An outstanding, dedicated team...

"I just want to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to every single member of the Business & Economy team for their hard work and outstanding commitment over recent months.

“Continuously amazed by their dedication and commitment” is how Alison Robinson (Strategy & Commissioning Manager, Economy & Skills) describes the work of her Business & Economy team.

During the last 15 months, the team has delivered a major step-change in business support in a concerted effort to help Warwickshire businesses deal with the impacts of the pandemic.

"I am full of admiration for Matt Epps and team and really proud of the support they have given, and continue to give, to so many businesses in all sectors in all parts of the county," Alison said.

"They have really pulled out all the stops to deliver a series of innovative programmes to Warwickshire businesses. These include: WCC being the first local authority to support the Government’s Coronarvirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme; the Retail & Hospitality grants last summer; the innovative Survive, Sustain & Grow programme; and, more recently, the Adapt & Diversify grant scheme.

"The additional work created by these extra programmes has required every member of the team to go above and beyond the day job - and, without exception, they have stepped up.

"I just want to say a huge and heartfelt thank you to every single member of the Business & Economy team for their hard work and outstanding commitment over recent months. It’s great to know that such a dedicated group of people, under the highly experienced leadership of Matt, is there to support Warwickshire businesses."

That support has been delivered, and those countless hours put in, during the last year despite the personal pressures and restrictions that the pandemic had brought to everybody as individuals. The team are truly unsung heroes - but there will be no let-up in the demands upon them in the months ahead.

"Economic recovery is critical to the delivery of Warwickshire County Council’s Recovery Plan, so there is no chance of the Business & Economy team slowing down any time soon," said Alison. "This year we have strengthened the team with three new members who have got up to speed really quickly and are now integral members of the team. The team will be joined by another Contract and Project Monitoring Officer in early June and we will also be recruiting shortly to fill a vacant External Funding Officer role and appoint a number of new Business Advisors.

"Just as businesses have had to adapt to the constantly changing needs of life post-COVID, so does our team and the support they provide. We will continue to proactively monitor and assess the local economic situation to ensure that future schemes meet the needs of Warwickshire businesses as we all recover from the pandemic."