NNBN - Supporting Business Growth - Issue 6 - May 2023

WORKING HARD FOR NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR

Digital NBN

We’ve also held our first meeting at the Park Inn by Radisson, Northampton Town Centre and thank you to Chris Langsford and the team for looking after us at our recent meeting. We will continue to grow and enable people to engage with each other for future growth.

In our latest edition, we look back at events from the opening quarter of this year and also welcome new Members to NNBN as we continue to grow and help support our community.

It’s been an incredible start to the year for NNBN with our growth and both Marie and I are delighted with how we are continuing to enable businesses to engage with charities and the education sector.

March saw the launch of our first Northampton meeting with a launch at Delapre Abbey and we’d like to thank Cllr Jonathan Nunn, Leader of West Northamptonshire Council, and Cllr Daniel Lister, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Town Centre Regeneration and Growth for joining us for the launch of our first meeting in West Northamptonshire. We’d also like to thank both James Elliott and Dean Goldsmith from the Business & IP Centre for joining us on the night and sharing their services those in attendance. Thank you to Delapre Abbey’s CEO Richard Clinton for his support and to Adele and the team for looking after us on the night.

By expanding into the West of the County, NNBN is proudly supporting it’s members across the whole County and we are predicting further growth this year with new members joining. Since 1st January, we’ve seen 24 new members joining our community and we’re delighted you’ve joined us so we can help you grow and engage with other like minded members.

March also saw the visit of Kevin Hollinrake MP, the Small Business Minister, who came to Northamptonshire and, again, Marie and I were proud to have led an amazing opportunity for local businesses to engage with the Minister. Over 100 people attended our Business Brunch with Minister Hollinrake in an event where Northamptonshire came together.

Our workshops have been extremely popular with themed workshops on branding, awards entries and video and we will continue to run these as we go forward to help our members grow. We’re open to ideas around topics of the workshops, so please do let us know if you have an idea of what you would like to see at a future workshop.

Finally, thank you to everyone who continues to engage with NNBN. Our 121 Mentoring Sessions with our members have been on the increase, our NNBN Awards will help celebrate achievement and success within the County this year and our Member Community continues to grow. Without you all, we wouldn’t be where we are today and long may it continue for us all!

nnbn.co.uk

Simon Cox, Editor

Simon Cox

CONTENTS

Small Business Minister event

North Northamptonshire Council

Delapre Abbey’s stables redesigned

West Northamptonshire Council

NNBN Launches at Delapre Abbey

Funding for rural communities

The Good Business Charter

Kettering recruits team for Boohoo warehouse

The King’s Awards

FEATURE

15

EDITORIAL

North Northants allocated £1.1 million in funding for rural communities and businesses

FEATURE

NBN Awards launch

Digital NBN

All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions relating to advertising or editorial. The publisher reserves the right to change or amend any competitions or prizes offered. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from the publisher.

CREDITS: POPPPY DESIGN STUDIO LTD.

Delapre wellbeing partnership programme

Northamptonshire Health Charity

Movement for good grant

BIRA on new energy support scheme

Growth for good project

Drainage work complete at bike park

Action Coach business planning

NNBN Awards launch

£2.5 million in grants awarded to those in need

A43 road scheme development

The Mentaur Group

Government’s UK shared prosperity fund

Business and IP Centre

Uni of Leciester supporting local businesses

Infrastructure for electric vehicle charging

Vigil planned for Knife Angel

Discover Northamptonshire hub open Trapp’d named as finalists in Business awards

Micro Business Alliance

Podcasting tips

What is NNBN?

DiscoverNN App

Culinary awards

Chester House support children’s programme

3RS IT Solutions launch

The importance of business continuity

Switching to Spring Wine mood

Help for your business

NNBN launches at Delapre Abbey

Discover Northamptonshire hub officially opened

SMALL BUSINESS MINISTER MEETS NORTHAMPTONSHIRE BUSINESSES

In March, we were delighted to welcome the Business Minister, Kevin Hollinrake MP, to a very special Business Brunch at Kettering Park Hotel & Spa. On the worst weather day this year, over 100 local businesses came to hear from the Minister and engage with him and it was a fantastic opportunity for us, as a community, to talk directly with one of the leading politicians in the UK. We would like to thank everyone who supported the event and to our event sponsors Wilson Browne Solicitors and the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce. We’d also like to thank Jessica Pilkington from Pilkington Communications for joining the panel and helping with the event which enabled local businesses to ask direct questions to the Minister.

There were questions around support for startups, entrepreneurs, business rates, apprenticeship levy’s, support for high street businesses and entrepreneurs relief and all were answered by the Minister. He has run businesses himself and understands what businesses need. Minister Hollinrake referred to a variety of support out there for our business community and we’ve been able to pull the information together to help businesses understand the support that’s been provide. We all know there has been a lot of change and instability in our economy over the last number of years with the Pandemic, adapting to the impact of Brexit and leadership changes within the Government which have started to settle at No. 10, but what support has been given by the Government to Small and Medium Enterprises in recent times?

Support to small and medium enterprises

In this year’s Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced a commitment to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business. Some of this will be debated in the Finance Bill’s Second Reading taking place today.

Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme

The Government also announced an expansion of the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme to further incentivise investment in very early-stage UK companies from April 2023.

Autumn Statement 2022

The Autumn Statement 2022 announced last November provided a multi-billion-pound national package of support for SME’s. This included a package of business rates support worth £13.6bn over the next five years for properties in England and included freezing the multiplier for 2023-24, targeting support for small businesses to support them at the revaluation and expanding the generosity of the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief scheme from 50% to 75% in 2023-24, subject to a £110,000 cash cap per business.

This package has been introduced to protect small businesses by limiting bill increases to a maximum of 5% or £600 for over 500,000 ratepayers next year as well as ensuring that 80% of Retail, Hospitality and Leisure properties will see bills fall or stay the same, providing support to the UK’s high street businesses.

Annual Investment Allowance

In addition to this, there was also confirmation that the Annual Investment Allowance would be set at £1m permanently meaning that UK SMEs can offset 100% of the cost of their investment in plant and machinery against their taxable profits in the year of investment leading to a tax cut of up to 25p for every £1 invested for those SMEs operating in the corporation tax system. The Annual Investment Allowance amounts to full expensing for both main and special rate investments.

Spring Budget 2023

The Spring Budget announced mid March added further to the substantial package of existing support. The Spring Budget focussed on the UK labour supply challenges identified by businesses across the country. The measures announced around labour supply, migration, Flexible Working, Childcare Support, and helping Universal Credit Claimants increase their earnings, is aiming to help support businesses by delivering the workforce they need to expand and grow. In the near future, there will also be an expansion of a pilot Occupational Health subsidy scheme to help UK SMEs with the cost of purchasing Occupational Health services.

HMRC Guidance

The Government announced a range of administrative changes to make it easier for businesses to interact with the tax system, including a systematic review of HMRC guidance and forms for small businesses. The Chancellor also announced additional tax relief for loss-making R&D intensive SMEs, who will be able to claim relief at a higher rate of 14.5%, benefiting 20,000 UK SMEs a year.

Other support

Other support announced by the Government in 2022 included an extension of the Recovery Loan Scheme until June 2024, providing UK businesses with up to £2m of government guaranteed finance. There was also action to reduce the burden on regulation for tens of thousands of SMEs.

From 3 October 2022, the presumption of exemption was extended from businesses with fewer than 50 employees to those with fewer than 500, for new regulations and retained EU regulations as they are reviewed. Regarding retained EU Law, the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill is currently going through its Parliamentary passage. It will end the special status of ‘retained EU law’ and ensure that it can be easily amended or removed. It will accompany a major crossgovernment drive to reform, repeal and replace outdated retained EU law, that will aim to cut £1bn of red tape for UK businesses, ease regulatory burdens and contribute to the Government’s mission to unite and level up the country.

Energy Support Extension

The Government announced two significant packages of energy support for UK businesses. Initially, the six-month Energy Bill Relief Scheme provided a discount on wholesale gas and electricity prices for businesses until 31 March 2023 and this was in January this year by a further 12 months, until March 2024 providing further support to SMEs up and down the Country.

Made Smarter Adoption and Help to Grow

The Government have supported SMEs through the Made Smarter Adoption and Help to Grow: Management programmes to help increase their productivity. Made Smarter Adoption was allocated £24m and provides a combination of tailored advice, financial support and leadership training to help manufacturing SMEs in several English regions adopt advanced digital technologies, while the Help to Grow: Management programme enables SME leaders to access management training delivered through leading UK business schools, alongside 1:1 support from a business mentor.

Start Up Loans

In addition, the Government supported UK entrepreneurs through the Start-Up Loans scheme which delivered more than 101,000 loans, providing more than £950m of funding to entrepreneurs. There was also been support via the British Business Bank with funding opportunities for 33,000 loans over the SR period.

National Insurance Contributions

The National Insurance Contributions (NICs) Employment Allowance was increased from £4,000 to £5,000 in April 2022, meaning that any UK businesses with employer NICs bills of £100,000 or less in the previous tax year can claim up to £5,000 off their NICs bill. This means the smallest 40% of businesses pay no National Insurance at all.

Small Profits Rate

From April 2023, the Small Profits Rate remained at the rate of 19% for companies with profits of £50,000 or less meaning 70% of companies will see no increase in their Corporation Tax rate this April. The UK also has a higher VAT registration threshold than any EU member state and second highest in the OECD – which keeps the majority of UK businesses out of VAT altogether.

Growth Hubs

The Government continues to invest in 38 Growth Hubs providing businesses across England with free one-to-one support and advice. Growth Hubs offer a triage, diagnostic and signposting service to make sure that all businesses, whatever their size or sector, know what help is available and can access the most appropriate support.

Support through the Pandemic

Throughout the pandemic, the Government provided an unprecedented £22.6bn in support to protect impacted businesses across England. It is worth noting that micro, small, and medium sized businesses received 95% of the funding value, totalling £21.3bn. These grants included: The Local Authority Discretionary Grant Fund, The Small Business Grants Fund, Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund, The Additional Restrictions Grant, and the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant. All of which were open to applications from eligible SMEs.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, CBILS and Bounce Back Loan Scheme

Support was also provided through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which helped support over 7.6m employee jobs for businesses with below 250 employees. The Government also introduced a collection of loan guarantee schemes to support SMEs, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme. Together these schemes collectively approved over £72bn worth of finance through more than 1.6m facilities. Bounce Back Loan Scheme, which targeted small and micro business, the average loan was £30,000 whilst under Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, which was targeted towards medium sized businesses, the average loan was worth £150,000.

So what next?

Our communication channels are open with the Minister and his team and we have an opportunity to engage with him as we go forward. Of course, our commitment to local businesses is that NNBN will continue to share and promote support for businesses within Northamptonshire and we will provide this information on our website and App as we go forward to ensure this information is known and visible for local businesses.

