If the economy is to grow this is what business needs most
If the economy is to grow this is what business needs most
Business confidence and optimism are at large beneath the surface of the UK economy, but if they are to break through and flourish the nation needs a key ingredient from the incoming Government.
Dears Readers,
If you have been out today or are going out it’s more than likely it’ll be to the polling station. Gloucestershire could be about to undergo a radical shift of power as the Conservative blue covering the county evaporates.
Or will it?
If national opinion polls are anything to go by it will be all-change but early signs are the polling stations of Gloucestershire are a hotbed of action and in Gloucester a sense that things could be closer than predicted!
And speaking of the election, it’s more what happens afterwards that is the important bit. We were lucky enough to get out hands on some figures from Business West which help shed light on the issues front and centre in the minds of businesspeople, and what they are looking for to help them thrive post polling day. Plus input from business people across the county. That’s our main read below.
We also have our usual news shorts, plus a piece about a new construction qualification.
And we can tell you we’re working on a piece about the over 50s – soon to be the largest half of our population - asking the question why is it, despite all that experience and allegedly plenty of vacancies out there, that they still find it so difficult to re-enter the workplace? That’s despite business telling us one of the biggest challenges for businesses remains around recruitment!
Do we really have a culture in which businesses are prepared to overlook such an experienced and significant part of our workforce? Is it just ageism? We’ll publish that piece shortly. Maybe even tomorrow!
Please do continue to send us your story ideas. The best email currently is andrew.merrell@raikesjournal.co.uk. Or telephone 07956 926061.
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Your briefing notes
🏆 We’ve been plugging the Cirencester Business Awards for a good few weeks now, not least because we’re the media partner for the event. As a journalist I’ve been covering business awards for longer than anyone in the county and it never ceases to amaze me how every year they throw up new stories, new faces, new heroes. The Cirencester Chamber of Commerce is staging this one at the Royal Agricultural University’s Boutflour Hall from 7pm on tomorrow (Friday, 5 July). We’ll run the results on Raikes. Good luck to all those shortlisted. See who they are and buy tickets here.
👏 Hot off the heels of making the Gloucester 10k happen at the weekend Gloucester Quays Rotary welcomed in a new president this week. Tributes were paid to the outgoing incumbent, Alex Kirby, of Kirby & Knott Financial Planning, who handed over the reins to Nicala Clapperton, with Kathie O’Donoghue becoming vice president and Jamie Sleigh junior vice president. Under Kirby’s watch the club raised £40,000 for good causes. Clapperton has named Young Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire Young Carers and Vision Care for Homeless People as her chosen charities. Julie Cooke was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship award.
👏 Simon Hewer, of Hewer Facilities Management, has revealed he is moving onwards and upwards – taking on the new position of chief executive officer within the Quedgeley-headquartered business. It means the firm, started by Hewer’s father, David Hewer, in 1965 in Seymour Street, Gloucester, retains that family control that’s served it so well. Ian Haughton moves from operations director to managing director. Hewer FM has a turnover in the region of £15 million and 150-plus staff.
💻 Hartpury University and Hartpury College’s ongoing commitment to supporting businesses and professionals in the agricultural sector continues. It’s won funding from the local skills improvement fund (LSIF) for a new digital platform - a ‘one stop shop’ of support and resources, seamlessly connecting users with the Hartpury Agri-Tech Centre, career advisors, and a learning section. It’s there for Hartpury College’s agriculture education team and free to registered members of Hartpury’s Tech Box Park. Find out more here.
Congratulations! Partnership helps build skills in construction
‘A great way to develop your skills that benefits yourself and your business, no matter what level of the industry you are we’, is how one of the recent graduates of a new construction leadership course summed up the experience.
Staged by Gloucestershire College in partnership with Constructing Excellence Gloucestershire and Club Constructing Excellence South West, the course took place over 16 weeks (one day a fortnight) and included delegates from firms across the county.
Jonathan White, of Quattro Design Architects, one of those to graduate, said: “Gloucestershire Constructing Excellence helped win the funding for this from central Government and as I am also chairman I thought I should give it a good too! It proved to be really valuable.
“Even though I’m a senior associate at Quattro now and some of the others on the course are just beginning to make their way towards management, or just starting down that road, I felt I learned a lot – and a lot about myself too.
“For me it was all about trying to improve my own leadership skills to help make me better at my role.”
Other delegates were from Beard Barnwood Limited, Goodhind Engineering Consultants GSSArchitecture, Ridge and Partners. A new course is due to start in early September. You can find out more here and read a full report from Gloucestershire College here.
If the economy is to grow this is what business needs most
Business confidence and optimism are at large beneath the surface of the UK economy, but if they are to break through and flourish the nation needs a key ingredient from the incoming Government.
By Andrew Merrell
On Friday morning the UK will finally know who will be in Downing Street to lead the nation, and at the same time a major cause of uncertainty for businesses will disappear – the outcome of the general election itself.
The sense that the nation craves a ‘steady as she goes’ approach – so business can go forward positively and with certainty - is palpable, and that’s not just us sticking our finger into the air and taking a punt.
Our interviews with Gloucestershire’s chambers of commerce tell us as much, and we now have data to back it all up - data which shows confidence and positivity are there, hiding just beneath the surface.
According to Business West, which represents more than 21,000 businesses through its network of chambers of commerce members in Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, Bristol, Bath and Wiltshire, the picture from its latest quarterly research is clear.
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