Bath Spa University is calling on businesspeople based in the city to become mentors to its graduates as they begin to find it harder than ever to join the workforce. The university has launched its scheme MentorMe following an 11% increase in the take up of mentoring since last year. It is now recruiting...
Investment group BGF’s South West team overcame challenges sparked by the coronavirus pandemic to invest a record amount last year. Some £67m was injected into businesses in 2020 – up on the £37m achieved in 2019 and overtaking the previous record of £50m in 2018. The new investments take BGF’s total funding in the...
Recently released research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has indicated that as many as 250,000 small businesses could collapse in the next 12 months. Whilst many businesses affected by the latest national lockdown are receiving assistance via the various government financial support measures, such as the furlough scheme, grants and loans, Milsted...
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been urged to extend business rates relief beyond its March 31 cut-off point to avoid further pressure on firms struggling from lockdown restrictions. The call has come from Business West, the region’s largest business group and the organisation behind Bath Chamber of Commerce. Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure...
Shares in logistics group Wincanton have soared by around 14% this week after it said it was benefiting from the major switch to home shopping caused by Covid-19 restrictions as well as from moving coronavirus testing kits around the country. The Chippenham-based group is working with the government to provide logistics services at some...
Bath firms struggling with post-Brexit trade complications are being urged to get expert advice and support by Business West, the region’s largest business organisation. With the UK now outside of the European Union as of December 31, businesses must adhere to new rules and regulations when trading with the EU. As reports emerge of how...
A portfolio of 17 properties, including student accommodation blocks and residential schemes in Bath, has been put up for sale for £124m in a sign of the strength of the city’s property market, despite Covid-19. Bath-based developer Rengen said the schemes, which also include sites in Bristol and Worcester, contain 634 bed spaces, most...
The ethical wholesale grocery firm behind a new foodhall and kitchen being built at Saltford have given more details of how they plan to make it a beacon of sustainability. Given the name of Flourish Foodhall & Kitchen at Glenavon Farm this week, Cotswold Fayre’s development will sell quality products sourced from local producers,...
Ambitious plans to develop sustainable transport routes around Bath to persuade commuters to leave their cars at home, including a new high-frequency link with Bristol, have come a step closer following a £1.5m investment. The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) said the money would be used to identify options for a ‘high-frequency mass...
Bath area firms are being urged to join a scheme that aims to bridge a digital divide made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic by refurbishing laptops and donating them to disadvantaged families. Wiltshire Digital Drive was launched last year by a group of businesses in Bath and West Wiltshire working on a pro bono...