We will also continue to work with partners and our supporters around the support they offer so we can continue to help our business community move forward and therefore help local education and charities move forward.

Thank you once again to everyone who supported our Business Brunch and to Philip Hollobone, MP for Kettering, for his support with our event.

North Northamptonshire Council is your new council, covering the geographical areas of Corby, East Northamptonshire , Kettering and Wellingborough.

North Northamptonshire has a proven track record as an attractive and highly successful place for people to work, invest, live, visit and grow.

It’s population has grown at one of the fastest rates in the country during the last few years and this is expected to continue, driven by it’s location within the Oxford to Cambridge Arc and the North Northamptonshire Garden Communities developments beginning to take shape.

It has special environmental qualities, great locational advantages, immense potential and ambition.

The Council provides a wide range of Business facing services and is dedicated to supporting your business to achieve its full potential, and ensuring North Northamptonshire is an attractive place for people to work, invest, live, visit and grow.

NORTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNCIL BUSINESS SERVICES INCLUDE:

Economy and Regeneration

Support for start up and established businesses and information about funding and grants.

Visit website here

Business and Licencing

Advice on health and safety, business rates, food safety, trading standards and licencing.

Visit website here

Planning and Building Control

Advice on applications, building control, local searches, delivering growth and policy.

Visit website here

Waste and Recycling

The Council offers a competitive and reliable commercial waste service for local businesses

Visit website here

Selling to the Council

The Council purchase a wide range of goods and services each year, including from local suppliers. View website here

Partners: To ensure that we deliver on our Corporate Plan Key Commitments and priorities for both the economy ‘Safe and Thriving Places’ and the Climate Change Agenda ‘Green and Sustainable environment’, the Council is working with a range of Organisations: South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership, University of Northampton, Tresham College, Federation of Small Businesses, Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce and Job Centre Plus.

For more details about our corporate plan visit here

LEADING DESIGN STUDIO, BUTTRESS, APPOINTED TO DELAPRÉ ABBEY’S 19TH CENTURY STABLE BLOCK PROJECT

Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust has today announced that prestigious design studio, Buttress, has been selected as the multi-disciplinary design team that will help bring the Abbey’s 19th century stables back to life.

With a track record of creating high quality architectural solutions that respond sensitively to their context, Buttress is well-placed to help transform the former block of stables in the grounds of the historic, grade II* listed Abbey into a hub for social enterprise and wellbeing, responding to the needs of the local community. The project, which has received development support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, is due for completion in 2025 subject to securing delivery funding.

Lucy Ashcroft, Senior Architect at Buttress said: “This is an incredibly interesting project that allows us to work sensitively with the original 19th century buildings to give this area of the abbey estate a distinct future. We can fully utilise our expertise to restore and redevelop the buildings currently at risk, whilst providing facilities that benefit the people of Northampton. We’re delighted to be appointed.”

Richard Clinton, Chief Executive of Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust, added: “We’re excited to welcome Buttress to the project having demonstrated an impressive understanding of how heritage assets can be transformed into assets that support community need, and offer a renewed sense of pride. More impressive was their collaborative approach and willingness to share and support the development of staff, volunteers and community members through this project.

To find out more about the project visit: delapreabbey.org

“With Buttress having become a certified B Corporation at the start of the year, it’s a joy to work with a team whose values are very much aligned to our own when it comes to supporting the environment and our communities.”

Buttress completes the project team which consists of project managers Currie & Brown, Tricolor who will provide Project Development Support, and the Abbey staff team.

£477,000 of development funding was awarded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in 2022 to help Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust progress their plans, and to further engage members of the community and partners. The Trust is working towards raising the further funding required to deliver the full restoration of the site.

This project aims to carry out essential restoration work on a number of buildings that are at risk, all of which sit within the grounds of the historic 12th century Abbey. Once complete, the project aims to improve the mental and physical health of local residents through green social prescribing, building on programmes to date such as Delapré Wellbeing and complementing the existing visitor attraction.

The project will also aim to create 42 jobs and support a thriving visitor economy. The development of the site will allow investment through a social return in creative, physical and mindful wellbeing programmes, working with numerous partners and cementing Delapré Abbey as a key community asset in improving wellbeing.

Early work to develop the feasibility plans and options appraisals for the project has been funded by Architectural Heritage Fund through their Project Development Grant Cultural Recovery Programme.

West Northamptonshire Council is the single unitary council responsible for providing a range of public services to residents and businesses in the areas of Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire.

We want West Northants to be a place where everyone can thrive and the Council is committed to helping to provide the framework and conditions to make this ambition a reality. We work with employers, universities, colleges and agencies to give people, the skills and qualifications that businesses really want, to support more people into better-paid jobs. We invest in strengthening existing and creating new, employment locations, so that all parts of West Northamptonshire are able to contribute to and benefit from, growth as part of a thriving area. This includes hosting world class industries including high tech, engineering motorsports, logistics, financial services and having a valuable shoemaking heritage. We’re investing in growing our leading business sectors and driving improved productivity and pay across the economy. West Northants sits in the middle of the Oxford – Cambridge Pan-Regional Partnership and acts as an opportunity to actively drive growth, seek investment and progress infrastructure developments. The Council is also making it easier to set up new enterprises and helping existing businesses to develop and grow. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us today, so that we can help your business overcome challenges and realise opportunities.

Business Support

Free support to assist every local employer to overcome challenges, maximise opportunities and thrive in West Northamptonshire

Explore West Northants

Residents and visitors to West Northamptonshire, can download the ExploreWN App and discover everything West Northamptonshire has to offer, including independent businesses, attractions and local events.

Doing Business with Us

We are always looking to work with suppliers to support us in delivering our services and help us meet our vision for the future

Planning and Building Control

Quality advice on applications, building control, Local Searches, delivering growth and Policy.

Business Rates

Rates, charges and information on rate relief and exemptions.

Commercial Waste Services

We collect general waste, mixed recycling, glass and food waste from your place of business or event site.

Contact us at economy@westnorthants.gov.uk or on 01327 322230 to find out more. Follow us @WestNorthants and @WestNorthamptonshireCouncil

NNBN LAUNCHES AT DELAPRE ABBEY

When we were looking for venues to hold our meetings in the Northampton area, we were considering a number of options. One option was the stunning 900 year old Delapre Abbey and thanks to Jessica Pilkington from Pilkington Communications, this became a reality.

Jessica kindly introduced us to Richard Clinton, the CEO of Delapre Abbey, with a view to holding our bi-monthly meetings at this wonderful attraction in Northamptonshire and we didn’t hesitate.

Located just a mile away from the town centre, Delapre Abbey is alive with a relaxing 500 acres of parklands, semi-floral gardens and is certainly a place to visit in the County. Having gone through a massive restoration project in recent years coupled with the plans of the Management Team at the Abbey to increase weddings, events and conferences, it was going to be an amazing opportunity for us to work with the Abbey and hold our meetings there.

Our launch event saw another room full of local and small businesses from the Northampton area engaging with our member community as well as presentations from Cllr Daniel Lister from West Northamptonshire Council and both James Elliott and Dean Goldsmith from the Business & IP Centre as we continue to work together to help support the County in business.

We look forward to working with the team and are proud to call the Abbey our home for six meetings a year which you can find on our Events page.

April saw our second Northampton based NNBN meeting and we are delighted to be working with Chris Langsford and the team at the Park Inn by Radisson, Northampton Town Centre hotel to hold our meetings.

Located just 200 metres away from Northampton Town Centre, the hotel is a prime location within the town and boasts 146 rooms, 24 hour room service and free Wi-Fi and, after a meeting with Chris and Simon, we agreed it would be perfect for our second NNBN meeting venue in the area and runs in line with the meetings in the North of the County with Kettering Park Hotel and Chester House, one being a commercial hotel and the other being a local tourist attraction.

At our April meeting, we enjoyed hearing from Rob Lewis, from R J Electrical about his ten years in business and how we is helping to provide electrical solutions across the County.

All photos © Nick Freeman Photography

NORTH NORTHANTS ALLOCATED £1.1M OF FUNDING FOR RURAL COMMUNITIES AND BUSINESSES

Rural communities in the local area will receive funding boosts after North Northamptonshire Council received confirmation of £1,161,812 from central Government’s Rural England Prosperity Fund.

NNC’s funding allocation will be used to launch a capital business grant scheme and a capital grant scheme for rural areas of North Northamptonshire. The funding runs to March 2025. Central Government has identified areas of North Northamptonshire which are classed as ‘rural’ with all areas apart from the larger towns of Corby, Desborough, Kettering, Higham Ferrers, Rushden and Wellingborough eligible for funding.

The Rural England Prosperity Fund is a top-up to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, of which North Northamptonshire has secured £4.8 million and has two key objectives –‘supporting local business’ and ‘community and place’.

The Rural Fund provides capital funding to:

• support new and existing rural businesses to develop new products and facilities that will be of wider benefit to the local economy. This includes farm businesses looking to diversify income streams

• support new and improved community infrastructure, providing essential community services and assets for local people and businesses to benefit the local economy

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“I am delighted we have been successful in our bid for over £1.1 million of funding for the more rural areas of North Northamptonshire. Rural areas often face specific challenges and the funds we have received, on behalf of the residents and businesses in the area, will help to level up communities and support rural businesses to grow.”

Cllr David Brackenbury, the council’s Executive Member for Growth and Regeneration, said:

“Following our allocation of Shared Prosperity Funding, this is great news and will further help businesses and communities across North Northamptonshire. Work can now start on a range of projects, including new grant schemes which will make a real difference to North Northamptonshire and boost growth.”

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Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of the Council, added:

“As with our main Shared Prosperity Funding, we are working closely with key stakeholders to ensure this allocation reaches those most in need, and those with great ideas to support the local economy. I would encourage businesses and residents to keep an eye out for more information about the grant schemes.”

Cllr David Howes, the council’s Executive Member for Rural Communities and Localism, said:

WHAT IS THE GOOD BUSINESS CHARTER?

The Good Business Charter is a simple yet effective way to recognise responsible businesses, developed in partnership with the CBI, TUC and FSB. In spite of the plethora of different accreditations available in each sector, to the outside world, confusion still reigns about who is doing business in a responsible way. The Good Business Charter seeks to bring clarity on this, measuring behaviour over 10 components as follows:

“This year we really want to see another town, city or county join York in being a GBC place –where together GBC accredited organisations champion it to others in the area. York has nearly 100 members – wouldn’t it be amazing to see Northants smash that barrier and show them how it’s done!”

- Jenny Herrera, CEO

Benefits for Members

1) The UK’s many responsible, caring businesses deserve this third-party recognition

2) Members will be a beacon of light encouraging others to do the same which is good for society

3) The biggest benefit is that new customers will be signposted to your door away from your competitors when they see you sporting the GBC logo.

