Bill Patterson of Butterfingers sandwich bar
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Bill Patterson and his wife Joy have opened the Butterfingers sandwich bar within a stone’s throw of Jarrow Metro station.
With the help of a PRIME loan Bill was able to refurbish premises and purchase new display fridges. Said Bill, “Without PRIME I would have got nowhere. It was the only organisation which seemed willing to give a chance to someone like me above the age of 50”
Bill, who has spent most of his working life as a scaffolder on oil platforms in the North Sea, was unable to continue due to ill health. He was desperate to get back to work and reckoned one solution might be to work for himself. “Putting the business plan together was a bit of a struggle,” said Bill, “But, with the help of advisers from PRIME’s partner InBiz, I got there eventually.”
Bill is optimistic that the business will flourish. “Years ago, I remember my father telling me that people can’t do without two things - clothes and food. It was good advice and I’ve now chosen the latter. Provided the quality is there, I reckon we will do fine”.
PRIME’s Regional Development Manager for the North East, George Courtice, said: “Bill Patterson is an excellent example of the kind of person PRIME can help. There are thousands of 50-something people out there with a fantastic range of skills and knowledge who have the potential to run their own business”.
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