Case study: Dan Male, Outset Cornwall
Previously a successful carpenter, Daniel was diagnosed with a rare lung disease 7 years ago, which forced him to give up his job and live on benefits. He has been fighting for his health ever since whilst looking for a new career that would fit flexibly around his condition; something he found by pure accident!
“I was given a pump by the hospital which would continually administer my drugs for me. I started to get problems with it due to the fact it was very difficult to carry around so the hospital gave me a grey pouch to hold the pump in. The pump would regularly fall out and make me quite ill, resulting in me spending more time in hospital. I decided to design my own pouch that would hold the pump more effectively and give me better physical and emotional comfort, and it worked really well. I thought ‘if I can do this for my self, I could do it for other people!’”
Once basic designs had been drawn up, Daniel looked into other portable medical devices that would benefit from having a practical, but discreet pouch. He found that there were a lot of people just like him that would benefit from having a product such as this.
“When I first started I had no experience in this field and needed some help to put me in the right direction. I have found the Outset Cornwall programme very helpful and it has really helped me with my self-confidence. The team have been there for me when I needed help and put me in touch with the right people for additional support.”
Joey Pouch is a range of specially designed and patented pouches to hold a wide variety of ambulatory pumps and medical devices. Each of the products in the range has been specifically designed to meet the needs of the wearer.
“I am a very strong person which I have had to be due to my illness. With this business, I have taken my weakness and turned it into a strength, which is helping me get my life back on track.”
“My ambitions for the future are to come off benefits and to be self sufficient whilst raising awareness of my illness. This project is very close to me and has given me my life back in some ways. I will make this work whatever it takes!”
Outset Cornwall has been funded by the ERDF Convergence programme which invests in activities that will have a long-term impact on the growth and development of the Cornish Economy.
Strengthening Business
The accelerated growth of businesses, in particular high value businesses, which are better able to pay higher wages will strengthen the value of the economy.
The investments in the strengthening business theme include: business support; specialist advice; quality modern workspace; and capital for mainly small and medium sized businesses; all designed to assist them with development and growth. This includes focussed support for businesses producing environmental goods and services.
