Long-standing Swindon networking group Business Village relaunches next month with a talk focusing on the regeneration of the town.
Julia Falcon, head of communications and marketing at Forward Swindon, the company tasked with strengthening the town’s economy, will be guest speaker at the breakfast group’s meeting on September 4. 
She will talk about plans for the town and how the changes will improve Swindon for those who live, work and shop there.
The event will herald a new era for Business Village, which meets from 7.30-9am at the Holiday Inn Express by the M4 junction 16 every Thursday.
Following a summer break, there is a new-look format: the meeting on the first Thursday of every month will feature a speaker, the second Thursday’s format will be round table and referrals, the third Thursday will have a business troubleshooting session and on the fourth there will be two short presentations from members.
Mary Hoffman, of Hoffman Male solicitors and a founder member of Business Village – which has been running for almost a decade – said: “We’re very much looking forward to relaunching our group with a more regulated format, which we believe offers something for everyone. Our central ethos, that we don’t charge a membership fee, remains, so business people can come along and pay just £10 for their breakfast and networking.
“Over the years, we’ve seen many, many businesses attend and a lot of business is done in and through the room. The majority of those businesses are from the Swindon area, so what better way to relaunch than with a talk which focusses on the town.”
Julia Falcon will talk to the group about Forward Swindon's plans to upgrade the town centre by closing Fleming Way to cars. The dual carriageway has sliced the town centre in two for decades, creating a 'north-south' divide and making it difficult for pedestrians to move around the centre.
She said: “Swindon is a great place to live and work but there is no doubt it needs to continue to update itself. A pleasant town centre is an important ‘pull’ factor in persuading organisations and their staff to relocate into an area or stay and invest.”
To book for the Forward Swindon event, or any other Business Village meeting, visit www.businessvillage.org or just go along on the day. For more information about Forward Swindon visit www.forwardswindon.co.uk.
