51Âþ»­

Business leaders have started their studies on a new course designed to help SMEs scale up as the UK recovers from the pandemic.

The Help to Grow: Management course is 90% funded by the Government and is a mix of online learning and in-person workshops run on campus.

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51Âþ»­ Leicester (51Âþ»­)’s Leicester Castle Business School is delivering the scheme for businesses in Leicester, Leicestershire and across the East Midlands.

Dr Dyneshia Johnson, who leads the Help to Grow programme at 51Âþ»­, said: “We are so pleased to welcome this first cohort to the programme. They’ve taken the step to invest their time and energy into working on their businesses and learn new ways of working that will help them to grow.

“The course is run by industry professionals that are experts in their fields and will be teaching everything from adopting responsible business practices to engaging and inspiring teams. With the knowledge they are going to provide, they will be able to create their own strategic growth plan.”

51Âþ»­ has recruited a team of mentors from the business world who are on hand to help by providing a sounding board, practical advice and support throughout the programme and beyond.

They include sales trainer Rob Cross, PR and marketing expert Ann Stanley, executive coach Sara Higgins, company founder Maz Patel and HR consultant Gemma Crofts. They will work alongside the businesses as they work through the course.

People who have joined the course said they were looking forward to spending time focusing on the future of their businesses.  

Chris Durham, owner of in Market Harborough, said: “Like many business owners, I’ve grown as a leader and manager from inside my business and whilst there’s nothing like learning on the job, this is the perfect time to embed the practical skills and knowledge I have in my market into a focused strategic plan for the business going forwards.

“I’m excited to see what I can get out of the course, as supporting SME’s is historically something that the UK is particularly poor at.  I’m encouraged to see the quality and pickup on the course and I’m excited to see what is to come.”

Katie Brown of packaging company said: “This course will help me in creating a thoroughly considered business plan, providing a jump off point for additional growth, whilst also giving me the tools to continually review and adapt.

“I look forward to sharing my experience with my colleagues to develop a strong and sustainable future.”

Angela Clay, managing director of said: “As with many business owners, I find myself working in the business with very little time working on the business. I am really excited to be participating in The Help to Grow Management Course, which will give me the opportunity to work on the business by revisiting our current business plan and operations, using the skills learnt on this course, I am confident that I will be in a much better position to further improve the business, increasing business growth by implementing practical skills, fresh ideas and taking the business in a new direction.  

“I am thrilled with the prospect of working with experts in their fields in helping me create and implement a growth plan.”

The scheme is run in partnership with the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS) to support senior leaders. It delivers training, workshops and a peer network to help boost performance, resilience and long-term growth.

The next two courses will take place in 2022.