WORCESTER is one of the top performing areas in the county for take up of the Government's start-up loans scheme, with 25 businesses in the city now assisted through a total support package worth £118,100.

Worcestershire as a whole has now received more than half a million pounds from the initiative designed to help more people get started with their own business.

Worcester was only narrowly behind West Worcestershire within the county and has seen increased take up of the scheme since city MP Robin Walker, who is a member of the select committee on business, innovation and skills, first drew attention to it in December last year. At that stage 10 local businesses had been helped in Worcester and 46 in the County.

"I welcomed the scheme but called on more local entrepreneurs to come forward to take it up and this appears to be exactly what has happened," Mr Walker said. "Today, a further nine months of the scheme has reached a further 15 business in Worcester and launched more successful start-ups, a total of 123 across Worcestershire as a whole. This is really great news. It shows that the start-up loans scheme is giving more people in Worcester the ideas and determination to start a new business. Other schemes such as the Government’s growth voucher scheme and the employment allowance are then helping those businesses to grow, to receive advice and training and to take on new staff.

“So far 25 loans, worth a total of £118,100 have been made in Worcester to help people put their business ideas into practice, supporting new businesses that don’t only provide a job to their founders and owners but also create new jobs for other people as well. This means more jobs and opportunities for local people and it is reflected in the sharp falls in unemployment we have seen.”

Across the West Midlands more than £8m has been provided to 1696 new start-up businesses and this has helped the West Midlands economy to be one of the fastest growing parts of the United Kingdom.