Business Daily

South West Investment Fund marks 150th deal milestone

The British Business Bank’s South West Investment Fund is marking its 150th deal having driven almost £66m of investment into new and growing businesses across the region.

Launched in 2023, the £200m fund is increasing the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller businesses across the whole of the South West, offering loans from £25,000 up to equity investment of £5m.

The British Business Bank is the UK’s government-backed development bank dedicated to making finance markets work better for smaller businesses.

Latest figures show the South West...

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Devon’s farming talent highlighted in awards shortlist

Farmers from across Devon have made it to the shortlist of the region’s premier agricultural awards, the Devon Farm Business Awards. The awards, which are in their fourth year, are organised by Addington Fund, Stephens Scown LLP and Devon County Agricultural Association. Designed to celebrate and showcase the best farmers and farming businesses in Devon, the awards will take place on the eve of the Devon County Show, on 17 May. The event’s organisers highlight the strength of the shortlist as a reason for optimism in the face of the challenges currently facing the farming sector. Ian Bell...

Four Chiefs players named in England Test squad

Four Exeter Chiefs players have been named by Eddie Jones in his 31-man squad for England’s two-Test tour to Argentina in June.

Internationals Luke Cowan-Dickie and Henry Slade will be joined in the senior ranks by 15 uncapped players, including club-mates prop Harry Williams and scrum-half Jack Maunder (pictured).

Northampton’s Dylan Hartley will captain the squad which will assemble at The Lensbury on Sunday, 29 May to begin their preparations for the two-Test tour which sees England play at Estadio San Juan del Bicentenario, San Juan on Saturday, 10 June and Estadio...

Crowdcube company provides a 9X return to investors

Mettrr Technologies has become the first company to provide financial returns for its crowd investors through a secondary share sale via a crowdfunding platform. It comes just six months after Crowdcube announced that it would pioneer secondary liquidity on its platform, delivering on its mission to help investors realise their investments.

Since raising £100,000 on Crowdcube in March 2012 from 25 crowd investors, the company has developed a market leading artificial intelligence software that builds DIFM (Do It For Me) websites for small business owners in seconds.

Whether...

Sky’s the limit for Lucy

An employee at Exeter based law firm Browne Jacobson has raised hundreds of pounds for a local charity by taking to the skies over East Devon.

Lucy Daffin, a legal assistant in the firm’s insurance practice, took part in a 15,000ft charity skydive in Dunkeswell and raised over £700 for local Dawlish charity, Richard’s Wish.

The event was organised by Lucy and the firm’s Exeter office charity committee which has close ties with Richard’s Wish, which was appointed as Browne Jacobson’s charity for the year, 2016-17.

Richard’s Wish was set up in memory of Richard Cridge...

Lions call up a 'dream come true' for Nowell

Exeter Chiefs and England star Jack Nowell says it's a "dream come true" to have been named in the British & Irish Lions squad to tour New Zealand this summer. The 24-year-old Cornishman was today named in Warren Gatland's 41-man squad for the tour, which begins on June 3 and ends on July 8. Nowell, who has scored 11 tries in 23 appearances for England, will make history by becoming the first player to be included in the squad whilst playing for the Chiefs. He is one of 16 England players named in the tour party with Wales providing 12, Ireland 11 and two from Scotland. Nowell said: "...

Sandy Park Junction upgrade finished ahead of schedule

Improvements to the A379 Sandy Park Junction in Exeter have been completed ahead of schedule. The junction has been upgraded from a ‘left-in, left-out’ system to a signalised junction that now also allows right turns in and out of the site. The £2.5 million scheme improves access to Sandy Park rugby ground and David Lloyd leisure centre as well as planned developments in the Newcourt area of the city.

The new layout reduces the need for vehicles to loop around the Sandygate junction (M5 Junction 30). It also reduces the need for u-turn manoeuvres at the Russell Way junction, which...

Big Devon March clocks up over 24,000 miles of walking

“It’s great to see workplaces getting creative and making the campaign their own,” says Becky Russell, from Active Devon who joined Exeter College on a lunchtime walk around Exeter, taking in the history of Rougemont Gardens.

Matt Rowett, who has been championing the project for Exeter College and led the history walk said: “I’ve loved seeing how many staff have joined in with this activity from all areas of the college workforce. It’s created a great opportunity for cross college competition along with the county wide rivalry.” More than 60 staff from Exeter College, named as a...

SW housing market loses impetus

The South West housing market appears to have lost impetus, despite new buyer enquiries rising in March. The number of properties coming on to the market dropped further, and consequently respondents to the March 2017 RICS UK Residential Market Survey in the region have reduced predictions for sales growth in the year ahead.

Demand across the South West remains reasonably healthy, despite sales falling over the month, with 22% more respondents noting an increase in enquiries (as opposed to a fall).

However, supply is restricted, as new instructions to sell in the region...

Tis praises fans after win over Barnet

Manager says supporters were man-of-the-match in win over Barnet

“If I had to pick a man-of-the-match it would have been the fans,” said manager Paul Tisdale after Exeter City’s 2-1 win at home to Barnet on Good Friday.

The Grecians raced into a 2-0 lead against Kevin Nugent’s side – thanks to goals from Jordan Moore-Taylor and David Wheeler in the opening six minutes of the match – but they were made to work hard for the victory as the visitors pulled a goal back through John Akinde and came close on numerous occasions to getting an equaliser.

Tis felt the fans...

Harlequins 26 Chiefs 39

Good Friday turned out to be a ‘Great Friday’ as Exeter Chiefs maintained their top two status in the Aviva Premiership with victory over Harlequins.

Rob Baxter’s side produced one of their best displays of the season so far to record yet another maximum haul against the star-studded Londoners at the Twickenham Stoop.

Lachie Turner (pictured) bagged two tries on his recall to the starting line-up, while Dave Ewers, Michele Campagnaro and Henry Slade also got in on the try-scoring act for the free-scoring Devonians.

Slade and replacement Gareth Steenson completed the...

Business Daily

South West Investment Fund marks 150th deal milestone

Devon’s farming talent highlighted in awards shortlist

Four Chiefs players named in England Test squad

Crowdcube company provides a 9X return to investors

Sky’s the limit for Lucy

Lions call up a 'dream come true' for Nowell

Sandy Park Junction upgrade finished ahead of schedule

Big Devon March clocks up over 24,000 miles of walking

SW housing market loses impetus

Tis praises fans after win over Barnet

Harlequins 26 Chiefs 39

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