Featured News
Becki's Education Centre business expanding in Brandon after grant
“The council’s support has been a huge help...people are loving the events we hold here and we couldn’t have done all the necessary work without the grant."
A village centre building is returning to community use and a progressive small business is expanding thanks to the support of Warwickshire County Council.
The Learn2 Education Centre (LEC) at Forge Cottage, in Rugby Road in the heart of Brandon, is now home to The Learn2 Group, an education and first aid training provider run by business owner Becki Coombe.
Becki identified the building, which was vacant and in serious need of refurbishment after decades as home to a fruit machine repair business, as having plenty of potential.
Just how much potential then became clear the more she explored the plot and now, backed by a Small Capital Grant from the County Council, Becki aims to make the renewed site a home for community use as well as her business’s meetings and training sessions.
The grant helped transform the property from dereliction into a delivery centre with training and conference spaces, a kitchen and breakout room and an outdoor space with potential to host all sorts of events.
“The council’s support has been a huge help,” said Becki. “We are absolutely thrilled with the refurbishment. People are loving the events we hold here and we couldn’t have done all the necessary work without the grant. The huge refurb jobs, like the roof and flooring and paving, look brilliant and those couldn’t have been done, certainly not to such high spec, without the support of the council.”
Becki has recently recruited a part-time wellbeing host/cleaner and is looking to add at least one new employee every year.
The Learn2 Group’s core business is highly constructive. A qualified and experienced teacher and trainer, Becki has been delivering educational and vocational courses to learners between the ages of 14 and 50 for over 15 years.
“I trained in education and worked predominantly with disaffected and disengaged young people. When I expanded with work within Mental Health training, I quickly realised that the majority of my proactive and positive behaviour management strategies and processes come right back around to mental health and wellbeing,” she said. “We have an open calendar of physical first aid and mental health first aid courses for adults and young people and suicide prevention has also become quite a big focus.”
Now, parallel to those courses, Becki intends The LEC to be a welcoming venue for all aspects of village life.
“I am keen to integrate into the community,” she said. “This is now a lovely building with great facilities and we are already hosting four professional business networking meetings, so the message is spreading. The village has been very welcoming and I’m really looking forward to being part of it for years to come.”
Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economy & Place, Cllr Martin Watson said: “Our Small Capital Grants programme has supported many small businesses and their employers over the years and continues to deliver vital support. The Learn2 Group is bringing a derelict site in Brandon back into the most constructive use and I am delighted that the grant will benefit not only Becki’s business but also the community.”
* To find out what other support is available to your business, please call CWGrowth Hub on 0300 060 3747
Queen's Award was just the beginning for Emma
“I can’t recommend The King’s Awards for Enterprise enough” - founder of Little Soap Company shares why all businesses should apply.
Warwickshire-based founder of Little Soap Company, Emma Heathcote-James, applied in 2021 for The Queen’s Award for Enterprise (QAE) – now known as The King’s Awards for Enterprise (KAE) – in the Innovation category for her company’s environmentally friendly Eco Warrior™ soap brand, and was hugely successful.
Following her experience of the application process, Warwickshire County Council spoke with Emma to find out why she applied and what benefits the Awards for Enterprise can bring to your business in Warwickshire.
Ahead of its time in 2008, Little Soap Company was created by Emma when she questioned why supermarkets didn’t offer any choice of natural or organic soaps. Now, almost 16 years later, and with nationwide distribution in supermarkets, chemists, and online retailers, the company’s latest multi-award-winning range Eco Warrior™ is entirely plastic free, formulating traditionally bottled liquids into bar form. Soap is no longer soap, with job-specific bars for hands, face, body, shave, and shampoo.
Emma decided to apply for a QAE as Little Soap Company is a proudly British business, supporting British manufacturing, jobs, and communities. After becoming a certified B Corp which recognised the company’s efforts in sustainability and driving a business with purpose, Emma reviewed how the business could better acknowledge its British roots; the innovative work they do for the industry; and become globally recognised as an outstanding British business. And what better way to represent this than an official award from Royalty?
The QAE, now known as the KAE, is the highest accolade available to UK businesses and recognises outstanding achievement across four different categories: Innovation, International Trade, Sustainable Development, and Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility).
Becoming a recipient of this award often brings unparalleled prestige, exposure, and credibility to a company, as well as pride and inspiration to employees. Key benefits also include improving opportunities to break into new markets, attracting new investment, raising awareness of brand and products, and attracting new talent. Speaking about how the award has benefited Little Soap Company, Emma said:
“There has been additional publicity which is always brilliant for any business, but on top of that there’s been the kudos. I emailed all our current buyers at the supermarkets and chemists the morning the results were published in the London Gazette – good news touch points are always great to have and nudging one buyer with the news made him put us forward for their wholesale arm, while another retailer agreed to list us in 500 stores, after five years of prior attempts to achieve a listing.
“In total we’ve got the opportunity to sell into a further 8,500 stores and chemists, which is huge and was absolutely spurred on by that news. We’ve been featured in the June issue of Entrepreneur Magazine - even making the front cover - as well as articles in SoGlos, The Stratford Herald, the summer edition of Midlands Living Magazine plus countless council, trade, and business articles.
“What I didn’t expect so much was the platform it’s given us to raise awareness of what’s important to us as a business – of course the usual climate change, the impact consumers can have with their purchasing decisions, the importance of female business leaders but more recently, bringing visibility for LGBTQ+ leaders. Receiving this award is by no means the end, it’s just the beginning.”
