32 IN VIEW RIBBLE VALLEY
Stirk House Hotel Continued from Page 31
Changing the perception of the area is vital to its economic future, according to Mark Sutcliffe, founder of Salar Media. Looking at Clitheroe, where his marketing business is based, he says: “It has expanded massively, and a lot of the people in those new homes in Clitheroe are millennials.
“It’s changing that perception of Ribble Valley so that it’s a place not just to live and retire, it’s a place to work and play as well.”
To that end he would like to see the creation of a “vocationally focused” Further Education college in the town to serve the borough.
Mark says: “It would be tied into local businesses, particularly in hospitality and tourism, to provide courses for those industries to supply a chain of skilled people.”
Stirk House is one of the stars of the Ribble Valley’s wedding industry and director Helen Kay is quick to acknowledge the benefit the hotel gets from the marketing that goes into highlighting the area’s offering.
She adds: “We still have to fight hard still because there are an awful lot of wedding venues.”
Helen believes telling people what else is on offer in the borough would help with recruitment in all sectors. She says: “People don’t know what
It’s changing that perception of
Ribble Valley so that it’s a place not just to live and retire, it’s a place to work and play as well
the Ribble Valley is. They don’t realise how beautiful it is or that it’s comparable to the Lake District.
“If people know there are lots of professional services here and you can have a really good job and all this is on your doorstep, why would you not want to come?”
Zara Moon, founder of Zara Moon Architects, also believes people from outside the valley don’t know enough about the area but when they are recruited, they love the benefits of living and working there.
She would like to see more “flexibility” in the borough’s “strict” planning policy, adding: “That would just allow more growth and different opportunities for different types of businesses and people.”
About us
I am the owner and director of Love to Brand, and have supplied Promotional Merchandise and Corporate Gifts to many of the key companies and brands in Lancashire for 15 years; helping businesses create branded products to set themselves apart from their competition.
Our achievements and future plans
Celebrating our 15 year anniversary in 2024, means we’re looking ahead and planning what the next 15 years looks like. Customers are growing more conscious of product origins, manufacturing practices, and environmental impacts like carbon footprint from transport and delivery.
We’re looking to showcase merchandise that’s UK made; meeting customer demands for products with reduced carbon impact. Utilising locally made merchandise not only aligns businesses with sustainability goals but also positions them as contributors to the local community.
Why we like doing business in Ribble Valley
I’m fortunate to have lived in Clitheroe for 20+ years and it has been the head office for Love to Brand for 15. We are surrounded by glorious countryside, community-minded locals and a well- deserved gourmet reputation. I honestly believe it is truly one of the best places to live in Lancashire.
Paul Sharples Zara Moon
love.tobrand.co.uk
Danielle Robinson Director, Love to Brand
Zara says professional service businesses are struggling to find the space they need locally. And she adds: “If you want to grow, there’s not really the high-quality business commercial premises.”
Nicola Hopkins, director of economic development and planning at Ribble Valley Council, points to the strength of the borough’s SMEs and its base of supply chain businesses serving the large manufacturers in other parts of Lancashire.
She adds that younger people who leave the valley to study would be more encouraged to return from the big cities if they knew of the opportunities that existed.
She says: “It is about shouting out about what we do and those opportunities. We have architects, opportunities in catering, we have schools. Those opportunities are there.”
Nicola also calls on local businesses to get involved in telling the council what their challenges are. She says: “It is about working together to understand what the challenges are.”
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