Minister calls for enterprise culture to be unlocked in Rochdale

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury officially opened the Unique Enterprise Centre in Wardleworth today and said he hoped the centre would give the area a much needed fillip to unlock an enterprise culture and get more people into work.

The MP for Leigh, Andy Burnham, said that as a “North West lad” it gave him immense pleasure to see a former Victorian mill being transformed into a state of the art enterprise centre, which could kick start the town’s fortunes.

“There are a lot of buildings like this in my own constituency but they haven’t yet been regenerated in quite the same way; this really is a very impressive new centre,” he said. “It is a personal interest of mine to see regeneration reach the bits in between the cities of our great region and centres like this can be a beacon of hope to a community that has been kicked in the teeth for too long.”

He added that he saw many similarities between Rochdale and his own constituency, as they were both coming to terms with their industrial past.

“What happens to towns like Rochdale and Leigh is that the great industrial pillars which supported them have been taken away and both towns have struggled to move forward,” he said. “But is there a better symbol of hope, which shows a town moving forward, than this former cotton mill now transformed into a hub for new enterprises? Too often regeneration is about ripping down the past and replacing it with something that could be seen in any part of the country.”

The Minister thanked Rochdale’s Labour Parliamentary Candidate, Simon Danczuk, for inviting him and said he hoped the efforts of the Kashmir Youth Project, who will be running the centre, would help encourage a cultural change across Rochdale.

“In my constituency I know that many people see themselves as employees rather than employers and don’t think they would be able to run a business,” he said. “The support and expertise available here is already helping to change that, as they’re giving people the confidence and professional help to create their own future and realise their business ideas.”

Mr Burnham also paid tribute to the partnership working across the political parties in Rochdale to deliver the enterprise centre. “Everyone has had a role to play and we need to recognise that sometimes things are more important than party politics. Projects like this are about improving the lives of people and giving opportunities for a better future.”

Simon Danczuk added that he had already been encouraged to hear of some of the very powerful examples of huge achievements by ordinary people who have been supported by the centre.

“They really are doing some great work,” he said. “Take for instance the local woman who had never worked before and never imagined she could work because her grasp of English was so poor. But one day she decided she wanted to work. With one-to-one support from this centre she improved her English reading, writing and speaking skills and achieved a certificate in Entry Level Adult Numeracy. Soon after she found a job working with children and is now much more confident in herself, enjoys working with other people rather than sitting at home and wouldn’t want to live any other way.

“And what about the successful businesses that have already been launched here from little more than a germ of an idea; a passion to set up a business of their own? Among these include a successful Asian and Mediterranean fusion restaurant, web design services and the award-winning Niche Casting Agency, which specialises in providing ethnic artists to Bollywood movies and a host of television programmes.

“All these examples show how much people can achieve when they’re given the chance to shine.”