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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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Essential oils: practical tools for focus, concentration and regulation at work, in learning and at home
Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce Members Holly Bolt and Kamila Hadley are joining forces to deliver a free to access webinar exploring how essential oils can be used as practical tools to aid focus, concentration and regulation at work, in...
Latest Article
Essential oils: practical tools for focus, concentration and regulation at work, in learning and at home
Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce Members Holly Bolt and Kamila Hadley are joining forces to deliver a free to access webinar exploring how essential oils can be used as practical tools to aid focus, concentration and regulation at work, in...
Member News
MYTH: I might do more harm than good if I try CPR.
MYTH: I might do more harm than good if I try CPR. TRUTH: The only wrong move in cardiac arrest… is doing nothing. Why CPR Matters Every minute without CPR reduces a person’s chance of survival by 10%. When someone collapses and isn’t breathing normally, you ARE their...
Top honour for the SVR’s King and Castle as it scoops CAMRA gold
The Severn Valley Railway (SVR) is celebrating after its King and Castle pub at Kidderminster station was named Pub of the Year (Gold Award) by the Wyre Forest branch of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). The prestigious award follows a rigorous judging process, with...
Patron & Strategic News
The college’s new Employer Patron Scheme
Herefordshire Ludlow and North Shropshire College is launching its new Employer Patron Scheme, which is a free-to-join initiative to bring businesses and education closer together, to strengthen local skills opportunities and long-term partnerships across The Marches....
Empowering Local Employers with AI & Automation: Free Apprenticeship Insights Webinar Announced for 13th February
Local employers are invited to join a high‑value, free online event designed to help organisations understand and embrace the fast‑evolving world of artificial intelligence and automation. Coinciding with National Apprentiecship Week 2026, the AI & Automation...
Chamber News
COP28: An Overview
COP 28 refers to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which took place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 30 November until 12 December 2023. UN Climate Change conferences (or COPs) take place every year, and are the world’s only multilateral...
Chair’s Report
I have just read a piece of research by Potter Spaces and Savills, highlighted by Sam Merrett – Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce’s Policy Executive – that I feel very nicely sums up the lack of smaller to medium size industrial spaces...
Our Latest Member
Introducing Grange Court
Grange Court is a Grade II* listed timber-framed market hall built by John Abel in 1633. It is just off the centre of the ancient town of Leominster in parkland which was once part of the Leominster Priory farm. Following extensive renovation ten years ago, it is now...
Introducing Grange Court
Grange Court is a Grade II* listed timber-framed market hall built by John Abel in 1633. It is just off the centre of the ancient town of Leominster in parkland which was once part of the Leominster Priory farm. Following extensive renovation ten years ago, it is now...
Policy News
Inflation Drops, However Remains at a Historic High Level.
Inflation has dropped again, to 6.8% from 7.9% in June. This is welcome news to businesses that have been hit hard by constant pressures from price rises for many months. However, inflation remains at historically high levels and is significantly below the 2% target...
Inflation falls again to 7.9%
The UK’s rate of inflation dropped to 7.9% in the year to June, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Inflation is now at its lowest for more than a year, after several months of being stuck around the same level. The Office for National...
Skills News
The Low Carbon Economy is an opportunity for your Business
Sustainability Experts is a programme being delivered by Worcestershire Business Central, in conjunction with Shrewsbury Business Consulting, to enable the Worcestershire business community to benefit from the opportunity of Net Zero Carbon.
Celebrating careers education in England
Do you know someone who is devoted to driving great careers guidance for young people? What about an organisation that has been steadfast in helping young people during the pandemic? Or do you know a brilliant young person who themselves has focussed on enhancing...
Charity News
Local Businesses Raise Over £3,000 for Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust
Worcester-based accountancy firm Ballards LLP and Four Squared Recruitment have joined forces in an impressive fundraising campaign, raising over £3,000 to date for the Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust. Through a series of challenging and creative events, employees...
Dom Joly discusses The Conspiracy Tour which comes to The Courtyard on Wednesday 30 October, 7.30pm
Tell me what can audiences expect from The Conspiracy Tour ? It’s a companion to my latest travel book- The Conspiracy Tourist in which I travelled the globe again looking into the strange world of the Conspiracy Theorist. I will take the audience through a range of...
UK Risks Falling Behind In Race To Net Zero
The UK risks falling behind in the global green innovation race because of significant barriers to low-carbon investment, according to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). Research by McKinsey suggests the net zero transition could be worth over £1 trillion to...
BCC News
UK Risks Falling Behind In Race To Net Zero
The UK risks falling behind in the global green innovation race because of significant barriers to low-carbon investment, according to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). Research by McKinsey suggests the net zero transition could be worth over £1 trillion to...
Worcestershire News
Wyre Forest IT Firm Donates to Local Foodbank
Local IT firm Minster Micro has donated food and toiletries to Kidderminster Foodbank as the need grows for emergency supplies this Christmas. The staff at the IT firm, which is based on Worcester Road, has come together to collect food and toiletry parcels for the...
Children and Families at Acorns are Bowled Over with Special Visit from Worcestershire Cricket Stars
Sports stars from Worcestershire Country Cricket Club hit a pitch-perfect six during a special visit to Acorns Children’s Hospice yesterday (Monday 18 December). Children and families at the charity’s hospice for the Three Counties were bowled when the cricket...
Herefordshire News
Local lady inspired to join the Home Instead team
Award winning local home care company, Home Instead Hereford, are celebrating the appointment of Deb Evans, a local lady whose personal experience with home care has inspired her to join the Home Instead team. It was after Home Instead cared for her grandmother, that...
The Cottage in the Wood Malvern wins Hotel of the Year award at the Worcestershire Tourism Awards 2023
The 32-bedroom hotel was praised by judges for its environmentally conscious strategy, friendly staff and award winning 1919 Restaurant. Owner, Nick Davies, said: “Winning the Hotel of the Year award is an absolute triumph for us. We are thrilled to have won this...
All Latest News
REHAU Decarbonises District Heating Deliveries by Fuelling Lorries with HVO
REHAU has improved the end-to-end sustainability of its district heating business by considering the impact of product delivery, switching to powering 85% of its lorries with hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in partnership with CEVA Logistics. Recent UK government...
NMITE AND THE BRITISH ARMY UNVEIL DETAIL OF THE NEW UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE IN AUTONOMOUS ROBOTICS
Event attended by Al Carns MP, Minister for the Armed Forces 21 January 2026 – Following on from the December announcement of its new Autonomous Robotics degree, the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) hosted an event today in conjunction...
Ballards strengthens private client capability with senior tax partner hire
(from left to right): Tim Lynch, Private Client Tax Partner, Martin Adams, Head of tax. Ballards LLP has appointed Tim Lynch as Private Client Tax Partner, strengthening its senior advisory capability as part of the firm’s long term growth strategy across...
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...
Inflation Waters Remain Choppy
Responding to the latest inflation data, published by the Office for National Statistics, Stuart Morrison, Research Manager at the British Chambers of Commerce said: “Today’s data is a stark reminder that the UK inflation waters remain choppy. “With CPI rising to 3.4%...
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