Business West, the organisation behind Bath Chamber of Commerce, today called for a comprehensive support package for firms hit by the latest coronavirus measures. With the number of cases of Covid-19 rising again – promoting a new raft of restrictions on businesses – Business West urged the government to take action to protect jobs...
Food and drink producers from Bath and its surroundings will have an opportunity to meet commercial trade officers working across the world tomorrow, Tuesday, September 22, at the first-ever virtual Meet the Market Expert event. It is being organised by the Department for International Trade (DIT) in conjunction with the Great British Food Programme...
Next month’s TEDxBath, which would have been the largest staged so far in the city, has been put back to next spring as a result of the latest lockdown measures. Organisers said they had arrived at the decision reluctantly but will go ahead with a TEDxBath Countdown – a free virtual event in partnership...
Quartet, the community foundation covering Bath and the West of England, has appointed its philanthropy director Ronnie Brown as interim CEO following the departure of Sue Turner. Sue, pictured, who has led the organisation for more than five years – a period in which she helped more than double its endowment to £50m – has...
A support programme to assist Bath area firms in responding to mental health concerns in the workplace, particularly those arising from Covid-19, has been launched. The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is investing in the two-year Thrive at Work West of England programme, which aims to address key mental health issues affecting businesses’...
Bath-based housing association Curo has been praised by the Mayor of Bristol for “putting residents and the environment first” in its new affordable homes scheme in the city. Curo has struck a deal with Bristol specialist social housing developer Autograph Partnerships to provide 32 affordable homes in the Old Market district, close to the...
Bath businesses looking to get cutting-edge ideas off the drawing board and into reality can apply for funding under a new scheme. The Business Innovation Fund – a three-year programme managed by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) – will provide funding of either £20,000 or £50,000 for projects in a range of...
First West of England managing director James Freeman, whose 46-year career on the buses has taken him from conductor to leading an organisation with 1,800 people and 600 vehicles, has announced he is to retire next May. James, pictured, a self-confessed bus enthusiast who often spends his holidays travelling on them, has overseen a major...
Doctor, broadcaster and comedian Phil Hammond has been appointed by Julian House, Bath’s main homeless charity, as its new patron. Dr Hammond, pictured, who works in a highly regarded NHS team for young people with chronic fatigue syndrome/ME, is also a regular guest on of TV shows including The One Show, Have I Got...
The coronavirus pandemic has hit profits at more than 60% of firms in the West of England – with nearly one-in-seven fearing they will never return to pre-Covid levels of activity, according to the largest business survey in the region. Just under a quarter of firms have, or plan to, axe jobs with a...
