Sharp increase in US firms looking to relocate to Gloucestershire
President Donald Trump’s talk of tariffs might suggest America has fallen out of love with Britain, but it appears many US firms are considering carrying out their commercial affairs from right here.
Dear readers,
Welcome to the first edition of The Raikes Journal of the week.
One great big serving of positivity today.
It seems that while President Trump is challenging relationships left, right and centre with talk of tariffs, US businesses themselves are doing what businesses do - finding a way to make things work.
And relocating to Gloucestershire is apparently a serious option for some!
Before we get to that, we tell the story of someone whose charity challenge has turned him into something of a folk hero in our Charity of the Week feature!
On Saturday this week Tom Kelsey, a retired project manager and grandfather from Gloucester, will walk quietly into King’s Square in Gloucester.
It will mark the end of a 1,000-mile solo, self-supported walk to raise funds for Cheltenham charity WellChild, which supports children with complex medical needs.
He needs our support to meet his £10,000 target still, but the money is rising. You can even put your boots on and walk a day this week - or the final Saturday leg with him. You can find out more about that below or search on Facebook here.
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Have a great week.
Best regards,
Andrew Merrell (editor).
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Your briefing notes...
🐄🏗️ Operations director Justin Young called the opening of a new 2,500 square-metre cold store facility at Cotteswold Dairy’s Tewkesbury headquarters “a significant milestone” for the business saying it demonstrated its “future commitment to the dairy industry” and to the county. It’s part of a significant investment by the firm, which employs 400 staff. Cotteswold named the building after its founding father, Roger Workman. More here.
🏳️🌈 For a second consecutive year, Willans LLP solicitors will partner with Pride in Cheltenham and Pride in Gloucestershire. The Cheltenham law firm’s support of both events, which celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, includes sponsorship of the main stage at the spa town’s 2025 event in Imperial Gardens on Saturday 17 May. It’s solicitors and experts will be manning a stand too, with advice on issues including parental responsibility, child arrangements in same-sex marriages, cohabitation agreements and wills. And there will be a free guide to LGBTQ+ and the law.
🏗️ Pittville School in Cheltenham has revealed its elected Barnwood-based housebuilder Newland Homes as its development partner. The school plans to “release” land for 58 “ultra energy-efficient houses”. The school says the investment will enable it to deliver on its” long-term ambition of a new state-of-the-art sports hall, dance and fitness studios, as well as an all-weather pitch and tennis court”. More here in our PR Wire channel.
Charity of the week: One man’s mission to help more children live at home
Two months ago one man set off on a remarkable expedition to raise funds to enable more young people with complex medical needs to live at home rather than hospital. On Saturday his monumental quest comes to an end.
Heroes come in all shapes, sizes and ages. Perhaps the very best don’t even know their efforts have done so much more than they set out to do, which might simply have been to raise a modest sum for a good cause.
Because while they were chasing that end, they have also inspired the rest of us to be better and to do better.
Tom Kelsey, from Kingsholm, is one of those. At around 2pm on Saturday (17 May) he will walk into King’s Square in Gloucester having completed something remarkable.
The 69-year-old grandfather, a former project manager for an IT company, will arrive in the city centre having walked 1,000 miles – unsupported mostly – in an attempt to raise £10,000 for WellChild.
He is a long-standing supporter of the national children’s charity, which has its headquarters in Cheltenham.
Every year it needs to raise £2 million to help as many young person as it can with complex medical needs to be able to thrive at home, with their families, rather than spend their lives in hospital.
It pays for training, support, equipment and more to make that happen.
Kelsey’s expedition saw him leave his home two months ago to trek along the Cotswold Way, north up Offa Dyke and as far as Hadrian’s Wall, carrying a pack with his tent and gear weighing 30lb and sometimes more.
He then returned home to continue clocking the miles in a non-stop daily routine that will only end when he reaches King’s Square on Saturday.
Wendy, Tom’s wife, joked that with all the exercise, “he is half the man he was when he started”.
Family, friends, admirers and members of the WellChild team will be in the city’s main square to cheer him home as he completes a quest inspired by the words of a child supported by WellChild.
“I was driving the support van for Andrew Gould last year when he was raising funds by cycling 3,000 miles to visit WellChild funded Nurses at more than 30 hospitals nationwide,” said Kelsey, remembering the conversation.
“We arrived at a hospital and nurses were preparing one young person to go home – for the first time in years, if not ever.
“A nurse was pushing them around the car park to help them to adjust to the outdoors - to outside the hospital.
“The child said it was amazing. We asked ‘why?’. They said ut was the first time they had ever felt the wind on their face before.”
Chris Capewell, marketing manager for WellChild, said: “That moment gave Tom and Andy a huge boost. I think it would move anyone.”
What Capewell and the team at WellChild did not know, and neither did Tom himself entirely, was the quiet determination of his wife, Wendy, to support him on his expedition.
“I had a feeling I was going to go downhill before it got better when I first started my new course of chemo,” she explained.
“I just didn’t realise quite what impact it would have.”
