Go shout about it! - news and press releases
The latest news releases on the Wansbeck LEGI programme.
PITMEN PAINTERS PUTS WANSBECK CENTRE STAGE
Wansbeck has been put in the spotlight, with its past and present celebrated by leading North East politicians, business leaders and journalists.
They attended a special showing of the highly-acclaimed play, The Pitmen Painters, at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle.
Set in the 1930s, it tells the story of a group of Woodhorn Colliery miners in Ashington who took up painting and were briefly acclaimed by the art world.
The play was written by Lee Hall of Billy Elliott fame.
AWARD FOLLOWS SUCCESSFUL PILOT PROGRAMME
A social enterprise, which provides transport for thousands of people in South East Northumberland, has received a prestigious award.
WATbus Community Transport, based in Bedlington, was named Social Enterprise of the Year at the Rio Tinto Alcan Wansbeck Business Awards.
GO WANSBECK MANAGER SET TO RETIRE
A leading figure in North East economic development and regeneration is retiring after a career spanning four decades.
Keith Raine is currently the programme manager of Go Wansbeck – the local enterprise growth initiative (LEGI) – where he has overseen the delivery of £16.5m of funding to improve levels of enterprise, economic activity and prosperity and confidence in the area.
COMMERCIAL PROPERTY DEVELOPMENTS AT HEART OF REVIVAL
The availability of new high quality commercial property in Ashington is at the heart of the economic revival of the Wansbeck area.
Last year there was a 6% rise in the number of businesses in the district, compared to an English average of just 3%. As well as helping new businesses through financial assistance and expert advice, Go Wansbeck – the Local Enterprise Growth Initiative project for the area – has also assisted in the development of commercial property sites.
ITS PRIME TIME FOR WANSBECK AS DISTRICT IS SET TO HIT TV SCREENS
Wansbeck will be going live on television this week when a TV advert featuring local businesses hits the screen.
The advert – going live on prime-time television – features companies who have received advice and assistance from Go Wansbeck, the district’s local enterprise growth initiative. It is designed to encourage even more people to take advantage of the support on offer and to showcase Wansbeck as a vibrant destination.
WANSBECK WINNERS ANNOUNCED AT GLITTERING AWARDS
An Ashington-based company, which delivers the food and drink of more than 100 local suppliers to North East homes, has been named Wansbeck Business of the Year.
Food Local Food has been in business for less than two years, but has already established a reputation for high quality and value for money.
TRI-ATHLETES ARE TRIUMPHANT AS CROWDS FLOCK TO NEWBIGGIN
Athletes and spectators filled the streets of Newbiggin-by-the-Sea as the village hosted its first-ever triathlon.
Sponsored by Go Wansbeck, the race was one of the region’s biggest ever with over 120 competitors taking part and hundreds more watching from the sidelines. The event began at 10.30am when the contestants dived into the bracing North Sea for a 750m swim around Newbiggin Bay under the watchful eyes of the towering off-shore ‘Couple’ statue.
WANSBECK IS ENTERPRISING CHAMPION
Wansbeck has been named the most enterprising place in North East England and is now in the running to win the prestigious Enterprising Britain 2009 competition.
The accolade is a recognition of the transition brought about by Go Wansbeck, one of England’s 20 Local Enterprise Government Initiative (LEGI) programmes. In just two years it has offered more than £1 million of funding to more than 200 new and growing businesses and helped create 300 new jobs.
SIR JOHN GETS A SNEAK PREVIEW
The North East’s best-known entrepreneur Sir John Hall has been given a sneak preview of a special newsletter which will soon be landing on the doormats of over 25,000 Wansbeck homes.
People in Ashington, Bedlington and Newbiggin will recognise the faces behind local businesses on the pages of Go Wansbeck’s free newsletter which features people who have fulfilled a life’s ambition by starting their own companies.
DRIVING PERFORMANCE INTO THE GREEN
Ashington company Wansbeck Performance is helping businesses reduce their fuel bills by up to 20% and save thousands of pounds.
The tuning specialist has developed a prototype system which will improve the performance and fuel economy of heavy goods vehicles and other larger vehicles. As well as saving money, businesses and drivers will also be able to slash their CO2 emissions.
PUTTING ART AND SOUL INTO HER NEW ROLE
Newbiggin Arts Forum has recruited a key new member to its team with help from Go Wansbeck.
Catherine Scott will join the Forum as community arts development officer. Her job will be to encourage local people – whether or not they have artistic flair – to use the town’s new arts centre.
CHANGES TO THE WANSBECK FLEXIBLE FUND
The Wansbeck Flexible Fund has so far offered financial support to over 180 local businesses since it was established 18 months ago and, in order to ensure that its remaining funds go as far as possible, the funding limits for the two funds have been amended.
The start up fund can now provide new businesses with both grants and loans of up to £3,000, whilst existing businesses with growth projects can apply to the business development fund for both grants and loans of up to £10,000.
These changes are intended to ensure that as many businesses as possible are able to benefit from the support provided by the Wansbeck Flexible Fund. For more information please contact the Go Wansbeck Business Support Team on 01670 842888.
BUSINESS SUPPORT GOES MOBILE
Businesses across south east Northumberland will be able to take advantage of a mobile advice service when our Procurement Centre team hits the road later this month.
ENTERPRISING KIDS GO GLOBAL WITH INTERNATIONAL MARKET
School children in Wansbeck are going global and preparing to show off their talents in celebration of national enterprise week. Two spectacular international markets will be held, at Bedlington on Friday 21st November and at Ashington on Saturday 22nd November.
GO WANSBECK CHAIR CALLS ON BUSINESSES TO GO LOCAL
A key element of Brian Smith OBE’s introductory speech at the 2008 Rio Tinto Alcan Wansbeck Business Awards was a call to local businesses to Go Local and source more of their needs locally. Brian stated that following this policy would benefit both the local economy and the business itself.
Brian Smith OBE is the Chair of the Wansbeck Local Enterprise Growth Initiative programme and the Managing Director of LDR2.
CATHY MEATS BIZFIZZ FOR PRIME SUPPORT
Years of hard work and training have paid off for an Ashington woman who seized a golden opportunity to start up her own Butchers business within a busy Northumberland supermarket.
Cathy Woodward has worked with one of the Go Wansbeck BizFizz Coaches, Graeme Trotter, to open Cathy’s Fresh Cuts within the Netto store at Ashington.
LiVit MAKES BEAUTY COMES ALIVE IN ASHNGTON
An entrepreneur from Ashington is celebrating the completion of the final phase of the complete refurbishment of his beauty salon, LiVit.
Rod Thirtle was awarded both Grant and Loan from the Go Wansbeck Flexible Fund to enable him to expand his team and enhance the range of beauty services on offer from his LiVit salon.
 Archived News Stories
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