Hello and welcome to the February edition of Warwickshire Means Business.

Business support is in the spotlight this month as we feature several programmes delivered by ourselves and our partners across the area that have proved immensely successful in helping businesses to grow.

 

The Local Communities and Enterprise programme, part of the Warwickshire Investment Fund, has now lent more than £5million to businesses since its launch in June 2022. Delivered by Coventry & Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust, the LCE was designed to help businesses which were struggling to access mainstream lending, and we are proud that it has supported more than 80 businesses throughout the county.

 

Meanwhile, the Skills Escalator programme, delivered by Warwickshire Skills Hub and funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in partnership with the county’s district and borough councils. has proved a resounding success. We hear from two businesses – MES Systems in Nuneaton and Orshceln Products Europe in Rugby - to have benefited from it.  

 

We also feature two Coleshill businesses with exciting futures - Laura’s Swim Academy, which moved “home” helped by a WCC Small Capital Grant, and Pro Game Nutrition which is growing thanks to the Start-up Programme which is part of the Business Growth Warwickshire programme delivered by Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.  

 

We reflect upon Apprenticeship Week and hear how an apprenticeship was the perfect springboard into engineering for Helen Ali at Tata Motors. Our ‘Warwickshire Women in Engineering 2025’ campaign continues apace as we hear from WCC’s Head of Engineering Design Services, Nicola van der Hoven and from the two sisters building careers at BMW.

As always, all the articles in WMB contain all the connections and links you need to find out more about the wide range of business and skills support available. Please do get in touch.

Next month brings English Tourism Week so we reflect upon Warwickshire wonderful tourist offer, not least its country parks, and the integral role of the Visitor Sector to the county’s economy. One day soon, hopefully, spring will arrive – and when it does in this wonderful county we have so much to see and do.

We also reflect in this edition upon the global renown of Warwickshire’s manufacturing sector. All this and much more, including all the latest Upcoming Events and Local News-in-Brief.