Cat Smith MP visits Lancaster women in business social enterprise

The Growing Club CIC in Lancaster received a visit from constituency MP, Cat Smith, meeting women in business in celebration of the organisation’s fifth year of operations. 

Based in Lancaster, The Growing Club is a not-for-profit organisation, providing a wide range of entrepreneurial skills training and opportunities for women in business, using a creative and alternative peer support model. Starting in 2016, the social enterprise has thrived and grown, helping over 600 women with skills training on employment and entrepreneurship, to start-up education, right through to long-term business growth in a sustainable way.

Discussions centred around Ms Smith hearing the women’s stories of how they came to entrepreneurship, the type of business they run, and how their businesses are battling through the pandemic.

“There’s no doubt Covid has disproportionately hit women more than men, with study after study to back this up. Women are more likely carry out homeschooling, caring for elderly relatives, reducing business hours…there is a clear gender divide and women are more likely to shoulder the burden.

“It’s been great to see such a diverse range of businesswomen here today, hear their stories and the support that women within The Growing Club CIC provide to each other.”

Jane Binnion, founding director of The Growing Club CIC, said: “It’s been a pleasure to have Cat visit us today. With regards to women in business and the heavy impacts from the pandemic, we’d really like the government to ringfence funding for women in business, particularly as part of the Covid recovery.

“Women running businesses are doing so with one hand tied behind their back. Some recognition and support for women in business that goes beyond Manchester, and actually reaches the whole of the north-west region, would be much welcomed. It’s time to build back better with inclusivity and level out the gender divide.”