A free ten-week course gives migrants and refugees settled in Haringey the opportunity to learn and create their own businesses with experts, reports Taro Kaneko

A free business programme is helping refugees and migrants in Haringey to learn and develop their skills.

The Migrants and Refugees Entrepreneurship Programme is a free ten-week course that gives migrants and refugees settled in Haringey the opportunity to learn and create their own businesses with experts.

An online information meeting about the programme will be held at 10am on Wednesday, 6th November, and applications to join the programme are open until Monday, 11th November at 10pm.

Programme leader Gosia Syta said: “The path to success – starting both a new life and a business from scratch – is never easy.

“I know this because I have lived it. I had no network, no contacts and no idea where to start.”

Gosia, a migrant from Poland, has founded two UK businesses and worked with the pan-European bank UniCredit and multinational insurance company Aviva.

The Muswell Hill resident said: “This programme is designed to give Haringey’s migrants and refugees the skills and confidence they need to turn their business ideas into reality.

“From writing a business plan and understanding legal matters to managing finances and pitching with confidence – you’ll learn it all.”

The programme, commissioned by Haringey Council and funded by the government and City Hall, includes in-depth training on how to start and run a business, coaching from business experts and network connections with local business leaders.

Participants will receive 32 hours of expert-led masterclasses, six group coaching sessions, two one-on-one couching sessions and many other valuable resources to kickstart their future ambitions.

Haringey is the fifth most ethnically diverse brough in the UK, with over 180 different languages spoken by its multicultural population.
As the first programme of its kind in Haringey, it will support entrepreneurial migrants and refugees facing financial, cultural, networking and skill barriers.

The programme has already received 25 applications, with applicants envisioning to start their own coffee shops and retail stores.
To apply for the programme, applicants will have to be a migrant or refugee living in Haringey with settled status and a good level of English.

The programme will start on Tuesday, 26th November. To find out more and apply:
Visit timetowalkyourtalk.com/mrep

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