Newark Business Club Meeting Write Up – September 2026
A great turnout for Newark Business Club’s September breakfast meeting, with over 75 businesspeople from Newark and the surrounding areas gathering at the YMCA. After a warm welcome from chair Emma Holden, the roving mic travelled around the room, giving everyone the opportunity to introduce themselves and their businesses, revealing the eclectic and diverse mix of talent in the local area.
Meeting Sponsor – Reach Learning Disability
Today’s meeting was sponsored by Reach Learning Disability Care CIC, which supports adults with learning disabilities throughout Nottinghamshire, helping them to lead happier, healthier and more independent lives. Julia Sandhu, Reach’s fundraising director, gave an interesting insight into the organisation’s work. As well as running over 70 courses to help people with learning disabilities learn skills and find purpose in their lives, Reach also provides supported living accommodation in Newark and Southwell. One-to-one care and support, including support with personal finances, help people to live independently.
There are over 15,000 people with learning disabilities in Nottinghamshire. Many of them don’t know what to do with their lives and how they could make a difference to others. Reach’s important work helps them to improve their physical and mental health, alleviate loneliness, and contribute to the local community through activities such as litter-picking. Regulated by the Care Quality Commission, Reach has been rated as outstanding since 2018.
A video, Jamie’s Journey, showed how Jamie had become more independent, learned new skills and enjoyed belonging to the community. He is part of Reach’s Voice and Participation group, which ensures that the voices of people with learning difficulties are heard with the aim of improving help and support for them. Reach is currently recruiting people of all age groups who are looking for careers in social care to fulfil roles at Reach Care. It is also looking for new volunteers and collaborating with businesses on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) days.
Reach is keen to build more supported accommodation but with a £500,000 gap between local authority funding and the cost of its existing services, the organisation needs to raise more funds to make this a reality.
Reach will be taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge from 1-8 December in which all donations from the public are matched by business, philanthropic and other donors, multiplying the impact of each gift.
Find out more about paid and volunteer positions and donating at www.reachuk.org
Who Gives a Book?!
Many members of Newark Business Club have written books and this month, Mark Jarvis provided a copy of his book, The 63 Point Business Blueprint: A Practical Framework to Build, Scale and Strengthen Your Company, which was won by Lauren Robinson of Richstone Park Financial Planning.
The Connected Communities Project
Anna Martin, the executive head teacher of Magnus Academy, introduced the Connected Communities project, which is a community collaboration to create solutions for young people facing low aspirations and low attainment and to build Newark’s network of trusted adults for every young person.
With 1 in 7 young men in the UK not being in employment or training and men accounting for four out of five suicides both in Newark and Sherwood and the UK, we need to do something locally, as a community, about this issue. Under a national government campaign, 10,000 trusted adults are being sought to support young people, and Newark is the first place in the country to launch this campaign locally.
Under the Newark Trusted Adult Charter, free training is being offered to everyone would like to help and mentor young people and become a trusted adult. Another part of the project concerns connecting young people and their families with community partners and opportunities, breaking down the barriers between young people and their communities. An employer’s focus group is also being set up to identify what employers need from young people and to determine how young people can help local businesses.
To seek solutions, the first Connected Communities Conference was held at Magnus, with 200 people from Newark and Sherwood attending. The next Connected Communities Conference will take place on 4 January 2027.
For more information, email Anna Martin: amartin@magnusacademy.co.uk
Club Connections
In this relatively new section of Newark Business Club’s meetings, we celebrate the multitude of connections forged at the club. Examples of building relationships with people in complementary businesses as a way of widening the services you offer to your own clients were mentioned. The importance of Newark Business Club providing a forum to meet and get to know other people who make it easy to function in business was acknowledged, whether that is for a chat, support, advice or collaboration.
The Christmas Social
Newark Business Club’s Christmas Social will take place at the Renaissance at Kelham Hall on 1 December. Come along for an evening of entertainment and networking in collaboration with Grantham and Lincoln Business Clubs. Tickets will become available from www.newarkbusinessclub.co.uk in the next two weeks.
Events and Announcements
Events for businesses include:
- The Method Works: A Marketing Strategy and Content Marketing Workshop for Small Businesses, co-hosted by Newark Business Club member Lisa Harrison of LJH Copywriting, will take place on 28 September from 9am until 5pm at Nottingham Contemporary. Book your ticket at: www.themethodworks.co.uk
- Turn Newark Pink – Make everything pink in your business from 28 September until 10 October to support Cancer Research UK. Find out more at Turn Newark Pink
- Business Support Surgery: For impartial advice on moving your business forward, book a free one-hour slot with business advisor Dawn Fear at Gusto House, Collingham on 10 September. Contact Will Parkinson: will.parkinson@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk
- All businesses are welcome to attend the sixth Newark & Sherwood Economic Growth Conference: Overcoming Barriers, Building Connections and Unlocking Inclusive Growth on 8 October at The Pumping House in Ollerton. For further information and to book your place, contact Will Parkinson: will.parkinson@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk
- Combining business networking with supporting local independent restaurants, the Newark Dining Network is a wonderful way to connect with other business owners in a relaxed atmosphere. The next meeting will take place on 14 October at Baseri Nepalese and Indian Cuisine on Castle Gate, Newark. Book your ticket on Eventbrite.
- Also at Baseri Nepalese Indian Cuisine is a Curry and Live Music Night on 15 October in aid of Newark Emmaus Trust, a charity that has been helping young homeless people since 1993.
Other announcements include:
- Newark and Sherwood United football club has launched The Highwaymen 100 Club. Support this local community-based club for £10 per month, which gives you a chance of winning a cash prize every month. Email: hello@nsufc.co.uk to join the next draw.
- If you’re writing a book or anything else, join us for dedicated writing time in a supportive environment at the next Co-Writing Space at the Governor’s House Café and Deli, 23 Stodman Street, Newark, on 15 September, from 9.30 am until 12 noon. Email info@rawritersforhire.com for more information.
- Talking Newark, the new local podcast that shines the spotlight on the people, businesses and organisations that make Newark a great place to live and work, is looking for guests, sponsors and partners. Contact
Next meeting
Wear pink for next month’s meeting of Newark Business Club as part of the Turn Newark Pink campaign. For each ticket purchased, £5 will be donated to Cancer Research UK. Join us on 2 October at the YMCA, beginning with tea, coffee and informal networking from 6.45 am.
We are delighted to have support from Patrons for 2026 – Gusto Group | GXO in Partnership with Currys | Barcode Warehouse | PeachyEvents | Radio Newark
Write up by Roz Andrews of RA Writers For Hire/RA Book Editing / Photos supplied by Nicola Auckland Photography.
