Hundreds of jobless helped by business start-up scheme

Figures published today show between April 2011 and June 2020 more than 20,000 jobseekers in the North West did the same.

The figures for Preston and Blackpool were 160 and 270 respectively.

The top counties in the region with the most entrepreneurs include Liverpool with 2,140 start-ups; Manchester with 1,540; and Wigan with 1,150.

Launched in 2011, there has been over a quarter of million NEA starts by unemployed benefit claimants which has helped turn aspirations into reality, offering participants a personal business mentor, weekly living allowance and applicants can apply for financial backing of up to £25,000 to realise the ambitions for their start-up.

Minister for Employment Mims Davies said: “This remains a challenging time for families across the country but whether people are looking for a new job or a new source of income, there is hope.

“Our Jobcentre staff are there to help and can open doors to new opportunities, like the support offered through our New Enterprise Allowance. I’m calling on all the budding entrepreneurs out there to contact their work coach and discuss how to make their business idea a reality.”

Blackpool Gazette:

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