Market Harborough’s new banking hub is now open in its temporary home inside The Symington Building, headquarters of Harborough District Council.

🏦 The hub offers a counter service operated by the Post Office, where customers of all major banks can carry out regular cash transactions, Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm.

💬 It also offers a community banker service where customers can talk to their own bank about more complicated issues on the day their bank is in the hub:

💷 Monday: NatWest
💷 Tuesday: No Community Banker 
💷 Wednesday:No Community Banker 
💷 Thursday: No Community Banker 
💷 Friday: Barclays

FSB invites local businesses to join their networking event at Mini Meadows Farm! 

Event Details

Stay updated with the latest business news and developments while gaining new clients and collaborations.

Join them for:

🤝 Informal networking
📰 Small Business news and updates from FSB
📈 Business introductions
🎤 Guest speaker session to learn something new for your business
🥐 Breakfast rolls and refreshments

Connect and collaborate with like-minded small business owners and supporters in the fun and relaxing atmosphere of Mini Meadows Farm—a growing business and popular destination on the border of Northamptonshire, Leicestershire, and Warwickshire.

The University of Leicester School of Business is currently offering fully-funded places on the Help to Grow: Management programme starting on 6 May! 

Over the past 3 years, this programme has supported 400 SMEs to grow and thrive! 

📌 Programme details:
✅ Funding: Fully-funded – 90% government-funded & 10% bursary from  the School of Business
⏳ Duration: 12 weeks, around 4-5 hours per week
💻 Delivery: Online with 4 half-day in-person workshops at the University of Leicester School of Business

Designed for owners & senior managers in businesses, social enterprises & CICs with 5-249 employees operating for at least 1 year.

Apprenticeships are a great way for businesses to develop a skilled workforce while boosting productivity and retention. Invest in Harborough can help businesses explore the advantages and get started.

✅ Financial incentives 💰
✅ Access to training programmes 🎓
✅ Tailored skills to match business needs 🛠️
✅ Increased productivity & retention 📈

Now is the perfect time to invest in future talent. 

Details of live apprenticeship opportunities and support for businesses are available on our website.

Earlier in March, the first two free sustainable tourism webinars were a big success and you can still sign up for the final two webinars in the series:

1. 🌱 Navigating the Certifications Maze
   📅 18 March | 🕒 15:00 - 16:00

2. ♻️ Sustainability in Practice
   📅 19 March | 🕑 14:00 - 15:00

📧 Missed the first two? Get in touch for the slides on Business Benefits of Sustainability and Using Sustainability as a Marketing Strength!

📝 Delivered by Harborough District Council & North West Leics District Council, supported by Melanie Sensicle Consulting Ltd.

VisitEngland is on a mission to transform tourism for people and places! 

Their focus:

🔹 People – Supporting communities & visitors
🌱 Place – Protecting nature & resources
🤝 Partnerships – Strengthening collaboration
💼 Prosperity – Creating jobs & sustainable innovation

A new guide highlights how tourism can give back, leaving destinations better than before. 🌿🏘️ If you’re a tourism business, see how the guide can help your business develop! 📖

📢 The consultation for the draft Local Plan for Harborough District is now open and will run until 9am Tuesday 6 May’25.

🏠 To support local residents, businesses, and other interested parties to comment on the draft Local Plan, six public drop-in events are being held across the district.

📄 These drop-in events are designed to provide interested parties with information on the consultation document, how to respond, and information on the next steps.

📅 The first public drop-in event will be held at Scraptoft Community Hub on Wednesday 19 March, 4-7pm.

🔍 Find out more and how to have your say on the draft Local Plan for the Harborough District.

📅 When? 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM
📍 Where? Harborough Innovation Centre, Market Harborough
💡 Connect with De Montfort, Leicester & Loughborough Universities
🤝 Explore placements, internships, CPD & research collaborations
🎉 Celebrate 50 years of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)
🏆 Unlock grant funding & business support

🕘 Event Schedule:
☕ 9:30 AM – Registration & refreshments
🎤 10:00 AM – Welcome from universities & council
🤝 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM – Drop-in networking over coffee & cake

Open to all businesses in Market Harborough & beyond!

No need to stay the full session—just drop in!

Join experts from the University of Leicester at the seventh Leicestershire Innovation Festival (LIF), a week-long event led by the Business Gateway Growth Hub. Starting at the National Space Centre on 31 March, the festival features online and in-person events across Leicester and Leicestershire.

Key Events:

📅 31 March – Funding Your Innovative Business | Space Park Leicester
📅 1 April – Leicestershire Manufacturing Network | Brookfield
📅 2 April – Brewing Innovative Ideas Roadshow | Harborough Innovation Centre
📅 3 April – Life Sciences Innovates | Charnwood Campus
📅 3 April – Net Zero & Sustainable Innovation Showcase | Brookfield

The legal and tax structure of your business affects everything from liability to growth potential. Join an expert-led webinar to explore different business structures, their legal and tax implications, and key factors to consider when choosing the right one.

✅ Why legal structure matters
✅ Pros & cons of different structures
✅ Key factors: size, finances, risk, and growth
✅ Tax implications & benefits

📅 Q&A included! Don't miss this chance to get expert insights.

📅 08/04/2025 | 10:30am - 12:00pm
📍 Event Location: Online

Get on board with Market Harborough’s FoxConnect, a new on-demand transport option that operates in five area zones to connect rural communities to Market Harborough’s town centre or neighbouring villages.

The service offers key interchange points to connect neighbouring areas and encourage onward travel. You can choose where you want to be picked up and dropped off, meaning it’s a convenient and flexible way to travel at a time that suits you. 

Market Harborough FoxConnect Launches Monday 17 March 2025 and is FREE to use until Monday 21 April 2025!

If you live in the Harborough District, downloading the Choose How You Move BetterPoints app is an easy way to travel more sustainably whilst earning rewards and prizes! 🌱

Here’s how it works:
✅ Walk, cycle, or use public transport – reduce your carbon footprint
✅ Track your eco-friendly journeys – it’s simple and automatic
✅ Earn rewards points – for every sustainable trip you make
✅ Redeem your points – with discounts at top retailers like Amazon, Tesco, John Lewis, plus lots more! 🛒🏬🛍️🏠
✅ Support local causes – donate points to community projects