Campaign promises cash to cope in crisis
Jan 28 2009 by Peter McCusker, The Journal
NORTH East firms are today being offered a helping hand to tap into millions of pounds of funding and other support created to help them beat the recession.
The Real Help for Businesses Now campaign has been launched by One North East, with the support of The Journal, to signpost firms to the support available to survive and prosper.
It comes on the day ONE made another £1.75m available to the region’s companies in an effort to encourage a new wave of growth and as the Government announced a £2bn bailout for the car industry which will help the region’s biggest manufacturer, Nissan in Sunderland.
Since last September, ONE has created a £25m fund as a safety net for the region’s business community amid the worst economic crisis for 60 years. It wants to ensure the message – “Help is available now” – is driven home.
ONE chairman Margaret Fay said: “With a raft of recent funding announcements and initiatives designed to help firms survive and thrive through turbulent times, it can become a complex picture of what’s available and how to access it.
“That’s why today One North East has joined forces with The Journal to launch the ‘Real Help for Businesses Now’ campaign, which aims to signpost firms to the help they need.” ONE chief executive Alan Clarke said: “It is vitally important that businesses can access the finance they need during these tough economic times.”
Last week we revealed about 140 firms had approached the agency and Business Link to use this £25m fund.
ONE yesterday added £1.75m to the £4.8m it has already pumped into its Three Pillars Fund and its Design and Creative Fund. These look to support more than 40 businesses this year, creating more than 50 jobs.
Previous beneficiaries of the Design and Creative Fund include rising design stars Elliot Brook and Dan Ziglam, both 27 and Northumbria University design graduates, who secured £150,000 for their plans to develop a top British label in the North East.
They aim to expand their Deadgood brand, of Newcastle, which specialises in high quality, niche furniture.
Mr Brook said: “Our goal is to develop an international brand here in the North East by commercialising the talents of exciting young designers.
“There’s great talent here – and across the UK – and real commercial opportunities both in the corporate and domestic market.”
Research commissioned by One North East estimates the commercial creative sector is worth £800m to the North East with potential to create 9,000 jobs over four years.
Visit the campaign section at www.nebusiness.co.uk
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