North East recruitment agency secures £25k investment for Dubai expansion

A North East recruitment agency has announced that it has received a five-figure investment to progress overseas.

Sunnyside Recruitment, based in Sunderland, has received the £25k investment from the North East Small Loan Fund supported by the European Regional Development Fund.

The company, which primarily focuses on the hospitality and catering sectors, will be using the funding to enhance its activities in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.

It is planning to recruit a digital marketing apprentice and a trainee recruitment consultant in the coming months, with more jobs expected to follow as the business grows.

Himal Arachchi, founder and managing director of Sunnyside Recruitment, commented: “I’ve always been passionate about international recruitment, and when the opportunity arose to recruit for a vacancy in Dubai, I saw how we might be able to develop a new side to the existing business which focused specifically on the healthcare sector.

“There is significant demand for permanent, fixed term and locum roles for doctors, nurses and allied health professionals, and having made good initial progress, we now have what we need to really start to realise the potential of the Discover Medics brand.

“We’re already developing a client portfolio of UK healthcare providers, and feel confident that the benefits we’re delivering to them will encourage more of their peers to look at how we can help them too.

“The Chamber of Commerce recommended that we speak to NEL about our investment requirements and the guidance we got from the team really helped us clarify how we could best utilise the investment they were offering.”

Jonathan Armitage, investment executive at NEL Fund Managers, added: “Discover Medics offered both a well-defined brand offering and a clear vision for how it will be delivered, and the growth capital we’ve provided will enable it to make the most of both.”