A new community business organisation is being launched in Kirkby Malzeard today with a high-profile speaker set to inspire its first meeting.

The Business Forward Forum will welcome David Kerfoot CBE, founder of North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Parnership, to talk about the value of local business.

The new organisation will be led by Kirkby Malzeard, Laverton and Dallowgill parish councillors Jane Aksut and Richard Hughes, and is designed to stimulate business growth and entrepreneurial spirit in the parish and surrounding area.

Cllr Hughes said:

“We are so much more than the sum of our parts, when we work together.

“The covid support hub here was outstanding, centred around a brilliant website and community co-ordination. This had already been demonstrated in our response to the international bike races and to communal events, recently culminating in the brilliant jubilee celebrations which blew us all away with a sense of pride at what we were seeing and achieving.

“We are a venue, a go-to place in which the growing population wants and deserves to work rest and play. Facilities, resources and opportunities for all are growing; we want to make sure that these exciting possibilities become reality for all of our brilliant community.”

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Monday’s event is being held at St Andrew’s Church in Kirkby Malzeard and will also hear from Simon Middleton of North Yorkshire Growth Hub and consultant Steve Bolton, leading on the post-covid welcome back project for Harrogate Borough Council.

Topics under discussion will include the grants available to businesses for different projects. The forum has already begun exploring organising an agricultural show, developing a funding element to the revamped parish gala, and creating a community arts hub.

Cllr Aksut added:

“Post-covid, post-Brexit, post HBC – this is the time to reclaim our community; to aim for the skies. There’s major funding and support opportunities out there and we aim to have our share of the pie.”

All local businesses are invited to take part in the forum. To find out more, visit the village website or email the business forum.