The Rural Community Council are undertaking a Rural Strategy project to look at the needs and service gaps of Harborough District rural communities on behalf of Harborough District Council.

This will include key rural & community issues, economic development, connectivity & broadband, housing and the impact of Covid-19 as well as recovery needs going forward to improve isolation and social hardship.

They will be looking to engage and consult with many areas across the district including:

• Farming Community
• Tourism & Hospitality
• Local Retail
• Other Rural Small/Medium enterprises
• Community

If you would like to have your say about your local area, share your concerns or let them know how your local businesses and community could be improved, email or call using the details below.

Jhanvi - jshukla@ruralcc.org.uk
Tracey - 07752 183044
General email - tpollard@ruralcc.org.uk

You can also find out more about the Rural Community Council by visiting their website in the link below.

On 23 November, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service are delivering 2 business fire safety workshops at City Hall in Leicester.

These workshops will help business owners and managers to understand their legal responsibilities and duties under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.

There are 2 workshops on Tuesday 23^rd November, one at 10:00 in the morning and another at 14:00 in the afternoon.

The workshops are FREE for all for business owners, managers and 'responsible persons' throughout Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. They are open to all businesses, but they especially want to support small business owners, those just starting up, and businesses that have not yet been audited by our Inspecting Officers.

They will give simple, practical advice and guidance on topics including:

• Fire Risk Assessments – the starting point for all fire safety matters
• Periodic testing and maintenance -  fire doors, fire alarms emergency lighting etc. – what, when and how
• Preparing robust Emergency Fire Action Plans – what to do in the event of a fire emergency
• Mandatory fire safety training – staff inductions, fire marshals, fire evacuation drills
• Record keeping – key documents, legal requirements, certificates
• Premises inspections and fire safety audits by L.F.R.S – what to expect when we audit your premises, how to achieve compliance

Spaces are limited and pre-booking is essential. Book now by using the contact details below

Email: FireSafety.Advisors@leics-fire.gov.uk
Phone: 0116 210 5555

If you started your business in or after 2018, and your trading was interrupted by lockdown, the Business Gateway Growth Hub has some support that's just right for you.

They can help you find grant funding and apply for it and they can support you to get your business back up and running. The support is fully funded so will cost you nothing and it's delivered by people who are experts in supporting start-up businesses.

There are 5 main areas in which they can support you:

• Making your business more resilient
• Business strategy and planning
• Product development and pricing
• Business growth by reaching new markets and increasing your customer base
• Getting yourself and your business ready for investment

To achieve this, they are offering a mix of 1-2-1 support, workshops and Business Accelerator programmes. Their Business Advisers will help you decide which support is best for you.

For more information about the support scheme, or information about how to apply, please click the link below.

Do you have a new innovative project that aims to run in a green way? You could be eligible for funding from the SHIRE Environment grant, provided by Leicestershire County Council. 

They are particularly interested in projects that meet one or more of the grant scheme outcomes which include: 

• To reduce the amount of household waste produced in Leicestershire 
• To reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions within communities 
• To improve biodiversity and support the creation, protection, enhancement and management of sustainable green spaces 
• To raise awareness and understanding on the above outcomes as well as providing necessary training and skills to manage and support projects. 

New guidance and application forms will be issued on 29 October 2021 for applicants submitting projects for the round 3 deadline on 25 February 2022.

For more info on the scheme and how to apply, click the link below:

Harborough District Council is offering a brand new grant, the Shop Front Improvement Grant, for shops in Harborough District to give their shop front a makeover.

Funding is on offer towards the cost of :

• Painting or cleaning up of frontage, first and second floors of premises where they are used for commercial activities
• New windows and doors 
• Installation or restoration of shop awnings
• New advertising signage including hanging signs 
• Training to help to dress windows seasonally

Grants of up to £3000 are available, with applicants match funding 50:50 of the total project costs.

The deadline for applications is Tuesday 29 November

If you would like to find out more about this grant, or find out how to apply for it, check out the webpage in the link below.

The Leicestershire Live Business Awards took place on 16 September and was a great night which showcased many excellent businesses. 

These highly prestigious awards help ensure that leading local businesses, of all sizes, gain the recognition they deserve for themselves and most importantly for the dedication and commitment of their staff. They also serve as a great way to showcase the Harborough District as a place where businesses can invest, grow, prosper and succeed.

Harborough District Council was delighted to be one of the sponsors at the 2021 Leicestershire Live Business Awards, as it was a great opportunity not only to celebrate the fantastic achievements of businesses from across the Harborough District, but also the wider business community across the region.

Harborough District Council would like to thank all of our Harborough District nominees, and particularly congratulate the five short-listed businesses from our area, which were:


-  Moore Security Systems Ltd (in the Small Business Growth & Development category) - a Lutterworth-based family run business, which offers the latest technology in domestic and commercial security systems throughout the Midlands.

-  Armourgeddon Ltd (in the Family Business of the Year category) - a rurally-based visitor attraction, which offers the opportunity to drive tanks and other military vehicles over courses set around a World War II bombing range near Husbands Bosworth.

-  Armstrong Logistics (in the Family Business of the Year category) - a Magna Park-based logistics and distribution business, which won the Supply Chain Initiative of the Year Award at the 2020 Green Grocer Gold Awards for their work as Aldi's approved logistics partner.


-  Boboli (in the Hospitality Innovation category) - a Kibworth-based restaurant, which offers authentic Italian dishes with a modern twist, and which adapted well throughout the pandemic, by delivering exceptional food and service to their customers at home.

-  Corporate Architecture Limited (in the International Trade & Export category) - a Market Harborough-based architecture practice, which provide a range of architectural services on projects both large and small, commercial to residential and across the UK and abroad.

A special mention goes to Armourgeddon who won Family Business of the Year.

By winning this award, Armourgeddon have shown themselves to be a well-established family business which have demonstrated sustained success over a broad range of measures, whilst ensuring that family values are followed and demonstrating how both current and future family generations can be involved in the growth of the business.

Congratulations!

If you would like to find out more about the Leicestershire Live Business Awards, click the link below.