http://www.nwda.co.uk/pdf/315_Issue17 by Northwest Regional Development Agency

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315° THE RDA MAGAZINE FEB 2009 ISSUE 17

Support package Immediate financial help for businesses Bold ambitions Preston sets its sights on major growth Landmark year Building on Liverpool’s 08 legacy

SUPPORTING BUSINESS New finance measures introduced to help Northwest companies

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THE RDA MAGAZINE FEB 2009 ISSUE 17

HIGHLIGHTS

CONTENTS THE THIRD DEGREE 4

Peter Watson

BUSINESS 6

More cash aid to combat effects of recession

SUPPORT PACKAGE The NWDA has responded to the economic downturn with a multi-million package of support to provide businesses with immediate help.

Action plan to support manufacturing

10 Key projects to spearhead innovation drive

SKILLS AND EDUCATION

BOLD AMBITIONS

LANDMARK YEAR

12 Skills drive for SME sector 13 Funding boost for flexible materials industry

PEOPLE AND JOBS

Far reaching plans to regenerate the centre of Preston and drive its ambitions to become the Northwest’s third city are being boosted by major new developments.

14 Seizing a ‘Preston Guild’ opportunity 16 Workington builds on civic pride 17 Maritime park to woo waterfront visitors 18 First ERDF projects win funding approval

INFRASTRUCTURE 20 Canal schemes transform urban landscape

Liverpool’s Year as Capital of Culture has finally come to an end with the vital message that 08 may be gone, but not forgotten.

22 Green light for £30 million sports village 23 Ticket to ride for business and tourism

QUALITY OF LIFE 24 More resources to boost

OUR VISION:

315° CONTACTS

Northwest tourism 25 World-class venues lure 2012 teams 26 Lasting legacy of ‘A year like no other’

REGULARS 28 People in the region 30 Event highlights 31 Getting in touch

‘A dynamic, sustainable international economy which competes on the basis of knowledge, advanced technology and an excellent quality of life for all.’

NWDA Erica Boardman email: erica.boardman@nwda.co.uk tel: 01925 400 217 visit www.nwda.co.uk & www.visitenglandsnorthwest.com

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CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

SUPPORTING THE REGION IN CHALLENGING TIMES As we begin 2009, it is hard to believe the speed of change that the economy faced during 2008. Whilst this tough business climate is clearly affecting business, the Northwest has built a strong platform over recent years. This is largely as a result of partners identifying, agreeing and delivering key priorities, a process on which the Agency has led. A national evaluation of Regional Development Agencies, commissioned by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), is due imminently and I am confident this will show the significant impact that RDAs have made on the economy over the past five years. The Agency continues to work closely with Government, providing regular updates on how economic conditions in the Northwest are changing and what we are doing to respond. Recently, the region was fortunate to host a meeting of the Cabinet for the first time in its 300 year history. Held in Liverpool, this was an excellent opportunity to evidence first-hand a range of projects and programmes in which the Agency and its partners are investing, including the significant regeneration legacy left by Capital of Culture. The Cabinet visit was also an opportunity for us to discuss with Government the issues facing the Northwest economy. I believe we are now robust and diverse enough to deal with the challenges ahead, particularly given our strengths in energy, defence, science and innovation. However in these challenging times, we cannot be complacent and it will be vital for us to work even more closely with both business and the public sector. We recognise that access to finance and cash-flow are major issues for businesses, so last September, jointly with Government,

we published “The Northwest Economy – a joint response to changing economic conditions”. This set out a range of initiatives to help address some of the more immediate concerns over cash-flow, investment, and skills. The establishment of a Joint Economic Commission for the Northwest, chaired by Regional Minister Beverley Hughes and involving major public sector agencies, has also been a significant step forward. You will read more on these initiatives within this edition of 315°. Government believes that stability and leadership is crucial during this time of change and I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Business Lord Mandelson to extend my term as NWDA Chairman by up to a year. During this year I am keen to ensure that relevant business support is in place and that progress continues on significant projects, including the new Regional Strategy. The first stage of consultation on this will take place between February and April 2009. There is no doubt that the current business climate is likely to remain challenging. In 2009, it will be vital to continue to work together and continue the investment that has supported regional regeneration and growth in the past.

Bryan Gray CBE, Chairman, February 2009

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THE THIRD DEGREE Peter Watson was appointed as Managing Director of Business Link Northwest (BLNW) in September 2006. Since then, he has overseen its transformation into a highly efficient business support organisation with a first-year customer satisfaction rating of 90% from the 86,000 businesses it has worked with. He is a former senior executive in the UK and European print industry and has an MBA from the Henley Business Management College.

“WE SEE OURSELVES, ALONG WITH THE NWDA, AS BEING ON THE FRONT LINE IN TERMS OF BUSINESS SUPPORT. WE ARE STANDING UP AND BEING COUNTED BECAUSE WE'RE HERE TO HELP LOCAL BUSINESSES THROUGH DIFFICULT TIMES AS WELL AS MORE FAVOURABLE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS." PETER WATSON MANAGING DIRECTOR BUSINESS LINK NORTHWEST

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PETER WATSON As the downturn really starts to bite, what’s the most common problem you’re seeing? The availability of finance for businesses in the Northwest has changed significantly over recent months, which is why, with the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), we have brought forward the launch of the Access to Finance programme. It’s designed to help businesses to diagnose their financial needs and provide them with the guidance and skills that they may need to secure funding. We can also offer information about relevant public and private sector finance options and provide a brokerage service on to possible providers. What resources are you introducing to deal with this problem? So far we have appointed an Access to Finance Manager and a team of six specialist financial brokers, and we plan to double this number. They are working alongside our current team of business brokers to complement the existing service, and have significant financial and business experience.

We see ourselves, along with the NWDA, as being on the front line in terms of business support. We are standing up and being counted because we’re here to help local businesses through difficult times as well as more favourable economic conditions. How are you working with the banks? Given the current lending market, we are working with the banks to ensure they act as intermediaries and direct such businesses straight to us so we can help them to explore other avenues of finance and support them in becoming more investment ready. Are you making it easier for companies to access support? Absolutely. We have modified the way we offer intensive, one-to-one support so that business support and company health checks are available to all Northwest businesses. In the past this kind of direct service was only available to companies in priority sectors and/or companies with growth potential, but now almost any business can access intensive support to help it to survive and thrive. Is everything very much one-to-one advice these days, then? No. There’s also a wealth of information on our website which can be accessed 24/7, including health check tools and business guides. Our telephone service can also be accessed without having to provide too many personal details, which is ideal for busy entrepreneurs. So there’s a real demand for support at the moment? Yes, there is a real demand out there for our help. Our website has an online tool for measuring how financially healthy a company is, and details things that can be done to improve it, which was used over 1,000 times in November – that’s ten times its normal usage and it’s continuing to grow. Not surprisingly there is significant interest in this area of our work at the moment. However, we offer much more than that, and currently offer 30 different free-to-use business support services across the region. What sort of people are your business brokers? Our brokers have had direct experience of running a business successfully, or have been involved in a large company at a senior

level. They’re often people who want to give something back to the business community – they want to harness their experiences and skills to help others. I truly believe that as the primary gateway for business support, we are here to help businesses through the difficult times as well as better times and we are well equipped to do that. There are many individuals at Business Link with real practical experience of managing and steering organisations through an economic downturn, including myself! Obviously some sectors are still registering growth despite the tough economic climate. Is Business Link Northwest still offering support to these companies, too? At present a sizeable number of small and medium size companies are unsurprisingly concentrating on survival rather than longterm planning. But there are exceptions and some companies are thriving. That’s why we’re working with the NWDA on initiatives such as the £10 million High Growth Programme, which is specifically aimed at those businesses that have the potential to expand but need specific support in order to do this. Are there any other ways in which you’re working with the NWDA? Yes - we’re producing a new business performance index and are starting to feed business intelligence back to the Agency. This will keep them informed about the region’s business landscape and help to shape policies and programmes designed to assist companies in difficult times. So what do you think the next 12 months will hold for Northwest businesses? I think there are some difficult times ahead, which is why we have equipped ourselves with the necessary tools and expertise to provide an increased level of support to help companies through this challenging period. We’re also encouraging businesses to innovate as well. We have just appointed an Innovation Manager and are in the process of recruiting a number of Innovation Brokers. Companies still need to keep an eye on the future and think about their longer-term sustainability, even when the going does get tough. For further information: www.businesslinknw.co.uk

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BUSINESS NEWS Businesswomen will benefit from the new Women’s Enterprise Action Plan, co-ordinated by the NWDA and Northwest Women’s Enterprise Forum. Aiming to increase the number of women-owned enterprises, the scheme will run alongside the search for the best female-led businesses at the Northwest Women in Business Awards 2009. Advanced Medical Solutions, a Winsford research and development company focusing on highperformance polymers for the healthcare market, has received a £275,000 selective finance for investment grant from the NWDA. It will help AMS, founded in 1991, to merge its two present sites, safeguarding 99 jobs and creating 41 new positions. The NWDA has awarded a £140,000 ‘Grants for Business Investment’ to Monumental Games, allowing the online games developer to establish a Salford base, safeguarding 23 jobs and creating an additional 32 jobs by 2010. RedEye, an online marketing and analysis company with a base in Crewe, has been awarded £185,000 NWDA funding to support its software development programme. Established in 1997, RedEye helps clients, including William Hill, Asda and Warner Breaks, sell more and communicate better through the Internet. Manchester is the UK’s best city for business outside London, says a report by real estate specialists Cushman & Wakefield, based on responses from 500 European companies. Manchester ranked 14th in a survey of leading business locations, second for availability of office space and tenth in terms of value for money.

