Business Direction Online
Latest News
Introducing Business Direction Online, your one stop shop for all local and industry news.
Business Direction Online is updated daily, bringing you news from across Herefordshire & Worcestershire. Explore our Members exciting and important updates and keep up to date with any Chamber news.
If you’re a Chamber Member, you can submit your latest news stories free of charge and promote updates to local business professionals. Contact our Marketing team for more information.
What’s the story driving your business?
We’re evangelical about story. We want to spread the word as widely as possible, so we’re very proud to announce the arrival of our online leadership storytelling course. We’ve delivered training alongside our organisational narrative development consulting for many...
Latest Article
What’s the story driving your business?
We’re evangelical about story. We want to spread the word as widely as possible, so we’re very proud to announce the arrival of our online leadership storytelling course. We’ve delivered training alongside our organisational narrative development consulting for many...
Member News
BCRS Business Loans allocated £20m by the British Business Bank to support businesses across the West Midlands and Wales
Community lender BCRS Business Loans has been allocated £20m by the British Business Bank to support underserved small businesses across the West Midlands and Wales. Wolverhampton-based BCRS Business Loans is the sixth lender to be accredited by the British Business...
University of Worcester Shortlisted for Two WhatUni Student Choice Awards
The University of Worcester has been shortlisted for two awards in the WhatUni Student Choice Awards 2026: Career Prospects and Halls and Student Accommodation. The shortlistings reflect the University’s strong commitment to providing an outstanding student...
Patron & Strategic News
‘Inspiring’ Worcester Graduate’s Free Physiotherapy Clinic Passes 120 Appointments as Funding Extended into 2027
A University of Worcester graduate who set up a free physiotherapy clinic for local residents says he’s delighted after receiving an extension of community funding that will allow the service to continue into next year. Physiotherapy graduate Oliver Nightingale, who...
Wyevale Nurseries offers expert advice for retail customers on plants that can tolerant climate change
WYEVALE Nurseries is providing free expert advice this year on plants garden centres can offer customers that will both survive very wet and drought conditions (February 2026). As one of the UK’s longest established commercial horticultural businesses, the...
Chamber News
Inflation Drops, However Remains at a Historic High Level.
Inflation has dropped again, to 6.8% from 7.9% in June. This is welcome news to businesses that have been hit hard by constant pressures from price rises for many months. However, inflation remains at historically high levels and is significantly below the 2% target...
Cutting Costs, Creating Culture
Recruiting can be difficult. Really difficult, at times. With the myriad of recruitment and selection opportunities available to hiring managers, the process can easily get costly, both financially and on the increasingly limited time resources of a HR team. You...
Our Latest Member
New Member Profile – Introducing LimeliteHR & Learning
Hi! I’m Lisa, Founder of Limelite, a values-led, commercial and creative HR and learning solutions provider in the Worcestershire area and nationwide. I founded Limelite with a passion to bring our unique approach to HR and Learning to help build amazing...
New Member Profile – Introducing LimeliteHR & Learning
Hi! I’m Lisa, Founder of Limelite, a values-led, commercial and creative HR and learning solutions provider in the Worcestershire area and nationwide. I founded Limelite with a passion to bring our unique approach to HR and Learning to help build amazing...
Policy News
Specialist Professional Advisor Programme set to return for a third time
The Worcestershire Growth Hub has confirmed that the Specialist Professional Advisor Programme is back for a third wave. This programme allows businesses to access specialist advice from professional external experts. These specialist advisors will be able to help and...
BCC Economic Forecast: New PM must act as UK economy set for recession before year end
The BCC expects the UK economy to plunge into recession before the end of 2022, with inflation spiking to 14% and lingering weakness in growth expected to continue into 2024 UK Economic Outlook – 2022 The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has again downgraded its...
Skills News
EU Settlement Scheme Reopens for Applications
Home Office support services and application routes associated with the EU Settlement Scheme have now all fully reopened in line with public health guidance. This includes the reopening of the postal route for submitting identity documents for applicants who are...
#SeptemberPromise for all young people
The Association of Colleges is predicting that half of the new labour market entrants (approximately 100,000 16 to 25 year olds) will struggle to find meaningful employment as the economic shocks of COVID19 continue to be felt. For this year’s school and college...
