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Council celebrates its 200th Mentor Growth participant

November 4, 2020

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council is delighted to celebrate its 200th business participant on the Mentor Growth business support programme. The Council recognises that this has been both an unsettling and disruptive period for many businesses as they adjust to the ‘new normal.’ The Mentor Growth programme is open to companies with less than 50 employees in the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area and offers businesses the opportunity to avail of free, one-to-one tailored mentoring and support in a range of business areas including:

  • Post-Covid Business Recovery
  • Managing Cash Flow during a period of crisis
  • Business Planning
  • HR Management
  • Generating new sales
  • Marketing Support
  • Systems/Processes Development
  • Business Diversification/pivoting
  • Exporting
  • Tendering

The programme is part funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth & Jobs Northern Ireland (2014-2020).

Speaking about the success of the mentoring programme, Alderman Jim Dillon MBE, Chairman of the Council’s Development Committee said:

“We are delighted to welcome our 200th participant. The quantity of participants reflects just how popular and beneficial this programme has been within the council’s business community. The mentoring support has proved instrumental for so many local companies to allow them to focus and develop their skills and knowledge in a wide range of business-related areas.”   

"We understand that running a business during these times can be challenging and sometimes you need a helping hand. Following an initial company assessment which is carried out via phone, our Business Solutions team select a mentor based on the specific business requirements. With a team of over 50 specialist mentors, they will provide free one-to-one professional mentoring and support to help drive businesses forward as well as assisting them in navigating through the current COVID-19 crisis.

“As a council, we are fully committed to delivering support and guidance to businesses during these unprecedented economic times. We strongly encourage all business owners in the Lisburn & Castlereagh area to get in touch and avail of the free mentoring support.”

Rachel and Rebecca Vance, Owners of RARE Grazing NI, recently participated in the Mentor Growth Programme and said:     

“We launched our business in December 2019, and the mentoring programme has been invaluable to our business growth. The council paired us with a mentor who specialised in the areas we needed help with. Our mentor provided practical and professional advice in the areas of marketing and e-commerce. 

“As a result, we have gained confidence in these areas and now successfully have an online strategy in place. We have developed the necessary skills and knowledge to push forward in our business. The programme was a very positive and rewarding experience and offers long term benefits.”

RARE Grazing NI is the brainchild of twin duo Rachel and Rebecca Vance. They offer bespoke grazing boards across Northern Ireland and their casual alfresco approach is the new dinner party must-have and the perfect catering for any special occasion.

If you would like to avail of free mentoring support, please contact emma.fearon@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk or to find out more information, visit www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk/business_solutions.

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