The process to apply for any of the four KAE categories is free, although requires plenty of time and consideration to finalise the answers required before this year’s deadline of midday on Tuesday 12 September 2023. Emma added:
“It was a real team effort pulling together all of the information needed for our QAE application. However, the application process did act as a good benchmark, as it reminded us of just how far Little Soap Company has come in the last sixteen years.
“I can't recommend The King’s Awards for Enterprise enough, and more so a shout out to women leaders – we need more applying! At events to promote these awards, there are very few of us and that really needs to change fast!”
Representatives from Little Soap Company attended a Royal reception at Buckingham Palace and were officially presented with their award by the Lord Lieutenant, The King’s representative in Warwickshire, in October 2022. All successful KAE companies are also able to fly the King’s Award flag at their main office and use the emblem on marketing materials for up to five years.
The Warwickshire Lieutenancy has prepared a locally focused brochure on the benefits of the KAE, and is available to support any Warwickshire-based businesses with their KAE applications. The Lieutenancy can be contacted by email at lieutenancy@warwickshire.gov.uk.
To find out more about the KAE, visit www.gov.uk/kings-awards-for-enterprise
Gabi and her team on a mission to keep us all safe
One of the aspects of business that can get overlooked is its safety. In the rush of the everyday, certain aspects can, with the best will in the world, slip. Sometimes it’s a case of simply not knowing what has to be done.
So, a very significant woman in the world of Warwickshire’s business community is Gabriella Ahnger – Gabi, to her friends and colleagues - who is a department manager in Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service’s Fire Protection Team. Here, Gabi introduces herself and her team.
We are a team of Inspecting Officers and Business Fire Safety Advisors that is tasked with the regulatory function on behalf of the fire service. This means that we have a statutory duty to enforce the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in premises to which it applies, i.e. commercial premises, other workplaces and premises open to the public.
However, this does not mean that all we do is police fire safety; our job involves so much more, all with the aim of making premises safe from fire. If you need advice on fire safety and what your obligations are, we are here to help!
I have been working in this team in one form or another for almost four years now and what a rewarding journey it has been. As a law graduate who decided not to pursue a career in legal practice, I can only describe it as a very happy coincidence that I ended up in Fire Protection.
I started in a temporary role as an administrative assistant at a time when inspector vacancies were about to be advertised. I applied, I was successful, and the more time I spent in the team, the more passionate I became about fire safety and the more motivated I became to make the team better, stronger, and more efficient in keeping our community safe.
As a result, I took the next step in my career at the start of last year when I became a team leader, and subsequently department manager earlier this year. During this time I have visited and been in contact with a wide variety of premises, but the main two questions I ask myself always remain the same. Firstly, has the fire risk been reduced to as low as reasonably practicable? Secondly, can people escape safely if there is a fire? The latter includes everything from fire alarm systems to making sure exit doors are easy to open. Whether the premises already has a good standard of safety or needs some help along the way does not matter so long as there is a genuine willingness to improve fire safety. The best results are always achieved when working together and remaining in frequent dialogue with businesses.
That is me and the team in a nutshell. You may already know about us if your premises has had a visit from one of our inspectors, or this may be new to you. Either way, we want to hear from you, and we want to get to know the businesses of Warwickshire. Find out more here or please get in touch by emailing firesafety@warwickshire.gov.uk or calling 01926 466 263.
Music school brings jobs and joy to village
"The grant from Warwickshire County Council was a huge help. Their support all-round has been fantastic."
Music and learning, along with jobs and joy, have been brought to a south Warwickshire village by an enterprising small business.
Gumbley’s Music School has occupied a prime two-storey building in the centre of Studley after owner Jason Gumbley, along with business partner John Board, identified the location in High Street as the perfect base.
Supported by a Small Capital Grant from Warwickshire County Council, Jason is now in the process of refurbishing the building which was part-derelict.
Guitar, bass, drum, piano and vocal lessons are already being delivered to students, aged from three to 88, who are enjoying the new facilities which include high-quality drumkits in a new room soundproofed to ensure no noise nuisance for neighbours.
Jason created the business in 2016 and ran it from home until its growth demanded a move to its own headquarters. It currently employs four tutors but will be looking to employ more in time.
The owner is delighted with the move and the warm welcome which he has received from the village community.
“Everyone has been really welcoming and that’s great because I really want our business to be part of the village,” he said. “I was a little bit nervous about that but was very quickly reassured. I think people quite like having a creative business on the High Street and we certainly love being here.
“The refurb looks great. We have gone for high quality kit so that our students know they will be using the best instruments and the grant for Warwickshire County Council was a huge help. Their support all-round has been fantastic.
“It was a musician friend from Derby who suggested that I check out what support might be available from the local council. I got in touch with Coventry & Warwickshire Growth Hub and they put me on to the County Council.
“I spoke to Sim Lee who was really helpful in telling us about all the potential support available and then Louisa Smith was brilliant in helping us through the process.
“Our students love the new rooms and we are well and truly up and running in Studley! As the moment we don’t have the resources to have somebody downstairs in reception all day but that is one of the planned next steps as the business grows.”
Jason also has exciting plans to expand the business upstairs by turning a currently derelict area into an events venue.
“The building has so much potential,” he said. “We want to make the top floor into a really cool venue which can be a centre for the arts. It will be great to host gigs here and particularly special when our own students are playing up there.”
Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economy & Place, Cllr Martin Watson, said: “This is a great story of a talented young entrepreneur who is bringing a vibrant, creative small business into a community to the benefit of all. I am delighted that a small capital grant from the County Council was the catalyst for it.”
