Enterprising Britain 2006 Winners

The winner of Enterprising Britain 2006 is West Kilbride Craft and Design Town in Scotland.

The National Runner-up of Enterprising Britain 2006 is The Welland Sub-regional Strategic Partnership in the East Midlands.

Ballykeel Business Centre in Northern Ireland, Knowsley Economic Forum in the North West and the Rotherham Partnership in Yorkshire have all been highly commended.

West Kilbride Craft and Design Town and The Welland Sub-regional Strategic Partnership also represented the UK in the European Enterprise Awards 2006.

The Welland Sub-regional Strategic partnership was named runner-up in the Enterprise Support category.

West Kilbride Craft and Design Town was chosen as the overall winner of Enterprising Britain 2006 because of the way it has gone about revitalising its centre, making it a focus for niche retailing and attracting visitors to the town. The national judges were particularly impressed by the strong sense of team spirit and local involvement surrounding the project, and the fact that the project found its Unique Selling Point right from the start.

Although the competition was once again a hard fought one, West Kilbride Craft and Design Town really stood out for the judges. In many ways, it sums up the spirit of the competition - being all about creating in a community with enterprise at its heart, in a way that many other places across the country could both learn from and be inspired by.

The story - in brief

West Kilbride has regenerated itself by creating Scotland's first craft and design town.

A vibrant, dynamic social enterprise driven by the local community, the craft and design town has transformed this small town by providing affordable studio accommodation, creating a focus for craft and design.

Situated in this picturesque coastal location are a shop, five studios and contemporary gallery, which showcase a diverse selection of work, ranging from that of local enthusiasts to highly skilled and respected professionals.

West Kilbride Craft & Design Town studios provide a shop front/exhibition area and workshop area. High quality facilities present an opportunity for the visitor meet the individuals behind the objects, to see and buy work of a regional, national and international significance focused within one area.

At its lowest point, the town had 21 closed scruffy shops in what had once been a thriving main street. To date, an additional 9 new businesses with 22 direct jobs have been encouraged to join the craft and design businesses now operating from the town.

Despite a lack of resources, this dedicated band of residents has displayed remarkable resilience and determination and is an outstanding example of what a small community can do for itself. You can learn more by visiting the West Kilbride Craft Town website.

The 12 regional finalists in 2006 were:

 

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