WIN Get 'Art For Art's Sake' Funding

Networking organisation WIN is celebrating securing £100,000 from the Government to engage North-East businesswomen in the arts, as part of a ‘learning for pleasure’ innovation spearheaded by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

WIN’s ‘Art For Art’s Sake’ project will offer the arts as a platform for women in business across the region to explore their own creativity, learn about themselves, and enhance their skills and confidence to develop new networks and re-engage in learning.

Set in inspiring arts venues across the region, women will be offered opportunities to get involved in Art for Art’s Sake through joining book clubs, following creative writing courses, learning about the performing arts or trying out play-writing.

They will also learn the art of networking and presentation skills, as well as the art of self-discovery.

WIN board member Di Gates said: “Winning £100,000 to deliver this innovative project is a real achievement for WIN, its members and the North-East region, particularly having faced such stiff competition - the project emerged as one of the top 15% across the country.

“WIN prides itself on being a current, honest and ambitious network for female entrepreneurs and women in business. The Art for Art’s Sake project provides us a platform to work with over 400 women across the North East and to add even more tangible value to our members, both as participants in the project and through direct involvement in its development and delivery.”

Other projects in the North-East include using the Tyneside Cinema’s new spaces and facilities to deliver digital technology, moving image, communications and IT learning to a wide range of people from different social backgrounds and developing online learning tools for others to share.

WIN is proud to also be teaming up with some of its new members to deliver the Art for Art’s Sake project. Newcastle’s Live Theatre, writing and reading development agency New Writing North and Northumberland-based Butterfly training are also involved, supported by Arts Council England North East.

Participants will be empowered, motivated and more capable of making changes in their personal or business lives through becoming involved in a range of arts-based activities.

WIN Ltd - http://www.womenintothenetwork.co.uk/3 - is a brand new membership organisation dedicated to supporting, connecting and promoting women in business.

Arts for Art's Sake is one of over 213 winning projects nationally. Across the country, a diverse array of informal adult learning projects will be getting underway, ranging from creative music master classes for people out of work or education, learning adventures for isolated older people and reading opportunities for the over 60s.

The grant is from the £20 million Transformation Fund, launched by Government to offer funding for innovative, informal adult learning projects in England. This brings to life The Learning Revolution, a White Paper presented to Parliament in March 2009.

The projects, many spearheaded by partnerships between public, private and third sector organisations, will help improve mental health, physical well-being, active citizenship and community cohesion, as well as providing a stepping stone towards further learning, qualifications and employment for many people.

Kevin Brennan, Minister for Further Education, Skills and Consumer Affairs, said: “We’re happy to announce 213 successful recipients of our Transformation Fund grants, awarded in the face of stiff competition from a field of 1,400 applications. With projects ranging from creative writing and music to reading and art, it’s encouraging to see so many imaginative ideas for giving adults more opportunities to learn for the love of it.

“The benefits of learning for pleasure in an informal setting are wide-ranging, and they benefit the community as well as the individual. I hope that many people will develop the confidence and the local connections to take a big step towards a brighter future.”

The announcement about the latest Transformation Fund grants follows the award of £1 million worth of ‘early bird’ funding in July.

Alan Tuckett, Chief Executive of NIACE, added: “NIACE is proud to have the role of supporting the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills in managing the Transformation Fund. We argued in our response to the Informal Adult Learning consultation that there is no better stimulus for local adult learning providers than the creation of a fund to trigger innovation and new partnerships.

“There’s already evidence from the ‘early bird’ bids of how creative and imaginative community-based adult learning can be when given the funding to put ideas into practice.”
Informal adult learning encompasses a wide variety of activities and can range from a self-organised reading group in a village hall to a guided visit to nature reserve or stately home.

Other Learning Revolution activities include The Learning Revolution Festival: a month-long celebration of informal adult learning that kicks off in October 2009.

To find out more about the Art for Art’s Sake project visit www.womenintothenetwork.co.uk and for more on The Learning Revolution, visit: www.bis.gov.uk/learningrevolution

Fruit and veg at your service

Brand new If we can, you can member Barbara Chrisp has shared her truly inspirational story online. Here’s a recent article that was featured on her and her business The Cabbage Patch in the Hartlepool Mail, which delves into the impact Barbara is making in the Easington District, as reported by Tracy Walker.