“IT’S IMPORTANT IN CHALLENGING TIMES SUCH AS THIS THAT THE AGENCY REPRIORITISES ITS BUDGETS AND ITS INVESTMENT PLANS, AND THAT’S WHAT WE’VE BEEN DOING TO ENSURE THAT BUSINESSES HAVE GOT SOMEWHERE ELSE TO GO FOR FINANCE OTHER THAN THE BANKS.” STEVEN BROOMHEAD CHIEF EXECUTIVE, NWDA

MORE CASH AID TO COM The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has responded to the economic downturn with a multi-million pound package of support designed to provide businesses with the immediate help they need. Initiatives include new ways in which companies can access finance, extra funding to help businesses that are bucking the trend and continuing to grow and simple yet important measures to speed up payments to businesses. A new economic ‘supergroup’, the Joint Economic Commission for the Northwest, has also been established to help ensure the region ‘acts as one’ in protecting both businesses and families. Along with the NWDA, the group, which is chaired by Regional Minister for the North West, Beverley Hughes, includes Government Office for the North West, Learning and Skills Councils, the Strategic Health Authority and Highways Agency, among others.

CHALLENGING TIMES The Agency’s Chief Executive Steven Broomhead explains: “It’s important in challenging times such as this that the Agency reprioritises its budgets and its investment plans, and that’s what we’ve been doing to ensure that businesses have got somewhere else to go for finance other than the banks.” The support includes a new £10 million

Transition Loan Fund, which is helping to improve the finance options available to new and existing businesses in the region. “This is part of a package of measures we are putting in place in the Northwest to support businesses facing difficulties in accessing finance and improve cash flow,” explains David Read, the Agency’s Head of Finance for Business. As part of this support the Agency is enhancing its existing small business loan product to provide lending to the region’s SMEs. The loans of between £3,000 to £250,000, are designed to help businesses that have a viable business plan but are unable to secure finance from traditional lenders.

STRONG DIALOGUE Also new is the £140 million Venture Capital Loan Fund (VCLF), available from April 2009, half of which will come from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programme. The fund is designed to stimulate innovation, R&D and growth in the region’s SMEs by providing finance to businesses that are unable to raise capital on the commercial market because of the finance gap. As Read explains, private venture capitalists are now often unwilling to make investments below the £2 million mark: “Over the last few years they’ve been doing bigger deals and haven’t been particularly keen in supporting early stage businesses,” he says.

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Support for business – A range of new finance measures are helping Northwest companies survive the economic downturn

OMBAT EFFECTS OF RECESSION “We’re doing our bit with our resources and we’re also hoping that the banks will continue to provide new lending and renewing existing facilities at the right price for businesses,” says Broomhead. During this economic downturn the NWDA is maintaining dialogue with a series of bi-monthly meetings with senior representatives from all the major banks in the Northwest. The first meeting led to a joint action plan to promote awareness of public sector products within the banks, especially those now under the auspices of Busness Link Northwest, such as the Access to Finance service.

TARGETED SUPPORT There is further support for growing businesses too, with the new £10 million High Growth Programme. “Whilst the focus has been on the challenges and the cooling of the economy, we must remember as well that this is a diverse economy in the Northwest and some businesses are actually doing very well,” says Broomhead. The programme is targeted at around 1,000 businesses that have the potential to grow by around 20% a year, and, therefore, have the greatest impact on the growth of the regional economy. The programme involves mentoring and working with consultants who have specific experience of the areas where a business wants to improve. All the new initiatives are part of the timely

Business Support Simplification Programme (BSSP), a Government programme that is reducing the number of national support schemes from over 3,000 to a more manageable 30 Support for Business products. Anne Boyd, the Agency’s BSSP regional leader, said: “The principle of the programme is about consistency and making business support easier to understand and easier to access.” All the new Solutions for Business products can be accessed through Business Link Northwest (BLNW). And the Agency, along with England’s eight other RDAs, have also committed to paying suppliers within ten days in order to allow companies to retain a steady cash-flow. But Broomhead remains upbeat that the region’s economy is strong enough to survive the worst of the impending recession. “We’ve had a good last ten years and we’ve got some good insulators against the downturn, such as the defence and nuclear technology sectors, environmental technologies, and even some aspects of creative and new media industries. “My message for 2009 is let’s be realistically optimistic about the nature of the economy,” he adds. “We must not talk ourselves into further difficulty.” For further information: www.nwda.co.uk

EXPERT ADVICE BENEFITS LOCAL COMPANIES Fat Media is a digital marketing company based in Lancaster. Managing Director Michael Gibson has recently signed the company up to the High Growth Programme. “We highlighted several areas where we thought we needed more support, such as advice on corporate finance, particularly for acquiring businesses and engaging with other companies on joint ventures,” he explains. Manchester-based Mass Spec has also enrolled on the initiative. The company service and repair mass spectrometers, which are used to carry out analytical tests such as assessing the purity of a drug. But following a major contract win, they are now branching out into sales. “We’ve never sold new instruments before, just our services, so we’re in a completely new market,” explains executive director Barrie Nixon, who hopes the High Growth Programme will help fill any knowledge gaps around areas such as sales, marketing and importing. “You’ve got to use the experts and this is the ideal opportunity. It just seems like all the parts of the jigsaw have come together at the right time,” he says. For further information: www.businesslinknw.co.uk

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BUSINESS

ACTION PLAN TO SUPPORT MANUFACTURING

The manufacturing sector remains the backbone of the Northwest economy, and with a new Manufacturing Strategy Action Plan (MSAP) set to be launched by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), 2009 looks to be a crucial one for the sector’s development. As the latest data from the Office of National Statistics confirms, the Northwest is the largest manufacturing employer in the UK, accounting for 368,000 jobs, 13.1% of the national total. The region is also the top UK region for manufacturing turnover, generating sales of £60.5 billion, around 13.2% of the total UK figure. The MSAP aims to provide a regional

framework of funding and support to ensure that this success continues. It has been developed in consultation with regional businesses and other public sector bodies, and is informed by the Government’s national manufacturing strategy, ‘New Challenges, New Opportunities’, launched by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), in September 2008. As Chris Rowlands, Sector Leader for Advanced Engineering and Materials at the NWDA, explains: “The MSAP will give us a clear framework for defining the interventions that the public sector can put in place to

assist manufacturing in the long term. “We can build on existing things like the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), which has been very successful. We will enhance and add to it in order to drive forward performance of this huge sector.”

CATALYST FOR SUCCESS The MSAP supports the generation of a modern manufacturing sector in the region that will be innovative, enterprising, highly skilled, and well led. To achieve this, the MSAP has actions which support the single aim of raising productivity in the region through increasing manufacturing’s contribution to GVA.

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West Universities Association on ‘improving the interaction of business and education’. Andrew Semple, regional spokesperson for EEF is hopeful that the MSAP will be a catalyst for continued manufacturing success. “The strategy is a recognition of the importance of the sector. It focuses on the practical steps to be taken to improve its productivity and competitiveness, and the initiatives at a regional level that can be supported to help achieve these aims.” Two initiatives are being introduced in conjunction with the MSAP. A Manufacturers’ Forum, planned to be formally launched during 2009, will oversee and advise on the MSAP’s implementation and act as an industry-led lobbying body. Adam Buckley, Deputy Director of the Manufacturing Institute says its role is to continually look at the MSAP and ask searching questions about objectives and whether certain elements need realigning in light of the changing economic situation.

nuclear fuels, 16% of transport manufacturing and almost 11% of food and drink. “Its diversity is one of the reasons why manufacturing in the Northwest is relatively resilient to current economic conditions,” says Buckley. “That’s not to suggest that it won’t be significantly affected and we’re not remotely complacent about what is in store, but it has shown in the past that it has the strength and the dynamism to cope with most things and come through the other side stronger and wiser.” For further information: www.nwda.co.uk New opportunities – Cumbrian company Clark Door has been working with Salford University to develop an innovative new product

ECONOMIC CLIMATE

Manufacturing excellence – A new action plan aims to support growth in the sector

The actions are broken down in a number of themes, and the NWDA and its partners are working collaboratively on all of these. Partners have agreed to lead the analysis and to come together as a working group to share ideas. The themes are: ensuring that spaces, places and infrastructure are suitable for manufacturing; increasing business startups; and improving access to information on markets and change, which will be led by the NWDA. The Manufacturing Institute will lead on ‘improving the image of manufacturing’; EEF, the Engineering Employers Federation on ‘Increasing innovation’; and the North

A Manufacturing Portal, aimed at both manufacturers and investors, is also being established. It will provide information on the manufacturing sector and where to go for expert advice and support. Given the downturn in the economy over the past 12 months, the launch of the MSAP is perfectly timed, providing the region’s manufacturers with the support and funding they need to get through what is expected to be a challenging year. One of the strengths of the region’s manufacturing base has been its diversity. The Northwest is the UK’s largest regional centre for chemical manufacture, employing over 43,000 highly skills people in 800 companies, including 30 of the world’s top 50 chemical companies. It is the largest centre of aerospace manufacturing production in the country and as the second largest centre for automotive in the UK, also accounts for 12% of UK automotive turnover, 18% of coke, petroleum and

“THE MSAP WILL GIVE US A CLEAR FRAMEWORK FOR DEFINING THE INTERVENTIONS THAT THE PUBLIC SECTOR CAN PUT IN PLACE TO ASSIST MANUFACTURING IN THE LONG TERM.” CHRIS ROWLANDS SECTOR LEADER, ADVANCED ENGINEERING AND MATERIALS, NWDA

DOOR OF OPPORTUNITY Specialist door manufacturer Clark Door in Cumbria epitomises the resilience and innovation that is the hallmark of Northwest manufacturing. Having survived one natural catastrophe when the company was all but wiped out in the floods of 2005, managing director Paul Ashley is prepared for whatever the economic downturn can throw at him. "Out of adversity comes opportunity, and we've tried to carry that lesson forward," says Ashley. He says that for manufacturers to thrive, they need to be constantly looking to improve their process efficiency, and they need to invest in innovation. Clark Door has recently been testing its new acoustic sound-proof doors with researchers at Salford University, to fine tune and improve the new designs. "You've got to identify market niches where you can be world class and you need to innovate to differentiate your offering to your competitors – innovate in terms of lower cost designs, and innovate in terms of providing additional benefits. That’s the Holy Grail, to make something that’s better that's also cheaper."