Open to private sector, public sector and charities of all sizes, it is attracting organisations from sole traders right up to FTSE100 companies. FREE for the first year and nominal costs thereafter. Launched in February 2020 and currently with over 1,300 accredited organisations including Aviva, Brompton Bicycles, Deloitte, Richer Sounds and University of Northampton.

York became the first GBC city in June 2021 with anchor organisations City of York Council, University of York, York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Aviva championing it to organisations of all sizes in the city.

How to Join

For more information see our website: www.goodbusinesscharter.com

You sign up through an online self-certification process here: https://accreditation.goodbusinesscharter. com/login

KETTERING COMPANY RECRUITS TEAM FOR BOOHOO.COM WAREHOUSE

A family run recruitment firm in Northamptonshire is celebrating after recruiting 49 people for a brand new Boohoo.com warehouse facility in Sheffield.

The project was run in association with SSI Schaefer Ltd, a global engineering company that counts Boohoo.com as one of its clients.

Once SSI Schaefer Ltd had negotiated a contract with Boohoo.com, it contacted Wills Consultants Ltd to recruit in their entire team to staff the 336,000 sq ft, four storey warehouse.

Simon Wills, director at Wills Consultants Ltd, said: “We were delighted to be brought in on this highprofile project.

“Our starting point was to recruit the management team, who could then be involved in recruiting the other roles. We appointed their engineering manager and then quickly the deputy engineering manager. We then recruited shift managers for each of the four shifts the company intended to operate, as well as technicians and flow controllers.

“We then worked together with the engineering manager to plan a recruitment day to recruit a team of automation flow controllers, for the new facility.”

The recruitment day was the culmination of months of hard work by the team at Wills Recruitment who combed through 100’s of applications, sourced specific skill sets, carried out online interviews and used a bespoke tracking system that senior management could log into to see the status of all candidates.

On the day itself, 25 candidates were treated to a presentation by SSI Schaefer, which gave them an introduction to SSI Schaefer and Boohoo. com, followed by a tour of the facility and a short assessment. Wills Consultants Ltd, and SSI Schaefer then reviewed the candidates and offering jobs to 12 people, taking the total number of new recruits to 49.

Craig Patterson SSI Schaefer Engineering Manager said: “The whole recruitment process was really well executed,”. “I particularly loved being able to see the screened candidates, CV’s and view the interview feedback that was uploaded on the tracker.

“The recruitment day also went really well and brought some good quality candidates into the building. The people we hired on the day have had good feedback from the management team and fitted in well.”

The King’s

Awards

for Enterprise

are for outstanding achievement by UK businesses in the categories of innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity through social mobility.

Am I eligible?

To apply for the King’s Award for Enterprise your organisation must:

• be based in the UK (including the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man)

• have a good compliance record with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)for example, showing you pay the right amount of tax on time

• be a self-contained enterprise that markets its own products or services and is under its own management

• have at least 2 full-time UK employees or part-time equivalents

•demonstrate strong corporate social responsibility

Your organisation can be a business or non-profit. Each of the award categories has additional entry criteria.

International Trade

To apply for the International Trade award, you must also:

• have made a minimum of £100,000 in overseas sales in the first year of your entry and show year-on-year growth

• prove that your organisation has achieved outstanding growth in overseas earnings relative to your business size and sector

• prove steep year-on-year growth (without dips) in overseas sales over 3 years - or substantial year-on-year growth (without dips) over 6 years

KINGS AWARDS

Innovation

To apply for the Innovation award, you must also:

• have an innovation that has not been sold before

• have had your innovation available on the market for at least 2 years

• have recovered all the investments made in your innovation or show that the innovation will recover its full costs in future

• show outstanding commercial success as a result of innovation over 2 years - or continuous commercial success over 5 years

Your innovation should be in one of the following categories:

• invention, design or production of goods

• performance of services

• marketing and distribution

• after-sale support of goods or services

Sustainable Development

To apply for the Sustainable Development award, you must also:

• show how you have achieved outstanding sustainable development for more than 2 years

• provide evidence of the benefits or positive outcomes of your actions or interventions

Promoting Opportunity through social mobility

To apply for this award, your organisation must have a programme that supports people from disadvantaged backgrounds in improving their job skills and their chances of finding work.

This includes doing one or more of the following, for at least 2 years:

• providing work experience or careers advice

• mentoring

• offering interview and job-related training

• making sure your recruitment process is open to everyone

You’ll need to prove the benefits for:

• the people you’ve supported

• your organisation

• your employees

• the wider community

You cannot apply if social mobility is the main focus of your organisation.

APPLY HERE

The King’s Awards for Enterprise are free to enter. You can apply for more than one award. You can now apply for the 2024 Awards until midday on 12 September 2023.

You’ll need to:

• create an account and register your details

• answer questions about your eligibility - this should take less than 15 minutes

• submit your application by midday on 12 September 2023

DELAPRÉ WELLBEING PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME SHORTLISTED FOR NATIONAL AWARD

The partnership programme designed to support people across Northampton make positive choices to take control over their health and wellbeing has been shortlisted for ‘Partnership of the Year’ in the Museums + Heritage Awards 2023.

Delapré Wellbeing partnership was created during the pandemic by local organisations across the town. Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust in partnership with Action for Happiness Northamptonshire, The General Practice Alliance Federation, Northampton Leisure Trust, Northamptonshire Sport, and the University of Northampton have worked together over the past year to put communities at the heart of public health.

The project has enabled participants to improve their health and wellbeing through cultural experiences, events, classes and more. Crucially, all activities have been suggested and designed by members of the community.

Richard Clinton, Chief Executive, Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust said: “We are delighted to have made the shortlist. This is a wonderful recognition of the project, the local community who have helped shape the programme, and the work of all the partners.

“As a legacy to the project we are developing the plans to create a curated wellbeing hub in the dilapidated 19th Century Stables. Delapré Wellbeing has also enabled future projects to be developed which has attracted additional funding and investment to the town.”

Dr David Smart, Clinical Director, General Practice Alliance, said: “The partnership with Northamptonshire Sport and the University of Northampton to help people move more and increase exercise activities is making a difference to population health. To see the evidence and personal benefits confirms to me that taking positive action to meet with other people, share in our life journeys, moving together more in Delapré (and other Northamptonshire) green spaces is the “Real Health Service”.

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The Museums + Heritage Awards celebrate the very best in the world of museums, galleries, and cultural and heritage visitor attractions. The partnership of the year category also includes projects by Hampshire Cultural Trust with Ubisoft, Sugar Creative and Sarner International, Colchester + Ipswich Museums, National Justice Museum, and Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums. The winner will be announced at a ceremony on Wednesday 10th May.

Delapré Wellbeing was one of 37 projects from across the country to receive funding from the Thriving Communities Fund. The fund was set up to support communities to address the issues that they face as a result of Covid-19.

Find out more about the project and see what’s on at https://delaprewellbeing.co.uk. Find out more about the Museums + Heritage Awards at https://awards.museumsandheritage.com.

TO HELP PATIENTS THANKS TO FUNDRAISING

Abseiling, half marathons and mountain climbing are among the fundraising feats that have helped buy a new rehab bike to help patients cycle their way to recovery.

Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT) has introduced the new £8,000 Therabike which is set to help patients suffering from neurological and mobility conditions.

The new equipment, which is being used at the Hazelwood Ward in Isebrook Hospital in Wellingborough, can help with a number of conditions, such as strokes, and improve mobility to speed-up patients’ recovery so they can return to doing the things they enjoy.

The static bike is able to give feedback on how much work a patient is achieving on either side of the body and helps build the strength of arms and legs. The display screen also provides motivation to encourage people to push towards rehabilitation.

To fund the equipment, Northamptonshire Health Charity were approached to help, and staff at NHFT held fundraising events; Mary Boulton ran two half marathons in Sandringham and Northampton, Alison Lindley abseiled down Northampton’s ‘Express Lift’ tower and Liz Metcalfe climbed Snowdon in September.

Michelle Leighton, community fundraiser from Northamptonshire Health Charity, said: “It was very emotional when we visited the ward to see the new Therabike being used by patients. Many of the patients at Hazelwood have had a stroke or another acute episode of illness which has meant they need further rehabilitation in an inpatient setting before they return home. We saw how the bike was already helping them, and that they really enjoyed using it. This is what I love about my job; seeing the difference that charity funding makes to patients.”

Hazelwood Ward is part of the Northamptonshire Countywide Stroke Pathway which includes Northampton General Hospital, the Community Stroke Team and Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

Mary Boulton said: “It is very rewarding to see the Therabike on the unit, knowing that many patients now, as well as in the future, can benefit through all the hard work Alison, Liz and myself have put in to achieve. Furthermore, I’d like to thank all the sponsors and support along the way to make this happen.”

Here’s what patients have said about the Therabike:

‘Feels like it is working the muscles on my weaker side equal to my stronger side’

‘Makes me feel better about myself and makes me want to achieve more’

‘I felt it really helped my recovery. It’s good to be able to use my legs without weight bearing’

‘It definitely improves my mood and gives me a sense of achievement’

‘It’s like a meditation in a way’

HELP A LOCAL NHS CHARITY TO WIN A MOVEMENT FOR GOOD GRANT

Northamptonshire Health Charity is once again calling on its supporters and the local community to help them win a £1,000 Movement for Good Award this June, coordinated by Benefact Group.

The Movement for Good Awards is an annual programme of giving, set up by all the specialist financial services companies that make up the Benefact Group. It provides them an opportunity to make a tangible difference to the lives of the people and communities they serve, by supporting the charities, not-for-profit organisations, and community interest projects that mean something to you. Yet again this year they are donating more than £1 million to charities.

To help Northamptonshire Health Charity be in with a chance of winning one of the £1,000 grants in June all you have to do is visit https://movementforgood. com/#nominateACharity and search for their registered charity name Northamptonshire Health Charitable Fund - and complete the form. It takes less than a minute.

The more nominations they receive, the greater the chance of winning a grant, so once you’ve done your part, please spread the word and make it a movement… for good!

The charity received a £1,000 donation in one of last year’s Movement for Good rounds which is benefitting the Serenity Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Northampton.

The family room at the centre, which is run by Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHFT), is over 12 years old. Being very well utilised it requires a refresh so the £1,000 from the grant will help to make a huge difference as part of the £4,700 funding from Northamptonshire Health Charity to bring it up to date.

The changes will make the environment more calming and comfortable for those who have to use it at what is a very difficult and stressful time.

Another grant from the charitable giving initiative will go a long way in making a difference. All donations to Northamptonshire Health Charity help to enhance patient care and experience as well as support the wellbeing of local NHS staff at Northampton General Hospital, Kettering General Hospital and across the community hospitals and mental health services provided by NHFT.

To find out more about Northamptonshire Health Charity please visit their website https:// northamptonshirehealthcharity.co.uk/

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STRONGER TOGETHER: NORTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE SOCIAL ENTERPRISES CELEBRATE BOOST

More than 15 social enterprises in North Northamptonshire have proved they are ‘stronger together’- celebrating the finale of a project designed to help them grow and thrive.

