October 2024 – Y-PERN

Report heralds ‘New Era for Female Entrepreneurship’ in North Yorkshire

January 21, 2025October 16, 2024 by ypern

Despite facing unique challenges, female entrepreneurs are at the forefront of creating innovative solutions and spearheading sustainable development in York and North Yorkshire – according to the findings of a new report.

The report was a collaboration between Enterprise Works at the University of York, Federation of Small Businesses, Y-PERN (Yorkshire and Humber Policy Engagement and Research Network) and mnAi.

Professor Kiran Trehan, PVC for Enterprise, Partnerships and Engagement at the University of York and member of the Y-PERN Directorate, comments:

“We have reached a tipping point, where governments, business support organisations and female entrepreneurs themselves realise the enormous value of female enterprise to the regional and national economy. It is vital for the future success of the region that we have a clear, data-driven understanding of the needs of this community, to ensure that we maximise our, and their, chances of success and drive inclusive growth for all.”

A unique set of challenges

Female entrepreneurs face a set of key challenges and systemic and structural barriers that are adversely impacting their businesses. There are 23,562 fewer self-employed women than men in YNY, with men nearly twice as likely to be self-employed. According to mnAi data, in YNY, only £62k of equity was raised by female-led organisations, compared to £3.8m male-led organisations and £1.8m by those led by a mix of genders.

The report team therefore set out to investigate the myriad factors influencing female entrepreneurship, including the barriers they face, potential policy solutions and in upholding ecosystems that support their success.

Research informed by participant engagement

The team undertook fieldwork including community consultations that took the form of focus groups with female entrepreneurs; a survey with a specific focus on place-based challenges; and a participatory workshop focused on the core challenges.

Dr Rebecca Kerr, Y-PERN Policy Fellow based at the University of York and York St John University, was involved in the report and the design and delivery of the workshop. She comments:

“Research in this area generally exists at a national scale, but there’s clear demand for more place-based evidence which can inform sub-regional policy – as shown by the positive and enthused engagement from some of our region’s female entrepreneurs at the workshop we held at York’s historic Guildhall.

“Throughout the workshop, women noted that they wanted support and mentorship from other women in business. This sentiment was placed to the heart of this research undertaken, where each stage of research design was informed by participant engagement to ensure we were asking the right questions and collecting the most appropriate data.”

A roadmap to inclusive growth

The report outlines seven priority areas to better support existing and future female entrepreneurs across the region, including:

Struggling with confidence
Difficult pathways to self-employment
Understanding and access to finance
Understanding and investing in customer acquisition, retention and pricing
Quality and availability of various forms of local infrastructure
Quality and availability of mentorship
Managing business administration

Ultimately, the report seeks to serve as a catalyst for change and present the foundation for a roadmap to more inclusive and prosperous growth across the region – with the recently installed York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority (YNYCA) well placed to action the policy interventions highlighted. Indeed, Dr Kerr and members of the Y-PERN team worked closely with the YNYCA transition team and continue to do so, on issues such as inclusive growth, community engagement, education and poverty. Some of these themes will be explored further as Y-PERN’s flagship project YPIP (Yorkshire and Humber Policy Innovation Partnership) gets underway, which is engaging directly with community groups and aiming to create an Inclusive Business Network to drive inclusive growth across Yorkshire and the Humber.

Professor Trehan concludes: “We look forward to continuing our support for female entrepreneurs and fostering an inclusive entrepreneurial landscape where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.”

You can read the summary report here: New Era for Female entrepreneurship in York and North Yorkshire -Summary Report.pdf

New Music Industry Network Launched for Creatives in West Yorkshire

October 9, 2024 by ypern

Connecting creative musical talent with regional opportunities is the aim of a new network delivered by Y-PERN partners Leeds Conservatoire and West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA).

It brings together everyone in the region’s music industry, from creative organisations and freelancers to venues and communities.

Launched by Mayor Tracy Brabin in collaboration with Leeds Conservatoire, Come Play With Me, and CREATEBritain, the regional network will be a central hub for music industry professionals to share knowledge and insight, create opportunities and collaborate.

Open to creatives at any career stage, the network will encourage inclusivity across West Yorkshire’s music sector, with activity tailored towards underrepresented groups and those facing barriers to opportunities. It will also seek to attract national music sector activity at conferences and events across the region, while supporting creatives to represent West Yorkshire at national and international music events.

The West Yorkshire Music Network is part of Mayor Tracy Brabin’s £2.3 million ‘You Can Make It Here’ programme, designed to support and drive growth across the region’s creative sector.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:

“We’re giving a voice to music professionals in West Yorkshire, and helping them to collaborate on opportunities and unleash their full potential.

“There is so much talent and ambition in our region, and this network will help to drive opportunities, growth and inward investment.

“This new network is an opportunity for our incredible musicians and backstage creatives to thrive in their careers, as we work to build a stronger, brighter West Yorkshire that works for all.”

