Member Article

Hexham businesses to benefit from new Enterprise Hub

Businesses in Hexham will benefit from a new Enterprise Hub following its official launch this week.

The new hub will expand the existing enterprise activity that already takes place at Adapt North East where an individual hub has been set up at the Adapt headquarters on Burn Lane, Hexham.

The new hub compliments the Northumberland National Park Authority (NNPA) hub and they both support local businesses and people wishing to start up new businesses.

The funding has come from the Enterprise Hubs programme from the North East Rural Growth Network, operated by a regional partnership under the North East Local Enterprise Partnership and North East Farming and Rural Advisory Network.

The Adapt hub offers competitively priced small offices and workshop space on flexible rental terms to micro-enterprises, providing access to superfast broadband and free parking.

Businesses have access to rural enterprise support services provided by Northumberland College and Northumberland Business Service Limited, (NBSL).

Hexham Business Forum and Hexham Community Partnership will also provide further support.

The Adapt hub offers nine new workshop units in a former council highways depot along with four existing offices and a meeting area within the main office complex.

It will target businesses of a more traditional manufacturing nature as well as social enterprises.

The Hexham Enterprise Hub will be operational from this week. To date, six other enterprise hubs have already been developed and are open for businesses in Alnwick, Wooler and Hexham.

Anthony Braithwaite, Chair of North East Farming and Rural Advisory Network said: “It’s fabulous to seethe transformation of what was, not so long ago, a redundant former works depot, into a vibrant new enterprise hub.

“ADAPT should be congratulated on their vision to take on this challenging site and create a range of workshops for small, including social enterprise, businesses.

“It’s fantastic news that the Rural Growth Network has been able to assist with the development of two complementary enterprise hubs for Hexham”.

Cllr Scott Dickinson, Business Chair at Northumberland County Council said: “I am delighted to see yet another enterprise hub get underway, especially in the West of the county.

“These facilities are invaluable to small and start-up businesses, which are key to new business growth.”

Liz Prudhoe Director at Adapt (North East) said: “Adapt as a social enterprise is delighted to have developed a resource that offers affordable space to businesses and supports economic growth.”

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