| :: BACKGROUND & :: BELIEFS |
| :: THE TEAM |
| :: OUR VALUES |
| :: COMPANY PROFILE |
.......................................
If one cannot see the main picture above then please click on the button below to download flash player.  |
Oldham Collective Project Summary
The Project
This “New Start” outreach programme provides a complete “handholding” approach to individuals wishing to turn dreams and ideas into real business opportunities. “The Enterprise Centre” working in partnership with Oldham Collective offers an inclusive and nurturing service including; capacity building, knowledge transfer and access to the wider business networks across Greater Manchester and the region.
Aims
The project aims to;
- Develop Entrepreneurship, Social Enterprises and micro businesses across Oldham in particular in those hard to reach areas, for the greater good of the community.
- Work creatively with Young people in particular those that do not engage in further education to develop their entrepreneurial spirit thus creating a generation of talent across Oldham
- Deliver innovative and customised capacity building solutions in order to improve competitiveness and increase the sales potential of social enterprises, community enterprises and micro businesses based within the ERDF or HMR area.
The delivery team is committed to enterprise development but their approach to social and community enterprise development is influenced by experts in the field many of whom are well known guru’s in America where Social Enterprise is already about 20 years ahead of where we are in the UK.
The Enterprise Centre has world wide experience of entrepreneurship development, as partners to Global Initiatives www.glinet.org we formed part of the delegation to China in November 2004, this was to discuss current models for Social Enterprise support and lessons learnt from here in Manchester. These experiences bring a new approach to the work which is grass root led, we aim to generate, motivate and accelerate ideas into successful entrepreneurial activity, we have the experience in helping yet we recognise that the community itself has the knowledge and the capacity, it just needs to be released.Delivery Methodology
We will access the target groups by engaging young people and those in the community in an informal manner, which allows space and expression to explore entrepreneurial solutions to societal decline. A visioning approach will be adopted, working with local people, community groups and specifically targeting hard to reach groups. We want to put on a range of events to explore and demonstrate entrepreneurial skills, creativity and flair, we will demonstrate by example how others have made success out of their ideas. One example of which there are many is Creative Industries; This may be through engaging in film production, camera work, prop design, acting, script writing, directing, producing, TV and camera work etc…All our case studies are entrepreneurial. By focusing on solutions to expressed needs and skills gaps we will build relationships and dialogue with local people who have genuine responses and wish to engage. Face to face research and e- communications will be utilised where appropriate alongside focused packages of consultation and engagement.
Hard-to-reach communities will be engaged on street corners, in pubs, youth clubs, local schools, at community events, religious centres with the help of community gatekeepers. Peers will be employed, young people will engage young people, Asian women will consult Asian women, and friendly and accessible social enterprise practitioners will lead by example. By showing what is possible, by introducing other entrepreneurs and enterprises from across Greater Manchester we hope to inform and inspire.
These events would create the interest and from which we could identify the individuals and groups that would be targeted. The next stage may well be in the form of a competition much in the same way as The Dragons Den has been facilitated. We would provide complete support to all participants and they would have an identified mentor who has experience himself or herself of enterprise at management level. The winners could not only receive financial support to help with their basic branding and identity package but would benefit from the business support of the experts and the networks, which they are involved in. We are currently in discussions with Unltd finds looking at how their opportunity funds can become more accessible for all.
In the first instance we would intend to facilitate a number of motivational and inspiring events, this is to embrace the change concepts which will be required for this project to be not only successful but provide a legacy for the future.
These events will be facilitated by ourselves and we will engage the expertise of others such as Motivational Systems UK http://www.motivationalsystems.co.uk and/or Sandra Smethurst http://www.sandrasmethurst.com/
The Enterprise Centre model of training, trading, incubation and intensive handholding support as stated above is more likely to achieve its outcomes.
We address the needs of the target group and increase the success rate of new business start-ups because we offer a holistic support framework to reduce barriers, increase competence and build confidence within a sheltered environment. We utilise our linkages to maximise benefits to our clients, in particular for women, BME’s and those wishing to start from a faith based perspective.