Excalibur Press Announce Online Session Helping Organisations Ards and North Down Borough Council Support Economically Inactive People Into Self-Employment
14th Oct 2025
Excalibur Press is set to host an online session to help organisations in Ards and North Down Borough Council better support economically inactive people through self-employment opportunities.
Taking place on Monday 20th October at 3pm via Zoom, Empowering Your Community: Explore Self Employment To Get Started In Business will introduce the Go Succeed: Get Started In Business programme, which is being delivered by Excalibur Press on behalf of Ards and North Down Borough Council.
Led by Excalibur Press Chief Vision Officer Tina Calder, the session is aimed at community groups, charities, voluntary organisations and other support services who work with individuals currently not in employment or unable to work, offering them an alternative route into economic activity through starting a business.
Tina said: “We’re passionate about helping those furthest from the labour market explore realistic and supported ways into self-employment. This session is a chance for organisations and groups across the Ards and North Down Borough Council area to learn how they can connect their service users with free support, mentoring and funding opportunities through the Go Succeed programme.”
The online event will cover key elements of the Get Started In Business programme, including access to service user drop-in clinics, dedicated workshops, and up to 10 hours of one-to-one mentoring tailored to the needs of those who are economically inactive.
Attendees will be given full details of the bespoke mentoring framework, how participants can apply for a £750 grant, and how Excalibur Press can collaborate with organisations to refer or support people into the programme.
There are 50 places available for the session, which is open to any organisation working with eligible individuals in the Ards and North Down Borough Council area.
Tina added: “From helping you identify eligible participants to co-hosting events or simply giving you the tools to signpost people to us, this session will walk you through all the ways we can work together to help more people access this fully funded support.”
To sign up for Empowering Your Community: Explore Self Employment To Get Started In Business go to https://bit.ly/46TJv1e
If this date doesn’t suit you there is also an “all council” briefing session for the 6 council areas we are working with on this project (LCCC, NMDDC, ANDBC, MUDC, FODC, ABC) on Monday 20th October at 3pm or Tuesday 21st October at 1pm. To register your interest for that, go to >> https://forms.gle/tquaue7hGYJdABt27 (*Please note, the appropriate Zoom link will be emailed to closer to the time)
To check if your service users or community members are eligible, go to https://bit.ly/EconomicallyInactive
For more information about the event, programme or collaboration opportunities, email projects@excaliburpress.co.uk, contact Tina Calder at tina@excaliburpress.co.uk or call stakeholder liaison officer Carole King on 07841714056 or carole@excaliburpress.co.uk
To learn more about the Go Succeed programme, go to https://go-succeed.com
