Beacon Bursary Winners Announced

The winner of the 2016 Beacon Bursary Competition is Martin Goddard of 360 Entertainment. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Mr Goddard’s winning proposal was to set up an entertainment agency and management company dedicated to providing live music for weddings in Wales. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

He won £3,000 along with free office space in the Beacon Centre for Enterprise in Dafen, Llanelli. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Second place went to Fred Perry who is in the final stages of designing and commercialising an app called PT Pal Plus, targeted for use by personal trainers. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Joint third was Angela Windsor, who has recently set up her corporate work wear printing company named Print Inc, and Lowri Bevan for her innovative and creative corporate marketing service called Digi Design. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Beacon Bursary Competition provides people with an opportunity to access finance, office space and a wealth of support and experience which will provide the best opportunity for their businesses to flourish. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

One of the keys to the success of the initiative lies with the support offered by a team of business mentors from both private and public sector who have given up a substantial amount of time to support these fledgling businesses. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The vision for The Beacon is to act as a leading light in nurturing and training both young enterprise skills and to develop entrepreneur business talent to enter the private sector across South West Wales. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The initiative is delivered through Carmarthenshire County Council in conjunction with Coleg Sir Gâr and University of Wales Trinity Saint David and forms part of the council’s commitment to developing entrepreneurship within the county. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Beacon Bursary is an open business competition for new business starts in any sector, any age, Carmarthenshire residents or UWTSD and Coleg Sir Gar students. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

It offers a cash prize of up to £3,000 or office space in The Beacon. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Executive board member for regeneration and leisure Cllr Meryl Gravell said: “Congratulations to Martin Goddard on winning the 2016 Beacon Bursary Competition and to the runners up. We will do our best to help them turn their ideas into successful businesses and take a keen interest in their progress.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​