Proud of the work to take the region (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Proud of the work to take the region

5:41pm Friday 9th September 2011 in Linda Pollard By Linda Pollard

As my last comment piece for the T&A under the Yorkshire Forward banner, I’ve been reflecting on the work we’ve undertaken in this great city and my hopes for Bradford going forward.

There is a continued need to develop our economy in a focused and united manner for the future success of Bradford and the region.

We need to continue to encourage inward investment and ensure that we are an attractive proposition for businesses abroad; to continue to support our SME market and ensure they have access to the right advice and to much-needed finance; to build on the successes of organisations such as Yorkshire Forward in continuing to grow the digital sector in the Aire Valley, supporting developments such as City Park, the Listerhills student village and the revamped retail quarter; and to ensure partnership working continues between public and private sectors so that ambitions and skills are raised, new innovations made and our key industries thrive.

My final word is to highlight some facts – provided by independent evaluation – which demonstrate some of Yorkshire Forward’s successes over its 12-year span.

In supporting our region’s businesses through initiatives and organisations such as Business Link Yorkshire, Finance Yorkshire, the Manufacturing Advisory Service and the Learning and Skills Enhancement Fund, we have created or safeguarded 254,824 jobs and supported the creation of 13,151 new businesses during our lifetime.

And, perhaps most importantly , we have a return on investment of £35 per £1 invested in the region.