Enterprising Focus in Barking & Dagenham
05 November 2007
Several exciting – and enterprising – events are planned in Barking and Dagenham during the fourth annual national Enterprise Week which kicks off on Monday 12 November.
They include the launch of a series of enterprise seminars, a new Facebook group designed to encourage awareness of self employment opportunities and the first regular broadcasts by a new on-line radio station.
Local organisations see Enterprise Week as the ideal opportunity to boost to their efforts at inspiring people – especially teenagers and youngsters in their twenties – to have ideas and to make them happen.
At the Barking College campus, the Barking & Dagenham Small Business Centre (BDSBC) has organised a series of “Enterprise Enrichment “seminars for students at the college. The seminars will focus on self employment and business start-up support and the guidance available within the borough. The college is a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) in construction, health and social care and in engineering.
Gary Jarrett, one of the borough’s Enterprise Advisors says:
“Through our work, schools and young people in particular are becoming more aware of their entrepreneurial potential which in turn will enthuse more young people to pursue this option in the future.”
The Centre, which is supported by Barking & Dagenham Enterprise through the Government-funded Local Enterprise Growth Initiative, (LEGI) is also opening its doors to the public throughout the week. The team of business advisers will be providing free advice and guidance on the business start-up services available at the Centre and through LEGI partner organisations.
BDE is managing more than 30 enterprise-related projects over three years following the borough’s successful bid for funding under the Government’s Local Enterprise Growth Initiative Barking & Dagenham was one of only ten local authorities nationally to be awarded funds from this programme and the only Thames Gateway borough to be successful.
Another fresh initiative being taken by the Centre is the launch of a special BDSBC Facebook group on the popular social networking site. It believes that this has the potential to become a self sufficient on-line business community where budding business people can network and support one another while also encouraging inter-trading between clients.
Meanwhile, Enterprise Radio, the new on-line community radio station for Barking and Dagenham, will also begin broadcasting for the first time at the beginning of next week. The new on-line station has been developed by Schools Action for Enterprise (SAFE) and has won backing from BDE.
Broadcasting 24 hours daily with live programming between 0900-1600hrs seven days a week, Enterprise Radio will provide local news, information and music. The station is also keen to encourage schools and community groups to produce and broadcast their own programmes with help from the team of four regular presenters.
Connect to Enterprise Radio by clicking on to www.saferadio.co.uk which will provide the link to the new station or e-mail safe@radiofutures.co.uk
Paul Bishop, BDE’s Enterprise Champion says:
“Enterprise Week is a great opportunity to showcase some of the fantastic enterprise activity which is taking place in the borough. The brilliant work in our schools shows that we are planting the seeds to establish an enterprise culture across Barking and Dagenham.”