Charity News
Mike Keel to retire as St Michael’s Hospice Chief Executive
The Chief Executive of St Michael’s Hospice has announced his retirement after eight years at the helm. Mike Keel will leave his role at the Bartestree-based Hospice at the end of this month. During his tenure, Mr Keel has overseen the charity’s extended reach to the...
‘A Leap of Faith’ Charity Skydive for The Courtyard
Four supporters of The Courtyard are taking their own leap of faith for Leap Year by jumping 15,000ft in a tandem skydive in May to raise funds for Herefordshire’s much loved community arts charity, celebrating its 25th anniversary year. Chief Executive Ian Archer,...
Sticky Inflation Keeps Rates on Hold
Responding to the latest interest rate decision by the Bank of England, David Bharier, Head of Research at the British Chambers of Commerce said: “Today’s decision to hold interest rates at 4% was widely expected, especially after yesterday’s figures confirmed...
BCC News
Sticky Inflation Keeps Rates on Hold
Responding to the latest interest rate decision by the Bank of England, David Bharier, Head of Research at the British Chambers of Commerce said: “Today’s decision to hold interest rates at 4% was widely expected, especially after yesterday’s figures confirmed...
Worcestershire News
Ballards LLP Expands Marketing and Business Development Team
Worcestershire based professional services firm, Ballards LLP, is making significant strides in bolstering its Marketing and Business Development team. Ballards specialise in accounting, taxation, and business advisory services, ensuring that they are well equipped to...
Grand opening of new electrical training centre at Worcester Community Trust’s inaugural annual celebration event
More than 80 members of the local community came together on Thursday 28 September to celebrate the impact that local charity Worcester Community Trust has had during 2022 and 2023. The charity runs six community hubs throughout Worcester, as well as wide range of...
Herefordshire News
Marches businesses invited to apply for grants of up to £1million before March deadline
Businesses across the Marches are being urged to move quickly to take advantage of a hugely successful funding programme which has helped create almost 500 new jobs and establish six new businesses. The Business Growth Programme (BGP2) has awarded almost £4.5million...
Pippin Copywriting sponsors NMITE Masterclass with Andrew Haines, CEO of Network Rail
NMITE’s latest Masterclass: Lessons in Leadership was sponsored by Chamber member Pippin Copywriting Ltd. The Masterclass, held on 2 February, was with Andrew Haines, OBE, CEO of Network Rail, and featured an audience Q&A. Catherine Every, Director of Pippin...
All Latest News
REHAU Decarbonises District Heating Deliveries by Fuelling Lorries with HVO
REHAU has improved the end-to-end sustainability of its district heating business by considering the impact of product delivery, switching to powering 85% of its lorries with hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in partnership with CEVA Logistics. Recent UK government...
NMITE AND THE BRITISH ARMY UNVEIL DETAIL OF THE NEW UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE IN AUTONOMOUS ROBOTICS
Event attended by Al Carns MP, Minister for the Armed Forces 21 January 2026 – Following on from the December announcement of its new Autonomous Robotics degree, the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) hosted an event today in conjunction...
Ballards strengthens private client capability with senior tax partner hire
(from left to right): Tim Lynch, Private Client Tax Partner, Martin Adams, Head of tax. Ballards LLP has appointed Tim Lynch as Private Client Tax Partner, strengthening its senior advisory capability as part of the firm’s long term growth strategy across...
Business Rates Anxiety Hits Record High
A third of firms (34%) are worried about their business rates, the highest level since 2017. Concern is highest in the hospitality sector (49%), with manufacturing (44%) and logistics (43%) close behind. In 2024, 27% of firms said they had scaled back or...
Few Signs For Optimism In Labour Market
Reacting to the latest labour market data from the ONS published this morning, Patrick Milnes, Head of People and Work Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “The latest data indicate businesses are still not feeling confident about taking on more staff or...
Inflation Waters Remain Choppy
Responding to the latest inflation data, published by the Office for National Statistics, Stuart Morrison, Research Manager at the British Chambers of Commerce said: “Today’s data is a stark reminder that the UK inflation waters remain choppy. “With CPI rising to 3.4%...
Want to submit a story?
If you would like to read our guide to submitting a story click here