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With 2026 now well and truly underway, we thought it was about time to share a bit of a reflection on 2025 as we are all adapting to new ways of working this year:
We are deeply grateful for the diverse clients we’ve had the privilege to work with recently. Our ongoing role with the SETsquared commercialisation team, delivering the full suite of ICURe programmes, has introduced us to remarkable individuals with innovative ideas. Our responsibility is to guide these innovators as they navigate commercial conversations, ensuring they protect their intellectual property while understanding market needs and the potential positive impact of their work beyond academia. Our commercial relationships, with partners and collaborators, has proved to be a vital component as we share an unrivalled connectivity which ensures we can help our clients reach whoever they need to reach!
We have facilitated several team-based days, empowering managers and leaders to step confidently into the roles their organisations require, to create a re-set and clarity of actions going forward. These sessions have focused on making good decisions, working well together and handling conflict as well as building strength in communications, knowing when and how to say “no”, and the creative opportunities presented by choosing “yes, and” in preference to “no… but”.
Our commitment to providing executive coaching to individuals and companies, to managers, senior leadership teams, founders and directors, continues, both in-person and online. These sessions help people align their instincts with the demands of their roles, feel supported as they implement necessary changes, and offer a safe space to unpack and reassemble challenges into manageable actions.
On a personal level, Kath wants to recognise the support of Chris and Phil, as well as our many understanding clients who have shown compassion when she has been affected emotionally by the loss of her Mum in February 2025. Though most never met her, Kath's Mum has been a presence in much of the last few years of her working life, as she sought to balance work commitments with supporting her Mum during her later years.
As 2025 drew to a close, she gained an even deeper appreciation for the challenges others face when grieving a loved one and feeling overwhelmed by personal commitments whilst keeping plates spinning at work. We hope that anyone in our network who needs support knows they can always reach out to any of us for a listening ear and emotional support.
With 2026 already underway, we are hopeful that we can continue to work together to make good things happen. This starts with our first in-person event of 2026 which will look at “the Journey to Net Zero” being held at Dartington Hall on Tuesday 3rd February. An event which wouldn’t be happening without the support of Triodos Bank, and specifically John Sharpe who we have collaborated successfully with many times in the last few years. It is these kinds of relationships which we hope we can deepen and develop in the years ahead.
Our message to all readers of this news piece is that we are here for you.
To schedule a call with any one of us, please email info@southwestgrowthservice.co.uk and we will be delighted to book you in.
Speaker and panel line up:
How a forward-thinking accounting practice supports clients in their sustainability journeys—and how Portt & Co themselves chose to monitor and measure their actions.
A candid look at her mission to transform commercial laundry services through sustainability, the trade-offs required, and the lessons learned along the way.
Real examples of how ethical finance is empowering organisations across the South West to reduce carbon footprints, transition to clean energy, and deliver green products and services.
Innovator behind the world’s first electric off-highway vehicle, sharing his insight into the challenges and opportunities in sustainable transport.
A food and drink entrepreneur whose interest in sustainability began when customers asked if his locally produced goods were air-freighted—sparking a journey into responsible supply chains.
Join us at Dartington Hall on Tuesday 3rd February from 09.15am - midday to learn from practical, real-world sustainability journeys:
Book in here: https://events.humanitix.com/the-journey-to-net-zero
Never before, in the field of human healthcare, has so much been expected of our leaders.
As a leader in this evolving landscape, the question is no longer just how to deliver care—but how to guide teams, organisations, and systems through unprecedented change while keeping patients and communities at the heart of every decision.
One of the most immediate challenges leaders will face is navigating the integration of advanced technologies into everyday care. Remote monitoring, AI-driven diagnostics, and predictive analytics offer incredible potential to improve outcomes and efficiency, but implementing them requires careful planning, robust governance, and workforce engagement. Leaders must balance the promise of innovation with the realities of staff training, resource allocation, and patient trust, ensuring that technology complements rather than replaces the human touch.
Personalised care is another frontier that demands new leadership approaches. Tailoring treatments to individual genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors will transform care pathways, but it also introduces complexity in decision-making, ethical oversight, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Leaders will need to foster a culture that encourages innovation while maintaining safety, transparency, and accountability.
Equally pressing are the challenges of redesigning care delivery models. Community-based hubs, integrated health and social care teams, and preventative-focused services require leaders to break down silos, manage change across multiple stakeholders, and inspire a shared vision. Building trust, developing new skills, and sustaining morale during these transformations will be critical to success.
Finally, leaders must grapple with the human side of transformation: ensuring equitable access, addressing workforce burnout, and maintaining a patient-centered ethos amidst rapid change. Our event will explore these leadership challenges in depth, offering insight into how visionary leaders can guide their organisations through a future that is smarter, more connected, and deeply responsive to the needs of the people they serve.
To explore these challenges and how you might address them why not come along to The Future of Health and Social Care at Dartington Hall on Tuesday October 14th. Book here or contact us for more details.
For any of our clients who are considering exiting their business, we often ask them to think about the legacy they are hoping to leave. For some owners they are happy to move out of the business without a backwards glance but for others it is essential that they know that the business they created continues to prosper for the benefit of clients and employees. For the latter, exploring employee ownership is a great possibility to explore as it enables owners to pass on their business in a tax efficient way but also ensures that the staff have a tangible stake in the future running of the business.
To assess whether employee ownership might be the right option for you South West Growth Service will be hosting a workshop, sponsored by Triodos Bank UK, which will be considering the following key questions:
This event will be on Thursday 12th October between 0830 and 1130 at Devon Business & Education Centre. For tickets, click here
South West Growth Service (SWGS) were delighted to host an event at Dartington Hall, sponsored by their partner Triodos Bank UK, exploring how organisations could create reilience through Ethical Leadership. The event, with 20 organisations from across the South West, listened to some exceptional insights from Pete Russell - Founder of Ooooby.com, Isabel Carlisle - Director of The Bioregional Learning Centre and Phill Bate - Regional Manager of Triodus UK.
"We were delighted with the range of ideas covered by the speakers and the inputs of the delegates", said event convenor and SWGS Director Chris Lorimer, "which surfaced multiple reasons on why Ethical Leadership is not a "nice to have" but an essential component of how business leaders should behave if they want to provide long term direction, connect with clients and build a sustainable culture within their organisation."
Pete Russell (pictured), founder of Ooooby.com - a company which is building local supply chains for food delivery retold his business' journey where he and colleagues had to recognise the importance of following the long view versus the quick route to growth through supplier relationships with large commercial organisations. "The trouble is", Pete said “they don’t meet people, they meet numbers”. Whilst in the short-term, growth might be constrained, long term value was built through linking with local suppliers who connected with the long term vision.
Isabel Carlisle explained the approach of The Biregional Learning Centre which creates connection through communities with the goal of achieving long-term climate resilience. "Working in and at the intersection of economy, ecology, learning, arts and culture and the gaps in between", said Isabel, "we would encourage people not to do what’s expected, but to do what’s right”.
Phill Bate of Triodos Bank UK cited the purpose of the organisation as outlined by CEO Bevis Watts "We can no longer measure success purely in terms of growth when our resources are finite. We can work harder to create a global economy that works better for people and planet.” Triodos have consistently applied this principle and will only lend where organisations can show social benefit.
