More than £11m has been lent to start-up firms across the South West ranging from a sewing café to a mobile cocktail bar over the past year under a programme run by the British Business Bank. Since its launch in 2012, the Start Up Loans scheme has supported more than 9,000 businesses through £90m in loans...
The West of England’s economy is forecast to grow faster over the next five years than any other part of the UK outside London, according to two new reports. The region, along with South Wales, will achieve economic expansion of 1.4% a year between now and 2029, according to the analysis commissioned by the...
Bath is in the running for the prestigious title of Best Small City in the UK, Europe and Beyond in a major national awards scheme. It was chosen as a finalist by a panel from the Academy of Urbanism, a not-for-profit organisation committed to creating, sustaining, and learning from great cities, towns, and neighbourhoods,...
The CEO of Bath’s oldest charity, St John's Foundation, is to step down after six years in the role. David Hobdey, pictured, who retires later this month, joined the community organisation, which 850th anniversary this year, in 2016 as finance director. He became CEO two years later and in 2020 was instrumental in launching...
The CEO of iconic Somerset-based fashion business Mulberry quit the group last week after nine years in the role – with the firm naming the former CEO of Danish womenswear label Ganni as his successor. Andrea Baldo, who has more than 20 years' experience leading brands in the global fashion industry, replaces Thierry Andretta, who...
Specialist UK semiconductor maker Graphcore, which has its roots in Bath, is poised to take on the global giants of the industry after being acquired by Japanese investment group SoftBank. The idea for Graphcore was born in 2012 when co-founder Nigel Toon and Simon Knowles met in Bath's Marlborough Tavern to discuss their next...
Bath’s top tech talent was again among the winners at the West of England’s most prestigious awards scheme for the sector. Three firms from the city triumphed in The SPARKies, the annual awards that champion the best of the region’s tech and digital community. The awards were handed out at a ceremony at the...
Purpose-driven comms consultancy Second Mountain is supporting a leadership development business with its ambitious expansion as it looks to build on a reputation for excellence achieved over nearly 25 years. Resilient Leaders Elements (RLE) believes everyone can be a leader and is deserving of world-class leadership development. It directly supports individuals at all levels of...
A pilot scheme to test a next-generation 5G mobile network in Bath city centre is to start later this summer. The government-funded scheme aims to address the mobile network connectivity and capacity issues that often affect phones in the area. According to surveys carried out by Bath & North East Somerset Council (B&NES), many...
The new government’s pledge to devolve more powers from Whitehall to the West of England offers “a really exciting opportunity” for the region, according to the organisation behind Bath Chamber of Commerce. Business West, the region’s largest business organisation, said the move could trigger more jobs, homes and infrastructure as well as better transport...
