Teenager Patrick Cassidy from Maghera has been named Northern Ireland’s Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year at a prestigious gala event at the Culloden Hotel in Belfast in October 2008. Patrick, the youngest ever winner of the award picked up a £5,000 cheque and will go forward to the All-Ireland final of the Shell Livewire Competition on October 30th, when he will face other entrepreneurs from across Ireland.

The Livewire programme, supported worldwide by Shell and which is partnered locally by Invest NI, celebrates the spirit of enterprise in young people aged 16-30.

Patrick’s interest in computers started at a very young age and he had built his first desktop unit at 11 years of age. This thirst for everything I.T. culminated in him starting C3 Computers in March of 2008.

Patrick took full advantage of the Business start up programme delivered by Workspace in Draperstown and gained valuable knowledge and skills through this initiative.

Patrick quoted that “The Business start up programme give me that extra bit of confidence that I was making the right decision in starting my own business. Workspace has been very supportive of my business start up and I can only thank them for all the help that they have provided to C3 Computers”.

His firm – C3 Computers, which is based in Maghera – now employs five people and has customers throughout Ireland, UK, Europe and America.

The new Back Row Sports Hall in Draperstown is funded by £730k from the Big Lottery Fund’s PE and Sport programme, £30K from the London Drapers’ Company and over £125K raised by the local community. It officially opens its doors on 9 April to local primary schools from both sides of the community, the local secondary schools as well as the wider community including sporting and other groups.

Workspace Chief Executive Brian Murray said: “Although this project has taken a while to come to fruition it has been worth the wait. We are delighted the Big Lottery Fund has got behind such an important community centred facility, and we also are delighted at the response of the London Draper’s Company and the generosity of the local community. It has been a combined effort and we look forward to all the local school kids making use of the facility as well as the local clubs and other sporting groups that do so much for the people of the area.

Breidge Gadd, Big Lottery Fund NI Chair, said: “I am delighted to be in Draperstown to launch the superb Back Row Sports Hall facility. I am sure that local pupils and the entire local community will enjoy the benefits of it.”

She continued: “The National Lottery grant shows how investing money in sports facilities available both to schools and local people can transform the quality of life in communities. The PE and Sport programme is already having a major impact on tackling disadvantage and bringing positive changes to people of all ages across Northern Ireland. The new facilities at the Back Row Sports Hall are the next step in bringing greater access to physical activity to many more people.”

Roisin McKenna, Principal of St Colm’s High School in Draperstown said:
“The Sports Hall is a fabulous addition to our existing facilities. We are absolutely delighted to have access to the Hall, and it means we can broaden the range of physical activities we offer the pupils at St.Colm’s with all the attendant benefits for their health. This large venue also gives us the opportunity to host inter school events”

Mr Stephen Foakes Master of the London Drapers’ company said:

“We have had a long standing and historic association with Draperstown and we are delighted to be in a position to help fund such a landmark facility. For many years we lost our direct links with Draperstown – that is no longer the case as we have a very healthy and rewarding relationship with the local community that has led to our direct involvement in initiatives such as this.”

Ann Crossett, Principal of Kilross Primary school said:

“This is a true cross community initiative. The children will really enjoy going over to the Back Row Sports Hall and really, it’s the sort of facility we would never have been able to build ourselves but to have the use of it is unbelievable – and we will make good use of it!”

This centre will be a catalyst in Draperstown, introducing a range of new opportunities to the town.  Workspace have appointed a Recreation Manager who is already putting in place a whole range of sporting and recreational activities for all of the local community to avail of.

The project is being assisted by the International Fund for Ireland which is contributing £250,000 to the scheme, the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment which is providing £300,000 and a £100,000 bank loan via UCIT.  The remaining funding is being raised by Workspace.

Project facilitators was set up in 1982 to promote employment and assist with the economic regeneration in the Draperstown area through the promotion and support of the small business sector and the provision of affordable workspace units for start-up and established businesses.  The organisation has assisted 1,000 new business start-ups in the Magherafelt District Council area since its inception.

Work has already started on the new building, which is expected to be complete by October 2008 and will bring the total number of workspace units in the Business Centre in Draperstown to 30 with the potential to employ over 200 people.

Speaking at the official launch, Anne Henderson said, “Creating conditions where businesses can flourish has been a key area of activity for the Fund.  The Board of Workspace has already shown that enterprise can be nurtured through the provisionof affordable workspace.  I am positive that this new expansion will act as a catalyst for continued investment in the area and will stimulate the growth of both new and established businesses.

 ”The International Fund for Ireland has enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Workspace since it was established in 1982 and we are delighted to be here again to give our wholehearted support to the group.”

Brian Murray, Chief Executive of Workspace, said:  “We are delighted to be progressing with this development which creates very modern and high tech space for the new types of businesses we now see being set up in this area.  The extension will improve the overall micro business sector in the District which is critically important to the local economy.  We acknowledge the support of our funders in making this project happen.”

Brian has been involved in the whole area of promoting enterprise and supporting small businesses for the past 19 years initially through his work with LEDU the Small Business Agency and over the more recent past as Chief Executive with Workspace.

Brian has been involved in the whole area of promoting enterprise and supporting small businesses for the past 19 years initially through his work with LEDU the Small Business Agency and over the more recent past as Chief Executive with Workspace.

In welcoming the Award Brian praised his colleagues at Workspace and Enterprise NI.

“The award is a reflection of the hard work which has gone into making enterprise development in Magherafelt a success and that is down to a whole range of voluntary directors and executive staff with whom I have worked over the last decade. The Magherafelt District has the highest level of business start up per head of population of all 26 Council areas in Northern Ireland and also can claim the lowest level of unemployment. The entrepreneurial spirit has been encouraged by the work of Workspace in applying resources to the whole area of promoting enterprise and self employment as a career option.

“The successful emergence of Enterprise Northern Ireland has refocused and given co-ordination and energy to the delivery of enterprise support across Northern Ireland. It was important that the Local Enterprise Agencies came together under one brand and Enterprise NI has facilitated that.”

Brian emphasised the need for increased Government support for the SME sector:

“Whilst Northern Ireland’s performance has improved over the past few years we cannot be complacent. Invest NI has a huge role to play in supporting new start ups and locally focused businesses and must continue to support the Business Start Programme – their key product offering to this sector as well as putting in place the Develop a Business Programme, aimed at existing local businesses.

In his career to date Brian has developed a range of initiatives aimed at encouraging increased levels of business start up and business development particularly in rural areas. As Chief Executive of Workspace he leads a dynamic organisation employing almost 50 staff involved in a range of activities including commercial property, insulation services, business consultancy, event management and vocational training. The expertise developed by Workspace has seen their personnel undertaking assignments in Egypt, Bulgaria, Turkey, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

Brian is aged 42 and is married with 4 children. Born in Fintona now lives in Cookstown. BA Degree Business Administration & Computer Science (QUB). MSc Business Improvement (UUJ)