A mum dubbed the "Jamie Oliver of the North East" is helping to give hundreds of schoolchildren a healthy start by launching a fruit and vegetable delivery service.

Barbara Chrisp has started up a business, The Cabbage Patch, which supplies fresh produce and healthy eating advice to SureStart children's centres and other community groups.

The 41-year-old was forced into a change of career when she was made redundant after eight years working for Sunderland-based finance firm CitiGroup.

Barbara, who is mum to 13-year-old Lucy Parkin, grows a lot of her produce in gardens at her home in Stewart Drive, Wingate, and also orders stock from suppliers.

She said: "Finance was all I really knew for the past 20 years and it was a real shock when I lost my job."I've been growing my own produce for a few years and it was something I really enjoyed.

"You hear a lot of things about people in the Easington area not eating a great deal of fruit and vegetables. Easington is generally a low income area, fresh produce isn't perceived as being cheap and I want people to see it as something affordable. "

Barbara launched her business with the help of business advisors Be Enterprising and now works with 10 Peterlee SureStart centres. She also supplies Peterlee's Rosemary Lane nursery with produce for school lunches.

Be Enterprising coach Chris Churms said: "Barbara is incredibly focused and keen to work with everyone. She's the Jamie Oliver of the North-East!"

Barbara also visits Horden Social Welfare Centre every Thursday afternoon to sell fresh produce. She also runs a weekly market stall at Horns Garden Centre, in Shotton Colliery.

Barbara provides weekly deliveries to customers in small, medium and large bags. All contain potatoes, onions, carrots and apples, with customers selecting additional fresh fruit and vegetables on delivery. Barbara also accepts Healthy Start vouchers as part-payment.

Read more about Barbara's inspirational journey by clicking here

Serenity Has A Treat In Store For Local Companies

Newcastle urban day spa Serenity in the City is providing local employers with a unique way to boost staff morale during the economic downturn.

Whilst companies are increasingly looking for extra productivity in the current climate, and stress levels in the workplace have increased, Serenity in the City is offering businesses tailor-made treatment packages at a specially reduced rate, that can be awarded to staff as part of a rewards scheme or alternative salary benefits package.

Employers nationwide are struggling to keep staff morale high as the effects of the recession mean workforces feel overworked and vulnerable.

But where some companies are offering sabbaticals or pay cuts disguised as extra holidays, Serenity in the City says actually treating workers can be a worthwhile alternative.

Serenity in the City owner Jocelyn Maxfield said: “In the current economic downturn, the potential exists for staff to become anxious or depressed. If someone is feeling down after losing a colleague or suffering because they are taking on extra workload the best solution to keep these workers happy is by incentivising them with little ‘pick me up’ treats.

“Too often employers forget that after they have made redundancies it is the workers that are left behind that are still suffering and feeling the pinch. That is why we are offering businesses a weekday package that they can distribute to staff across their workforce as they like - as a bonus, salary perk or even as a thank you gift.”

Employers can select any of the treatments offered by Serenity in the City from Mondays to Thursdays such as a relaxing Wellbeing Massage for staff to wind down after a hard day at the office, or a confidence boosting spray tan.

One local business, which has been offering employees beauty bonuses for several years, is Newcastle based advertising agency Drummond Central. Drummond Central managing director Julie Drummond said: “We have used beauty and wellbeing treatments for some time, as a way of giving our staff bonuses for a job well done, or completing an intensely busy project. They are really popular, and giving them the time off to go and relax and get spoiled for an hour brings them back invigorated and happy.

“We also use the Serenity in the City day spa as an alternative way of debriefing with a client after a big campaign; by way of a thank you for the business and a treat at the same time.”

HOLIDAY SEASON EXTENSION FOR ASPIRING WOMEN TO ENTER AWARDS

Female entrepreneurs from across the North-East have been given an extra week to enter the region’s top business awards for women.

The entry deadline for The North-East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2009 has been extended to Friday 18th September, after demand for more time after the schools returned for busy women to complete their entries.

The Awards, now in their 10th year and sponsored by Business Link, have been refocused by the board of the new WIN Ltd organisation to include two brand new categories that reward both pre-start up and inspirational entrepreneurs. There is also a new online application process for the awards this year at http://www.womenintothenetwork.co.uk/.

