A Plymouth project designed to provide business advice and support to women has smashed all its targets. The Supporting Her Enterprise (SHE) Plymouth Project, delivered by local social enterprise Iridescent Ideas CIC, aimed to support 60 women in its first year but now has 200 members after just 14 months.
Jo Dench-Owens, the business advisor delivering the tailored business support for The Supporting Her Enterprise said:
“I have loved every minute of working with our inspiring and hard working businesswomen. We knew there was demand for this type of personal guidance and support, but the scale of entrepreneurship among women in Plymouth is bigger than even we imagined!
RELATED PLYMOUTH NEWS
Female Headquarters is improving women’s access to health services
“The SHE Plymouth project has nurtured a socially minded network of women who are supporting each other and encourage success. Watching each enterprise grow, and our women grow in confidence and thrive, is real evidence of the impact our work has had on the city and our participants. I am so proud of SHE Plymouth, and all who help to make it what it is.”
Louise Bennett, founder of creative business Stitch and Splodge and one of the women benefitting from SHE Plymouth said:
“Being part of the SHE group has undoubtedly given me the confidence and skills to get my small business up and running. I really couldn’t imagine being in business without them. The workshops are topic specific and outcome-led and the one-to-one business advice with Jo has literally been a life-line.
Personally, I have found the connection with the other ‘SHE-las’ the most unexpected aspect and has not only provided opportunities for collaborations but friendships which I truly treasure.”
SHE Plymouth is currently funded by The Rank Foundation and Livewell Southwest until May 2025.
However, as the success of SHE Plymouth continues to grow, additional funding and sponsorship are needed to ensure that female entrepreneurship in Plymouth continues to flourish and benefit the city as a whole.
Looking ahead, Iridescent Ideas plan to expand the SHE Plymouth offering, and are looking to take their support model around the country, creating other regional SHE communities and have even started an online SHE UK community so women in other areas can benefit from the support now.
RELATED PLYMOUTH NEWS
Teenager Sofia scoops top award for her work tackling Violence Against Women and Girls
Mel Tucker, director of Iridescent Ideas and the brainchild behind SHE Plymouth said:
“As we celebrate this achievement, and the incredible community of female entrepreneurs we are helping, we are also looking forward to the future. We’re committed to enhancing our support services and reaching even more women across Plymouth and beyond.
Our goal is to empower as many women as possible to succeed in their business ventures, in a way that works for them, their lifestyle, their families and other commitments.”
To find out more about the SHE Plymouth Project or support its continued success, contact Mel Tucker at mel@iridescentideas.com
