Support for refugees looking to start a business in East Anglia from MENTA Business Support

A new pilot programme aimed to encourage refugee entrepreneurs across the UK has been launched by the Centre for Entrepreneurs (CFE) with funding from the Home Office and the National Lottery Community Fund.

This is an exciting opportunity for refugees with good ideas, who are looking to start their own business, in order to showcase their talents to local people who would like to assist them on their journey.

Three launch events are being hosted by MENTA, the not for profit organisation, long established within the Suffolk and Norfolk business community for providing advice, business skills training and opportunities for new start-ups and existing businesses.

The events will be held in Ipswich, Peterborough and Norwich inviting refugees who may have a business idea or who want to get started in business, as well as, businesses and members of the community who may want to meet local refugees to discuss ways in which “you” may get involved in this exciting new project.

The aim is to offer support as a:

• Trainer
• Supporter
• Mentor
• Community Champion
• Adviser

This new project will allow refugees to move forward with the process of integration as part of the government’s commitment to increase integration support for all refugees in the UK, with a key focus on employment and self-employment.

‍MENTA CEO Alex Till said “We are extremely excited to be launching this new refugee initiative, it is an extremely positive way for refugees to showcase their abundance of skills and talents and for the local community to assist in their integration”.

The plan is to provide a range of specialist support from our region to offer these budding entrepreneurs the opportunity to gain the confidence, information and knowledge required to start their new business within the local communities.

MENTA Business Support will be hosting the following 3 events, anyone interesting in attending to support refugees, please go to smp.eelga.gov.uk/events to register.

Details are:

Ipswich

11am-2.30pm 21st November

Ipswich International Church, Barrack Corner, Ipswich, IP21 2ND

‍
Peterborough

11am-2.30pm 22nd November

Gladstone Connect, Alama Iqbal Centre, 157 Cromwell Road, Peterborough, PE1 2EL

‍Norwich

11am-2.30pm 28th November

The Forum, Millennium Plain, Norwich, NR2 1AW

This is an excellent opportunity for communities to embrace the skills and opportunities that these entrepreneurial refugees offer and a chance to help them with their business ideas and their integration into the community.