Members of the Flintshire Enterprise Club receiving
recognition for their participation for the last 18 months
An event celebrating local enterprise, hosted by Communities First at Coleg
Cambria has marked the success of the Flintshire Business Entrepreneurship
Network’s (BEN) Enterprise Club.
The 18 month old club helps people start their own business, gives advice
on growing a business idea and offers a mentoring programme with leaders of
local companies via regular member meetings. The Flintshire BEN project
also organises a Dragons? Den style event for budding entrepreneurs.
The morning programme on Friday 6 June featured inspirational speakers who
gave an overview of enterprise and entrepreneurship. Local Assembly
Members, MPs, community leaders and business champions joined together to
congratulate the club?s members and staff on an encouraging start to the
project.
Success stories include:
Angie Atherton Autism Support, a business that supports families with
children and young adults with autism. Angie has been mentored by Christine
Sheibani from Deeside-based Comtek and launched her business earlier this
year.
Design graduates Jonathan Ecroyd and James Clark who set up Mr J Designs
after the business partners attended the very first Dragons? Den event in
November 2012. They are receiving support from Paul Maddocks ex-owner of
Parkway Telecom and Leyla Edwards, CEO of KK Fine Foods.
Bluepointseo founded by David James. The company drives traffic to websites
so clients gain more custom; whether it be in sales of products, services
or lead generation. David attends regular meetings of the enterprise club
and receives mentor support from Adam Butler of Easy Online Recruitment.
Wayne Guest who is a qualified plumber, after he was made redundant he
began attending the club. He has recently launched his own business, WD
Guest Heating & Plumbing. He has taken courses outside of the club to
obtain certificates in health and safety and he is a champion of the
programme.
All four businesses also receive the support of the Business Wales Start-Up
Programme.
Councillor Aaron Shotton, Leader of Flintshire County Council said: ?We are
delighted the Flintshire Enterprise Club has been so successful. The
opportunities and mentoring support offered are fantastic ? where else
would you find inspiring business leaders giving local people
encouragement. The benefits of this scheme to Flintshire?s economy are huge
and I hope the club will go from strength to strength.
The BEN project is the brain child of Askar Sheibani, who is the Comtek
Group CEO. Sheibani, who is also the Entrepreneurship Champion for Wales,
stated: “I am immensely proud of all that the Flintshire BEN has achieved
over the last 18 months; the new businesses have taken advice and guidance
from the more experienced entrepreneurs and, as a result, have seen their
businesses go from strength to strength. Flintshire BEN’s Enterprise Club
is a testament to the value of investing in your local community and I?m
thrilled to see Flintshire doing its bit for Britain’s economy.”
Flintshire BEN’s Enterprise Club is run by Communities First, part of
Flintshire County Council’s Regeneration Service and offers help and advice
to entrepreneurs on business start-ups. It is free to join and meets every
other Friday at 10am at John Summers Community Campus. For more information
contact Beverly Moseley at Communities First on 01244 846090.