James Warrender, Head of Strategic Partnerships and Enterprise at Leeds Conservatoire, said:

“The aim is for the network to be diverse and representative of the brilliantly broad variety of music related activities that take place within the region.

“It’s an opportunity to bring existing networks together with new voices, really promote the success stories, but to also unite in solving the challenges.”

Tony Ereira, CEO of Come Play With Me CIC, said:

“There is such a wonderful mix of diverse music adjacent activity happening on our doorsteps here in West Yorkshire and I am so excited about how the Network can celebrate everyone involved, introducing opportunities locally, regionally and nationally – be they a large music organisation with a huge team or a freelancer juggling multiple roles.

“At a time when arts funding and education is in a critical condition across the country, having been undervalued nationally for years, we really value the Mayor and Combined Authority recognising the need to give the music sector a much-needed voice to come together and demonstrate the significant potential it has to add value across the region.”

Jeremy Aird, Founder, CREATEBritain, said:

“At CREATEBritain, our goal is to help energise and network creatives at every level across the country and work with ambitious partners like West Yorkshire to deliver real goals for real people.

“Together we are lighting the fuse on a fantastic new community – West Yorkshire Music Network. A place for anything and everything music related to thrive, a critical local resource that also delivers nationally and globally.

“Driving real change and creating opportunity for all of our musicians starts with bold, unapologetic creativity and a platform that can grow and deliver the features they need to succeed.”

Further ‘You Can Make It Here’ initiatives in the pipeline include opportunities for young people to boost their skills and progress into creative roles, while businesses and freelancers will benefit from investment, expert advice and training to unleash their potential.

To find out more and join the West Yorkshire Music Network click here

Action plan to tackle climate crisis has support from Yorkshire’s leaders

October 7, 2024 by ypern

A comprehensive plan for Yorkshire and the Humber to respond to the climate and nature crises has received unanimous support from leaders of the region’s 15 local authorities and mayors of combined authorities.

The report was published by Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission – a key partner of Y-PERN – and provides a “strategic framework for action” according to Yorkshire Leaders Board Co-Chair Cllr Carl Les (North Yorkshire Council).

He added: “We know we need to go further and faster in responding to the challenges ahead. We also know that we will only achieve the change required at the pace and scale that is needed by working together across political, social, and economic boundaries, involving organisations from different sectors, and finding ways to effectively collaborate.”

The Climate Action Plan presents a holistic perspective, highlighting how whole society, whole place actions can enable us to rapidly reduce emissions, become adaptive to climate impacts whilst protecting and restoring nature, and ensuring climate action is fair and involves communities.

By the region, for the region

“Our updated Climate Action Plan is the culmination of a huge volume of work that we have undertaken during our first few years. It has very much been designed by the region, for the region,” said Rosa Foster, Director of Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission.

“We have aimed to be transparent through all our work, hearing from 96 experts from a wide range of backgrounds and sectors to explore a programme of 22 topics ranging from skills to nature’s recovery, from emergency planning to transport. We have shared the recordings of these technical briefings online and summarised the findings into a series of draft reports which we’ve shared for comment on our public engagement platform.

“This updated Climate Action Plan is a synthesis of those sessions and the wider work that the Commission has facilitated and enabled during its first three years.”

The plan combines knowledge and feedback from:

194 Commissioners and Commission members
96 experts from academia, businesses, organisations and groups (equivalent to more than 1,000 hours of expert input)
nearly 1,500 contributions by Yorkshire and the Humber citizens via surveys
15 Commission meetings
24 public events.

Evidence of impact

The Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission produced its first Climate Action Plan in November 2021 and has already proved its worth as a unifying framework of action across the region. Examples of its use include:

mobilising action in the social housing sector
securing funding for multiple projects (revenue and capital) including the Yorkshire Policy Innovation Partnership
organisations and local authorities using the plan to inform and shape their own strategies and plans
informing the strategic thinking of Local Resilience Forums
creating a platform for Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission to build momentum and collaborations, including the Planning Policy Principles with all local authorities.

The updated plan builds on the successes and ambition of the original and represents a considerable evolution in breadth and approach. Nature and a just transition are given equal coverage alongside rapid emissions reduction and climate adaptation – making the plan truly unique. Each of the seven objectives has a clear articulation of the challenge and opportunity, how we will know that we are succeeding (what good change looks like) and the actions that will get us on the right path.

The highly illustrated 96-page report is accessible and relatable, with 60 actions for businesses, public sector organisations, third sector (charities and community interest companies), communities, volunteer groups and individuals. It also uses case studies from across Yorkshire and the Humber to provide inspiring examples of positive action that’s already happening across the region.

‘Huge opportunities’

Like the Commission’s other recent report, Our Carbon Story, the plan tells a positive story about how Yorkshire and the Humber can achieve these ambitions, including reaching net zero by 2038 (the regional target) and generating billions in co-benefits for people, nature, and the economy, a message that resonates with the Yorkshire Leaders Board.

