Partner Article

Business Enterprise Fund moves into new offices and creates 5 new jobs in York

A growing social enterprise offering a crucial lifeline to businesses across West and North Yorkshire is expanding into York and has created five new jobs.

The Business Enterprise Fund (BEF) has moved into its third Yorkshire office in the centre of York, which will be the base of two new investment managers, David Winspear and Simon Middleton, who have recently joined the team.

Over the last 12 months BEF has reached its target of 100% growth issuing over £4 million of loans to businesses who have been turned down by the High Street banks.

David and Simon will be based at the offices in Blake House on Blake Street. They will work alongside new BEF recruits Marketing Co-ordinator Alison Senior, Investment Manager Hamish Rushworth and Business Mentor Rupert Shires who will all be based at the Bradford office.

Simon Middleton said: “I joined the team at BEF after 18 years in banking, where I spent a decade working with SME clients in West and North Yorkshire. There is a real buzz around entrepreneurship in York and I’m looking forward to working with clients across North Yorkshire helping them to achieve their goals.”

In the last ten years, BEF has loaned over £10 million which has assisted almost 1,500 businesses across West and North Yorkshire of which 940 were new businesses, creating over 1,000 jobs.

Fund director Stephen Waud said the move into a third office in York in addition to Bradford and Leeds was due to the record number of businesses that were started in the city in 2013, with 288 businesses starting in the third quarter of last year BEF saw a growing need for financial and mentoring support in the city.

Stephen said: “We’re delighted to welcome our new recruits to our team to support BEF with its current expansion plan and I’m sure they will be great assets to us as they are all joining with a wealth of experience gained over a number of years in their relevant sectors from which we and our clients can only benefit.”

“Over the last twelve months we have facilitated more than 200 loans at a value of £4.15 million and created hundreds of jobs which has culminated in BEF being shortlisted at the Bradford Means Business Awards which is to be held in June in our hometown.

“Our expansion, recruitment of new staff and determination to help more companies can make sure this does not happen and builds confidence for everyone doing business across West and North Yorkshire.”

To find out more about BEF go to www.befund.org, call 0845 2003919 or e-mail info@befund.org. Follow BEF on Twitter at @be_fund

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .