As 2025 comes to a close, on what seems to have been a long and challenging year with more businesses than ever needing our help and support, I am taking a moment to look back at the milestones that shaped the BEC journey this year.
Our Highlights of the Year
We started two new projects this year, Kitchen Catalysts which is providing support to widen the reach of the council’s food programme and is training residents to be cooking facilitators. By the end of the year, we needed to have eight new facilitators and now we have sixteen trained facilitators ready to support the boroughs food initiatives.
Our second project funded by Citybridge Trust; is in its second year but we switched it up and have been pulling together a group of social sector and council colleagues to look at social value and how we can improve at every level the impact of social value. Look out for a new training programme in the new year which will help grass roots organisations demonstrate their impact using film and other media, and an opportunity to get deeper into social value in its broadest context.
Another emerging success is the work we have done with our Consortium partners in improving the community centre at Heath Park. Physically the space is unrecognisable as the building we took over, the boring stuff is that it is compliant, redecorated and is fast becoming a space to connect with residents and the community. ILA, True Cadence and Rachelle Ertle, we salute you and thank you for sharing the vision and keeping the faith, it has not been easy!
Lastly of course a highlight is that the BEC made it through another year, like many organisations we do not get core funding and all income is generated through the business accommodation or from projects delivered. After 10 years it sometimes feels like the BEC has become part of the furniture locally and is sometimes overlooked in the wider borough as a key contributor to entrepreneurship and the business community in the borough.
As new ideas, or providers appear it has been difficult to see the BEC get forgotten about, not be included or invited, and then businesses and business owners reach out in need of help and support, and we are reminded about what we do best. No gimmicks, no fuss, just solid business support and advice and accommodation you can grow your business in, as well as being part of the BEC family.
We are always grateful for the unwavering support of Cllr Sade Bright, who has backed the BEC since day one and continues to champion the work we do at every opportunity.
Lessons Learned
I guess following on from what I just said our lessons learnt this year as we need to focus more on our impact and how we demonstrate this to the wider community. Next year 2026 is our 10-year anniversary and so it is time for a revamp me thinks! and time to make sure we are not forgotten about.
Our other key lesson is how important it is to stay adaptable and the need to constantly change and pivot the model to ensure it is still central to what the community need. Being adaptable has kept us resilient in this constantly changing market and borough.
Looking Ahead to 2026
The 1st of January brings me to my 10-year anniversary at the BEC, with the company 10 years old in February 2026. We’re excited to continue building, learning, and serving our community. Expect more innovation, more connection, and more reasons to celebrate together.
So without further ado my grateful thanks go to the Board, and the staff team, with a two pizza team it is easy to forget them juggling multiple hats to deliver services which can include sorting the plumbing, reception, business support and anything else that happens on any given day.
Our thanks to our supporters (contractors) in Innocom who support our social media and digital design all the way from South Africa! who would have imagined 10 years ago this was even possible! Let’s not forget the small businesses we use to provide our repairs and maintenance. We are as an organisation are proud of our look local policy (another way to demonstrate social value) these small contractors are part of the fabric of what we do. Lastly but by no means least our Operations Director, Donna Finley who is also approaching her 10-year anniversary in the summer and a BEC hero in Andre Arundell one of business mentors who really is part of the family.
Wishing you all peaceful and happy holidays and a great 2026
