Claire Ferris, Manager, Work West was celebrated as one of 50 individuals and companies who have pioneered business in Belfast in the Long Gallery at Stormont on 24 September 2009 at a gala Belfast Media Group reception hosted by members of the Enterprise, Trade and Investment Committee.  Claire, as one of the Developing Belfast 2009 honourees, joined 200 successful entrepreneurs who have been honoured annually since 2005. 

The Top 50 salutes up-and-coming companies as well as the city’s business titans such as Bombardier and Tyco. Among the well-known names who have appeared previously on the list are hotelier Bill Wolsley, restaurateur Michael Deane and John McCann of UTV as well as Shankill Mirror managing editor John McVicar and culturepreneur Rita Duffy’. 

Claire has acted as Manager at Work West Enterprise Agency for ten years. Work West established in 1989 aims ‘to be a commercially viable organisation which seeks to improve the economic and social profile of West Belfast by motivating and enabling enterprising people to establish and expand job creating businesses’.

Work West is now recognised as a market leader in the provision of support for those operating within the social economy and has delivered a range of social economy support programmes to groups and individual social entrepreneurs across the Eastern Region for the past 20 years. Claire is a member of the Social Economy Network Board.  The Social Economy Network works in close partnership with business agencies, government departments, FE/HE institutions and many more organisations to bring a network of business advice and support to its members.  Associate Members of the Social Economy Network recognise the strategic alliances between social economy enterprises and the public/private sectors to develop a strong business community.