x101417_Inform_p2_cg_x101417_Inform_p2_cg 20/07/2011 10:30 Page 1 FREE July - August 2011 Issue 44 INSIDE YOUR ISSUE OF THE NORTH EAST’S ONLY SELF DEVELOPMENT & ENTERPRISE MAGAZINE: CASH IN HAND: COULD YOU BE THE NEXT COLDPLAY? OPTIONS FOR ALL: HOW THE LATEST GOVERNMENT SCHEME TAKES US BACK TO THE 80’S BUSINESS LINKS: DETAILS TO THE REGIONS VERY BEST NETWORKS SARAH SAYS: TURN YOUR LIFE AROUND & LOOK ON THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF THINGS. YOUR CAREER COUNTS: DISCOVER HOW TO PLAN THE FUTURE OF YOUR NEW CAREER. THE BIG SOCIETY: HEARD ABOUT IT, CONFUSED ABOUT IT? WELL DON’T BE - AS WE EXPLAIN HOW YOU ARE THE BIG SOCIETY Informnorth is the only social enterprise of its kind in the UK, unique to the North East and brought to you with: Helping you to help yourself - through self development, skills and enterprise x101417_Inform_p2_cg_x101417_Inform_p2_cg 20/07/2011 10:30 Page 2 x101417_Inform_p2_cg_x101417_Inform_p2_cg 20/07/2011 10:30 Page 3 Visit www.informnorth.comus online at for advertising details, more help, advice and also downloads of all previous issues Contents Editor Miles Crofton T: 0191 5866 010 E: [email protected] Executive editor Sarah Lee Please help us protect the environment by E: [email protected] recycling your copy of informnorth - but only after reading it cover to cover, digesting all the information and then taking the appropriate Staff writers action first. Katie Crofton, Mark Burton, David Hutton, Michael Keenan Managing Director SKILLS & EDUCATION Mike Storey T: 0191 5866 010 5 OPTIONS FOR ALL - OPEN TO ALL: Young people are always faced with E: [email protected] a barrage of decisions, so Informnorth looks at what exists and the decisions behind ending some of those options open to young people… Business Engagement & 18 CASH IN HAND: Miss Katie Crofton dons her best gig gear and explains Partnership Development how being in a band could actually make you lots of money, thanks to the David Henderson, Mark Storey Government’s latest legalisation. T: 0191 5866 040 E: [email protected] CAREERS & EMPLOYMENT E: [email protected] 22 EMPLOYABILITY: Are you taking two steps back before leaping forward with Design & production your career? We look at ways to help you plan for your career while moving Eric Lee, senior designer forward at all times… E: [email protected] 30 SARAH SAYS: Regular columnist, Sarah Lee discovers how to look on the Senior researcher bright side of life, even if things are falling down around you. Read about Michelle Ho how to get through hard times and get on with your life… E:[email protected] BUSINESS & ENTERPRISE Inserts & subscriptions E: [email protected] 35 THE APPRENTICESHIP CHALLENGE: It was always going to be a tough call, but we learn just how hard it’s been for the teams who entered our special NESA apprenticeship competition, in conjunction with Aimhigher. 45 ELSIE’S HOT WOK: We discover if you take a dash of inspiration, a good sprinkle of cookery know-how then add a hot wok and turn up the heat All content © informnorth. Informnorth magazine is published you then have all the ingredients for a mouth-watering new business idea. bi-monthly by informnorth and informnorth creative services and whilst the publisher has taken reasonable care to ensure that all material is accurate at the time of going to press, they can not accept COMMUNITY MATTERS responsibility for errors or omissions and no liability is accepted for omission or failure from any cause. 54 GROOMED FOR SUCCESS: There’s never a bad time to start a great The publisher welcomes contributions but opinions expressed are those of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of business, as Lindsey Douglas highlights with her award winning enterprise. informnorth. Additional professional advice should be sought before making any commitment to business transactions detailed within 60 THIS BIG SOCIETY: How Darren Lofthouse is climbing the peaks and informnorth magazine. All advertisements are accepted only on the doing something different for himself - whilst helping a great local cause. grounds that they comply with the terms of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 and all other relevant legislation. Inclusion of an advertisement cannot be construed as an endorsement of an advertiser or a product by the publisher, their employees or their agents. “"A ship in the harbour is safe, but try to remember, The publishers cannot accept responsibility for any transactions between readers and advertisers. No material in this publication may that's not what ships are built for." be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from the publisher. Printed by Potts Print (UK). informnorth informnorth July 2011 3 x101417_Inform_p2_cg_x101417_Inform_p2_cg 20/07/2011 10:31 Page 4 1 HobbiesRuz Ran by Gary and Kara Webley - specialise