Cirencester Growth Hub and Farm491 to host Net Zero strategy event for local businesses

In partnership with Farm491, the Cirencester Growth Hub team is hosting an event to help businesses understand Net Zero and what it means for their business.

Feedback from a county-wide survey conducted by The Growth Hub last year showed Gloucestershire businesses felt they did not have the knowledge or skills required to get to ball rolling. “What will it cost? Where do you start? What’s the meaning of all these buzzwords?”

‘A Beginner’s Guide to Net Zero Strategy’ event will help attendees with jargon-busting, applying simple strategies, and telling their story to customers. With help from expert speakers from across the county, the event will give businesses the confidence and know-how to get started.

The event will take place on Wednesday 8th of March 2023, 9.30am – 1.30pm at Cirencester Growth Hub in the RAU’s The Alliston Centre, and will be open to SME businesses in Gloucestershire. Welcome and registration will take place from 9.00am.

The event includes guest speakers from St James Place, and The Growth Hub who will help businesses to ‘Learn It, Plan It, and Tell It.’

Andrew McKenzie, Business Guide for The Growth Hub, will be conducting the Learn It and Plan It session of the day. Andrew has supported businesses as an external sustainability consultant, bringing technical and operational knowledge to support other businesses across a range of sectors and sizes as they transition to a low-carbon economy.

Claire Walmsley-Moss is a Communications, PR and Marketing expert and will run the Tell It portion of the day. Her career in communications spans over 20 years, starting at international law firms in London, distilling complex information into bite size and easy to digest external comms. Claire went on to working as a freelance marketing projects lead and communications consultant for a number of SMEs in the region, with a focus on businesses that care about their impact on the environment.

The content will cover:

Learn it –

  • Jargon-busting
  • Myth-busting

Plan it –

  • Carbon reporting
  • Implementing change
  • Spheres of influence

Tell It –

  • How to communicate your story
  • How to communicate with authenticity
  • The benefits this brings to your organisation

Sarah Carr, Head of Business Innovation and Growth at the Royal Agricultural University, said, “We work with so many exciting start-ups here at the Cirencester Growth Hub and Farm491, and a common theme amongst all are ambitions to reach Net Zero. It’s very easy to discuss goals and ambitions but the most difficult part is the “how”. In order to fully support businesses to thrive in this space we need to go back to basics. I’d encourage any business looking to implement a Net Zero strategy to attend this event to walk away with practical and simple steps on how to do so.”

The morning sessions will be followed by a Q&A with all speakers and a chance to network, offering all who attend a chance to chat with like-minded business leaders.

The event is free to attend but spaces are limited. Places can be booked through Eventbrite and if you have any questions you can contact the team at: cirencester@thegrowthhub.biz.

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