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Grant was the springboard for Top of the Rock to soar
"They express themselves on the drums and they express themselves to us and it's really beautiful - six hours of the day when it's just the music."
A drum tuition studio in Warwick is set to expand and reach further into the community - and founder Kris Farrell says the catalyst for its success was perfectly-timed grant support from Warwickshire County Council.
Professional drummer Kris opened Top of the Rock Tuition at the West End Centre, Hampton Road, early in 2020. Two days later came lockdown with all its challenges but the brand new business struck an immediate chord with customers young and old.
The business having become established at the most difficult time, then came the opportunity to grow and in 2021 Kris applied for an Adapt & Diversify Grant from the County Council. This enabled him to buy two top-quality electric drum kits, a laptop and, crucially, recording equipment to deliver lessons online.
The support truly took the brakes off a business which has now grown to employ ten people and bring the joy of music to more than 300 tutees plus pupils at ten local schools. Its Warwick studio at full capacity, Top of the Rock is set to open a second base in Coventry.
“A year ago we had 120 pupils and facility for two lessons at a time,” said Kris. “But we added a third room and are now fully booked every day. We have more than 300 pupils, work in ten schools and are opening a studio in Coventry.
“Our ten staff visit schools during the day then see pupils in the evening. It has gone amazingly and the catalyst for all this was the council grant. We were just getting on our feet again after Covid and having that extra support meant we could go online and stay connected to our pupils. Then when things returned to normal, we had all this top quality gear which the kids love using.
“It wouldn't have been possible without the grant - the positive impact of it on the business has been immeasurable."
The uplifting story of Top of the Rock far transcends its business success. While it brings employment and adds to the county’s wonderfully diverse small business offer, it is also enriching the lives of young people through the power of music.
“We are a business but hopefully much more than that,” said Kris. “We are huge mental health advocates. I come from an unstable background and know how playing the drums helped with my anger management and just helped me clear my head. A lot of kids come here with problems or disabilities and other musical instruments might not be so accessible for them, but drums are universal. It's man's first instrument - even before we used our voices we were communicating by hitting stuff. I think it's innate in everyone.
"Our Scholarship Fund gives free lessons for disadvantaged kids and while, as with any business, there are difficult days, as soon as the music starts it's brilliant. You see the smiles on faces and the confidence we give them just by being a reliable, friendly presence in their lives. We sometimes feel like therapists because people feel they can open up to us. They express themselves on the drums and they express themselves to us and it's really beautiful - six hours of the day when it's just the music.
“My staff are extraordinary. Some have degrees, some just learned the drums in their bedrooms, but they are all brilliant with people. We work with some of the best drummers in the country, but just as enjoyable and rewarding for us is working with kids who have never picked up a drumstick before.
“We've also now moved into guitars so there is just no more room for growth in our Warwick studio so we are planning the same set-up in Coventry. I'm really excited - it feels like I've built a big ship and am now setting off on an adventure in a little dinghy, but in five years time hopefully we'll have five or six studios.”
In total during its two rounds, the Adapt & Diversify scheme supported 120 small businesses with grants amounting to just under £1.4million
Warwickshire County Council’s Assistant Director for Communities, Dave Ayton-Hill, said: “Top of the Rock Tuition is a real success story and Kris and his team deserve huge credit for making the business such a success and engaging with schools in such a positive way.
“I am delighted that our Adapt & Diversify Fund was such a catalyst for Top of the Rock and so successful in supporting so many small businesses at a very challenging time. It was a really effective scheme and stories like Kris’s vindicate all the investment and hard work from the WCC teams that underpinned it.”
* To find out what other support is available to your business, please call CWLEP Growth Hub on 0300 060 3747
Warwickshire towns offered "great place leadership" by WCC
"In many ways, I think the work that Aaron Corsi and his team do is best practice and I think a lot more regions should aspire to the level of place leadership that they demonstrate."
The 2023 Warwickshire Towns Network Conference “stimulated new discussions and connections” which will now be taken forward to benefit the economy county-wide, believes Joe Barratt, Expert Co-Ordinator of the High Streets Task Force.
Barratt was among the speakers at the conference in his role with the Task Force which has been running since 2019 with a remit to support 150 locations across the UK.
He loved seeing the passion and commitment on show from towns and villages across Warwickshire to work together to overcome the challenges facing high streets today.
“What I appreciated most about the conference was how it stimulated new discussions and connections between all those who attended, setting the stage for further collaboration and progress in the region,” he said. “I look forward to carrying these discussions on, including how we can put a regional strategy of support in place for young people through the delivery of Teenage Market events.
“I was incredibly impressed by the leadership shown by Warwickshire County Council in bringing together 80 stakeholders from across the region for the conference. The session provided a great opportunity to share the High Street’s Task Force’s frameworks for revitalisation and see the Institute of Place Management's principles put into practice, with the Atherstone Town Partnership standing out as a shining example of what can be achieved when communities work together.”
The Towns Network Conference was a resounding success and Barratt paid tribute to the County Council team which organised it – and delivers support week in and week out for the towns of Warwickshire.
“What’s great about Warwickshire is that at Warwickshire County Council you have got great place leadership on show,” he said. “They do a fantastic job in coordinating the towns to network, not just in terms of organising the conference but in all the work they do behind the scenes. In many ways, I think the work that Aaron Corsi and his team do is best practice and I think a lot more regions should aspire to the level of place leadership that they demonstrate.
“That leadership is so important because a collective approach is the only way forward. It’s all about redefining the high street. The high streets of yesteryear were mainly places of retail. Our mission is to talk about how we need to move away from that monoculture of retail and much more towards a diverse mixture - health, housing, culture, education and green space, making places that people want to visit and stay in.
“Warwickshire has some amazing towns, great raw material, so it’s just a question of how we make the most of them.”
Nuneaton has the best growth potential in the UK
“It's clear from the fact that there are shops opening in Nuneaton that people are already looking to invest here and for the town to be named as number one for potential is brilliant news."
