DorMen, the Dorset Business Mentoring programme, has just become one of only three national mentoring pilots supported by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills.
In 2006 the Government, responding to the views of business, decided to simplify business support and cut the number of publicly funded business support schemes from 3,000 to 30. At that [...]
One of Dormen’s clients in North Dorset, the Metal Design Company (Dorset) Ltd has gained the prestigious ISO 9001 Quality Standard.
At a recent ceremony in East Stour, a representative of the British Standards Institution presented Ed Highnam, Managing Director of Metal Design, with the official certificate.
Trevor Dutton, Metal Design’s mentor, said: “This is a huge [...]
In order to help cope with the growth and development of Dormen, Teresa Allwood has joined the Dormen team. Working three days per week, Teresa is now responsible for most of the day to day running of the programme involving close liaison with clients and mentors alike.
Teresa joined Dormen from the Prince’s Trust where she [...]
The results of the Open 4 Business Awards were announced recently at a dinner and ceremony in Weymouth.
Despite a very large number of entries, the award for the best West Dorset Small Business went to Catwards Draughting Ltd www.catwards.com, run by Cathy Warne and based at the Granby Industrial Estate. This was a particularly outstanding [...]
The Dorset Local Authorities, who created and developed Dormen – Dorset Business Mentoring – four years ago, have won the FSB (Wessex Region) Friendly Award for the Best Small Business Friendly Programme for Dormen. At an event last week in Bournemouth, the Award was presented to East Dorset District Council on behalf of all Dorset’s Local [...]
A briefing meeting was held recently in Weymouth with Rt Hon Jim Knight, MP for South Dorset and also the Government’s Minister for the South West. It was attended by Vivian Dunn, Dormen’s Programme Manager, and Tony Garvey, one of Dormen’s experienced business mentors.
After hearing about Dormen – Dorset Business Mentoring – and how it operates, [...]
A meeting was held recently in Dorchester to brief the Rt Hon Oliver Letwin, MP for West Dorset, on the Dormen Business Mentoring Programme. It involved Kevin Poulton, East Dorset District Council’s Economic Generation Manager, Vivian Dunn, Dormen’s Programme Manager, and Tony Garvey, one of Dormen’s volunteer business mentors. The history and current operation of [...]
BBC South recently featured a Dormen business client as part of its series ‘Finn’s Country’.
Roger Finn reported on Richard Lee and Jane Dennison’s remarkable Plankbridge business, based near Puddletown, which builds new Shepherd’s Huts, based on traditional designs.
Last year Richard and Jane built and sold about one a month. This year, despite the recession, orders [...]
Dormen has notched up another landmark by passing the 400 mark! The total number of businesses mentored since the programme started in 2005 is now over 400. The 400th business was linked with their mentor during April 2009.
Vivian Dunn, Dormen’s Programme Manager, said: “I am delighted that, as Dormen becomes ever better known in Dorset business circles, [...]
A couple of recent issues of ‘The Link’ – Business Link’s information leaflet aimed at helping Dorset businesses to ‘ride the recession and boost your business’ – have included business case studies involving Dormen mentors.
The Feb/Mar 09 issue features Matt Smith who runs ‘Tony Hair’, a hairdressing business in Highcliffe. Matt has been mentored by Ann Abernethie, [...]
