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.
Top Insurance Employer Award for Sutcliffe & Co for fourth year running
Sutcliffe & Co Insurance Brokers are celebrating being named a ‘Top Insurance Employer 2026’ by Insurance Business UK (IBUK) Magazine for the fourth year in a row. These established awards highlight excellence within the insurance industry, naming standout...
Latest Article
Top Insurance Employer Award for Sutcliffe & Co for fourth year running
Sutcliffe & Co Insurance Brokers are celebrating being named a ‘Top Insurance Employer 2026’ by Insurance Business UK (IBUK) Magazine for the fourth year in a row. These established awards highlight excellence within the insurance industry, naming standout...
Member News
Do prisons work? Can war ever be justified? Law Festival Tackles Big Questions
Do prisons work? Can war ever be justified? These are some of the questions that will come under the microscope at a University of Worcester law-themed festival. They are among a wide range of talks all open to the public at the Rights and Justice Festival 2026, which...
Worcestershire based speaker coach celebrates shortlisting success at The Speaker Awards 2026
Dave James, a trailblazing speaker coach from Bromsgrove, has earned a coveted spot as a shortlistee for the TEDx of the Year category at the Speaker Awards 2026. Professional speakers play an essential role in shaping ideas, shifting perspectives, and driving...
Patron & Strategic News
University Cricketers Raise £1600 in Memory of Josh Baker
Cricketers at the University of Worcester have raised around £1,600 in memory of local cricketer Josh Baker. Through a series of matches with his former school and clubs, the University’s men’s and women’s cricket teams raised funds for the JB33 Foundation, which...
Wyevale Nurseries supports landmark tree planting project at Cotswolds Distillery
WYEVALE Nurseries has supported a major tree planting and landscape enhancement initiative at Cotswolds Distillery in collaboration with Gloucestershire County Council’s Greener Gloucestershire Trees Team and landscape architects Rachael White Designs (May 2026). The...
Chamber News
Chamber Release Salary & Benefits Report 2026, In Partnership with Hewett Recruitment
The Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the release of the 2026 Salary & Benefits Report in partnership with Hewett Recruitment. This report is the region’s most comprehensive benchmarking resource for pay, benefits, and...
Have Your Say: Herefordshire Council Budget 2026/27 Consultation
Herefordshire Council is inviting residents and businesses to take part in its Budget 2026/27 consultation, giving you the opportunity to have a direct say in how council services are prioritised and where savings may need to be made. The consultation runs from...
Our Latest Member
Meet JP Bookkeeping — Your New Virtual Finance Office
As a new member of the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce (HWCC), JP Bookkeeping is excited to introduce its Virtual Finance Office service which manages the full finance function for businesses from start to end. Our strategic, outsourced Finance...
Meet JP Bookkeeping — Your New Virtual Finance Office
As a new member of the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce (HWCC), JP Bookkeeping is excited to introduce its Virtual Finance Office service which manages the full finance function for businesses from start to end. Our strategic, outsourced Finance...
Policy News
Apprenticeship System Reform Must Go Further
A new report from the British Chambers of Commerce is calling for the government to reform the apprenticeship system to make it fit for the 21st Century. As the UK celebrates National Apprenticeships Week, it finds that the current framework is too rigid, lacks...
Eight days left to file your Self Assessment
Eight days until 31 January Self Assessment deadline Miss the deadline and you may face an automatic £100 penalty File your return now at GOV.UK and pay any tax due by 31 January – help and support available online With just over a week until the Self Assessment...
Skills News
Worcestershire Apprenticeships Penguin Finds Home with Local Training Provider
Worcestershire Apprenticeships’ very own penguin in the great Waddle of Worcester has found a home with local training provider GLP Training. In the summer of 2024, St Richard’s Hospice delivered the great Waddle of Worcester, a penguin-themed art trail around the...
From Learners to Leaders – Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2025
It’s National Apprenticeship Week 2025, and we’ve picked our own theme this year, to showcase the journey (our) apprentices take as they evolve on the job – From Learners to Leaders. Apprenticeships are more than just earning a qualification; they’re about...
