FORMER Dragon, James Caan, has named Natalie Diver, third year business management student at Newcastle University Business School, as one of the first ever Student Ambassadors for the 112 million Government-backed Start-Up Loans scheme. The scheme aims to help start 25,000 businesses by 2015 and is backed by the Prime Minister, David Cameron.

He sees the scheme as a contribution to the continued focus on promoting entrepreneurship and supporting initiatives that give better access to capital to early-stage businesses. Start-Up Loans is the brainchild of Lord Young and is chaired by entrepreneur James Caan, who invited Natalie to his offices in Mayfair to discuss becoming an Ambassador for the scheme.

Following this, Natalie attended the prestigious reception, with James Caan, given by the Duke of York at Buckingham Palace, to be appointed as a Student Ambassador and to discuss making loans more available to graduating students through the Start-Up Loans scheme.

She was nominated as Newcastle University's representative for the scheme due to her work as President of the Entrepreneur Society at the University, various notable achievements, and passion for enterprise.

Natalie commented on her new role as ambassador: "I was delighted to be contacted and asked to represent Start-Up Loans on my own campus at Newcastle University.

"I am passionate about entrepreneurship and being able to help make self-employment accessible to all students following graduation will be very rewarding.

"It was great to meet James and the rest of the team, they have been very supportive and I look forward to working closely with them to help start many new businesses in the North-East."

James Caan, chairman of the Start-Up Loans scheme, said: "Student entrepreneurship is a vibrant community and through Start-Up Loans, we can help foster the amazing innovation that is evident in Universities across the country by helping start successful businesses. Through the ambassadors who have all been selected, we will be able to catalyse enterprise amongst students."

As an ambassador, Natalie Diver is the go-to person on campus for starting a business. Tapped into all the right networks from Start-Up Loans and their partners, she will be on hand to guide budding entrepreneurs to securing funding and turning their idea into a business.

If you're interesting in finding out more, you can contact Natalie directly on n.e.diver@ncl.ac.uk.