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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.
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Turning health & safety into everyday conversations: why it matters more than you might think
Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time working with health and safety teams. I’ve sat through briefings, workshops and leadership sessions, listening to experts discuss risk, compliance and prevention. And I’ve sometimes come away thinking: “We’re focusing on what...
Latest Article
Turning health & safety into everyday conversations: why it matters more than you might think
Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time working with health and safety teams. I’ve sat through briefings, workshops and leadership sessions, listening to experts discuss risk, compliance and prevention. And I’ve sometimes come away thinking: “We’re focusing on what...
Member News
DRPG expands work experience programme to support the next generation of creative talent
Creative communications agency DRPG is expanding its work experience programme for 2026 as part of its ongoing commitment to developing the next generation of talent within the creative communications industry. The enhanced programme has been designed to provide...
Mayor of Worcester Congratulates Winning Wolves Side
The Mayor of Worcester has congratulated the Worcester Wolves Basketball team, after being crowned National League One Pool A Champions. The squad, made up of University of Worcester students, paid a special visit to the Mayor’s Parlour at the Guildhall where Mayor of...
Patron & Strategic News
Speak Volumes Festival to Return Bigger Than Ever
The organisers of this year’s Speak Volumes Festival are putting the finishing touches on plans for the three-day event but say there’s still room for artists and performers to sign up and take part. Taking place from Friday 29 to Sunday 31 May, the festival, which...
Worcester Academic Contributes to New Study Tackling Cultural Loss for Children in Care
An expert from the University of Worcester is partnering on a new nationwide study which will give a voice to children and young people from marginalised communities to address the growing issue of children in care being raised outside their culture. Led by the...
Chamber News
Welcome New Members | November
Warm welcome to our newest Members who joined throughout November Lucy Labels – A sticker and labelling business offering custom labels. Barclays Greater Birmingham and The Three Counties Corporate – Barclays’ regional corporate banking services for businesses....
Autumn Budget 2025: Chamber Response
Commenting on the Budget Statement, Robert Elliot, Director of Business Development & Policy, said: “For months we have been concerned that this Budget might repeat the chaos businesses faced in October 2024. While this statement is more stable, several measures...
Our Latest Member
Meet OCM – Your local experts in sustainable IT asset management
As a proud new member of the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, OCM is excited to introduce their team to fellow businesses across the region. Based in Pershore, Jennine, Richard and co have been delivering secure, sustainable and reliable IT...
Meet OCM – Your local experts in sustainable IT asset management
As a proud new member of the Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, OCM is excited to introduce their team to fellow businesses across the region. Based in Pershore, Jennine, Richard and co have been delivering secure, sustainable and reliable IT...
Policy News
Business Rates Anxiety Hits Record High
A third of firms (34%) are worried about their business rates, the highest level since 2017. Concern is highest in the hospitality sector (49%), with manufacturing (44%) and logistics (43%) close behind. In 2024, 27% of firms said they had scaled back or...
Few Signs For Optimism In Labour Market
Reacting to the latest labour market data from the ONS published this morning, Patrick Milnes, Head of People and Work Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “The latest data indicate businesses are still not feeling confident about taking on more staff or...
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
A kind collaboration – Dandelion Video Production and Primrose Hospice
Primrose Hospice is the latest charity to collaborate with Dandelion Video Production through their Chamber of Commerce charity pledge. The video, which follows the journey of a piece of pre-loved furniture through the donation process, and the impact it can make,...
Orchard Trust Offers New Supported Farm Placements
Lydbrook, Gloucestershire – Orchard Trust is delighted to announce it has secured funding from The Albert Gubay Charitable Foundation to support the development of their new Supported Farm Placements Programme: specialised Animal Care and Gardening Placements based at...
Recruitment Challenging As New Employment Law Lands
Nearly three quarters of firms (71%) say they experienced hiring difficulties in Q1 of 2026, according to the latest data from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). The research, published as the first elements of the Employment Rights Act come into effect,...
BCC News
Recruitment Challenging As New Employment Law Lands
Nearly three quarters of firms (71%) say they experienced hiring difficulties in Q1 of 2026, according to the latest data from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). The research, published as the first elements of the Employment Rights Act come into effect,...
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
BUILT ON VALUES – DRIVEN BY PEOPLE Celebrating Our 2026 Trueline Values Award Winners
The team gathered to celebrate a standout moment in the company calendar, the Trueline Products Values Awards 2026 ! These awards recognise the commitment shown by employees to the company’s core values and the positive impact they make every day. Such as: Excellence,...
KEMP Hospice challenges common myths during April Awareness Month
This April, KEMP Hospice is raising awareness to challenge widespread misconceptions about its hospice care and encourage more people to access the support available. Despite the essential role hospices play in supporting people with life-limiting illnesses, many...
How Roxel UK Supports Its Employees
Managing stress in the workplace is a complex challenge yet getting it right can deliver real benefits for both employees and the organisation. Effective stress management helps reduce sickness absence, lower staff turnover and recruitment costs, and minimise employee...
SUTCLIFFE & CO CROWNED SME OF THE YEAR AT SOUTH WEST BUSINESS & COMMUNITY AWARDS
Worcester based Sutcliffe & Co Insurance Brokers, are celebrating being crowned ‘SME of the Year 2026’ at the coveted South West Business & Community Awards. Having been shortlisted in three categories, Employer of the Year, SME of the Year and Outstanding...
Luctonians Sports Club investing in the future of Herefordshire’s young people
Luctonians Sports Club continues to invest in the next generation across Herefordshire, having engaged more than 20,000 children through its schools’ outreach programme since 1993 and raised over £250,000 for local charities since 2016. Today, the club is home to more...
Meet the PhD Students Transforming How We Understand Our World
Have you ever wondered what kind of world-shaping research is happening right now on your doorstep in Worcestershire? A free event at The Hive on Thursday 7 May, 18.30-20.00, will give the public a rare chance to hear directly from three University of Worcester PhD...
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