Newbury West Berkshire economic development company celebrates first year in business

"We have to fight our corner for Newbury"

A COMPANY set up to promote West Berkshire as a good place to work, live and raise a family has celebrated its first anniversary.

Newbury West Berkshire was formed a year ago as an economic development company set up to help boost the district’s economy.

It now has more than 100 members, covering all aspects of life in the district, to promote its businesses, heritage and attractions.

The not-for-profit, non-political company was formed by Greenham Trust chief executive Chris Boulton, Newbury Weekly News editor Andy Murrill and the former Newbury Business Improvement District chief executive Russell Downing.

Newbury West Berkshire chairman David Bruce said the company’s momentum had not stopped and would continue during the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s been an amazing first year,” he said.

Mr Bruce, who is chairman of West Berkshire Brewery, said the biggest reason for success was through “amazing focus groups” covering economic development, education and skills, retail and leisure, arts culture and entertainment, hospitality, parks, waterways and countryside, property, sport and charity and community engagement.

The group had planned to hold a reception and workshop at Newbury’s Corn Exchange to celebrate its anniversary, but a virtual conference had to be held instead because of social distancing rules.

Former Welsh rugby union player Phil Davies, who now coaches the Namibian national side, joined the call and spoke of operating successfully during tough times.

“What could be more appropriate than that for the great movers and shakers of West Berkshire,” Mr Bruce said.

Mr Bruce added that West Berkshire Council had also agreed to provide funds to Newbury West Berkshire, which along with membership fees from businesses, will help pay for a full-time chief executive.

Mr Bruce said the move was a “fantastic achievement” and the group was “not letting the dreaded C-word slow down our momentum”.

He said: “We want to spread the word.

“One of the reasons for starting it up was we wanted to promote Newbury as a place to live.

“We wanted to attract new business... we wanted to stop any business that was thinking of leaving or relocating to the towns of Reading, Oxford, Swindon or Southampton.

“We don’t want to lose businesses. We wanted to attract businesses and attract more people to come and live and work here not just whereby they enjoy living here and spend half their time commuting to get out of it.

“Reading is becoming an increasingly powerful neighbour.

“In the longer term we have to fight our corner for Newbury West Berkshire so it doesn’t lose out to its bigger neighbours.”

Mr Bruce said he was pleased about the university centre planned for Newbury College and that apprenticeships were being promoted through other local companies.

He said: “We’re trying to keep young people and stop them going off to bigger cities.

“We’ve got to keep young people and train them up.”

Despite the pandemic, Mr Bruce said that Newbury West Berkshire remained upbeat and would do its best to promote the district throughout.

“With all this negativity and gloom caused by the dreaded C- word we are fighting even harder now to promote our objective.

“It can’t go on forever, but it’s bad at the moment, but that has galvanised us to fulfil our objective.”