Cumbria LEP moving forward in 2019
Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership’s 2019 Annual General Meeting (AGM) has taken place with a series of presentations on the LEP’s activities over the last twelve months, alongside its future plans focused on delivering the Local Industrial Strategy.
Almost 100 business people and public, voluntary and community sector partners attended the event at Cumbria LEP’s Conference & Business Centre near Penrith.
The event opened with a video which gave a snapshot of the LEP’s activities over the last year and was followed by an introduction from Lord Inglewood, the Chair, who outlined the significant progress the LEP has made and its ambitions to be the best performing small LEP
in the country.
Crucially, Lord Inglewood addressed independent economic forecasting regarding the challenges Cumbria’s sectors may face as the UK exits the European Union and reassured partners that the LEP stands ready to mitigate these, working closely locally and nationally with associates and Government.
The Chief Executive, Jo Lappin, then provided an update on Governance, the LEP Scrutiny Board, Strategy, the establishment of the LEP as an independent company, as well as Delivery and Growth Deal Performance.
This was followed by spotlights on four of the LEP’s priorities – skills, transport, energy and clean growth and the Kingmoor Park Enterprise Zone – delivered by four private sector Board members: Mike Smith OBE, Dr Steve Curl, Rebecca Weston and Graham Booth.
Cumbria LEP’s Diversity Champion, Andrew Wren, then discussed diversity and inclusion progress within the LEP, including the announcement that the Board has met its 2020 milestone target a year ahead of schedule and that an 18-35 year-old ‘shadow’ Board has been given the go-ahead.
The event was rounded off with a presentation of the LEP’s income and expenditure report, prior to moving into a question and answer session which allowed the audience to raise any issues with members of the Board.
Cumbria LEP Chief Executive Jo Lappin said: “The Annual General Meeting is an important date in the LEP’s calendar, providing all of our partners and stakeholders with the opportunity to review the LEP’s activities and ask the Chair, Board and Executive any questions relating to our business.
“CLEP was delighted that so many of our partners took the time to join us and hear about what we have achieved over the last twelve months and to learn more about our priorities going forward.
“We look forward to working with all of our partners to deliver on these growth priorities over the next twelve months.”