Thursday 5 August 2010

MUMSBUSINESS CLUB COUNTY DURHAM

Are you running a business in and around County Durham. Do you want to network and share your experiences with other like minded women. Join Mums Business Club North East, a new networking group, helping women with yourng children to netowrk without having to find childcare. Yes, bring them along with you. Julie and I look forward to welcoming you along to our networking events, planned with mums in mind.

Monday 12 April 2010

The Mumpreneur Conference

The Mumpreneur Conference is an event that will recognise the achievements of our nations mumpreneurs and inspire more women into business. The day has been organised as a way for mums to get together and celebrate one another's achievements, no matter how big or small, as well as providing opportunities for these women to move forward in growing their business in a way that will fit around their family commitments.


What makes The Mumpreneur Conference different from other business conferences and events, is that this is organised by mothers for mothers, ensuring their needs are met, with a suitable day and location to allow business mums from around the country to attend, and with the days itinerary created to ensure the attendees get the best out of the day on both a personal and professional level.

Friday 9 April 2010

Bishop Auckland Food Festival

The event is one the largest Food Festivals in the North East which last year attracted approximately 28,000 visitors.

Set in the grounds of Auckland Castle the officail residence of the Bishop of Durham and home to the thirteen Zurbarán Paintings hang in the Long Dining Room.  Painted between 1640 and 1645, they are of patriarchs, Jacob and his twelve sons. The twelfth son, ‘Benjamin', is not in fact the work of de Zurburán, but of Arthur Pond, an artist, copyist and art critic of the 18th century.

Entry to the Food Festival is free with a park and ride service available from both St Johns School and Bishop Auckland College. 

Come and visit me at the Phoenix Trading Stand in the marquee. 

Friday 19 March 2010

Get Set Kids

Get Set Kids is a great new family magazines distributed to 10,000 famillies around County Durham and ran by Allison Mendleson and Emma Ord. Published 3 times a year it is full of information, offers and competitions. Great ideas to keep the children happy over the Easter Holiday and local places to visit from Raby Castle to Planet Kids Toddler group at the new Excel Centre in Newton Aycliffe.


We are running a competition in this issue to win a Jolly Phonics CD & Book, so make sure you get your copy. If you aren't luck enough to get your hands on a copy visit the website where you will find lots going on and the events calendar is packed full of great ideas from Alnwick Gardens to Bishop Auckland food Festival.

Fun Times Tables Flashcards


Children often find it tricky to learn their times tables. Keeping it simple and fun could be the answer. Our new range of Flashcards from The Green Board Company is ideal to play anywhere. At home for a family games night, in the garden on a nice Spring day or in a restaurant when you want to keep the children entertained. For older children Maths Wrap is also good on car journeys and gets children to learn their Times Tables by winding string round a hand held gadget, great for those reluctant ones that like doing and seeing rather than recitinging parrott fashion.

Tuesday 23 February 2010

THE AIMS OF THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM

The new curriculum becomes statutory in 2011.

The National Curriculum has three broad aims. It should enable all young people to become:

  • successful learners who enjoy learning, make progress and achieve
  • confident individuals who are able to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives
  • responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to society.

These aims should inform all aspects of teaching and learning and be the starting point for curriculum design.

The curriculum should reflect values in our society that promote personal development, equality of opportunity, economic wellbeing, a healthy and just democracy, and a sustainable future.
These values should relate to:

  • ourselves, as individuals capable of spiritual, moral, social, intellectual and physical growth and development
  • our relationships, as fundamental to the development and fulfilment of happy and healthy lives, and to the good of the community
  • our society, which is shaped by the contributions of a diverse range of people, cultures and heritages
  • our environment, as the basis of life and a source of wonder and inspiration that needs to be protected.

Thursday 28 January 2010

nebusiness.co.uk - News - Business News - Women doing it for themselves when it comes to networking


Networking aimed solely at businesswomen in the North East is continuing to thrive despite the huge number of mixed business networking events available. Karen Dent finds out more about one women-only networking group for entrepreneurs in County Durham.
More than 90 women working in and around Durham City are now members of FIND, which provides them with a central hub to access business information, education, support and guidance.
Although it has a central theme of friendship, the group’s main aim remains boosting female entrepreneurship and combating statistics which regularly suggest that women are half as likely to be involved in starting up a business as men.
Members range from women at the pre-start-up stage who are still finalising their business idea to businesswomen whose companies have been established for years and are seeking new clients or new ideas.
In addition to providing a network of contacts and the opportunity to share information, FIND organises regular seminars and workshops which are usually held at the Durham Marriott Hotel.
Ms Williams-Maughan says the group is an important outlet for local female entrepreneurs.
“The majority of members are people like me working from home who don’t have colleagues to bounce ideas off,” she says.
FIND was the first networking group that marketing and PR woman Sarah Weightman tried after starting up her own business.
Durham-based Ms Weightman says: “I was a little bit nervous going for the first time. I found it to be really welcoming and it gave me confidence to go along to other ones.”
She says that making the initial move to attend a session can be intimidating to start with.
But she reckons her main worry was her young age rather than the fact she was female.
“I started my business when I was 25. I was always one of the youngest there,” she said. “That in itself made it a little bit difficult. It’s perhaps more an experience thing.”
But discovering FIND gave her the confidence to learn more about networking and how valuable it can be to fledgling entrepreneurs.
“Since then I’ve gone along to other ones, maybe more traditional networking events,” said Ms Weightman.
“I’ve met some really valuable contacts – people I’ve started to work in partnership with and people where I have become their client, such as chartered accountants. It’s just really valuable and useful.”
More than 90 women working in and around Durham City are now members of FIND, which provides them with a central hub to access business information, education, support and guidance.
Although it has a central theme of friendship, the group’s main aim remains boosting female entrepreneurship and combating statistics which regularly suggest that women are half as likely to be involved in starting up a business as men.
Members range from women at the pre-start-up stage who are still finalising their business idea to businesswomen whose companies have been established for years and are seeking new clients or new ideas.
In addition to providing a network of contacts and the opportunity to share information, FIND organises regular seminars and workshops which are usually held at the Durham Marriott Hotel.
Ms Williams-Maughan says the group is an important outlet for local female entrepreneurs.
“The majority of members are people like me working from home who don’t have colleagues to bounce ideas off,” she says.
FIND was the first networking group that marketing and PR woman Sarah Weightman tried after starting up her own business.
Durham-based Ms Weightman says: “I was a little bit nervous going for the first time. I found it to be really welcoming and it gave me confidence to go along to other ones.”
She says that making the initial move to attend a session can be intimidating to start with.
But she reckons her main worry was her young age rather than the fact she was female.
“I started my business when I was 25. I was always one of the youngest there,” she said. “That in itself made it a little bit difficult. It’s perhaps more an experience thing.”
But discovering FIND gave her the confidence to learn more about networking and how valuable it can be to fledgling entrepreneurs.
“Since then I’ve gone along to other ones, maybe more traditional networking events,” said Ms Weightman.
“I’ve met some really valuable contacts – people I’ve started to work in partnership with and people where I have become their client, such as chartered accountants. It’s just really valuable and useful.”