Southern Housing and Sovereign support self-employment sessions

Joint release with Southern Housing and Optivo

Southern Housing Group and fellow housing association Sovereign have teamed up to support people on the Isle of Wight with self-employment sessions that could make potential business ideas a reality.

Run by the Pop Up Business School, the free-to-attend workshops will take place every day for one week at the Newclose County Cricket Ground, Newport 10am – 3pm, from Monday 21 – Friday 25 October.

With seasonal summer employment on the Island drawing to a close, the housing association duo are hoping to give those with money-making ideas the support they need to get business dreams up and running.

Matthew McLean, Community Investment Services Manager at SHG, said: “We are delighted to be supporting this exciting event. We want people to be able to earn some extra money by doing what they love. Attendees will find out how to develop their ideas, promote their business, create a website and also gain support with managing their finances, all while building their confidence in the process.”

Toby Eaglen, Community Development Officer for Sovereign, said: “We want people to be inspired to set up something new, or support them to release their capacity to grow an existing business. Anyone can go on the course and those interested in attending can sign up.”  

Former Pop Up participant Joanna, who set up her own business selling lingerie in Kent, said: “The instructors from Pop Up are so energetic and re-sparked my enthusiasm to ‘just get going’ and start selling. I am just so, so pleased I came across PopUp and I can honestly say it’s changed my life! I feel so proud that I’ve made the leap into setting up my own business and I know I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t attended Pop Up.” 

Notes to the Editor

The programme is led by housing association Optivo. For more information visit www.optivo.org.uk/increasevs

Increase VS is co-funded by the Interreg France (Channel) England programme with a European Regional Development Fund contribution of £5.9 million.