Member Article

Oldham Enterprise Fund reaches 100 new jobs milestone

Innovative fund is helping to create a new job in Oldham every week

The Oldham Enterprise Fund has marked its second anniversary with news that over 100 new jobs have been created as a direct result of the initiative.

The Enterprise Fund is an innovative partnership between Oldham Business Leadership Group, the Business Growth Hub, Business Finance Solutions, People Plus, and Blue Orchid that delivers a combined funding and business support offer to Oldham. It has played an important part in Oldham Council smashing its target to create 2015 employment opportunities by the end of 2015.

The fund was launched in 2013 thanks to a £1 million investment from the Stoller Charitable Trust. Trust Chairman, Oldham businessman Norman Stoller CBE KStJ DL, has since pledged a further £1 million to provide financial support to even more local entrepreneurs wanting to start or grow their own business.

Speaking at Mahdlo in Oldham to celebrate the second anniversary of the Enterprise Fund, Dave Benstead, Chairman of Oldham Business Leadership Group, said:

“The Enterprise Fund is all about supporting entrepreneurship in Oldham.

“We have invested in over seventy new businesses across a range of sectors including childcare, financial, hospitality, insurance, technology and retail.

“The Enterprise Fund is currently helping to create a new job every week – the majority for young people under 25 years of age.”

Added Dave:

“Thanks to Norman Stoller’s support we are tapping into the energy of young business people who are not afraid to start companies and see how their products and services can make a difference to us all.”

Also speaking at the event, Norman Stoller CBE KStJ DL reiterated his support for the Enterprise Fund and its potential to “create hundreds of new jobs in the future”.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Oldham Business Leadership Group .