The Enterprise Centre - Logo - See-through
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“Thoughts become reality, make sure yours are good ones.”

About Us

The Enterprise Centre is a not-for-profit Social Enterprise that is focused on the development of entrepreneurship and enterprising individuals from cradle to grave. We achieve this by developing individuals and organisations using training and mentoring programmes that stimulate growth and success.

Our workforce development programme supports organisations from all sectors to build better business strategies using practical, easy to follow and cost effective approaches to modern business development. We will present proven marketing and sales techniques, budget management, procurement advice, marketing advice, leadership training and team-building planning and project management skills and techniques. We can provide enterprise coaching to meet all needs and Continuous Professional Development that supports and promotes strategies for success in all forms of public and private organisations and small enterprises.

The Enterprise Centre is involved in three very distinct projects:

Naturally Enterprising which combines enterprise skills with nature;
The Enterprise Academy which offers education and training to schools and organisations;
We are also involved in Erasmus Plus projects working with partners from all over Europe.

Testimonials

The Enterprise Centre has played a vital part in the start up process of our Social Enterprise. We had no idea what we were doing when we first met Alison and within a few short months they had guided us step by step into a very strong position from which we were able to build our business with a very solid foundation in place. Keith Marks

Choice

The Enterprise Centre has helped us with everything from constituting our company to marketing, finances, networking, team building, funding, character building etc and we simply would not be in existence without their first class, friendly, and professional support. Lizabeth Bohler

Business Development and Improvement Advisor, New Charter Housing Trust Group

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Our History

  • 2017

    • Secured support from the Asda foundation and set up a community café at The Naturally Enterprising Centre.

  • 2016

    • Secured National Lottery Support to help complete the facilities at The Naturally Enterprising Centre.
    • Hosted a EU project visit with 6 European partner states in attendance and many local social entrepreneur ambassadors.

  • 2015

    • Hosted an open day with 200 visitors and senior council officials.
    • Secured a European contract with 6 European partner states developing an online social business support model.

  • 2014

    • Secured a 25-year lease, broke ground and began building The Naturally Enterprising Centre.

  • 2013

    • Re-positioned and re-built the Naturally Enterprising project with National Lottery funds.

  • 2012

    • Created the Naturally Enterprising project, combining the benefits of nature and enterprise.
    • Established as a registered Charity.

  • 2011

    • Hosted the Manchester Achievers conference in Oldham.

  • 2010

    • Delivered the Enterprise highway model in 10 schools in Oldham.

  • 2008

    • Re-constituted as The Enterprise Centre limited CLG.

  • 2007

    • Developed the enterprise highway model under contract with Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council and delivered enterprise education to 3 schools in Oldham.

  • 2006

    • Moved to Oldham to manage the New Start contract, which created 25 new enterprises.

  • 2005

    • Entered a partnership with City College Manchester.
    • Delivered business support on behalf of Manchester Enterprises and developed MSEF into Together Works.

  • 2004

    • Co-developed the Manchester Social Enterprise Forum (MSEF) with MERCi.

  • 2003

    • Entered into partnership with Community Action Network and developed The Enterprise Centre project, which was the first Social Enterprise incubation centre in Manchester.

Trustees

Associates

Projects

Naturally Enterprising
The Enterprise Academy
European Projects

Services

Business Development

We support entrepreneurs and anyone wishing to start a social enterprise and/ or micro business. We can provide Nationally Accredited courses tailored to your needs to develop the management and leadership skills required to achieve success.
We do this by:
1.Planning your start-up
2.Managing your growth
3.Mentoring and business coaching

Community

Our services to the local community are all focused on working towards development, integration and cohesion and we have a proud record of successful previous projects.
These include providing incubation services and capacity building programme for new and existing entrepreneurs. The Outreach Project and The Capacity Building Projects were commissioned by the Local Authority to develop a range of new skills within diverse ‘at risk’ and ‘hard to reach’ groups.
Finally, the design of a Skills Ladder that included motivational and aspiration raising approaches to learning for young people from areas with low skills and high unemployment.

Consultancy
We deliver strategic business and action planning for public, private or third sector organisations to help them achieve sustainability and growth. Our services for SMEs will help them improve competitiveness and impact on the bottom line. Examples include Full Business Appraisal; Project Management; Board/Director training; Staff/Volunteer training; Marketing planning and Strategic Planning.
International
We help you to find international project partners through our extensive networks, and then help develop projects and build applications for funding supported by Erasmus Plus, EU Structural Funding and other sources of European and international funding.
Education

We were one of the first support organisations in the UK to offer creative and intensive support to schools seeking to integrate and embed enterprise solutions into the curriculum.
We achieved this by working with schools and the awarding bodies to design new qualifications to assist staff and engage students in a simplified process so they may gain maximum achievements.

Environmental
The Enterprise Centre is now based at The Naturally Enterprising Centre on the Kirklees Trail in Tottington. We work to deliver training and volunteering opportunities to support young people into employment, vocational training and economic empowerment. We also run a wide range of environmental projects that maintain and enhance the local habitats and ecosystems and run Earth Education activities.