* To find out what other support is available to your business, please call CWGrowth Hub on 0300 060 3747
Start up support will continue after new funding agreed
"It’s so important that we nurture our start-up businesses as they are the job and wealth creators of the future – so support such as this is vital.”
Warwickshire businesses in their very early stages can still access help to grow after a new round of funding was agreed.
Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s business support team is offering businesses that are less than two years old access to online workshops and masterclasses on everything from financial planning through to digital marketing as well as one-to-one sessions with an adviser.
During the last three years of support, the Warwickshire start-up service, which is delivered by the Chamber on behalf of Warwickshire County Council, has helped more than 400 start-up companies to start and grow, from graphic designers through to manufacturers.
The Chamber’s support for start-ups and early phase businesses was previously part-funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) but that ended in June following the UK’s exit from the European Union.
The new round of help is part-funded by the UK Government as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Funding via Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, Rugby Borough Council and Warwick District Council. Funding has also been provided by Warwickshire County Council, which is co-ordinating the contract on behalf of the local authorities in Warwickshire, and Stratford-on-Avon District Council.
This means support will continue until at least September and business owners are being urged to make the most of the help on offer.
Keely Hancox, Head of Operations at Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are very pleased to continue our start-up and early-phase business support programme across Warwickshire.
“The county has very strong levels of business start-ups and it is crucial that individuals can get the help they need and sometimes that is most important when they are one or two years in. At that stage, they have got themselves established but then realise that they need help with some business fundamentals to be able to keep going and – crucially – keep growing.
“By offering masterclasses and workshops, business owners can benefit from really sound advice in several areas that will help them in their day-to-day operations. On top of that, we have a team of advisers – who have all run their own successful businesses – who are on hand to offer one-to-one support and that is something that we’ve had very strong, positive feedback on over the course of our most recent programme.
“For our region to continue to be successful and keep growing, it’s so important that we nurture our start-up businesses as they are the job and wealth creators of the future – and support such as this is vital.”
Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economy & Place, Cllr Martin Watson, said: “The first two years of running a business can be immensely challenging in many ways as entrepreneurs get to grips with the realities of turning their ideas and dreams into successful going concerns. It is vital that they receive all the support they need at this time, and I am delighted that Warwickshire Start-Up Service will continue its excellent provision of this.”
For more information or to access the support from the Chamber, go to https://www.cw-chamber.co.uk/business-support/business-start-up/ email businesssupport@cw-chamber.co.uk or call 024 7665 4321.
* To find out what other support is available to your business, please call CWGrowth Hub on 0300 060 3747
Given a Fair Chance, Abdul proves the perfect fit
As a Fair Chance Employer, Rugby-based Exact Logistics have shown their commitment to recruiting the best people regardless of complex backgrounds or needs. This has led to their appointment of Abdul Ataie, a 29-year-old from Afghanistan, who arrived in the UK determined to find work, contribute fully to society and look after his family.
The result – a win-win for employer and employee...
In the spring of 2023, Karen Shuter, owner of Exact Logistics, was struggling to fill a vacancy that had arisen in their customs clearance office.
She had received plenty of applications for the role but none from an applicant with the requisite skills and experience. Then into her inbox landed a very intriguing CV – that of Abdul Ataie.
Abdul, his wife and young family arrived in the UK in January 2022. They first lived in a hotel in Northampton before settling in Coventry where he searched hard for work.
Abdul was educated in India before, aged 17, joining the military back in his native country, Afghanistan. He went on to build a successful career, training at the National Military Academy in Kabul and working his way up to Head of the Planning Department, teaching and training others. While working full-time he also studied part-time at University to qualifiy as a doctor, which he did in 2020.
When he moved to the UK, he wanted nothing more than to utilise his skills and qualifications to support his family. However, frustration followed as he applied for over 100 jobs without success.
Then Abdul applied to Exact Logistics and his application caught Karen's eye. He impressed at interview and was hired - and has continue to impress ever since.
He joined the company in May and hit the ground running, working on import and export paperwork, inputting data in preparation for HMRC. It is a role in which attention to detail and accuracy are vital and these are among the skills which he accumulated in his previous career.
Karen is amazed and delighted at how quickly Abdul settled and has become an important and popular member of the team.
"I received lots of CVs for the role, but Abdul's definitely shone through,“ Karen said. “I was keen to interview him to find out more about him and everything just fell into place. He got the job and is proving a fantastic recruit for us."
The business is fully cognisant of Abdul’s family commitments and his hours of work are tailored accordingly. With savings he had accrued, he was able to buy a car to enable him to commute to work and, although the company can only currently offer 16 hours a week, Karen is hoping this will soon increase.
She is conscious that, with Abdul's skills and experience, they may not have him for long, but they are loving having him on the team for now.
Heather Docksey, Business Skills Support Advisor at Warwickshire Skills Hub, said: “By choosing to look beyond Abdul's CV, Karen was able to see the person behind the skills and qualifications. That has proved to be a life-changing decision for him and his family and a great decision for the business which has found a fantastic employee.
“As a Fair Chance Employer, Exact Logistics have shown that, by being open to candidates from all backgrounds, they were able to recruit someone who is capable, enthusiastic keen and prepared to work hard.“
Seeds of Yellow Panther's success sown at 1 Mill Street
“The council has been great...very supportive and flexible and always quick to respond…really refreshing to deal with.”
