SUPPORTING LANCASHIRE’S BUSINESSES THROUGH CREATIVE SOLUTIONS
Creative Innovation Zone
The award-winning Creative Innovation Zone (CIZ) enables University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) students to respond to industry challenges with creative thinking and fresh perspectives. Multi-disciplinary teams of students have continued to support external organisations throughout the pandemic, providing creative solutions, in-depth research, promotional videos, and concept designs. By combining students’ learning with industry- led challenges, it enables them to improve their workplace knowledge, also allowing businesses to nurture the talent of the future.
Playdale Playground
Cumbria-based Playdale Playground, a true timber manufacturer, benefitted from a team of students working on their industry brief to create a new range of playground equipment to sit alongside their existing range.
The students were tasked with designing their ideal equipment based on the
Lancashire Forum Creative
The University of Central Lancashire’s Lancashire Forum Creative (LFC) project is an ERDF-funded business growth programme designed to support the county’s creative and digital SMEs.
The forum employs innovative approaches to helping clients, building on the expertise and experience of the business leaders themselves to help them find the right way to develop their businesses.
For the Floor & More
Sole trader Joe Kennedy, owner of For the Floor & More, has recently benefitted from the free support provided by Lancashire Forum Creative. For the Floor & More are passionate about home décor, supplying a wide range of custom printed vinyl flooring and wallpaper to the public. Noting it can be a lonely place as a sole trader, owner Joe Kennedy decided to take up the offer of six facilitated peer-to-peer Action Learning sessions offered by the Lancashire Forum Creative (LFC).
Joe found out about the programme through his membership of the Propeller Hub
materials and manufacturing technique of Playdale. Then, working collaboratively, another cohort of students researched ways the company could diversify their product line by using their existing capabilities to identify a new market. As a result, the students have created new equipment for Playdale’s portfolio; however, they have identified a unique gap in the market for them to exploit, utilising their existing skills and manufacturing techniques.
Paul Mallinson, technical and operations director – “We engaged with UCLan to gain some fresh thinking and creativity, and we were not disappointed. The projects were extremely well organised and cost-effective, requiring minimal resource. We were particularly impressed by the professionalism and calibre of the students involved, and the final presentations were exceptional.”
Find out how the Creative Innovation Zone can help your business by emailing:
ciz@uclan.ac.uk
Grow your Business We are helping
Lancashire companies get back to business.
Our expertise and networks can help you access funding, training and business support to grow your company.
which provides UCLan students and recent graduates with transferable business skills. Having attended an LFC Think Tank on Digital Growth, Joe then joined the Action Learning programme as he wanted to meet like-minded people and said:
“The opportunity provided insight into how other businesses look at issues similar to mine. Being able to see my problems from a different perspective and how the other businesses solved them was really beneficial.”
Lancashire Forum Creative offer expert-led interactive Think Tanks and are recruiting for Action Learning Sets and, starting September 2022, a new Cohort of LFC Extra.
To find out more email:
Lancashireforum@uclan.ac.uk
LANCASHIREBUSINESSVIEW.CO.UK
Contact us today 01772 895500
business@uclan.ac.uk uclan.ac.uk/business @UCLanBusiness
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