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Introducing Business Direction Online, your one stop shop for all local and industry news.
Business Direction Online is updated daily, bringing you news from across Herefordshire & Worcestershire. Explore our Members exciting and important updates and keep up to date with any Chamber news.
If you’re a Chamber Member, you can submit your latest news stories free of charge and promote updates to local business professionals. Contact our Marketing team for more information.
Autumn Budget 2025: Your detailed summary
Rachel Reeves’s second Budget boosts welfare spending paid for through stealth tax rises, and taxes on property, savings and dividends. Income tax rates remain unchanged, but frozen thresholds for a further three years and wealth-focused levies do the heavy lifting. ...
Latest Article
Autumn Budget 2025: Your detailed summary
Rachel Reeves’s second Budget boosts welfare spending paid for through stealth tax rises, and taxes on property, savings and dividends. Income tax rates remain unchanged, but frozen thresholds for a further three years and wealth-focused levies do the heavy lifting. ...
Member News
Act Now: Transform Rural Families and Strengthen Your Workforce
Herefordshire charity Vennture is urging local businesses to invest in families and schools to build a stronger, more resilient workforce. Across rural communities, unresolved parental conflict, isolation, and limited access to services quietly undermine children’s...
Hoople Training share life-saving techniques in Restart a Heart Month
‘Restart a Heart Month’ is a national campaign to raise awareness of cardiac arrest and to encourage people to learn CPR. Hoople Training proudly used their expertise to support the initiative by providing opportunities for the public to learn CPR, free of charge,...
Patron & Strategic News
Wyevale Nurseries celebrates deep-rooted heritage as it marks 95th anniversary
WYEVALE Nurseries in Hereford has formally unveiled its 95th anniversary logo and launched the celebration of its deep-rooted horticultural heritage this month (October 2025). The award-winning, leading commercial grower was established in 1930 by Harry Williamson*,...
Poetry Prize Opens Publishing Door for Worcester Graduate
A University of Worcester graduate will launch her new book of poems this week, published following a prize awarded during her degree. Cherine El-Bash has produced a collection of 20 poems under the title ‘The furthest island’, which reflects on belonging and her own...
Chamber News
Chamber Business Awards 2024 – Finalists Announced!
We are delighted to reveal the shortlisted finalists for the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce Business Awards 2024! Sponsored by Herefordshire Council and Worcestershire County Council, the Awards celebrate firms across the two counties and are a...
Chamber Business Manifesto 2024/25
The Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce released their Business Manifesto 2024/25 at the Economic Conference. The publication outlines the Chamber’s plans for the next financial year, detailing the priorities for local and national government as...
Our Latest Member
Garland Surgical Limited Join the Chamber
Garland Surgical Ltd was founded in early 2022, a collaboration between British-Maltese Entrepreneur Simon Mifsud, Netherlands based Health-Tech Venture Builder NLC and the inventing team from the University of Malta. Garland is dedicated to pioneering innovation in...
Garland Surgical Limited Join the Chamber
Garland Surgical Ltd was founded in early 2022, a collaboration between British-Maltese Entrepreneur Simon Mifsud, Netherlands based Health-Tech Venture Builder NLC and the inventing team from the University of Malta. Garland is dedicated to pioneering innovation in...
Policy News
BCC Reacts to Chancellor’s Speech
Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the BCC, said: “It was encouraging to hear the Chancellor recognising the huge potential of British business to grow the economy and her ambition to make that happen. “Today’s speech has set the scene for her first budget which...
Upcoming Budget: How Potential Changes Could Impact You
The forthcoming Autumn Budget, scheduled for 30th October 2024, looks likely to bring significant changes that could affect many people. While the full details are clearly not yet known, and we do not have a crystal ball to predict the future, several predictions and...
Skills News
Marches LEP investment in skills helping region to recover
A multi-million pound investment in building skills across the Marches is playing a key part in helping the region’s fightback from the Covid pandemic, the leader of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership said today. Marches LEP chair Mandy Thorn MBE said the...
