News

Our highly successful Swift Project that helped over 40 women in East Sussex with digital and business management skills in 2014/15, has been awarded further funding to open up the training opportunities to a new cohort of businesswomen.

The project is specifically targeted at women who are serious about developing their business idea or who are already in business and are committed to investing their time to attending a programme of development. The programme consists of modular and flexible training sessions which focus on delivering IT and business/personal development training. Amongst others, the part time courses include: social media, web/graphic design, writing a business plan, marketing, finance, time management, presentation skills, and selling on-line.

Sessions start on 2^nd October at venues in Crowborough and Eastbourne and are completely free. Alongside the training participants will be able to attend regular peer to peer groups to share knowledge and experience with the support of a business mentor.

No qualifications or experience are required to join the programme, just a desire to learn, develop, and improve digital and business skills in an environment that supports women’s specific needs.

Places are limited to 32 and the deadline for applications is 16^th September so to avoid disappointment, please apply early. For further information please call 01825 891094 or email Ruth Maddison at maddison.ruth@yahoo.co.uk

Over 70 people gathered at the end of project celebration event at Buxted Park Hotel on 9th March 2015 to view an exhibition of the Swift Participants’ business ideas, watch a film about the project and to hear from a range of guest speakers including Baroness Garden of Frognal, Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex – Peter Field, Chief Executive of ESCC – Becky Shaw, Abi Kolliari from American Express and Frances Tobin of the Makers Atelier.

Said Peter Field, “The energy that is buzzing around this room is fantastic and I want to congratulate everyone involved in the project.  It’s absolutely vital that we expand the self-employed business sector and develop great ideas in a safe environment and that’s exactly what’s happened here.”

Baroness Garden, who was a member of the House of Lords Digital Skills Committee during 2014, said “It’s increasingly important to have good connectivity and the Government are making good progress, but women are under-represented in IT and an additional £2.6 billion a year could be created by involving more women in digital skills.”

Becky Shaw said, “If women started businesses at the same rate as men, then we would have a million more women in business.  The most important thing that stops women from going into business is the risk of failure and this project recognised that by providing peer to peer sessions which have afforded a network of support going forward.”

Said Rachel Lewis, Chief Executive of Sound Architect, “This project has given women in East Sussex an amazing opportunity to develop their businesses; however, with the programme being heavily oversubscribed, it is clear that there are many more women in the County that could benefit.  We will continue to seek to capitalise on the success of the Swift Project and to help another cohort of entrepreneurial women contribute to the economy of East Sussex.”

 

Sajid Javid called in to meet participants on the Swift Project being run by Sound Architect in partnership with ESCC and MDHUB.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport spent time chatting to the women entrepreneurs who are all participating in the project which aims to support self-employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for women by enhancing their digital skills and enabling them to take advantage of the faster and more reliable broadband that ESCC is putting in place, particularly in rural areas.

Well over 40 women have signed up to access the part-time training and support between October and March 2015.  Those involved come from varied backgrounds with some already running established businesses and some who have a germ of an idea but want some help and advice to get started.

Said the Minister, “Our nationwide rollout of superfast broadband is a central part of this government’s long-term economic plan and is transforming the digital landscape of the UK.  An additional 28,000 East Sussex homes and businesses can now access superfast speeds as a result of our investment, and we’re reaching more and more people every week.

“The Government’s Women and Broadband programme is designed to help women develop the skills and confidence to use superfast broadband to expand or set-up new businesses, and I’m delighted to see workshops such as this one helping these ventures to prosper in our new Superfast environment.”

Click here to find out more about the Swift Project