On July the 4th we were honoured to attend an award ceremony in Swansea that was held in the presence of HRH The Prince of Wales. The awards were being presented by a charity called Prime Cymru, a charity that is the Prince’s initiative for mature enterprise in Wales. It is in fact the only organisation in Wales that is dedicated to providing practical support for people over fifty who want to remain economically active.
Abaca has been a supporter of Prime Cymru for many years. We have a real problem in Wales in that around 38% of the people between 50 and the state pension age aren’t working. That equates to the best part of a quarter of a million people, many of whom are dependent on benefits. As someone who was fifty when I started Abaca, I fully recognise the value that experience can bring to a new business start up, and I’m passionate about helping others get their foot on the business ladder.
This year Abaca sponsored the New Business Award which was won by a lovely lady called Carolyn Parry. Carolyn’s business is called Career Alchemy www.careeralchemy.co.uk and she helps people build their strengths and talents. People like Carolyn and the Prime Cymru mentors are invaluable because they give prospective business owners the confidence and support to enable them to launch into a new career. Some 95% of businesses in Wales are SME’s (Small and Medium size Enterprises) employing less than nine people, and local, flexible employment is the route out of unemployment for most people.
Abaca’s connection with HRH The Prince of Wales goes back to 2008 when he visited our workshop. He is an avid supporter of organic businesses and we were all impressed with the depth of his knowledge about wool production. Prime Cymru is the Prince’s only Welsh charity and we hope that we shall be able to carry on supporting it for many years to come.
