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Budding businessman on course for a fruitful start

A new course which aims to reduce long-term unemployment in the most disadvantaged parts of Sunderland is off to a flying start, with 20 new businesses created as a result of its first batch of workshops.

The Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF) course, which runs at the North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC), is designed to equip attendees with the basic skills required to get a business up-and-running.

Paul Cairns, Training Manager at the North East BIC, said: “The WNF workshops provide a setting where potential entrepreneurs can explore ideas, barriers and resources prior to starting up. The first course has been a tremendous success with all 20 individuals who attended workshops going on to successfully start up their own businesses.”

Lee Blyth, 24 and from Silksworth, Sunderland, attended the course before starting his own fruit and vegetable shop in the city’s Grangetown area, after he became disillusioned with his previous role in construction.

Lee Blyth said: “There was a lot of uncertainty in my previous line of work, which wasn’t helpful as I had just become a dad. In order to have more control over my working life, I decided to give running my own business a go.

“The course was great because it covered important areas of running a business that I hadn’t considered up until that point. It was also useful to meet other entrepreneurs, and share our hopes about running a business.”

After successfully graduating from the course, Lee developed a business plan with advisers at the BIC, before approaching banks for finance and securing property for the business in Grangetown.

Lee said: “I’m now planning to build the business gradually, and my long-term aim is to one day have my own wholesalers.”

The WNF course makes up part of the £27 million Sunderland Working Neighbourhoods strategy, which is an initiative designed to get more people into employment over the next two years.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .