Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency News Releases

Cumbria’s best environmentally-savvy businesses were honoured at the 2010 Cumbria Business Environment Network (CBEN) Awards, held at the Castle Green Hotel, Kendal.

Final call for Return to Work scheme

The successful Return to Work scheme, delivered by Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA) in Eden and South Lakes, has funding to the end of June 2010 and the team at CREA is keen to contact potential clients to make the most of the support that is available.

Business support that’s vital for vitality

Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA) is one of the supporters of the new drop-in business advice centre in Devonshire Arcade and Paul Warren of CREA will be one of the advisers helping potential Penrith entrepreneurs to explore their options.

Beacon Business Centre opens its doors in Unit 3 Devonshire Arcade in Penrith on Thursday 14 January.

Beacon Business Centre opens its doors in Unit 3 Devonshire Arcade in Penrith on Thursday 14 January. CREA, Eden District Council, Business Link, jobcentreplus and Cumbria County Council have pooled our resources to promote the Vitality of Penrith.

The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has selected just one local agency to deliver its new £4.9 million business mentoring programme in Cumbria. Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA), with offices in Penrith and Kendal, will be responsible for coordinating the three-year programme which aims to help leaders and senior managers of small to medium sized businesses to develop their skills at no cost.

The final evaluation of a programme to deliver £3 million of grants to Cumbrian producers says Distinctly Cumbrian has been a success and has left a legacy for businesses to build on in future.

Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA) and its partners are supporting local people – both employers and potential employees – to tackle long-term unemployment and get people back into work.The Return to Work programme has been active across Cumbria since February 2008, funded by Cumbria County Council and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA).

Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA) and Business Link are continuing to work together to create new opportunities for local food and drink businesses. One approach resulted in representatives of eight companies meeting one of the UK’s leading sales agents at a meeting in Penrith on Thursday (26 March).

A business service delivered by Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA) that has helped almost 2000 small businesses since 2002 has won a national planning award. Delegates from Cumbria were in London to accept the Award on Thursday (5 February).

CREA set to celebrate planning service success - February 2009

A business service delivered by Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA) since 2002 has been shortlisted for a national planning award and delegates from Cumbria will be attending a ceremony in London on Thursday (5 February).

The Royal Town Planning Institute makes its Awards each year and the Cumbria Rural Planning Facilitation Service (RPFS) was shortlisted for the RTPI Rural Areas and the Natural Environment Award back in June 2008.

A selection of eight extra special Cumbrian Christmas puddings are on their way to London and the BBC studio of the TOG meister himself, Terry Wogan, courtesy of CREA’s Food Technology Centre team.

The team based at the Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA) Food Technology Centre has been working with Cumbria County Council (CCC) to help the county’s smaller food and drink producers get involved in public procurement. They held a joint seminar held at CREA’s conference centre on Wednesday (26 November), which attracted people from about 20 local businesses.

Famous dinner lady shares skills and ideas at Food Technology Centre - November 2008

Six school cooks from across the North West gathered at the Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA) Food Technology Centre (FTC) earlier this week to take part in one of Jeanette Orrey’s training courses for school catering staff.

Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA) held a review and full Board meeting on 21 October 2008 and the 12 Directors at the meeting agreed a forward strategy and financial plan for the Agency.

If you have ever thought of setting up in business but need ideas on where to start, Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency and Barclays Bank are running an Ideas Workshop at CREA’s Business Centre at Redhills on Thursday 16 October (10am-1pm) that could be just the inspiration that you need.

A business service delivered by Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency since 2001 has won the NW Best Rural Planning Project Award from the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) as well as being shortlisted for a national category.

Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA) and its Distinctly Cumbrian programme hosted an influential gathering at Redhills near Penrith on Tuesday 2 September. An invited group of key people reviewed the impact of recent investments in the Cumbrian food and drink sector and discussed approaches to the future.

Even those who have been self employed before have found the five day course covering everything from marketing to cash flow a useful exercise.

Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency is encouraging rural businesses with plans for expansion to make the most of an advice service now so that they are well placed to go for any funding that becomes available in the coming months.

A business service delivered by Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency since 2002 has been shortlisted for a national planning award.

The Royal Town Planning Institute makes its Awards each year and the Cumbria Rural Planning Facilitation Service (RPFS) has been shortlisted for the RTPI Rural Areas and the Natural Environment Award for 2008.

When Samantha Vyner-Brooks enrolled for a Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency Business Start-Up course in July 2000, she was single and planning to set up a floristry business. Just a year or so later she had married Crispin, whom she met on the course, and Samantha has now established a new business creating order out of chaos for busy people.

Her Majesty The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will visit Redhills today (3.00 pm) to open the new Food Technology Centre. The Centre represents a £1.5 million investment by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and the European Rural Development Fund through Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA) which will provide modern food and drink production facilities for a thriving Cumbrian business sector.

Click for a photo gallery of the day below

One of the county’s most experienced business advisors has just retired from active service, taking his leave of colleagues at Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency.

New Food Technology Centre for Cumbria - October 2007

Construction of a new Food Technology Centre for Cumbria is to get underway next week (8 October) when local building contractors, Team Northern Construction Limited based in Milnthorpe, begin work at the Redhills site. Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency and its Distinctly Cumbrian programme have developed the Food Technology Centre project as part of their support for food and drink producers in the county and it represents an investment of over £1.5 million.

CREA celebrates local successes - August 2007

Small businesses won awards from Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA) at this year's Lowther Horse Driving Trials and Country Fair as part of the organisation's celebration of the best of the rural economy.

Tatton reflects the best of Cumbrian craft - July 2007

Distinctly Cumbrian, a programme managed by Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency, will be taking examples of some of the best of Cumbrian craft to the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park, Cheshire next week (18-22 July) as part of the Lake District Reflections garden and marquee at the Show. The garden itself has been designed and constructed by Andy Loudon, already an RHS medal winner at both Chelsea and Tatton shows.

Rural Small Buildings Grants - May 2007

A variety of measures have been introduced recently that could provide many thousands of pounds to assist with the redevelopment of old, derelict, redundant buildings to bring them back into commercial use.

Use a local loaf for National Bread Week - May 2007

A major high street brand is promoting National Bread Week (Monday 7 to Sunday 13 May) but Cumbrian breadmakers are offering something a bit different for those who appreciate a loaf with more local character.

Business Hothouse For Talent To Flower

A new hothouse business centre aimed at encouraging cutting-edge, sustainable companies has been launched near Penrith.The centre, which has been established by the Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA), will help growing firms to leap from one-man operations at home to fully-fledged businesses with employees and premises.

First businesses move into new incubator units

Two growing local businesses, Worldwide Events and Explosive Productions, are the first to move into the new CREA incubator units at Redhills near Penrith

Investing for exports and expansion - March 2007

The volume of recent applications to Distinctly Cumbrian, a programme delivered by Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency, means that significant funding will be going into the local economy in the coming year through the programme.  However, there is one particular area where applications for grants would be welcomed and that is for businesses looking to develop their online and ICT systems.

Cumbrian food for Farmhouse Breakfast Week - January 2007

It is NFU Farmhouse Breakfast Week from 21 - 28 January and Distinctly Cumbrian, a programme delivered by Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency, is working with Cumbria Tourism to encourage local businesses, as well as individuals at home, to source locally and to make the local connections.

Local businesses save money AND resources - December 29th 2006

A Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA) programme to help local businesses save resources is celebrating its first full year and looking forward to extending its services in 2007.

Counting The Food Miles To Christmas - November 2006

As Christmas food shopping rapidly approaches, everyone in the county can help to reduce national and international food miles and support local producers. Distinctly Cumbrian, a programme delivered by Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency, is playing its part, advising local producers on distribution.

WHEN Victoria Ruthven-Mayes started working in a needlecraft shop she had no plans to launch her own business, until the owner decided she had to close the Penrith outlet.

Distinctly Cumbrian, a programme delivered by Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency, and Made in Cumbria, part of Cumbria County Council, are working together to exhibit the best of Cumbrian produce at one of the biggest public food events of the year.

Distinctly Cumbrian, a programme delivered by Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency, has been offering grants to rural food, drink and craft producers since July 2002 and, with over £3 million committed and its final deadline approaching, the organisation is keen to commit its last £1 million of funding to local businesses in plenty of time.

A South Lakeland printing firm has won a top award for its green approach to doing business.

Badger Press has earned a gold award from Cumbria Business Environment Network (CBEN), which recognises companies for being environmentally responsible and operating within strict European guidelines to minimise their impact on the environment.

AN Eden business has been awarded a contract to supply thousands of pies a year to Cumbrian school children as part of a balanced lunch-time diet.

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Staff from Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency were joined by some local businesses on Thursday at St Thomas School in Kendal to talk to the children about what they do.

Bryan Gray, Chairman of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), will be in Penrith on Monday 27 th February to lay the Foundation stone of the prestigious extension to Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency’s (CREA) premises at Redhills.

A £1 million extension to the offices of Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency has got under way in a project that will create 12 ‘ incubator units’ to assist new businesses.

MORE than 124 businesses and organisations from across Cumbria attended the Cumbria Business Environment Network (CBEN) awards evening at Penrith’s Roundthorn Hotel on Tuesday evening (6 Sept) picking up certificates in recognition of their work towards recycling and creating a better environment.