Start-ups and established businesses joined investors, lenders and finance experts at event aimed at helping companies access funding

More than 90 investors, lenders and businesses came together in Shrewsbury to explore funding opportunities and support future growth at the latest Shropshire Funding Summit.

The annual event, held at Shrewsbury Town’s Croud Meadow, brought together businesses ranging from start-ups to established companies with finance experts from across the region.

The summit was organised by Shropshire Growth Hub and Invest Telford, in partnership with the British Business Bank and Shropshire Chamber of Commerce.

The event featured expert sessions on funding routes and investment, presentations from lenders and a fireside chat with entrepreneur Mo Chaudry, who shared his business journey and explained why he launched MOmentum Capital.

Shropshire Growth Hub manager Ruth Westwood said the event was designed to help businesses better understand the funding support available to them.

“Events like this one are vitally important because funding can really unlock progress for businesses,” she said.

“However, it can also be a challenging area for many, and the summit is designed to change that. It is about demystifying funding and hearing directly from those behind the programmes.

“It was great to have so many businesses with us learning about how they can unlock funding for the first time, plan the next stage of their growth and see what is available to them.”

Mo Chaudry, who founded MOmentum Capital to help entrepreneurs launch and grow businesses, said access to advice and finance was vital for those starting out.

“When you start up a business it can be lonely and no one wants to come and comfort you,” he said.

“What you need is support, mentoring and to know where you can access finance, and that is what events like this are crucial for – helping businesses navigate what can be quite a difficult issue.”

The summit forms part of a wider campaign to highlight funding opportunities available to businesses through the Marches Growth Hub Business Support Finder.

The online resource provides a searchable database of local and national funding programmes.

For more information, visit marchesgrowthhub.co.uk.