A digital studio in Leamington Spa has grown from six employees to 35 in two years and is moving to the next level after harnessing local business support.
Yellow Panther began its journey at co-working space 1 Mill Street where it spent two happy and productive years before moving to a larger base in Waterloo Street.
Its growth continues. In August it will launch a new product, Push and Pull, on to the market and integral to its development has been a Digital Creative Recovery Co-Investment Fund grant from Warwickshire County Council.
The Digital Creative Recovery Co-Investment Fund was part of a package of measures delivered by the Council to support economic recovery following the pandemic. In the case of Yellow Panther, the grant was the catalyst for an enterprising small business to take another step forward.
The match funded £30,000 grant went towards software designed to get the new product out to the market.
“The grant has helped us massively at a really important time,” said Yellow Panther co-founder Stuart Cope. “We have spent 18 months building an exciting new platform called Push and Pull but we also have 25 current clients to serve so we are very busy. So the grant eased the pressure a lot.
“We invested the money in two full-time roles and one part-time role to create the marketing materials around the new product, ready to launch in August.
“The council has been great. The process of getting the grant was really smooth. Stacy O’Connor and Louisa Smith from the County Council have really helped us. They were very supportive and flexible and always quick to respond…really refreshing to deal with.”
The rise of Yellow Panther, which has offices in Manchester and India as well as Leamington, adds another dimension to the powerful digital offer of Warwick district and a big factor behind the business’s progress was its home in its formative years at co-working space 1 Mill Street.
“We started our journey at 1 Mill Street and it gave us the perfect start,” said Stuart. “We moved in four weeks after it opened and only moved out at the end of 2022 because we needed a bigger space. We loved working there.
“It really helped us scale. We won four contracts from other businesses in the building and worked with Ben Foster who we still work with today. Securing four clients in six months just by being in that building gave us a great Return on Investment.
“It’s just a really nice environment, a cool place to work where you build good relationships with other businesses and the staff. At 1 Mill Street you can just drop them an email and they’ll drop into the office for a coffee and you can catch up about the business in hand but also events going on in the area. It’s brilliant on every level.”
Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economy & Place, Cllr Martin Watson, said: “Yellow Panther is a great example of the sort of vibrant, creative small business which makes the Warwickshire offer and the local economy so strong.
“I am delighted that out Digital Creative Recovery Co-Investment Fund grant has proved of such value to them and enabled them to push forward and recruit. I am sure they will continue to go from strength to strength.”
* To find out what other support is available to your business, please call CWGrowth Hub on 0300 060 3747
95% would recommend CW Business: Start Grow & Scale programme support
"The whole programme was very motivational on many levels."
A programme delivered to help SMEs start, grow and scale has received immensely positive feedback in its Summative Assessment Summary Report.
Of respondents to a survey of businesses which received support from the CW Business: Start Grow & Scale programme, 94% felt their goals had been achieved, 71.1% said the programme made the future of their business feel more secure, 72% reported growth in their business and 85% said they had launched new products or services.
The CW Business: Start Grow & Scale programme, which ran from January 2019 to June 2023, supported 775 businesses with at least 12 hours of bespoke support which was a mix of workshops and 1-2-1 sessions with a specialist business advisor. A total of 233 people have been employed in newly created jobs as a direct result of the support while 115 people were assisted to create a new business.
As a result of the support, the businesses have been assisted to raise over £11million of new funding. These investment opportunities have enabled the businesses to scale up, grow and develop their business for the future.
Of the businesses that took part in the survey, 95% said they would recommend the programme or had already recommended it to fellow business owners or potential entrepreneurs.
The programme, part-funded and managed by Warwickshire County Council and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, comprised three main projects: Warwickshire Start-Up Support Service (for businesses in their first 24 months of trading or residents looking to start a business); Business Ready (support for tech-based early-stage businesses); and Project Warwickshire (Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality). Additional support was provided to creative businesses pre-2021 and advice and support to other businesses looking to grow with focus on access to finance. Funding was also provided by the five district and borough councils, University of Warwick Science Park and Coventry & Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust,
Comments from businesses included:
The most important thing I got out of the programme was the passion and drive and realisation that I can succeed with my business plans. The whole programme was very motivational on many levels.
The staff were fantastic. They helped before the grant, during and after - showing their expertise and help throughout.
A lot of the results were intangible but made a big difference to how we felt about things…a friendly and helpful face who could reassure us and advise was invaluable.
The majority of feedback highlighted positive outcomes for businesses and a strong desire for further future support from Warwickshire County Council and partners, with a focus upon access to finance and reducing carbon.
Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economy & Place, Cllr Martin Watson, said: “The CW Business: Start Grow & Scale programme was clearly an outstanding success and I would like to thank all the people at WCC and all our partners who managed and delivered it.
“It is very reassuring to read in the report that there is both great appreciation from businesses for the help they received from the programme and a clear appetite for more similar support in the future.”
Pictured above: Hayley Lineker and Gillian Dale who manage the programme for WCC (along with Annie Smith and Gaynor Valente) and Lead Commissioner (Economy & Skills) Matthew Epps
Business urged to get involved with plan to further strengthen Warwickshire's economy
“We want to hear from businesses on this because their views a vital in ensuring that we get this right.”
Businesses in Warwickshire are being asked to give feedback on plans to grow the regional economy.
Dave Ayton-Hill, Director of Economy & Place at Warwickshire County Council, was a guest speaker at Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Mid-Warwickshire Branch meeting, which took place at Ashorne Hill Conference Centre.
