The Kintyre Forum

Today's Herald has an interesting feature on Dr Ernesto Sirolli.

http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/oth ... recipe.php

It would appear that the communities which have taken on board his method are thriving,with Campbeltown being mentioned as one of said communities.

Below is an excerpt from the article...............


Meanwhile, since its inception in Kintyre, the Sirolli programme run by a community incorporated company, Opportunity Kintyre Ltd, has assisted the creation, expansion or retention of 12 businesses.

One business has been acquired, 18 local jobs have been retained and the net contribution to the economy has been in the region of £500,000.Perhaps more impressively, 8900 volunteer hours have been given by local people to assist the region's growth.

In Kintyre, enterprise facilitator Lynn Hammal has just registered her 100th client. When a call centre closed in Campbeltown with the loss of 24 jobs, Sirolli methodology helped galvanise the community. The creation of 18 new jobs was significant.

"Eighteen jobs in an area like Kintyre is the equivalent of 2000 jobs created in the central belt. In Kintyre, we have a lot of outpost villages which are quite self-sufficient, but we've got them communicating now with other villages," she says. "Aside from encouraging enterprise, the social capital is substantial."

Doubt if anyone will answer you Bill after the last time this was mentioned

vanadium wrote:Doubt if anyone will answer you Bill after the last time this was mentioned

It is for that reason vanadium that I started a new thread.As you know the last time this was mentioned it was hijacked by a minority and turned into a joke.Trouble is ofcourse said minority do not live in the town,and have infact very little connection with the town.

It would be interesting though to find out if the claims made in the article are genuine.

Anytime I have asked family and friends at home they know nothing about it.

I'm struggling to see the impact, but thats not to say there hasn't been one. Does anyone know any of these 18 people who have got jobs through it, or businesses who have been supported? I am genuinely interested

It is indeed low profile. As far as I know that is part of the Sirolli philosophy with the word of mouth approach. However it does lead to questions like this when the benefits are not immediately obvious to all.

I trust that the Sirolli Institute is not taking the credit for creating the social capital in Kintyre. There has always been a high element of this.

nobody on this thread is disagreeing with you £3.73......

After all that was said the last time I am certainly saying nothing about it!

I am one of the people involved in OK and have been from the start. Lynn does a great job and those that have used the service have been very happy with it.
It does seem a very strange way of working but has proved to keep businesses going where others give up within a year. For businesses that are helped it is up to them to decide if they want to publicise our help and I will say watch this space. Personally Lynn advised me when I became self employed and I know that she is there if I need advice - which is free and non-judgmental.
If anyone would like an introduction to Lynn PM me and I will arrange it - it is as simple as that.

Sooze

Great to hear that Sooze.

That is what I was hoping for,someone with a personal involvement.It is very encouraging to know that you have found it to be a positive experience.

I am also a volunteer panellist that supports Lynn's excellent work. I know of many folk that I have introduced to her that she has helped to set up their own business or work through business ideas (including for social enterprises that plough any profits back in to the business).

As Sooze says the philosophy is that the client's confidentiality is paramount so it is for them to decide if they want to publicise the work that Lynn has done with them.

http://opportunitykintyre.org.uk/

It is sometimes difficult for people to see the successes as they are not large scale businesses generally, like Vestas, but more, long term, sustainable, small businesses / sole traders. As a great painter once said -

"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together."
Vincent Van Gogh