The Swindon Strategic Economic Partnership (SSEP) unveiled its new name and identity at its annual conference at STEAM today.
Now known as Influence, the organisation will act as Swindon’s collective business voice, ensuring that the business community’s concerns, issues and aspirations are heard by local and regional decision-makers and that pressure is brought to bear when appropriate.
Established in 2006, the SSEP was originally charged with delivering the economic development and enterprise block of the Local Area Agreement.
But the remit of strategic economic partnerships nationally has altered following the introduction by Government of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), and the partnership’s management board will now adopt the role of representing the collective business voice of Swindon.
Influence will be made up of a cross section of volunteers from the diverse business spectrum in Swindon, from major employers to smaller independent companies with specialist skills, as well as representatives of key business representative associations such as the Chamber of Commerce, GWE Initiative and Federation of Small Businesses. It will also include one representative each from Swindon Borough Council and Forward Swindon.
Influence is also keen to encourage other business representative associations to be represented on its board, particularly business special interest groups/sectors, and expects to attract engagement by more of the town’s large employers.
Its chair, Nicky Alberry, who has just been appointed a board member of the Swindon & Wiltshire (LEP), says that Influence will be an organisation that is true to its name.
“This is very much not a networking group or a talking shop,” she said.
“It is a group with wider perspective, which will shape and influence for the good of business and the wider economy in Swindon.
“The entire community in Swindon is dependent on economic stability and growth, and it is crucial that those charged with making decisions on major issues such as, for example, transport or education and skills, understand how those decisions are likely to affect trade, commerce and employment here.
“Some of the decisions will affect the direction of the town for generations to come, so it is important that the voice of business is heard early on, and equally important that the business community works intelligently and productively with those charged with shaping the look and feel of the Swindon of the future.”