The Growth for Good project, launched last summer by the North Northamptonshire Social Enterprise (NNSE) network, saw a host of not-for-profit organisations coming together for digital, marketing and media support.

A dozen short films were produced, complemented by a popular programme of both online and face to face training which covered everything from press release writing and photography best practice to social media strategy and the power of storytelling.

Alison Holland, founder of Brightwayz social enterprise and co-ordinator of the NNSE, said: “We have a diverse, exciting social enterprise community here in North Northamptonshire, and this six-month project was all about finding ways to help everyone not just survive, but also thrive and grow. We not only helped local social enterprises raise their profiles with a series of new films, we also provided training to equip leaders with the social media and marketing skills they are crying out for to carry on the great work.”

Social enterprises taking part included community radio stations Corby Radio and Shire Sounds, disability charity Teamwork Trust, Accommodation Concern, active travel social enterprise Brightwayz, Wicksteed Park, Youth Works Northamptonshire, community transport CommMiniBus, Beccy Hurrell Voice and Arts, performing and creative arts organisation Picture the Difference, beekeeping group Wings and Radicles and the internationally renowned Adrenaline Alley.

This project was supported by Northamptonshire Community Foundation, which funded the training carried out by Pilkington Communications. The University of Northampton funded a Social Enterprise Ambassador role via its Changemaker programme. A second Ambassador role and the project lead role were funded by profits from BrandMyThingy.com, which is the promotional products arm of Brightwayz social enterprise.

Rachel McGrath, CEO of Northamptonshire Community Foundation, said: “We are delighted to have funded this project via our Social Enterprise Fund Northamptonshire. The project has helped local social enterprises, all of whom are doing incredible work in our county. It has helped these organisations flourish and in turn is supporting the sustainability of our local VCSE (Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise) sector.”

Kate Robinson, Changemaker Coordinator at the University of Northampton, added: “It’s great to see the success of this project and knowing that one of our students was part of it. The intention behind our Changemaker Internship Programme is to allow our students to share their skills and knowledge with local organisations aiming to create social impact, so seeing that in practice has been really inspiring.”

Alison added: “We would love to do so much more to support our existing social enterprises as well as any potential new ones and we are looking at how we can do that. If people are looking to start their own business as a solution to some social or environmental issue they really care about and want to earn a salary doing so, but aren’t set on making millions, then social enterprise is the way to go and we can help.”

The North Northamptonshire Social Enterprise Network (NNSEN), set up in late 2020 to connect, support and promote local not-for-profit businesses, launched its Growth for Good project in 2022 – with social enterprises from across the north of the county coming together to access support.

HEAR HOW THESE SOCIAL ENTERPRISES BENEFITED:

“This project has given us time to really look at our media offer and digital marketing and has helped us formulate a plan to improve our communication and therefore the public’s understanding of our social enterprise.”

“This project has given us the kickstart we needed to prioritise our marketing and publicity of our social enterprise.”

“We relished the press release training and now have the confidence to generate lots more media coverage in the future.

“The bite-size media tips were fantastic and definitely something we will continue to refer back to in the future. Our NNSE showcase video was also put together professionally and was really informative for people that may not know about how we operate as a social enterprise.”

What next?

Watch the Network’s series of films and find out more about local social enterprises here: https://vimeo.com/ showcase/10023688

Find out more about the NNSE at: www.nnse.org.uk

DRAINAGE WORK COMPLETE AT NORTHAMPTON BIKE PARK

Work to fix issues on several trails at Northampton Bike Park completed this week meaning they have reopened.

Contractors OnTrack returned to carry out the work after prolonged winter rain forced operator Northamptonshire Sport to close trails on the western side of the site.

While other trails remained open, standing water meant several of the trails were not accessible until drainage work could be carried out.

Cllr Adam Brown, West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) Cabinet Member for Housing, Culture and Leisure, said: “We’re obviously delighted that Northamptonshire Sport has been able to reopen the affected trails and that the whole site is now back in operation in time for part of the Easter break.

“I know the parks users have been champing at the bit to get back onto some of the trails and I’m sure they’ll also be excited by this news.

“It’s important for everyone to remember that it’s not unusual for trails to close for maintenance and repair from time to time, but the park was more extensively affected than we would have anticipated.

“I’d like to thank OnTrack for returning to remedy the issues and get things back up and running, and I’d encourage everyone to get down there and make good use of this free facility.”

The park opened in October last year thanks to funding from WNC, and Sport England, British Cycling and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport through their Places to Ride fund.

Gabrielle Deere, Northamptonshire Sport Strategic Director – Business Development and Commercial, said: “We are so pleased that the works have been completed. It has been a great team effort between WNC and On Track.

“The weather is getting better, perfect for riding all the trails across the park so we are looking forward to seeing the riders back, enjoying the sunshine and practising their jumps!”

There are some great videos from users of the park on YouTube and we’d encourage everyone to get down there, try it out, and perhaps add to them.

What Your Business Plan Should Include

By Angela Turton, ActionCOACH Growth Specialist

Let's start with a question! Why are you writing a Business Plan? Don’t get me wrong, I think every business needs one, but why are you writing yours? And why now? You see, what you put into a business plan will depend very much on the reason you are writing the plan.

Consider the advice in this short article as it will ensure the right things for your business are included in your plan, so here it goes

My ideal version of a Business Plan is structured to provide a clear picture of the business and its potential I strongly believe Vision, Mission & Culture should take centre stage and is a great place to start

Vision and Purpose

You need to state what your company is going to do and show what the future of your business looks like

List the values of your company and include the Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) that your company is striving towards

Mission

Explain how you plan to get to your BHAG and add what are you choosing to do in the world to bring it about?

Culture

Think about the following and include them in your plan:

What does the internal business look like?

Who are your team and your stakeholders?

How will your team and stakeholders communicate, work together, and cooperate?

What are the internal rules which govern the business?

Don’t be afraid to include your strengths and weaknesses

Including a SWOT analysis will show that you are aware of what you ’ re good at, not so good at but can develop, and that you are mindful of external threats to your business

Consider the internal strengths of your business and the team within it Most people struggle to list their own strengths, so start with what your team is good at

Think about the internal weaknesses of your business

Be candid and talk about mitigating any perceived problem areas

Now investigate the external opportunities that exist in your marketplace and how you will capitalise on them

What are the external threats to your business? What could de-rail you that you would have little or no control over? Government regulation is a good one to start with, but think outside of the box Think about what the worst is that could happen, and explain how you would aim to mitigate or avoid the problems that would cause Think E-cigarettes and their effect on the tobacco industry

Have a Sales & Marketing Plan

This section needs to focus on how you will execute your marketing to attract customers as well as create sales to bring in the all important revenue

Some areas commonly missed are test and measure metrics, client lifetime value, sales process, budget along with acquisition investment and strategies

NNBN AWARDS LAUNCHED TO CELEBRATE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE BUSINESSES, CHARITIES AND ENTREPRENEURS

Calling all entrepreneurs, charities, startups and businesses, small and large – The new NNBN awards ceremony has been launched, which covers the whole of Northamptonshire.

County-wide membership organisation NNBN has today unveiled its latest offer –the Northamptonshire NNBN Awards 2023. There are 12 categories now open to enter, including business and charity of the year, one for start-ups and categories for food and drink, hair and beauty and health and wellbeing.

Simon Cox, the co-founder of NNBN, said: “After successfully running the Kettering Business Awards for the last four years, we’re delighted to be expanding and opening this up to the of Northamptonshire. Northamptonshire is a fantastic county full of enterprising entrepreneurs, established businesses and global brands this year. We’re excited to bring you the NNBN Business Awards to recognise and celebrate innovative, hardworking, and enterprising businesses across the county.”

Jessica Pilkington, Director of PR and marketing company Pilkington Communications – one of the event sponsors – added: “Awards are a great way to elevate your brand. Being unveiled as a finalist –let alone a winner – means your brand will be promoted very positively. It’s very costeffective publicity.

“If you ever submit tenders then an award win helps you stand out, plus they are great for staff morale. The simple act of writing your award application can be useful – it gives you a unique opportunity to reflect on your organisation, your team or a recent project. Put simply, entering awards makes good business sense. They can increase sales, boost your profile and exposure, and help you leave the competition in your wake.”

The event sponsors are: Wilson Brown Solicitors, Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce, North Northamptonshire Council, Poppy Design Studio and Pilkington Communications.

Categories now open:

Business of the Year – sponsored by Action Coach Oakham & Kettering

Business Person of the Year – sponsored by Square Feet Co Working

Charity of the Year – sponsored by Commsave Credit Union

Food & Drink Business of the Year – sponsored by Groundwork Northamptonshire

Tourism Award – sponsored by Discover Northamptonshire

Green Award – sponsored by North Northamptonshire Council

Health and Wellbeing Business of the Year – sponsored by Brackmills Business

Improvement District (BID)

Micro Business of the Year - sponsored by Nick Freeman Photography

Start-Up Business of the Year

Micro Business of the Year

Small Business of the Year

Hair and Beauty Business of the Year

Special Recognition Award

Entries close at 12pm on 30th June

LOCAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AWARDS OVER £2.5 MILLION IN GRANTS TO THOSE IN NEED ACROSS THE COUNTY

The recent end of the financial year saw the end of Northamptonshire Community Foundation’s biggest grant-making year since it was first established 22 years ago, outside of delivering emergency funds during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Over £22.5 million in grants has been awarded to charities and community groups across Northamptonshire. Projects such as food banks, mental health support groups and wellbeing activities for the county’s most vulnerable residents have been sustained by funds awarded through the Foundation.

Rachel McGrath, CEO of Northamptonshire Community Foundation, said: ‘One of our biggest years of grant making has been made possible because of the extraordinary generosity of our private, corporate and public donors and our partners.

A heartfelt thank you on behalf of our foundation team who have worked very hard to ensure this generosity has the greatest impact across our towns, villages and neighbourhoods.

And on behalf of our donors, staff, volunteers, patrons and trustees we say an especially big thank you to our brilliant small, local charities and community organisations whose work it is our privilege to support and who make all the difference on our doorstep.’

Northamptonshire Community Foundation are the leading independent grant-making charity in the county, supporting Northamptonshire’s most in-need residents and helping local donors and businesses to change the world on their doorstep. Find out more by reading their most recent impact report or taking a look at their website: www.ncf.uk.com

WEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNCIL TO TAKE STEP FORWARD IN DELIVERING THE A43 MAJOR ROAD SCHEME

The dualling of the A43 carriageway between Northampton and the A14 at Kettering has reached a major milestone as West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) cabinet reviews and agrees plans to deliver the next phase.

On Tuesday, 11 April WNC’s cabinet members considered and approved the proposals for the upcoming phase three. This work will complete the section of the A43 within WNC boundaries and make improvements to the Holcot / Sywell roundabout.

