NWRC’s Strabane Business Breakfast event hailed as ‘great success’

By Aoife Curran

North West Regional College’s (NWRC) Business Support Centre (BSC) hosted a very successful Business Breakfast event at the Alley Theatre as part of Derry City & Strabane District Council’s (DCSC) Enterprise Week.

The event offered local entrepreneurs and business owners with the opportunity to find out what support and funding opportunities are available to them from the College, Department for the Economy (DfE), Strabane Enterprise Agency (SEA) and Council.

Guests enjoyed breakfast while networking, before hearing about funding opportunities from BSC as well as case studies from clients and local businesses who have received support.

Speaking about the event, Sinead Hawkins, Business Skills Manager at NWRC said: “We were delighted with the excellent turnout for our Business Breakfast event, it was a great success! It was particularly beneficial for guests to hear first-hand from companies we’ve supported such as ‘Alchemy Technology Services’ and ‘Lima Building Services’ and how their business has grown since collaborating with the College.

‘’Hopefully these two businesses can inspire other entrepreneurs and businesses to contact NWRC to see what help and support we can offer to them.

‘We would also like to thank the stakeholders who came along, including the Council and SEA. We believe that continuing to take this collaborative approach will assist existing businesses to survive and grow and encourage anyone with a new idea to take the first steps into business.”

Sinead encouraged anyone looking for support to contact the NWRC BSC and hear what opportunities are available: “There are numerous programmes that we can assist businesses to leverage such as the Department for the Economy’s InnovateUs and Skills Focus programmes and Invest NI’s innovation voucher programme,” she said.

‘’Get in touch with us and we’ll happily call out to you to discuss your needs and hopefully we’ll be able to identify a few ways that we and the other stakeholders can help and put you on the path to sustaining and growing your business.”

For more information contact businesssupport@nwrc.ac.uk or ring 02871276170. You can also visit the website at https://bsc.nwrc.ac.uk/

NWRC’s Strabane Business Breakfast event hailed as ‘great success’ — Deputy Mayor of Derry and Strabane District Council Angela Dobbins, pictured with Sinead Hawkins, NWRC BSC Skills Manager, Orla McNulty, Strabane Enterprise Agency, Fergal Tuffy, NWRC Business Support Centre Manager, Catherine Collins, Derry and Strabane District Council, pictured at the Strabane Business Breakfast event. (Pic by Martin McKeown)