At the first Newark Business Club meeting of 2021, members mourned the death of Jenny Gadsby, of Yours 4 A Day Ltd, writes Lisa Harrison, of LJH Copywriting.

One member said: “Jenny lit up any room she was in.”

On a lighter note, business club chairman Kerri McGarrigle announced four new opportunities for members to be part of the Newark Business Club executive team.

Anyone wanting to be the new chairman, vice-chairman, treasurer or head of Action Group should contact Kerri at chairman@newarkbusinessclub.org.uk

Newark and Sherwood District Council sponsored the meeting and presenting ‘Responding to Covid’ were Coun David Lloyd, Matt Lamb and Neil Cuttell.

They said the council will guide businesses through the new grant application process that Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, recently announced. They’re also striving to include those businesses that don’t have to consider rateable values.

Coun Lloyd said they’re optimistic that the Town Investment Plan is going to be successful. It will be vital in generating confidence in the local area and unlocking projects such as the transformation of the former Marks & Spencer store on Stodman Street, Newark.

The team will continue guiding pubs, restaurants, retailers and other businesses through the grips of the pandemic.

The council has recognised that the Covid-19 pandemic is negatively impacting younger people’s future, which is why it was keen to promote its Kickstart project. The initiative has seen over 50 young people sign up, ready to start their local industry careers.

The team took business members through the council’s 2021-2026 economic growth strategy.

The strategy focuses on:
Geography and areas of need
Infrastructure and potential growth
Accelerating growth in key areas
Upskilling and reskilling the labour market
Diversifying town centres

By focusing on these areas of priority, the council hopes to achieve a range of meaningful outcomes and impacts, including:
3,900 new jobs
New town centre homes
600 further education places
Increase in visitor spend

To find out more about the 2021 business events schedule and the council-led services, visit: www.newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk/investnewarksherwood/ or email info@investnewarkandsherwood.co.uk.

The Strengths Practice
Ali Morris, from The Strengths Practice, talked about grief and its impact on business.

She said many things, from job losses to freedom restrictions, have been causing people to grieve. It’s the most significant risk in business, impacting team management and decision making.

For help with grief recovery, you can contact Ali at ali@thestrengthspractice.com or visit www.thestrengthspractice.bzo-staging.co.uk for more information.

Supporting small business growth
Dr Lynn Oxborrow, from Nottingham Business School (part of Nottingham Trent University), shared information regarding its Small Business Leadership Programme.

Focusing on helping businesses grow, the school has been helping 300 companies since March 2020, and they’re all moving forward. Lynn explained that the pandemic had provoked them into doing things differently.

The loss of certainty, how to move a business forward and manage a team are all concerns impacting small enterprises during the pandemic. If you feel like you could benefit from Nottingham Business School’s help, email grow@ntu.ac.uk

Highways England and the A46
Karen Green, project manager at Highways England, updated members on the A46 Newark Bypass and its current status. The scheme was given the go-ahead in March 2020 as part of the Government’s Road Investment Strategy.

Two options have been shortlisted following a thorough option identification process. Both options would:

Widen the A46 to a dual carriageway to provide two lanes in each direction between the Farndon and Winthorpe Junctions
Include a new link and a new bridge over the A1 to the north of the existing bridge
Improve access to the A1 by removing A46 through-traffic from the Brownhills and Friendly Farmer roundabouts, allowing them to operate better

For more information on the two proposed options, visit www.highwaysengland.co.uk/our-work/east-midlands/a46-newark-bypass

Highways England is currently going through the consultation process and are gathering public feedback on both options. Covid-19 is preventing face to face consultation events, so it’s now being delivered using other methods.

If you’d like to share your views:

Email: a46newarkbypass@highwaysengland.co.uk
Call: 0300 123 5000

Construction work is due to start in 2025.

If you’re looking to grow your business in 2021 and would like to network with a supportive group of like-minded people, visit www.newarkbusinessclub.co.uk/ for more information. You can become a member for free.

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