Nuneaton has been named as the town offering the best economic opportunities in the whole of the UK in 2023 according to a highly-respected expert report.
The 2023 UK Vitality Index is an annual health assessment of the UK’s largest towns and cities outside London, undertaken by property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton.
The report includes an Opportunity Ranking and this year that list is topped by Nuneaton, ahead of St Helens, Wigan, Telford and Wakefield.
Such growth potential was identified due to the population growth forecasts for 20-44-year-olds in Nuneaton and the input of government funding, the town having made successful bids to the Future High Streets Fund and Towns Fund.
Nuneaton is also benefiting from the Transforming Nuneaton Programme, delivered by Warwickshire County Council and Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council. This is a suite of projects designed to provide Nuneaton with the economic boost it needs and help it become a strong hub for its community.
Transforming Nuneaton focuses on diversifying the offer in the town centre, recognising that the town needs to evolve to meet the needs of our future communities. The programme is creating opportunities for new businesses by opening up new office work spaces, growing the leisure offer, specifically at Grayson Place, so that people have new reasons to come into the town.
The programme is also supporting skills and education by facilitating the provision of new learning spaces in the town centre, bringing in new residential schemes and improving local infrastructure to enable the town to grow.
The funding secured by the councils, from both government and internal capital investment, has driven the programme forward. Delivery is picking up pace as a new hotel begins to take shape and key demolition begins to make way for the new leisure offer.
All these initiatives are helping the resurgence of Nuneaton and for the town to be pinpointed by independent experts as a home of such rich potential is “brilliant news,” says Jo Williams, who runs Joco Gifts and Terry's Bed Centre in Queens Road.
"It's absolutely fantastic, said Jo. “It's clear from the fact that there are shops opening in Nuneaton that people are already looking to invest here and for the town to be named as number one for potential is brilliant news.
“There's going to be such a buzz around the town in the months and years ahead with all the planned redevelopment work and opportunities coming up, not only for retail but leisure facilities, office space and residential and the college is moving into the town centre.
“It’s no wonder people from outside are looking at us and saying, 'I want a part of that.' That’s great to see. Now some local people need to share that positivity about what we have got rather than dwelling on negativity about what we don't have.
“We all know things have been a little bit tough but I'm really positive about Nuneaton town Centre. I've lived here all my life and have invested tens of thousands of pounds in the businesses and am really proud to be here.”
Warwickshire County Council’s Strategic Director for Communities, Mark Ryder said: “It is excellent news that the rich economic potential of Nuneaton, which we all know about here locally, has been identified at a national level. Everyone that reads this well-respected list will no doubt want to know more about Nuneaton and we will warmly welcome their interest and hopefully their investment.
“The Transforming Nuneaton programme continues to advance excitingly and WCC will continue to do everything it can to support and promote the town.”
Warwickshire FDI excellence recognised by international awards
"Warwickshire is one of the most attractive investment locations for business in the UK, and we continue to be innovative and proactive in the support we provide to business, such as the recently launched Property Infrastructure Fund.”
Warwickshire’s place as a leading centre for FDI foreign direct investment has been recognised in the latest ‘fDi Intelligence’s European Cities and Regions of the Future 2023 FDI Awards.
The Coventry & Warwickshire area placed third for FDI Strategy, and top 10 placings for Economic potential (ranked 8th) and business friendliness (ranked 9th). The rankings benchmark European cities and regions according to their economic, financial, and business strengths.
The local investment strategy stood out due to the strength of its soft-landing support, close collaboration with local partners and unique offer to inward investors, with OLA Electric, Polestar and Switch Mobility amongst recent new investors into the area.
Data released by the Department for Business & Trade (formerly the Department for International Trade) for 2022 revealed that the area attracted 45 foreign investment projects in the year 2021/22, maintaining the trend of recent years. Key local sectors featured strongly in the data, with 15 of these projects related to software and games development, ten related to automotive and future mobility, and five to e-commerce and logistics.
Coventry & Warwickshire area is the highest performing area in the Midlands per capita, where the number of projects is compared to the local population. For 2022 the area scored one project per 26,000 people, with the next comparable LEP area coming in at one project per 31,000, and elsewhere as low as one in 71,000.
Overall, the Coventry and Warwickshire area has seen 19,519 jobs created from 347 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects over the last eight years (to 2022).
Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Coventry & Warwickshire all took top-three rankings in their respective categories, emphasising the attractiveness of the West Midlands’ inward investment offer. The West Midlands is the best performing region outside of London and the South-east for FDI investment.
Mark Ryder, Strategic Director for Communities at Warwickshire County Council, said: “These rankings emphasise the strength of our FDI proposition to new and existing investors, the work we do with partners and the innovative approaches we are taking to attract investment, including foreign investment to the county.
Warwickshire is one of the most attractive investment locations for business in the UK, and we continue to be innovative and proactive in the support we provide to business, such as the recently launched Property Infrastructure Fund”.
Warwickshire County Council provides soft-landing support to businesses looking to set up in the UK Midlands, through Invest Coventry & Warwickshire. More information can be found on the dedicated website, www.investcw.co.uk
Record number of start-ups in Warwickshire
"It has long been our commitment at Warwickshire County Council to support start ups in every was we can. I would urge anyone considering starting a business, or in the early stages of running one, to get in touch and see how we can help.”
More new businesses were established in Warwickshire during 2022 than in any previous year to date, making it one of the UK’s most successful counties.
A total of 5,540 new formations were registered in Warwickshire in 2022, an increase of 8.3% on 2021 when 5,117 were recorded. This brings the number of registered companies in the county to an all-time high of 42,564.
The statistics are taken from the Inform Direct Review of Company Formations, using data from Companies House and the Office for National Statistics.
Warwick formed the highest number of new businesses (1,513), followed by Stratford-on-Avon (1,438) and Rugby (991).
John Korchak, Managing Director at Inform Direct said: “It is great that Warwickshire can celebrate a record year for the number of new businesses established. The last few years have been turbulent for businesses, with inflation and a cautious economic outlook following the impact of the pandemic. However, in these figures we see evidence of the ambition, creativity and resilience of entrepreneurs in Warwickshire, as well as the benefits from the county’s support for a range of enterprises.”