This forms part of a longer-term aspiration to vastly improve connectivity from Northampton to the A14 at Kettering helping to relieve congestion and improve journey times. Further improvement works following the completion of phase 3 will be delivered and determined by North Northamptonshire Council (NNC), although WNC is supportive of these improvements to the strategic road network.

So far, the stretch of the A43 between the Round Spinney roundabout and the newly built Overstone Grange roundabout has been dualled, with work taking place in three phases between 2015 and 2020.

Phase three will see the dual carriageway continue from Overstone Grange to the Holcot / Sywell roundabout, reducing congestion and journey times in this area. This work will be delivered in partnership between WNC and NNC.

As the scheme is being delivered across WNC and NNC areas, the works will be jointly developed by the two councils and, as most of the scheme lies within West Northamptonshire, WNC will be the lead authority, with appropriate involvement and funding from NNC.

Cllr Phil Larratt, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport, Highways and Waste at WNC, said: “This road scheme is a significant priority for the Council and once complete, will have many benefits for road users travelling between Northampton and Kettering, as well as the surrounding areas.”

“The road will also help facilitate the further development of Overstone Grange, delivering much needed housing within the area.”

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“We know that the next phase of works will cause disruption, and we hope that drivers will soon benefit from reduced congestion in this area. Following the review of plans, I am pleased that cabinet approved the next steps and I look forward to WNC and NNC taking a step forward in delivering this exciting project.”

A similar proposal will go before NNC’s Executive on 20 April. Subject to approval, work will then progress to prepare the outline business case. Subject to gaining the necessary approvals and funding, it is anticipated that construction could begin in early 2026, with completion in Spring 2027.

THE MENTAUR GROUP

Mentaur Community Support (MCS) provides supported living and outreach support services to empower vulnerable people and encourage more independent forms of living. Support is provided to people with learning disabilities, mental health needs, autism spectrum disorder, dementia, sensory impairment & other complex needs.

Outreach Support

Our outreach support services provide personalised support to individuals in the comfort of their own homes. We understand that everyone’s needs are unique, so we tailor our services to meet the specific requirements of everyone. Our range of support services includes assistance with procuring housing benefits, maintaining a tenancy, and accessing healthcare services. Our trained MCS staff provides support ranging from a few hours per week to 24-hour care.

The following types of support are available through our outreach services:

• Personalised care and wellbeing

• Furthering education and employment opportunities

• Financial management support

• Leisure and recreational activities

• Domestic activities, shopping, and other life skills

• Healthcare and medication management

Our outreach services are available in Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire.

Supported Living Services

MCS also provides supported living services in two dedicated supported living units in Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire. Users of these services are either making their first move to independence or stepping down from a more intensive placement. With a secure tenancy in place, users are supported by trained MCS staff to develop new skills like those described above for outreach clients.

People using our services are encouraged to live as independently as possible within their communities with our staff providing encouragement, safety and support.

The Mentaur Group is making a significant contribution to supporting vulnerable people within the community. Our commitment to providing growth-enhancing care and support of the highest quality with integrity and constant innovation is at the core of our values.

Local businesses, Voluntary organisations, and the provision of new cycleways in West Northamptonshire are among the areas set to benefit from more than £5.4million funding from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

The funding is the largest allocation in the South East Midlands and will be used to create pride in place, improve people’s life chances, increase skills, create stronger communities and support local businesses over the next 2 years.

West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) plans for the funding include creating new and improved pedestrian crossing facilities between the Billing Road and Abington, in Northampton, and improving paths and cycleways to encourage active travel.

The funding will also be used to tackle fuel poverty and the cost of living through the provision of a range of services across West Northants, including improving Household Energy performance in people’s homes.

Local voluntary and community organisations will also receive a portion of the money to help increase engagement in community centres and improve the support available to residents.

A range of initiatives, including a new grants programme to help local businesses at all stages to start, sustain, grow and innovate and tailored employment support to help people into work, will also receive some of the funding.

Other areas planned to benefit include:

Funding for volunteer and social action projects

Decarbonisation and improving the natural environment

Business support to enable employers to better utilise the local workforce and understand the advantages of being flexible in terms of recruitment

Other areas planned to benefit include:

Funding for volunteer and social action projects

Decarbonisation and improving the natural environment

Business support to enable employers to better utilise the local workforce and understand the advantages of being flexible in terms of recruitment

In addition to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund a further £1.9m has been allocated to free adult numeracy courses, through the Government’s Multiply funding programme, which are specifically targeted at improving confidence around day-to-day maths for all levels and advancing people’s chances of progressing their careers.

WNC has also been allocated a further £1.367m from the Government under the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), which is a top-up of the UKSPF and aims to support small business and community infrastructure specifically in rural areas.

Cllr Daniel Lister, WNC’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Town Centre Regeneration and Growth, said: “This funding is a much-welcomed tool in our strive to build stronger communities and make West Northamptonshire a great place to live, work, visit and thrive.

“We have worked closely with stakeholders, community groups and local partners to analyse the greatest needs for this funding, and most importantly, to deliver economic prosperity in our area whilst supporting sustainability, increasing employment opportunities and offering greater support for local businesses.

“Fantastic things are happening in West Northants and we are proud to be playing a major role in improving the lives of our residents, communities and businesses, and making this a greater place for all.”

The UKSPF is a central pillar of the UK government’s ambitious Levelling Up agenda and a significant component of its support for places across the UK. It provides £2.6 billion of new funding for local investment by March 2025 and replaces European Structural and Investment Fund (ESIF) funding.

WEST NORTHANTS LOCAL BUSINESSES, VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS, CYCLEWAYS AND NET-ZERO AMBITIONS ARE AMONG AREAS TO BENEFIT FROM £5.4M FUNDING

THE KEY TO YOUR BUSINESS SUCCESS

A 3-Minute Online Test to Identify Your Growth Focus Areas

BIPC Libraries act as engines for economic growth through helping businesses to start, run, innovate and grow. As part of the British Library Business & IP Centre National Network, the Business & IP Centre Northamptonshire helps establish enterprises, create new jobs, increase turnover and boost our local economy. For every £1 invested in the BIPC Network, £6.95 is put back into the economy, which we believe represents a fantastic return on investment.

Our services cover the whole of Northamptonshire, both West Northamptonshire and North Northamptonshire, which includes: Corby, Daventry, East Northamptonshire, Kettering, Northampton, South Northamptonshire and Wellingborough. You can find the Business & IP Centre Northamptonshire at your local library.

We have hubs in Northamptonshire Central Library, Kettering Library, Wellingborough Library, Brixworth Library and Towcester Library.

You can pop into any of your nearest libraries (not just the ones mentioned) and ask for more information.

The Business & IP Centre Northamptonshire has been supporting businesses since 2015. In that time, over 1750 people have used its services and they have helped over 500 entrepreneurs start a business through a rich variety of webinars, workshops and one-to-one business and intellectual property advice sessions. The library service also provides entrepreneurs and SMEs across the UK with free access to databases, market research, journals, directories and reports worth thousands of pounds.

Libraries are not just full of books. They are full of ideas. As part of the British Library National Network the Business & IP Centre Northamptonshire is leading a revolution by inspiring a thriving community of new and existing business owners. It is free to join and open to everyone. And it is transforming the way ideas grow into successful businesses.

https://www.bipcnorthamptonshire.co.uk

www.northnorthantsbusinessnetwork.co.uk

So if you would like one-to-one business advice, access to market research databases, webinars and events, or intellectual property advice, all for free… then visit your local library to find out more at:

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

Workshops/Seminars

We deliver a range of supporting activities aimed at anyone considering self employment, starting a new business or requiring advice on intellectual property.

Reset. Restart webinars

We are delivering a dedicated programme to support SMEs which can be accessed remotely, whereever you are in the UK, all for free.

One-to-one advice

We offer a wide range of one-to-one sessions for anyone who is considering self employment, and new start-ups. Advice on business basics, business planning, IP and ask an expert.

Intellectual property advice

We offer advice and information on: Patents, Copyright, Trade marks and Registered Designs.

Free subscription resources

We pay the subscription fee so that our library users can benefit from access to: COBRA, EMIS, Fame, Frost & Sullivan, Grantfinder, IBIS World, Kompass, Mintel, Newsbank, Statista and Local Data Company.

Links to useful start-up websites

Free quality business and enterprise selected by our information professionals

Networking opportunities

All our events, webinars and social media platforms provide ample networking opportunities.

All services are provided free of charge to the local community.

“We are delighted to support this new initiative in Northamptonshire.

The new NNBN membership service will provide much needed additional support, engagement and exclusive discounts to local entrepreneurs and businesses and will serve to complement existing services within Northants. We look forward to supporting and working alongside NNBN.”

- Barry Crisp

FULLY-FUNDED BOOST FOR YOUR BUSINESS WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

The University of Leicester School of Business has supported over 250 small-to-medium sized businesses on the fully-funded Help to Grow: Management Course since September 2021. If you’re looking to develop leadership and management skills, optimise your business model, drive efficiencies or build greater engagement with your employees and customers this course can make a real practical difference.

Largely delivered online but with 4 half-day in-person workshops in Leicester, managers and business owners in SMEs with 5-249 employees are invited to take advantage of this opportunity to join the next start date on 5th May. The programme is 90% government-funded and 10% funded through a business support bursary provided by the University of Leicester School of Business.

Delivered by Small Business Charter accredited business schools, Help to Grow: Management is endorsed by key business figures including Alison Rose (CEO Natwest), Ann Francke (CEO Chartered Management Institute) and Byron Dixon (CEO Micro-Fresh).

Alison Rose outlines:

“It’s important as business leaders that we keep learning from others, from peers and from experts, and the Help to Grow: Management programme offers just that”

Ann Francke says: “You’ll not only make things better for your business, but you’ll make things better for your employees, your customers and your community. So please do sign up. It’s a great opportunity”

Completed over 12 weeks, with a time commitment of 4-5 hours a week, the course covers key topics including digital adoption, strategy and innovation, entering new markets, leading change, employee engagement and responsible business practices. The programme includes 8 online seminars, 4 in-person workshops, 8 peer group calls and 10 hours of one-toone mentoring leading to creation of a growth action plan for your business.

Feedback from participants highlights the relevance of the course in driving significant business outcomes:

Rahoul Naik, Manager Director at Jetpack Marketing says:

“The Help to Grow programme was absolutely perfect for my business. As we went through the modules, I found there to be lots of practical ways to implement what we were learning almost weekly!”

Nisha Ravat, Director at Green Tomato adds:

“The Help to Grow programme has had a substantial impact on my business already. I have gained confidence in approaching different sectors to grow my business and am already seeing the benefits. We have transformed our operations through digitalisation and are ready to expand our services to our second area”

FUNDING INJECTION TO BOOST

NORTH NORTHAMPTONSHIRE

ELECTRIC VEHICLE INFRASTRUCTURE

Infrastructure for the charging of electric vehicles in North Northamptonshire has been given a boost with £3.25million from Government.

