Business Direction Online
Latest News
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.
Worcestershire businesses urged to ‘power up’ productivity and plug skills gaps with Skills Bootcamps
Businesses across Worcestershire are being urged to take advantage of Skills Bootcamps – flexible training programmes designed to upskill staff, fill skills gaps, and support long-term growth. Funded by the Department for Education and managed locally by...
Latest Article
Worcestershire businesses urged to ‘power up’ productivity and plug skills gaps with Skills Bootcamps
Businesses across Worcestershire are being urged to take advantage of Skills Bootcamps – flexible training programmes designed to upskill staff, fill skills gaps, and support long-term growth. Funded by the Department for Education and managed locally by...
Member News
Shortlisted for New Innovation of the Year – we need your vote!
We are thrilled to announce that ‘Journey’ developed by OCIUS CONSULTING, who is a member and regular contributor within the Chamber, has been shortlisted for an award in the prestigious Innovation Awards 2025! NEW INNOVATION OF THE YEAR – Ocius...
Atwell G2G Cycle Challenge Smashes £12,000 Fundraising Target
In a challenge of a lifetime, Worcester based Atwell International Ltd, took on a 320-mile mission on 26th June to cycle from Gheluvelt Park in Worcester to Gheluvelt in Belgium (Ypres), in a gruelling four-day journey to smash their fundraising charity target of...
Patron & Strategic News
Second Anonymous Donor Lifts Worcester Student Scholarships and Hardship Funds to More Than £30,000
A second anonymous donor has gifted £2,500 to the University of Worcester’s campaign to raise money to support students through scholarships and hardship funds. They’ve also pledged to gift a further £2,500 to the campaign when Professor Green, the University’s Vice...
Multi-Million Pound Boost for Mental Health Research in Herefordshire and Worcestershire
The University of Worcester has been awarded more than £2.2 million for a programme of research to investigate mental health inequalities across Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The funding, from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Mental...
Chamber News
The Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce launch their new Members Events Calendar.
The Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce has recently unveiled its latest Member Benefit: the ‘Members Events Calendar.’ Following discussions with our Members, the Chamber explored innovative ways to benefit both Members and businesses...
King’s Speech: Missed Opportunity To Help Business In Challenging Times
Responding to today’s King’s Speech, Alex Veitch Director of Policy and Insight at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “The King’s Speech opened with an aspiration to increase economic growth – but it failed to outline how that will happen. The businesses we...
Our Latest Member
Welcome new Members!
We would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest Members! Adder Bookkeeping Ltd – Adder Bookkeeping was established in December 2006. Their core purpose is to relieve business owners of the pain and stress of accounting and support clients to make better...
Welcome new Members!
We would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest Members! Adder Bookkeeping Ltd – Adder Bookkeeping was established in December 2006. Their core purpose is to relieve business owners of the pain and stress of accounting and support clients to make better...
Policy News
Inflation eases but rising prices increase pressure on businesses
UK inflation has eased in March, however rising food prices has meant inflation remains higher than expected above 10%, adding to the speculation that the Bank of England will raise interest rates again on Thursday. According to data released from the Office for...
Labour market struggles continue, according to the Office for National Statistics
The UK continues to struggle with labour shortages despite the estimated number of vacancies falling on the quarter, data released today from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has shown. April’s labour market overview revealed that between January and March...
Skills News
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...
£7 million fund launched to support more flexible apprenticeship opportunities
Sectors including the creative, agriculture and construction industries can now bid for a share of a £7 million fund to support the creation of new flexible apprenticeships. Apprenticeships are at least 12 months long, so some sectors with flexible employment patterns...
Charity News
Richard Miller – “A Godsend to the people of Herefordshire”
One of the founding members of St Michael’s Hospice has been described as “a Godsend to the people of Herefordshire” following his death, aged 85. Dr Richard Miller saw his dream of bringing hospice care to Herefordshire realised in 1984 when St Michael’s in...
St Michael’s Hospice Supporter Mike Pullin Receives National TV recognition
Many people across Herefordshire will be aware of Mike Pullin, and his unwavering dedication to St Michael’s Hospice. Now, thanks to a feature on one of the country’s most watched TV shows, he is familiar to millions. The unwavering dedication of 87-year-old Mike was...
Toxic Mix As Businesses Prepare for Tax Rise
QES_infosheet_Q1_2025 59% of businesses say tax, including national insurance, is now a concern, the second highest level on record following a peak in the previous quarter Business confidence remains subdued, with less than half of firms (48%) expecting turnover to...
BCC News
Toxic Mix As Businesses Prepare for Tax Rise
QES_infosheet_Q1_2025 59% of businesses say tax, including national insurance, is now a concern, the second highest level on record following a peak in the previous quarter Business confidence remains subdued, with less than half of firms (48%) expecting turnover to...
Worcestershire News
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...
From Strength to Strength: BetaDen Alumni Returns as Board Member
BetaDen, an award-winning organisation providing fully-funded support to innovative technology businesses, has announced significant changes to its Advisory Board. Martyn Gill, who graduated from BetaDen’s Cohort 4.0 technology accelerator programme in 2022, is now...
Herefordshire News
Daniel joins team at Wyevale Nurseries
DANIEL Maskew whose previous role was with Boningale Nurseries has joined one of the UK’s leading commercial growers as its Amenity Sales Executive (July 2023). In his new position at Wyevale Nurseries, which is based in Hereford, Daniel will be managing several key...
Wyevale Nurseries appoints new Purchaser
MARTIN Chaplin has joined one of the UK’s leading commercial nurseries as a Purchaser (July 2023). In his new position at Wyevale Nurseries in Hereford, Martin will be supporting, driving and assessing purchasing processes, and bridging communication and support...
All Latest News
Rate Cut Provides Shock Absorber for Business
Responding to the Bank of England’s decision to cut interest rates to 4.25%, David Bharier, Head of Research at the British Chambers of Commerce said: “Today’s interest rate cut to 4.25% will help absorb some of the shocks that businesses are facing on...
University Staff Walk a Symbolic Mile on VE Day
Colleagues at the University of Worcester, an institution founded to ‘win the peace through education’, walked a mile together to commemorate VE Day. The University Mile is a popular circular walking route for staff and students around the University’s St John’s...
Landlords Warned to Guard Against Protected Lease Tenants
A leading commercial property lawyer is warning landlords about the hurdles they face when taking back possession from a tenant with a protected lease – and urged them to seek legal advice to avoid falling foul of the law. The Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 was...
Severn Valley Railway makes steady progress towards landslip repairs
Although a firm start date for repairs to the landslip at the Severn Valley Railway’s Mor Brook bridge remains unknown, huge progress has been made in recent weeks. The railway has also shared details of how the work will be undertaken. Last week [1 May], the SVR...
Worcestershire-based consultancy adds legal expertise as rapid growth continues
Limelite HR & Learning, a growing Worcestershire-based consultancy, has strengthened its team with the appointment of Laura Weston MCIPD, MA HRM, LL.B (HONS), a qualified employment lawyer who joins as Lead HR Consultant – Employee Relations. This strategic hire...
Physician Associate Course Approved at the University of Worcester
The training of Physician Associates at the University of Worcester has received formal approval from the General Medical Council. The University has been running a Physician Associate MSc since 2016, providing high-quality education and training for future healthcare...
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