Warwickshire County Council has played a significant part in the surge of new businesses. It offers support via its Start-up programme, delivered by Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce on behalf of the Council, and Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust’s JumpStart programme. It also offers support to tech-based start-ups via the Business Ready programme with University of Warwick Science Park and loans for start-up and early stage businesses via its Local Communities & Enterprise Fund.
WCC’s Start-up programme and Business Ready, part of the CW Business: Start, Grow and Scale Programme, have supported 500 businesses under 24 months old and individuals starting a business, while Jumpstart has supported a further 225 individuals.
Warwickshire County Council’s Lead Commissioner for Business & Economy, Matthew Epps, said: “It is great news that so many new businesses are launching in Warwickshire and shows that the spirit of entrepreneurialism for which the county is renowned remains as vibrant as ever.
“It is long been our commitment at Warwickshire County Council to support start ups in every was we can. I would urge anyone considering starting a business, or in the early stages of running one, to get in touch and see how we can help.”
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Warwickshire Districts
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New Company Formations in 2022
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Total Number of
Companies end 2022
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Warwick
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1513
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13656
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Stratford-on-Avon
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1438
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11887
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Rugby
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991
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7129
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Nuneaton and Bedworth
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940
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5783
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North Warwickshire
|
651
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3690
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The start-up programme is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund, forming part of the CW Business: Start, Grow and Scale programme. It is also funded by Warwickshire County Council and all five district and borough councils.
* To find out about the Council’s support for new and start-up businesses, please visit: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/setting-moving-business-warwickshire/start-business
WCC launches new fund to support and enable new development
"The County Council is prudent with finances which has put us in the position to step in and use our money to stop this situation in the money lending chain from becoming an obstacle for economic growth in the county.”
Businesses looking to grow in, or relocate to, Warwickshire now have access to £40m of financial support as the latest pillar of a major economy-boosting initiative goes live.
The Property and Infrastructure Fund is the third and final strand of the Warwickshire Recovery and Investment Fund. This major £100m initiative was launched to provide access to debt finance and safeguard businesses in, or those expanding to, Warwickshire from any of the adverse economic effects caused by the pandemic
The focus of the PIF is on supporting and enabling new development that will help provide sites and premises needed to drive the future growth of the local economy and, with ambitions that match the County Council’s goals on reducing emissions, to build on the strong links that the county has established in low Carbon fields such as digital creative, electric vehicle development and battery manufacturing.
The £40m fund will be managed by CBRE following a competitive procurement process, providing loans of £2m-£10m to support commercial projects, with repayment terms available up to five years. Eligible developments include office, industrial and warehouse developments and refurbishments, new housing projects offering innovative sustainability solutions, early-stage infrastructure funding and mixed-use schemes.
Warwickshire County Council's Assistant Director for Communities, Dave Ayton-Hill, said: “The council recognises many businesses will have had to invest significantly to adapt and survive through the pandemic and beyond and may struggle to access the finance they need to recover fully and prosper in the current climate.
“Banks and mainstream lenders are likely to be more risk-averse in the near-term, restricting the availability of development finance which is already constrained in the local economy. The County Council is prudent with finances which has put us in the position to step in and use our money to stop this situation in the money lending chain from becoming an obstacle for economic growth in the county.”
The PIF is the final section of the wider £100m Warwickshire Recovery and Investment Fund initiative to launch. The other two funds are the Business Investment and Growth, which provides £50m in loans for medium/larger businesses in growth sectors, and the Local Communities and Enterprise fund, which will deploy £10m in small loans for micro and small businesses and social enterprises.
Most of the funds will be available in the form of secured senior loans, however other forms of finance such as mezzanine debt will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
George Richards, Senior Director of Investment Advisory at CBRE, said: “The property and infrastructure impact fund is a flexible investment scheme that can be deployed to help the development of new land or commercial space to support employment and the growth of Warwickshire’s economy.
“Our focus is on supporting new development that will help provide the land and premises needed to drive the future growth of the regional economy. Funding is available to new development opportunities as well as companies wanting premises to grow within, or relocate to, the county and will be linked to supporting growth in key priority sectors: automotive technology; digital creative and digital technologies; future of mobility; low carbon technologies; R&D and innovation facilities; and new start-up incubator and accelerator space.”
Mr Richards added that other priority sectors would be considered including retail, hospitality, culture, leisure, health and wellbeing, community-based enterprises, co-working/flexible workspace as well as health and social care facilities.
Those looking for more information or wishing to discuss investment proposals with the council should use the expression of interest form on the council’s website at https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/wrif
* To find out what other support is available to your business, please call CWLEP Growth Hub on 0300 060 3747
Happy Birthday to Warwickshire Skills Hub
As Warwickshire Skills Hub reaches its third birthday, it's an appropriate time to celebrate its excellent achievements during three very productive years...
Happy 3rd Birthday. It is a great pleasure to work alongside the team at the Warwickshire Skills Hub. We are enormously proud of the work we do together and the difference it makes to residents across Warwickshire.
Mary Dunleavy, Partnership Manager, Department of Work and Pensions
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We would like to wish a very happy birthday to all the fabulous team at Skills Hub. We have really enjoyed working with you over the last year and are excited to be a part in the next phase of your journey!
Sam Lees, Operations Manager, NABCEL
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CWCDA has worked closely with the Warwickshire Skills Hub. The Skills Hub team has been supportive and is extremely knowledgeable. This has enabled us to work successfully towards common goals. Thank you and Happy Birthday to you all.
Mandy Bygrave, Operations Manager, Coventry & Warwickshire CDA
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The Warwickshire Skills Hub team has collaborated with us on a number of projects over the past few years. Working with a team that has a clear vision for what they want to accomplish is always a pleasure. The entire Parallel team would like to wish you all a happy third birthday.
