A Goole woman has established her own business after accessing helpful advice, practical support and grant funding from the Opportunity Goole team, which is funded by Goole Town Deal.

Having worked in the NHS for 30 years, Sheenagh Peart has a wealth of transferable knowledge and skills that she felt would stand her in good stead to run her own business as an independent Funeral Celebrant. Keen to find out more about the support on offer, she first met members of the Opportunity Goole team at one of the engagement events that they hosted at Goole Library last year. After having an informal chat, she arranged a follow-up appointment with Sarah Bonnett, one of the team’s Personal Advisors.

Sheenagh recalls: “After attending the event at the library, I met with Sarah twice and she has been a great source of help. She helped me to apply for grant funding from Opportunity Goole’s Flexi Grant Scheme to assist me in my new small business venture as an Independent Funeral Celebrant, which I was successful in receiving. She also signposted me to the various training opportunities available to me.

“The funding paid for two training courses to advance my skills and enable me to create more opportunities to develop my business in the future. It also covered the cost of professional photographs, business cards and a roller banner to help me market my business, as well as a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.”

On Sarah’s advice, Sheenagh also completed two online courses that equipped her with the skills she needs to be able to successfully market her business using Canva and LinkedIn. Both courses were provided free of charge by Invest East Yorkshire’s Business Support Services team. Part of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Invest East Yorkshire offers a variety of courses, workshops and events for local businesses as part of a comprehensive package of free support and advice.

Sheenagh, who has been gradually launching her business since October, said: “I’ve been getting all the practical elements sorted, like a Facebook page and a website, networking, sorting insurance and business banking, and creating marketing materials. It’s still early days but everything is going well so far.”

She added: “I’m delighted to have been granted funding, and grateful for the opportunities made available with the training courses. I would certainly recommend Opportunity Goole to small businesses.”

One of eight projects funded by Goole Town Deal, Opportunity Goole provides easy access to information about local job opportunities, training provision, business support and more to anyone over the age of 16 years, regardless of whether they’re employed, unemployed or retired. The team’s role is to help local individuals gain the knowledge and skills that they need to secure employment, and ensure that employers can recruit local people with the skillset that they’re looking for.  Opportunity Goole’s Flexible Grant Scheme is now accepting applications for grants towards the cost of securing training, employment and business opportunities.