Starling Bar played host to the final Stray Ferret Business Club event of the year, which included great camaraderie, intellectual challenges and heartfelt generosity.

The main event was an engaging Christmas quiz that tested the knowledge of those in attendance. Questions such as “How many gifts are there in the 12 days of Christmas song?”, “What is the name of the Grinch’s dog?” before moving onto a round all about local news from the past year.

Taking the winning team prize was the ‘IDK (I don’t know)’ team comprising Mel and Phil O’Boyle, Connor Creaghan and Ian Ladley who were rewarded with a delightful Mr. Stanley’s goodie bag, overflowing with lots of sweet goodies!

Winning quiz team ‘IDK’ Connor Creaghan, Phil and Mel O’Boyle and Ian Ladley.

The raffle proved successful thanks to the amazing prizes donated from local businesses, raising an astounding £500 for the Stray Ferret Christmas appeal dedicated to supporting Dementia Forward.

Prizes included a Jules B diffuser, Cloud Nine straighteners, £25 Starling Independent voucher, two hours of court time at Surge Padel,  a family ticket to Leeds Knights Ice Hockey match, two tickets to Harlow Carr’s Glow Event, a Betty’s goodie bag, Sophie Allport Kitchen bundle and a £55 voucher for the Inn Collection Group.

The range of support the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub offers came as something of a surprise to many members of the Stray Ferret Business Club at its first lunch meeting.

From accessing government grants, achieving carbon neutral or digital marketing support, Andrew Raby from the Hub outlined the broad range of help available for any business whether established or a start-up.

Mr Raby encouraged businesses to contact them with any queries — no matter how specific.  There was a lively discussion at the Stray Ferret Business Club following his talk with questions about the value of social media, to HR support and the end of European grants following Brexit.

When asked about evidence of impact the Growth Hub has on a business, Mr Raby discussed the results of a national evaluation of all Growth Hubs that took place from 2015 – 2020.  It reported “evident sustained growth” and found an impressive 17% increase in turnover for those companies who used Growth Hubs.

The Business Club lunch invited a range of discussion

As well as providing specialist business advice, Mr Raby also highlighted the number of resources the Growth Hub has on offer to businesses.

The organisation can direct businesses to relevant funding sources, research institutions and local support schemes.

So, if it’s accessing grants or apprenticeships, the Growth Hub can help you.

The discussion at the Business Club Lunch established the benefits all sectors can reap from the working with the Growth Hub.

Find out more:

The fourth in our series of networking events, with Banyan Bar & Kitchen, is a breakfast event on April 27 from 8am.

Don’t miss out on this chance to network with businesses from across the Harrogate district.

Get your tickets by clicking or tapping here.