Leigh Torrance, Creative Director, Parallel
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Having worked closely with colleagues at the Warwickshire Skills Hub as a referral partner, we have seen first-hand the impact it can make to businesses. Our team of Business Advisors has referred a number of businesses to the Warwickshire Skills Hub. The breadth of work they do across a number of sectors, with a skilled and experienced staff that listen and respond to business needs, is of great benefit to our members and the wider business community.
Keely Hancox, Head of Operations, Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce
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Happy Birthday! Warwickshire Skills Hub team has supported us to become a Fair Chance Employer and gain support in finding the correct apprenticeship training for us and their advice has been invaluable and their patience unbounding! Thank you for your support.
Sarah Parrin, Director, Solutions Services Ltd
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The work of the talented and creative Skills Hub team, under the inspiring leadership of Fay Winterburn, has benefited so many businesses and individuals in it's first three years, Congratulations to Fay and the team for achieving this milestone.
Mark Ryder, WCC Strategic Director for Communities
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LCE Fund supports helps TSOS to help others
Women-led family business The Smarter Outsource Service is breaking down barriers and making a difference thanks to their own passion, drive and expertise…and some support from Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust.
Women face various challenges when leading a business, including gender bias, limited access to funding and resources, societal expectations around gender roles and family responsibilities and a lack of representation and support networks.
However, Rugby-based family firm The Smarter Outsource Service (TSOS) is proving to be resilient and resourceful enough to overcome those obstacles. TSOS, led by Tracey Coetzee, has dealt with those challenges as well as the additional complications caused by Covid-19 and is now thriving in the business world – and helping others to thrive as a result.
This independent women and BAME-owned business connects SMEs with carefully selected and trusted independent services suppliers that share the same core goal of supporting businesses. TSOS advisors work closely with clients to ensure that they get the right help from the right provider at the right time.
TSOS has established a successful business while at the same time also creating a lasting social impact as a Fair Chance employer, having signed up with Warwickshire County Council’s Fair Chance Employment Scheme. They work closely with Warwickshire Skills Hub, the Department for Work and Pensions and local colleges, schools and care homes to ensure equal opportunities for everyone. Under the DWP Kickstart Scheme they provided support to nine young people who were struggling with a lack of employment due to inexperience, lack of confidence or circumstances.
It has not all been plain sailing. The business, as well as its directors, was severely impacted by the effects of the Covid lockdowns which created additional barriers, specifically with regard to accessing finance. However, Tracy Coetzee didn’t let new challenges stop her. She reached out to Simon Hooks (Business Finance Director from Riqueza Business Solutions Ltd) who introduced TSOS to Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust (CWRT).
CWRT were able to support TSOS with a loan to help grow their business under the Local Communities and Enterprise Fund (LCE), funded by Warwickshire County Council. Tracy praised CWRT and the dedicated team members who assisted her with the application process.
“We would like to say a huge thank you to Keely and Sahib from the CWRT who put so much effort into helping us with our funding application,” she said. “We couldn’t have done it without them.”
CWRT is continuously working towards supporting more women-led businesses within the region through their specialist finance packages.
Keely Beamish, Business Development Manager said: “As an all-women management company, we appreciate the struggles that women encounter in the business world and would love to help even more local businesses break down barriers especially when it comes to accessing finance.
“To achieve this, we are relaunching The Financial Fit (TFF) programme later on this year. TFF aims to support women-led businesses with their financial and strategy journeys. We are currently looking for investors to join us in funding this powerful programme.”
- To find out more about CWRT support and funding please visit www.cwrt.uk.com
Rugby ready to grab it and run...
"This is a very special year for Rugby with so much going on around the bicentenary and the town's illustrious history coming together alongside the exciting growth plans of today."
Businesses in Rugby have been urged to take inspiration from William Webb Ellis by ‘grabbing the ball and running with it’ in the 200th anniversary of the sport.
Around 80 tourism, hospitality, leisure and retail businesses from across the town and borough attended the Rugby Means Business event at the Benn Hall.
The event was organised by the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce through Warwickshire County Council’s Project Warwickshire programme in conjunction with Rugby Borough Council and Shakespeare’s England. Project Warwickshire is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund, forming part of the CW Business: Start, Grow and Scale Programme. It is also funded by Warwickshire County Council.
The attendees heard from Keely Hancox and Russell Grant, from the Chamber, on the support available for businesses in the borough – from start-ups through to firms looking to access help to grow.
Delegates were then given an insight into major redevelopment plans for the town centre by Rugby Borough Council’s chief officer for growth and investment, Nicola Smith.
Nicola explained how there are 27 development projects in the pipeline with six ‘catalyst’ projects to help move the regeneration programme forward, including Rugby Market, Rounds Garden and Rugby Central.
There was also an update on some of the events coming to Rugby in the coming months – from rugby bicentenary celebrations through to the King’s Coronation.
Vicky Henderson, Rugby School’s 2023 Celebrations events manager, told businesses that they could benefit from the exciting events taking place at the school to celebrate the anniversary.
She said: “Over the coming weeks, we are holding rugby festivals and tournaments with hundreds of young people and their families coming to Rugby. While the matches will be taking place at the school, those families will be looking for other places to visit and places to eat and drink in the evening.
“We are more than happy to promote businesses in the town if they get in touch with us. They need to take inspiration from William Webb Ellis and pick up this ball and run with it as it’s such as good opportunity for the whole town.”
Plans for the Festival on The Close at Rugby School, which will take place from June 25 to June 29, including comedy, music and theatre, were also revealed to the audience.
Keely Hancox said: “We were absolutely thrilled to bring so many businesses together and everyone left feeling excited and inspired by some of the events, opportunities and developments coming to Rugby.
“It was also a great opportunity for businesses to hear about the support we can offer at the Chamber and we’d urge them to get in touch so we can help them with their plans for growth over the coming years.
“We also brought together a whole range of partners who are all working together to help the economy of Rugby thrive.”
Warwickshire County Council Contract and Project Monitoring Officer Hayley Lineker said: "It was great to see the Rugby Means Business meeting so well attended with so much positivity and energy in the room. This is a very special year for Rugby with so much going on around the bicentenary and the town's illustrious history coming together alongside the exciting growth plans of today.
