Worcestershire
WR13 6NW UK
Tel: 01684 584900
For more information please contact:
Sharon Gilbert
Press & PR Manager
Telephone:
01684 584929
Fax:
01684 584930
E-mail: sharon@threecounties.co.uk
Editor's Notes:
The Three Counties Show is a fund raising event for the Three Counties Agricultural Society (Registered charity no: 511868).
Businesses Go Head To Head In Bear Pit Battle
A forward-thinking agricultural society, committed to supporting and growing rural enterprise, is urging three counties entrepreneurs to take the bull by the horns, enter the ‘battle arena’ and sweat it out in pursuit of a cash prize and some invaluable business advice to boot!
The Three Counties Agricultural Society in Worcestershire, is running its second ‘Bear Pit Business Competition’ on the first day of the Three Counties Show (19 -21 June 2009), and is keen to hear from individuals or firms less than two years old who want to compete for £1000 and expert support and mentoring.
The Bear Pit is a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style initiative, run in conjunction with Herefordshire Rural Hub, and backed for the first time this year by respected Worcestershire law firm, Parkinson Wright.
It takes place on Friday 19 June in the Show’s Rural Business Pavilion, which is supported again by Business Link.
Five finalists will present their cases to a discerning judging panel made up of Richard Jackson, of 7Y, David Ledbury of Business Link, and Cyril Arridge of Parkinson Wright Solicitors, who will be on the lookout for dynamic businesses which best serve the rural community through innovation and sustainability.
The 2008 competition was very successful, and entrants included a green energy supplier and a locally produced food delivery service among others.
King of the Bear Pit, though, was finalist Adam Evans of SHIFT (Social Healing For Integrated Farming Therapy) in St. Weonards, Herefordshire, whose therapeutic learning experience for young offenders and children in care, made the greatest impact on the judges.
Said Sharon Gilbert, Press & PR Manager for show organiser, the Three Counties Agricultural Society: “This competition is one of a number of initiatives which support our long-term objective to offer real assistance to local firms and individuals in rural enterprise, who are either starting out or are in the early stages of building a business.
It has already proved an extremely worthwhile project in a very short space of time, and we are delighted that Parkinson Wright has joined the teams at Herefordshire Rural Hub and Business Link, to help us progress the scheme further.
We are taking applications now, and look forward to another batch of exciting entries.”
The Three Counties Show 2009 takes place at The Malvern Showground between Friday 19 and Sunday 21 June, and attracts in the region of 95,000 visitors.
Application forms are available from Cathy Meredith at the Herefordshire Rural Hub on 01432 870033. For more information about the competition, please contact John Wilesmith at The Malvern Showground on 01684 584900 or via e-mail.
For more information and interview opportunities, please contact:
Sharon Gilbert – Press & PR Manager
Three Counties Agricultural Society
Telephone: 01684 584929 (direct dial)
E-mail: sharon@threecounties.co.uk
Show Web Site and Box Office: www.threecounties.co.uk/threecounties
Ticket Hotline: +44 (0) 1684 584 900/924
Released: 09/03/2009