youngbusiness.net UK
The youngbusiness.net UK project was delivered as part of the youngbusiness.net programme, which has been operating successfully for over ten years.
The project is aimed specifically at helping organisations establish sustainable youth enterprise programmes and develop and promote good practice in the field of youth enterprise development.
Drawing on the experience and practices the EDW team developed working in mainland Europe and the UK, the youngbusiness.net UK project, funded by the Big Lottery Fund, worked with partners in urban and rural disadvantaged and marginalised communities in London and Birmingham in England, and in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The project supported the development of a network of six youth enterprise initiatives through the provision of a comprehensive capacity building package, ranging from support for outreach and community engagement, through to business counselling, training, sustainability planning and financial expertise, among many other support activities.
The EDW team led the collaboration with three partners, developing six youth enterprise initiatives:
- London Youth Support Trust, London;
- Community Roots Enterprise Centre, Handsworth, North Birmingham;
- Highland Opportunity Limited, Inverness, Highlands and Islands, Scotland.
The project:
- Enhanced the capacity of our partners to deliver holistic enterprise support to young people;
- Developed and adapted counselling and training materials;
- Provided regular programmes of practical ‘hands on’ technical support to assist with the promotion and delivery of our partners’ projects;
- Assisted with the development of outreach, business counselling and training programmes adapted to meet local circumstances;
- Facilitated the creation of business incubation processes and centres tailored to the needs of young people;
- Assisted with governance issues and financial structuring.
In addition, 750 young people were supported and over 150 businesses started up over the course of the project.
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"The greatest good we can do for others is not just to share our riches with them, but to reveal theirs."
Zig Ziglar