The Government’s adviser on local growth Lord Heseltine visited Ipswich recently to meet the New Anglia Growth Hub team, based at Suffolk Chamber of Commerce on the waterfront.
Established last summer by New Anglia LEP, the Growth Hub is a one-stop-shop for business support and funding information. It is one of several Growth Hubs set up nationally to give business owners a clearer route to business support.
Lord Heseltine has called for more powers to be devolved from London to the regions to help local business leaders access help and support they need to grow.
During his visit, Lord Heseltine met with five local businesses who the Growth Hub has helped to grow by signposting them to specialist providers of business support. He spent time talking to each of the businesses to learn more about the ways they had been supported.
Crossing a range of sectors, the businesses were Aponic, an innovative hydroponics company from Sudbury, Howard Nurseries who are a plant wholesaler near Diss, Seers Medical, a manufacturer of therapy and medical beds in Debenham, Orbital Media, a leading social media and digital agency in Stowmarket and The Naughty Sheep who are a quality jam, marmalade and chutney artisan factory located in Ipswich.
Lord Heseltine has previously been a customer of Howard Nurseries. The Growth Hub has worked with them to secure a funded internship to boost their sales and marketing. Owner Christine Howard commented; “We would never have accessed this support without our meetings with the Growth Hub Advisers.”
John Stenhouse, Growth Hub manager said: “It was great to be able to show Lord Heseltine first-hand the businesses we have helped in our first year. We’re committed to supporting all businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk across all sectors and at any stage of development and the team of advisers will travel to any business to offer face-to-face support.”
To find out how the Growth Hub can support your business, call 0300 333 6536 or email [email protected]
