Last month saw the first of our family business interviews go live.
Maria and Izzy Whitehead of Hawkshead Relish and Kirkbie Kendal school worked with me on this first project.
As well as being in the judging phase of the Cumbria Family Business Awards, I have also been planning the next wave of family business Insight events.
On March 23 I will be heading to London to the Great British Family Business Conference. Among the speakers is Cumbria’s Ben Berry of English Lakes.
One of the key topics of conversation this month when meeting family businesses has been philanthropy. It has been a very humbling experience to see how some of these companies are involved with organisations such as Cumbria Community Foundation.
I am a big advocate of the Foundation and have supported them over the last couple of years with different fundraising (and chilly) antics such as the Big Sleep in 2016 and this year the Great North Swim in Windermere.
Family businesses continue to impress me with their contribution to our communities.
<li>Sue Coulson is director of Coulson Associates Ltd, Family Business Ambassador for the Cumbria Family Business Network & regional partner for national network Family Business United
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