in a wide range of models and hobbies. Telephone: 07853 797 806 or visit hobbiesRuz 2 DW Clothing Ran by Yousif Ali - specialises in the latest men’s designer-wear and fragrances. Telephone: 07772 487 336 or visit dwclothing.co.uk 3 Victoria jackson: Renovated Furniture 1 2 Ran by Brian Jackson - reclaimed timber and french polishing specialist. Telephone: 07526 566 641 4 3 4 Embelish Hair, Jewellery & Fashion Accessories Ran by Alison Bould who specialises in hair, jewellery a fashion accessories. Telephone: 07508 107 022 5 Tracy’s Chocs Away Ran by Tracy Hart who specialises in ‘Blast from the past - good old fashioned sweets’. Telephone: 07572 487 336 or visit chocsaway.org.uk 5 STOCKTON ENTERPRISE ARCADE HAS MORE TO OFFER The Enterprise Arcade, 147 Stockton High Street, Stockton on Tees, TS18 1PL Open Monday-Saturday 9.00 - 5.30 4 July 2011 informnorth x101417_Inform_p2_cg_x101417_Inform_p2_cg 20/07/2011 10:31 Page 5 Informnorth magazine: monologue If you want to make a real difference today, read on... kay, so amongst the usual heavy streams that pay everybody’s salaries to change put in place the systems and support services round of emails and letters we receive the system for the better and build in, at every that would be crucial in aiding us in achieving Oeach month from readers, agencies, turn, activities that don’t just meet a national our focussed objective - and in this way, could business support organisations and education curriculum, but wipe the floor with it. At the drastically help to drive up basic skills and of providers and training establishments, I noticed same time, we would arm our young people course qualification levels far more effectively. we have had a number of interesting emails with the attributes, skills and aspirations they We could put in place all of the help that’s and a few comments regarding informnorth’s need to compete in a modern world. actually needed - when it’s needed - because stated objective to raise aspirations and change But that would just be the starting point. I know most of it already exists and is already being negative perceptions for the better. lot’s of people who aren’t just bright but are paid fo by the tax payer. We would use the support systems that already exist and what little It seems that lots of people agree with us and absolutely stellar when it comes to getting things funding we can muster to bolster support where the fact that this is something the North East done, so it’s very plain to see that the right it doesn’t exist but is required most. In this way, people exist at all levels that can really make could do with by the bucket load just now - at we could have a series of specifically structured a time of austerity, cut backs and never ending things happen and accomplish things. development programmes for every single bad news - it can be hard to spot many of Blimey, I know people in business and industry school aged person. Just imagine, a decent the good things that are actually happening. and the public, education and voluntary sector Connexions or nextstep careers service that It wasn’t so very long ago that I commented on that could do much of this just for the crack, would let individuals recognise the many One North East’s Regional Competitiveness never mind for the funding. opportunities that actually lay all around and Strategy and about how it would be a totally What we need to do though is to utilise the ahead of them at every turn. ambitious but very good ‘strategy’ to actually right talent for the task in hand, then position We’d highlight lots of the hurdles they are go all-out and put as much support and finan- as many talented people with vision, drive and definitely going to have to face along the way cial resources as were needed to really raise ambition to carry this through to Secondary and do it all in a no-nonsense fashion because aspirations and improve the skills and enterprise Schools, where the challenge of this sort of after all, kids don’t ask to be molly-coddled and agenda at all levels, right across the North East. work really becomes apparent. its a competitive world, so we need to face up to that and help arm the next generations much Basically, it’s because it’s at this stage so it My thinking was and still is, that as the public better, accordingly and this would involve seems to me, that too many young people purse pays for the majority of the infrastructure Probation Services and Youth Offending teams. that exists, then we should implement a whole really find their feet, get all hormonal and start to question just about everything around them, It wouldn’t cost us much more in terms of lot more ambition than we ever seem to and money over and above what we already get in pull together everybody that can and should which I vaguely recall myself seems to come with youth.