International Trade 26

The Export Academy, from the Department for International Trade (DIT), gives small and micro-businesses the knowhow to sell to customers around the world with confidence.

In the North West, the Export Academy is currently offered as:

– ten one-hour virtual sessions (see opposite) – or one full-day in-person session (see below)

The one-day Export Academy workshop is interactive, enjoyable and lay the foundations for a new exporter. It offers networking and discussion with like-minded companies, the opportunity to meet NPH Export Champions and will cover the Export Academy core modules.

This is a free programme of support, where you’ll learn directly from experts in international trade who are on hand to provide support across a range of sectors and businesses.

This physical workshop consists of core sessions, followed by breakout sessions to share experiences and develop your own export action plan. The exclusive content is designed specifically to help small and micro businesses prepare effectively to sell internationally.

As the in-person workshop places are limited to 20, delegates must be able to commit to participating for the full day.

Full-day workshops will be held in:

– Cheshire in January – Liverpool in February – Cumbria in March

DIT are also pleased to invite businesses in the North West to join us for virtual master classes led by internationalisation specialist Norma Foster. Norma is a business leader with experience across both public and private sectors. She has particular expertise in economic regeneration and the development and implementation of creative programmes and projects embracing and embedding digital best practice.

Step by Step How to Internationalise your Marketing and Website – various dates

Developing your marketing and website for an international audience is vital to your export success - and can be a difficult process for busy exporters. This webinar will take you through 7 practical and productive steps using case study examples from successful exporters to help you win more export business from your marketing and website.

LinkedIn – How to Win New International Business – various dates

Do you want to generate enough highquality international leads on LinkedIn that convert more quickly? LinkedIn is one of the most powerful online resources, which covers over 200 countries and regions and allows exporters to swiftly and effectively reach out to a global audience in over 24 languages. Effective for both B2B and B2C businesses, working smart on LinkedIn can bring significant results - competitive edge, brand awareness and swift global reach. It can also bring good short term results whilst you are internationalising your website.

Register your place, and find out about specific session dates, on the Export Academy portal:

– Home - UK Export Academy (great.gov.uk)

_ Or contact Export Academy Advisor, Chris Baxter, directly: chris.baxter@tradenw.org | 07955 434980

Crewe residents and visitors alike enjoyed an illuminated self-guided twilight trail and an exciting familyfriendly festive programme of activity, including festive street performers, live music, storytelling and craft activities filling the town with Christmas cheer.

The various activities, which were programmed by Crewe Town Council, took place across the town centre in the run up to Christmas.

Free parking was also made available in five town centre Cheshire East car parks across the four Crewe Christmas Saturdays.

After the disappointment of last year’s lockdown leading to the cancellation of Lumen Crewe’s Night of Lights, Crewe Town Council joined forces with the team behind Blackpool Illuminations to develop a familyfocused illuminated arts trail around Crewe town centre:

‘Lumen Lite’ – a self-guided illuminated trail around Crewe town centre ran over 16 evenings.

Visitors wrapped up warm and ventured into Crewe for an out of this world twilight adventure around the theme of ‘Discovery’. A downloadable Lumen Lite trail map was made available for participants to use, before setting off on a journey of discovery: meeting Moon Folk, seeking out astronauts and encountering a TARDIS!

Families entered into the festive spirit popping on their favourite Christmas jumpers while shimmying along to the Crewe Christmas Saturdays.

Very special festive friends were in attendance, including the Christmas Nutkins, Musical Ruth, talking flowerpots Holly & Ivy and the Dodgy Boys.

People laughed along with the Elvish Pressies and shared their best dance moves with Tap Dancing Turkeys whilst avoiding the Temperance Society at all costs.

There were special appearances also from the vegetable babies down at the Allotment, crafty Minerva Arts and Drag Queen Story Hour.

Visitors were able to combine their visit with a spot of shopping, a bite to eat and a walk around the Lumen Lite

Cllr Joe Cosby, Chair of the Marketing and Events Committee, said:

Above: Aqualux by Phil Holmes, credit to Visit Blackpool

“It was fantastic to be able to bring festive activity back to the streets of Crewe town centre after the pandemic halted our plans in 2020. It was great to see so much going on in Crewe in the build up to Christmas. We worked alongside partners including the Lyceum, The Market Hall, Crewe Library and The Market Centre to ensure that Crewe Town had a fab festive programme and lots of reasons to visit Crewe."