"Warwickshire County Council will continue to offer all the support we can to Rugby, and all our other towns, through Project Warwickshire and our range of other schemes."
Helen Peters, Chief Executive at Shakespeare’s England, added: “The bicentenary events are a great showcase of what Rugby has to offer and businesses were given a real insight about what is to come, how they can get involved and where they can go for help.”
For more information on how Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber and Project Warwickshire can support your business, and capitalise on activities and events across Rugby and throughout the county please contact businesssupport@cw-chamber.co.uk
Fresh approach will transform Leamington town centre
"Transforming Leamington wants to attract investment and guide developments meaning that the town is as attractive and appealing as possible."
Leamington businesses and residents are being asked to engage in a major new initiative to help revitalise the town centre.
Transforming Leamington, involving all three levels of local authority and chaired by a leading private sector regeneration expert, has been established to help ensure that development in the heart of the town can bring long-term prosperity and sustainability.
It was launched at the Annual Town Assembly meeting in the Royal Pump Rooms, and attracted almost 100 local people who raised a range of topics around future developments in the town.
Mark Lee, who has been recruited to chair the new organisation, urged those interested to sign up to the initiative through its new website.
He said: “This a fresh approach from the three layers of government so that everyone is working to ensure that future developments meet the current and future needs of local people and businesses.
“There are opportunities and challenges in equal measure, and the town is therefore at something of a crossroads, and Transforming Leamington wants to attract investment and guide developments meaning that the town is as attractive and appealing as possible.
“Part of our role is to refresh the Vision for the town and set out a Framework that will plot a route for the transformation.
“While Transforming Leamington does not have any direct decision-making powers, it has a great deal of influence which it can bring to bear for the good of town centre life in areas including development, improved access, and creating attractive and safe public spaces.
“We were really encouraged by the turnout for the meeting and everyone was truly engaged in achieving the same ambitions.
“We had questions on accessibility, active travel, car parking, public transport and affordable housing. Of course, views will vary but it is vital that people are not only passionate about the town and its future, but they now have a vehicle to help make positive things happen.
“We want to hear from the community and I would urge people to register through our website - www.transformingleamington.co.uk and follow us on twitter via @TransformLeam - so we can take their views into account and also call on people to provide help when it is needed, as the more people we bring with us, the more we can bring influence to bear.”
Small Capital Grant makes "great dIfference" to exhibition company
"The Small Business Capital Grant is perfect for businesses with this kind of issue; where they need an injection of capital to enable them to make the next step and grow their business."
A family-run and events business in Warwickshire has designs on a brighter future after investing in new machinery and AV screens thanks to support from Warwickshire County Council.
Exhibition Equipment UK Ltd provides modular exhibition stands and shell scheme graphics from their state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Alcester.
Warwickshire County Council awarded the company over £16,000 from its Small Business Capital Grant Scheme – a funding scheme in 2015 which has now supported over 100 Warwickshire businesses.
The business invested in two new printers and a digital finishing table to improve its efficiency three months before the first Covid-19 lockdown. After losing much of its business and staff during the pandemic, Greg Bruner, a director at Exhibition Equipment UK, contacted his accountant, David Murphy from Stratford-based Grenfell James, to find out if any funding was available to help rebuild the business.
David pointed him in the direction of Jim Clark at the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Hub, who suggested the business should apply to WCC’s Small Capital Grants programme.
The result was a £16,400 grant and Exhibition Equipment UK has added a further £25,000 to buy a rollover application table and AV screens to hire for exhibition and events – which has already led to winning a new contract.
Greg said the grant was particularly timely and would help the business to diversify into new markets.
He said: “Many exhibition and event organisers are including the hiring of AV screens as part of their turnkey packages along with graphics and furniture. We work on a number of these small shows where we have been asked to provide all the infrastructure, and the goal is clearly to do more.
“In the past that has involved a third party for the screen hire but we will now be able to provide the televisions ourselves. It will give us access to other areas of the business such as corporate markets, weddings or funerals where people might want to hire a big screen for just a day or morning and locally we’re aware of opportunities for that.
“We have also used the funding to buy an illuminated table which will be a more efficient and economical way of applying graphics. Previously, applying the graphics by hand put a lot of strain on our bodies particularly with the bigger panels and often involved two people, something now we don’t have to worry about which makes a huge difference.
“The funding will make a great difference to our business. It has enabled us to create two new trading divisions Kickstart Signs & Display, and Simply Screen Hire both of which have shown already that there is requirement locally within a relatively short distance of ourselves for these services. Jim from the Growth Hub has taken us under his wing and his support has been fantastic. We wouldn’t have got off the ground in applying for the grant without his input and guidance. The same goes for the grants team at the council.”
Dave Ayton-Hill, Warwickshire County Council's Assistant Director for Communities, said: “The Small Business Capital Grant is perfect for businesses with this kind of issue; where they need an injection of capital to enable them to make the next step and grow their business.
“It’s great to see Exhibition Equipment UK coming back after being hit so hard by the pandemic and winning new contracts again and, hopefully, offering job opportunities in the county. I’m really pleased we were able to help.”
The small capital grants are part of the County Council’s package of loan and grant programmes for businesses also including the Warwickshire Recovery & Investment Fund and the Green Recovery Grants. For more information on Small Capital Grants please visit here or email business@warwickshire.gov.uk
* To find out what other support is available to your business, please call CWLEP Growth Hub on 0300 060 3747
Workshops will give employers scope to speak directly to talented potential recruits
Employers are invited to get involved and help proactively inform and shape the career choices of young people in a new series of employability workshops.
Delivered by Warwick-based Career Seekers Direct, the workshops are funded by Warwickshire Skills Hub’s Future Careers Fund which was created last year to build engaging, innovative and aspirational activity for students pondering how and where to enter employment.