The provisional funding includes £2,895,000 capital funds for purchasing and installation costs and a further £351,780 for planning and delivery.

Bringing more on-street charging points into operation is seen as one of the main ways of making the use of electric vehicles more appealing and the funding will focus on areas with no, or very limited, off-street parking.

Funding has been made available under the UK Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund and is dependent on suitable plans to be agreed by the Department for Transport.

The council plans to submit a detailed business case before the end of the year to secure this funding. Work will include preparation of an Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy which will help to inform where the funding should be targeted.

Currently there are 128 publicly available electric vehicle charging points in places such as Corby, Higham Ferrers, Kettering, Rushden, Thrapston, and Wellingborough, but forecasts’ suggest that potentially more than 1,000 could be needed across these and other towns and in rural communities by 2030.

Cllr Graham Lawman, the council’s executive member for highways, travel and assets said:

“I’m delighted that we’ve been allocated this provisional funding from Government which will greatly help to create more charging points around our area.

“As a driver of an electric vehicle myself, I can appreciate the benefits of having an enhanced infrastructure would bring and I look forward to new proposals being brought forward.”

Cllr Harriet Pentland, the council’s executive member for climate and the green environment, said:

“Reducing carbon emissions is one of the key priorities for the council as we strive to be carbon neutral by 2030.

“Encouraging low-carbon forms of transport is so important to achieve this aim and there is also the added bonus of reducing pollution, which is beneficial for everyone.”

Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of the Council, said:

“This is a great boost to the North Northamptonshire area –as electric cars are the future of transport, bringing so many benefits.”

WEST NORTHANTS TO HOLD VIGIL ONE YEAR ON FROM KNIFE ANGEL VISIT

A church service and vigil will be held in West Northamptonshire one year on from the Knife Angel visit to remember those who have died through knife crime or been affected by violence.

This will take place at All Saints Church in Northampton on Friday, 19 May, at 7.30pm, followed by a candle-lit vigil in the church courtyard.

Cllr David Smith, West Northamptonshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Engagement said: “The vigil will give us the opportunity to stand side by side with all those who have suffered or lost loved ones due to violence, including knife and gang crime.

“This is very personal to me which is why I am passionate about speaking about this and raising awareness at every juncture – it’s about getting this subject into the conversation.

“Together with our partners and the community, I believe we really can make a difference and prevent further acts of violence on our streets. I encourage everyone to join us at this service as we unite against all forms of violence in West Northamptonshire.”

The service forms part of a month of activities, which will include free critical bleed training delivered by anti-knife crime charity Off the Streets. Free2Talk will also be offering mentoring for young people and will be stationing their youth bus in Northampton for young people to drop-in and learn about personal safety and sign up to become an Anti-Violence Champion.

Cheri Curran, mother of Louis-Ryan Menezes who was fatally stabbed in St David’s in 2018, will be speaking at the service. She said: “Now is the time to come together to talk about the effects of knife crime on families and communities. We need to show support for one another.”

The Knife Angel statue, the National Symbol Against Violence and Aggression, visited Northampton last year as part of its nationwide tour to highlight the issue of knife crime in the UK. The 27-feet-tall statue has been created by using over 100,000 knives and blades confiscated by the UK’s 43 police forces.

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An augmented reality version of the monument can be viewed in the Knife Angel App, available via the Explore Northampton App which is free to download from the App Store and Google Play, along with videos, downloadable pdfs and information for parents on how to look out for signs that their child is being drawn into gangs and carrying weapons.

There are also links to partner websites such as Community Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV) and Fearless, where people can report information anonymously, and a link to a map of bleed control kit locations installed by Off the Streets. The bleed control kits can be used to provide emergency aid to treat patients injured in a serious violent crime and keep them alive until the emergency services arrive.

For the full list of activities taking place throughout May, keep an eye on WNC’s social media pages. For more information and resources around knife crime and gangs, please visit the Fearless website.

DISCOVER NORTHAMPTONSHIRE HUB OFFICIALLY OPENED

The new tourism hub at Rushden Lakes has officially opened, coinciding with English Tourism Week, which runs across the country from Friday 17 – Sunday 26 March.

Run by North Northamptonshire Council and supported by The Crown Estate, the Discover Northamptonshire Hub is open 7 days a week, located next to the entrance of the cinema and promotes attractions throughout Northamptonshire, highlighting the abundance of unique offerings in and around our local area.

The hub was formally opened today, representatives from North Northamptonshire Council, West Northamptonshire Council, the Crown Estate and partners were in attendance.

The hub has been designed as a fully interactive space, promoting all things Northamptonshire, including days out, attractions, walks, town and village offerings, places to eat, sustainable transport, heritage, accommodation and local and major events. There is also a retail space, providing local businesses with a chance to showcase their products taking advantage of the 6 million visitors to Rushden Lakes annually.

Cllr Helen Howell, North Northamptonshire Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Sport, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said: “It was great that we were able formally open and celebrate the new Discover Northamptonshire hub, to coincide with English Tourism Week.

“We are now open, and the team are really excited to be welcoming visitors through the doors to this fantastic asset. We will be promoting all the wonderful attractions we have throughout the whole of Northamptonshire to visitors of Rushden Lakes – some of whom will be unfamiliar with the area and unsure of what else is on offer in our wonderful County and further afield. I would also encourage residents of North and West Northamptonshire to visit the hub and speak to our

friendly team – you never know what you might discover right on your doorstep!

“The opening is very much the start of the Discover Northamptonshire hub’s journey and the offering will continue to grow and develop and we are delighted to be working with our colleagues from the West to promote Northamptonshire as a tourist destination. We are also jointly in the final stages of developing a tourism strategy that will support and offer direction for the tourism sector moving forward. It is a very positive move for the industry.”

The Discover Northamptonshire hub has received £245,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. NNC are working closely with partners including West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), The Crown Estate and local businesses, as well as local schools, colleges and universities to provide learning and volunteering opportunities for those interested in working in the local tourism industry.

Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of the Council, added: “The new Discover Northamptonshire hub will have enormous benefits to the local area, encouraging visitors to Rushden Lakes to travel to the other fantastic attractions we have nearby and in turn bringing more money and footfall into the local economy.”

The Discover Northamptonshire hub is open Monday –Saturday from 11am – 6pm and Sunday 11am – 4:30pm. You can find Discover Northamptonshire on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, with a website launching soon.

The Discover Northamptonshire team want to ensure that all tourism businesses in Northamptonshire are being promoted to such a large audience. Any business or attraction who wants to be promoted on the Discover Northamptonshire website and at the new hub should email info@discover-northamptonshire.co.uk

CONFERENCES • EVENT SPACE • ROOM HIRE

With beautiful views of the Nene Valley from our Farmhouse Conference rooms or a large space within our 17th century Threshing Barn.

Day delegate rate of £22.00

Delegate rates include Unlimited tea and coffee

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For more details please contact:

info@chesterhouseestate.org

TRAPP’D ANNOUNCED AS FINALISTS IN BUSINESS AWARDS

NNBN Members Trapp’d Ltd are proud to announce that they have been named as finalists in both the Business Innovation category and the Business of the Year less than 50 Employees category at the SME Northamptonshire Business Awards!

The UK’s number 1 Escape Room provider, who have 5 branches across Northamptonshire, were nominated in the Business Innovation category for the addition of their Rage Rooms, a concept that is attracting a huge amount of interest because of its simplicity. Patrons are given a room, tools and a variety of items and allowed to smash to their heart’s content.

Regarding the nomination for the Business of the Year less than 50 Employees, Sales Executive Jake Hill said, “All the credit has to go to our GamesMasters and RageMasters who work tirelessly in our branches to ensure everyone who visits Trapp’d and Destroy’d has an amazing experience.”

Trapp’d currently hold a Traveller’s Choice Award from TripAdvisor and are looking to build on their recent success.

If your business is looking to book a unique team building experience with an experienced provider, email jake@trappd.com

MICRO BUSINESS ALLIANCE LAUNCHES TO REPRESENT 95% OF BUSINESSES.

Over 100 organisations that work in supporting micro businesses have united to create and launch the Micro Business Alliance. The support provided to businesses during the pandemic failed to recognise the vast majority of micro-businesses that account for 1 in 3 employees in the country and contribute a fifth of the country’s GDP.

The Micro Business Alliance has been established to ensure that there is an effective dialogue with the Government to ensure that they have the opportunity to understand and better communicate with micro businesses, including all start-ups.

Driving the initiative, Tony Robinson OBE, who has championed the micro business sector for many years, commented, “Micro and small businesses form the bedrock of our communities and our local business ecosystems.

They provide employment in both the booming and difficultto-reach areas, and in many cases, give the opportunity for people who do not have the ability to, or choose not to, enter mainstream employment the opportunity to create their own ventures and means to independent living.”

The Alliance is chaired by Ian Cass, Chief Executive of the Forum of Private Business. “The pandemic support for businesses highlighted that those at the micro end of small businesses missed out on the help that some other businesses received, not through any intention by the Government,

but simply because there was a lack of understanding of micro-businesses and no organisation that could represent their collective needs,” said Ian Cass.

“We are now correcting that. Through the supporters of the Alliance we estimate that we can already share the perspectives of nearly 1.2 million micro and small businesses in our high streets and communities, and ensure that they can work in a thriving environment which is understood and championed by the Government’s levelling up agenda.”

The UK’s Small Business Commissioner, Liz Barclay, added her support.

“I very much welcome the launch of the Micro Business Alliance. We have a wonderful network of organisations across the country that tirelessly help small businesses, start-ups and micro businesses.

But getting their diverse needs mapped onto the Government’s business plan has been challenging. The Alliance now gives us the opportunity to do that and ensure that the critical part that they play in creating thriving business communities is fully recognised and backed both by Westminster and Regional Administrations.”

Any business organisation involved with start-ups, microbusinesses and small businesses is encouraged to join the Alliance to maximise the reach and voice of the millions of businesses that rely on them on https://lnkd.in/eFir4sta

LOOKING TO LEARN ABOUT PODCASTING ?

Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular in the UK, with many listeners tuning in to various topics, from news and current affairs to entertainment and education. If you are considering producing a podcast, this article will provide a step-by-step guide on creating a podcast in the UK, from planning to distribution.

Identify Your Podcast’s Topic and Format

The first step in producing a podcast is identifying the topic and format. Consider your areas of expertise, interests, and what type of content would appeal to your target audience. Once you have determined your podcast’s topic, think about the format – will it be a solo podcast, a co-hosted show, or an interview-based form? Choosing a suitable format is key to creating engaging content that resonates with your audience.

Plan Your Podcast Structure and Episodes

After deciding on your podcast topic and format, create a plan for your podcast structure and episodes. This plan should include episode topics, length, guests, and any recurring segments. Create a content calendar and plan your episodes in advance to ensure consistency in your production schedule.