The eight categories are One NorthEast’s Best New Business Award, South Tyneside Council’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Durham University’s Best Small Business Award, Social Enterprise North East and SES’s Best Social Enterprise Award, Arts Council England’s Best Creative Business Award, WIN Ltd’s Best Home-Based Business Award, Teesside University’s Innovation Through Technology Award and the flagship Susan Dobson Award for Entrepreneurship.

In addition to the categories open for nomination, this year there will be two new recognition awards – the ‘One to Watch’, to recognise talented entrepreneurs who have not started trading yet, and a woman who others consider an ‘Inspirational Role Model’.

Chair of the judging panel, previous North East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year and SCM Pharma director Fiona Cruickshank said: “We have extended the entry deadline due to high demand for a bit more time from women interested in taking part. With the summer holiday season just over, and schools just going back many business women that juggle work and family life at this time of year are just settling back into full work-mode this week.

“I myself have just returned from summer holidays to be delighted at the entries so far. There has been a good response to all categories, but we especially urge women with emerging or home based businesses to be brave and enter, or nominate someone they know – WIN Awards celebrate business success from the one man band to the multi-million enterprise. Go for it girls!”

ECCS CLEANS UP IN WEARSIDE

Following landing seven new contracts in a month last month, Edwards Commercial Cleaning Services Ltd (ECCS) is now focussing on cleaning up across Wearside in the new business stakes, and is making great strides.

It seems whatever the economic climate, having a nice working environment is one expense that companies across the region will not cut back on. In just the last few weeks, ECCS secured a number of new contracts in Wearside as well as resigning an existing client in the area, that when combined are worth £100,000. Last month the company secured seven new clients across Newcastle and Gateshead worth a combined £70,000.

Paul Edwards, managing director, set up the business in 2003 with his wife Hazel, and it now has over 150 employees and over 150 contracts across the North East. The newest of Paul’s customers are based across Sunderland and Washington.

Paul said: “Our new clients in Wearside include Team Wearside, NSPCC, Washington Display and Vishay Ltd so there is a real bespoke requirement for each of those sites. We are also delighted to have retained the business from Joplings department store, following a successful relationship over the last year.

“As a fully insured Safe contractor accredited company we can guarantee that our cleaners are the best in the business. As a family run business every one of our team is instilled with our values that the customer comes first combined with a professional but caring delivery.”

The company currently has an annual turnover of over £1 million but Paul is looking to double that as well as grow the team by another 50% over the next two years.
Paul concluded:

“Many think that a cleaning contractor will be an unnecessary expense but we tailor our service on client requirements and budget, and are happy to be flexible as we would rather have a long term relationship with each company we work with.

“Our clients, by having a clean working environment are ensuring that their staff are better motivated and respond well to being cared about. This results in less sick days for our clients along with the benefit of increasing productivity.

“At the moment we are dealing with many companies in trying to keep general infections out of the workplace and are battling the Swine Flu pandemic by introducing disinfectant alcohol wipes and hand santiser foam and gels.

“So, as well as cleaning, we are providing the right products and helpful advice to our clients.”

Further information on ECCS is available at http://www.edwardscleaningltd.co.uk/, or by calling 0191 213 5777.

Read more about Paul's entrepreneurial journey by clicking here

Challenge Category Winners Announced!

Over 100 people entered this year’s ‘If we can, you can’ Challenge, as we sought to award North East entrepreneurs for their outstanding business ideas, inspiring journeys and commitment to making their businesses succeed.

It’s all about encouraging a spirit of entrepreneurship in the North East, and raising awareness of the region’s fantastic entrepreneurs. As we’ve often mentioned, the quality of this year’s entrants has monumentally surpassed all expectations, and we want to thank them all for sharing their inspirational stories.

In addition to our ‘Faces of Entrepreneurship’ and ambassadors, this year we decided to award seven additional entrants. These entrepreneurs were deemed by the judges to have demonstrated pure determination to succeed, often overcoming a challenge or stereotype to follow their passion.

The category challenge winners are:

Maureen Lindberg (Tyne and Wear) – started a business from a corporate background.