Her medication had changed shortly after Kelsey had begun his epic quest.
“People said to me, ‘does Tom know how poorly you are? When he gets home you will be in trouble!’
“But I didn’t want him using me as an excuse to get out of his challenge!” she said, joking.
“People who knew (the real situation) have been so supportive, messaging me from work and dropping in.
“And the people in the street (where she lives) have been brilliant at checking up on me and even bringing me food, so I have been well looked after.”
It was only when Tom decided to return home, rather than risk rough camping his way along Hadrian’s Wall for days, that she was able to explain to him the journey she had been on too.
She is now back on her feet and feeling much better.
Together they agreed the walk must continue, and with his home in Malvern Road, Gloucester, becoming his new basecamp it has allowed them to support one another and make it possible.
Kelsey has been able to clock 15 to 20-plus miles daily– each mini expedition beginning with a Facebook post in which he signs off with a catchphrase (“... and away”) borrowed off the comedian Bob Mortimer.
In the first half of his walk he was also supported by random acts of kindness from well-wishers who followed his journey on social media. Donations also came from people en route, and friends and neighbours have walked with him along the way.
He name-checks a number of people, including one of two strangers, like Sarah Morganitonix, who put him up for the night and fed him when he was tackling Hergest Ridge on Offa’s Dyke.
Others have made him welcome with free meals and a bed for the night too.
And his grandchildren have supported from a distance – the youngest ‘helpfully’ pointing out that his grandfather could have saved a lot of time and effort by cutting out the trek up to Hadrian’s wall and going straight on to the finishing line!
“Joking aside, I am in awe of what he has managed to do,” said Wendy.
“I will just be pleased when he comes home for good now.”
William James, the marketing and commercialisation manager for King’s Walk and Kings Square, where Kelsey will finally lay down his walking poles on Saturday, said: “What Tom has achieved is nothing short of amazing. It is a considerable feat of endurance, and the amount of funds that he has raised for WellChild is applauded by all of the team here at King’s Walk and Kings Square.
“We are truly honoured that Tom has chosen Kings Square for his finish point and we look forward to welcoming him home.”
Capewell, from WellChild, added: “We’re grateful to everyone who raises funds, whether that’s through a marathon, cycle ride, or any other effort.
“But there’s something especially powerful about creating your own challenge from scratch; coming up with an idea, building it yourself, and seeing it through, purely because you believe in the cause.
“Many of the children and young people that we support have spent very long periods in hospital, simply because there is no support enabling them to leave.
“What Tom has done is incredible, and I hope it inspires others to take on bold fundraising challenges of their own, for WellChild or any charity close to their heart.”
You can help Tom reach his £10,000 target here. You can find his Facebook page here.
Diary dates…
Tuesday
🧑💻 Free workshops and mentoring sessions. Google Digital Garage trainers will be available to help you grow your business online and find new customers. At Gloucester Guild Hall from 10am to 3pm.
📈 The Growth Hub Tewkesbury is due to stage one of its regular classes aimed at supporting businesses. ‘How to get the best out of yourself and your people’, will take place from 9am to 12.30pm.
Wednesday
🎤 The Royal Agrocultural University’s Open Mic event. The topic on the agenda - articifial intelligence and machine learning - with particular interest to agriculture. From noon till 1pm at the Alliston Centre.
🏇🏿 Day one of a two-day National Business Growth Exhibition & Conference at Cheltenham Racecourse. More here.
Thursday
🏇🏿 Day two of a two-day National Business Growth Exhibition & Conference at Cheltenham Racecourse. More here.
Friday
🏞️ Good luck! Intrepid members of Cheltenham Chamber of Commerce, and others, will set forth on the Snowdon Sunrise Trek for Cobalt. From 12am on 16 May until 12am on 17 May they will attempt to reach the summit of Snowdown (Yr Wyddfa), Wales’ highest peak, in support of Cobalt. More here.
Saturday
🏳️🌈 Pride in Cheltenham. A march will take place from 11am to noon in Cheltenham High Street, with he showcase event in Imperial Gardens from noon until 6pm. More here.
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US firms are looking to relocate to Gloucestershire
President Donald Trump’s talk of tariffs might suggest America has fallen out of love with Britain, but it appears many US firms are considering carrying out their commercial affairs from right here in the UK.
By Andrew Merrell.
This is something you didn’t expect to hear. With the anxiety rising every time President Trump mentions tariffs you might think business in Britain is drifting further away from the radar of US firms.
But it seems that ‘special relationship’ with the US that Britain has for so long boasted to itself about might be more resilient than anyone thought.
And while the headlines are all about the president, many US firms are actively considering opening new bases right here in the UK – as a direct result of the tariff wars - and they are eyeing up Gloucestershire.
Dorian Wragg a partner at Bruton Knowles, one of the biggest firms of property experts in the UK, and head of the firm’s county operation.
“We are seeing a 33 per cent uptick in expressions of interest coming from the US with companies looking to come into the UK and to Gloucestershire.
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