The team at business support hub Vulcan Works are welcoming applications for the second cohort of their successful entrepreneurial incubation programme.Vulcan Creatives launched earlier this year to support would-be entrepreneurs in Northamptonshire.The free, six-month programme, funded by West Northamptonshire Council and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), supports ambitious individuals to create business plans and learn the skills needed to succeed in the world of entrepreneurship.In the first cohort, 10 businesses were selected to work with Vulcan Works onsite business growth manager Darren Smith to either turn their ideas into viable businesses or grow their fledgling enterprises.Preference was given to...

29 August, 2024

Smartbox Self Storage, a family-owned business, is proud to announce the grand opening of its newest self-storage facility in Desborough. This modern facility offers a range of storage units from 40 square feet to 160 square feet, designed to meet the diverse needs of both residential and business customers in the area. To celebrate the opening, Smartbox is offering a 50% discount for the first two months for all new customers.Located in the heart of Desborough, Smartbox Self Storage provides a convenient and secure solution for those needing extra space, whether for personal belongings, business inventory, or seasonal items. With...

29 August, 2024

A brand-new café-bar will be opening in Northampton’s thriving cultural quarter this September. Based at Royal & Derngate, and situated on the corner of Guildhall Road and Swan Street, Lola’s Bar will be the new go-to place for lunch meetings, dinner dates, social gatherings and, of course, pre- and post-theatre refreshments.Operated by Bad Butler Hospitality in collaboration with Royal & Derngate, Lola’s will open in early September, initially offering drinks including cocktails, wine and beers, along with speciality coffee. Pastries and cakes will also be available during the day. The full food menu will launch later in the autumn, offering...

29 August, 2024

Judges have been hard at work evaluating and shortlisting finalists in the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards’ venue categories - Booker Gastro Pub of the Year, Community Café of the Year, Restaurant of the Year and World Cuisine Restaurant of the Year.After final Mystery Shopping visits, winners will be announced at the Awards ceremony in October.Recognising and celebrating excellence in the sector’s brilliant people, places and produce, the competition for these widely recognised categories grows bigger each year, as teams from all around the county recognise just how much winning can mean, to even the most established chef, café, pub or restaurant.Rachel Mallows MBE, Awards Director said: “As well as highlighting a commitment...

27 August, 2024

Trilogy Active’s Duston Sports Centre is set to become the first leisure centre in West Northants to join The Chatty Cafe Scheme - reducing loneliness to get people chatting!The 'Chatter & Natter table' launches on Friday 30 August from 9am – 1pm, and will be held at this day and time on a weekly basis.The Chatty Café Scheme is the UK’s leading non-profit organisation tackling loneliness. West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has 23 face-to-face meet-ups where venues offer ‘Chatter and Natter’ tables, where customers can get together and chat.Cllr Matt Golby, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Adult...

27 August, 2024

Northamptonshire membership organisation, NNBN has joined forces with the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce, to support entrepreneurship in Kettering, Corby and Wellingborough by partnering with Tresham College, part of The Bedford College Group, for an exciting enterprise programme starting in September.The programme will see an overview of entrepreneurship delivered by lecturers within the College, local business owners engage with college students and share their entrepreneurial journeys by providing real life experience of what its like to start a business and some of the challenges they’ve faced along the way and ending with an Enterprise Awards ceremony to recognise their efforts at...

27 August, 2024

The works on Fish Street, as part of a wider regeneration project to Northampton town centre, are well underway with new lettering cementing the rejuvenation of this part of the town.West Northamptonshire Council is working with Kier Transportation to carry out vital works to enhance the appearance of Abington Street and Fish Street. Since March, nearly 900m2 of paving has been installed on Fish Street, along with an improved drainage system and fish themed paving designs.This project will lift the quality of the public spaces through high quality materials, increasing seating and planting, introducing new art and play opportunities along...

22 August, 2024

Together with the University of Northampton, the South Midlands Growth Hub is proud to present Network & Learn: Supporting Sustainable Development using Lego® Serious Play® (LSP)This month, they’re showcasing the impact “playful thinking” can have on businesses looking to start, develop and grow their sustainability initiatives.This interactive session will utilise creative thinking, problem-solving, and unconsciousness to find sustainable solutions, all while using Lego ® bricks.Lego ® Serious Play ® is a proven method used to facilitate deep thinking and creativity to overcome complex business challenges. It uses the famous Lego ® brick to build models that represent your ideas, thoughts,...

22 August, 2024

Northamptonshire membership organisation, NNBN is the latest organisation to support the fight against cyber crime in the East Midlands by becoming a friend of the EMCRC.The East Midlands Cyber Resilience Centre is a collaboration between police, business and academia working together to protect our SME organisations, and in so doing making the online sphere safer for all to do business. The CRC model is acclaimed by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) and is replicated across the country in each region, forming a thriving network of Police led Cyber Resilience Centres each delivering essential cyber resilience services, guidance and education.With cyber crime...

22 August, 2024

Business owners across West Northants are invited to a free forum aimed at health, safety and wellbeing within the workplace.The event, taking place on Friday 27 September between 9am and 1pm, at The Hub, Drift Drive in Crick (NN6 7GZ), is an opportunity for new and established businesses to listen to a series of speakers on the following topics:Workplace wellbeing toolkit – West Northamptonshire Council’s Health Improvement service Wellbeing, diversity and inclusion within Wickes Unforeseen safety risk (and solution) to decarbonising forklift truck fleets with Travis Perkins Warrens The JourneyOrganised by West Northamptonshire Council’s Regulatory Services and Warrens at...

22 August, 2024

Luxury home lifestyle store Bell of Northampton has been announced as finalists for Retail Business of the Year and Website of the Year categories in the SME National Business Awards.The store on Kingsthorpe Road, which has been a fixture in Northampton for 125 years, invested £14,000 to redevelop their website - www.abell.co.uk- earlier this year, working with Northampton-based Supplyant to create an online shopping destination which gives customers all the inspiration they need to create their dream home.Having already walked away with the coveted Website of the Year award at the SME Northamptonshire Awards in May 2024, the company is...

22 August, 2024