Business initiative proves a thirst for knowledge for Ripon's rural independent business

The brain child of local councillors Richard Hughes and Jane Aksut, the Kirkby Malzeard, Laverton and Dallowgill Business Enterprise Group is born out of the need for alternative thinking, regional isolation and taking an initiative in becoming involved with the community where it fails those who deserve support.

Aimed to help ambitious and creative thinkers, KMLD, is keen to provide relevant business support and offer a branch to guide business skills into a lucrative financial income at a time when the Covid hangover has been further worsened by a crippling Cost of Living crisis.

“There was a feeling more and more that we were coming up into a crash, you either got something sorted out or it would get worse,” said Coun Hughes. “Like many during Covid, I had my head down, didn’t have any neighbours, Covid slowed everyone down in a sense. We were beginning to need a change in mentality.

“There was a recurring theme within our communities, like football teams, youth clubs, even the Nidderdale cricket league - the biggest in the country! All failing to grow and evolve. All around, there was this sense of failure in the air.”

One major positive to emerge from the Covid pandemic was the enhanced community spirit of people coming together for the common cause and greater good, something that KMLD is looking to build on.

By joining forces with their rural neighbours – rather than competing against them – the new group is looking to offer valuable business support to all who need it.

Coun Aksut added: “In London things get done, there’s someone doing it, in the right place. If you don’t have that support you are in an isolated bubble. You have to engineer the old fashioned community to get it back again to connect with necessary support. For us, it was time to sink or swim."

After attending a recent open evening of the KMLD, founder of equine nutritionist ‘Equinutrition’ Jennifer Little praised the initiative: “I often find myself running my rural based business alone. While this can be incredible rewarding, the potential for sharing ideas can be limiting and daunting for a business in the early stages. The variety of young business in attendance was remarkable, ranging from services to manufacturing and processing organisations.”

And the new group has also drawn praise from Harrogate Borough Council ‘Welcome Back’ consultant for post-Covid recovery, Steve Bolton: “The numbers they are pulling in are larger than that of a business conference in Leeds. People are engaging, the events are attracting more follow ups from previous events proving the value of each one.

"It’s generating a great reaction, it’s a big buzz and people are extremely grateful so it’s rewarding. Yet there’s not suit and tie, its informal but just as serious. Their thirst for knowledge just continues as they come back for more. They don’t just walk the walk they talk the talk.”

For more information about the Kirby Malzeard, Laverton and Dallowgill Business Enterprise Group email kirkbybusiness@gmai