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KEY PROJECTS TO SPEARHEAD INNOVATION DRIVE The Northwest is leading the drive to encourage innovation in business, communities and public services – an area seen to have a vital role to play in helping the region emerge from the economic downturn with a more sustainable and diversified economy. According to the UK Innovation Survey 2007, carried out by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), around 33% of businesses in the Northwest do not innovate, with 80% of the GVA gap between the region and the UK average put down to lower productivity. To tackle this, a number of key projects are underway to encourage Northwest companies to harness the business benefits of innovation. An increasingly competitive business environment is driving businesses to seek greater returns from ‘higher value added’ activities in order to survive and grow, according to the Northwest Regional Development Agency’s (NWDA) Head of Innovation and Knowledge Transfer, Jim Keane. “The primary driver is how innovation can assist businesses of all sizes to add greater value to the activities they undertake”, he says, “and this is never more important than in the current economic climate.” Businesses will need to go beyond the traditional view of innovation as a linear process, starting with basic research through development, leading to production and

acceptance, according to Jim. He believes it is necessary to adopt a wider approach where “the concept of innovation is more collaborative, it’s about open access to ideas. Innovation is just as applicable to processes as well as products – it’s more holistic now encompassing all aspects of the business and not just about science and technology,” he says. This is one of the aims of the Knowledge to Innovate (K2i) programme, a three year NWDA funded scheme designed to assist businesses who recognise the importance of innovation but require practical assistance to take their knowledge and experience to the next level.

INNOVATION AGENDA Eighteen months into its delivery, the programme is currently working with more than 250 businesses in the region, helping them develop new or improved products, services and processes and address market innovation. Geoff Birkett, who leads the K2i programme, said: “All businesses need to remain competitive and K2i can ensure that businesses realise their potential and do not get left behind. If a business has an innovative idea but needs support to see it through, then this is the project that can help.” Other schemes underway to promote the innovation agenda include the NWDA and ERDF funded Innovation Vouchers project, a two year joint initiative launched in October

2008 designed to proactively provide solutions to immediate problems whilst encouraging longer term business engagement with the Northwest knowledge base. Provision of a cash voucher, valued at up to £3,000, and through brokering contact between SMEs and the experts in the region, the scheme aims to encourage 1,100 businesses to interact for the first time with the region’s higher and further education institutions over the next 2 years. Business Link Northwest is also strengthening its innovation support to companies through recruiting an innovation champion, John Chisholm, who will be responsible for a team of innovation brokers. An innovation specialist brokerage service will provide SMEs across the Northwest with support on innovation-related business issues, with the existing targeted sector brokerage service being enhanced by the integration of Innovation Specialists. In addition, there are a range of other innovation related support programmes which are close to introduction. These aim to assist businesses through the short term issues; increase collaborations around new ideas from the knowledge base; and to encourage retention and further investment in the long term assets of the businesses. For further information: www.nwda.co.uk /innovation

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Innovating for success – The NWDA is working to nurture a business culture of innovation throughout the region

REAL TIME AIM FOR THE BIG TIME

RealtimeUK – The company has increased its staff following support from the K2i Programme

Lancashire based business RealtimeUK, currently one of the leading computergenerated (CG) animation companies in the country, enlisted the help of the K2i programme to help them develop the business. The company, which works with premier games developers and publishers including Sony Computer Entertainment, Evolution Studios, Juice Games and Namco, were introduced to K2i by their Business Link adviser, where they received professional mentoring. As a direct result of K2i’s advice, the company were able to increase their staff on both the digital creative and non-production sectors. Managing Director Tony Prosser, said: Knowledge to Innovate helped us examine our company’s structure and production processes and analyze the way we work. Their consultants helped us benchmark our business against similar operations in the UK, identifying key performance indicators and helping us set new targets. “Their input has really helped ensure we are equipped to meet the challenges of further expansion and adopt a process for continuous innovation.” For further information: www.k2i.org.uk

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SKILLS AND EDUCATION NEWS New pathways into employment in the media industry will be created by the University of Salford and the BBC following a partnership agreement between the two organisations that will lead to new joint courses, enterprise training and student placements within the BBC. Over 250 new and emerging businesses are being nurtured in the University of Central Lancashire’s Media Factory incubator enabling UCLan to come second nationally and top regionally in the latest Higher Education – Business and Community Interaction survey. Liverpool University and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital have been awarded £5 million to establish a Biomedical Research Unit focused on ‘translational research’ into pancreatic diseases that will allow patients to benefit more quickly from scientific breakthroughs. Funding of £90 million is in place to facilitate the relocation of Blackpool and Fylde College to a site within the Second Gate area of the town centre. Phase one of higher education development will be completed in September 2009. Lancaster University’s income from collaborative research with business rose from £7 million to £11.5 million in 2006-07, moving the university into the top tier of UK Higher Education institutions generating wealth through working with business. The University of Cumbria has been awarded a further £26 million from the NWDA. The investment will transform the Cumbrian economy by encouraging graduate retention and helping people move to higher value employment over the next eight years.

Leadership drive – Lancaster University Management School is leading the development of the LEAD Programme for SMEs

SKILLS DRIVE FOR SME SECTOR Thousands of businesses in the Northwest are being offered the chance to ‘raise their game’ via an innovative range of skills projects targeted particularly at the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector. Over the next three years over £20 million is being invested by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) in a bid to enhance leadership and management skills within smaller businesses. Amita Chawda, the Agency’s Leadership Development Manager, says: “We have a great deal of evidence about the current and future needs of our businesses, based on consultations with them and an analysis of the existing skills in the Northwest compared to other regions. “We have developed three priorities, not just for the Agency but for our strategic partners, funders and providers, who collectively share the challenges.” They are: to develop demand so that businesses are aware of the skills support available to them, to improve supply and to measure the impact. The Agency has agreed three large-scale projects to match the priorities. The programme, which will support 9,200 businesses over three years to 2011, is the national ‘Train to Gain’ Leadership and Management initiative. It is being boosted in the region by Agency funding of £6.5 million to broaden the base of companies who can benefit. The money will extend the national offer, which targets businesses employing between five and 249 people, to those with up to 999 staff. Following the success of the pilot Leadership Development (LEAD) Programme for SMEs with less then ten employees –

whose participants increased their sales turnover by an average of £200,000 per annum – the Agency is investing £9.5 million in a three-year programme.

ENCOURAGING COLLABORATION It will target 2,000 businesses to enable owner/managers to take part in a ten-month programme built around masterclasses, coaching, business exchange, theory-based work and peer to peer networking. The first 25 businesses have already been recruited by the University of Lancaster Management School, which ran the pilot and is now developing an overall LEAD programme framework. The third major project, to be launched later this year, is a £4.9 million three-year regional mentoring programme to support businesses with an annual turnover of less than £1 million. The Agency’s emphasis on skills is also highlighted by an investment of over £40 million to support higher education (HE) in the region, the majority of which will be spent in Cumbria. “We want to raise the aspirations and progression opportunities in Cumbria, to open the door to HE, to up the game,” says Dr Michele Lawty-Jones, Head of Skills and Education at the NWDA. It has also agreed £9.9 million of funding for Burnley’s new college and university campus, a joint initiative between Burnley College and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), which is due to open in September, and £3.2 million towards the major redevelopment of Blackburn College. For further in formation: www.nwda.co.uk/skills

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FUNDING BOOST FOR FLEXIBLE MATERIALS INDUSTRY

Illustration courtesy of Primal Pictures

Embroidery technology – Being employed to strengthen a composite structure

A technical textile being used in shoulder surgery – The textile acting as a replacement joint

Innovative Northwest companies involved in producing some of the most advanced, high-tech materials have received a funding boost from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). The Agency is investing £400,000 to meet the training needs of businesses from the Advanced Flexible Materials (AFM) sector, and help ensure that the region retains its market leading position. England’s Northwest has one of the highest concentrations of AFM companies in the world, producing high added value materials that are widely viewed as a ‘platform technology’. Several other important clusters make use of AFM products, including aerospace, automotive, chemicals, construction, biomedical, environmental technology, maritime and sport. The investment will fund skills development in two key areas – new product development and balanced sourcing, a concept that encourages businesses to move the production of lower value commodities abroad, allowing capacity to focus on higher value commodities. According to Bill Mills, Director of NWtexnet, the regional cluster organisation for the AFM sector, balanced sourcing will help to keep jobs and high value production in the Northwest.

“Essentially many products, such as a non-woven textile for a filter, can be made more cheaply overseas, freeing up the capacity of regional businesses to concentrate on hi-tech products,” he explains. “But making this jump can be a huge move for some of the region’s smaller businesses, which is why part of the NWDA investment will go towards specific training in this area.” Crucially, adds Mills, the training will be sector specific and cover the legislative variations of the many industries that use AFM products. Mark Hughes, the NWDA’s Executive Director of Economic Development, says: “The right skills are critical to the economic development of the region, ensuring vital sectors remain competitive and productive. In the case of the AFM market, this is even more important given the region’s high concentration of AFM companies and the potential to grow as Europe’s leading centre for the sector.”

NEW TECHNOLOGY Other NWDA investment is also being used to conduct trials into new areas such as atmospheric plasma technology, a method of coating a material or using plasma techniques, either to colour it or give

it special properties, such as waterproofing. Until now this process could only be carried out inside a vacuum but Northwest companies are looking at ways to carry out the process. It is expected to deliver significant environmental benefits as it reduces the quantity of dyestuff used, which in turn radically reduces the amount of water and chemicals that are used.

