Wiltshire is the most resilient and sustainable area of England, according to new analysis – but it lags behind many other parts of the country when it comes to inclusion, equality and prosperity. The county is ranked first out of 324 local authority areas for ‘resilience and sustainability’ in a major research project by...
Rural businesses across Swindon and Wiltshire targeting higher growth and innovation are being encouraged to apply for grants from a £3.9m fund secured by Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The LEP sees the fund as a huge boost to the rural economy through job creation and driving growth. Rural businesses engaged in...
By Donna Kehoe, the Bank of England’s agent for the South West of England What should we make of the prospects for the UK economy just over a month into what promises to be another eventful year? On the face of it there’s much to be positive about. Growth has proved surprisingly resilient since...
Business West, the region’s largest business organisation, is calling on Chancellor Philip Hammond to use his Spring Budget next month to bolster confidence amid fears that higher inflation and skill shortages will combine to hit West of England firms hard. While latest official jobless figures show unemployment continuing to fall, the strength of the...
Directors from Swindon and across the West of England are being invited to enter one of the region’s top annual awards schemes that recognises excellence and enterprise in the boardroom. The prestigious Institute of Directors’ South West Director of the Year Awards 2017 will showcase outstanding leaders and entrepreneurs as well as focusing UK-wide attention on success in...
Professional services firm PwC has launched its annual West of England Business of the Year Awards – widely regarded as the region’s most prestigious. Now in their 29th year, the eagerly-contested awards attract the cream of the region’s firms with a winners’ roll-call reading like a who’s who of the West’s most-respected companies. The...
A major campaign is underway to change perceptions of Swindon and put it in the national spotlight as being a great place to live, work, invest in and visit. Switch On To Swindon was launched on Tuesday night to an audience of nearly 400 business people – a turnout that amazed organisers. Its first...
Business owners in the South West have the worst work-life balance in the UK and are among the most likely to lose their motivation, a new study has revealed. This often impacts on relationships with their partners, families and social life, while money worries and responsibility to their staff lead to high stress levels....
The Swindon & Wiltshire Initiative has welcomed the focus on skills in the government’s new industrial strategy – but fears that the West of England would again miss out when it comes to funding. Prime Minister Theresa May launched the long-awaited strategy and its associated green paper this week. They set out a clear...
Swindon businesses are being urged to join a campaign to put the town in the national spotlight as being a great place to live, work, invest in and visit. Called Switch On To Swindon, the campaign – which is launched this evening – aims to change perceptions of the town and raise its profile....
