THE Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership and its partners were urged to be “bold and brave” in putting forward proposals and funding bids to government at the organisation’s annual conference.

Executive chairman, Peter Pawsey, warned the group that support would go elsewhere, as would jobs and any potential boost to Worcester-shire’s economy, if the bids were not forthcoming.

More than 300 business people from around the county attended the event, at Sixways in Worcester, which was scheduled on a motor racing theme with former champion rally driver Penny Mallory as presenter. Mr Pawsey outlined prog-ress against objectives set in the LEP’s 2012 business plan and he also used the occasion to premiere the LEP’s new promotional film, targeted at inward investors.

Reports were heard from the four heads of the LEP’s strategic objective subgroups. Kate Moss, director of communications and participation at the University of Worcester, provided an update on workto raise the profile of Worcestershire and urged delegates to champion the county as a great place in which to invest, work, live and play.

There were also reports from Carl Arntzen, managing director at Bosch Thermo-technology Ltd, who heads the LEP’s employment and skills strategy group, Roy Irish, director at Financial Partnership & Support Ltd, who is leader of the access to finance strategy, and Jacqui Bayliss, director at Harris Lamb Property Consulting and head of the planning, development and infrastructure strategy group.

Clare Marchant, assistant chief executive of Worcester-shire County Council, was joined on the platform by Paul Walker, managing director at Malvern Instru-ments, to outline the ‘Next Generation’ initiative which has been developed by the Shenstone Group. This encourages long term forward planning by imagining Worcestershire in the year 2040. The initiative has identified 25 priorities and delegates were urged to consider how they and their organisations could contribute to the county’s long term strategic goals.

Emma Ward, executive director at the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills, asked Worcestershire to consider its place alongside other similar counties. She urged the county to set out its competitive stall, differentiating itself and demonstrating its capacity to deliver growth using available resources. This would necessarily lead to cross-boundary relationships, private/public sector partnerships and co-operation.