More than a dozen workshops will take place across the county from March to July. The aim is to give students in secondary schools and Further Education colleges practical advice and real insight into the world of work to help them understand how they prepare themselves for leaving education and getting jobs.
Many local employers have already pledged their support but more are needed to provide insights into a wide range of sectors including building, games design, health, hospitality, law, media and vehicle maintenance.
Employer involvement can be just for an hour or for half a day or a full day. The schools and colleges taking part are spread throughout the county from Shipston-on-Stour across to Southam and through Warwick up to Nuneaton.
Employer inputs usually involve a short talk about their company, role and career pathways in the sector followed by setting a task related to their work for students to complete in teams supervised by CSD trainers and teachers.
All employers involved will be making a big contribution to preparing the workforce of tomorrow – and will also get a great opportunity to pitch their careers offer to some very talented young people.
Any interested employer is asked to please call 07901 517012 or email sara@careerseekersdirect.co.uk so their interest and availability can be matched with an appropriate workshop.
For any queries regarding the Future Careers Fund, please contact skillshub@warwickshire.gov.uk
Business Ready support helps Black Ivy to climb
"I can now begin to plan longer term in terms of recruiting additional people and moving from my home office into a purpose-built office space – something which I may have hesitated to do without the support of Business Ready.”
An entrepreneur who started a hospitality interior design business on her own following redundancy during the Covid pandemic is set to mark the firm’s two-year anniversary with a growing turnover and plans to take on new staff.
Leanne Armstrong founded Black Ivy Design from her home in February 2021 after spending seven years as an interior designer working on projects for major hospitality brands.
Since then the business - which Leanne runs on her own with support from on-demand freelancers - has enjoyed year-on-year growth and is set to celebrate its second birthday with a five-figure annual turnover.
Black Ivy Design has worked on around eight major projects already in its short life – including conceptualising and designing the inside of Dhillon’s Spire Bar and the Sky Blue Tavern in Coventry city centre, as well as diversifying into helping dental practices in Birmingham and Hinckley to create a welcoming, ‘hotel-feel’ for customers.
Despite getting off to a positive start by generating clients via word of mouth, Leanne had one eye on the company’s long-term future, and so, in 2022, she sought help from Gaynor Matthews and Steve Tipson from the Business Ready programme on ways that she could grow the business to strengthen its long-term future.
Business Ready delivers support to expanding companies managed by the business support team at the University of Warwick Science Park, and is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Warwickshire County Council as part of the CW Business: Start, Grow & Scale Programme.
Leanne said: “Before now I had never run a business before, so Gaynor and Steve have really helped to equip me not only with the basic approaches to managing a company, but also what I should be doing to grow my client base.
“Anybody can have a website, but Steve has given me with ideas of how I can drive customers to my online platform – including the use of content and certain phrases to boost my website’s search engine ranking, as well as utilising videos and using Google advertising so I am reaching the right customer base.
“Although Black Ivy Design is still in its infancy, I feel that thanks to Gaynor and Steve, it now has some key foundations in place to consistently generate new business in the years to come.
“With that peace of mind, I can now begin to plan longer term in terms of recruiting additional people and moving from my home office into a purpose-built office space – something which I may have hesitated to do without the support of Business Ready.”
Steve, who has worked closely with Leanne on growth avenues, believes she is an inspiration for other entrepreneurs who are currently going it alone.
He added: “Juggling the day job alongside winning new business is challenging, and even more so if you’re the sole business owner, so Leanne deserves a huge amount of credit for getting the business to where it is now in such a short space of time.
“We have advised Leanne to focus on her unique selling point, which is interior design within hospitality, alongside harnessing new routes to market online – including refreshing her website to ensure it ranks highly in online search engines, as well as pay-per-click advertising, and outreach approaches on LinkedIn.
“With a combination of word of mouth and strong online visibility, Leanne now has a really strong launchpad for growth over the coming years.
“Leanne is proof that if you have high levels of energy and motivation, and make the effort to seek the right professional support, then your start-up can thrive.”
Warwickshire County Council’s Assistant Director for Communities, Dave Ayton-Hill, said: “I am delighted that the Business Ready support has proved so valuable to Leanne and is helping Black Ivy Design to grow. Anyone who runs a small business has so much to think about, so to take on board the bespoke, detached expertise of Business Ready advisors like Gaynor and Steve often proves invaluable.”
* To find out what other support is available to your business, please call CWLEP Growth Hub on 0300 060 3747
Jumpstart workshops coming up for budding entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs in the process of starting their own business can benefit from a variety of expert advice in the latest series of free upcoming workshops.
The workshops, run by Coventry Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust (CWRT) and part-funded by Warwickshire County Council as part of the JumpStart project, will take place at the Techno Centre, Coventry between April 20th and May 4th.
They will cover a broad range of topics: Goal Setting for Success; Market Research; Business Planning; Cash Flow Forecasting; HMRC and how to Register (this workshop only will be via Zoom); Social Media; and Digital Marketing. The project also features up to 3 hours of 1-2-1 mentoring support from business specialists.
The JumpStart initiative, which in the past year alone has seen over 70 individuals receive its help, provides support to people from the early stages of deciding whether to set-up their own company through to producing a business plan and getting to grips with the financial element of running a fully functioning and operational business.
Warwickshire County Council’s Assistant Director for Communities, Dave Ayton-Hill, said: “The Jumpstart workshops have provided of great support and benefit to aspiring entrepreneurs over the years and contributed to a record number of start-ups being registered in Warwickshire in 2022. Warwickshire County Council is pleased to continue to support Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust with its efforts to assist residents to set up new businesses.”
To book a place and join one of over 25 businesses in starting their journey, or to secure one-to-one mentoring sessions with a business support specialist, please call 02476 551 777, email bizsupport@cwrt.uk.com or message CWRT on social media by searching ‘JumpStart Project’ on Facebook.
Exhall business competing with the best after Growth Hub support
A north Warwickshire aerospace supplier is continuing with its growth plans after buying a state-of-the-art machine to fulfil its orders.
