Made Not Born Champions

Derek Patterson, The Plough Inn:

"The training saved the business; it’s that simple. We now have direction and focus about more importantly the family business is much stronger. If you are an SME and need training then if I were you, I’d look no further than DEL’s ‘Made Not Born’ programme. ”MORE

• View Plough Inn video case study

Cara Cash, Stepping Stones

"The MAP analysis was extremely insightful as we were able to get an impartial perspective on the business and our ongoing staff development – something which is often difficult to achieve when you are so close to the day-to-day operations,” “I’m still bowled over by how accessible and relevant the programme was to our business and sector, and I would fully recommend it to other social enterprises and small business here.”MORE

• View Stepping Stones video case study

Andrew Jeffers, Jeffers Bakery:

“Now that we have gone through the first stage of MAP, I can honestly say that this is something we should have done years ago. I am confident that this process will pay dividends for everyone involved in the business – leaving us much more competitive and productive.” MORE

You can also view a video of this case study

• Jeffers Bakery video case study

Barbara Campbell, Movie House Cinemas

“The team at DEL were very helpful and provided me with a lot of information and listened to my specific requirements.Our whole experience has been a worthwhile one. Both programmes have been ideal for us and the 100% funding has been a fantastic bonus – we selected Made Not Born because it was right for us, not because it was free.” MORE

You can also view a video of this case study.

• Movie House cinemas video case study

Martin Cheshire, Managing Director, Samdec:

“The company grew at a terrific rate, which was fantastic, but this growth meant we needed to put in place a solid and sustainable training and development strategy.”MORE

Keith Turkington, Managing Director, Fluent Technology:

“I think management and leadership development is about making sure there is a currency to the future of your business. It is essential in today’s business world if you’re going to survive and thrive.” MORE

Suzanne Garuda, Managing Director, Garuda Design:

“MAP is not a magic wand which can transform a business and its management overnight, but it is an excellent evaluation tool which can help businesses take stock of where they are and how small changes can make big impacts.” MORE

Amanda Leitch, Sunnymead Residential Home

“The essential skills training really helped improved staff confidence and competence in their individual job roles as well as developing them as ambassadors for Sunnymead’s service. On the back of the training, participating in Made Not Born has given us the potential for networking and promoting Sunnymead to various other businesses, as well as facilitating shared learning.” MORE

Thomas Fegan, Centre Director, Eddie Irvine Sports Centre

“On the whole, our adviser’s insights and recommendations ran parallel with my own ambitions for the business- a sure sign of the initiative’s relevance and potential success. I would recommend this training to any small business – with someone to help point you in the right direction the only way your business can go is up.” MORE

Trevor Annett, Sales manager, Bikedock.

“The training was very useful - it really focused on how to implement practical tools for development rather than just the theory. My skills as a leader have certainly been challenged and developed through this programme...And whilst I was initially sceptical, the practical learning tools have proved their worth and we can already see benefits in the organisation.” MORE

Tim Kirkpatrick, floralearth

“As part of the MAP programme DEL assigns a specially trained adviser to assist each business. I have only words of praise for the DEL floralearth business adviser. Not only did he know his stuff, he also took the time listen, and to understand my business. For me this was worth its weight in gold and really helped to speed things along.” MORE

Ciara Daly, Property People

“The training has been second to none and we have learned a lot – in fact I don’t think it would have been possible for us to open our new South Belfast Office or even think about employing new staff without the support and training options offered to us by DEL”

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