He talked through the current strengths of the regional economy and how a new Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) for Warwickshire will help to build on those successes and create a more sustainable and inclusive economy – and underlined the need for business to help shape the plans.
The Warwickshire economy, the meeting heard, generates £19 billion in output and has strengths in automotive and future mobility, tourism and hospitality, digital and in the rural economy and agriculture.
The new SEP, said Ayton-Hill, will aim to support start-up and scale-up businesses with potential for high growth as well as investing in infrastructure and connectivity to help enable economic growth. It will target support for employment to make sure all communities benefit from business success and would also support the transition towards Net Zero.
Ayton-Hill said: “We have set a direction of travel for the SEP that builds on the success of Warwickshire, which is one of the fastest growing regional economies in the country.
“We want to ensure that more people can benefit from our economic growth and that we support businesses on the journey to Net Zero. Ultimately, we want an economy that can grow even more quickly and becomes more inclusive and sustainable.
“We want to hear from businesses on this because their views a vital in ensuring that we get this right.”
The meeting also heard from Dr Isabella Moore CBE, who has launched a community interest company called Olderpreneur Alliance which aims to encourage and support more over-50s to start their own businesses.
Moore, a past president of the Chamber, said: “I have carried out detailed research into why people over-50 don’t tend to start businesses – it can be anything from confidence through to not knowing where to access to support. We want to change that. “Not only does running a business keep older people active and engaged, it also adds significantly to the UK economy. We are currently running a proof of concept test in Scotland, and how that fares will form the basis of how we progress.”
Jim Scott, the chairman of Leamington Football Club, outlined the role the club plays in the community and discussed progress on the planned community stadium off Gallows Hill.
Neil Curtis, Managing Director of Net Visibility, chaired the meeting.
He said: “We were fortunate enough to have three excellent speakers who have real insight to the Mid-Warwickshire branch.
“I would encourage businesses across Warwickshire to take time to fill in the SEP survey as it is an opportunity to shape the future of the county’s economy.” The survey can be found here.
* To find out what other support is available to your business, please call CWGrowth Hub on 0300 060 3747
Adult numeracy projects encouraged to apply for Multiply funding
"We are very pleased to work with our partners across the county to really address local numeracy needs and make sure that, if adults have barriers to getting on and prospering in the workplace, we can help to overcome them."
Organisations with ideas for adult numeracy projects are being encouraged to apply for a pot of funding before the deadline on Monday 7 August 2023.
The Multiply Project is a scheme, launched by the Government, to offer organisations funding for ideas that can redress the growing problem of poor numeracy in adults.
It was launched in response to research which showed that around 17 million adults in England – half of the working-age population – have the numeracy skills of primary school children.
To address this in Warwickshire, the County Council has received funding via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund over a three-year period to deliver programmes to adults who do not already have a GCSE grade C/4 or higher in Maths or an equivalent qualification. This latest tranche of funding is the second call for organisations to apply.
The County will be working with local partners, including the five District and Borough Councils, community and voluntary organisations and the education sector, to identify local projects and allocate over 2 million pounds which has been made available to Warwickshire until March 2025. Of this funding, close to £600K remains which is the basis of the current call out.
The previous round of funding in Warwickshire took place last summer with the County Council able to successfully fund the following projects:
Pet-Xi – Designed to help people to use maths in daily life. Priority groups are the over-50s, economically inactive & unemployed residents, adults with learning difficulties and disabilities.
Coventry & Warwickshire Co-operative Development Agency: Money, Money, Maths – Using their existing community links to make links with residents who might not otherwise engage, this course offered a combination of one-to-one and group activities outside of formal standard educational settings.
Warwickshire Adult & Community Learning (ACL): Multiply Plus – Activities included intensive individual support for residents who want to achieve a Functional Skills Qualification, targeting learners who can’t attend a traditional class as their work commitments are not at fixed times, or they are experiencing mental ill health; and those who are geographically isolated.
The Council is keen to ensure that any new projects that are funded should complement the three projects above and is particularly looking to support projects run with the County’s various employers.
Cllr Martin Watson, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Economy, said: “Poor numeracy skills can hold people back from having the confidence to get on in life and into the world of work. We are very pleased to work with our partners across the county to really address local numeracy needs and make sure that, if adults have barriers to getting on and prospering in the workplace, we can help to overcome them.
“It’s not only about helping people to prosper in their working lives, through Multiply Funding there is the scope to fund projects which can help parents who are wanting to better support their kids with their Maths homework so we can pass the benefit onto other generations.”
The deadline for applications is Monday 7 August and organisations can find out more and apply by visiting: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/adult-learning-training-courses/new-multiply-projects
Find out more about the Warwickshire Multiply scheme and apply for funding before the deadline on Monday 7 August 2023 at 12.00noon https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/multiply
Free to enter Foodie Awards are now open
"The Foodie Awards do a brilliant job of recognising the best independent businesses and individuals that keep our local food industry thriving."
The 2023 Coventry & Warwickshire Foodie Awards are now open, and they are FREE to enter.
Now in its third year, these Foodie Awards also follow the successful and inaugural Gloucestershire Foodie Awards held in March of this year.
Jonathan Smith, Foodie Awards Founder, and Director, explained, "Our emphasis is very much on the people and the product and their stories and why they do what they do. It's about promoting locally sourced food and drinks and supporting those businesses who do so."
