Our Story

Initiatives were created in the 1980s as a response to civil unrest in towns and cities across the country. They were to be a platform which would allow businesses to play a full role as corporate citizens, working closely in collaboration with local authorities to develop the economy.

The Bristol and West of England Initiative delivered a number of successes and drew in a small number of companies from Bath and North East Somerset. Over time it became clear that there was an appetite in B&NES for its own Initiative group which was developed as a section of the more than 100 year old Bath Chamber of Commerce.

Now we have members drawn from a range of sectors, including professional services, hospitality, housing, universities and college, plus the local authority. They all have a long term commitment to the area and a keen interest in ensuring the place is well equipped to provide sustainable economic growth.

Together we talk about the main obstacles to achieving that growth and how we can harness the tremendous experience and creative energy within the group to find a way to deliver the sort of future we want to see.