Arrowsmith Engineering, based on the Bayton Road Industrial Estate in Exhall, manufactures bespoke precision components for clients across the globe from Singapore to the USA.
The Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Hub helped Arrowsmith Engineering’s managing director Jason Aldridge apply for a grant to purchase a new CNC machine for specialist work for orders for Rolls-Royce, Meggitt and Incora.
The business received a top up grant of £8,400 from the Coventry and Warwickshire Investment Fund, which is part-funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), with the business contributing £76,000. This was the second grant the business has received through the Investment Fund after receiving £24,026 towards a CNC fourth axis machine and a cobot in March 2019.
Jason said the new advanced machine would enable the business to operate more efficiently against competitors from overseas.
He said: “The CNC machine makes us more cost effective because it can be linked to our automated cobots and is therefore assisting Arrowsmith to achieve our digitisation and automation plans.
“With the importance and introduction of digitisation and automation, our older machines are not suitable. Purchasing this digital ready machine allows us to adapt our milling system which makes us more compatible to the latest technology which is required by our aerospace customers all over the world.
“We need to be cost-effective so that our customers like Rolls-Royce, Meggitt and Incora continue to bring their work to us, which is keeping work in the UK. This grant has let us buy the newest equipment to enable this.
“Our order book is growing again after Covid-19 and there is growth throughout the aerospace industry. Customers are buying their products from all over the world which means we have to be as cost effective as anyone else and to do that we have to have the best kit to make full use of technology since it allows us to be competitive.”
Laura Delahunty, Account Manager at the CWLEP Growth Hub, said Arrowsmith Engineering is competing with the best manufacturing firms in the world in the aerospace sector.
She said: “Arrowsmith Engineering is one of the region’s leading aerospace precision component manufacturers and this grant is helping them to meet their increasing number of orders cost-effectively as well as hopefully winning new work. The aerospace industry was severely hampered by the pandemic and it is great to see such an established business from our area bounce back stronger.”
The Growth Hub is supported by funders including Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and Warwickshire’s District and Borough Councils.
* To find out what other support is available to your business, please call CWLEP Growth Hub on 0300 060 3747
Help to Grow: Management course starts in April
Warwickshire businesses can obtain some guidance on resilience and how to target potential growth from the latest cohort of the Help to Grow: Management course delivered by Aston Centre for Growth.
Help to Grow: Management is a government-backed twelve-week leadership course from ACG, part of Aston University.
The course offers:
- an opportunity to stand back from the business to review the business strategies, build resilience and create a set of action plans.
- improvement of your leadership skills to create a work environment which keeps your staff motivated in the midst of change.
- the opportunity to discuss and exchange information with other business participants and learn from your peers
- access to a 1:1 mentor with whom to assist in tackling your key challenges.
- advice on how to maximise your marketing to create opportunities and new markets.
- help to identify new technologies, tools, and digital approaches to become more innovative and productive.
Four of the 12 modules are scheduled to be delivered face-to-face with the remaining eight provided online, designed to enable business-owners to complete the course alongside running your business.
The course is 90% funded by the government with businesses paying just £750 per participant. Eligibility criteria applies.
Programme Eligibility:
- Be a Small or Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) based in the United Kingdom
- Be from any industry sector, employing between five and 249 people
- Have been operational for at least one year
- Be a decision-maker or member of the senior management team within the business, such as Chief Executive, Finance Director, Operations Director etc.
- If your business employs between 10 and 249 people, you can send up to two participants on the course.
The next cohort starts April 2023. To apply or express interest, please visit www.aston.ac.uk/helptogrow
Course overview: https://youtu.be/0F-IkpDY450
Video case study: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO-P__vb45k
Chamber hits 120-year milestone ready to take on the challenges of 2023
“Coventry and Warwickshire has some of the most incredible businesses on the planet based here as well as fantastic universities and supportive local authorities and that’s why I am confident for the future.”
A major event in Warwickshire has marked the start of a landmark year for the region’s leading business membership organisation.
Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce held the BIG Business Celebration Lunch at the IXL Events Centre in Southam with well over 200 businesspeople and regional stakeholders in attendance.
The event marked the start of the 120th anniversary celebrations for the Chamber, which was established in 1903 and has supported businesses through world wars, depressions, recessions and the global pandemic.
Guests heard from Chamber chief executive Corin Crane followed by Atul Lakhani, of IXL Events Centre, and Richard Harrison of No Ordinary Hospitality Management, which works in collaboration with the IXL Events Centre.
The event was then treated to a performance by Imagineer Productions before an inspirational keynote speech by Baroness Lane Fox of Soho CBE, one of the founders of Lastminute.com and the president of the British Chambers of Commerce.
She said: “This Chamber has seen so much over its 120-year history and continues to support businesses in this amazing part of the country. I did not think for a second, when I started my business that the world would look like this in 2023. There have been so many changes and unexpected events.
“I believed that technology would lead to more women being empowered to start and lead businesses and I thought it would help us to be even more of a ‘Global Britain’ that would build greater relationships around the world and lead to more trade. Some of the promise of technology is still yet to be realised.
“We also know that there are mammoth challenges that businesses are facing including energy costs, inflation and the tightening labour market.
“I often get asked how the economy is doing and it’s not a straightforward answer as it can be different for each sector, for each geographical area and for the generation of the business. I am, however, an optimist and I do think there is an opportunity to improve things for the better – in some cases its taking the low hanging fruit and, in other ways, it is solving more complex problems.
“There are three areas where businesses have to be ready to adapt. Everything that can be digitised will be in the coming years so there is no point fighting it. Adopt it and use technology to make us the most robust, resilient economy we can be.
“Sustainability and net zero are hugely important and will continue to be very high on the agenda for the future. And, we must ensure we build diversity into the economy whether we are thinking about gender or ethnicity.
“If we can move on those areas quickly, we can grow the economy and we, as a Chamber network, must continue to listen you our members to make sure we know what is important to businesses.”
Corin added: “When you look back 120 years ago to the establishment of the Chamber there were issues around skills, infrastructure and global trade that business leaders came together to solve. And, more than a century on, we are facing new challenges but, fundamentally, they are similar issues that we are collectively working together to overcome.