LEADING INNOVATION Northwest companies also lead the way in medical textiles, with electro-spinning the latest method of controlling fibres at the nano-scale. This technology allows companies to create 3D structures such as ‘bridges’ for people suffering from a clef palette. These can then be fitted and natural cells encouraged to grow around them. Collaboration is also underway with the aerospace and automotive industries. The development of a new 3D weaving technology is now enabling AFM specialists to supply components woven from ultra-light carbon fibre as an alternative to traditional aluminium parts.

For further information: www.nwtexnet.co.uk

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PEOPLE AND JOBS NEWS Investing in Salford’s regeneration has already met its original target of £550 million of private sector investment by 2020, Chris Farrow, Chief Executive of Central Salford URC told delegates to the annual meeting. Central Salford has now raised its sights to £4 billion.

SEIZING A ‘PRESTON

Rochdale Development Agency has appointed Pat Rattigan as Director of Physical Regeneration. Formerly Assistant Director of Planning and Economic Development at Tameside Council, Rattigan will work alongside Rochdale Council to attract investment, create new jobs and boost the local economy. Carlisle Renaissance has submitted its first Action Plan, setting out its long and short-term priorities, to the NWDA, Carlisle City Council and Cumbria County Council. Work to improve Castle Street in the city’s Historic Quarter is due to start early in 2009. Work has started on a new £1.9 million business centre in Maryport which it is hoped will create up to 40 new jobs. Part funded by the NWDA via West Lakes Renaissance, the project will create a high quality managed workspace for small to medium sized companies. Improved access to treatment for some mental health conditions will be available to Northwest people suffering from depression and anxiety with the announcement of a £43 million programme by the Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies scheme. It will produce an extra 500 specialists over the next three years. Minister for the North West, Beverley Hughes, awarded Charter Status to four local authorities Lancaster, Blackburn-withDarwen, Oldham and Wyre – at an awards ceremony at The Lowry, Salford. Forty-two authorities have now received the charter, launched in 2000 and awarded for an authority’s commitment to the development of its elected members.

Retail centre – Plans for the Tithebarn project include a major new retail and leisure complex for Preston

Far-reaching plans to regenerate the centre of Preston and boost its ambitions to become the Northwest’s third city, will add new impetus to its best-known celebration, the Preston Guild. By 2012, the date of the next Guild, evidence of the £750 million scheme to transform the heart of the city will be only too apparent. The Tithebarn project, first conceived almost ten years ago, has reached outline planning application stage – a decision is expected in the first half of this year. The massive regeneration scheme by the Preston Tithebarn Partnership, a joint venture between developers Grosvenor and Lend Lease, is a “once every Preston Guild” opportunity (Preston was given the right to hold a Guild Merchant every 20 years when it was first granted a Royal Charter in 1179). Anchoring the 1.5 million sq ft retail and leisure complex will be the department store John Lewis – their next nearest outlets are at Manchester’s Trafford Centre and in Liverpool – and a new, larger Marks & Spencer store. There are also plans to create specialist, high-quality food markets – Preston’s answer to Southwark’s Borough Market in London. Restaurants, bars, a multi-screen cinema, a new bus station, extra car parking and up to 400 homes will be included. Tithebarn will underpin the work started

by the Preston Vision Board, established with the support of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), which aimed to attract private and public sector investment. Mike Brogan, Assistant Director of City Projects at Preston City Council, says: “For years, Preston has hidden its light under a bushel. Now I believe that we have achieved the status of ‘third city’ in the Northwest and we want to capitalise on that.”

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS Public consultation revealed that 81% of people who responded believe Tithebarn will encourage more visitors and 78% said it would boost the status of the city. Richard Coppell, Senior Development Manager at Lend Lease, says: “This will place Preston back on the map as a firstclass shopping destination. The amount of positive feedback was a great endorsement of the plans for new, high-quality shopping, living, working and entertainment facilities.” To enhance the city further still, Preston is eventually aiming to achieve Purple Flag Accreditation, an international standard for the way town and city centres are managed at night. It will be launched this year by the Civic Trust following its successful NightVision Programme, for which Preston is already a pilot city. But Preston has set its sights on regenerating much more than its retail heart.

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GUILD’ OPPORTUNITY

THE CITY’S UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE

LONG TERM VISION

The two main squares, the 800-year-old Flag Market, surrounded by the Harris Museum and Courts, and the Georgian Winckley Square, with central parkland, have both been the subject of architectural design competitions. The area between the station, with quick links via the West Coast Main Line to London and Glasgow, and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) a ten-minute walk away, has been targeted as a central business district, ideal for high spec office space. The potential of the city’s docklands, which house Europe’s biggest single dock basin (it’s three times the size of Liverpool’s Albert Dock), has been under scrutiny for some

Now Preston has established a Preston Vision Company Limited, to drive delivery of some of these plans. Ian Whittaker, the NWDA’s Policy and Partnership Manager for Lancashire, says: “The new company is an evolution for Preston Vision from visioning and strategy to a focus on delivery. The timing is perfect to build on the opportunity provided by Tithebarn and Preston Guild. “We have supported Preston in its work to develop a vision for the city but now is the time to begin delivery for real.” “The Preston area has been an important centre of growth for the region over the last 10 to 15 years. The city of Preston now has the chance to realise its ambitions at the heart of that growth.” For further information: www.preston.gov.uk

Photograph courtesy of Tony Worrall

years. With a technical solution to the long-standing water quality problem now under consideration, Preston hopes to attract development partners to make the most of its water assets. “We are working with our Dutch twin town of Almelo, which is developing its waterways, to see whether we can share ideas,” says Brogan.

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) has “a symbiotic relationship” with Preston, according to its ViceChancellor Malcolm McVicar, who is also Chairman of the Preston Vision board. “The university is important economically to Preston and the city is important to the university,” he says. “We are hoping the university will continue to grow, develop and be strong and it can only benefit as the city develops, too. “One of our challenges is to encourage talented graduates to stay in Preston, to become the business leaders and entrepreneurs of the future. We have a number of schemes to help us to achieve this and we can already see it happening, particularly in the media field.” He believes Preston is “clearly” now the region’s third city and believes the new Preston Vision Company must encourage the private sector to be involved in the city’s future development.

Higher education – The University of Central Lancashire plays an important role in Preston’s economic growth

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PEOPLE AND JOBS

WORKINGTON BUILDS ON CIVIC PRIDE A series of ambitious regeneration projects is helping to bring new life to the former steel town of Workington, an important hub in the Cumbrian economy. Following the completion of a £50 million shopping centre for the area, built with an investment of £10 million from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), several major initiatives are now underway to rejuvenate the area, including the redevelopment of Derwent Forest, a former Ministry of Defence site. “Workington shares similarities with many other Northwest towns and over time has seen a decline in the traditional industries that supported its growth and provided much of its employment,” explains Charles Holmes, Head of Regeneration at Allerdale Borough Council. “This decline has contributed to pockets of worklessness, higher levels of deprivation and lower levels of skills.” Holmes believes the town’s new retail offering will encourage people to shop in Workington while also providing it with “a vibrant new town centre that gives people a sense of pride and ownership in the place

where they visit, live and work.” Many people employed in the shopping complex found jobs after taking part in Routes to Work, an innovative employment programme developed by the council and targeted at local people.

ENERGY SECTOR Routes to Work has helped over 500 people find work with retailers, as well as local construction companies such as Thomas Armstrong, who are currently building the new Energus building, home of the National Nuclear Academy at Lillyhall, between Workington and Whitehaven. Energus will be a world-class centre for skills, training and business support for the energy sector, and will also house the new £10 million University of Cumbria campus in West Cumbria. “The region’s links to nuclear decommissioning and new nuclear build potential are the strategic context for everything we're doing in West Cumbria,” says Andrew Sproat, Senior Development Manager at the NWDA. Lillyhall is also a prime location for attracting businesses to the area, with a

new Inland Revenue call centre being the latest addition, which is due to open its doors early in 2009. The new centre is expected to create up to 350 new jobs for the area. Elsewhere, the port of Workington is half way through a ten-year redevelopment, which has seen investment from the NWDA through West Lakes Renaissance. The funding has helped to develop infrastructure such as new berths and storage facilities, which have given the port a platform from which it can start to diversify and develop.

MAJOR REDEVELOPMENT But by far the biggest regeneration project is the transformation of the 1,000 acre Derwent Forest, one of the largest brownfield sites in the UK, acquired by Allerdale Borough and Cumbria County Councils from the Ministry of Defence last August. The NWDA has provided £1.42 million to help secure and market the site, and Ian Haythornthwaite, the Agency’s Executive Director of Resources, believes it represents a huge opportunity to build a high quality leisure and commercial complex, with an outstanding natural setting. “Redevelopment of the site could make a significant contribution to regeneration in Cumbria, helping to attract more visitors and businesses to the area, as well as creating jobs,” he says. For further information: www.nwda.co.uk

Public art – The Hub is one of the public realm schemes that has helped to transform Workington town centre

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Transforming a lost piece of Liverpool’s seafaring heritage into a major new visitor attraction is central to the latest wave of improvements along the city’s waterfront. Canning Maritime Park, centred on Canning Graving Docks immediately south of the Pier Head, is being developed as part of phase two of the city’s Waterfront Connections project. The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has invested just over £1.9 million into the Waterfront Connections programme, with a large part of that investment targeted on Canning. Along with a series of other infrastructure, environmental and public realm improvements, investment in the Maritime Park is designed to strengthen the waterfront’s role as a major international destination.