Richard Hannam (Hexham) – became an entrepreneur after being made redundant;

Vinnie Morgan (Teesside) – started a business straight after education;

Derek Foxcroft (Teesside) – frustration at work led him to start a business;

Clare Fenwick (Hartlepool) – a parent with small children who became an entrepreneur;

Helen Ledger (Sunderland) – an ‘accidental entrepreneur’; who saw an opportunity

Sarah Pittendrigh (County Durham) – a single parent who started her own business.

Each of the seven winners will be awarded an ipod touch, and an invitation to attend the Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s annual SME conference - which will give valuable advice for small businesses on breaking through challenges and opportunities.

Please take a look at our winners and view their If we can, you can profiles – they are all incredibly inspiring.

Last Call For Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards Entries

Female entrepreneurs from across the North-East have just two weeks (closing date 11 Sept) left to enter the region’s top business awards for women.

Women are being urged to submit their online entries for The North-East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2009 – which are this year being organised by a group of the region’s top female businesswomen under new membership organisation WIN Ltd.

The Awards, now in their 10th year and sponsored by Business Link, have been refocused by the board of the new organisation to include two brand new categories, to reward both pre-start up and inspirational entrepreneurs, an online application process and new on-the-night compere, ITV’s Wendy Gibson. The Awards will reward the best individuals, partnerships and business support organisations across eight categories.

They are: One NorthEast’s Best New Business Award, South Tyneside Council’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Durham University’s Best Small Business Award, Social Enterprise North East and SES’s Best Social Enterprise Award, Arts Council England’s Best Creative Business Award, WIN Ltd’s Best Home-Based Business Award, Teesside University’s Innovation Through Technology Award and the flagship Susan Dobson Award for Entrepreneurship.

In addition to the categories open for nomination, this year there will be two new recognition awards – the ‘One to Watch’, to recognise talented entrepreneurs who have not started trading yet, and a woman who others consider an ‘Inspirational Role Model’.

Women can nominate individuals for the recognition categories, or enter the other awards, online at http://www.womenintothenetwork.co.uk/.

Chair of the judging panel, previous North East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year and SCM Pharma director Fiona Cruickshank said: “As a previous winner, I can’t encourage women strongly enough to enter these Awards. Winning an award, or even just being nominated, can enhance your business in many ways — be it by bolstering sales, boosting employee morale or increasing web traffic.

“For new and smaller businesses, winning one really can provide a springboard to growth, add real credibility to what they are doing, and provide fantastic marketing opportunities.

“As we enter the tenth year of the Awards, we continue to be astounded by the amount of talent here in the North East – and it’s our job to ensure this talent does not go un-noticed.”

The all new WIN Ltd will now offer its members an improved service including personalised training, free and subsidised business tools, and collective buying and bidding opportunities to help grow their businesses. WIN Ltd will still be delivering a full schedule of member events, with all profits fed back in to support new members.

Its board of directors is made up of Northumberland’s SCM Pharma director and co-owner Fiona Cruickshank and Mailing House Group managing director Jackie Peddie, Newcastle’s Solutions Recruitment managing director Margaret Clare and The bgroup creative director Di Gates, Ann Stonehouse, owner of Accountancy @ Willowbank and Co-Efficient Outsourcing in Teesside, and Dinah Bennett of Durham University’s Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning.

Dinah Bennett of Durham University’s Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning added: “Even if your business has not had the best year financially due to the recession, we would still urge you to enter.

“The judges will be looking at how businesses are riding the recession, what measures they have taken and, if people have had to reduce their workforce, how they have gone about it.

“Meanwhile WIN Ltd has chosen to sponsor the Home-based Business Award as this is a big agenda and we again want to encourage women who are operating their businesses in this popular way.”

The closing date for entries is close of business on Friday, September 11. Enter online and find out more at http://www.womenintothenetwork.co.uk/.

Executives Brave Baltic Conditions

Executives from four local businesses have joined forces in a bid to host the region’s largest charity sleep out.

If we can, you can member Derek Curtis and Jerri Murtagh of Bond Solutions, Codeworks Connect board member Andy Walton, If we can, you can Challenge 09 Ambassador Nigel Begg of Aspire Technology Solutions and Andrew Fisk of Tagish have formed a board to lead Byte Night – an event where the business community sleep outside for one night to experience what it is like to be homeless.

