31 Dec 2023 WHAT A YEAR!

It’s been an incredible year for NNBN and our members and we would like to thank you all for your support during the last year.

Firstly, we like to thank our members who continue to support NNBN and at this point, I can tell you that there is more to come in 2024 to add value to you, your organisations and the NNBN Member community so watch this space! We are delighted you opted to join NNBN and thank you for your continued support.

Thank you also to those who have supported NNBN this year as well, we will continue to build on the success of 2023 to add even more value to Northamptonshire as a County in 2024 and we can’t wait for the New Year to begin!

The NNBN Awards are an amazing addition to the Northamptonshire community and thank you to everyone who supported the Awards. We go again in 2024! Well done to all the Awards Winners, Runners Up and Highly Commended achievers – entries open on 1st April 2024 BTW!!! Thank you to our Event Sponsors Wilson Browne Solicitors, Headline Sponsors Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce, Poppy Design Studio and North Northamptonshire Council once again as well as all our other sponsors – without you all, we couldn’t have made the event happen so we appreciate your support.

Our other main highlight of 2023 was the day the Northamptonshire business community joined together for the visit of the Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake on the worst weather day this year in the County! 106 people battled through the snow to be in the room that day and to engage with the Minister over business concerns, challenges and raising questions to him on behalf of member organisations, small businesses and local entrepreneurs. Thank you again to Kevin Rogers, Sean Rose and Jessica Pilkington for their support on the day.

We supported other business awards by sponsoring categories in the Northants Life and Northamptonshire Education Awards, we supported the Northamptonshire Business Awards and the Northamptonshire Community Foundation Awards and NNBN were media partners for this year’s Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards as well as a judge. We look forward to continuing our supporting in 2024 and celebrating success on a wider scale across the County.

NNBN was unveiled as an Anchor Institution in Northamptonshire and we proudly sit as a member alongside well known organisations in the County working together to tackle societal challenges and continue our hard work in the community. We also signed the Northampton Sustainability Accord, supported the NN Climate Conference, organised NN Start Up Day, supported Tresham College (Part of The Bedford College Group) looking at how we can tackle the skills challenges on a local level.

Talking of skills, we were also delighted to be invited to join the Executive Group of the Local Skills Improvement Plan at the start of 2023 and play a role in this group of people all driving forwards to work on closing skills gaps. We must continue this going into 2024 and the future.

Our Membership continues to grow and we’re delighted to be a County-wide organisation working with members across Northamptonshire. We would like to thank our venues, Kettering Park Hotel & Spa, The Chester House Estate, Northampton Town Centre Hotel and Delapré Abbey for looking after us this year with our network meetings and our two workshop venues, Vulcan Works Creative Hub and the Holiday Inn Express Kettering where the education takes place for our members around certain topics.

We are delighted that our position within Northamptonshire enables us to engage with a number of key stakeholders, leaders and inspirational people and long may this continue. We will continue to work with Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce, BIPC Northamptonshire, North Northamptonshire Council and West Northamptonshire Council to help play a part in driving the County forward as well as continue our membership with local business organisations to ensure that we play our part in supporting business growth.

On a national level, we will continue to work with the Organisation for Responsible Businesses, where Simon is a Member of the National Member Council, SME Climate Hub, The Micro Business Alliance, Office of the Small Business Commissioner and promoting the Prompt Payment Code, Disability Confident, Good Business Charter and other organisations where we have shared values.

So to 2024, well watch this space starting with news this week!