Enterprising people had a taster of what is to come during Global Entrepreneurship Week (16 – 22 November) around the region at a special event in Leicester yesterday.
The meet-up, which took place at Highpoint Conference Centre, offered workshops, ideas and advice for people and organisations wanting to hold a range of events and activities during Global Entrepreneurship Week, to help unleash the enterprising talents of aspiring entrepreneurs in the East Midlands, in order to beat the recession.
Run by Enterprise UK – which is best known for its Make Your Mark Campaign for young people – in partnership with many other organisations, Global Entrepreneurship Week is a worldwide movement of entrepreneurial people, with millions unleashing their ideas and turning them into reality. It is supported in the East Midlands through the East Midlands Development Agency (emda)-funded Unleashing Enterprise programme, managed by Prevista.
Andrew Morgan, emda’s Skills and Communities Director, said: “The 2009 campaign will help to nurture young people to become the dynamic, flexible and skilled workforce of the future, to help businesses thrive and individuals maintain their employability over the long-term. In addition, we want to work with the over 50s to reflect the increasing numbers of these entrepreneurs entering the market.”
“In the current economic climate, it’s more important than ever before that individuals, groups and organisations across the East Midlands embrace the opportunities offered by enterprise. We look forward to working with our partners to make Global Entrepreneurship Week a success in the East Midlands.”
Delegates attending the event listened to inspiring stories from successful entrepreneurs; Leicester-based Lou Gimson, ‘Making It: Women Entrepreneurs Reveal Their Secrets of Success’ and Matt Lovett, Managing Director at Wow Media.
Speaking about the importance of encouraging the region’s entrepreneurial people to think and act global, Chris Shaw, Regional Manager, Unleashing Enterprise said: “Global Entrepreneurship Week is a major catalyst for change. More than 25,000 will participate in events across the East Midlands this year and that’s a lot of enterprising ideas. By sharing ideas and participating in events and activities that have global links, young people will help get the East Midlands on the international map.”
Lou Gimson said: “From my experience, Global Entrepreneurship Week is just the first step towards thinking entrepreneurially. Making It will be actively involved in this exciting week of events by taking a team of people at the start of this entrepreneurial journey and helping them to move their ideas and ambitions forwards.”
For more information on Global Entrepreneurship Week please contact: Chris Shaw, regional Manager, Unleashing Enterprise, tel: 0116 2795115; e-mail: chris@unleashing-enterprise.co.uk or visit www.unleashing-enterprise.co.uk
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 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
