The Design Trust support organisation set to relaunch

The Design Trust, which provides business training and support to designers and craftspeople, is relaunching as a privately-run social enterprise.

The Design Trust was set up in 1994 by the late Peta Levi MBE, who also founded Design Nation and pioneered the New Designers exhibition.

In 2005 The Design Trust and Design Nation became part of Metropolitan Works at London Metropolitan University.

The Design Trust has now gone back into private hands and is set to relaunch as a social enterprise, led by director Patricia van den Akker. It is understood that Design Nation is now being operated by Andrew Tanner of Andrew Tanner Design.

Van den Akker says the trust will look to work with designers at all stages of their career. She says the trust will also extend its focus from designer-makers, craftspeople and product designers into the fields of branding, communications, digital design, illustration, fashion, interior design and beyond.

The trust will look to provide information about running a design business, provide access to business coaching and networking sessions and answer business-related questions.

Van den Akker says, ’I want The Design Trust to be the place for people to come to if they are looking to start up or develop their own business.’

The trust is set to launch its full website, at www.thedesigntrust.co.uk, in January 2012.

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