Enterprise North East Trust To Deliver Project To Help People with Disabilities

Enterprise announces today (DATE) that it will be delivering a new initiative to help people with disabilities in Aberdeen city to start their own business. Enterprise will deliver the pilot of the Business Able initiative on behalf of DHP Scotland who was awarded the contract from Skills Development Scotland. It will provide a unique support programme for individuals who claim Incapacity Benefit.

The Business Able initiative has been devised to help people with disabilities to overcome their personal challenges and work in a way which is conducive to their changing health, allowing them to utilise the skills and knowledge they possess. The project will provide participants with free one-to-one support from qualified business advisors. They will also have access to specialist expertise in disabilities and the benefit system to assist their ambitions to become self-employed.

Joyce Duncan, Director of Corporate Development at Enterprise says, "There are currently over 8,000 disability claimants* living in the Aberdeen area. For those who are claiming Incapacity Benefit, there is a lack of appropriate training and support available. A bespoke service is needed for this particular group in the community to help them return to employment and to develop their entrepreneurial ambitions.

"This project is a pilot scheme that has previously been offered in Glasgow and Edinburgh with resounding success. This will now be rolled out across Aberdeen city to provide people with disabilities with a better means of support in their efforts to run their own business. This project will help entrepreneurs with disabilities to pursue great ideas, improve their quality of life and contribute to the economic growth of their community."

Enterprise North East Trust offers a range of services for new and growing businesses across the north east, including the delivery of the Business Gateway services on behalf of Aberdeenshire Council. In addition to providing help and advice to companies Enterprise also operates 15 serviced office centres across the north east. For further details on Enterprise contact www.enetrust.com or call 01224 289700.

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* Information sourced from http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/briefings/snsg-03301.pdf

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