VISITOR EXPERIENCE According to Alistair MacDonald, Project Manager at Liverpool Vision, the Connections programme will improve the overall visitor environment and develop linkages between Kings Waterfront, Albert Dock, Mann Island and the Pier Head helping to “establish the waterfront as a coherent, single destination, as opposed to a collection of independent attractions.” Echoing these views, Mark Hughes, the NWDA’s Executive Director of Economic Development, says this latest funding will “help to maximise the impact of these and other attractions at the waterfront, helping to boost Liverpool’s visitor economy.” Canning Graving Docks are owned by National Museums and are still used as an occasional berth for ship repairs. The docks played a vital role overhauling boats involved in the Atlantic convoys of the Second World War but are currently off limits to the public. The new investment will bring life back to this historically important area, with new walkways and interpretations boards, as well as a series of four new bridges that

Image courtesy of McCoy Wynne

Taking shape – The Waterfront Connections project will enhance new and existing attractions at Liverpool’s famous waterfront

MARITIME PARK TO WOO WATERFRONT VISITORS will complete the pedestrian link from Mann Island to Albert Dock. Working with adjoining land owners British Waterways and Gower Street Estates, developers Countryside Neptune LLP and officers from the local planning authority and World Heritage Site, National Museums Liverpool is developing detailed plans to bring back to life this historically important area through a combination of walkways, interpretations boards and brides across the ends of the dock that will complete the pedestrian link from Pier Head/Mann Island to Albert Dock.

NEW ATTRACTIONS These new pedestrian links will make it easier for visitors to move between the attractions, encouraging longer stays and a more fulfilling experience. Other phase two initiatives include improvements to the lighting, street furniture and signposting around Albert Dock, mooring facilities at Salthouse Dock for boats using the new Leeds/Liverpool

canal link and new signage at Kings Waterfront. Famous Liverpudlians – and the city’s adopted sons and daughters – will also be celebrated adjoining the piazza at Kings Waterfront in a series of 100 inscribed plaques. Chosen by readers of the Liverpool Echo, the plaques will cover various themes including public service, sport and music, with the likes of former Liverpool manager Bob Paisley, music impresario Brian Epstein, and actor Rex Harrison among those to be immortalised. Work is also continuing on the new Museum of Liverpool on Mann Island, which has been backed by a grant of over £32 million from the NWDA. The museum will focus on the creativity and industriousness of the city, and is seen as one of the major legacies of Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture. It is estimated that when it opens in 2010, the museum will attract more than 750,000 visitors a year. For further information: www.liverpoolvision.co.uk

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PEOPLE AND JOBS

FIRST ERDF PROJECTS WIN FUNDING APPROVAL

Barrow Waterfront – NWDA and ERDF investment is enabling a new access road for the Waterfront Business Park

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The green light has been given to the first round of projects to receive investment from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Among the early beneficiaries of the half a billion pounds injection of European cash will be a new gateway into Liverpool, major infrastructure improvements at a key business park in Barrow, and a number of new support packages aimed at boosting the region’s excellent record in addressing the needs of business and the environment. The fund is managed by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and according to the Agency’s Director of European Programme, David Malpass, it will support a diverse range of different projects, from business support programmes to tourism initiatives, activity focusing on innovation and development to work with the disadvantaged and unemployed. “There are a lot of smaller projects… so the money is going across the whole region,” says Malpass. “With some of the business support programmes the idea is that they are cross-regional, so the money will go where the demand is greatest.” Over the next seven years the Northwest will receive £521 million from the ERDF – more than any other English region – with the money for each project usually being matched by other public or private investment. The funding will be closely aligned to the EU’s Lisbon Agenda as well as the Northwest Regional Economic Strategy and among the targets are a £1.17 billion improvement in the region’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and the creation of over 26,000 new and sustainable jobs.

INFRASTRUCTURE Around £212 million from the ERDF programme is ‘ring-fenced’ for Merseyside, and one of the first projects to receive funding is the new Lime Street Gateway, which is to receive just over £2.4 million, with the Agency providing a separate investment of £3 million. Designed to improve visitors’ first impressions of the city, and continue the transformation of Liverpool into a world visitor destination, just over £2 million of the NWDA’s funding will be spent on public realm improvements around the station, with £906,000 going towards the Highways Scheme, involving the demolition of buildings that currently mask the main entrance to the station. The arched gable end of the listed Victorian station will be revealed, and there will be improved pedestrian access to and from the station, as well as better links to the city’s cultural quarter. As Malpass explains: “Through improving a major transport gateway into Liverpool city

centre, this project will improve links to key areas of the city, including the commercial district and waterfront, and importantly, it will support plans to develop and grow the city’s knowledge corridor.” The NWDA and ERDF are also sharing the cost of the first project in Cumbria to receive investment from the programme, with the building of a new £10 million access road for the Waterfront Business Park in Barrow-in-Furness. Designed to provide access to the new business park and help remove traffic from surrounding residential streets, the road is part of the wider £200 million development of the waterfront, which is expected to create 1,500 new jobs.

“The overriding position is that the ERDF funding is still to be used for innovation and as part of the sustainable agenda,” explains Malpass. “But there is the realisation that the current economic downturn might mean that the focus is now more around safeguarding jobs than creating new ones. “In the short term that is going to be the focus of the programme but in the medium term we obviously want it to be nailed to the original objectives.” For further information: www.erdfnw.co.uk

BUSINESS SUPPORT Substantial ERDF investment is being channelled into the £140 million Venture Capital Loan Fund, to be launched in April 2009, which is designed to stimulate growth and innovation amongst SMEs, and a further £3 million will go towards a High Growth Programme to help the region’s businesses achieve higher levels of growth. This will be matched by an additional £7 million from the NWDA. Award-winning environmental business support service ENWORKS has also received a European boost, with a £2.5 million investment, matched with £6.1 million from the Agency. The additional support and investment will allow ENWORKS to assist 1,500 more Northwest companies, while also helping the region’s businesses to save a further £31 million in energy and waste costs. ENWORKS will also be using the funds to cut the region’s carbon output by 125,000 tonnes, as well as helping industry save 760,000 tonnes of water. Another of the region’s key environmental bodies, Envirolink Northwest, will also be running an initiative funded through ERDF. As the NWDA’s regional cluster body for energy and environmental technologies, Envirolink Northwest will be taking the Northwest Waste Technology Virtual Centre of Excellence to its next phase, with £2.7 million of ERDF money, matched by £4.3 million from the NWDA.

SAFEGUARDING JOBS The first phase of the initiative supported the development of the waste management, recycling and technology industries within the Northwest, and helped to divert more than one million tonnes of waste from landfill, as well as creating and safeguarding nearly 450 jobs. However, as with much of the Agency’s current work, helping the region to ride the current economic downturn is the most pressing concern.

Lime Street Station – An artist’s impression of the public realm work that will transform the station entrance

LOW CARBON ECONOMY GOAL Investment from the Northwest ERDF Programme is helping to fund two initiatives that will help the region in its pursuit of a low carbon economy, and an overall cut in C02 emissions of 25%. The Carbon Reduction Capital Purchase Awards will stimulate and support SMEs to invest in carbon reducing technologies, with £2.2 million from the ERDF programme, matched by £7.8 million from the Agency. The Carbon Reduction Demonstrator Awards will concentrate on SMEs involved in developing carbon-reducing technologies, with grant funding of £1.1 million from the ERDF and £4.1 million from the NWDA. Both projects will run until March 2012 and will directly contribute towards moving the region towards a low carbon economy, a goal that underpins the Agency’s vision to deliver sustainable economic development. The programmes will also help the region cement its position as a centre for world-class environmental technologies.

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INFRASTRUCTURE NEWS Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon has announced government funding of up to £165,000 to improve access to Manchester International Airport, the UK’s fourth largest. The investment will fund the building of two new sections of road: between the M56 Manchester airport spur and the A555, and between the A555 and the A6.

Pier Head – Liverpool’s new canal link will bring a new look to the Pier Head when it opens in the spring

Nelson’s £4.5 million bus and rail interchange is up and running. A key part of the town centre’s regeneration, the interchange is a joint scheme involving Lancashire County Council, Pendle Partnership, backed by £1 million NWDA funding, and Pendle Council. Project ACCESS, the £20 million scheme launched in 2004 by the NWDA to supply broadband and fast Internet connections to Cumbria and parts of North Lancashire, has given access to high-speed Internet technology to 99.8% of businesses and citizens across the sub-region. Up to 1,200 jobs will be created by the redevelopment, by the Stobart Group and Halton Borough Council, of 3MG, the Mersey Multimodal Gateway at Halton, near Liverpool. With £4.3 million NWDA funding, work on the 43.8-acre site should be completed by 2010. Twenty-five hectares of brownfield land in West Derby, Liverpool, will be transformed into a woodland, featuring up to 20,000 native trees. A legacy of the city’s year as European Capital of Culture in 2008, the project has received over £700,000 of regeneration funding, including £440,000 from the NWDA. Architects have been invited to take part in an international competition to design an education, conference and seed production complex at the National Wildflower Centre, Knowsley. Supported with £100,000 funding from the NWDA, the competition is run by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

CANAL SCHEMES TR A The completion of two major canal projects – both backed by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) – is further evidence that the region’s historic network of waterways still has an important role to play. Two hundred years after it was built, a major milestone in the restoration of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal has now been achieved, with the completion of the first section of restored canal at Middlewood, Salford. Meanwhile in resurgent Liverpool, a new canal link at the city’s famous Pier Head means that for the first time in over a century, canal boats will be able to navigate the Leeds & Liverpool Canal straight into the heart of the city. As well as bringing new life to the waterways themselves, both projects are set to play an influential role in the wider regeneration of the areas through which they pass. “Canals have transformed cities and towns across the whole of the Northwest over the last 15-20 years,” explains Alan Carter, Business Development Manager at British Waterways, the national organisation which looks after the UK’s 2,200 miles of canals and navigable rivers. “They play a pivotal role in the regeneration

of communities, with more and more town centres being built around the canals in areas such as Stalybridge and Failsworth. Today people want to live, work and socialise beside water which is demonstrated across the whole of the Northwest.”

