News Article

AN ORGANISATION that has guided 250 people back into work has been named the most enterprising in North East England.

The Acumen Development Trust has encouraged and supported people to develop business ideas and stimulated an entrepreneurial culture in the deprived area of Horden and Easington Colliery, East Durham.

The villages were identified as an area to encourage enterprise in 2001 because of high deprivation levels, low employment, poor health and low skills levels.

Acumen was formed and embarked on a strategy to address unemployment, lack of education and enterprise. The strategy has three major strands; ensuring access to services; creating businesses and opportunities for employment; and breaking down the barriers that prevent employment.

The strategy was integrated through the Aim High Network that provides access to high quality information advice and guidance, learning opportunities, job search support and support for enterprise. Aim High delivers its services through community venues branded as Aim High Centres, including community centres, welfare halls, libraries and schools. There are now 15 Aim High Centres in Horden and Easington Colliery, providing the community with outreach work and community activities. 

Acumen has managed to support entrepreneurial culture through BizFizz, which provides funding to members of the community. BizFizz also employs a business coach located within the community itself to work with local people and to provide them with confidential advice tailored to their needs.

Acumen has helped break down barriers preventing employment through the development of the Action Team for Jobs. This includes a designated Action Team Adviser who can access funding and support from the Aim High Network.

In Horden and Easington Colliery, individuals face barriers such as lack of confidence and self-esteem, debt, substance misuse, benefit dependency, low skills and a culture of unemployment. Acumen helps the community to overcome these problems, addressing debt through specialist counsellors, low skills through One-2-One learning and offers outreach skills through STEPS To Excellence.

Acumen has achieved amazing results. In the first two and half years alone it helped over 140 people into self-employment, when prior to Acumen there were only five business start ups each year. Many business premises have been brought back into use and the appearance of the shopping areas has greatly improved.

Other successes include the movement into work of over 250 people last year - a significant increase as, prior to Acumen, approximately 50 people each year went into work from the two villages.

Kate Welch, Chief Executive Acumen Community Enterprise Development Trust, said: “Our success in the Enterprising Britain 2006 competition reflects our achievements encouraging enterprise. The increase in entrepreneurial activity is living proof of the quality, support and encouragement that Acumen Community Enterprise Development Trust provides to the people of Horden and Easington. We’re delighted to have been chosen as the North East regional winner”

One North East Head of Enterprise and Business Support, Tim Pain, said: “We were extremely impressed with the work The Acumen Development Trust have been involved in East Durham. Easington and Horden have some of the worst statistics for people on Incapacity Benefit so projects like Aim High and Bizfizz are vitally important to get people back into the job market.

“Acumen ‘s successes speak for themselves and I wish them all the best when they represent the region in the national competition.”

Runner-up in this year’s competition was “Life on the Edge”, run by the villages of Gilsland and Greenhead in the heart of Hadrian’s Wall country.

The aim of the project is to prevent the continued decline of two small rural communities that sit on the border of Cumbria and Northumberland.

Life on the Edge has helped bring people of all ages from the villages together to create new play areas, a Pre School, a thriving Tourism Partnership and a Millennium Green as well as the refurbishment of Greenhead Village Hall.

Tim said: “Life on the Edge has harnessed local pride to instigate important regeneration projects in both Greenhead and Gilsland.

“They have reversed a century of decline of rural life to build two vibrant communities.”

Wendy Bond of Life on the Edge said: “By seizing opportunities and building on every success we have raised local morale so that now we believe in ourselves.  We began with improving the quality of life – and it has led to job creation and new businesses. The new Farmers’ Market brings visitors to share that quality from a 70-mile radius every month.

“It is satisfying that we have done it all ourselves - with many grants – perhaps this is why it works.”

Both projects will be presented with awards from One Northeast when the judges of Enterprising Britain visit the region at the end of the month.

For more information please contact: Bryn Littleton, press office, One North East on Tel: (0191) 2296713, mobile no: 07717 468918.   
e-mail : bryn.littleton@onenortheast.co.uk

Notes to editors:
1. Since 1999 the Agency has created/safeguarded 86,607jobs, helped 17, 029 business start-ups and established businesses with specific projects. It has also provided more than 25,821 learning opportunities last year alone. Aimed at adults who are economically active, these opportunities include workplace training courses, home learning and any programme of over 30 hours in length that can help an individual improve their job or career prospects and improve the contribution they make to their business.

2. During the financial year 2004/5 the Agency offered 24 firms £6.995million in Regional Selective Assistance funding – if the grant offers are accepted they will create 1,184 jobs and safeguard a further 640. The grants will encourage the firms to invest £56.833 million into their businesses. RSA Grants have been replaced by the DTI with a new investment product the SFI – Selective Finance for Investment. The new grant will target high productivity, highly skilled projects building on the existing RSA criteria of job creation and retention. During 2004/5 the Agency offered 96 firms £17.143 million in SFI funding – if the grant offers are accepted they will create 2,818 jobs and safeguard a further 1,572. The grants will encourage the firms to invest £122.554 million into their businesses.

3. One North East works to improve the conditions for businesses in order that they thrive in the region, grow and create jobs. Good transport links, access to the latest technology, research and development, well-trained staff and sound, simple business support are the key issues that affect the business climate - these are the issues that One North East is charged with tackling.

4. One North East is now the Region’s strategic lead agency on: Urban and rural regeneration, Business support, Tourism, Research and Development, Skills and education and ICT and new technologies.

5. One North East is leading the regional image campaign for North East England. The campaign harnesses the region’s best assets to position North East England as a great place to do business, live, work, study and visit. Aiming to create strong and positive new perceptions about the North East regionally, nationally and internationally, the "Passionate People. Passionate Places" campaign features the very best the region has to offer through its people and the key areas of history and heritage, coast and countryside, city culture and innovative business. For more information please visit www.northeastengland.co.uk