Decision day as finalist goes for capital gain

Nov 30 2009 by Babette Decker, The Journal

A FORMER North East coal mining stronghold will find out today if it has won the title of the UK’s enterprise capital.

The Wansbeck area of Northumberland is one of 12 finalists in the prestigious Enterprising Britain competition.

Earlier this year it was chosen as the North East winner of the contest – and in the summer a team of judges visited the area and met some of the new businesses which have received help from the Go Wansbeck agency.

Wansbeck is one of 20 areas of England where major efforts have been made in recent years to set up new businesses, boost employment and inward investment and create a culture of enterprise.

It was included because of its traditional reliance on heavy and disappearing industries such as mining, and its poor record of business start-ups and entrepreneurship.

Yesterday Go Wansbeck programme manager Martin Townshend said: “Winning would be the icing on the cake and fantastic recognition of the efforts of the Go Wansbeck team, and the hard work and ingenuity of the new businesses which have started and developed in the area.”

Over the past two-and-a-half years, Go Wansbeck has handed out more than £1m to 200 new and growing businesses, helped create more than 300 jobs and provided business coaching for 400 people.

Mr Townshend said: “Although it seems a long time ago now, the national judges told us how much they enjoyed meeting people who had set up their own business and how impressed they were.”