Issue - meetings

The Board welcomed Maggie O’Carroll, Chief Executive Officer of the Women’s Organisation.  She gave a presentation to the Board outlining the work of the organisation and how it was being funded to deliver a wide range of business starts and provide self-employment advice to residents in Halton.

In summary she explained that the ‘Enterprise Hub’ was an integrated package of business support consisting of: awareness raising; one to one advice; start up skills development; mentoring/coaching; access to networks; access to finance; and business processes and infrastructure, eg ICT and policies.  

It was reported that there was an 18,000 business start-up deficit within the Liverpool City Region (LCR) as a whole, and that the take up in Halton was particularly low.  She provided Members with some data relating to the business start-ups up to March this year and out of 145 people who registered with the Enterprise Hub in Halton, 67% of these were women.  Out of 27 new businesses started, 74% of these were women.

She explained the services of the ‘Better Off Finance’ programme (lead by the Citizens’ Advice Bureau) which was a personal programme of advice and support that helped people take control of money and improved their job prospects.

Ms O’Carroll requested that awareness of the Women’s Organisation be raised within the departments of the Local Authority (LA) so that further links could be made within the LA, SME’s and amongst the communities of Halton.

Following Members questions, the following additional information was given:

·       Older people (50+) were starting up in business and the types of businesses being started had changed.  For example there was a growth in more digital based companies in marketing, education, software development. 

·       It was noted that to run a business ie, be self-employed, was not for everyone so the Organisation helped people to decide if it was for them by presenting them with a walkthrough or process of what was involved and encouraged them to think realistically; 

·       Members suggested that perhaps the Women’s Organisation could hold an event in conjunction with the Local Authority in the Halton Stadium to raise awareness locally.

RESOLVED:  That the Board noted the presentation and action points.