Member Article

1,000 disabled and disadvantaged to start up new business

£460,000 has been granted to a project which will encourage over 1,000 disadvantaged or disabled people to set up their own business.

The Northern Pinetree Trust offers free provision to people with a disability, long-term illness or to those who live in a disadvantaged community.

It is providing the match funding for the project, which will deliver pro-active as well as reactive enterprise coaching to stimulate awareness and interest in enterprise among those groups.

The Trust, which operates across the whole of the North East, has received the backing of the European Union through the investment from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Competitiveness Programme 2007-2013, managed by One North East.

Lesley Calder, Head of European and Skills Strategy at One North East, said: “ERDF investment will help support many disabled or disadvantaged potential entrepreneurs take the first critical steps to business start up through customised support.

“The project will help to increase the stock of new business starts within the North East helping to create an enterprise surge.”

The funding will support a number of enterprise coaching activities including awareness raising and animation sessions as well as one-to-one pre-start up coaching and guidance for those furthest away from starting a new business.

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