The government is offering up to £5,000 in stacked incentives for employers who hire young apprentices in 2026. Four separate payments are available depending on your size, the apprentice's age, and their circumstances. Most payments go via the training provider, not directly to you, and the first instalment won't realistically arrive until 110-130 days after the apprenticeship starts. Know what's coming, when, and from whom.

Overview of the Four Incentive Payments

The BetaDen workshops programme for 2026/27 is now underway with two vibe coding workshops delivered by Green Gorilla Software having taken place in Kidderminster and Wychavon respectively.

Delegates were treated to two brilliant interactive sessions in which they learnt to built their own applications in just two and a half hours utilising AI tools such as Claude and Replit.

Taste Worcestershire returns this October, offering a fantastic opportunity for restaurants, pubs and cafés to attract new customers and boost trade ahead of the festive season.

Now in its third year, this month-long event celebrates Worcestershire’s food and drink scene, giving residents and visitors plenty of reasons to try somewhere new with special offers, discounts and events.

By taking part, businesses can:

✔ Create exclusive offers, themed menus or special events 

✔ Benefit from county-wide marketing, PR and social media promotion 

✔ Increase footfall and build new audiences

Last year’s event delivered strong results for participating venues, with many seeing increased bookings and repeat visits.

If you’re part of Worcestershire’s hospitality sector, now’s the time to get involved.

Wychavon District Council will be launching more hospitality support and events soon so watch this space for more updates.

A second date for our Social Media Masterclass: How to Connect with your Customer workshop after the first session sold out so quickly!

Due to the incredible response and high demand, we've added an additional date to give more people the opportunity to attend.

Taking place on Wednesday 5th of August, from 10 am-12.30 pm at the Banking Hall in Pershore, this highly informative and incredibly valuable social media marketing session, delivered by Samantha Cadman of BrandRefinery is targeted towards small business owners and marketers looking to build an online audience from the ground up.

If you’re struggling to figure out what your social media strategy should look like, what platforms you should focus on and which AI-powered tools you should be using, this workshop is a great opportunity to boost your digital marketing game.

Worcestershire County Council’s brand-new Advance Worcestershire Pathway programme is underway!

Advance Worcestershire is a high-impact business support programme designed to help ambitious SMEs prepare for the future through the Pathways of innovation, investment readiness, and manufacturing.

Business will initially receive a minimum of 6 hours of one-to-one support with a specialist adviser to assess business performance, challenges, and opportunities and develop a bespoke, actionable plan.

Delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice on behalf of Worcestershire County Council, this fully funded programme provides expert-led, tailored support to help your business move forward with confidence.

Worcestershire County Council’s renowned Elevate Growth programme now has less than 10 spaces remaining for 2026!

Elevate offers businesses a combination of 1:1 bespoke consultancy support and structured peer group learning. Peer sessions bring like-minded businesses together to discuss a presented situation or challenge to share experiences and find solutions. Tailored consultancy provides time and space for businesses to drill down into their business model and future vision to develop robust growth plans and strategies to achieve their ambitions.

Funded by Worcestershire County Council and delivered by Rockfine Group, business owners are matched to a dedicated consultant whose experience aligns with their growth priorities.

The final cohort is due to start in September 2026.If you are ready to grow your business to the next level visit the Elevate Worcestershire programme webpage and register your interest to apply now.

Age UK Wyvern will be delivering an engaging, interactive session on dementia awareness.

Around three thousand people are estimated to be living with Dementia in Pershore and the surrounding area. It is essential for communities and businesses to play an active role in supporting those affected. With better understanding, businesses can make a real difference to the wellbeing and confidence of customers, staff and carers.

Dates for the training:

• Tuesday 7th July 1pm – 4pm

Pershore Town Hall, 34 High Street, Pershore, WR10 1DS

To book onto the session, please email or call the team:

• 0333 038 3711 

 • dementia-wellbeing-service@ageukwyvern.org

EVESHAM, Worcestershire – Independent retail is not just surviving; it is thriving on Evesham High Street. Bradfords Carpets, Flooring & Beds is proudly celebrating its landmark 40th anniversary, serving as an inspiring success story for the local business community.

First opened on May 26, 1986, by Steven Tyler with the help of his father Geoffrey, the traditional family-run business has stood the test of time. Today, the mantle has been passed down to the next generation. Steven’s son, Gary Tyler, oversees the estimating and business operations, Gary's wife Debbie manages the finances, and his brother-in-law, Ben Simcox, runs the bustling High Street showroom.

A Message of Inspiration for Local Retailers

Speaking on the landmark anniversary, Showroom Manager Ben Simcox said:

"Reaching 40 years on Evesham High Street is an incredibly proud milestone for our family and our team. High streets change, but the appetite for genuine, trusted customer care never goes out of style. We want our journey to serve as an inspiration to our fellow local retailers: by investing in your team, keeping quality close to home, and adapting your logistics behind the scenes, independent businesses can grow from strength to strength."

As they celebrate four decades of dedication, the Tyler family extends their deepest thanks to Wychavon District Council, their loyal workforce, and the thousands of local customers who continue to choose to shop local.

Wychavon District Council are looking into setting up a ‘Park that Bike’ scheme. A unique scheme to promote cycling and active travel. Working with employers and communities. However, before going ahead with such a scheme, we are seeking feedback as to whether businesses would be interested in participating and have identified a need for bike parking facilities. Please see a brief summary / benefits of the scheme below and direct any feedback / questions to: joe.wheldon@wychavon.gov.uk (Joe Wheldon, Carbon Reduction Projects Officer).

The scheme would: 

• target the business, community and voluntary sectors 

• offer them various types of cycle parking – free of charge – for installation on their premises

Funded by the Council and operated by ParkThatBike, the scheme would achieve the following outcomes: 

• high quality cycle parking installed in places where it is needed 

• cycling made easier and more convenient 

• the status of cycling raised 

• cycle theft reduced 

• a measurable increase in cycle use