Welcome from Portfolio Holder for Economy & Place, Cllr Kam Kaur
Hello all and welcome to October’s edition of Warwickshire Means Business.
Last month, we mentioned the regional sporting success and paid tribute to Warwickshire County Cricket Club following their title-winning season. This month, we announce the route for the road race that will again bring some of the world’s elite cyclists to Warwickshire to compete in the Commonwealth Games next summer. This will really put Warwickshire on the map globally with a huge, estimated TV audience and we will feel the benefit regionally of that enhanced profile for some years to come.
On a smaller scale, we also take a look at Stratford Town FC. Sport can play a huge role in invigorating local economies which can be seen now that fans are returning to stadia to watch their respective sports. It’s an area that I’m thrilled to see Warwickshire’s star rising in.
Last month, in the introduction, Monica Fogarty paid tribute to our small businesses and the vital role that they play in our communities. This month, we profile the FSB Awards so that we can all celebrate these small businesses that are the ‘lifeblood of our communities’ and shape our places, giving them their unique identity.
Small businesses also feature in the piece by our Economy and Skills strategy and commissioning manager, Alison Robinson. Alison mentions some of the generous acts that small businesses routinely do within their communities, and invites all business to be part of our Community Powered Warwickshire Conference next week to tell their stories and to see how they can best make a link within their communities. It would be great to see many of you there.
Please take a look at news around the launch of the Fair Chance Employment Programme. This will look at how businesses can work with the County Council and their partners to have an inclusive offer, enabling some sections of our communities who are at greater disadvantages when it comes to securing employment to do so.
On the subject of communities, we will be launching the Local Community Enterprise, the next pillar of the Warwickshire Recovery and Investment Fund (WRIF) in the coming weeks. Keep an eye on the website for more updates on this exciting programme as it gathers momentum.
And finally. Yesterday was budget day and that will obviously have ramifications for all of us. We are currently looking at the detail of that to see what it will mean to us in Warwickshire and the surrounding region. While the detail remains unclear, I can absolutely commit to saying that we will be there to work with you and support you in the coming months.