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New centre to boost business
in Liverpool
ENTREPRENEURS and small businesses in
Liverpool are set to benefit from a new specialised service dedicated to helping
them succeed, that was launch on Thursday, 29 January 2015, at the Central
Library, Liverpool.
The launch of the Business and IP Centre is just 1 of just 7 in the UK. The
service which is based on the successful British Library model, will give access
to a wealth of free advice and support, giving people the opportunity to take
advantage of free intellectual property and business information and expertise.
The resource will be officially opened by Councillor Gary Millar, Cabinet Member
for Business, Enterprise and Investment.
Councillor Millar said:- "This is a hugely exciting initiative which will
enable people to protect, research and commercialise their ideas. Liverpool is a
City full to the brim with business-savvy entrepreneurs who may have great
ideas, but some are unsure whether they can be protected. Our new centre will
provide them with invaluable advice and support, giving them confidence in their
idea and helping them take the next steps to make it a reality. You just have to
look at last year's International Festival for Business to see how this City
values this sector, and we firmly believe that this City is one of the best in
the UK to set up and grow a business."
The Business and IP Centre will provide free access to business databases,
market research reports, company data and technical standards along with
information on patents, trademarks, designs and copyright. Each month, there
will be a programme of free workshops, speed mentoring sessions and networking
events delivered by business experts. These will focus on a wide range of topics
including starting up, marketing, finance as well as how intellectual property
can protect products, brands and designs.
The City Council is working in partnership with Liverpool Vision, Liverpool
Chamber of Commerce and the British Library in London to bring the exciting
initiative to the City.
It has been part funded through the Department for Communities and Local
Government and Arts Council England 'Enterprising Libraries' programme which is
transforming libraries into enterprise hubs in their local communities.
The funding has enabled Liverpool's Central Library to boost their database
collections and train up their staff to support small businesses.
Some of the organisations giving out advice include intellectual property law
experts W.P Thompson, the Women's Organisation which delivers training and
support and St Helens Chamber which specialises in business support and
enterprise development.
Tony O'Neill, Head of Business Growth for Liverpool Vision, said:-
"Central Library's services to business have always been a bit of a hidden gem
in the City. This partnership between the City's leading business agencies and
the British Library will give the centre the profile it deserves – it will
provide a tremendous resource to businesses from fresh start ups to established
companies."
The 1st Business and IP Centre opened in the British Library in London in 2006.
Since then it has helped more than 400,000 entrepreneurs and helped create an
average of 550 businesses and 1,200 jobs every year. Research shows that only 1
in 10 companies helped by the London Business and IP Centre fail after year 3,
compared with 4 in 10 across the UK.
Roly Keating, Chief Executive of the British Library, said:- "Libraries
have a significant role to play in underpinning innovation and supporting
enterprise, as proven by the success of the 1st Business and IP Centre since it
opened at the British Library almost 10 years ago. The opening of this new
Business and IP Centre in Liverpool is the final landmark in our 1st Phase of
expansion, with 7 Business and IP Centres now open. Our vision is to have 20
such Centres by the end of the decade, offering entrepreneurs across the UK a
trusted, open place in their local area to get inspiration, information or
advice on starting their business."
Liverpool's Business and IP Centre will now join 5 other Centres created in City
Libraries over the past 2 years in Birmingham, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester and
Sheffield. |
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Liverpool City
Region Combined Authority on track for delivery
MEMBERS of the Liverpool
City Region Combined Authority were updated, on Friday, 23 January
2015, on the significant progress being made to improve the local
economy, jobs and transport across the City Region (Merseyside).
The 1st Phase of funding from the Growth Deal, totalling £232
million, will be released to fund 3 schemes, with a total cost of
£28 million, to commence in 2015 to 2016 – A5300 Knowsley
Expressway, Knowsley Industrial Park and the Newton-Le-Willows
Interchange. These projects alone with create 1,329 jobs in the
region and increase economic output by £79 million per year.
A summary of the other transport
schemes was presented including work on the M62, M53 and Windle
Island.
In total, transport schemes prioritized by the City Region have
received £900m of funding since the submission of the Growth Deal in
2014. These schemes, to be delivered over the next 10 years, will
enable businesses to grow and create jobs by removing transport
blockages and creating new links.
The Growth Deal also secured £41 million of skills capital funding
for the City Region, which has been allocated in 4 strands; sites
and premises (£23.6 million), improved facilities (£4 million),
equipment (£7 million) and low carbon fund. Further education and
training providers can bid for this funding, with the 1st schemes
due to go live in the summer.
Freight and logistics is a key growth sector in the City Region and
the development of a Freight Strategy was endorsed.
Cllr Phil Davies, Chair of the Liverpool City Region Combined
Authority, said:- "I was delighted to welcome Cllr David
Westley from West Lancashire Borough Council as an associate member
to our recent meeting. I am sure he could see the real benefits we
are delivering here in the City Region on strategic priority areas
such as transport and economic growth. This meeting clearly
demonstrates the improvements and tremendous work we have delivered
in a short period of time."
The next meeting of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
will take on Friday, 13 February 2015.
Safer streets
are a right priority for next Government say older people in North
West
POTENTIAL measures to make
walking on the streets safer and easier are a right priority for the
next Government, according to 60% of people aged 65 and over living
in the North West. These are the results of a YouGov poll
commissioned by Living Streets and published on 27 January 2015. The
majority (85%) of respondents in the North West say they enjoy
getting fresh air when walking outside in the UK, but over ½ (51%)
of those surveyed say they are put off by broken or cracked
pavements. Shockingly, of those who have never been hit by a vehicle
when crossing a road in the UK in the last 5 years, 52% feel there
is a medium or high risk of this happening. An Active Travel Bill
including measures to tackle pavement parking, lower traffic speeds
and allow more time to cross at pedestrian crossing, would make
walking safer and easier for everyone, but particularly for more
vulnerable pedestrians, says the national charity. Living Streets'
Chief Executive, Joe Irvin, said:- "We know these are
important issues for older people in the area, which put them off
walking and prevent them getting out and about. Walking is a great
way to stay healthy, active and independent in our later years, but
people need to feel confident they can do so safely. Living Streets
is encouraging older people to tell their local parliamentary
candidates that these concerns need to be addressed with a
commitment to legislation if they are going to secure the
'grey vote'." In the run up to the General
Election in May, people can use campaign resources from the Living
Streets
website to question their local
parliamentary candidates or run their own local campaigns.
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