High street businesses across Hull and East Yorkshire to benefit from package of support

Hull and East Yorkshire’s high street businesses are set to benefit from a package of Government-funded support, which will also see local business owners and community stakeholders being asked to share their feedback on the unique challenges and opportunities that our local high streets face.

As part of a new pilot project, Growth Hubs across England have been tasked with understanding and addressing the needs of high street businesses in their region. Locally, this programme of work is being delivered by Hull and East Yorkshire’s Business Growth and Skills Hub, through its Growth Hub and working alongside its delivery partners Invest East Yorkshire and Invest Hull.

Launching this month, the programme includes targeted business support and engagement activity in four high streets in Hull and East Yorkshire; two in each local authority area. Overseen by business advisors from Invest East Yorkshire and Invest Hull, this activity will focus on Hessle town centre; the high street in Pocklington; and Chanterlands Avenue and the Stepney area of Beverley Road in Hull. It will offer businesses in these four areas access to specialist training workshops and one-to-one consultations with retail and hospitality experts, as well as providing an opportunity for business owners, together with key local stakeholders, to offer feedback on the opportunities and challenges they face, and about the kind of help and support that they need to succeed.

Meanwhile, high street businesses across the wider Hull and East Yorkshire region, regardless of where they’re based, will be able to access free training workshops tailored to their needs, which are due to start next month. Workshops will take place both online and in-person at locations across the Hull and East Yorkshire area, and topics covered will include everything from customer service excellence and merchandising to marketing skills and e-commerce.

Jon Brunton, Growth Hub Manager for Hull and East Yorkshire Business Growth and Skills Hub, said: “Four diverse high streets across Hull and East Yorkshire have been chosen for the targeted elements of this initial pilot programme. Businesses in those four areas will benefit from specialist support to help them become more resilient and innovative, and also plan for growth. They will also have the chance to offer their own unique and invaluable insights, helping us to understand some of the unique issues, challenges and opportunities facing our high streets at a local and regional level.

“However, business support is available to all high street businesses in Hull and East Yorkshire, thanks to the programme of online and in-person training workshops that we’re launching next month, which will be delivered by the Business Support teams at Invest East Yorkshire and Invest Hull as part of their broader, on-going programme of free workshops for business.”

Jon explained that, when the pilot programme concludes at the end of March, Hull and East Yorkshire Growth Hub (HEY Growth Hub) will share the feedback and insights that have been gathered with the Government and this will be used to inform future support packages for our high streets.

He added: “Working with our delivery partners in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire, HEY Growth Hub is committed to creating resilient, innovative and vibrant high street businesses that add to the distinct character of the communities they operate in, whilst also creating jobs and contributing to the local economy.”

To find out more about the free workshops on offer from next month, visit the Invest East Yorkshire and Invest Hull websites at https://investeastyorkshire.co.uk/events/2/ and https://investhull.co.uk/business-support/events.

Business owners can contact High Street Business Programme Co-ordinator Alicia Mason, by emailing alicia.Mason@eastriding.gov.uk or telephoning 01482 391637, to find out more about the support available to businesses in the four high streets chosen for engagement activity and more targeted support.