Recording Equipment and Software

To start recording your podcast, you will need the right equipment and software. A key piece of equipment for recording your podcast is a microphone. While there is a wide range of microphones available, a dynamic microphone is often recommended for podcasting due to its ability to block out background noise and focus on the speaker’s voice. Some popular options include the Shure SM7B and the Rode PodMic.

You will also need audio recording software to capture your podcast audio. Popular options for audio recording software include Audacity and Adobe Audition. This software offers various features, such as noise reduction and multi-track recording, depending on your needs. Additionally, you may need to consider a mixer or audio interface to connect your microphone to your computer.

Recording Your Podcast

Before recording your podcast, ensure that your recording environment is relatively quiet and free from any background noise or distractions. When recording, focus on creating concise, engaging content, and remember to keep to your podcast’s structure and format. Make sure to maintain a conversational tone and engage with your listeners.

Editing and Post-Production

After recording your podcast, it’s time to edit and prepare it for distribution. This includes tasks such as cleaning up the audio by removing background noise or unwanted parts of the recording, adding in any pre-recorded sound effects or music, and adjusting levels and EQ. You may also need to add show notes and write engaging descriptions for each episode.

Choose a Podcast Hosting Platform

Once you have an edited and finalised episode, it’s time to choose a hosting platform where your podcast will be available for listeners to access. There are many hosting platforms available in the UK, such as Spotify for Podcasters, Buzzsprout, and Libsyn, which offer various features such as analytics and monetisation.

Read the rest of the article here:

https://nnbn.co.uk/looking-to-learnabout-podcasting/

WHAT IS NNBN?

IT JUST GOT EASIER TO GET MORE FOR YOU & YOUR BUSINESS

The NNBN is the new and exciting business membership for Northamptonshire which is here to help businesses in the Northants area recover, build, and grow for a brighter future. The membership is open to businesses, organisations, charities, and students who are based in or provide services to Northamptonshire.

Our membership provides a large amount of benefits, which include:

MEMBER ONLY AREA & DIRECTORY

EDITORIAL & ADVERT IN NNBN DIGITAL EVENTS & NETWORKING

NNBN FUEL CARD

BUSINESS PROMOTION

NATIONAL BRAND DISCOUNTS

HEALTH & WELLNESS BENEFITS

NNBN APP ADVERTISING

WHAT MAKES THE NNBN DIFFERENT?

The NNBN is all about Northamptonshire and is the face of the business community in the area. We ensure members within the area are informed, engaged and up to date with what’s happening in the best interest of them and their business. We also keep them up to date with news, events and offers from our supporters of the NNBN.

WHAT DO I GET AS A MEMBER?

The NNBN membership gives you benefits for you, your family, your business, charity or organisation. The great benefits are split into two categories, benefits for you and benefits for your business. The great thing about our membership is even students and community groups can benefit, it is all about connecting communities and supporting you all!

Visit our website here: https://nnbn.co.uk

DOWNLOAD THE DISCOVERNN APP AND START EXPLORING

From culture, green spaces, theme parks and water activities to shopping, local eateries, health, beauty and business services, what’s the best way to discover all that’s happening across North Northamptonshire?

DiscoverNN is the answer, a brand-new mobile app launched by North Northamptonshire Council, powered by technology provider Bubltown and funded by Government’s Welcome Back Fund, awarded to local authorities across the country last year during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the key aim of supporting local businesses and encouraging people to shop local, DiscoverNN features offers and tailor-made promotions for customers, geo-targeted events and activities, and is free to download.

The app is simple to use and available now for local residents and visitors to the area to help them see what’s on, find shopping opportunities, plan days out, make reservations, buy products, book services, plus much more!

Councillor Helen Howell, Deputy Leader of North Northamptonshire Council and Executive Member for Sport, Leisure, Culture and Tourism said: “We are really excited to be launching DiscoverNN, especially in the Spring when the weather is improving, school holidays are approaching and people are making plans to get out and about to explore.

It is a great way to bring everything together in one place, making it easy for people to discover North Northamptonshire from the palm of their hand.

“There is a wonderful range of tourist attractions in the area which are featured on the app and website including the Chester House Estate, Wicksteed Park, and our beautiful country parks, to name a few.

“DiscoverNN is for everyone, and we hope that residents and visitors will download the app and start using it to explore places they’ve never been to before to discover everything North Northamptonshire has to offer, which includes some real hidden treasures!”

Councillor Jason Smithers, Leader of North Northamptonshire Council said: “COVID-19 has hit businesses hard, and the launch of DiscoverNN is just one of the ways we are supporting them to take steps forward, especially now everyday life is returning to how it was before the pandemic.

“We are working closely with a wide range of local businesses across the whole area to help them join this exciting new digital platform at no cost to them, so they can start promoting their offers and services directly to new and existing customers.

“We have over 60 businesses on-board so far and anticipate that this will continue to grow as more and more people hear about and start using DiscoverNN. We are proud of this app and are looking forward to seeing it build!”

DiscoverNN is available now on iPhone and Android app stores, people can search ‘DiscoverNN’ on their preferred store,or visit our website at www. northnorthants.gov.uk/discovernn to use the direct download links.

There’s still time for local businesses to sign up to be part of DiscoverNN, it’s simple, quick and free to join, and there’s support available. Businesses are invited to visit https://join.discovernn.co.uk to get signed up.

- Simon Cox, NNBN

D WNL AD THE APP

EXPL RE Y UR L CAL AREA

Search ‘ ’ on iPhone and Android app stores.

BACK FOR THEIR FIFTEENTH YEAR, THE 2023/24 CULINARY AWARDS REVEALED!

The Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards is back for its fifteenth year with another sensational set of categories and sponsors.

The Awards are a celebration and recognition of excellence within the Northamptonshire food and drink sector. It is a toast to all that is great about local produce and drink and rewarding those who work so hard to achieve the best within the culinary sector.

The team behind the Awards are delighted to announce eighteen fantastic categories this year, which includes the introduction of a debut category: Event Venue of the year and with that, welcomes a fresh sponsor, the Hilton Garden Inn, Silverstone. New sponsors also joining the competition this year are, Greedy Gordons (Restaurant of the Year), University of Northampton (Food and Drink College Student of the year) and new Associate sponsor, Bedford College.

New sponsor Greedy Gordons Pub Group, winner of Booker Dining Venue for the Snooty Fox at Lowick last year, is now sponsoring Restaurant of the Year. Richard Gordon said ‘we have had huge success over the last five years in this great competition and it’s time to make way for others to take these accolades and all the glory that goes with it. We could not be more thrilled to sponsor this fantastic category and are excited and looking forward to this year’s events.’

Thanks to ongoing support from headline sponsor, Weetabix has committed to another three years with the competition representing the Burton Latimer company’s commitment to the county’s hard working food and drink sector. The breakfast giant will once again be joined by existing category sponsors All things Business, Booker, Daily Bread, Delapre Abbey, Whitco, Heygates Flour and Animal Feed, Howes Percival LLP, Moulton College and Whitworth Bros Ltd Flour Millers.

Stuart Branch, Group People and Technology Director at Weetabix said ‘We’re thrilled and proud to be headline sponsor to the Awards for a fourth year. Being directly involved with the judging process, seeing first-hand the impact these awards can have on local businesses growth and development is an honour. We are proud to see the vast range of venues, producers, chefs, businesses and organisations that these prestigious Awards support and celebrate.

The full details of the latest competition were revealed by Awards Director, Rachel Mallows MBE, at the launch which took place (Monday 20th March) at Silverstone Circuit, Silver Award Winners of the Healthy Food and Wellbeing Award 2022. Rachel set off the Awards launch with ‘super close to the country’s iconic starting line, the county’s foods and drink and hospitality sector gets ready to be nominated, entered, judged, and have the chance to win and celebrate their achievements.

I want to highlight the Importance of recognition through the Awards, so I start here today thinking about last year, hoping the launch of 2023 is going to be about moving into prosperity after Brexit, Covid and cost of living. We can’t kick off this competition without mentioning the hard work of this sector, the hundreds if not thousands of individuals who work so hard in Food and Drink and in hospitality. We not only nourish ourselves through food and drink consumption, but we also build friendships, we enjoy our family’s and communities through this sector, through our home cooking to eating out. Let’s see what 2023 will bring!’ Rachel also revealed an exciting change to the dining categories. Booker will now sponsor both the Young Chef of the Year and revised category ‘Gastro Pub of the Year’.

This year’s launch also revealed new Awards Patron, David Foskett MBE, member of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, Craft Guild of Chefs and a fellow of the Institute of Hospitality. He’s also been voted one of the most influential people in the hospitality public sector. The Awards team are very excited to have David on board.

Previous Award winners like John Folliot-Vaughn, Artisan Local Drink, Gold Award winner 2022/23 Stonyfield Wine were able to reflect on their successes of the competition since winning; ‘you don’t realise until afterwards how much difference it can make to your business’. Katie Steele from the Towcester Community Larder, who won Gold in the Local Food Hero category last year said, our success in the Awards has been fantastic for our profile and making ourselves visible to not just businesses within the community but also to users of our service. Having this acknowledgement that we are open to everyone, and our purpose is about saving food from waste and getting it out to the communities was invaluable.

The free-to-enter categories in this year’s Awards (with their respective sponsors) are:

• Artisan Local Drink of the Year

• Artisan Local Product of the Year (Heygates Flour and Animal Feed)

• Artisan Local Vegetarian / Vegan Product of the Year (Daily Bread)

• Booker Gastro of the Year (Booker)

• Booker Young Chef of the Year (Booker)

• Community Café of the Year (Supported by The Good Loaf)

• Event Venue of the Year (Hilton Garden Inn)

• Farming Environment Award (Weetabix Growers Group)

• F&B Achiever of the Year (Howes Percival LLP)

The results of the competition, which will again see finalists awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze, will be announced at the Awards celebrations taking place on 1st November 2023 at The Royal & Derngate Theatre, supported again by caterers Portfolio Events.

For more details on all the categories in the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards 2023/24, including entry and nomination forms, please visit the Awards’ website – www.northamptonshirefoodanddrink.co.uk – or call Sophie on 01933 664437 or email sophie@themallowscompany.com

You can also follow the Awards on Facebook at @foodawards or Twitter and Instagram at @foodawardsHQ or on LinkedIn at @weetabixnfadawards

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE BUSINESSES

SUPPORTING NORTHAMPTONSHIRE CHILDREN

In January 2023 The Chester House Estate launched its Irchester Field School Learning Programme - an engaging learning programme running alongside the archaeological excavation this June. The programme, which goes beyond a normal school trip and our standard offer, will engage 1800 students with their local heritage and provide inspiration for possible careers.