RESTORATION The 15.2-mile long Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal is the last major waterway in Manchester to be restored. It was once vital to the transportation of coal and cotton during the Industrial Revolution but was filled in during the 1960s. Although the first section to be reopened is just 437m long, restoring it was a major engineering feat and included the creation of a new tunnel under the Salford Inner relief road and the construction of a new sevenmetre deep lock - the third deepest lock within British Waterways’ whole network. Costing £5.9 million, the Middlewood section reconnects the canal to the rest of the UK’s inland waterway network via the River Irwell, and paves the way for the restoration of the canal to its terminuses at both Bolton and Bury. Mark Hughes, Executive Director of Economic Development at the NWDA, explains: “Restoration of this section of the canal has significantly improved the area for local people and visitors, and is a

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R ANSFORM URBAN LANDSCAPE step forward towards greater regeneration in Salford. “Waterways are also a part of our heritage and it is excellent that this piece of history has been restored to benefit the local area and future generations.” Carter agrees: “The restoration of canals can have an immense impact locally. The revitalised canal will now animate the surrounding area (and) in particular the Middlewood restoration will be the focus of a £600 million development of housing and leisure facilities.” In Liverpool, the £20 million canal link will open in the spring and is part of an ambitious scheme to bring a new look to Liverpool’s world-famous Pier Head.

INTERNATIONAL QUALITY The public realm works around the new link were completed last autumn at a cost of £8 million and include new paving, an area to stage events and improved lighting, while Canada Boulevard has been completely replanted with sycamore and maple, replacing the previous unhealthy trees. A series of new mooring facilities for boats arriving along the canal have also been added to Salthouse Dock, and two massive four tonne lock gates, built by local engineering company Twinbridge, now form the centrepiece of the Mann Island basin.

The regeneration of the Pier Head and Mann Island, home to the new Museum of Liverpool, is part of a development programme designed to create a visitor destination of international quality. In total these new developments will deliver £260 million of new investment, attract 1.2 million visitors per annum and create 913 additional jobs. “Transforming the waterfront has been one of our main priorities in regenerating Liverpool,” says Cllr Warren Bradley, City Council leader. “At the heart of that is the Pier Head. It is an area which is known throughout the world and is the core of our World Heritage site. It has been under–used and not fulfilling its potential. It is a place which both local people and visitors should regard as a must-see attraction.” Robin Evans, Chief Executive at British Waterways, is confident that developments like this can bring much wider local benefits. “The link will bring animation to the waterfront and rejuvenate communities the canal passes through creating jobs and bringing economic benefits to the region,” he says. And it is the bigger role that canals can play in improving communities that really excites Carter. “Canals have an integral role

Restored waterway – The completed Middlewood section of the Manchester, Bolton and Bury Canal

to play in the 21st century, not only on the leisure side, where we’re encouraging the healthy and environmental use of the canals for walking, cycling and boating but in waterside regeneration. “We are influencing and enabling billions of pounds of regeneration activity alongside our canals and rivers. Waterways will continue to develop, despite the more challenging economic climate over the next year or so.” For further information www.britishwaterways.com

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INFRASTRUCTURE

Promoting health – The Orford Park project will create new leisure opportunities for the local community

GREEN LIGHT FOR £30M SPORTS VILLAGE A £30 million community sports village has been given the go-ahead, in time to offer those inspired by the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games the opportunity to become fitter and more active. The master plan for Orford Park involves the provision of a wide variety of leisure, health and education facilities on one site which will transform 50 acres of a former landfill site in Warrington, and has been approved after confirmation of funding support from national and regional sponsors. The idea of creating a “cutting edge” sports village was first mooted 14 years ago by local councillors. Now Orford Park, adjacent to the A49 northern gateway to the

town, is scheduled to open in November 2011. Led by Warrington Borough Council, the public, private and voluntary sector development will include football pitches, sports centre, library and health centre. Designed to assist the key regional and national aim of increasing the number of people participating in physical activity from 22.8% to 34.9%, it will also help to promote healthy lifestyles and improve lifelong learning, the local skills base and employability of local people. Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), which is investing £3.6 million in the project, says Orford Park is an important Regeneration – A new sports centre is part of the plans for the new development

scheme for Warrington and the Northwest region and something the NWDA is pleased to support. “Sport makes a huge contribution to our regional economy with latest figures showing that sport adds £3 billion to our economy every year and supports 50,000 jobs. “During times of uncertainty in the economy I’m extremely encouraged to see significant projects such as this going forward.”

CUTTING EDGE The project builds on the experience of other developments like Leigh Sports Village, also supported by the NWDA, according to Stewart Kellett, former Regional Director Sport England North West. He says: “This is a cutting edge project for the sports sector which builds on the experience of other developments and goes beyond the conventional approaches to facility development. “The council and local partners have taken up the challenge of promoting sustainable approaches to growing and maintaining sports participation by putting sport at the centre of their regeneration plans.” “We are really excited about the prospects for this project. It will assist Sport England to deliver our target of one million more people playing sport by 2012.” Paul Thorogood, Chief Executive of The Football Foundation, the UK’s largest sports charity, says: “I am delighted that the Football Foundation is supporting the Orford Park project with our maximum grant of £1 million. Sport is playing a central role in helping people to stay fit, strengthen communities and promote responsibility among young people.” The foundation has invested over £44 million into 832 community sports projects across the Northwest since it was launched in 2000. For further information: www.warrington.gov.uk www.nwda.co.uk

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TICKET TO RIDE FOR BUSINESS AND TOURISM Business and tourism in the Northwest will both benefit from the improved rail links with London following the completion of Network Rail’s £9 billion upgrade of the West Coast Main Line – Europe’s busiest. More regular trains between London Euston and many Northwest towns and cities, faster journey times and 13 million additional seats each year across the network will give a significant boost to business passengers and visitors to the region. Cumbria, in particular, will benefit from the massive investment in the West Coast Main Line (WCML) following the introduction of Virgin Trains’ new timetable in December 2008. The fastest trains of the day to London Euston will take three hours, 12 minutes from Carlisle, three hours from Penrith North Lakes and two hours 37 minutes from Oxenholme Lake District.

NEW TIMETABLE The first train of the day to London now leaves Carlisle at 5.43am, arriving in London at 9.09am, more than 40 minutes earlier than its predecessor. Simon Caunt, Assistant Regional Director of the CBI, who visited Cumbria three days

after the new timetable came into force on December 14, says: “The new Main Line times are very significant for Cumbria and for tourism in particular. “One hotelier pointed out to me that visitors could now leave London at 3pm – and sit down for dinner in Ambleside around 7pm.”

FASTER SERVICES The benefits are not confined to Cumbria. Train services to the Northwest from London will increase by 30% with Manchester linked to the capital by Pendolino “tilting” trains every 20 minutes, including weekends, with journey times cut by 13 minutes down to two hours 5 minutes. Average journey times to Liverpool are reduced by 6 minutes, with additional peak hour trains stopping at Runcorn. Wigan, Warrington and Preston will all benefit from faster direct services between London and Glasgow. The CBI’s Simon Caunt, says: “The frequency of journeys and the shorter time are critical to our members and the region – they bring the Northwest closer to the city of London’s economic focus. “There are businesses in the Northwest which operate in a global market and

transport links – the main rail and airport links – are vital.” He says a multi-partner approach from organisations including the CBI, inward investment agencies and tourist boards, is needed to communicate the message that the Northwest is “an obvious place to do business”, promoting its improved transport links. Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), which has supported the upgrade of the WCML since work began, says: “This is a strategic link within the Northwest’s public transport system and these improvements will bring significant benefits.” The upgrade of WCML, the busiest artery in the UK, will also benefit freight as well as passengers. Tony Collins, Virgin Rail Group’s CEO, says: “The successful running of Europe’s busiest main line railway is going to be a huge challenge for the train operators and Network Rail. But I believe that within six months we shall have a railway of which the nation can truly be proud.” For further information: www.networkrail.co.uk www.nwda.co.uk

New benefits – The completed West Coast Main Line upgrade has created faster rail links for commuters

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QUALITY OF LIFE NEWS Manchester has been crowned the best ‘Sports City’ in the world for its successful hosting of six international sports events during 2008, including three world championships. The SportBusiness Sports City ‘Gold’ Awards was presented to Manchester City Council at the SportBusiness Sports Event Management Awards 2008. Cumbria’s Lakes Alive summer season of arts events generated around £1.25 million for the county. The festival, which ran from June 14 until August 31, attracted over 220 of the world’s leading outdoor performers and an audience of over 21,000. Stuart Maconie, BBC Radio 2 presenter and ardent Lancastrian, spearheaded the NWDA’s autumn campaign to promote tourism in the Northwest. Stuart’s Short Stories for Short Breaks series featured seven travel diary-style pieces on the cultural highlights of the region. Prime, the NWDA’s free quarterly magazine promoting the region’s cultural events and attractions, won a bronze award at the Design Business Association’s Design Effectiveness Awards. The first three editions generated an estimated 201,922 visits to cultural venues, worth £16 million. Heritage sites in the Northwest attracted over two million visitors in 2007-08, making a significant contribution to the £11 billion generated by the region’s visitor economy according to the annual report of North West Heritage Counts 2008. Judges at the Lancashire Excellence in Tourism Skills Awards cited commitment and dedication as key qualities among winners in all nine categories. Organised by Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board and supported by the NWDA, the event, staged in St Annes, attracted 67 nominations.

