More than 15 million people visited Sheffield in 2022, bringing an estimated £1.35billion boost to the city’s economy. Tourists spent money on accommodation, food and drink, culture, shopping, and travel, which helps bring money into the city and create jobs. The visitor economy supports 13,285 full time equivalent jobs in Sheffield. Cultural events, sporting fixtures and Sheffield’s growing reputation as a city break destination has helped the city attract tourists in 2022. The Women’s Euros brought football and footfall to Sheffield. City centre footfall increased by more than 10,000 (22%) and all of the city’s hotel rooms were fully booked during match days. Whilst the Rugby League World Cup brought thousands more sports fans to Sheffield. Events run by local businesses also helped make Sheffield more attractive to tourists. Markets like Peddler street food market and Pollen flower markets continued to thrive and annual events like World Snooker, Tramlines and Art in the Gardens brought sports, music and arts fans to the city. Sheffield has been named the ‘second best city to visit’ by TimeOut and its reputation as The Outdoor City attracts city break visitors who enjoy adventures from climbing to stand up paddleboarding to exploring our open spaces on foot. Having the Peak District on Sheffield’s doorstep is an added bonus for visitors. These adventure opportunities sit alongside culture and heritage and live music, which adds to Sheffield’s tourist offer. This is the first year since 2019 that the visitor economy has not been affected by covid restrictions. The value of Sheffield’s visitor economy is now only 1.2% below its pre-pandemic level. Figures show that Sheffield’s visitor economy recovery is in line with other major cities across the UK. Councillor Martin Smith, Chair of the Economic Development and Skills Committee, said: “We all know how brilliant Sheffield is because we’re residents of the city. It is fantastic to see that tourists are keen to visit and experience all the Sheffield has to offer. “The pandemic was an incredibly challenging time for our visitor economy and it is good to see that recovery is on track and that visitors are returning to Sheffield. A strong tourist offer is good for our city and its residents, it creates jobs and boosts our economy. “In autumn, Sheffield’s proposed Destination Management Plan – a long term plan for tourism in the region will be considered by the Economic Development and Skills Committee. The plan follows July’s announcement of the South Yorkshire Local Visitor Economy Partnership by Visit England and will bring together unique attractions and visitor experiences from across the region to attract more visitors to South Yorkshire. “From world-class sporting events to local artisan markets, adventures on the edge of our city in the Peak District, visits to our museums, galleries and theatres, and of course, shopping trips. I am proud that Sheffield has attracted so many visitors, providing a welcome boost to the city’s economy.”

Doncaster Central MP Dame Rosie Winterton has met businesses in her constituency to give them the chance to say what they believe should be her priotities. The event was organised by Doncaster Chamber, whose Chief Exec Dan Fell said: “This roundtable in particular covered a lot of ground, with us touching upon a diverse range of topics that are especially pertinent right now. Among other things, the discussion spanned themes like: the availability of net-zero support; A.I. and its ever-evolving suite of capabilities; how we can more effectively attract & retain talent in Doncaster; and various issues related to planning, housing and development. “It was a really productive session and I would like to express my gratitude to all of the attendees for contributing to this important conversation and for offering their expert insights. Of course, I’d also like to thank Dame Rosie herself for giving up her time to listen and for her incredible candour. “We have previously said that — following on from all of the setbacks of recent months — Doncaster urgently needs to get back to its winning ways and that now is the time for coming up with fresh ideas. I believe that we were able to do just that at this roundtable and that we have come away with some exciting homework that will hopefully put us on a trajectory towards a more prosperous future.” Dame Rosie added: “It is my ambition to make Doncaster one of the most business-friendly cities in the UK. Making sure that we are listening attentively to the voices of local employers and entrepreneurs —  so that we can learn what matters most to them —  is therefore of the utmost importance. After all, they are the ones who have the answers, insights and solutions that we need. “It was a real privilege to attend this roundtable last week and to have the opportunity to engage with such incredible businesses from across my constituency. Lots of great ideas were generated here about what more we can be doing to support businesses, to attract them into the area, and to ultimately give Doncaster the brightest possible future. Now we must act on them.”

Lincoln International Business School’s Help to Grow: Management programme is 90% funded by the government, delivered in partnership with the Small Business Charter and runs for 12 weeks via online and face-to-face sessions, 1-to-1 mentoring and peer networking. 15 SME delegates embarked on their learning journey as the first cohort back in January 2023. Working collaboratively, the delegates surged ahead in exploring avenues in the ever-evolving digital landscape. By reflecting on their current practice and observation using horizon scan, their digital readiness resonated with the latest research findings from Enterprise Research Centre Business Futures and the Federation of Small Businesses. These acknowledge that SMEs across the UK are rapidly adopting digital technology, willing to tackle digital challenges and constructing outcomes that can reshape success narratives. Lincoln International Business School want to support SMEs to deliver profitability, innovation and growth. The Digital Adoption module is tailored for SMEs to address how businesses can gauge to embrace digital innovation and transformation. It will help to identify and utilise internal and external factors that drive the digital journey, for performance enhancement; process optimisation; product diversification and personalised experience. Chang Ge, School Digital Lead, a Senior Lecturer and the Digital Adoption Module Leader at the University of Lincoln said: “The pragmatic approach with business focus adopted on this module encourages SMEs to apply knowledge and insights gained to follow up the digital road map in their own context and transverse amongst sectors and industries, making the digital adoption accessible and meet their unique needs.” Lincoln International Business School are excited to welcome the second cohort of the Help to Grow programme in October 2023. To ensure your business obtains a place on this coveted programme please visit Help to Grow | University of Lincoln or hear directly from the first cohort delegates here.

Precision engineering firm David Brown Santasalo (DBSantasalo) has revealed plans to create 38 engineering jobs at its Huddersfield headquarters. The gearbox manufacturer, which was acquired by US private equity firm Stellex Capital Management earlier this year, has appointed Elland-based manufacturing and engineering specialist E3 Recruitment to manage the appointment programme and secure 38 new skilled engineers for the firm. A global business, founded in Huddersfield in 1860, DBSantasalo has 26 locations worldwide and employs over 1,200 people, with 350 based in the UK. The firm delivers precision-engineered industrial gear systems, manufactured for a range of industrial applications including mining, pulp and paper, power generation and defence. “We are on a growth trajectory and our recent client successes have paved the way for this raft of new opportunities within the marine, engineering, and heavy manufacturing departments at our state-of-the-art Huddersfield site,” said Leanne Crowther, DBSantasalo’s HR manager for UK operations. E3 Recruitment director Tracie Norton said: “We are really pleased to be working with DBSantasalo on this major recruitment programme, which is great news for Huddersfield and is also further evidence of the value and importance of engineering and manufacturing skills and qualifications to the economy.” E3 Recruitment is working in partnership with DBSantasalo to recruit for a range of Huddersfield-based roles including quality and manufacturing engineers, assembly team members, general labourers, CNC machinists and manual millers, programme managers and schedulers, project controllers, senior design engineers and buyers. The roles will support programmes across the firm’s engineering, marine and large gear cell departments.