Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council is delighted to celebrate its 200th business participant on the Mentor Growth business support programme. The Council recognises that this has been both an unsettling and disruptive period for many businesses as they adjust to the ‘new normal.’ The Mentor Growth programme is open to companies with less than 50 employees in the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area and offers businesses the opportunity to avail of free, one-to-one tailored mentoring and support in a range of business.

The programme is part funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth & Jobs Northern Ireland (2014-2020).

Speaking about the success of the mentoring programme, Alderman Jim Dillon MBE, Chairman of the Council’s Development Committee said:

“We are delighted to welcome our 200th participant. The quantity of participants reflects just how popular and beneficial this programme has been within the council’s business community. The mentoring support has proved instrumental for so many local companies to allow them to focus and develop their skills and knowledge in a wide range of business-related areas.”   

"We understand that running a business during these times can be challenging and sometimes you need a helping hand. Following an initial company assessment which is carried out via phone, our Business Solutions team select a mentor based on the specific business requirements. With a team of over 50 specialist mentors, they will provide free one-to-one professional mentoring and support to help drive businesses forward as well as assisting them in navigating through the current COVID-19 crisis.

“As a council, we are fully committed to delivering support and guidance to businesses during these unprecedented economic times. We strongly encourage all business owners in the Lisburn & Castlereagh area to get in touch and avail of the free mentoring support.”

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If you would like to avail of free mentoring support, please contact joanne.king@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk or to find out more information, visit www.lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk/business_solutions.