Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council are thrilled to announce the launch of Enterprising Cumbria, in a further step to transfer functions from Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (CLEP) to the two unitary councils in Cumbria. This is a milestone in the journey to providing a strong, pan-Cumbrian voice for businesses across the region.
Enterprising Cumbria will take on the function and purpose of the previous CLEP and provide a powerful voice for a diverse array of businesses across the Cumbrian footprint, building upon the work of the CLEP in supporting economic growth, investing in skills, and promoting Cumbria as a great place to live, work, and do business.
Lead Members from both Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council have supported the development of the new Enterprising Cumbria, which will be delivering on the priorities of both councils, businesses and our residents over the next few months. This launch is supported by a brand-new identity, which will have a strong, visible presence locally, regionally, nationally and internationally to promote Cumbria.
Enterprising Cumbria will be led by the newly appointed Isobel Brown, who started in her role as Interim Programme Director on Monday 17 June. She will lead the new Enterprising Cumbria team, who transferred from the CLEP on 1 April 2024. Isobel brings a wealth of experience having worked with a number of Councils in England as well as both local and central government and the private sector across the UK.
This is only the beginning of the journey. A new website will be launched, and regular updates shared over the Summer and early Autumn.
Members and officers from both Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness Councils would like to thank the CLEP including its Board, wider governance structures, CEO Jo Lappin personally, in addition to everyone involved in delivering a strong voice and opportunities for Cumbria.
Cllr Mark Fryer, the Leader of Cumberland Council said: “I sincerely appreciate the exceptional work established by the Cumbria LEP since 2012, which has laid the groundwork for positioning Cumbria as an exciting, diverse, and opportunity-rich place to do business.
“The launch of Enterprising Cumbria allows us to really build on this legacy and further champion the strength of the Cumbrian economy, leveraging the wealth of opportunities our region offers.”
Cllr Jonathan Brook, the Leader of Westmorland and Furness Council, added: “The launch of Enterprising Cumbria is another significant step forward in promoting business opportunities and ensuring we maximise economic growth, investment and skills across Cumbria.
“We thank Jo Lappin and her entire team for their great work at the CLEP in getting us to where we are today. We now welcome Isobel Brown to take forward this work. We are all excited to see how far this new opportunity will take us.”
Interim Programme Director, Isobel Brown outlined her thoughts about the future and said: "I am thrilled to be appointed as interim lead at this incredibly exciting time for Enterprising Cumbria and for the region as a whole. Cumbria has amazing resources and potential as a place to do business, across a whole range of sectors and we all look forward to the opportunity to drive economic growth forward as a single Cumbrian voice for our region."