Series of free events comes to Swindon in an effort to help local businesses

A series of free events aimed at local business owners will be popping up over the next few months in a bid to support the growth of local businesses in Swindon.

Rombourne Serviced offices in Swindon are to stage a series of free events to support businesses across the area, as well as those based in the centre. The first event will be on July 3, and is a two-hour afternoon workshop with business and career coach Shirley Hensher, of the Change Agent, focusing on helping business owners rediscover their direction and priorities so they can manage their time more effectively.

On July 18, Jo Smyth, who runs PR and copywriting agency Word Worker, will hold a drop-in copy clinic, where business owners can call in and ask for help and advice on anything from how to write and where to send a press release, to tips on blogging and crafting web copy. Other events will be planned in for later in the year. Danielle Mottram, business centre manager at Rombourne’s Kingston House, Lydiard Fields, West Swindon, said: “I am keen to integrate and support the local business community. I really wanted to try something different and I have the facilities to accommodate varying size workshops. “Shirley Hensher is one of my newest clients at Kingston House, and this is a great opportunity for us to work together in supporting the local business community. I also hope Jo Smyth’s copy clinic appeal to the businesses in our centre and further afield.” Shirley Hensher, who helps provide fresh perspective to her clients so they can shape their working lives, spent 25 years in corporate life, as an employee then freelance project manager, before starting a coaching business. She said: “I am really looking forward to running the workshop in July and helping business people rediscover their sense of direction and purpose so they can align their daily activities with what is really important to them and to their business.” Jo Smyth works with SMEs and uses her journalism skills to craft press releases which hit the mark with online and offline media. She added: “I always enjoyed copy clinics when I was a young journalist, and received some really fantastic advice from my editors, so I am looking forward to helping business owners unlock their own writing potential." For further information about Rombourne Serviced offices visit www.rombourne.co.uk