NEW investment has been announced for female entrepreneurs in Herefordshire to help start or grow their businesses by improving digital skills.

Funding from the Government Equalities Office has been awarded to Fastershire, the partnership between Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to deliver faster broadband.

As one of 16 successful bids to the ‘Women and Broadband’ fund, the investment will help women make the most of using digital technology in business.

Starting in September, the ‘Faster Women’ project will offer free training on topics such as using social media in business, cloud computing and selling on-line.

There will also be one-to-one business advice sessions, funding to attend conferences or to access other types of business support.

The funding was awarded on the back of a project last year that provided more than 270 women with training and advice on using the internet and IT in business.

Fiona Bailey, proprietor of Upper Park Cattery in Llangarron who attended several workshops as part of the earlier Faster Women project, said: "The workshops were a great way to get an overview of how I should be using our current website and also what I should be thinking about when setting up our new on-line store.

"I’m sure that everyone who attends a workshop will be able to take away at least one thing that will make an improvement to their practices, no matter how much experience they already have."

Jane Raven, who runs Myrtles Kitchen near Bromyard, attended previous Faster Women training.

She said: "I’m delighted to hear that thanks to this funding the Faster Women training and support can continue. "Having been out of the workplace for a while, the workshops I attended gave me the confidence to carry on and grow my business using all the social media tools available, as well as being a way to meet other women in the same position as me.

"This is an excellent opportunity that I’d encourage local business women, and women thinking of beginning a business, to get involved with."

Councillor Graham Powell, cabinet champion for broadband for Herefordshire Council, said the funding means the council can support more women to start-up new businesses and grow existing ones.

"The project will offer practical help to develop their businesses on-line and make the most of the benefits the internet and digital technology can bring," he said.

The Women and Broadband Fund invited broadband projects, such as Fastershire, to bid for funding to run projects to help business women take full advantage of superfast broadband.

Training and support will be available from September.

Further details can be found at www.fastershire.com/fasterwomen soon but women can register their interest and they will be notified when details are confirmed.