We are calling on the public to show their support for local small businesses this year, as Small Business Saturday approaches NEXT SATURDAY.Taking place on Saturday, (7th December), Small Business Saturday is a national initiative designed to encourage shoppers to explore and support independent businesses within their communities.Small businesses are the backbone of Northamptonshire’s economy, contributing to job creation, innovation, and the overall prosperity of the County and NNBN, which connects small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Northamptonshire, is urging local residents to spend locally and spread the word about the vital services and products offered by small businesses.NNBN encourages...

01 December, 2024

The holiday season is just around the corner and Northampton’s revitalised Market Square is ready to celebrate! After the incredible success of the re-opening celebration in October, West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is excited to unveil Christmas on the Market Square, a magical line-up of festive activities designed to spread Christmas cheer among residents and families while supporting our local businesses and market traders.🎄 Saturday, 7 December – Elf Takeover and Grinch-y Surprise! Get ready for fun-filled activities from 11am to 3pm, as the Market Square is taken over by elves performing stilt-walking, juggling, and face painting. A mischievous Grinch-inspired character will...

28 November, 2024

A group of volunteers has been recognised for their hard work and dedication in helping those in need within the Corby community, by picking up the Volunteer award at this year’s Spirit of Corby Awards.The volunteers at Corby Foodbank, who distribute three-day emergency, non-perishable food parcels to local people in food crisis, collected the award at a heart-warming ceremony held at the Best Western Rockingham Forest Hotel, Corby on Friday 22nd November.Organised by Corby Town Council, the Awards celebrate the very best of Corby’s community, as nominated by the people of the town.The Volunteer Spirit of Corby Award recognises an...

28 November, 2024

December kicks off next week with a festive fundraising fun run for Cynthia Spencer Hospice.The charity is hosting a Virtual Reindeer Run in the lead up to Christmas, in which anyone can sign up to take part in the race wearing reindeer antlers.Choose your own date, location and distance to make it suit all ages and abilities. You can walk, skip or jog if running isn’t for you.All participants will receive a pair of reindeer antlers and anyone who raises £50 or more in sponsorship, will receive a medal.Schools are also encouraged to take part, with two Northamptonshire primary schools...

28 November, 2024

The second cohort of an innovative business incubation programme in Northamptonshire has been revealed in a celebratory launch event.Vulcan Creatives established last year to support aspiring entrepreneurs hoping to establish a new business or grow their existing ideas.The initiative is a free six-month plan run by the team at Northampton’s award-winning serviced workspace, Vulcan Works, and includes skills-based workshops, peer-led support and advice clinics.The entrepreneurs chosen for round two of the scheme were unveiled during an official kick off meeting at Vulcan Works on Tuesday, 26th November.First up was Adam Lee, whose idea to launch a Northampton-based speciality coffee brand...

28 November, 2024

A local foodbank is set to benefit from a winter food collection being held at Tesco Extra on St James Road, Corby from Thursday 28th-Saturday 30th November.A donation station will be set up in store for Corby Foodbank as part of Tesco’s national, annual event, which takes place to support charities Fareshare and Trussell to help provide food essentials to people in the local community this Christmas time.Part of Trussell, an anti-poverty charity and community of food banks, Corby Foodbank will use the donations collected to distribute three-day emergency, non-perishable food parcels to local people in food crisis.In 2023, the...

27 November, 2024

A leading financial planning firm has won a prestigious award recognising inspirational, innovative and high growth businesses.O’Sullivan Financial Planning won the much-coveted Pinnacle Award at the Northamptonshire Business Awards on Friday night, hosted by Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce.The Pinnacle Award, sponsored by Wilson Browne Solicitors, recognises a “leading light in business: a person or business who inspires, a disruptor, an innovator, has shown exceptional growth, or ideally a combination of it all”.Unlike the other awards during the ceremony, the Pinnacle Award does not have finalists. Instead, the judges pick a winner from the entries to all categories.O’Sullivan Financial Planning was...

27 November, 2024

The team at Vulcan Works in Northampton are hoping to walk away from Wembley with a national business award next week.Vulcan Works won the Gold Positive Impact Award at the SME Northamptonshire Business Awards in May, after judges praised the business support hub for ‘innovating and adapting their business to not only thrive but benefit the wider community’.The win, which celebrated the positive impact that the serviced workspace has had on the county since opening its doors in February 2023, automatically saw Vulcan Works put forward for the national ceremony, the SME National Business Awards 2024, on Friday 6th December...

27 November, 2024

A Northamptonshire asbestos consultancy has appointed a new contracts manager.Joe Bell joined the ranks at Acorn Analytical Services as a trainee surveyor in 2016, aged just 21. He responded to a LinkedIn advert and was enticed by the promise of nationwide travel and a company car.In the eight years since then, he has trained to become a qualified surveyor and then an asbestos consultant, before his latest promotion to contracts manager.Joe believes his career progression highlights the award-winning company’s dedication to its staff.Joe said: “When I first started, I didn’t expect to be at this stage so soon, but Acorn...

26 November, 2024

The MP for Northampton South has visited the kitchens of an award-winning town centre curry house to meet the chef named the best in the region.Mike Reader saw at first-hand how Abdul Hye makes his ‘Vegetable Volcano’ dish – a staple on the menu at Saffron in Castilian Street.Abdul was named the winner of the East Midlands Chef of the Year at the Bangladesh Caterers Association awards at a lavish ceremony in London last month.During the visit, Abdul was presented with a letter from the Labour MP, which read:“I am writing to extend my heartfelt congratulations on your outstanding achievement...

26 November, 2024

A new grants scheme for community groups and charities in north Northamptonshire is now open for applications – all part of a project designed to improve physical and mental health and support people and community groups to grow their own food, as well as cook and eat more healthily.Groundwork Northamptonshire’s ‘Grow Cook Eat’ project – funded by Public Health North Northamptonshire – was first launched in 2022 and is set to run for a further two years.Along with a host of events and workshops, Grow Cook Eat includes a funding stream, with grants of up to £3,000 available for community...

26 November, 2024