The 30th anniversary of Swindon’s pioneering enterprise agency Great Western Enterprise was celebrated at the town’s STEAM museum with former staff and business leaders gathering to mark the occasion.
GWE was formed in 1986 as the death knell finally sounded on Swindon’s historic railworks. Funded by the then British Rail, it swung into action, providing help, support and advice to hundreds of redundant rail workers and so helping maintain some of Swindon’s proud engineering heritage. 
Now absorbed into Business West – the region’s largest business organistion – it has been committed to helping Swindon by providing help and advice to companies.
It has assisted in creating hundreds of jobs through partnership working and innovation.
Speaking at the 30th anniversary celebration, GWE’s first chairman Norman Hayes said: “Back in 1986, both Swindon and Wiltshire were hit hard by the closure of the railworks. Over 1,300 jobs were lost and male unemployment in Swindon rose to over 7,000.
“GWE was instrumental in helping Swindon and Wiltshire bounce back from this dark day. With the finance package as part of the closure, we subsequently provided local businesses with start-up grants, loans, training, management support and workspace to lay the foundations of the strong economy we see today.
“We’ve provided a huge amount of support to local businesses over the last 30 years, and we will continue to support the economic and social prosperity of the area in the years ahead.”
Ian Larrard, director of Business West’s Swindon and Wiltshire Initiative, added: “GWE has done so much for Swindon in terms of both economic and social prosperity, and the future looks bright on both fronts.
“As we close this part of the history of GWE it is fitting to be in the Swindon 175 year, celebrating the anniversary of the railworks which put our town on the map. The company’s origins and development owe so much to the railworks and its legacy.
“Both these anniversaries give us a chance to showcase Swindon’s track record as a place of economic innovation, with a thriving business community which will help us enhance ‘brand Swindon’ to attract new waves of investment.”
