The Company Regional Enterprise Developers Ltd. (RED) is a social enterprise based in Crook in the District of Wear Valley, County Durham. It is a company limited by guarantee with the following economic and social objectives • To provide general business support, training and development programmes to groups and individuals in the North East to enhance employment skills and opportunities; • To support groups and individuals in gaining skills and experience that will allow them to become more involved in the regeneration of their communities. • To promote and engage local people in the development of community projects that will relieve social deprivation and advance co-operation with other agencies in the locality for the benefit of the community. • To promote, encourage and assist by information and advice or by any other legal means the formation and the conduct of all kinds of enterprise. • To advise enterprises and potential members of these enterprises of sources and assistance available other than from the Company and to develop links with these sources so that they become readily available to enterprises in the area served by the Company. RED is now into its sixth year of trading and has built up a wealth of experience and broad based expertise. Its Directors Anne Bonner and Brenda Fulton have some 18 years plus experience of working in the public, private and voluntary & community sectors in the fields of social enterprise development, capacity building, community consultation and market research. They have specific expertise in social enterprise start-up, business growth and a good working knowledge and understanding of the many needs of new start fledgling companies. They have a developmental approach to business start up that spans the full spectrum from ideas generation, to the practical, legal, organisational and procedural requirements of running a business. more They have worked closely with communities, voluntary and community groups, service providers and organisations to conduct feasibility studies, create business plans, carry out community appraisals and community health checks and to develop fully-costed action plans. They have also undertaken several key business and community evaluations. In addition RED has taken a lead on a number of community led projects such as village appraisals, market towns initiatives, Sure Start initiatives and project evaluations. Underpinning these services is the delivery of training that RED has tailored to meet the needs of community groups and individuals thinking about setting up a social enterprise, community business, small business or becoming self employed. more