MORE RESOURCES TO BOOST NORTHWEST TOURISM The UK tourism industry is well placed to weather the effects of the economic downturn – that is the message being delivered by national tourism agency VisitBritain. According to recent research undertaken by the organisation, 90% of people surveyed claim they are cutting back on spending, but less that half (45%) are planning to cut back on holidays, short breaks or day trips. The research also suggests taking a break is so highly valued that it is often the last thing to be sacrificed. These trends in themselves have implications for the wider visitor economy, but the research goes some way to show that there are opportunities to promote holidays at home, particularly if they are seen as offering a quality experience at a good value price. In the Northwest, quality has been a cornerstone of the region’s Strategy for Tourism since its inception in 2003, with the region’s five tourist boards working closely with the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) to ensure investment is channelled into a high-quality, distinctive tourism product.

VISITOR ECONOMY Continued investment is seen as essential during these challenging times, particularly if the Northwest is to make the most of the changing face of tourism in the UK, according to Felicity Goodey, Chair of Tourism England’s Northwest. “Whatever happens we must not lose momentum,” she says. “VisitBritain say the recession could cost 50,000 jobs and a £4 billion hit to the UK’s tourism industry. London may well be affected but the evidence here in the Northwest is that

investment in quality, distinctiveness and value for money can attract the visitor even in adverse conditions.” James Berresford, Director of Tourism at the NWDA, agrees: “It is now more important that ever for us to continue to invest in the region’s visitor economy. Markets are changing and our competitors are evolving; we need to make sure that England’s Northwest is well placed to meet the challenges of this economic downturn.” The Agency’s commitment to this aim was recently strengthened with the announcement of an additional £20.6 million to build on the work of the five sub-regional tourist boards: Cumbria Tourism, Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board, Marketing Manchester, The Mersey Partnership and Visit Chester and Cheshire. It will also enable them to maintain the lead in developing and promoting the visitor economy in their area, creating high-quality, high-value visitor experiences. Investment in training programmes, the provision of visitor information, product development and targeted marketing will help ensure that the region’s tourism industry is well placed to face ongoing economic challenges. The investment, which will be made available to the five industry-focused organisations over the next three years, will ensure the region’s tourist boards are in a strong position to support tourism businesses during the difficult economic climate. For further information: www.nwda.co.uk/tourism Visitor economy – New investment aims to capitalise on changing trends in tourism

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WORLD-CLASS VENUES LURE 2012 TEAMS Thailand and 15 Pacific Island countries from Oceania have chosen the Northwest as the training base for their Olympic and Paralympic athletes in the run up to London 2012. They are the first countries to commit to using the region’s “world-class” sports facilities, many of which were developed for Manchester’s 2002 Commonwealth Games. The National Olympic Committee and the Sports Authority of Thailand – which won four medals in Beijing, including a boxing Gold – signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), the World Academy of Sport at Manchester Business Centre and Manchester City Council. During their stay, Thai representatives visited Sportcity (one of the largest concentrations of sports venues in Europe), the football grounds of the city’s two Premier League clubs, the University of Manchester and the World Academy of Sport. They also agreed to work with the Academy to develop education programmes, including sports event management courses, for sports authorities in their own country. Oceania National Olympic Committees, whose members visited sports facilities in Preston, Crewe, Leigh, Wigan and Liverpool, signed a similar MoU with the NWDA on behalf of 15 Pacific islands.

In addition to making a commitment to prepare athletes in the Northwest, signatories to both agreements are also looking to maximise wider legacy opportunities from the relationship, in particular exploring cultural exchanges linked to the Cultural Olympiad. Peter Mearns, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at the NWDA, which has been working hard with partners across the region to set up Pre Games Training Camps for 2012, says: “To include so many countries in one agreement makes this a unique understanding. It also provides an opportunity for the whole of the Northwest to be inspired by the 2012 Games as every sub-region has contributed to it.” And in January, the Northwest secured another coup with the announcement that Manchester has been chosen as the training camp for the Australian Swimming Team in the run-up to 2012. In the Northwest, 63 companies had already secured Games-related contracts by mid January. More than 2,800 had registered their interest in supplying the Games via the online business service CompeteFor, which matches businesses with 2012 opportunities. The NWDA, which is providing funding of £2 million to help companies to bid for 2012 contracts, hosted a two-day visit by John

Sporting heritage – Leading international athletes have signed up to train in the Northwest in the run up to 2012

Armitt, the Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority. At a Business Breakfast at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium, he said: “London 2012 can offer Northwest businesses of all sizes opportunities to help in the current economic climate.” Determined to promote as many opportunities as possible for businesses to benefit from the Games, the region has played host to a series of visits by Olympic chiefs. They included Sebastian Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), who visited sports venues in Lancashire and Cheshire to see how the region was engaging with London 2012. Paul Deighton, Chief Executive of LOCOG, attended the Northwest Annual 2012 Conference in Liverpool, which celebrated the success of the region’s Olympians and Paralympians and outlined work priorities for the region’s legacy plans over the next 12 months. Charles Allen, Chair of the Nations and Regions Group of London 2012, also visited Cumbria in November to see how the county is rising to the challenge presented by London 2012. For further information: www.london2012.com www.nwda.co.uk

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QUALITY OF LIFE

Opening extravaganza – Capital of Culture 08 began with the People’s Opening on St George’s Plateau

APRIL

An audience with Shankly – Tribute to Liverpool FC legend Bill Shankly

JULY

Tall Ships – The four day event was one of the highlights of 2008

OCTOBER

King Lear – Pete Postlethwaite returned to the Liverpool stage to appear in the Shakespeare play at the Everyman

FEBRUARY

MARCH

‘Arts Matters: The Pool of Life’ – Merseyside artists the Singh Twins launched this specially commissioned work at the Bluecoat

New commission – Momentum’s production, Anima was part of the Artistic Programme for 08

MAY

JUNE

Liverpool Sound – Anfield football stadium hosted the sell out concert, featuring Sir Paul McCartney

The Liverpool Cityscape – Ben Johnson’s artwork at the Walker Art Gallery

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

Sir Simon Rattle – the Liverpool born conductor returned to his home city for a series of concerts

Live music – The Matthew Street Festival took to the streets during August

NOVEMBER

International spotlight – The Echo Arena staged the MTV Europe Music Awards 2008

DECEMBER

Photograph courtesy of Dan Waite

JANUARY

Major achievement – The BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards 2008 took place in Liverpool

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LASTING LEGACY OF ‘A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER’ Liverpool’s Year as European Capital of Culture has finally come to an end with the vital message that 08 may be gone, but not forgotten. The statistics are impressive: the Merseyside tourism economy reached the £1 billion mark, the total economic benefit of 08 amounted to £800 million and the city clocked up more than 15 million cultural visits, recording an average 30% rise on 2007, with 3.5 million visiting Liverpool for the first time during the year. The city also experienced unprecedented media coverage, worth more than £200 million globally, with more than 12,000 articles appearing in the UK press and more than 20 hours of primetime programming on the 08 year across the major TV platforms. The landmark year has involved more than 10,000 artists, 160,000 participants and 67,000 schoolchildren across 7,000 events in more than 1,000 venues. It included 60 World and European premieres in music, film, theatre and art, with 30 new commissions by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

RECORD BREAKING Many venues broke box office records. Tate Liverpool recorded a 200% rise on 2007 and the Albert Dock attracted a record one million visitors for the first time in its history. The annual MTV Europe Music Awards and BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards, both held in the city, attracted television audiences of more than 40 million. In ‘The Impacts of A Year Like No Other’, a book published by the Liverpool Culture Company reflecting on 2008, Bryan Gray, Chairman of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and the Liverpool Culture Company, says: Celebrating success – Liverpool’s landmark year as Capital of Culture 2008 provided a £800 million boost to the local economy

“Liverpool is experiencing one of the greatest renaissances of any 21st century European city with culture playing the lead role.” Ten days into 2009, the city celebrated its success with a Transition Event, designed to ensure that Liverpool builds on everything that 08 has achieved by arranging an enhanced programme of cultural events from 2009-2012 as a ‘lasting legacy’.

HIGHLIGHTS Liverpool City Council Leader Warren Bradley says: “Much of the success of last year has been down to great partnerships and teamwork involving many of the city’s cultural institutions and other organisations. But it is absolutely crucial that we build upon the amazing achievements of 2008.” Highlights of the year included the June Liverpool Sound Concert at Anfield with Sir Paul McCartney, the Tall Ships Festival in July and La Machine’s spider street theatre performance through the city centre in September, which helped to attract 5.2 million people to the city during the year. And around 500,000 people also attended the themed 08 events across the Northwest including Manchester’s Year of World of Sport, Cheshire’s Year of Gardens, Cumbria’s Year of Adventure and Taste Lancashire, organised to ensure the whole region benefited. Some exhibitions continue into 2009, including ‘Liverpool – Threshold to the Corners of the World’, a photography exhibition at the new £8 million Victoria Gallery and Museum that runs to the end of March. The ‘Only a Game?’ exhibition, exploring European football from the 1950s to the modern era, remains at World Museum Liverpool until March 1. For ten weeks to November 30, the city

also enjoyed the Liverpool Biennial, the International Festival of Contemporary Art. This year its centrepiece was MADE UP, an exhibition of works – half of which were sited in public spaces - which explored ‘the ecology of the artistic imagination’ from artists across the world. Sculptor Richard Wilson’s ‘Turning the Place Over’, in which a chunk of the city’s former Yates’s Wine Lodge literally turned inside out, was another major success. Lewis Biggs, Director of the Liverpool Biennial, which was celebrating its tenth anniversary during 2008, says: “Liverpool’s year as European Capital of Culture has brought even more cultural tourists from other countries, as well as reinforcing our appeal to residents in the Northwest. It has been great to contribute to such a rich mix of culture in one city.” As a result of Liverpool's success, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham announced on a visit to Liverpool during January that the Government will consider introducing a permanent British City of Culture prize, which would enable other cities around the country to bid to host the title every four years. For further information: www.liverpool08.com

LIVERPOOL’S CULTURE OF SUCCESS Research funded by the NWDA to assess the changes in awareness and perceptions of Liverpool between 2005, when the city was awarded European Capital of Culture status, and 2008, show that positive impressions of the city from outside the region have risen. The number of people from outside the Northwest who see Liverpool as a city ‘on the rise’ has increased from 73% in 2005 to 79% in 2008 and the number of those who agree that Liverpool is a premier European city has also increased from 41% in 2005 to 47% in 2008. More people based outside the region – 64% in 2008 – express an interest in visiting the area, compared with 58% in 2005. The survey also showed that people in Liverpool are more likely to take part in culture than those in the Northwest and the UK as a whole, with numbers remaining at 10% above the national average.

