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March business resilience newsletter

Covid 19 – Support and Advice for Businesses
David Ralph, HotSW LEP CEO

The LEP is working hard with key partners in Government, Local Authorities, Business Representative Organisations and other agencies to support businesses through the unprecedented health and economic shock we are facing due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

The Heart of the South West Growth Hub is being promoted as a single point of contact for all advice and guidance, and its website is continually update as new information comes in about the measures and support packages that are emerging from Government.

Details on specific financial packages, eligibility and processes for applying are still being developed.

At the same time local and free support and assistance is being offered by local partners and we are including details and links to these schemes on the Growth Hub website.

The Growth Hub team have capacity and interim support has been put into place by LEP partners to ensure increased volumes of enquiries can be managed. Longer term capacity is also being reviewed considering the budget announcement of more funding for Growth Hubs.

Updates and communications on latest advice will also begin shortly from the Growth Hub and businesses can sign up to receive this service. In the meantime, the Growth Hub’s contact details are:

Website:  www.heartofswgrowthhub.co.uk/
Email:  info@heartofswgrowthhub.co.uk
Phone:  03456 047 047

And regular updates on relevant themes are being promoted through the LEP’s main Twitter accounts: @HeartofSWLEP @GrowthHubHotSW @HotSWSkillsCareers and on LinkedIn.

The LEP and its partners are also collating through the Growth Hub real-time local impacts on businesses from the pandemic to escalate key issues straight to Government, and advise them on what additional support and measures that are needed.

For example, we are setting up conversations with key sectors including food production; tourism; nuclear; maritime; aviation; digital.

We are also seeking clarity on the current mechanisms and support being announced.

HotSW Digital Skills Partnership

The HotSW DSP have recently published updated information including advice to business on remote working, useful tools and resources to support staff’s digital competency to use digital solutions. This information will be updated regularly as new resources and webinars come online, viewed either through the newsletter below or Growth Hub website.

FIND OUT MORE >

You can sign up for future Digital Skills Partnership newsletters.

SIGN UP >

HotSW Virtual Careers Fairs

The HotSW Skills and Careers team have put together a set of resources to help employees in businesses adversely affected by COVID-19, as well as those who recently lost their jobs by two major employers in our area – Flybe and Axminister Carpets – going into administration. There is new information on the LEP’s website published today, and to be updated as further resources come in from our partners in all Heart of the South West areas.

In these unprecedented times we are all working together to support the economy and the workforce, so I ask you to widely share these resources to your own networks.

VISIT VIRTUAL CAREERS FAIRS WEB PAGES >
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LEP board meetings & documents >

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      David Ralph

      Chief Executive

      David Ralph started as Chief Executive of Heart of South West LEP at the beginning of June 2018. Previously, he had spent 5 years as CEO of the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (D2N2) LEP from 2013 where he oversaw the development of the D2N2 Strategic Economic Plan and sector strategies, 3 Growth Deals with HM Government to deliver a £1billion capital investment programme, securing and implementing £200m ESIF programme, the Derby and Nottingham Enterprise Zone, the D2N2 Skills Deal and Time for Innovation programme, community fund and led the executive team to develop the HS2 East Midlands hub. He was also closely involved in the proposed North Midlands Devolution Deal and one of the key architects in establishing the Midlands Engine, chairing the officer steering group. Whilst in this role David was a NED of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone, and Marketing NG, the Outer Estates Foundation and a Governor of Nottingham College and on the advisory Board of Nottingham Business School.

      Before the East Midlands, David was CEO of the Have Gateway Partnership working closely with local stakeholders including the ports of Felixstowe, Harwich and Ipswich and BT Adadastral Park across Suffolk and Essex and prior to that was Chief Exec of the Barton Hill New Deal for Communities programme in Bristol and the Nelm Development Trust in Norwich.

      David is a keen sailor, walker and trail runner.