Coffee Republic Founder Inspires East Kent Partnership

Sahar Hashemi, entrepreneur and founder of Coffee Republic, was the keynote speaker at the East Kent Partnership's annual conference, held at St Augustine's in Westgate-on-Sea.

In a packed day, Sahar provided the inspirational feature, describing how, with determination and drive, she turned her idea into a multi-million pound business. Her key point was that anyone could do it, explaining that entrepreneurial success depends on state of mind rather than luck.

Over 144 east Kent stakeholders attended the Conference, which included a thorough evaluation of the work of the East Kent Partnership (EKP), identifying key strengths and offering a critical analysis of its performance. The evaluation concluded with an open debate on the EKP's direction going forward.

Janet Waghorn, Executive Director, EKP said: "It is very important for us to have a frank and open discussion with our partners to ensure that our activities are meeting their objectives and focusing on the right areas.

"The feedback that we received was very positive. There is a recognition that there is much still to do in east Kent, but there is an energy and enthusiasm to turn things around and make the area a thriving and prosperous place where people want to live, work and visit."

Presentations were also given on the next steps for Natural East Kent, an idea to link all the visitor attractions, cycle paths and waterways in east Kent to produce a coordinated tourist offering. A significant amount of work has been undertaken to test the market place and identify what the area has to offer visitors, and the next stage is to start turning the popular concept into a reality, with an action plan and marketing plans.

Steve Fothergill, a Professor at Sheffield Hallam University, who recently led the largest ever investigation into the economy of British seaside resorts, which included a detailed study of the Thanet area, delivered the final presentation. He highlighted the outstanding potential that places such as Thanet and Deal have to carve out a new role for themselves in the 21st Century, and how, with the support of organisations like the EKP, their future can be as prosperous as their past.

Paul Tipple, Chairman of the EKP, summed up the day: "This has been an informative, thought-provoking and beneficial day for everyone. It has demonstrated how much progress we have made over the past three years, but most importantly how much there is still to do.

"Some of the tasks the EKP is taking on, such as the Natural East Kent project, will have a profound, long-term impact on the economy of the area and we are excited by the challenge. If we can all harness some of the entrepreneurial spirit displayed by Sahar then I have no doubt we can meet the challenge."

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