Category: Latest News

Inspiring entrepreneurs Dragons’ Den Deborah Meaden and Cath Kidston on setting up a business

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To coincide with Global Entrepreneurship Week Nov 15-19 the British Library held a series of free events at the BL Business & IP Centre. These days focused on New Innovations, Social Enterprises and Womens' Enterprises giving business owners the opportunity to talk to specialists in marketing and funding, as well as business coaching and mentoring.

A packed auditorium enjoyed a special panel event Question Time for Entrepreneurs on 19 November with Deborah Meaden (Dragons' Den investor and entrepreneur), Cath Kidston (Cath Kidston Ltd), Tom Bewick (chief executive Enterprise UK), and Brent Hoberman (co-founder lastminute.com and mydeco.com), chaired by broadcaster and journalist Adam Shaw.

The entrepreneurs, © Miranda Gavin
The entrepreneurs enjoy the intro, © Miranda Gavin

The panel answered questions on setting up and growing a business in the current economic climate, including business plans, banking and the benefits of social media, among others. The following excerpts were filmed on my iPhone so the image is a little shaky at first, as it is handheld, but the audio is fine. The entire clip is approx 9 mins long.

In the bar area just before the Question Time panel, © Miranda Gavin

Union Learning Fund Awards Special Magazine Online

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FEU Training team picks up first prize in Supporting Learners category

Union Learning Fund (ULF) Awards magazine online with news story and photo of some of the FEU Training team, see p12. Click HERE.

(L-R) Louise Grainger (Equity), Deirdre Heinrich (NUJ), Linda King (NUJ), Miranda Gavin (project coordinator) and Frances Dredge (project manager)
(L-R) Frances Dredge and Miranda Gavin at the table, ULF Awards

Demand soars for MAKE IMPACT day workshop

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Free training workshops on Saturday 20 November and Saturday 4 December in London – NOW FULL

The Federation of Entertainment Unions (FEU) has organised two free London workshops, MAKE IMPACT, aimed at helping freelancers to improve their marketing and promotional skills. A further date is in the pipeline for London. Next year, if there is sufficient demand, MAKE IMPACT will be taken around the country.

The aims of the event are to develop key marketing and promotional skills and provide the tools needed to gain new work and secure long-term contracts. Freelance work means it’s not always possible to take time off to attend a whole day of training, so the course is structured to offer flexibility to attend the morning or afternoon sessions or the entire day.

Sessions will take place from 10.30-4pm. For more information email: [email protected] or tel 07784 398 160.

One thousand registrations for FEU

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FEU reaches milestone on training website as over a thousand register

The number of union members signing up to the recently launched FEU Training website has passed the thousand mark. Registering online gives members access to prime content aimed at freelance creatives and allows members to book its one-day courses and pay directly online.

In response to members' feedback, four new courses, Money Matters, Marketing Your Work, Motivation & Success and Build Your Own Website (2), have been added to the roster of courses kicking off this month. All courses are heavily subsidized and cost just £25 for union members. And for those who may have missed Build Your Own Website (1) last time round, this one-day course is being offered in some locations around the country.

This year, four courses will also be held in Manchester. They are Money Matters, Marketing Your Work, Build Your Own Website (1) and Networking Via the Web.

All courses are open for booking.

And the winners of the FEU Training competition are…

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CONGRATULATIONS to David Hoffman (NUJ), Hayley Spicer (Equity) and Sheila Clark (Equity) who are the three winners in the FEU online competition. Each union member wins a FREE course of their choice from the new Autumn/Winter schedule.

Hayley Spicer is a freelance set and costume designer/maker. She has been a member of Equity for about two years and is based in the SouthWest. Hayley has worked for theatre companies such as Salisbury Playhouse, Everyman Theatre Cheltenham, Oxford Touring Theatre Company and Tamasha Theatre Company.

NUJ member and winner David Hoffman

David Hoffman has specialised in social issues photography for more than 30 years and primarily shoots stock for his own photo library, rather than working to commissions. Much of his work centres on the increasingly visible control that the state exerts over our lives and choices. Racial and social conflict, policing, homelessness, drugs, poverty, social exclusion and environmental protection are documented, often through coverage of protest. David is a founding member of Editorial Photographers UK (EPUK) and Photo-Forum London.

The lucky winners were selected at random from over 230 entries.

Thanks to all those of you who entered the competition by filling in the Equality & Diversity form.

Top Spot for FEU in unionlearn Awards

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First rate: (L to R) Politician Pat McFadden, NUJ training organiser Linda King, project manager Frances Dredge and actor-comedian Lenny Henry © Jess Hurd/reportdigital.co.uk

The FEU won the 'Outstanding Achievement' Award for Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) in the 2010 unionlearn Awards.

Presented by comedian Lenny Henry, a firm supporter of adult learning and recent MA graduate, the award recognised the effort and quality of work that the FEU project team has put in to supporting freelance members' career progression.

"Due to the nature of working freelance, it's often difficult to get career support and relevant information on a whole range of important career-related subjects," said project manager Frances Dredge.

This is where the FEU is helping through the provision of an extensive range of skills development opportunities including short training courses and written IAG through publications such as the FEU handbook and via the web.

"One of the pitfalls of working for yourself is that it can be isolated and to combat this we've put a lot of hard work into improving communication through virtual and face-to-face networking events and workshops," explained project co-ordinator Miranda Gavin. "We've got plenty more in the pipeline this autumn too such as a new programme of one-day business courses and a one-day learning workshop."

Unionlearn's report can be seen online: Lenny hands out prizes to union learning champions,

Hear more about the unionlearn awards on the video clip below:

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