South West

Unique crowdfunding programme launches in SW

Crowd10, a crowdfunding initiative aimed at helping ambitious start-up businesses to grow, is being launched in Bristol.

Crowd10, which has been developed by crowdfunding experts IdeaSquares, will shine a light on ten of the most exciting start-ups in the South West region.

Kirsty Ranger, Founder of IdeaSquares, explained: “Equity crowdfunding is an increasingly popular method of funding for start-ups. It allows entrepreneurs to harness the power of their own network by giving their friends, family members, customers and suppliers the opportunity to become part of the...

Barratt Homes in SW celebrates 5 star status

Local housebuilder Barratt Homes is celebrating after receiving a major national award from the Home Builders Federation (HBF). The house builder has achieved a 90% customer satisfaction score and 5 star rating after it took part in a nationwide survey. Barratt Homes is the only major national housebuilder to have been awarded the maximum 5 star rating for seven years in a row by the HBF.

Barratt Homes took part in the UK-wide survey of more than 45,000 homebuyers which revealed that over 90% of Barratt customers would recommend the homes to a friend. The high customer satisfaction...

Two fifths of people in SW confess they get out of breath running for a bus

Over two fifths of people in the South West have confessed to being so unfit they would get out of breath running for the bus, according to new statistics released as part of the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) brand new fundraising challenge MyMarathon. The BHF poll revealed well over half (52%) of adults in the South West said if they went running now the furthest they could manage is just half a mile or less. One in five (20%) felt they could only make it to 100 metres. Of those who could manage to run a mile, a third of people (33%) said the last time they did was over 10 years ago....

Hundreds in SW back dementia research service

The South West is playing its part in the recruitment of volunteers to dementia research studies.

One year on from the launch of a groundbreaking service called Join Dementia Research almost 16,000 people nationally have signed up to this initiative which encourages people to register their interest in taking part in clinical research into this condition.

In the South West 1,110 volunteers have registered with Join Dementia Research service which provides a valuable resource for researchers in their search for potential dementia research studies.

To date 268 of the...

Coffee morning initiative launched to support farming community

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Fri, 03/25/2016 - 11:30am

South West regional insurance company Cornish Mutual has launched a new coffee morning initiative as part of a year-long commitment to support rural charity the Farming Community Network (FCN).

Cornish Mutual will be hosting the first three events in April at venues across Cornwall and Devon. At each event the rural insurer will host a talk giving advice and guidance on ways to improve farm business administration.

The coffee mornings are free to attend with participants encouraged to donate to the FCN through a tea and cake stall and a raffle. Cornish Mutual have pledged...

Two thirds of SW women dream of starting own business

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Fri, 03/25/2016 - 1:30am

New research released today shows that over 63% of women living in the South West dream of starting their own business, motivated by the desire to bring more flexibility and earnings to their lives and the potential to be their own boss.

In order to have a perfect work/life balance, women in the South West believe work should be 37% and life 63% however, currently 87% of their waking hours are spent working or thinking about work rather than truly relaxing*. Home seems to be the perfect place to set up a business with 79% choosing to base themselves there if they had the...

Could the global market turmoil impact South West M&A deals?

Will a possible Brexit, the slowdown in China, and a tumbling oil price have an impact on the deals market in the South West?

Recent research by Experian revealed that a total of 535 deals were completed in the region last year - an increase of 15.3 per cent on the previous 12 months. If the trend continues then the South West could expect to see even more deals completed in 2016.

John Panteli, a partner at Grant Thornton, believes that because of the strength and diversity of mid-market corporates in the South West we shouldn’t necessarily see the uncertainty surrounding...

Increase in animals needing help in the SW

Figures released today (23 March) by the RSPCA reveal that people being convicted for cruelty in many areas of the South West is on the rise, whilst the number of animals being rescued is also increasing across the region.

Courts in the South West have seen an increase in the number of people convicted for crimes relating to animal welfare, particularly in some of the larger counties. In seven out of 13 counties in the RSPCA’s South West region there was an increase in the number of people being convicted in prosecutions taken by the RSPCA. In both Hampshire and Somerset, there was...

Michelmores named 'Ones to Watch' in 2016 Best Companies Survey

Authored by Michelmores
Posted: Wed, 03/16/2016 - 7:29am

Michelmores is delighted to have been awarded 'Ones to Watch' status in the Sunday Times Best Companies Survey this year − one of only ten firms in the South West to be accredited this year.

The Firm increased its overall survey score by 39 points compared to last year's results and has improved across all eight strands measured within the survey.

'My Team', which measures employees' views on team spirit and belonging and 'My Company', ranking how proud people are to work at Michelmores, were highlighted as the Firm's strongest performing areas.

Michelmores HR...

SW economy has unlocked potential

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Mon, 03/07/2016 - 7:51am

Research published today highlights the unlocked potential of the South West economy. It claims that the Gross Value Added (GVA) in the region could be increased by up to £50 billion by 2025 if GVA per worker in the South West matched the G7 average (excluding the UK itself). Highlighting the continued challenge over productivity, the study also reveals that the South West economic value per workforce job is £6,000 below the UK average of £47k per work force job. Currently London tops the chart of UK regional GVA figures, outstripping the South West by over £20,000 per work force job. The...

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