The University of Cumbria is celebrating the achievements of successful students from its New Entrepreneur Scholarship (NES) / Business Start-Up programme at an event on the Fusehill Street Campus, Carlisle.  Twenty-one students have been able to start their own businesses and received funding thanks to NES.  Many will be in attendance at the event, held in the Learning Gateway from 5.30pm on Wednesday 19 September.

In excess of one hundred guests are expected to attend, including representatives from local councils, business support organisations and small businesses.  Carlisle City Council, Federation of Small Businesses and Blackpool Unlimited are giving cash prizes to scholars for a variety of awards – University of Cumbria Regional Winner Greatest Perceived Journey, Most Innovative Idea and Most Committed Scholar.  The Chamber of Commerce are also offering free membership to the students.  Students starting in September have also been invited and will get the chance to meet the people who have already benefited from the programme.

The programme offers practical of help and support to get people started in business. It provides one-on-one business mentoring and an extensive business start-up course.  As well as developing business skills, successful candidates can apply for up to £1,500 in start-up support funding.  It’s run by the School of Business and Enterprise at the University of Cumbria. 

Twenty-one students completed the course over the last academic year, submitted their business plan and accessed the £1,500 funding to help them start their business.  These include Stephanie Hume and Adele Swarbrick from Blackpool who started their own clothes and accessories business and Christine Smith from Lancaster who now runs a mobile massage therapy business. Other successful students have started businesses in areas like Information Technology, plumbing, catering and gardening.

NES project manager Jean Hewitt said:

“This event is a way of celebrating what our students have achieved but also giving them a chance to network with other business owners and local support organisations.  The NES programme gives people the skills to start their own business and make it work; all people need is the idea to begin with.  We look forward to starting the course again with a new group of students this month and being able to celebrate their achievements next year too.”