Brackmills staff, businesses and customers have made a Christmas wish – to provide parcels of food and other essentials to Northampton homeless charity The Hope Centre.Brackmills Industrial Estate Business Improvement District (BID), which represents and champions the views and priorities of the Northampton estate’s 180 plus businesses, is spearheading this campaign – encouraging and supporting resident businesses to collect and donate goodies in time for this Christmas.BID CEO Sara Homer, also a proud trustee at the Hope Centre, explained: "We have specially designed carboard donation boxes which the BID team are dropping off to businesses across Brackmills. Employees can then...

15 November, 2023

As the mercury dips from autumn to winter, businesses must brace for the seasonal occurrence of extreme weather, including storms, heavy rain, and flooding. All of these seasonal challenges pose risks to business continuity and failing to prepare for these challenges can lead to significant disruption.The infamous 'Beast from the East' and ‘Storm Arwen’ are stark reminders of the havoc that winter weather can cause, leaving buildings without power and operations halted for days on end.Being Prepared for WinterResearch shows that only about 27% of small businesses in the UK have a business continuity plan (BCP) in place (Source),  It's...

14 November, 2023

Kettering has welcomed a new centre for business growth and innovation as Regus Grafton Court opened its doors today. This addition to the Kettering community aims to offer modern office solutions to entrepreneurs, startups, and established businesses. Situated in Kettering Venture Park, Regus Grafton Court is conveniently located near the A14, poised to become a key player in the local business scene.Imagine a workspace designed to foster your business ambitions, where every amenity is tailored to help you succeed. Regus Grafton Court is providing such a space to the Kettering community.Why Regus Grafton Court?The business landscape is evolving, and so...

14 November, 2023

The new director in charge of the day-to-day running of a popular town centre restaurant is celebrating his first award win since taking over the family business.Nahim Islam, aged 23, has recently taken a more prominent role at Saffron in Castilian Street, taking the reins from his dad, Naz. He has already followed in his multi-award-winning father’s footsteps, bagging a coveted title at the 2023 Northamptonshire Business Excellence Awards.Saffron was named the winner of the Food & Drink category at the ceremony, hosted by comedian Rob Beckett and staged at Northamptonshire County Cricket Club.For Nahim, a recent graduate with a...

14 November, 2023

Northamptonshire Membership organisation NNBN is encouraging local businesses and business leaders in the North of the County to attend the forthcoming NNCLIMATE23.Led by North Northamptonshire Council, the third NNCLIMATE virtual conference takes place live on You Tube with speakers throughout the day around three key areas: Farming and Sustainability, Towards A New Green Economy and Youth and Community.Joining the Conference this year will be winners of The Green Award at this year’s NNBN Awards, Ball Beverage Packaging, TopHat creators of homes with a sustainable core as well as a host of other speakers who will be sharing the work they...

14 November, 2023

Following on from a visit by HRH The Duke of Gloucester last week and having welcomed students in September, The Corby Sixth Form has officially been opened by Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of North Northamptonshire Council and Tom Pursglove, MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire.Last week, students and a small group of stakeholders welcomed HRH The Duke of Gloucester for an official visit, where accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire they were given a tour of the facilities, met with students and heard more about the project.Following on from this visit, the site was officially opened by Cllr Jason...

14 November, 2023

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has launched a competitive commissioning round to identify partners to deliver key elements of its multi-million-pound investment plan which will benefit the local economy and support businesses’ sustainability goals.The Council is inviting suppliers to submit tenders to deliver two leading projects; Decarbonisation and Growth & Innovation. Both projects have been allocated £625k from the Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). The Fund, which is managed for the Government by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities supports the Government’s levelling up agenda.Among the plans for the UKSPF funding include providing business support and revenue grants...

13 November, 2023

Small Business Saturday is back again and celebrating its 11th anniversary on Saturday 2 December, and to support local businesses we are offering FREE parking across all Northampton town centre carparks on this day, in addition to free parking in Daventry, Towcester and Brackley town centres.Small Business Saturday aims to highlight small business success and encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ and support small businesses in their communities all year round.The national day itself takes place on the first Saturday in December each year, but the campaign aims to have a lasting impact on all small businesses across the UK.To help...

13 November, 2023

The learning team at Chester House Estate has launched a new outreach programme, working with Northamptonshire schools and teachers to take the estate’s unique history into classrooms.Chester House Estate is a nationally significant heritage site and one of the few places in the country that can demonstrate over 10,000 years of human activity.Its new outreach programme has been carefully designed to align with the national curriculum and to support schools by providing a host of workshops for all ages – from Early Year through to secondary school age.Cllr Helen Howell, North Northamptonshire Council’s Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Sport,...

12 November, 2023

Plans for the future running of North Northamptonshire Council’s household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) will be discussed by the authority’s Executive next week.The Council currently runs four HWRCs: Corby, Kettering, Rushden and Wellingborough, which are operated on a legacy former county council contract due to expire in March 2025.Recommendations before Executive are to start the procurement of a contract to run all four of the HWRCs from April 2025 for up to a period of 15 years.The approach is the most cost-effective solution, which provides a continuation of a much-needed service to residents.Cllr Matt Binley, North Northamptonshire Council’s Executive Member...

10 November, 2023

THE chance to conquer three peaks, covering a distance of 21 miles in just ten hours was the huge challenge facing two members of the team from luxury lifestyle store Bell of Northampton.Director Dave Richardson and Bathroom and Tile Manager, Parshin Pourmozafari took part in the challenge to help raise money for Cynthia Spencer Hospice and the Northampton Hope Centre as part of the iconic Northampton store’s 125th anniversary.To date, the pair has raised more than £1,600 for the local causes which are close to the hearts of everyone at Bell.Dave said: “We have both spent time out in the...

10 November, 2023