Over to you... with royal approval

ROYAL appointment . . . the Duke of York, HRH Prince Andrew, visits Oldham to look at the new digital hub

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THE Duke of York visited Oldham yesterday to meet young entrepreneurs who have been selected for support at the town's new digital business hub.

The Royal guest also saw the new Odeon cinema and restaurant development at the old town hall, which he hailed as a great example of regeneration.

Prince Andrew urged Oldham to seize a brighter future after leaving behind the "darker times" of decline. He said optimism was rising and it was time for Oldham to take full advantage of economic changes and ground-breaking ideas from young entrepreneurs. Everyone in Oldham needs to support the desire for success, he stressed.

He said: "Oldham may have been through some darker times but it's facing a new horizon. The challenge is getting people in the community to take advantage of this change."

YOUNG businesses in the north of England deserve much greater support.

That's the view of Prince Andrew who visited Oldham yesterday to check in on the new digital hub being built on Yorkshire Street at the former Wahoo pub site.

Work is under way to convert it into a home for the Hack Oldham design-and-technology group and for the Open Future North hub, which will be run by Wayra UK, part of the 02 Telefonica group.

Work started in September and is part of a £1million investment by Oldham Council to help businesses thrive in the town's Independent Quarter. When completed in early 2017, the new hub will support start-up technology enterprises from across the north with workspace, technology, business and investment support.

A number of young businesses have been selected by Wayra for the first phase of support. These include two Oldham firms ­- Offer Moments and JobSkilla. The two businesses had successfully pitched for Wayra's support and yesterday met Prince Andrew during his visit. They will each receive six months of support, with the potential to receive £68,000 in investment through cash and equivalent services.

Speaking inside the new Odeon cinema yesterday, the royal said: "We have got to encourage people to be entrepreneurs. We are particularly good at doing these things in the Oxford, Cambridge and London triangle but there is just as much talent in the rest of the country. The question is how we find the ways and means to enable people to get what they need.

"The new Odeon development brings new uses to old buildings and is all part of that process. Everybody wants to see towns, cities and regions being successful. You all want Oldham to be successful and I have no reason to suspect that cannot be achieved again.

"But it requires one extra thing. It requires people to think the same or to have the same intent ­- that we want this place to be successful."

Prince Andrew said it was time for younger businesses and community leaders to come forward ­- and for older generations to support them.

"I have had 20 years at the top," he added. "It's now time for my generation to move on and let other people do it.

"We have experience which we hope to pass on. But business in the 21st century is very different to business in the 19th and 20th centuries. We are going to have to think disruptively, unconventionally and outside the box.

"I have learnt a lot today. I wish you every success and encourage the next generation. We have started the process now. All I can say now is get on with it, congratulations and good luck."

Gary Stewart, director of Wayra UK, highlighted the huge difference between investment and support for young technology firms in central London compared to the other UK regions of the UK. He said Wayra was determined to support regional talent.

He said: "The Duke of York's backing highlights the potential of this new venture, which could be truly transformative in encouraging digital innovation in the north. Throughout history, the Greater Manchester region has been an engine driving the UK economy forward. Now, this new facility will help the next generation of entrepreneurs to develop their ideas into real businesses, encouraging the growth of the digital sector in Greater Manchester and creating new, highly-skilled jobs."

Oldham Council leader Jean Stretton welcomed the hub and said the council was working for a new Oldham economy, with better alternatives to low-skill, low-wage jobs and zero-hours contracts.

She said: "We are very excited about the digital hub development. When it opens its doors in 2017, Oldham can be the birthplace for exciting new digital businesses that will create local jobs and investment, and could even develop technology ideas that can change the world. This project really opens up opportunities in Oldham and Greater Manchester to tech-entrepreneurs that simply didn't exist before."

Since 2012, Wayra UK start-ups have raised over $100 million in third-party investment. Across the world, Telefónica Open Future has looked at more than 49,000 proposals and worked with 1,360 start-up businesses in 17 countries. A total of 384 million euros has been committed to investment by Telefónica and its partners.

During yesterday's visit, Prince Andrew was shown around the redeveloped old town hall where he also looked at plans for the Yorkshire Street digital hub and met pupils from Waterhead Academy and Oldham Academy North.

His praise for the regeneration projects was mirrored in other speeches.

Moving

Oldham West MP Jim McMahon led two campaigns to regenerate the old town hall and to create the digital hub while he was leader of Oldham Council. Speaking at yesterday's event, he said seeing the new developments was a deeply moving experience: "We should be very proud today. I spent a lot of time trying to convince people that Oldham's future could be better. It's very emotional for me to hear someone of our royal visitor's calibre to say the dark days are over because I love this town to the core of my bones."

Oldham Mayor, Councillor Derek Heffernan, said: "When this regeneration plan was first discussed I couldn't see what we see now. I'd never been in the old town hall when it was in use and had only seen the Egyptian Room in a derelict state. However what a fantastic job has been done. To add this modern architecture to the old building without spoiling it is remarkable.

"Oldham was one of the richest places on earth 150 years ago. Let's get back to those heights again."





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Duke of York, HRH Prince Andrew visits Oldham Town Hall to look at the new digital hub in Oldham. PIC shows Carl Taylor (Jack's Smokehouse) and John Townsend (OBLG)..

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Duke of York, HRH Prince Andrew visits Oldham Town Hall to look at the new digital hub in Oldham. PIC shows L-R: judge Jonny Shipp (Telefonica UK) and Abdul Alim (OfferMoments)..

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Duke of York, HRH Prince Andrew visits Oldham Town Hall to look at the new digital hub in Oldham. PIC shows L-R: Luke Greaves, Danny Mills, Chris Hughes and Lisa Hughes of jobskilla..

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Duke of York, HRH Prince Andrew visits Oldham Town Hall to look at the new digital hub in Oldham..

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Duke of York, HRH Prince Andrew visits Oldham Town Hall to look at the new digital hub in Oldham. PIC shows Jim McMahon MP..

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Duke of York, HRH Prince Andrew visits Oldham Town Hall to look at the new digital hub in Oldham..

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Duke of York, HRH Prince Andrew visits Oldham Town Hall to look at the new digital hub in Oldham..

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Duke of York, HRH Prince Andrew visits Oldham Town Hall to look at the new digital hub in Oldham. PIC shows Prince Andrew and Jim McMahon MP..

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THE way forward . . . Prince Andrew is shown plans for the new hub by project manager Marcus Foster



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TELL me all about it . . . Prince Andrew with Oldham West and Royton MP Jim McMahon



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Duke of York, HRH Prince Andrew visits Oldham Town Hall to look at the new digital hub in Oldham. PIC shows Prince Andrew and Jim McMahon MP..

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NEXT generation . . . Prince Andrew chats with Waterhead Academy pupils



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LISTENING with interest . . .Prince Andrew in Oldham yesterday