting a career or being promoted.
“Mental health problems are a common part of life in the 21st century, and we all know someone who has a mental health problem, whether we realise it or not. The stigma surrounding mental illness can make it hard for people to speak out - this is one of our last great taboos in the workplace.”
Time to Change is a nationwide campaign led by leading mental health charities Mind and Rethink and funded by £16m from the Big Lottery Fund and £4m from Comic Relief. The campaign in the north east is being supported by NHS North East through the New Leaf New Life programme.
Time to Get Moving events, which bring people together to get active and challenge stigma, will be happening across the region all week. To find out more go to http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/what-were-doing/get-moving1
Charitable entrepreneurs were pick of the pops this month as they donated an impressive £35,000 in one evening to boost the health of teenagers suffering from cancer across the North East. The fundraising has now swelled the amount raised by the Forum over the last seven years to an incredible £500,000.
Local Recruitment Agency Recruitment Now is delighted to announce the appointment of a new Director. Working along side the business owner Sarah Nixon, Richard Froggatt (firp) has almost twenty years experience in the recruitment sector.Richard brings a wealth of knowledge and management experience having held Board positions with both national and SME recruitment businesses. Holding Fellowship status of the Institute of Recruitment Professionals, Richard is passionate about ethical and efficient recruitment practice, supported by outstanding customer and candidate service.
Owner Sarah Nixon’s says, “After steady growth for 7 years since the firm was established in 2003, we have now reached a whole new level of trading. With over 200 full time agency workers and 10 consultants in the office, I have certainly reached my personal capacity to manage the business alone. Many a successful business owner has attributed their success to recruiting managers and people who are smarter and cleverer than them in order top grow their business with them. I felt that it was about time to call in an expert here at Recruitment Now! I am pleased to see that my business has retained its personality and my personal ethics over the 7 years; it is now my intention, with Richards support to grow the business to new heights in terms of turnover and capability.
It was an evening of celebration for several members of the Entrepreneurs' Forum at the Sunderland Echo Portfolio Awards last night. Thompson Building Centres - run by members Anne and Brent Ganley - scooped the Business of the Year award. It capped a year of achievement for managing director Anne, who has already completed a charity trek to Everest Base Camp and scooped the prestigious Entrepreneurs' Forum Entrepreneur of the Year Award in May.
Also taking away an award was Darren Williams from Seaham-based Hair X-Tensions Limited. Darren won the Entrepreneur of the Year category and this again followed earlier success, coming a few months after he triumphed in the Sunderland Echo region 'Face of Entrepreneurship' through the Forum's If We Can You Can Challenge.
Maureen Lindberg from PPM also won the New Business award, capping a night of success for Forum members.
There was Gok fever in Gateshead last month as the How to Look Good Naked star helped uniquethinking to launch Vodafone’s World of Difference Campaign. The team at uniquethinking had been kept busy over the few months organising the launch but all that hard work paid off as Gok met local north east charities and press without a rain cloud in sight. Uniquethinking worked closely with Gateshead council and the local media to ensure that the launch went smoothly and that the campaign received all the media attention it deserved.
Gok Wan on his UK Vodafone city tour stopped in Gateshead to meet local charities and participants from the 2010 campaign. Last year’s winners from North East charities such as Coco, St. Oswald’s Hospice, National Trust and BookAid for Africa were keen to tell Gok how worthwhile the experience was, generating great media coverage and encouraging others to get involved.
Sam Hook, managing director of uniquethinking, said: “Gok was really down to earth and a pleasure to work with. He was quick to make everyone present feel comfortable, which really helped generate great interviews with last year’s winners and local charities to promote the campaign”.
Vodafone’s exclusive campaign offers 500 UK entrants the chance to be paid to work for the charity of their choice for two months to make a difference in their local communities. The placement runs from March 2011 and is open to anyone over the age of 18 in the UK until the November 23.
Applications are now open at www.Vodafone.co.uk/worldofdifference
October saw the single biggest piece of discrimination law to be introduced in the UK in the form of The Equality Act 2010. It is a significant piece of legislation which brings together current discrimination legislation and strengthens equality protections for employees. To help organisations prepare for the changes and how it will affest their businesses, Elisha Training are running two sessions on 10th November.
The sessions aim to address the three key questions everybody wants to know about the new Equality Act:
1. What is the Act about
2. What does it really mean to my organisation
3. What will happen if we don't implement it?
The sessions are designed for senior managers and HR professionals. The three hour interactive session will be delivered by an expert in Equality and Diversity and will answer any questions in a clear and concise manner which will assist in the making of important changes back in the workplace.
The sessions will take place at Eliesha Training's Newcastle Business Park HQ from 9am - 12pm and 1.30pm - 4.30pm on 10th November.
The cost to attend a session is £35 + VAT, which includes breakfast/lunch and refreshments.
Places are limited so Elisha advise to book quickly on 0191 282 2800 or by emailing business@eliesha.com
You can also find out more about Eliesha by visiting their website www.eliesha.com
A new building surveying consultancy is aiming to take the North East’s property sector by storm with a design-led focus that will differentiate its services from established industry players.