Business Direction Online
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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.
NMITE AWARDED INVESTMENT TO BOOST STUDENT PLACES AND FACILITIES TO STRENGTHEN UK DEFENCE INDUSTRY
Directly supporting the building of the country’s sovereign capability NMITE, the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering, today announces that it is the recipient of a new government award which will enable it to offer additional student places and build...
Latest Article
NMITE AWARDED INVESTMENT TO BOOST STUDENT PLACES AND FACILITIES TO STRENGTHEN UK DEFENCE INDUSTRY
Directly supporting the building of the country’s sovereign capability NMITE, the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering, today announces that it is the recipient of a new government award which will enable it to offer additional student places and build...
Member News
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...
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...
Patron & Strategic News
McPhillips delivers positive impact at community farm
Three weeks of voluntary work by an award-winning construction firm has transformed a farm project in Hereford that works with and for the community. McPhillips, currently on site in the city delivering the new £10 million Hereford Transport Hub, is committed to...
Crash Simulation Puts Worcester Students at the Heart of Emergency Response
Students from across the University of Worcester took part in a large-scale emergency simulation in the city, working alongside frontline blue light services to respond to a staged multi-vehicle collision. Policing, Medical and Paramedic Science students were involved...
Chamber News
Opportunity for Local Businesses to Connect with Major Buyers this February
The popular Meet the Buyer Conference, sponsored by Worcestershire Growth Hub, is set to return on Friday 6 February 2026, offering businesses across Herefordshire and Worcestershire a valuable opportunity to connect directly with major buyers and procurement...
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...
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
OrchardFest Returns – Join Orchard Trust For Their Accessible Music Festival on 15th August 2026
Orchard Trust is excited to share some sunny news: OrchardFest is returning on 15th August 2026! About the Festival OrchardFest 2026 is Orchard Trust’s popular accessible music festival, designed especially for people with learning disabilities, where everyone is...
UK’S FIRST ON-SITE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING TRAINING FACILITY OPENS AT NEW COLLEGE WORCESTER, BUILT THROUGH INDUSTRY COLLABOARTION TO SUPPORT THE VISION IMPAIRED
New College Worcester (NCW), a national residential school for blind and vision impaired young people, has installed a state-of-the-art pedestrian crossing on its campus, believed to be the first of its kind in the UK. The Noel Duffy Pedestrian Crossing provides a...
UK’s Economic Security At Risk
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is urging Government to prioritise the UK’s economic security, after 10 years of geopolitical shocks have repeatedly damaged growth. Businesses in the UK have been left permanently bruised by the Pandemic, Brexit, wars in Ukraine...
BCC News
UK’s Economic Security At Risk
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is urging Government to prioritise the UK’s economic security, after 10 years of geopolitical shocks have repeatedly damaged growth. Businesses in the UK have been left permanently bruised by the Pandemic, Brexit, wars in Ukraine...
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
Why work-life balance is a business issue, not just a people issue
Having spent much of my career in food, drink and FMCG manufacturing, I know how easy it is for long hours and constant availability to become normal. When production targets need hitting, staffing is tight and problems keep coming, stepping in can feel like the only...
New research hub launched to advance understanding of injuries and rehabilitation in women’s sport
A new research hub has been launched by The University of Worcester and University of Gloucestershire, focused on advancing understanding of injuries and rehabilitation in female sport. The Women’s Injury and Science Hub (WISH) is believed to be the first research...
BCRS Business Loans passes £5m in Midlands Engine Investment Fund II lending
Community lender BCRS Business Loans has passed £5 million in lending for the British Business Bank’s Midlands Engine Investment Fund II since its launch, creating 237 new jobs across the West Midlands. BCRS Business Loans has supported 82 businesses by delivering...
Keeping Herefordshire & Worcestershire Working: Why Workforce Health Matters
Businesses across Herefordshire & Worcestershire are being invited to the ‘Keep Herefordshire & Worcestershire Working’ conference to learn more about the workplace wellbeing support available. The UK labour market is rapidly changing with more than a fifth of...
Apprenticeship Support Events for Worcestershire Employers
Small or medium‑sized employers based in Malvern Hills and Wychavon Districts are being encouraged to attend two upcoming events designed to simplify the latest apprenticeship funding and support available to local businesses. With a range of new financial incentives...
More Help Needed on Business Costs
Responding to measures announced by the Chancellor this lunchtime, Kate Shoesmith, Director of Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce said: “It’s important to remember that the cost of living and the cost of business are two sides of the same coin. “While most of...
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