There are eighteen awards to enter, and participants can apply for as many categories as applicable. New in 2023 include Craft Drink Award, Non-Alcoholic Drinks Award, The Fosse Way Foodie Award, Wine or Spirit Producer Award, Vegan Taste Award, and Culinary Excellence Award. Special awards include the Food Hero and Young Foodie Awards. The full list can be found: https://www.cwfoodieawards.co.uk/enter-foodie-awards-2023.
Key sponsors of the 2023 include: Visit Coventry and Visit Warwickshire. Paul Jones, Managing Director of Visit Coventry, said: "We're proud to have been involved in planning the Coventry & Warwickshire Foodie Awards and being the headline sponsor from the very start. Back in 2021, food and drink businesses were slowly starting to reopen after the pandemic, and these awards were our way of offering much-needed support to a sector hugely important to Coventry, contributing around 30% to our visitor economy spend.
"Today, the cost-of-living crisis and soaring utilities costs mean that continued support is needed now more than ever. Coventry has a hugely diverse and vibrant food and drink scene, and these awards spotlight the amazing quality, variety, and talent we offer."
Christian M Paynton, CEO of another key sponsor, United Fresh Consortium, said: "The United Fresh Consortium is pleased to support the regional foodie awards because we believe in promoting and celebrating the regional food industry and all its benefits. Supporting these awards not only helps recognise the hard work and dedication of local growers, food producers, chefs, and restaurants, but it also helps to promote the importance of supporting local/ regional within a sustainable supply chain and our region's unique culinary experiences. In supporting these awards, we hope to encourage the growth of the local food industry and contribute to our broader community's vibrant food culture."
Katie Todd, @VegFoodEnthusiast, and Vegan Food Festivals, won the 2022 Young Foodie Award. She has since launched her foodie social media and events business and is a 2023 judge and key supporter.
She said: "I was honoured to win Young Foodie of The Year last year. The Foodie Awards do a brilliant job of recognising the best independent businesses and individuals that keep our local food industry thriving.
"I am delighted to be on the judging panel for the new Vegan Taste Award this year. This is a fantastic opportunity to champion vegan-friendly businesses across Warwickshire and Coventry, celebrating those who go above and beyond with their plant-based offerings."
The awards are free to enter, and the award entry deadline is 1 September 2023. For more information, please visit www.foodieawards.co.uk.
New roles created in sustainability as Rugby business expands
Exergyn recruiting for new positions and providing sustainability in both technology and jobs after opening new £500,000 office
A cleantech company in eastern Warwickshire has announced the creation of 15 new roles in line with the opening of its new office.
The new roles at Exergyn will be across engineering after the company invested £500,000 in the new centre, redesigning it for its new purpose which will indirectly support more jobs in the region, and allow the company to benefit from an established solid supply chain network.
Exergyn is a clean energy tech producer that specialises in the design and development of heating and cooling technologies based on expertise in solid-state shape memory alloy (SMA) materials for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC).
The new base of operations will be focused on prototype testing and the location will allow the cleantech company to benefit from a highly skilled engineering workforce already present in and around Rugby. Skills from other advanced manufacturing sectors such as automotive and aerospace can be leveraged by Exergyn. Using its expertise in the application of SMA, Exergyn designs and manufactures thermal management product solutions which are set to significantly lower carbon emissions and compliance costs in the heating and cooling of buildings and water, both domestic and commercial.
Rugby Borough, as part of Warwickshire county and the wider West Midlands, has been very successful in attracting investment in green energy and zero-carbon transport technologies. The region is home to the Manufacturing Technology Centre, and to major brands such as Cadent, London EV Company, and GE Power Conversion. Net zero carbon transport technologies in Coventry and Warwickshire already account for approximately 50,000 jobs in the area.
Given the strong presence of manufacturing companies, Rugby has become the ideal location for businesses such as Exergyn as it provides direct access to well-established suppliers of materials and components. This, combined with access to talent within the area will enable the commercial production of groundbreaking, clean technology products.
Figures from the IEA show that the global market for key mass-manufactured clean energy technologies will be worth around $650 billion USD (£542 billion) a year by 2030 – more than three times today’s level. This would see clean energy manufacturing jobs more than double from 6 million to nearly 14 million by 2030. According to the UN, in order to prevent the worst impacts of climate change and maintain life on earth, global temperature increase needs to be kept to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The work being undertaken in Rugby has the potential to positively impact the wider society in the long term.
Invest in Coventry & Warwickshire, worked with West Midlands Growth Company to provide the Exergyn team with information on supply chain and skills and helped the company identify temporary office space while their new facility at Stepnell Park was readied. Invest is the inward investment service for the city of Coventry and the county of Warwickshire, and works to support businesses expanding or setting up in the area for the first time.
Cllr Martin Watson, Portfolio Holder for Economy & Place at Warwickshire County Council, said: "Warwickshire has long been at the forefront of vehicle propulsion and power technologies and, in recent years, has become a major centre for the development and deployment of low carbon technologies in automotive, rail, energy, and other applications. The county is a popular location for foreign direct investment and Exergyn's expansion here is welcome news for the region and matches the County Council's ambitions for its residents to have access to highly-skilled employment in new and emerging green technologies.
"Exergyn, with its innovative shape memory alloys, will fit well with existing supply chains, and in Stepnell Park in Rugby a modern and well-located new UK home. We have two excellent industry-linked universities, two UK Catapult Centres including the MTC at Ansty and access to a range of industry within easy reach of Rugby.”
Commenting on the new office, Exergyn co-founder and chief executive, Dr. Kevin O'Toole, said: "This is a very exciting time for Exergyn. We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to have a new base in a region where engineering pedigree has always been held in such high regard and we look forward to recruiting new R&D positions.
