I attended my first Midlands Engine Board on behalf of the East Midlands LEPS yesterday. We had building work going on so I was on mute more than usual!
I have always been a big advocate for an the East Midlands voice - pushing for Regional Assemblies as far back as the early 1990s. So the current devolution debate fascinates me at a personal, practical and policy level.
I previously never gave much thought to the West Midlands but working more collaboratively I see how similar our problems are and how much we have been overlooked by policy makers for too long.
LLEP Chair responds to Government decision to transfer functions to local authorities
Spring Budget states Government will transfer central support by April 2024
Updated policy position expected to be provided to LEPs by Summer
Announcement comes after months of LLEP work with local partners
The LLEP will continue to work closely with partners as it awaits Government guidance as to how its functions should be transferred to local authorities by April 2024.
I was pleased to attend the launch of 'Space City Leicester' today at the National Space Centre as part of a growing Space Park Leicester
An ongoing journey for many of the people who have been involved for the last few decades! I have so many early memories of the development of this land in the 1990's! If you live in Leicester and haven't visited the Space Centre I would urge you to go.
The initiative builds on the huge success of University of Leicester and partners including the Leicester City Council and the LLEP recognising he potential of a space cluster. Already Space Park has exceeded our expectations and there is still so much still to come. The EZ's on our @Llep patch are really starting to deliver jobs and growth for the City and County.
We were delighted to welcome Robert Halfon MP today to officially open our new T-Level Centre. The Minister said 'It was an honour to open this fantastic new building at Loughborough College, which will ensure T Levels students will have access to the world-class facilities.
A packed room for
@appgsport
for International Women’s Day event - showing support from
@SFDCoalition
and so many supporters of this agenda in one place!
@PhelpsAnnamarie
@Tanni_GT
@kimleadbeater
@StuartAndrew
@SueStorey
@sueanstiss
@AliOliverYST
@stephhilborne
Andy Reed joined friends at the Loughborough based Youth Sport Trust Awards in Telford last night.
Andy Said “It is one of the sports evenings I look forward to, where genuine hard working and inspiring people are making a difference to people’s lives.
I enjoy celebrating people who have committed their professional and personal lives to young people and being inspired by the young leaders.
A really interesting afternoon with LLEP Innovation Board members and CEO of Innovate UK CEO Indro Mukerjee so thanks to University of Leicester for hosting.
Innovation is a key pillar of our economic strategy alongside boosting productivity, sustainability and inclusive growth and is at the heart of how we can help our local economy address our long term issues. Thanks to the leadership of Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL for taking on this strand and helping our Innovation Festival become a key part of the business calendar.
Owner of SajeImpact Andy Reed this month took up his role on the Board of Midlands Engine.
Midlands Engine is the largest regional economy in the UK outside London and the place that 11 million people call home. Our Midlands Engine partnership spans the heart of the UK. Working at scale, we focus on adding value – tackling the things that really matter in our region to drive prosperity for our communities and businesses.
Together, we make sure the Midlands voice is heard and act as a positive agent for economic, social and environmental change, to benefit every single part of our region. We do this through shared intent, collaborative investment and a strong, unified voice, direct to government.
For further details of Midlands Engine click here
Website and new brand go live on first day of Leicestershire Innovation Festival
A new Innovative Leicestershire brand and website launched as the county’s 2023 Innovation Festival got underway at Loughborough University.
The Chair of the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) Innovation Board introduced the site before going on to describe a 10-point Delivery Plan to drive forward the regional agenda.
I'm really pleased to say I have agreed to serve another term as Chair of the Sport for Development Coalition.
I took over at the very start of Covid when we headed straight into online meetings and ironically held our Board this week online due to the train strikes.
I really do feel deeply committed to the work of this part of the wider sport sector - where organisations and individuals are making a difference to peoples lives and their opportunities by tackling some of the deepest rooted inequalities and injustices.
