There is a wide range of enterprise skills and support available for people in the region wanting to start their own business, but just how accessible is it for young, disabled entrepreneurs?

The Entrepreneurship and the Disability Agenda event at The Gateway Centre in Derby, will raise the importance of making business support services equally available to people with a disability on Wednesday 18 November, during Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW, 16 – 20 November).

Organised by Unleashing Enterprise, the East Midlands Development Agency (emda) supported enterprise programme in partnership with Enterprise UK, the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Disability Direct, this free to attend event will run from 12.30pm to 4pm.

Chris Shaw, Regional Manager for Unleashing Enterprise, said: “It’s vital for the economy of the region that young, disabled entrepreneurs are able to reach information about finance, training and support services that are tailored to their specific needs. This event will highlight what is already available and what can be improved, to ensure that people with a disability have the help they need to realise their ambitions and move their business ideas forward. It is also important that enterprise skills are taught in schools attended by disabled young people as they have much to contribute towards this agenda.”

The event is one of 30 that will be taking place across Derbyshire as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week – a worldwide entrepreneurial movement that aims to encourage people to unleash their enterprising talents and turn their ideas into reality.

ENDS

Issued on behalf of emda / Unleashing Enterprise by lava. For further information please contact Matt or Louise at lava on 01522 842 800 / 07870 567 968 or matt@lavapr.co.uk / louise@lavapr.co.uk

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Notes to Editors:

About Unleashing Enterprise:

Through East Midlands Development Agency (emda) the Unleashing Enterprise partnership aims to further develop a clear and strong connection between all organisations actively involved in delivering, supporting or funding enterprise skills.

This Unleashing Enterprise website has been designed to underpin enterprise skills campaigns to include Enterprise Week now known as Global Entrepreneurship Week (held annually in November) and the Enterprising Streak Campaign (the East Midlands year-round campaign to support enterprise skills) which are specifically targeted at young people aged 14 to 30 years.

Whilst emda manages the project on a daily basis, the partnership is represented by the Unleashing Enterprise Steering Group.  This Steering Group has drawn members from across the region to reflect the diversity and richness of the agenda.  The key is to focus on existing activity and to capitalise on opportunity and reduce duplication.

Unleashing Enterprise believes that enterprise is a skill that can be taught, a skill that can be picked up, improved, honed and applied.  We recognise the depth of expertise across the region and seek to draw together practitioners to help develop these skills to help current, and future, generations become more enterprising.

About emda

East Midlands Development Agency (emda) is one of nine Regional Development Agencies in England, set up in 1999 to bring a regional focus to economic development.

Ten years on, independent evaluation shows emda has:

• Had a significant impact on the region’s economy
• Generated economic benefits that substantially outweigh its overall costs
• Put back over £9 of economic output (or GVA) into the regional economy for every £1 it spends
• Produced more than £1 billion in economic benefits per year
• A wider impact on people, places and businesses in the East Midlands that cannot be captured by figures alone.

emda is committed to supporting the region through the current downturn and has put in place a range of measures to provide real help during these challenging times.

Over the long term, emda’s aim is to deliver the 2006 Regional Economic Strategy (RES) by working in partnership with public, private and voluntary organisations.  The RES highlights the themes of productivity, sustainability and equality and sets out key priorities until 2020 to ensure the vision for ‘a flourishing region’ can be achieved.

For more details visit www.emda.org.uk

About emda’s support of Global Entrepreneurship Week

Since 2004 emda has been coordinating partners to deliver a regional response to the national Enterprise Week (now called Global Entrepreneurship Week) campaign as well as developing a year round culture of enterprise within the East Midlands.  emda aims to create a culture which supports enterprising people and recognises that making money and having a positive social impact can go hand in hand. Visit www.emda.org.uk for more information.

Unleashing Enterprise Partnership

Unleashing Enterprise is creating a partnership for all enterprise educators to pioneer a culture of enterprise across the East Midlands. The partnership is managed by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and developed in close partnership with educators, employers, enterprise agencies, policy makers and funding organisations.

The programme is helping to facilitate a more cohesive and planned approach to the development and delivery of the enterprise offer in the East Midlands. It is also helping to promote opportunities for all people, but mainly young people, to take up the enterprise skills offer in their schools, communities or places of work. For more information visit www.unleashing-enterprise.co.uk