You might imagine that the life of a commercial lawyer is pretty dull, but working in Swindon means this is far from the case.
I’m lucky to live and work in a town which has a thriving business community that offers me the opportunity to work with businesses of all sizes and across many sectors. Whilst drafting and reviewing contracts, advising on data protection and protecting intellectual property rights might not be every one’s cup of tea, the opportunity to work alongside business owners, directors and legal counsel is what makes my job so rewarding. In short, it’s the people that make it and I think we’ve got a pretty special thing going on in Swindon.
This is the first in a series of columns that Swindon24 have asked me to write, so I won’t give it all away in my first instalment, but I wanted to highlight something important that changed across our business landscape in Swindon in 2025.
In the Spring, an Inclusive Growth team was established as part of Swindon Borough Council’s Swindon Plan priority to attract inward investment and inclusive growth that benefits the wider community. Their overarching aim is to grow the local economy and increase jobs, however, it’s the way they’ve gone about this that stands out to me. They have actively sought to engage with businesses to understand our views of the strengths and challenges of the town.
I was invited to the first ‘Let’s Talk Business’ event in July where we focused on the topics of economic growth, skills and workforce development, decarbonisation and sustainability, and inclusive economy. I’ve attended various consultations over the years however this felt different. It felt genuinely collaborative. Business leaders from across a range of sectors gathered at Lydiard House Conference Centre and spent a morning focusing on these key topics and working together to discuss priorities and help define the future business landscape.
A follow up ‘Let’s Talk Business’ session ran in November where we heard from Council officers as to the work that had been done since July and it’s clear that the re-establishment of an Inward Investment team is paying off for Swindon. You will have seen coverage of Tekever and Stark’s move to Swindon and I am reliably informed that there are more announcements to come in January (watch this space!). This strengthens both our economy and our business community. It was clear from this meeting that there is a strong desire of the SME businesses to be involved in shaping the future of Swindon and leaders were urged to harness their collective voice and energy.
Finally, in December, the borough council team brought the first Western Regional Defence and Security Cluster event to the town. Sponsored by SDO Associates and held at STEAM, the event brought together organisations involved in aerospace, composites, defence engineering and advanced manufacturing as well as government and was another fantastic opportunity to showcase Swindon’s potential whilst surrounded by reminders of our industrial, innovative past. Over my 20+ years of working in Swindon, I’ve had the opportunity to be involved in many defence and aerospace sector projects and the packed room was evidence of the potential that sector has for our town.
The SBC-led events are just part of what has made my year so rewarding. I love having the opportunity to meet with fellow business owners and directors and there’s always something of interest on the business event calendar. We have a fascinating mix of large corporates, SMEs and micro businesses in our town and being able to engage and collaborate with each other is something I find very fulfilling. As I said earlier, it’s the people that make it. So, if you’ve not attended a Swindon business event last year, why not come along to one next year? See you there!