"Rugby and the surrounding communities have so much to offer from their well-connected supply lines to the wealth of experience from a multitude of disciplines already present in the area. We look forward to making this our UK home and, in turn, we hope we can offer the community part of ourselves and to add to the growing development of cleantech in Rugby.”
* To find out what other support is available to your business, please call CWGrowth Hub on 0300 060 3747
CDA support helps DWRM to help more students in prison
"Services have now expanded to include workshops for staff and students, pre-employability skills training and post release support to enable people leaving prison to access university, training courses or employment."
A Kineton-based business which supports prisoner rehabilitation is expanding its reach and growing its influence following support from Coventry & Warwickshire CDA.
Many people in prison had negative experiences in the education system in their early lives. These experiences often masked an intellectual ability which was denied the chance to flourish by a lack of opportunity to pursue university level education.
This, in turn, denied them access to professional roles in which they can engage in policy making and wield an influence on the very systems that contributed to their disadvantage. DWRM (Doing What Really Matters) sets out to break this vicious circle and enable these voices to be heard.
DWRM Consultants was set up in the belief that education is central to prisoner rehabilitation. Its two executive directors, Ruth McFarlane and Daniel Whyte, have extensive experience in the sector and had developed an ambitious plan to increase the number of students accessing Further and Higher Education in prison to 25% of the prison population within 10 years – an increase of 20,000 students.
The company incorporated as a Community Interest Company in July 2020 with support from Coventry and Warwickshire CDA (CWCDA) and funding from the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme. CWCDA, who were funded at the time by the European Regional Development Fund and Warwickshire County Council, provided support throughout the start-up process. The focus was on business planning, the theory of change, social impact measurement and support for funding bids.
CWCDA also supported the incorporation application to Companies House and the Community Interest Company regulator. Following incorporation, further support has been provided in relation to corporate structure, Corporate Social Responsibility, commercial contracts and employment policies and procedures.
Based in Kineton, DWRM are now providing professional support and challenge to universities, working closely with His Majesty’s Probation and Prison Service (HMPPS) and the Ministry of Justice to ensure a high quality of educational support for students in prison. Other partners include His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons, Westminster University and Maximus.
Services have now expanded to include workshops for staff and students, pre-employability skills training and post release support to enable people leaving prison to access university, training courses or employment.
DWRM currently has six members of staff and has ambitious plans for expansion. They have recently signed an agreement to receive £150,000 of social investment funding from the Big Issue Growth Impact Fund.
Demand for higher level education in prisons has never been higher but, to date, the options have been quite limited. Currently about 1,500 people in prison (out of a population of 82,000) are studying for a degree. Evidence from the Prisoners’ Education Trust indicates that people who study at a higher level while in prison have much lower re-offending rates than those who do not, leading to significant cost savings for the taxpayer, as well as individual benefits.
“Ever since I started studying, my mental health has improved dramatically,” said one prisoner. “My tutors have been incredibly helpful and I am enjoying working on my assignments.”
DWRM, supported by CWCDA, aims to open those doors for many more people in prison.
DWRM Executive Director, Ruth McFarlane said: "We really appreciated the support from Andy at CWCDA to guide us through the early days of incorporation and help ensure that we had a really strong basis to start our business."
Andy Wynne from Coventry and Warwickshire CDA said: "It has been a pleasure to work with such an innovative organisation and to watch the business take off in such a promising way."
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Warwickshire County Council is committed to supporting and helping to deliver a diverse and sustainable social enterprise sector. For more information about support available please visit https://cwcda.co.uk/contact-us/
New era of support will bring stability to businesses
"It is critical that the right body is in place for businesses to liaise with, one which can identify the best and most appropriate support and to make referrals into these programmes of support."
The new era in Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub’s history will give the region’s companies stability and consistency to receive top-level business support services following political approval.
Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub was set-up in 2014 as part of the Government’s City Deal funding and became a subsidiary of Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP).
Since then, it has been funded by the Department for Business and Trade, the European Regional Development Fund and Coventry and Warwickshire’s local authorities, district and borough councils. The organisation became a separate entity in March this year following the Government’s decision to integrate Local Enterprise Partnerships into local democratic institutions.
Now, Coventry City Council and Warwickshire County Council have agreed at Cabinet meetings to become joint shareholders and join the board of the new company.
A new board of directors will be formed to involve representatives from the private and public sector throughout the area.
Sarah Windrum, former Chair of CWLEP, said the remaining funds from its closure after 12 years had been transferred to CW Growth Hub.
She said: “Since March 31, it has been business as usual for the Growth Hub in terms of providing help, information and advice to businesses across Coventry and Warwickshire.
“The Growth Hub has transitioned smoothly from being part of CWLEP to a stand-alone entity and the decisions at Cabinet level by Coventry City Council and Warwickshire County Council for the shareholding agreement in the company to be ratified means this is a new era for this successful business-led support service.
“The local authorities will have equal shares as shareholders, underlining the partnership approach which was the hallmark of CWLEP and the bedrock of our success in securing funding for projects to drive economic growth throughout Coventry and Warwickshire, from large capital infrastructure investments to careers support for the future talent pipeline.”
Cllr Martin Watson, portfolio holder for economy at Warwickshire County Council, said: “Warwickshire County Council recognises the importance of a single front door for business support and the clarity that that gives businesses. There is a wealth of support available to businesses in the region which can only maximise its effectiveness if they know where and how to access it.
