Nightingale Associates appointed architects for £5m international womens' enterprise centre

Liverpool’s £5m international centre for women’s economic development (WICED) moved a step closer today as architects’ Nightingale Associates were appointed to design a bespoke building.

The 2,000sqm centre - which will be located in the heart of Liverpool - will be the first of its kind its kind in the UK and is expected to help 3,000 women set up business creating 4,500 new jobs over the next ten years.

Train 2000 and WICED’s Executive Director, Maggie O’Carroll said: “The Women’s International Centre for Economic Development (WICED) will be the hub of international research on female entrepreneurship as well as providing a range of enterprise support including space for up to 80 business units to help women start and grow their businesses. ”We wanted the building itself to be an iconic building and we awarded Nightingale the contract on the strength of its design team.” Katy Heath, Principal at Nightingales’ Liverpool studio, added: “We are very much looking forward to working on what will be an exciting project and are delighted to be playing a part in creating a bespoke building that will have such a positive impact on so many women starting businesses.”

The new-build project, expected to reach completion in late 2010, will contain a range of offices, training & conference facilities and incubator space for new businesses. It is being jointly-funded by WICED, the North West Development Agency, Future Builders, Train 2000, Liverpool Vision, and Liverpool Council. Nightingale Associates will shortly start the design stage of the project, will provide a full architectural and interior design service. Construction is due to start on site in October this year.
Nightingale Associates is a leading practice serving the public sector. It specialises in the fields of health, education and science. Nightingale Associates is part of the Tribal Group plc and has eight offices in the UK, as well as one office in Cape Town, South Africa. Nightingale Associates’ commitment to innovation and research has placed it at the forefront of design developments in areas such as modern learning environments, mental healthcare, environmental sustainability and laboratory design.

Pictured: Left to right: Alison Price WICED Chair, Cllr Flo Clucas, Deputy Leader Liverpool City Council, Katy Heath Principal, Nightingale Associates, Maggie O’ Carroll Executive Director WICED and Train 2000 Ltd.

Liverpool Womens’ Enterprise Model Hailed A World Leader

Liverpool Womens’ Enterprise Model Hailed A World Leader

A model for the Liverpool based Women’s International Centre For Economic Development (WICED) has been hailed a world leader by experts from eight nations.

Plans for the £5m centre were examined by delegates from Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland, the UK, the USA and the Middle East who were so impressed they plan to replicate the centre across Europe and the Middle East.

Speaking at the top level summit which took place at Train 2000’s city centre headquarters, Professor Patricia Greene of Babson College, USA said the initiatives planned by Train 2000 and the WICED team were “amongst the best I’ve ever seen.”

Cllr Flo Clucas and Nicola Gleave of Liverpool Vision met with the delegates to show their support for the plans.

Deputy Council Leader at Liverpool City Council, Cllr Flo Clucas said: “Both Liverpool City Council and Liverpool Vision are fully behind the WICED plans and we are delighted that the plans are being internationally recognized for something that will happen right here in Liverpool and which will lead to the creation of up to 4,500 jobs over the next ten years.”

Maggie O’Carroll, Executive Director of Train 2000 said the meeting was a great success.
“It is our aim to create the biggest and most advanced centre for womens’ entrepreneurship and economic development in the world - right here in Liverpool.

“We have shown how we provide innovative support mechanisms to accelerate the pace of creating and growing women-owned businesses and the WICED centre will only accelerate that process.”
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Picture Caption: Liverpool Womens’ Enterprise Model Hailed A World Leader (Left to right:Nicola Gleave of Liverpool Vision, Professor Patricia Greene, Cllr Flo Clucas, Professor Sue Marlow, Maggie O’Carroll)

International Summit Will Help Shape 4,500 new jobs in Liverpool

An international panel of experts from eight nations is to meet at Train 2000’s Liverpool offices to prepare the framework for the “biggest and most advanced centre for womens’ entrepreneurship and economic development in the world.”

The summit will draw upon the experiences of some of the world’s leading researchers ahead of the £5m WICED (Women’s International Centre for Economic Development) which is due to open in the city in late 2010.

Maggie O’Carroll, Executive Director of Train 2000, said there were a number of key issues to be discussed at the meeting: “It is our aim to create the biggest and most advanced centre for womens’ entrepreneurship and economic development in the world - right here in Liverpool.

“We will be looking at how we can provide innovative support mechanisms to accelerate the pace of creating and growing women-owned businesses.

“We will also be looking closely at the green market and how we can help grow low carbon enterprises.”

The panel will include representatives from Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland, the UK, the USA and the Middle East.

The keynote speaker is international expert on women’s business leadership, Professor Patricia Greene of Babson College, USA.

Cllr Flo Clucas, deputy council leader welcomed the group to Liverpool.

She said: “This summit will mark a significant step forward to extend international links between Liverpool and the rest of the world creating not only a world-leading facility right here in the city but the reality of creating thousands of new businesses and jobs across the region.”

The meeting will take place at Train 2000’s Strand headquarters on Thursday, May 14th.

Pictured: Cllr Flo Clucas (left) and Maggie O'Carroll.