LIVERPOOL is poised to establish its fourth Sirolli project after the successful launch of its first programme in Kensington. Italian Ernesto Sirolli visited Merseyside in 2004 to inspire the latest in his worldwide project, which encourages people in disadvantaged areas to start their own businesses, backed by existing firms which can provide advice and support so people can take their destiny in their own hands. Three Sirolli projects were created - Dream High, covering Kensington, North Liverpool Enterprise, covering Aintree and Vauxhall, and most recently Ripples On The Mersey, taking in the L1, L2 and L3 areas. Now a fourth Sirolli project is about to be set up covering south Liverpool, it was revealed at a Sirolli update attended by more than 250 local firms and business leaders at the Adelphi hotel, Liverpool. BusinessLiverpool spokeswoman Nicola Gleave said: "Dream High is up and running, north is recruiting a facilitator and Ripples is building momentum and there is interest for a model in south Liverpool, too." Dream High was the first project to go live, in March, after appointing a facilitator who acts as the link between business expertise and business hopefuls. Chairman Phil Linley said the project is already exceeding targets: "Our facilitator has been introduced to 400 business people, is now working with 45 clients and four businesses have been set up. "We have not told, or taken charge, we have just supported, with a huge pool of knowledge behind the facilitator. It is the people who have done it." Gary Millar, chairman of Ripples On The Mersey, said of the grassroots "ownership" of the Sirolli project: "This is not public sector. This is citizen-based. Everyone is doing this." He said the fledgling south Liver-pool project has already started recruiting a steering group. Ms Gleave said the Sirolli model is vital to improve Liverpool's small business scene, which still lags behind other cities. She told the meeting: "We have less businesses per 1,000 head of population of comparative cities anywhere in the UK. "In 2003 there were 21 businesses per 1,000 population here. In the north west that figure was 31 and in the UK almost 40.We need to increase our efforts to close this gap. "If Liverpool is to converge with other cities in terms of business density we need to significantly increase the number of businesses here. "We believe the Sirolli Institute can help this. "It is not the one solution but it is one component. Sirolli provides opportunities for local people to realise their aspirations. There is evidence that this happens with other Sirolli projects across the UK." | 
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