Ulster University Business School (UUBS) welcomed over 40 alumni, staff and guests to campus for a special celebration of the Help to Grow: Management Programme, in March 2025.
The event brought together graduates from across seven cohorts, recognising the achievements of more than 110 small business leaders who have completed the programme to date.
Following the success of similar events in August 2023 and February 2024, this latest gathering reaffirmed UUBS’s commitment to supporting SME leaders beyond the classroom. Alumni heard from guest speakers in marketing and PR and took part in a powerful business case study delivered by a fellow participant who had successfully implemented their growth action plan.
The event was a fantastic opportunity for alumni to reconnect, reflect on their journey and share how the programme has helped them grow both personally and professionally.
Professor Laura McCauley, Help to Grow Programme Director and Small Business Charter (SBC) Lead, explained:
“This event was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the incredible drive and success of our small business leaders. The impact we are seeing in terms of improved confidence, innovation, and strategic thinking is exactly what the Help to Grow programme was designed for. We are immensely proud to be part of their growth journeys.”
Rachael Withers, Help to Grow Programme Manager, added:
“Our alumni community is growing stronger with every cohort, and it is inspiring to see how these business leaders are putting their learning into action. This celebration is not just about looking back, but about building momentum for future impact.”
Feedback from the alumni programme’s participants included:
Michael McCrory, Elevator Promotions (Help to Grow Cohort 7):
“The Help to Grow programme has been a joy from start to finish. Meeting all of the cohort was just brilliant and hearing their experiences in business and how they dealt with both bad and good situations was invaluable.”
Andrew Ussher, Focused on Data Limited:
“The event was useful for a number of reasons. It was an opportunity to make contacts with other business owners and renew contact with members of my Health To Grow cohort. Having time away from the daily routine was a help to refocus on business plans for growth.”
Empowering SMEs Through Learning and Leadership
The Help to Grow: Management Programme, backed by the UK Government (Department for Business and Trade) and the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS) and supported by the Small Business Charter, is a 12-week course designed to help small business leaders improve performance, resilience and long-term growth.
Delivered by UUBS academics and experienced business mentors, the programme provides practical, hands-on support tailored to the real challenges faced by SMEs.
As a Small Business Charter-accredited Business School, UUBS remains committed to supporting regional businesses and delivering on its mission:
Empowering students to have an entrepreneurial mindset, driving opportunity and growing a talented, skilled pipeline.
The Help to Grow: Management Programme is a vital part of that mission, strengthening local leadership and enterprise across Northern Ireland.
A recent programme participant said:
“Help to Grow gave me the time and tools to think strategically about my business. The peer learning and one-to-one mentoring gave me real, practical value and being part of this alumni event showed just how much we have all grown, individually and collectively.”
Thank you to everyone who made the event such a success - and to all our Help to Grow alumni who continue to inspire with their resilience, innovation, and leadership.
Find out more:
For more information about the Help to Grow: Management Programme or to get involved in future cohorts, visit www.ulster.ac.uk/faculties/ulster-university-business-school/help-to-grow-management or contact Rachael Withers, Programme Manager by email to r.withers@ulster.ac.uk
Photo caption (top photo):
Help to Grow Management Programme Delivery Team Members (from left to right): Frances Devine (Senior Lecturer) , Ruth Mercer (Lecturer in Management Development), Rachael Withers (Help to Grow Programme Manager), Professor Pauric McGowan (Emeritus Professor of Entrepreneurship and Business Development) and Professor Laura McCauley (Help to Grow, Programme Director).
