Reasons to be cheerful

Reading some national press, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the world is coming to an end with absolute economic devastation just over the horizon.

Well, from my perspective and a Lancashire perspective, I think sometimes we need to take a minute to step back and celebrate the good things that are happening in our county and the resilience of our people and businesses.

For example, we have the prospect of the Eden Project North coming to Morecambe, something that will do so much to revitalise that area and bring a huge boost for tourism county-wide.

Brabners is proud to have been heavily involved with the project on behalf of Lancaster County Council and I just hope the recent funding application to the Levelling Up Fund is successful and the government ‘puts its money where its mouth is’ and supports such a terrific venture, that will be such a boon for the area, delivering on the much touted ‘Levelling Up’ promise.

The other exciting new development on the horizon is the arrival of the new National Cyber Force campus in Samlesbury, creating thousands of highly skilled jobs in the region and a reported investment of £5bn.

On top of the 2,000 or so direct jobs created when the centre opens, there will be numerous opportunities for local businesses to engage with the NCF and create long-term partnerships.

Already, the announcement has precipitated talks of strategic partnerships between key employers in the area with a view to ensuring the region is the undisputed national leader in cyber and security innovation.

This, together with the presence of other market leaders such as BAE Systems and the AMRC, put Lancashire on track to be a world leading hub for advanced manufacturing and all things tech.

These are just a couple of high-profile examples of ‘good news’ stories. There are numerous other examples that we at Brabners witness on a day-to-day basis which may not be quite so headline-grabbing but are all making a positive impact to Lancashire and its businesses.

We are committed to Lancashire and its people and it just seems that others may be cottoning on to what we all know already: Lancashire is a great place to work and do business!