“There are huge opportunities for our region in this transition,” said Yorkshire Leaders Board Co-Chair Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) in a statement of support for the action plan. “We can address the climate crisis in ways that create new jobs and economic opportunities and improve the health and wellbeing of our communities. We can become climate ready and create places in which everyone can thrive across our great region.”

For the Commission, Rosa Foster said: “A top-down, one-size-fits-all approach won’t solve the challenges unique to different parts of the UK, particularly in such a large and varied region as Yorkshire and the Humber.  We have a clear plan for our region, and we are doing what we can with what we have got. Whilst we will continue to do this, we will only get so far without the support of national government to help our institutions to go further, faster.

“We are grateful that the University of Leeds is one of the major regional anchor institutions already showing the way, by committing to supporting our team to 2030 as part of the Net Zero City element of its own Climate Plan.”

Mayoral approval

The Commission’s update report has already been embraced by the region’s mayors, who cite the value it adds to their own climate ambitions.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “Here in West Yorkshire, we’re investing now for the long-term, helping households reduce their energy bills and upskilling people for the green jobs of the future.

“But to achieve our ambition of net zero by 2038, we need to work across regional boundaries and harness the power of renewables, putting the North of England at the heart of an industrial revolution once again.

“So I welcome this new Yorkshire-wide Climate Action Plan, and I pledge to do all I can in partnership with other Northern leaders to decarbonise our economy and lead the UK into a just and green transition.”

David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said: “York and North Yorkshire is in a prime position to support national and global efforts to combat climate change, even going beyond net zero and becoming England’s first carbon negative region. Our work, which will see a refreshed Routemap to Carbon Negative developed over the next year, sits well alongside this new Climate Action Plan for Yorkshire. Working together, we can create a greener economy for the benefit of all our communities.”

Oliver Coppard, South Yorkshire’s Mayor, said: “The way our climate is changing is not just a challenge but an opportunity. We can make South Yorkshire cleaner, greener, wealthier and healthier. But, we can only achieve that change by working together.

“South Yorkshire is already home to the largest clean tech cluster in the UK and we are speaking to our communities about how we develop our Local Nature Recovery Strategy together.

“But I know we need to go further and faster with that urgent work. That’s why I am pleased to welcome this new Yorkshire-wide Climate Action plan and throw the support of South Yorkshire behind it.”

A living plan

The Yorkshire and Humber Climate Action Plan is also being sent to all 58 of the region’s MPs and the Commission hopes it will encourage them to use it as a resource in their own constituencies, as well as informing their work.

The plan was presented at a meeting of the Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission in Leeds on 18 September. Liz Barber, the outgoing Chair of the Commission, said: “Three years on from the start of Yorkshire and Humber Climate Commission and we have learnt a tremendous amount. We know we need to do more, and quickly. This is a living plan that will help you to do just that.” 

We’ve made a video for the plan – watch it here.

Download the Climate Action Plan below.

New report says ‘universities need to be embedded as key partners with MCAs and local authorities’

October 7, 2024 by ypern

Universities UK (UUK) has published its Higher Education and Research Blueprint which sets out a package of reform, aiming to stabilise, mobilise and then maximise the contribution of UK universities to economic growth and widening opportunity for all.

The new report ‘Opportunity, growth, and partnership: a blueprint for change from the UK’s universities, has been authored by a series of experts from within and outside higher education on behalf of Universities UK (UUK).

It includes recommendations on how universities can do more to break down barriers to opportunity, help boost the economy, train the doctors and nurses of the future and support the drive to net zero. Achieving this, the blueprint says, will require the sector to change, becoming more efficient, collaborating more and transforming ways of working.

The Blueprint also calls on the UK government to stabilise the sector’s finances and increase direct public funding in England so the cost of going to university is rebalanced towards government instead of students.

Critical partners in local growth plans

One of three ‘key ideas’ in the report is for universities to work more closely in local areas with businesses, chambers of commerce and metro mayors to make the strongest possible contribution to growth at local and regional levels. Indeed, Chapter 3, ‘Generating local growth ‘notes that to maximise their contribution, universities need to be embedded as key partners with MCAs and local authorities, are well positioned to put themselves forward as critical partners in local growth plans,’ – citing Y-PERN as an example of this.

For example, South Yorkshire Combined Authority’s (SYMCA) Skills Strategy was devised to help build a better, not just a bigger economy in the region. Y-PERN colleagues were actively involved in supporting the development of the Skills Strategy for as well as a Plan for Good Growth. They delivered a range of activities including an evidence briefing on skills and labour market ecosystems and a series of workshops feeding into the Skills Strategy design

Meanwhile, the West Yorkshire Plan sets out an ambitious vision and five missions for 2040 that will transform lives and communities across the region. Y-PERN and West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) are working together on this vision through a systems of provision approach, which will ultimately feed into a Local Growth Plan (LGP) for the region. By analysing the underlying structures and relationships within a system, wider determinants of complex problems can be identified rather than merely addressing symptoms.