INTERVIEW
Leading role - Paul sits on the boards of several local organisations .
regeneration . “ Because of the traditional heavy industries on the Wear , we didn ’ t have a culture of entrepreneurship and people setting up their own businesses .
“ That ’ s something we ’ ve been trying to address for the last 20 years .”
The BIC was a success from the start – with the original 30 units snapped up by eager tenants before they were even built . There are now eight buildings spread over a 14-acre site , which was once home to the Austin and Pickersgill shipyard .
Paul is clear about the reasons for the BIC ’ s success . He says : “ It ’ s the mix of support and workspace . We ’ re a not-forprofit organisation so any surplus from tenants ’ rent is reinvested in improving our facilities and expanding our services .
“ One of our proudest achievements is the free help we can give individuals or companies to help them grow .
“ We have a team of 12 business advisers working with people to help them set up their own businesses – advice with business planning , marketing and social media , and raising cash .
“ Over the past two years and because of Covid , our team has been particularly
busy providing counselling for those setting up their own businesses .
“ We don ’ t run businesses once we ’ ve helped set them up , but we go back after three years for follow-up meetings . More than 78 per cent of the businesses are still going after three years .
“ One thing we do which tends to go under the radar is helping people to decide not to set up a business . Sometimes the right decision is not to start a business – we ’ d never say to someone ' That ' s a bad idea ,’ but we help people work through the challenges and they come to their own conclusions .
“ We had a lot of calls at the start of the pandemic , with people being laid off and wanting to spend their redundancy money on a start-up .
“ It ’ s quieter now , which is probably down to a fall in unemployment and fewer people being made redundant .”
Paul clearly enjoys his work and is as enthused now as he was 20 years ago .
“ I still get a buzz from helping people and I suppose fundamentally that ’ s what I want to do ,” says Paul .
And it ’ s not just in the world of business that Paul continues to contribute to
North-East life . He ’ s a non-executive director at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust ; served on the board of Sunderland College and then Education Partnership North East where he chaired the finance committee ; he ’ s a director at The Fans Museum in Sunderland ; and he ’ s a director at Community Opportunities , which runs Fulwell Mill , Bowes Railway and Hylton Castle . He ’ s also a former member of the Local Enterprise Partnership .
Paul chairs the regional enterprise network group North East Enterprise Agencies and was appointed chair of the National Enterprise Network in 2012 . It is hardly surprising such huge contributions to business – and life – were noticed and last summer , Paul was awarded an OBE for ‘ services to local growth in the North-East of England .’
“ I know it ’ s a cliché but I feel very humbled ,” reflects Paul . “ As far as I ’ m concerned , I ’ ve just been doing my job . But it ’ s lovely and I am absolutely thrilled .
“ It ’ s recognition for a great team doing a lot of great work and I ’ m the figurehead and it ’ s been great for myself , the BIC –
18