We're delighted to have been awarded a contract to deliver a series of short training programmes for Blaenau Gwent and Caerphilly Councils' Social Care Workforce Development Team.
The training covers four areas:

• Creating a vision
• Becoming an inspiring leader
• Leadership and team dynamics
• Coaching and mentoring
• Managing people performance

Delivery takes place during February and March - we're very much looking forward to it!

We will be running one of our problem-solving sessions for SME owners and managers at a conference organised by the Chartered Management Institute on the 7th October.

The event is on the 7th October in Cullompton, Devon. It has been designed to be an interactive conference that will make you think as you explore your individual strengths, life balance, communication, networking, working smarter and personal productivity in the 21st Century.

For more information, and to book your place, go to the Chartered Management Institute's event page.

We are proud to announce that we have recently become a business support provider on the West of England Growth Hub, helping our local business community to grow sustainably.
The resource works by creating a two way referral and collaboration process between the West of England Growth Hub and the existing local business support infrastructure. Finding the help that you need in a quick and easy manner has always been a challenge for businesses, the West of England Growth Hub gives us the opportunity to offer our support and expertise.
This fresh approach by the West of England Growth Hub will be a unique offering nationally and we are excited to be involved in this prospect. The West of England Growth Hub will facilitate access to the most appropriate local providers, via a tailored, intuitive website journey. This is all based upon extensive research and wide consultation with local businesses. The West of England Growth Hub’s unique approach ensures that everything they do reflects the voice of businesses; and the community is at the heart of all it does.
The West of England Growth Hub is powered by Business West for The West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
For more information and to see how you can get involved, visit 
www.wearegrowth.co.uk or email: info@wearegrowth.co.uk.

For several years we have been supporting Working Knowledge, a social enterprise committed to creating chances for young people to open doors into employment. During the one-day events the students are asked to develop a strategy to grow a business. They experience a series of facilitated workshops that help them develop a range of employability skills and an understanding of key business skills. These workshops are supported by 'Businesss Volunteer': local business leaders and entrepreneurs who act as mentors and advisers to the students.
Similar exercises are also run for college staff, and it was one of these events that our Managing Partner (John Baker) supported last month at Weston College.
If you'd like to find out more about Working Knowledge, or would like to become a Business Volunteer, take a look at their website.