"It is critical that the right body is in place for businesses to liaise with, one which can identify the best and most appropriate support and to make referrals into these programmes of support. We wanted to maintain this function across the Coventry and Warwickshire area, and we have worked closely with Coventry City Council to create this new structure.”
Councillor Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change at Coventry City Council, said: “I’m really pleased that the good and much-valued services of the Growth Hub can continue. Having a job or the chance to work is really important, it changes lives for the better – so it’s good news that the Growth Hub will continue to support local businesses which in turn will secure and create new job opportunities.”
Craig Humphrey, Chief Executive Officer of CW Growth Hub, added: “We have been mindful of the regionalisation of funding and the fragmentation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund but the most important aspect is that our level of services have remained constant to businesses throughout our patch.
“That is really important because businesses crave stability and consistency and these political decisions mean we will carry on delivering the best possible support to firms ranging from early life to scale ups.
“We have also integrated Coventry & Warwickshire Champions and CW Business Solutions into the CW Growth Hub Group so we are looking forward to the future with purpose and ambition to continue to ensure our Growth Hub is one of the best in the country.”
* To find out what support is available to your business, please call CWGrowth Hub on 0300 060 3747
Businesses invited to improve suicide prevention and awareness
The Coventry and Warwickshire Suicide Prevention Partnership is inviting local businesses to their conference, taking place on Monday 11 September at Holiday Inn Coventry M6, Jct.2.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about specialist support services, understand local intelligence about suicide and hear national and regional updates. They will be invited to identify opportunities to help reduce deaths by suicide and the impact of suicide on communities, and help shape the local delivery of the new C&W Suicide Prevention Strategy.
If you are interested in supporting suicide safer workplaces, organisations, services and communities, please register for your place on Eventbrite.
The conference is open to representatives from public, private and voluntary sectors and will be taking place 9am – 4.30pm. A full agenda will be shared closer to the time.
For more information, please contact phadmin@warwickshire.gov.uk.
Driving for Better Business
Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership is partnering with Driving for Better Business (DfBB) to promote the free scheme to businesses across Warwickshire who employ or manage drivers.
Driving for work is one of the highest risk activities most employees undertake. Managing those who drive for work can bring significant benefits to your business in terms of reducing risk, controlling costs and enhancing efficiency.
The DfBB programme provides a simple framework for businesses to follow and essential tools, information and resources to help improve both the safety of your drivers and of other road users on Warwickshire’s roads. The programme includes essential information and legislation that commercial drivers should know, including driver hours, weight limits, and vehicle roadworthiness.
The partnership is asking businesses who employ drivers to register today and set up your personalised dashboard at: https://www.drivingforbetterbusiness.com/region/warwickshire/sign-up/
Economic outlook for Coventry and Warwickshire remains positive.
The economic outlook for the Coventry and Warwickshire area is still in positive territory but only just, according to a new survey of companies in the region.
Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES), which is completed by businesses across the city and the county, showed a decrease in positivity compared to the previous quarter.
The survey, delivered in partnership with Prime Accountants Group, is analysed by the Economy & Skills Group at Warwickshire County Council. From the responses of businesses across the services and manufacturing sector, it gives scores out of 100 where anything above 50 is positive and below is negative.
In both services and manufacturing the overall outlook dropped, creating an overall economic outlook of 50.6 compared to 55.3 in the previous quarter. It means the regional prospects are still positive, but only just.
The reduction is due to falls in domestic sales which have dropped below 50 in the service sector (48.5) and are down from 60.2 to 55.9 in manufacturing, while investment & cashflow has dropped to 45.2 in the service sector and 39.0 in manufacturing. Better news was an increase in export sales, particularly in manufacturing, up to 57.7 from 48.5.
On the employment side, the service sector was down from 56.4 to 51.6 and in manufacturing it dropped from 65.9 to 54.4 meaning a slightly less positive picture regarding recruitment intentions. Of companies looking to recruit, 84 per cent of businesses in the service sector said they had experienced difficulties and 80 per cent of manufacturers backed up that assessment.
Confidence among businesses was still relatively strong across the region, sitting at 58.0 in the service sector and 60.3 in manufacturing.
Todd Williams, Insight Analyst (Economy & Skills) at Warwickshire County Council, said: “Quarter two at a national level remained flat as inflation persists and concerns over interest rates are growing, while recruiting difficulties continue. However, the latest QES results show the local economy maintaining optimism despite the ongoing economic adversity.
“The results show that the overall economic outlook index for Coventry and Warwickshire contrasts the national trend. Local manufacturing businesses remain optimistic versus a national pessimism, while local service businesses are less optimistic than the national average.
“While there are local short-term concerns, especially cash flow for manufacturing businesses and ongoing pessimism for exporting services, both the local manufacturing and service sectors show confidence that business is expected to improve over the next 12 months.”
Corin Crane, Chief Executive of Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Across the region, businesses are working really hard to grow and make a difference in their communities – and they continue to show incredible resilience in the face of some of the most difficult challenges our economy has faced in decades.
“The QES provides us with an acid test of how companies are feeling and the issues they are facing. As a Chamber, we then work with our partners to analyse those results and feed them into colleagues at the British Chambers of Commerce.
“What we can see right now is that the regional economy is finely balanced – still in positive territory, but only just. We know there are strong ambitions to grow but, with interest rates rising, inflation stubbornly high and a recruitment crunch, it is tough.
“We’d urge businesses in need of support to get in touch with the team at the Chamber to help them to grow and continue the amazing work they are doing.”