Contact Us

1 + 14 =

The Enterprise Centre

The Naturally Enterprising Centre,
Kirklees Lodge,
Garside Hey Lane,
Bury,
BL8 4LT

Our Partners

Alison Hornsby

Founder and Managing Director of The Enterprise Centre with over 25 years experience of enterprise and education both in the design and delivery of a wide range of capacity building projects for the public sector. Alison is passionate and focused on innovative and practical client led enterprise development projects. She is the author of the only QCA approved stand alone Project Management Qualification and designer of a number of other enterprise accreditations at level 2, her work was recently commended at The National Leadership Conference. She is a influential player and designer of new initiatives for enterprise delivery at all levels. Alison is committed in building neighbourhoods and as such all the projects she is involved with have a community capacity building underlying theme.

Allan Lawrence

Allan Lawrence has previously worked as the International Business Manager at Blackburn College, Walsall College and Hopwood Hall College, where he worked to recruit international students,and develop Joint Education Projects with partners from around the world achieving income targets in excess of £1m for each college. Allan has also operated as a consultant in the field of education and training and has worked as a lecturer and manager in further and higher vocational education for over 30 years. He was the Project Manager at Salford University for the project to establish the Salford Innovation Park.

At Salford University, he specialised in progammes of training that developed entrepreneurship, creativity and business skills. He has been involved in projects with Salford and Manchester based small business NGO’s and Manchester’s growing social enterprise sector.

During most of his career he has been involved in the development and management of a large number of international education projects within the European Union, Russia, India, Africa and the Far East. He has also worked as a consultant for the European Union, assessing applications for funding on behalf of the EU’s Lifelong Learning Programme. Dr Allan Lawrence has been an EU Assessor for over 15 years.

Dannielle Hornsby

Co-founder of the Naturally Enterprising project and Trustee of The Enterprise Centre, Dannielle is a Fully Qualified teacher and ICT Leader at Heap Bridge Primary School. She brings educational experience as well as a passion for outdoor learning and equine therapy. Her knowledge on child safeguarding and all other related protocols and practices are up to date and she passes this on to the rest of the organisation.

Jonathan Phillips

A Senior Manager at Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council focusing on economic development, business and enterprise, employment, skills and training, external funding, European policy and regeneration. Jonathan is enthusiastic about getting people back to work and contributing to his community. He currently manages the operations of Get Oldham Working. They have created close to 3,000 employment related opportunities, including 1,500 jobs, 450 apprenticeships and 190 paid placements. His youthful wisdom, networks and role of responsibility as a public servant brings strategy and focus to The Enterprise Centre.

Dave Wright

Dave is a successful small business owner who has an array of experiences spanning 40 years working with trainees and apprenticeships from start to completion. Using skills he has acquired over many years he now acts as an inspector and assessor of gas safety across Greater Manchester on behalf of a few major installers of heating services. Dave brings a practical yet sometimes wild card approach to the board with his diverse experiences in life and business.

Paul Halfpenny

Paul is one of three directors of The Northern Social Investment Group and an associate of The Enterprise Centre. His Masters degree in Social Enterprise and qualified as a Corporate Treasurer in Public Finance he has a solid technical training relevant to social investment. His particular interests include risk management and impact measurement systems, and the use of these in Outcomes Related Contracting. He has twenty years experience in the social enterprise and charitable sectors.

Sam Malik

Founder and Chief Executive of Square 1 studio Oldham and The Workshop Leader. Sam has twenty years’ experience working with and transforming the behaviour of disadvantaged youth in Greater Manchester. He uses multimedia projects to engage his audience and coaches them using a variety of techniques and therapies in order that they can achieve personal success. His particular interest is using creative writing techniques to create verse which he then uses to produce songs or monologues as a testimony for life. Sam is also involved with The Enterprise Centre co- delivering on The Step Up to Success course.

Patrick Lawrence

Patrick has recently graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Sound and Video Technology. Since his graduation and with help from The Enterprise Centre he has founded a digital media company – PatrickRichardMedia. It works with a range of organisations and individuals helping them to create and transform their digital media portfolio and online platforms. He is also a Director of a 3D modeling and printing website, CadPad. With his insightful knowledge of the modern world and current trends, he keeps The Enterprise Centre’s online platforms up to date whilst also creating their digital media content.

Steve Ralf

Steve has a very wide ranging portfolio of social enterprise support and development. A qualified Social Enterprise Business Adviser and with an MBA, he has worked in drug and alcohol services, disability, international development, construction, catering, recycling and many other areas. He has worked as sole entreprenuer, business partner and broker in developing more than a dozen social businesses both in the UK and in Africa. Among his many successes is the establishment of Inklusive CIC, a social enterprise ink company which has grown in its frst three years to a high six-figure turnover social enterprise, formed from both private and social investment.