News / Beating the downturn in rural Yorkshire
Beating the downturn in rural Yorkshire
Monday 9th November 2009
Yorkshire Forward's Andy Tordoff talks about the importance of business support and learning in rural North Yorkshire and beyond.
"It is important that people can access learning opportunities and businesses can access support no matter where they are located – this is why Yorkshire Forward has invested in mixed use community spaces in rural areas which provide the perfect platform for these activities.
"We have recently funded two community spaces in the region located in church premises which means they are in central locations with no initial build costs. These two projects have transformed prime locations into centres that can be used by people who want to improve their skills and businesses that want to develop.
"In North Yorkshire, the Kirkbymoorside Resource Centre and Customer Services Centre opened this week bringing together community services and learning under one roof, helping residents and local businesses access training locally. It will deliver a much needed integrated resource facility offering access to services and advice and guidance for businesses, residents and visitors to Kirkbymoorside.
"Situated in a Church House on the main high street of Kirkbymoorside, the former derelict building belongs to the Church and was once used by local community groups, but the Church was struggling to fund the maintenance of the building. We were keen to support this development as it provides the perfect learning platform for local residents to access vocational, life-long learning and ICT learning. Basic skill courses designed to get people back into work will run from the centre where an employment advisor will also be based one day a week helping people find employment.
"Local businesses can benefit from the Business Link advisor located at the centre who will offer local businesses support and guidance which is vital in the current economic climate. In addition, the centre will house the library, customer services, and a police community office.
"In Mytholmroyd, West Yorkshire, suitable sites for workspace are extremely limited due to the landscape of the Valley. St Michael’s Church Hall has recently been refurbished into a community hub and houses St Michael’s Enterprise Centre which provides shared workspace for local businesses.
"The workspace, which opened last week, targets the creative, media and IT sectors and promotes a creative atmosphere, networking and shared costs which is ideal for new and small businesses - those making the first steps from their bedrooms.
"This facility provides wireless internet access and there are plans to set up a Business Link “drop in” advisory service in the near future. Hour Car, a local rural transport provider is also based at the centre, which gives businesses and the local community access to a car for one hour at a time.
"This is a real opportunity for communities to access the services provided, which will assist the growth of the local economies. It’s the first time this type of workspace has been provided by the private sector in Calderdale and this project has the potential to have a leadership role – demonstrating the potential of similar opportunities in other market towns in the region.
"In addition to these shared spaces, we have funded managed workspaces in rural locations which provide the right conditions for businesses to grow and prosper. Building work at the Evolution Business Centre in Northallerton completed this week which will provide different size accommodation to 29 businesses and already there have been lots of enquiries with two tenancy agreements signed.
"The recently opened Leeming Bar Food Enterprise Centre provides 11 different sized food production units providing affordable, high-spec food grade premises for new or young SMEs within secondary food production.
"Yorkshire Forward’s Rural Capitals programme focuses on improving the economies of our rural capitals, developing stronger, more diverse and resilient centres. These schemes which have completed in recent weeks focus on enterprise and economic support demonstrating that Yorkshire Forward is working hard during the recession to help rural communities."
Andy Tordoff, assistant director of environment, Yorkshire Forward.