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For more on events and activities in Crewe visit the town council website and follow on social media.

Cheshire East Council has welcomed the commitment to extend HS2 from Crewe to Manchester following the publication of the government’s Integrated Rail Plan.

The long-awaited report outlines the government’s intention to progress the western leg of HS2 Phase 2b (Crewe to Manchester) and its support for our shared vision for a Crewe hub station that can accommodate between five to seven HS2 trains per hour.

This reaffirms Crewe as a strategically important location and gives Cheshire East Council further confidence to push ahead with refreshing its plans for central Crewe – from the area around the station to the town centre – and supports the ongoing regeneration plans and aspirations for the wider borough.

The plan also sets out government’s intentions for rail investment across the north and key decisions on the eastern leg of HS2 Phase 2b and Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Councillor Craig Browne, deputy leader of Cheshire East Council and chair of its highways and transport committee, said:

“We are pleased that the government has published its Integrated Rail Plan and welcome the commitment to the western leg of HS2. “However, the impacts on the north regarding the decisions on the eastern leg of HS2 Phase 2b and Northern Powerhouse Rail are still to be fully understood, and we seek further detail on its revised plans and timescales.”

Cllr Browne added: “The Integrated Rail Plan will help to cement our own plans linked to HS2, including a Crewe hub station.

“We will continue to press government to formally commit to our full vision for the Crewe hub and Crewe Northern Connection.

“While we remain confident that high-speed rail will bring major economic benefits and opportunities, we will also continue to push government to offer the maximum levels of mitigation to those negatively affected by the HS2 scheme.”

The plan’s publication comes as the council awaits further news on the competition to find a national headquarters for a new public body Great British Railways, after it was announced by government last month.

Councillor Sam Corcoran, leader of Cheshire East Council, said: “Crewe is an excellent candidate for the national headquarters of Great British Railways, and the commitment to extend HS2 from Crewe to Manchester only strengthens that position.

“It has an undeniable rich rail heritage and all the right ingredients in place to make it the ideal location, not least its unrivalled connectivity, strong local supply chain, highly-skilled workers and ambitious plans that will only serve to further cement its strategic importance for generations to come.

“We look forward to hearing more about the competition and progressing our bid.”

In February, HS2 Phase 2a was granted Royal Assent – another key milestone in securing long-term HS2 benefits for Crewe in the build up to when the high-speed train services begin.

This year has also seen the successful reopening of the Market Hall and up to £14.1m of government funding allocated to the town from the Future High Streets Fund.

Crewe has also secured a ‘Town Deal’ and a separate allocation of funding from the government’s Towns Fund of up to £22.9m.

The funding will be used to deliver two separate packages of projects that will support the town’s ongoing regeneration and deliver lasting benefits to the health and wellbeing of its diverse communities.

Work is also ongoing on the Royal Arcade scheme and on a major package of active travel and road improvements in North West Crewe.

The arrival of HS2 services to the borough will also support the council’s ongoing regeneration plans for Macclesfield – the council recently celebrated the completion of a public realm enhancement scheme in Castle Street and is developing plans for other areas of the town centre.

Clare Hayward MBE DL, chair of Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We welcome the greater certainty that the Integrated Rail Plan provides on the Crewe HS2 hub, its strategic location nationally, and the inclusion of the Crewe Northern Connection within the HS2 programme.

“We also welcome the confirmation of a new Northern Powerhouse Rail line and station, which will allow easy interchange with Warrington Bank Quay, connecting Warrington with Manchester Airport and Manchester, via HS2. "We now want to work with government to ensure that all our communities and residents can benefit from these and other investments announced.

“Wider connectivity across a fully connected North will allow Cheshire and Warrington to achieve its full potential. We note that some of the major schemes for the North will not now go ahead, but that alternatives are being proposed.

“We will be taking time to properly consider the detail of the Plan, the implications of these alternatives and what they mean for our communities and businesses.”