Blaze into Autumn! How to keep your Tourism Business all Fired Up this Season
Sign up for Worcestershire County Council’s September workshops, providing dedicated advice and support for Worcestershire Tourism Businesses. The Here2Help Business programme run through Worcestershire County Council is offering a range of support for our...
Charity News
ISO QSL Relaunches Award-Winning Bingo Box Challenge in Support of Worcester Foodbank
With the cost-of-living crisis deepening and an increasing number of individuals facing financial hardship, the need for support in our community has never been more pressing. Over the past year alone, foodbanks within the Trussell Trust network have distributed over...
The Courtyard October Film Listings
OCTOBER FILM Mon 14, 6.30pm RADIX FILM CLUB PRESENT: RUN LOLA RUN (1998, 15, 35mm) Radix Film Club is bringing back the German mega-hit Run Lola Run on a glorious 35mm print. After her boyfriend Manni loses 100,000DM, Lola has 20 minutes to raise the money and deliver...
Unemployment Up As Business Costs Rise
Responding to the latest labour market data, published by the ONS this morning, Jane Gratton, Deputy Director Public Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce said: “The increase in employment costs for business appears to be starting to bite with today’s data...
BCC News
Unemployment Up As Business Costs Rise
Responding to the latest labour market data, published by the ONS this morning, Jane Gratton, Deputy Director Public Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce said: “The increase in employment costs for business appears to be starting to bite with today’s data...
Worcestershire News
Severn Valley Railway wins UK Transport Award
The Severn Valley Railway has won a UK Transport Award as the Best Regional Heritage Railway Attraction for 2024. The UK Transport Awards are run by SME News, a quarterly digital publication aimed at small to medium businesses. They are given to commend companies that...
Sneak Peek for Chamber Members
Sneak peek tours are in full swing over at Kidderminster College’s new Construction and Automotive Green Technology Centre before it opens to the public later this year. Dave James and Terry Livesey were invited to have a look around the facility that will soon...
Herefordshire News
£7 Million Funding Offers Long Term Energy-Saving Home Improvements for Off-Gas Properties Across Herefordshire
At a time when energy prices are skyrocketing and many residents are struggling to keep up with their bills, the funding aims to bring down household energy bills over the long term, by improving the energy efficiency of properties, making them easier to heat and...
More than 8,500 businesses helped by Marches Growth Hub
The Marches Growth Hub supported more than 8,500 businesses across the region in the last financial year, new figures show today. The hub – the acclaimed business support arm of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership – also delivered 158 events which were attended...
All Latest News
UK Trade Rebounds In July
Commenting on the latest ONS trade data, BCC Head of Trade Policy, William Bain, said: “The first month of reduced automotive tariffs has had a positive effect on US exports alongside more certainty on the outlook for other manufactured goods sectors. “But far more...
New trainees join law firm as it invests in next generation
A group of nine new trainees have been taken on by leading Worcestershire law firm mfg Solicitors as it invests in the next generation. The new trainees beginning their two-year training contracts are Oliver Leigh, Bethany Steel, Alena Dudrah, Jack Cook and...
Consultant vs In-House HR: What’s Right for SME Businesses?
Running a business in the UK means constantly balancing cost, risk, and speed – HR is one area where the choice between in-house staff and external consultants has a major impact. The case for consultants (outsourced HR): Expertise on demand: Access to...
Hazelton Mountford expands Worcester office space to drive specialist Property Division growth
Independent chartered insurance broker Hazelton Mountford has expanded across an additional floor at its Worcester headquarters, marking a significant step in the growth of its property division and the company’s expansion plans. The new space, located directly above...
Avoiding Business Risks: The Do’s and Don’t’s
There is a risk in creating a business. Most business owners have asked themselves; 1. Is it going to fail? 2. Am I going to run out of cash? 3. Will people be interested in my product/service? Having great bookkeeping helps enable business owners to not have to...
Vennture Appoints Safeguarding Expert to Drive Innovation Amid Sector Pressures
Ex-Police Safeguarding Leader Joins Vennture as New COO Herefordshire charity Vennture has appointed Jon Roberts as its new Chief Operating Officer, effective 1 August 2025. Jon, a father of four from North Herefordshire, brings 30 years of policing experience,...
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