Charity News
WORCESTER STREET SIXES RETURNS TO THE CITY CENTRE THIS JULY
Worcestershire Cricket Foundation is inviting businesses from across the county to take part in Worcester Street Sixes, returning to the heart of the city on Wednesday 15 July 2026. Set across Cathedral Square and Worcester High Street, the event will once again...
Help Us Build the Future at Malvern Cube
Since opening in 2012, the Cube has become a vibrant community hub, rescued from closure by local people. Today, it’s a welcoming space with a busy café at its heart, hosting events, arts, and entertainment, while offering meeting and performance spaces for hire. It...
Iran Conflict Deepens Inflation Concerns
Responding to the latest inflation data, published this morning by the Office for National Statistics, David Bharier, Head of Research at the British Chambers of Commerce said: “Today’s 3.3% inflation figure for March is an early signal that the Iran conflict is...
BCC News
Iran Conflict Deepens Inflation Concerns
Responding to the latest inflation data, published this morning by the Office for National Statistics, David Bharier, Head of Research at the British Chambers of Commerce said: “Today’s 3.3% inflation figure for March is an early signal that the Iran conflict is...
Worcestershire News
Valley Railway delivers ‘biggest diesel gala of the year’
The Severn Valley Railway’s Spring Diesel Festival between 15 and 18 May welcomed more than 3,700 visitors and saw 20 locomotives in action, for what organisers believe was 2025’s largest diesel event on the preservation circuit. ‘What a fantastic show we put on!’...
Severn Valley Railway helps local aid charity
The Severn Valley Railway’s paint shop at Bridgnorth had an unusual visitor recently, in the form of a Mitsubishi 4×4 pickup. The SVR was assisting a local charity, Wyre Forest 2 Ukraine, with their efforts in sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine. The charity...
Herefordshire News
Turning Risks into Opportunities: How Insurance Can Support Business Growth in Herefordshire and Worcestershire
Running a business in Herefordshire and Worcestershire presents fantastic opportunities, but it also involves risks. Whether you’re a manufacturer in Malvern, a farm shop owner in Herefordshire, or a tech start-up in Worcester… growth often means taking on...
Paul Harris Tackles 100km Sahara Trek for Hope For Tomorrow
Paul Harris, founder and principal consultant at Coacto, recently traded the comforts of the office for the scorching sands of the Sahara Desert. His mission? To trek 100 kilometers and raise vital funds for Hope For Tomorrow, a charity that brings mobile cancer care...
All Latest News
Community Power Celebrate Mayor’s Charity Partnership
Community Power and Lee’s Place were recently honoured to attend the Mayor Making Ceremony in Hereford for the installation of the 645th Mayor of Hereford, Councillor Cat Hornsey. The event was a celebration of community, partnership, and civic pride, bringing...
Britannic Place strengthens team following continued growth
Worcester-based Chartered Financial Planning firm Britannic Place Financial Management Ltd has welcomed three new team members as part of its long-term growth plans. Andrea Arnold has joined the business as Business Manager, bringing experience from a senior...
Business Groups Unite In Stand Against Antisemitism
The UK’s leading business organisations have signed a joint letter pledging to take a stand against antisemitism, committing to concrete action to support Jewish employees and foster inclusive workplaces. The initiative, co-ordinated by the British Chambers of...
EchoGuide Theatre: A Herefordshire Tool Ready for Rehearsal Rooms Anywhere
In a decade of teaching, I supported students preparing for speaking assessments. Most clung to the wall. Heads down, sleeves pulled over their hands to shrink away. Their voices came out tiny and inconsistent, stuttering and stammering. Only one student years seemed...
Steel Tariffs Risk Serious Damage To UK Manufacturers
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has warned that changes to UK steel quotas and tariffs could add millions of pounds to manufacturers’ costs. In a letter to the Business Secretary, Peter Kyle, the BCC said the proposed regime risks creating ‘real financial and...
Kaleidoscope Plus Group Launches Free Ebook to Help Young People Cope with Exam Stress
Mental health and wellbeing charity Kaleidoscope Plus Group has launched a new free digital resource designed to help young people manage stress and anxiety during exam season. The ebook Dealing with Exam Stress has been created to support teenagers and young adults...
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