Growth hub celebrates three years of success

And the Marches Growth Hub Telford & Wrekin said it has helped more than 1,500 small and start-up firms on the road to success as part of its work to help create a vibrant entrepreneurial economy across the borough.

The hub, which is delivered by Telford & Wrekin Council, has plans in the pipeline to build on the success so far as it launches a series of initiatives to reach out to new businesses in the coming months.

The figures released today show the Marches Growth Hub Telford & Wrekin has:

– Secured £1.4 million in grants for businesses it has worked with in the last three years

– Helped 256 separate start-ups realise their ambition of setting up in business

– Supported 1,410 SMEs with their growth plans

– Run 383 different events attended by 4,758 delegates offering advice, support and mentoring to start-ups and SMEs

– Handled 1,992 phone enquiries from businesses keen to access its services

Hub manager Claire Critchell, from Telford & Wrekin Council, said the figures were a measure of its success in becoming the one-stop business support service for the borough.

“We are delighted to have been able to secure so much money for our businesses and to have been able to help so many innovative, thriving companies to launch and expand.

“Moving forward we are particularly keen to hear from anybody who has not used our services yet to show them just what we can do to support their ambitions and help turn their business dreams into reality.”

The hub – which is also supported by the Marches LEP and the University of Wolverhampton – is staging a series of events to mark Global Entrepreneurship Week this week, including workshops and advice sessions, she added.

Councillor Lee Carter, cabinet member for economic development at Telford & Wrekin Council, said: “When our businesses enjoy success so does the borough as a whole in creating jobs, wealth and a thriving economy, which is why we are determined to build on the work achieved so far by the team and its partners in a bid to help even more businesses realise their potential.

“In many instances it also generates a revenue for the council which enables us to protect front line services like adult social care and children’s safeguarding which we have invested money into in each of the last eight years.

“It also enables us to invest in infrastructure; only last year we announced a £20 million road and footpath improvement programme across the borough in part funded by the benefits of growth.”

The hub will also be launching a new survey to gather detailed feedback from businesses across the borough about the range of services and support they need to expand and prosper and jointly staging the high-profile Business Growth and Export Show in Shrewsbury with the Marches Growth Hub Shropshire on November 23.

The show will feature keynote speaker Jo Fairley, co-founder of global chocolate brand Green and Black’s.