Oswestry’s business start-up club recognised in national awards

The Start Up Oswestry club that is helping Oswestry’s young entrepreneurs to set-up their own business has been commended in the Business & Economy category of the 2013 Towns Alive awards, in the West (West Midlands and North West) zone.

Founded by Action for Market Towns (AMT) in 2004, the Towns Alive awards recognise and showcase initiatives that are helping our towns to adapt to change and to flourish.

Instigated by the Oswestry Joint Economic Board in 2012, the Start Up Oswestry club is run by Shropshire Council, Oswestry Town Council and Shropshire Enterprise Partnership to offer young business-minded people free information, support and access to finance.

Open to people aged 18-30 who are thinking of setting up their own business, the club has held monthly meetings since October 2012, with more than 50 people attending so far. The July 2013 meeting of the Club was held on board the StartUp Britain StartUp bus when it visited Oswestry as part of its national tour.

Each meeting focuses on basic start-up information and aims to help young people put together a simple business plan, as well as offering support with sales and marketing, access to finance and help promoting their new enterprise.

Business ideas represented at the meetings so far include interior decoration, a fashion store, a cake-baking business, photography and printing, sports accessories, and men’s fashion.

Keith Barrow, Leader of Shropshire Council and Chairman of the Oswestry Joint Economic Board, said:

“The Start Up Oswestry Club has been a great success and I’m delighted that it has been recognised in these important national awards. Although we didn’t win the Business & Economy category, the judges all recognised the high quality of our application and of the project.”

Chris Wade, the chief executive of AMT said:

“We can’t pretend that towns and high streets are not facing tough conditions and challenges. But they’re not sitting back and waiting for a knight in shining armour to save them. It is thrilling to celebrate the successes of our winners and to be able to share successful ideas that towns have used to give their communities and businesses a boost, which other towns can learn from.”

The next meeting of the Start Up Oswestry club will be held at the Guildhall, Oswestry on 10 September 2013 from 5.30pm to 7pm. For more information go to http://startupclubsoswestry-eorg.eventbrite.com/

For more information about the Towns Alive Awards and the winners go to www.towns.org.uk.