The Rotherham Partnership
The Yorkshire regional winner of the Enterprising Britain 2006 competition was the Rotherham Partnership.
The Rotherham Partnership was recognised for its success in creating an all-inclusive strategy for enterprise. Rotherham has successfully encouraged and supported people to develop their business ideas and stimulated an entrepreneurial culture in the borough.
During the 1970s and 1980s some 50,000 jobs were lost in the coal and steel industries. The area experienced mass unemployment and at one point unemployment in the Dearne Valley reached 45 per cent. Rotherham could have languished as a town, without an identity, sitting in the shadow of a big city neighbour (Sheffield).
However 15 years later a massive transformation has taken place and Rotherham is now a town of regeneration and innovation. New industrial premises have been developed and jobs have been created by the new businesses attracted to the area. The final challenge was to unlock the enterprise potential of local people which required a new level of partnership working between the private and public sectors. Supporting enterprise is one thing, but stimulating it and making it accessible by all ages and all backgrounds requires innovation and joined-up thinking.
Rotherham had initiatives in place to support enterprise, but these tended to be fragmented and appealed mainly to people from traditionally entrepreneurial backgrounds. The goal was to stimulate enterprise and make it accessible to all. An initial step towards this goal was formation of the Rotherham Enterprise Network, which now brings together over 15 agencies to improve the quality of business referrals, stimulate joint initiatives and reduce confusion and duplication. Another key step was formation of the Chamber of Commerce education and training working group which brings together a wide range of employers with key figures from the local education sector.
One example of such an initiative is Women In Business. Rotherham Chamber of Commerce recognised that traditionally woman had been under represented in the workplace in Rotherham, both as employees and as entrepreneurs and facilitated the establishment of the group in April 2003.
Starting with 61 members, Woman In Business now has over 180 members and meets on a regular basis to network and get ideas from keynote speakers from both the public and private sectors. Women In Business also supports enterprise activities with young people through mentoring and invitations to female students to attend networking meetings.
Indeed, inspiring the next generation is at the forefront of the Partnership's business development plan. Projects such as The Rotherham Ready, The Young Chamber, Investors in Education, U-xplore and Rotherham Youth Enterprise aim to create a culture of enterprise and provide a pathway into entrepreneurial opportunities post 16. These projects support the enterprise enthusiasm of young people through mentoring, teaching and networking. They establish a comprehensive and robust enterprise learning ladder for children and young people, equipping them to make a positive impact on both their own lives and the Rotherham economy for the future.
A measure of success is that 80 per cent of those who take part in Rotherham Youth Enterprise, a programme that provides support to young entrepreneurs with new business ventures, survive after five years of start-up which far exceeds the national average.
The development of Business Incubation Centres, built and run by Rotherham Borough Council have been integral to Rotherham's regeneration. Three Business Centres, providing 185 start-up spaces to some 130 businesses, have played a vital role in Rotherham's business start-up rate soaring to 15 per cent above the national average.
Nick Cragg, Chair of the Achieving Partnership, sums it up best:
"Our success in the Yorkshire round of the Enterprising Britain 2006 competition reflects our achievements in encouraging enterprise in Rotherham. The increase in entrepreneurial activity is living proof of the quality, support and encouragement that Rotherham provides to the wider community. We're delighted to have been chosen as the Yorkshire regional winner".