Project offers business trial run

The scheme helped Diana Dolan set up in business

Unemployed people are being given the chance to set up in business whilst still receiving benefits.

The scheme allows participants in Anglesey and parts of Gwynedd to work up to 16 hours a week.

Any extra money earned is then invested back into the business ready for when the participant comes off benefits.

Beautician Diana Dolan, from Menai Bridge, said the scheme made her "dream come true" and she would never have been able to set up without it.

"It would have been impossible for me to get where I am without this," said Ms Dolan, who aims to specialise in semi-permanent make-up.

The technique is used for both beauty - with semi-permanent eyeliner or lip-liner - or by people suffering alopecia (hair loss) and the effects of cancer.

This is really a dream come true for me Diana Dolan, beautician

"I was a single mum, on benefits after a horrible divorce, I had lost my home... but I had always wanted to do this," Ms Dolan added.

She said her goal was to "get off benefits", and the scheme would allow her to do that.

Her advice to anyone else in her position was to ask for help, and be clear what was needed.

"You have to open up and tell them what help you need, and they can see you are serious," she said.

The scheme is run by Menter a Busnes, an independent company that helps people contribute towards developing the economy.

Elen Jones, director of communication at Menter a Busnes, said the scheme was important to Anglesey because so many jobs had been lost there recently.

"Some people have been employed with large companies for a number of years, others have worked all their lives within one company," she said.

"It is devastating for these people and their families to hear that companies are forced to close due to economic pressures."

The scheme gave people with a business idea to trial it, for a specific time, before taking the plunge and setting up a fully fledged business, she added.