Skills event will tap into Coleshill resurgence

"“It is great to see so much positivity around Coleshill and we are proud to hold be hosting an event which brings our communities and local businesses together under one roof to create the conditions for connections and growth to take place."

Local workers and businesses will be brought together at a business and skills event in Coleshill in June.

Warwickshire Skills Hub and partners will host a drop-in public event at Coleshill Town Hall on Tuesday 11 June between 10am and 1pm.

The in-person event will act as a space for local businesses to connect with others in their fields of interest, discover new ideas to expand their business offer and find out about support or funding potentially available to them.

A full range of personal and business support organisations will be there to showcase their offers, covering training, recruitment, funding, and much more. Partners include the Coleshill Partnership, Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub, Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Department of Work and Pensions, Federation of Small Businesses, North Warwickshire Borough Council and Warwickshire County Council. Everyone is welcome to attend from Coleshill, the rest of North Warwickshire and beyond.

The event will tap into a growing sense of positivity and confidence among Coleshill’s business community as the town welcomes several new businesses in the town centre. The proactive approach of businesses through the Coleshill Partnership, supported by local authorities, has resulted in an eight per cent increase in footfall in the town centre in the first quarter of this year.

A big factor in this has been the return of the town’s historic Farmer’s Market which is back up and running on St Peter’s Walk and The Croft on the first Friday of every month.

The recent St George’s Parade and inaugural Teenage Market were hugely successful and contributed to the increased footfall while the long-awaited arrival of traffic lights at the Birmingham Road/High Street crossroads has materially helped traffic flows.

Heartflood, expert consultants in place management and development, has been commissioned by North Warwickshire Borough Council to support the town and identify potential funding streams for further improvements.

John Whitehead, from Heartflood, said: “It is a real pleasure to be working with the Coleshill Partnership and other stakeholders in the town because there is such an ethos of togetherness. It is really refreshing to see so such a proactive approach and so many people pulling for the collective good.

“We are working hard towards applying for funding towards some exciting capital projects, so watch this space!”

Donna Bilson, of the Coleshill Partnership, said: “There is a real buzz around Coleshill right now and it’s wonderful to see people choosing to set up new businesses in the town, each one bringing something new and different. The traffic flows and parking in the town centre are much improved and that is reflected in the increased footfall.

“We are really pleased that the Coleshill Partnership is proving to be an effective catalyst for the town’s businesses coming together. The Partnership is exactly what it says, a way for our businesses to talk to each other and recommend each other. We are just a means of bringing people together and it’s great that so many businesses have responded. It would be lovely to have every business in Coleshill involved…you don’t need to sign up to anything – just join the conversation!”  

Warwickshire County Council is delighted to be joining the collective effort in Coleshill by hosting the Skills Hub drop in event at the Town Hall next month.

Warwickshire County Council’s Executive Director for Communities, Mark Ryder, said: “It is great to see so much positivity around Coleshill and we are proud to hold be hosting an event which brings our communities and local businesses together under one roof to create the conditions for connections and growth to take place.

“These events create opportunities for our residents to further develop their skills to meet the business needs of the future, and for businesses to develop their offer to attract the best workforce - which promotes sustainable growth, investment and a diverse economy.

“It is really encouraging that new businesses are arriving in Coleshill. I would urge those new businesses and all businesses in the town to have a good look at the wide range of business support offered by the County Council and our partners in the region to see how it may benefit them.”

Those interested in attending the skills drop in event can pre-book their place for free via Eventbrite here  Those navigating to the event can input the following address: Coleshill Town Hall, Birmingham, B46 3BG.

To find out what other support is available, please visit or https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/businesssupport, call Coventry and Warwickshire Growth Hub on 0300 060 3747 or visit https://www.cwgrowthhub.co.uk