Oldham Enterprise Trust celebrates 10 years of supporting young local entrepreneurs

The Oldham Enterprise Trust (OET), a partnership of both the public and private sectors, celebrated ten years of support for young Oldham start up businesses.

The celebration, at Oldham’s latest attraction, climbing centre Summit Up, recognised: 

· The generosity of the Stoller Charitable Trust who have supported OET steadfastly over 10 years by donating £1.5 million – for Oldham, for Enterprise, for Youth

· The Trust having made 257 awards that have generated an estimated £7 million in economic impact for the Oldham economy and created 390 current jobs

· The success of four selected individuals supported by showcasing their businesses from Years 1 and 10 – Charlotte Mills, Dream Big Sports, Golden Petals Nursery and Jane Beaumont Art

· Partner organisations who work with OET to support young entrepreneurs, namely Oldham Council, The Business Growth Hub, Young Enterprise, GM Libraries Build a Business programme, The Prince’s Trust, The Oldham in Place Partnership, Oldham College and the University Campus Oldham; also, notably creating

· 14 OET Ambassadors – volunteers who have supported our work over the last ten years. These are – Ansar Ali of dsgnuk, Tariq Amin, Phil Starr of Enterprising You, Dawn Torrington of Doing Biz for Yourself, Nighat Shaheen of University Campus Oldham, Dan Arundel of The Arundel Bakery, Mike Jackson Leafield of Oldham College, Nicola Mitchell of Nicola Mitchell Mortgages, Sonia Ayaz of Sonia Ayaz Handbags, Les Howarth of Real Time Images, Brad Jackson of Catalyst Claims, Alistair Birse of XYP Education, Dale Harris, and Dillan O’Connor of Dream Big Sports

Oldham Enterprise Trust Chair, Dave Benstead, said: “The sometimes-high costs and high risks when setting up a business often meant dreams were crushed before they could begin.

"We changed that and every year we’ve pushed aspiration - telling Oldham’s young people about the opportunities and support we offer."

Stoller Charitable Trust Chair, Sir Norman Stoller, said: “If you have never experienced that warm glow of satisfaction that comes from a kind and selfless act, or provided a helping hand where it is an obvious need, then you have never really lived."

* The Summit Up climbing centre is the trading subsidiary of the Stoller Charitable Trust, who are the founding patrons of the Oldham Enterprise Trust.

Summit Up has been an important part of the Oldham town centre regeneration with its support of young people.

In the new venture, in the first year of trading, Summit Up has been able to employ up to 50 people, many of whom are local youngsters, and attracted 80,000 visitors of all ages to the centre.

For further information about Oldham Enterprise Trust contact Graham McKendrick by e-mail at: graham.mckendrick@oldham.gov.uk or by phone on 07515 188974.

For further information about Summit Up, contact Emma Curnow by e-mail at: emma@summitupclimbing.com or by phone on 07944 401732.

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