Minutes of Meeting with Alison Laws, NY Growth Hub
17 Aug 2022
Your Parish Councillors, Richard and Jane, had an informal meeting on 8th August with Alison Laws, Business Relationship Manager (Craven District), NY Growth Hub
This was a fact-finding meeting to help inform us about organisations that we can invite to future public events. We hope to introduce local businesses to representatives from some of these groups in due course.
Alison shared information on contacts and resources that could be of use to our local businesses.
If any of these groups spike your interest, do email: kirkbybusiness@gmail.com and we will try to invite them to a meeting or put you in touch:
Group Hug – an app set up by Jonathan Greenwood. This offers mental health support on a range of topics. See www.grouphugapp.org
Skipton Business Social – this is a regular, ticketed event in which guest speakers make presentations on subjects that are pertinent to the local businesses. There is the opportunity to network. Tickets are sold through Eventbrite and refreshments are provided. See www.skiptonbusinessnetwork.co.uk
Biz66 is another networking group that organises speakers and networking opportunities. Previous speakers have presented on: financial services, pensions, diversification and destination (how local businesses can work together). See bizgroup66.co.uk
Dales Business Women is a networking group for business women working in and around the Yorkshire Dales. See www.dalesbusinesswomen.com
The NY Growth Hub website (www.ynygrowthhub.com) has information on free training.
ARG funding (Additional Restrictions Grant – the grants given to local authorities to support businesses during covid lockdowns) is still being used to provide free training for businesses.
Recruitment was an issue that businesses raised during our first meeting on 20th July . NY Growth Hub has advice on supporting recruitment through Restart, Ex offenders’ programmes, Migration Yorkshire and Apprentices schemes.
Skipton and Ripon Enterprise Group (www.skiptonandriponenterprisegroup.co.uk ) offers free mentoring and business support from experienced business leaders.
Alison also provided contacts for us for Dales Radio and for the Leyburn Arts and Community Centre (www.leyburnartscentre.com), which is an excellent model of a community supporting local artisan businesses.