Telford Hub rises to challenge of extraordinary year

The hub – delivered by Telford & Wrekin Council from its base at the University of Wolverhampton’s Innovation Campus at Priorslee – continued to provide unrivalled help and support to businesses across the borough throughout 2020.

Figures for the six months from April 1 to September 30 – which was dominated by the Covid pandemic and the UK’s EU exit – show the expert team of business support specialists helped more than 2,000 businesses and 2,014 individuals.

The team offered information and help to 1,974 businesses, more detailed support to a further 142 companies employing 13,018 people and helped 126 people start their own business in the six months.

Meanwhile, the hub also staged 33 separate events between April 1 and December 30 last year, attended by 437 people representing 426 businesses, and which generated a total of 1,678 referrals.

Telford & Wrekin Council’s Marches Growth Hub manager Claire Critchell said businesses had needed the help of the hub more than ever during the past year.

“It goes without saying that the past 12 months have been extremely difficult for our business community. As a result, businesses have turned to the hub because of our reputation as a trusted source of the latest, best and most accurate advice, support and access to funding.

“The whole Enterprise Telford team have worked tirelessly to help businesses get the financial information and help they have needed, whilst we have continued to provide a full range of advice sessions and webinars online during the pandemic, including our Growth Hub Guru events.

“The feedback we have received has been overwhelmingly positive, with companies hugely grateful that they have been able to turn to us for support in these unprecedented times.”

The Marches Growth Hub Telford & Wrekin can be contacted on 01952 567589 or email enterprisetelford@telford.gov.uk