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NOTEBOOK

PEOPLE IN THE REGION

New Head of Culture Claire McColgan, a key figure in Liverpool’s successful celebration as European 2008 Capital of Culture, has been appointed the city’s new Head of Culture. Currently a Culture Company executive, Claire will join Liverpool City Council to lead a team of 25 committed to continue the ‘legacy’ of 2008. The aim is to continue to deliver a strong cultural programme for which the Council has earmarked £4.1 million. Organisations will be invited to bid for funding in 2009. Leader of Liverpool City Council Warren Bradley says Claire’s track record is “impeccable”.

HENSMAN’S NEW ROLE Businessman Peter Hensman, an NWDA Board member for four years, has been elected chairman of the Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency, which provided advice to over 5,000 businesses in the last year. Chartered accountant Peter is a director of Kendal-based Lake District Estates, a small group of companies involved in tourism, leisure and property in Cumbria, which includes the Ravenglass and Eskdale Steam Railway and Ullswater Steamers. He succeeds Michael Bell, who will continue as deputy chairman.

Anil Ruia to Chair regional arts council Anil Ruia OBE, a trustee of National Museums Liverpool, has been appointed Chair of Arts Council England, North West for four years to September 2012. Company director Anil, appointed by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, has also become a member of the national Arts Council England governing body. As well as bringing extensive business experience to the role, he has experience in culture and sport in the Northwest as a former chairman of the Commonwealth Film Festival and a former Board member of the Northwest Cultural Consortium. A governor of the University of Manchester, he is also a former Board member of both the NWDA and the North West Skills Partnership.

Northern Way appoints new Senior Advisor Professor Michael Parkinson has been appointed as Senior Advisor to the Northern Way’s Research Programme. Professor Parkinson is Director of the European Institute for Urban Affairs at Liverpool John Moores University and leads the Department of Communities and Local Government’s expert panel on Neighbourhoods, Cities and Regions. He produced the ‘State of the English Cities’ Report for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in 2006. The Research Programme will be the cornerstone of the Northern Way’s work over the next three years and will develop evidence to inform long term thinking about the Northern economy in both a national and global context.

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NEW NWDA BOARD MEMBERS APPOINTED Three new Board members – Anne Selby, Lord Peter Smith and John Stageman - have been appointed to the NWDA for a three-year period to December 2011. Current member Brenda Smith has been re-appointed for another year.

ANNE SELBY Anne Selby, Chief Executive Officer of The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and Merseyside, has worked in the voluntary sector for over 20 years. She has been involved in regional working for the last eight years, mainly as a member of the former North West Regional Assembly, now 4NW, the Regional Leaders Forum for the Northwest launched in July 2008. Anne also chairs Envirolink Northwest, a partnership of all environmental voluntary sector organisations in the region and has a seat on the Regional Environmental Protection Advisory Committee (REPAC).

LORD PETER SMITH

JOHN STAGEMAN

Leader of Wigan Council since 1991, Lord Peter Smith currently chairs both the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities and the new 4NW Regional Leaders Forum. He also chaired its forerunner, the North West Regional Assembly, from 2000-01 and has been a Manchester Airport board member since 1986. A lecturer in economics and government from 1969 to 2000, Lord Smith was first elected to Wigan Council in 1978.

John Stageman, Vice President of UK Science Affairs at AstraZeneca, has recently returned to the Northwest, and is now based at the company’s Alderley Edge site. John had previously been seconded to the post of General Manager of the Cambridge site of AstraZeneca’s major biopharmaceutical subsidiary company, MedImmune. A member of the North West Science Council since its inception in 2002, and a member of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council since May 2008, John is an Honorary Professor in Life Sciences at the University of Manchester.

BRENDA SMITH The former Managing Director and Deputy Chairman of Granada Television, Brenda Smith is now involved in many regional organisations in sectors including education, health and the arts. A member of the Board of Governors of the University of Manchester and a Board member of the Manchester International Festival, she now works in an advisory capacity to private equity and recruitment consultants. Brenda is also a Board member of Central Manchester and Manchester Children’s University Hospitals NHS Trust, a member of Tourism England’s Northwest and a non-executive director of Manchester Airport Group. She has chaired the Regional Marketing Forum since December 2002.

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EVENTS

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS For further information www.nwda.co.uk/events FEBRUARY 3-5

SKILLS NORTHWEST FEB Region’s largest careers event with demonstrations from over 70 organisations Bolton Arena, Bolton

CHINESE NEW YEAR DINNER AND FEB AWARDS Recognising the achievements of Northwest companies doing business with Greater China Haydock Park Racecourse, Merseyside

CBI NORTH WEST CUMBRIA DINNER

FEB Keynote speaker: Defence Secretary John Hutton Low Wood Hotel, Windermere

9-15

NATIONAL SQUASH FEB CHAMPIONSHIPS A feast of sporting excellence National Squash Centre, Sportcity, Manchester

CUMBRIA ECONOMIC SUMMIT FEB Reviewing economic progress and consultation on the new Regional Strategy Sellafield, Cumbria

CHESHIRE POSITIVE BUSINESS FEB AWARDS Highlighting good corporate performance in employment of disabled people Crewe Alexandra Football Club

MARCH 4-5

PROWESS ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL MAR CONFERENCE 2009 Key event in the women's enterprise support calendar Imperial Hotel, Blackpool

LANCASHIRE REGIONAL STRATEGY MAR CONSULTATION First-stage consultation for Lancashire stakeholders Guild Hall, Preston

6 10-15

EUROPEAN BADMINTON FEB CHAMPIONSHIPS Top players from 30 nations share limelight Echo Arena, Liverpool

BE INSPIRED BUSINESS AWARDS MAR Lancashire’s premier business competition Winter Gardens, Blackpool

CHESHIRE & WARRINGTON MAR REGIONAL STRATEGY CONSULTATION First-stage consultation for Cheshire stakeholders Holiday Inn, Ellesmere Port

Skills Northwest – The Bolton Arena will host the region’s largest careers event

Echo Arena – Venue for the European Badminton Championships

INSTITUTE OF DIRECTORS MAR NORTHWEST ANNUAL CONFERENCE Inspirational words for the region’s business community The Lowry Hotel, Manchester

APRIL 1

CBI NORTH WEST ANNUAL DINNER APR Keynote speaker: Richard Lambert, Director General, CBI Palace Hotel, Manchester

2-4

GRAND NATIONAL APR Annual meeting culminating in world’s best steeplechase Aintree, Liverpool

GREATER MANCHESTER CHAMBER APR ANNUAL DINNER Top event in the corporate social calendar Manchester Central

ETHNIC MINORITY BUSINESS MAR FORUM Recognising contribution of black and ethnic minority businesses Old Trafford, Manchester

MAY

13MAR1 MAY

LIVERPOOL ART PRIZE

Shortlisted works from competition for professional artists born or based in the region Novas Contemporary Urban Centre, Liverpool

RICS NORTH WEST AWARDS 2009 MAY Accolades for the best of the built environment City of Manchester Stadium

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GETTING IN TOUCH At the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), we value your views and feedback. Visit www.nwda.co.uk & www.visitenglandsnorthwest.com

The NWDAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Executive Team are based at its Headquarters in Warrington.

STEVEN BROOMHEAD Chief Executive Tel: 01925 400 133 Email: Steven.Broomhead@nwda.co.uk

PETER MEARNS Executive Director, Marketing and Communications Tel: 01925 400 212 Email: Peter.Mearns@nwda.co.uk

BERNICE LAW Chief Operating Officer,

PATRICK WHITE Executive Director, Policy and Planning Tel: 01925 400 274 Email: Patrick.White@nwda.co.uk

(currently on secondment at the Liverpool Culture Company)

Tel: 01925 400 532 Email: Bernice.Law@nwda.co.uk IAN HAYTHORNTHWAITE Executive Director, Resources Tel: 01925 400 116 Email: Ian.Haythornthwaite@nwda.co.uk

JAMES BERRESFORD Director of Tourism Tel: 01925 400 472 Email: James.Berresford@nwda.co.uk

MARK HUGHES Executive Director, Economic Development Tel: 01925 400 531 Email: Mark.Hughes@nwda.co.uk

FIONA MILLS Director of Human Performance Tel: 01925 644 422 Email: Fiona.Mills@nwda.co.uk

HEAD OFFICE The NWDA manages all operations from its Headquarters at:

HEAD OFFICE PO Box 37, Renaissance House, Centre Park, Warrington WA1 1XB Tel: +44 (0)1925 400 100 Fax: +44 (0)1925 400 400 e-mail: information@nwda.co.uk

PRINT STOCK: Cover: Challenger Laser Matt is totally chlorine free and acquired only from suppliers operating sustainable forest reserves. Text: Cyclus offset is manufactured using only 100% recycled post consumer waste.

Designed and produced by Kaleidoscope ADM, Liverpool. www.kadm.co.uk NWDA KADM 02/09 21355

KEY CONTACTS

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