Archaeologists from the School of Archaeology and Ancient History (SAAH) at the University of Leicester and University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS), with Chester House Estate staff and volunteers, will lead a unique series of workshops where students will:

• be introduced to the different stages of archaeological research, from landscape survey techniques, to mapping and geophysical survey

• handle a wide range of artifacts and ecofacts, including (but not limited to) coins, pottery and seeds

• gain an understanding of the processes of identification, cleaning, classification and dating finds

• have the opportunity to engage with cuttingedge techniques, including microscopic investigation and photogrammetry (for example, 3D photographic recording of graves)

Many of the concepts taught in schools are conceptual or theoretical. School trips give students the opportunity to link classroom taught concepts to concrete, memorable experiences.

Particularly unique experiences, such as the Irchester Field School, can be the spark that ignites a passion or allows a student to identify a skill that would have otherwise remained undiscovered.

The Irchester Field School costs The Chester House Estate £300 per class of up to 30 students. When added to the average UK coach cost (£400), attending the Irchester Field School could cost a school more than £700 per class, which equates to over £23 per child. Consultation with schools has identified that this is not affordable for most schools or local families, particularly due to the cost-of-living crisis

School trips in Britain are in decline. HMUK commissioned a study of 2,000 teachers and parents who highlighted numerous challenges, including cost of travel, parents not being able to afford to cover additional expenses, entry fees, and lack of staff. Three in ten parents revealed that finances are the main barrier to sending their children on school trips.

Areas in North Northamptonshire, particularly those local to The Chester House Estate, have been especially hard hit. Headteachers directed us to the Indicators of Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI), one of the three English Indices of Deprivation. As illustrated below, according to the IDACI 12 of North Northamptonshire’s Lower Super Output Areas (LSOAs) are amongst the top 10% most deprived in England and 18 fall within decile 2 nationally.

To target high coach costs, The Chester House Estate have developed a partnership with RB Travel who are subsidising the coach cost for schools during the excavation.

To make the Irchester Field School more accessible for local schools, The Chester House Estate has reduced the chargeable cost of the Irchester Field School by 50% which is not sustainable in the long term. The University of Leicester is similarly offering significant support to maximise engagement. We are offering businesses an exciting opportunity to support life-enhancing opportunities for young people focused on local heritage. This additional support will ensure that the Irchester Field School is a sustainable venture and that the programme can continue into the future.

We have put together a selection of sponsorship/partnership opportunities starting from £300 which would support up to 60 students to access the Irchester Field School, through to £6,000 which would sponsor the entire programme for all 1800 students.

Within the sponsorship packages you would have the opportunity to access some of our wonderful facilities at Chester House, including conferencing, meeting rooms and events.

For more information or to get involved, please contact Nigel Anderson, Learning Relationship Officer via email nigel.anderson@northnorthants.gov.uk.

BEAUTY BAR DESBOROUGH

HERE AT BEAUTY BAR DESBOROUGH, WE HAVE SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE! FROM NAILS AND FACIALS TO LASER HAIR REMOVAL AND PERMANENT MAKEUP THE MOST RECENT ADDITION TO OUR MENU IS A RANGE OF ADVANCED FACIAL TREATMENTS, INCLUDING, DERMAPLANING, NANONEEDLING, MICRO-NEEDLING, AND CHEMICAL PEELS EACH TREATMENT HELPS TO TREAT DIFFERENT SKIN CONCERNS, FROM FINE LINES AND WRINKLES TO PIGMENTATION AND ACNE SCARRING OUR SKINCARE SPECIALIST CAN HELP TO DETERMINE THE BEST COURSE OF TREATMENT AND OFFER HELP AND SUPPORT ALONG YOUR JOURNEY TO NEW SKIN

WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON OUR ABILITY TO OFFER AN AMAZING AND PERSONAL SERVICE TO EVERY CLIENT THAT WALKS THROUGH THE DOOR MOST OF OUR TREATMENTS ARE ALLINCLUSIVE AND WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU!

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For our second humanitarian support trip to Ukraine

A new company offering IT support to businesses has moved into offices at Waterside House at Nene Business Centre, Irthingborough. 3RS IT Solutions has hit the ground running, creating new jobs in the area already. Company founder and director, Stephen Souch, has worked in the IT industry for 16 years. He is known locally for founding NewGen IT in 2013 and building it up to business turning over £1 million with a strong team and board of directors in place

Now in a different place in his life with a wife - 3RS Marketing Director Leila Souch - and three children Riley, Reuben and Rory (the 3 ‘r’s), Stephen wanted to set up a company with a difference that was all about family and supporting other businesses where he could through his extensive IT knowledge and experience

“I am so excited about launching 3RS IT Solutions,” said Stephen. “The very nature of what we do is all about support but it doesn’t just end with IT support. We go that extra mile for our customers and our staff and feel so passionate about creating a family business with true, personal values that has the customer and staff at its heart With IT, it is so easy to go down a route that is automated but you risk losing that personal touch, which is hugely important.”

3RS IT Solutions offers a range of services including: IT support and maintenance, cloud solutions, cyber security solutions, 3CX communication solutions, IT hardware, and broadband. To find out more, call 01933 426129 or visit 3rs-it co uk

THE IMPORTANCE OF BUSINESS CONTINUITY

In today’s increasingly interconnected and complex world, organisations are facing more and more threats, from natural disasters, cyber-attacks, to the pandemic and other disruptions. These can have a devastating impact on organisations of all sizes. That’s why it’s so important for businesses to be aware of Business Continuity and to know what they can do to help protect themselves.

What is Business Continuity?

Business Continuity is the ability of an organisation to continue to operate in the event of a disruption.

A Business Continuity plan (BCP) is a document that outlines how an organisation will continue to operate in the event of a disruption. It should include steps to protect critical functions, people, property, data, as well as a plan for resuming operations as quickly as possible.

Why is Business Continuity important for your business?

There are many reasons why Business Continuity is important, including:

• Safeguarding your staff and customers. Having plans in place to ensure their safety and wellbeing is the most critical, without your staff or customers your business would cease to function.

• Protecting against financial losses. The cost of recovery from incidents such as cyber attacks can be very high, therefore sufficient planning and mitigations can significantly reduce this.

• Protecting your reputation. In the event of a disruption, your customers and stakeholders are likely to closely analyse how well you respond. A well-executed Business Continuity plan can highlight that your businesses is adequately prepared and capable at responding to disruptions.

What steps can you take?

There are many steps that leaders can take in relation to Business Continuity, including:

• Horizon scanning for risks and carrying out Business Impact Assessments, are there new vulnerabilities that may be emerging? How would your business cope?

• Be prepared to take action in the event of a disruption, does your business have a Business Continuity plan? Is it up-to date? Have you tested it works?

• Stay informed about Business Continuity. This includes liaising with Business Continuity experts, sharing intelligence and ideas with other organisations to promote Resilience within Northamptonshire.

If you would like to learn more on how North Northamptonshire Council can help, please visit https://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/emergencyplanning/protecting-your-business

SWITCHING TO SPRING WINE MOOD

As the winter turns to spring, it is the time to emerge from hibernation and enjoy more sunshine! Let’s leave our two-jumper days behind, the bold and oaky wines and switch to lighter and brighter ones. Now is the time to opt out for refreshing styles with floral and fruity flavors like Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Viorica or Pinot Grigio. We have put together a list of wines for you to enjoy this spring!

Sauvignon Blanc PGI 2019

This medium bodied white dry wine will surprise you with a bouquet that explodes in fresh aroma of blackcurrant and green apples! The pleasant acidity enhances its refreshing flavours and makes a great companion for appetizers, vegetable salads, and soft cheeses.

Pinot Grigio 2020

The Pinot Grigio white dry will take you to a tropical delight with a bouquet that reveals aroma of melon and mango. Therefore it will beautifully pair with fresh salads, chicken or fish dishes and cheese platters.

Malbec & Shiraz 2021

As a dry rose wine, this blend of grapes is full of freshness and reveals aromas of wild berries and ripe strawberries! Serve it chilled and enjoy along salmon, shrimp or vegetarian pizza.

Pinot Noir

As a lighter red dry wine, it can be enjoyed on its own. Thus, you will fill your glass with fresh aromas of raspberries and strawberries!

NEED HELP FOR YOUR BUSINESS ?

As experts in business, we offer our members a wide range of vital business services including advice, financial expertise, support and a powerful voice heard in government. Our mission is to help smaller businesses achieve their ambitions.

https://www.fsb.org.uk/

A Chamber of Commerce for Northamptonshire was founded in 1917 in response to the concerns of boot and shoe manufacturers over exports during the first world war and now represents around 1,000 Northamptonshire businesses.

https://www..northants-chamber.co.uk/

Providing free business support, the Growth Hub helps local businesses to identify and connect with the right guidance and funding to maximise potential and overcome challenges.

https://www.semlepgrowthhub.com/

The Business & IP Centre Northamptonshire supports entrepreneurs, investors and small businesses from the first spark of inspiration to successfully launching and developing a business.

https://www.bipcnorthamptonshire.co.uk/

Business and licensing information from North Northamptonshire Council

https://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/business-and-licensing

Business and licensing information from West Northamptonshire Council

https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/

The Wellingborough & East Northants Chamber of Commerce was founded over 75 years ago and was formed to represent the interests and aspirations of local businesses. In 2019 the Chamber expanded to include East Northamptonshire.

The Executive Team includes individuals drawn from a wide range of backgrounds including Legal, Accounting, Commercial Property specialists, Planning Consultancy, Retail, Manufacturing, Marketing and Financial Services.

https://wencc.co.uk/

Small Business Britain is the UK’s leading champion of small businesses, supporting all 5.8 million small businesses in the UK – no matter their location, their sector, or their ambition level. Through a series of reports, events and campaigns, Small Business Britain champions, inspires and accelerates small businesses in the UK to foster growth and increased confidence.

https://smallbusinessbritain.uk/

Do you need to develop your capacity to push your business to the next level? Find trusted expert advice and fresh ideas from the UK’s leading business schools.

https://smallbusinesscharter.org/

Businesses in Northamptonshire can register with us to ensure you are kept up to date with the latest Government incentives.

Claim your FREE one hour advisory session and find out how you can grow your business.

https://digitalfuturefirst.co.uk/

The SME Climate Hub is a pioneering global initiative that aims to create a tipping point for mainstreaming climate action and building business resilience.

SMEs represent 90% of business globally, employing 2 billion people. We are here to support millions of SMEs as they commit to halve greenhouse gas emissions before 2030, and race to net-zero emissions before 2050. Our pragmatic approach aims to remove the obstacles SMEs face as they take climate action — whether curbing emissions in their own business or getting green solutions to market — and help them unlock valuable incentives.

https://businessclimatehub.org/uk/

Enterprise Nation is a vibrant community of small businesses and business advisers that exist to shortcut your route to trusted business support. Whether you’re starting or growing a business, we have the resources, expertise, and connections to help you get it right.

https://www.enterprisenation.com/