Work and Pensions Minister celebrates success of Halton’s new start-up businesses at The Heath

The success of business entrepreneurs at the New Start Centre based at Runcorn’s Heath Business and Technical Park was celebrated today (Monday 1st September) with a visit from Work and Pensions Minister Stephen Timms.

Mr Timms, who is responsible for employment and welfare reform, was visiting the North West to promote the Government’s green paper on welfare reform. During his visit to The Heath, he met staff from Halton Borough Council’s Enterprising Halton Programme and six residents who are beating unemployment by setting up their own businesses.

Since it was established in April 2007, Enterprising Halton has supported 100 new business start ups, which themselves have then gone on to employ a further 72 people. Up to six businesses at a time can take advantage of free office space and support at the New Start Centre at The Heath.

Being surrounded by the other 185 businesses on The Heath site is a great place for small fledgling companies to grow, believes Dr Peter Cook, Managing Director of SOG Ltd, which owns and operates The Heath Business Park.

“Where better to promote innovation and business than at The Heath where there is a culture of enterprise. There is nothing like rubbing shoulders with people who have been to the edge of the precipice and can provide the benefit of first hand experience,” he said.

Tina Taylor, from Brookvale, Runcorn, is one of the would-be entrepreneurs who is hoping to make money with the launch of a community website, www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/WA7. She is juggling coming back to work with two young children. “This place gives me time away from the children to sort out the business,” she said. “The support from Enterprising Halton has been excellent.”

Kevin White, who has been unemployed for nearly two years, is setting up Morrison White Educational Events with his friend Mark Morrison, with the aim of carrying out a full risk assessment service for school trips.

Kevin said: “The hardest thing when you have been unemployed for so long is keeping to a regular timetable. You get out of the habit. This place has helped us to move forward by getting back into the discipline of going to work and keeping regular hours.”