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.
Hot Weather – Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke
An employee starts feeling dizzy in the heat. They say they just need a minute. You let them carry on. They collapse. This is how heat related illness turns serious fast. Too many people treat heat as harmless. Just part of summer. Something to push through. But heat...
Latest Article
Hot Weather – Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke
An employee starts feeling dizzy in the heat. They say they just need a minute. You let them carry on. They collapse. This is how heat related illness turns serious fast. Too many people treat heat as harmless. Just part of summer. Something to push through. But heat...
Member News
Award wins for ONE’s innovative digital twin approach
ONE Creative environments (ONE), a multi-disciplinary design company that prioritises innovation, has celebrated two national award wins last month (March 2026). ONE, which has a Worcester HQ and offices in Birmingham, London and Cardiff received the awards for their...
Are Your Workplace Policies Still Fit for Purpose in 2026?
For many businesses, policies are something that get written, filed away, and only revisited when there’s an issue. But in reality, policies should be living, working documents that actively support both your people and your business. With ongoing changes in...
Patron & Strategic News
Cyber resilience – Are you ready for when it hits the fan?
In an age where digital threats are evolving faster than ever, resilience is no longer just an IT issue – it’s a business imperative. We’re bringing together decision-makers from across the region to explore how organisations can prepare for, respond to, and...
Celebrating 15 Years of Hoople Group
April 2026 marks Hoople’s 15th birthday. To celebrate this important milestone in the company’s journey, Hoople will be completing 15 “good deeds” throughout the year as a way of giving back to the community that has supported them along the way. Hoople colleagues...
Chamber News
Welcome New Members
Our warmest welcome to our newest members: Always Outdoors Ltd/Life Changing Activities – They facilitate adventurous outdoor activities and team challenges for all abilities. Their activities include rock climbing, gorge walking, canoeing, raft building, team...
Annual General Meeting 2024
Details of AGM: Date – 20th December 2024 Time – 09:30 to 10:00 Location – Wye Suite Severn House Resolutions 1. To receive and adopt the Company’s annual accounts for the financial year ended 31 March 2024 together with the directors’...
Our Latest Member
Welcome new Members!
The warmest welcome to our newest Members: Barton Court – Called ‘Herefordshire’s hidden gem’, Barton Court is a compact, historic country estate with a range of spaces and accommodation for business and leisure activities. With three big...
Welcome new Members!
The warmest welcome to our newest Members: Barton Court – Called ‘Herefordshire’s hidden gem’, Barton Court is a compact, historic country estate with a range of spaces and accommodation for business and leisure activities. With three big...
Policy 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...
UK-India Trade Agreement – A Big Deal For Business
Reacting to news of an agreement in principle for a free trade deal between the UK and India, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy, said: “A Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the UK and India is a huge boost to our economies and a welcome lift for our exporters....
Skills News
Construction Employer’s Evening at Kidderminster College – You’re Invited!
Kidderminster College is hosting its first ever Construction Employer’s Evening and you’re invited! They will have tutors, students and the college employer engagement team on hand to speak with you about all the ways in which Kidderminster College can help your...
DRPG and University of Wolverhampton: Inspiring the next generation of award-winning designers
The University of Wolverhampton first partnered with local creative communications group, DRPG, for their graphic design industry expertise back in 2017. Since then, the global agency has continued to visit the University’s School of Art, inspiring graphic design...
Charity News
Worcester hospice gardens get spruced up by volunteers at property consultancy in city
Colleagues from a leading Worcester property consultancy spent a day giving back to the community by sprucing up the gardens of a well-known hospice in the city. Staff from Fisher German’s Worcester office spent the day volunteering at St Richard’s Hospice to help...
Worcestershire firm donates to local foodbank in celebration of International Pineapple Day
A Worcestershire recruitment firm has donated 50 fresh pineapples and dozens of tins of fruit to a local foodbank to help celebrate International Pineapple Day. Staff at Worcester-based Pineapple Recruitment, which specialises in providing staff for the hospitality...
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...
BCC 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...
Worcestershire News
Entrepreneurs with early-stage tech ideas invited to participate in a new technology incubator programme
Building on the success of BetaDen Accelerate, the award-winning technology accelerator programme, and with Intake 1.0 of their new programme well underway, BetaDen is excited to announce the opening of recruitment for Intake 2.0 of their incubator programme,...
Volunteer’s Classic Car Goes the Full Distance as the SVR Celebrates 40 years for Kidderminster Town Station
Marking Kidderminster Town station’s 40th anniversary on 27 and 28 July will be an extra cause for celebration for one of the Severn Valley Railway’s volunteers. Peter Darkin will be exhibiting his beloved Morris Minor car outside the station during the commemorative...
Herefordshire News
25K FOR 25YRS
25K FOR 25YRS – SILVER CELEBRATIONS AT HEREFORDSHIRE’S PEARL LAKE COUNTRY PARK. A substantial donation is being made to charities across the region by Glenn & Hannah Jones of Discover Parks marking a quarter of a century in business there. Together with...
Rotherwood Healthcare Announces Partnership with Herefordshire Cricket Ltd
Rotherwood Healthcare, a leading provider of Residential, Nursing, and Dementia Care, is thrilled to announce it is the Official Partner of Herefordshire Cricket Ltd, Herefordshire National Counties First and Development XI playing and training shirts. This...
All Latest News
We’re recruiting a Chief Executive Officer — Maggs Day Centre (Worcester)
Maggs Day Centre is looking for an exceptional CEO to lead our Worcestershire charity into its next phase of impact, sustainability and strategic growth- Salary: £65,000 + benefits | Full time (flexible considered) We support people experiencing homelessness and...
![Added Value Enterprises [AVE] accelerates growth by 225% following sector expansion](https://hwchamber.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Darren-Iley-AVE-800x500.jpg)
Added Value Enterprises [AVE] accelerates growth by 225% following sector expansion
Procurement and consultancy specialists, Added Value Enterprises [AVE], have scaled growth by an impressive 225% over the last 12 months following its increased service offering and successful expansion into the hospitality and care sectors. Established in 2021, AVE...
Doors Open at Brand-New Ludlow Charity Warehouse
Shoppers were welcomed through the doors at St Michael’s Hospice’s new charity shop, Ludlow Home & Living. The ribbon was cut by shop manager, Giles Kember, and Ludlow’s Mayor, Councillor Di Lyle, before customers were invited inside to explore the transformed...
URGENT Briefing Webinar: What Does the Middle East Conflict Mean for Your Business?
The escalating conflict in the Middle East is already having significant consequences for global energy markets, supply chains, insurance costs and wider commercial risk environments. As the situation continues to evolve, UK businesses need timely, reliable...
From Worcestershire to Düsseldorf: VKF Renzel at EuroShop 2026
EuroShop 2026 was an incredible stage for VKF Renzel to showcase what we do best. Returning to the world’s leading retail trade fair, we were proud to present our latest solutions for entrance areas, POS displays, ESL fixings, shelf optimisation, digital signage, and...
From GCSE Resits to PhD, Worcester Lecturer Champions Diverse Learners
A mother of two who once believed she ‘wasn’t good enough’ for university is now graduating with a PhD that explores how to empower silenced learners. Anastasia Kennett studied for her undergraduate degree in Special Educational Disabilities at the University of...
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