Unemployment has soared by 145% in the West of England since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to figures published today, with just nearly 40,000 people claiming jobless benefits. At the same time, around 22% of the region’s workforce – 132,600 people – have been furloughed while job vacancies have fallen sharply, down...
Three buildings from the Bath area – a new university campus, a community hub and an architects’ office – are in the running for a major regional architecture award. Bath Spa University’s Locksbrook Campus, the community hub at the city’s Mulberry Park housing development and architecture firm Stonewood Design’s office in Corsham are among...
Small and medium-sized Bath businesses investing in digital innovation to address challenges arising from Covid-19 can access grants of between £10,000 and £40,000 under a new scheme started by UWE Bristol. The university’s £1m Digital Innovation Fund is aimed at helping firms ranging from start-ups and micro businesses to more established organisations as they...
Business West, the region’s largest business organisation, has joined bodies representing business, education and employment in urging the government to rethink its controversial quarantine rules for travellers arriving in the UK. In an open letter to the home, foreign and transport secretaries, Business West, UK Hospitality, Universities UK and others argue that it was...
A new support programme has been set up to help Bath firms whose employees’ mental health and wellbeing have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is investing £100,000 to develop Thrive West, which aims to address some of the key mental health issues businesses say their employees...
Medical cannabis company Sativa, the firm behind the Goodbody Wellness retail chain, is poised to become a major player in the fast-growing international cannabinoid (CBD) market after signalling its intention to merge with a specialist Canadian business. Sativa, based at Beckington, near Frome, said the combination with CBD extraction and agriculture specialist Stillcanna Inc....
A new programme to help Bath’s small businesses improve their digital presence has been launched by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) as it expands its Growth Hub to help firms bounce back from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Trading Better Online programme has been developed in partnership with regional tech...
Bath firms based in shared offices or flexible workspaces, as well as B&Bs and guest houses, have only a few days left to apply for a grant up to £5,000 from a special business support grant. The Small Business Grants Discretionary Fund was established to support small businesses impacted by the coronavirus outbreak but...
An eight-point checklist to help owner-managers deal with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on their businesses has been launched by the South West arm of insolvency and restructuring trade body R3. The organisation’s members, who include insolvency practitioners, lawyers, and turnaround and restructuring experts, work with business owners to mitigate and resolve financial...
The coronavirus pandemic has dealt a severe blow to confidence levels among South West firms – with the region now the UK’s least optimistic, according to the gloomy results of another survey. Overall confidence slumped by 16 points during the past month to minus 51% – an unenviable record for Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking’s...
