ASHFORD Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Enterprise welcomes back Lucy Druesne (it's pronounced Drewin) who worked with the chamber a couple of years ago helping to develop The Bureau for the Development of Trade in Europe programme.

Her new incarnation is with the Gateway Enterprise Project, funded by the European Social Fund and designed to help small businesses through training and by appraising them of the benefits of the various business support services.

The project is a partnership between Ashford chamber, Shepway chamber and South Kent College.

Lucy, a young French lady with impeccable English, will be visiting all businesses in the borough with fewer than 20 employees with a view to: gathering information to create a definitive database, enabling an overall assessment of business support requirements; informing businesses of the various aspects of support currently available, including training, advice, and information sources; offering a free training needs analysis tailored to individual companies. This will establish where training could be of benefit, and where the specific requirement can be met.

Following the training needs analysis, there are several one-day courses available free of charge, and more in-depth courses on a heavily subsidised basis, available from the Chamber and/or South Kent College.

The free short courses cover: The Basics of Market Research, Risk Assessment and Hazard Analysis, Customer Care and Quality Service, Understanding Tax and VAT, Do's and Don'ts of Employing Staff, Promoting and Selling Your Products and Services, Business Finance Made Simple, Planning and Controlling Budgets, and Basics of Payroll Administration.

Lucy has a wide remit within the project to assess the level and type of business support and training required by smaller businesses. Her counterpart in Shepway, for business in that area, is Nicola Barnes.

Ashford Chamber is dedicated to maintaining and developing a business environment meeting the requirements of all businesses in the area. The Chamber hopes the Gateway Enterprise Project enhances this.

Contact Lucy Druesne at Ashford Chamber of Commerce, Ashford Business Point, Waterbrook Avenue, Sevington, Ashford. TN24 0LH, 01233 503838, e-mail: lucy@ashford-chamber.co.uk