Time to start talking things up

Credit: Tessa Chapman / Somerset Chamber of Commerce

The media seem happy to hold our attention with stories of war, energy costs and oil prices, but they don’t always highlight the good news. For example, on 23 March, the FTSE 100 bottomed out and global confidence in business appears to be returning.

We’d also like to see these successes highlighted more widely, including the finalists and winners of business awards, which continue unabated across Somerset and show that local firms are still seizing opportunities. With that in mind, we want to help talk things up.

There is much to celebrate in Somerset: steady progress towards 4,000 new jobs at the Agratas battery facility, being developed on the brownfield Enterprise Zone site near Bridgwater; and Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil securing the £1.1bn contract, after lengthy discussions with government, to build and supply AW149 helicopters for the British Army. This will support 15,000 jobs across the company and its supply chain.

Positive stories are already filtering in from our roadshows, site visits and attendance at networking events: first-hand accounts of success across several sectors that we aim to feature in future newsletters.

We would also like to hear more, so we can strengthen our business support and make the strongest possible case when pursuing government funding streams.

If your business is doing something genuinely innovative, impactful or forward-thinking that gives you a real edge towards a sustainable future, we’d love to hear from you. We can share your story and inspire others navigating these turbulent times. Get in touch via ecdev@somerset.gov.uk.