NES Scholar Scoops National Prize

North West NES scholar Lorraine Corrance has been named NES Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 at the National NES Conference, beating eight other regional finalists from amongst England’s most outstanding NES scholars since the programme’s inception.

“I was gobsmacked – but really thrilled!” says Furness entrepreneur Lorraine, who graduated from the NES course run by Furness Enterprise last year, and now runs One To One Personal Care, offering specialised home care to disabled people in the Furness area.

For Lorraine, who was also named NES North West Entrepreneur of the Year in April, it’s another boost to her business, and a real chance to renew her energy and focus. “It’s only just hitting home,” she says. “And while it’s good for me and my business, it’s also a great thing for the regional NES courses.”

Valuable contribution

The judges were impressed by the journey Lorraine has taken to get where she is today, and her determination and tenacity. They were impressed with the valuable contribution Lorraine and her business make to the community as a whole.

“It means I’ve no chance of getting into a rut,” smiles Lorraine. “As well the attention from the award, I want to get on with training more staff and taking on more clients. I still want to maintain the high standards I’ve set myself.”

Lorraine won a trophy with her name and company on it, a TomTom Sat Nav, business books, a lifetime subscription to a business magazine and a bottle of champagne. “But above all, I won recognition for Barrow, the little town around the coast,” she says.

Dedication

Nicola Foster, Employment and Skills Manager at Furness Enterprise said: “Lorraine is a committed single parent with two young girls. When her job with a local care provider began to prove difficult, Lorraine took the decision to leave and go for the hardest, but potentially most rewarding alternative - self-employment.

“She came to Furness Enterprise with limited business knowledge but immediately impressed us with her sheer determination and commitment. It was apparent that she had all of the personal qualities needed to be a success, but needed the business advice and the confidence-building support that the New Entrepreneur Scholarship (NES) could offer.”

Nicola added: “We are all delighted for Lorraine. It was great when she came top as regional NES entrepreneur of the year, but this is really fantastic news too. We are very proud of her achievements, winning a national competition and representing the North West and Furness Enterprise.”

National NES Conference

Lorraine gained her award at the first NES National Conference on 31st October and held at Alveston Manor in Stratford upon Avon. Organised by NFEA, attendees included NES partners, contractors and sub-contractors, the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and other government departments and agencies.

The conference demonstrated the current successes of NES, showing that 76% of NES scholars who complete the programme are still in business after 5 years. The conference also enabled sharing of best practice and discussion on the future development of the NES programme.