“As a Chamber, we’ve supported our members through so much – through global events that have impacted us here and through boom times in the region as well as Ghost Towns. We truly are standing on the shoulders of giants and that is why it is such a privilege to serve the businesses and wider community of this region.
“Coventry and Warwickshire has some of the most incredible businesses on the planet based here as well as fantastic universities and supportive local authorities and that’s why I am confident for the future.”
MNB Precision "incredibly proud" to receive Queen's Award
“We are all incredibly proud of what the team has achieved.”
MNB Precision is one of the latest businesses across Coventry and Warwickshire to be formally presented with The Queen’s Award for Enterprise (QAE), and, as the applications period for 2023 opens from 1 May, The Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, Tim Cox, is urging more Warwickshire and Coventry-based companies to apply for the newly named King’s Award for Enterprise (KAE).
The KAE is the highest accolade available to UK businesses and brings unparalleled prestige, exposure, and credibility to a company, as well as pride and inspiration to employees. It is presented for outstanding achievement in four categories:
- Innovation
- International Trade
- Sustainable Development
- Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility).
MNB Precision is based on the Warwickshire/Coventry border. The family-run engineering firm received its award in the International Trade category, having increased its exports from five per cent of its turnover to 75 per cent.
Warwickshire Means Business caught up with MNB Precision Director Luke Benton to hear their story:
How do you feel about receiving the prestigious QAE?
Luke: “There is an excitement about how we have been rewarded for years of hard work. We are all incredibly proud of what the team has achieved. Everyone recognises The Queens Awards as being the top of the top when it comes to accolades, so to know that we have been awarded this most prestigious iconic “trophy” is amazing. The feeling is surreal.”
Exports used to account for five per cent of MNB’s turnover…now they account for 75 per cent. How did this happen?
Luke: “The sales team at MNB highlighted the requirement for high complexity machining around the globe and pinpointed these international customers within MNB’s existing industries to target. It was a very direct and deliberate move that has garnered great success. The sales team has been involved at every stage to ensure that MNB’s distinct reputation travels before we do. A business’ reputation is everything so to have a strong international flavour to ours is terrific. There is no secret to our success. It is our people. Straightforward and direct; our people understand the requirements of working at MNB and they strive to deliver more than what is expected. This is what we do for our customers.”
So, what advice would you offer to businesses looking to crack the overseas markets?
Luke: “Understanding the market and the potential limits is a good place to start. By understanding the limits, you can plan your way through them and onto great things. Also, first ensuring a business has a sound and respected local reputation, then national business reputation, is a key factor. Selling “Made in the UK” internationally is fairly easy, the world wants British-made, but making sure you supply the UK with a first-class product or service is the first stage to taking your business to higher heights.”
Key benefits of the KAE include improving opportunities to break into new markets, attracting new investment, raising awareness of brand and products, attracting new talent, and raising employee morale. Successful companies can fly the King’s Award flag and use the emblem on marketing materials for up to five years. They are invited to a Royal reception and presented with their award by the Lord Lieutenant, The King’s representative in the county.
The Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, Tim Cox said: “I am delighted for MNB Precision to be recognised in this way for its outstanding achievements. I am also keen to see more Coventry and Warwickshire companies applying for The King’s Awards for Enterprise in 2023. They are the highest accolade available to UK businesses and offer unparalleled prestige, exposure, and credibility to your company.”
The applications period for the KAE opens on 1 May 2023. To find out more about The King’s Awards for Enterprise, visit www.gov.uk/kings-awards-for-enterprise
Positive signs from regional economy
“The regional economy has proved to be very resilient"
A panel of business experts from Coventry and Warwickshire believe there are ‘positive signs’ ahead for the economy, though strong growth is still some way off.
The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce held its Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) Breakfast Briefing at Stockton House in Southam, the home of regionally based property and development company The Wigley Group.
The event, hosted by the Chamber’s head of policy Sean Rose, featured a panel of four experts from finance, professional services, manufacturing and international trade who discussed the challenges and opportunities for the economy in front of an audience of regional businesspeople.
The panel reflected on the improved QES results from the final quarter of 2022 and looked ahead to the coming year.
Steve Harcourt, director of Prime Accountants Group, the Chamber’s QES partner, said: “We are getting some very positive responses from a lot of our clients – some are really growing – while we have others who are quiet. One of the big issues we have seen over the past year is how costs have gone up and that has put a real squeeze on margins.
“Looking ahead, I don’t think we are going to see dramatic growth in 2023 but a year of stability would be something most businesses would welcome with a view to hitting the accelerator the following year. It was good news that we avoided recession because, although it was only by a small margin, the very mention of the R-word can cause issues with confidence within the economy.”
Roger Scott, of Lloyds Bank, added: “The regional economy has proved to be very resilient but I am certainly seeing more businesses starting to spend the cash that they built up during Covid. If that’s investing in growth, that is positive news, but if it is just to cover shortfalls in cashflow they need to be mindful of that, and address the core profitability issue.
“Looking at the economy more broadly, the fact that inflation and interest rates are expected to stabilise means businesses should be able to start planning with a bit more certainty around their cost-base.”
Tim Squires, of Squires Gear and Engineering, said some of the supply chain issues in manufacturing had eased rather than disappeared completely.
He said: “There was a point in 2022 when steel suppliers were only holding prices for two hours. It was like we were working in the stock exchange, rather than in manufacturing at times as we were having to make instant decisions with our customers whether to buy! The situation has eased but it is not resolved and I think there is a real need to make manufacturing in the UK less expensive to make us even more competitive around the world. British manufacturing is, however, seen as high quality in other countries and that gives us real hope.”
Sean Rose said: “It is clear that there is some way to go before we see the economy growing sustainably but our panel certainly backed up our QES results that there is light at the end of the tunnel. As a Chamber, we are delighted to be able to offer such valuable insight to our members, while our survey means we can speak to decision makers with a real understanding of how businesses are feeling.”