Taking place at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art on October 2, all money raised will be donated to the charity Action for Children, which works with young people who are affected by poverty, disability, abuse and neglect.

In the past year Action for Children has helped over 19,000 young people in the North East and the charity heavily relies on funding from local businesses to continue its work.

Managing director Derek Curtis of Bond Solutions said: “Byte Night is a fantastic opportunity for businesses to make a difference to young people in the region and when Action for Children approached me about hosting the event I knew we had to get involved.

“We are delighted that the BALTIC have agreed to host Byte Night and hope that the business community will sign up and support this great cause.

“It’s amazing how much of a difference giving up just one night of your life can make to young people in the region and it would be fantastic if we could get over 80 sleepers.”

Byte Night was established by Ken Deeks and has been running in London for the past 11 years.
Other cities taking part on the night are Edinburgh, Manchester, London and Thames Valley and as this is the first official Byte Night to take place in the region, the board is determined to ensure it makes its mark.

Andy Walton said: “We have a lot of established, new and cutting edge businesses that are all making a difference in their own unique ways and I really believe that this close knit community can help make a significant difference to disadvantaged and young people.

“All monies raised will help tackle the root cause of youth homelessness and help young people get off the streets of the North East. Knowing that without the hard work and commitment from

Action for Children many more of our young people would be lost to society, gives me a reason to get involved and I hope others will too.”

Managing director Nigel Begg from Aspire Technology Solutions said: “I am passionate about everything I do and when I was asked to join the board I knew it was an opportunity that I could not miss.

“Byte Night will be a fantastic networking opportunity and give businesses the chance to come together and support a fantastic cause. The current economic climate means Action for Children need our help more than ever and this one night event can make such a huge difference to the charity.”

Andrew Fisk, managing director of Tagish said: “I was involved in an event similar to Byte Night last year and I found it to be a fantastic experience, hence the reason I joined the board this year.

“Byte Night provides businesses with the opportunity to focus their minds away from the day to day issues of achieving success and spend a small amount of time thinking and, more importantly, helping those who are not as fortunate.”

To register for Byte Night please visit http://www.bytenight.org.uk/

Press Ahead scores summer hat trick

North East PR and marketing agency Press Ahead has scored this summer, with a hat trick of new staff appointments, and the addition of a major new client.

The Sunderland based company has appointed Lindsey Spears, Deborah Robinson and Naomi Robson as it continues to strengthen its team following a series of major account wins. The three most recent appointments coincide with the addition of Sunderland AFC to Press Ahead’s client list.

Senior Account Executive Lindsey will join the team at the beginning of September. After gaining a degree in Communication Studies from the University of Sunderland, Lindsey has spent the past eight years working on regional PR and marketing campaigns for clients including Business Link, Middlesbrough Council, Wynyard Park and the Learning and Skills Council (North East).

Lindsey’s appointment follows the recruitment of Deborah, who joined the team in June having returned to the region after taking a year out to travel. A Northumbria University graduate with a BA Hons degree in Communications, Deborah has gained experience working as an in-house PR executive at Berghaus, the UK's leading outdoor clothing and equipment brand.

The final recruit, Naomi, joined the team earlier this month. Naomi graduated from the University of Sunderland in 2008, after studying a three year BA Joint (Hons) degree in Marketing and Public Relations. She has a background in customer services, having worked in retail for the past two years. More recently she developed her PR and marketing skills, working for regional station, Metro Radio.

The new recruits will work on a number of client accounts, including the most recent addition to the company’s portfolio, Sunderland Football Club. Press Ahead has been awarded the contract to support the club, including the recent concerts and its bid to become a host stadium for the 2018 World Cup matches, working with the City Council to raise support and secure Sunderland’s place in the England FA’s official World Cup 2018 submission to FIFA.

Press Ahead managing director Russell Borthwick said: “I am delighted with the three new appointments we have made.

“Press Ahead is going from strength to strength, with a fast growing, prestigious client base and a fantastic team. Lindsey, Deborah and Naomi bring a wealth of skills and experience, and I am sure they will help us to build on a record 12 months, and continue to deliver the exceptional results that we are known for as we head into our sixth year.”

To read more about Russell's journey with Press Ahead, please read his If we can, you can story by clicking here