Halifax, England, United Kingdom
I am passionate about local businesses and the local economy, there are some great people and some excellent businesses in Calderdale with many slipping under the radar. we are a good area to have a business! Customer Service is very much me, since I was 16 I have dealt with numerous major businesses such as the former Halifax Building Society, Co-Operative Bank and the former Bradford & Bingley Building Society along with many other major clients mostly in the finance sector when I was at BT. I have managed various projects whilst at BT and at Calderdale Council I project managed the renovation of the Elsie Whiteley mill to become the wonderful Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre in Halifax (a £6 million plus total contract). Since moving into the public sector I have gained experience in economic development and some planning related issues mostly where there is an economic strand which often helps to boost the local economy and support Calderdale businesses. My goal is to help the Calderdale economy grow by supporting local businesses especially manufacturers which we have a large number of in this area and I am a big fan of and link them with the support that is available through the LEP Growth Service. I am passionate about Calderdale being Halifax born and bred and feel that too often policies can get in the way of business! Specialities: Business support, Customer Service, Economic Development, Business Adviser, Partnership working. Commercial Property
My role is to build strong and lasting relationships with Small and Medium sized growth focused businesses (SMEs) across Calderdale to diagnose their business development needs and provide appropriate referrals to national, city region and local business support services on behalf of the Leeds City Region- Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Growth hub and Calderdale Council.
I work with the Key Accounts - the largest or strategically most important employers or organisations in Calderdale being their main link person with Calderdale Council ensuring that we have a good relationship and knowledge of them to ensure they remain in the Borough and help address any issues such as premises requirements, staffing and skills shortages. I engage senior management in the Economy & Environment Directorate and Councillors with the key accounts when appropriate making visits to those businesses. I ensure that the voice of the business community is heard and work closely with the Site Unlocking Officer and other colleagues within the Council to make sure there is an economic input to any future plans for new roads, buildings or land allocations. I deal with all planning applications which have a business or economic element and monitor the weekly lists accordingly. I have links with numerous partner organisations such as Leeds City Region LEP, CKMA, UKTI, BIS, Calderdale College, MYCCI, EEF, KITS and local Universities.
I worked on the part ERDF funded Business Growth Calderdale project providing business support for SMEs across Calderdale in target sectors through partner organisations Bradford University, C-Tech and Leeds Metropolitan University.
Initially I managed a Business Grants project which awarded grants to businesses in the Action Halifax area, later I Project Managed the £6 million purchase and refurbishment of the Elsie Whiteley Mills into the Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre, Halifax. This was followed by other grant schemes for businesses across the whole of Calderdale, I gained expertise in commercial property in Calderdale dealing with any requirements in Calderdale and good knowledeg of local property availability. I also project managed the Todmorden town centre iniatitive for 2 years, the top 200 businesses in Calderdale annual update and formed strong links with partner organisations such as Business Link, Yorkshire Forward, CO2 Sense and many others.
Monitored projects funded through SRB6 and URBAN II to regenerate central and west central Halifax.
Call handler for the payroll department working in a call centre environment.