Bristol’s black entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to forge new connections and highlight the challenges they face at an event featuring one of the city’s four MPs, Thangham Debbonaire.
The free online event on February 5, organised by Lloyds Banking Group, is seeking to create better understanding of the inequalities in the city’s business landscape.
The idea is to provide opportunities for black business owners in the Bristol region to network with other organisations that can support them to grow.
Jeremy Hayward, Lloyds Banking Group's ambassador for the South West, will host the session alongside Ms Debbonaire, the MP for Bristol West.
They will be joined by an expert panel to discuss issues including access to finance, digitisation, support and advice, and to identify solutions to barriers black-owned businesses in particular have to overcome.
Speakers on the panel include Diana Chrouch, chair of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Business Policy at the Federation of Small Businesses and Indie Gordon of social enterprise Foundervine.
Ms Debbonaire said although Bristol was a diverse city she was aware, from speaking to black business owners, of "real inequality" too.
“Black business owners and networks tell me about difficulty raising finance to develop their businesses, so I have been asking banks to consider what they can do to change this situation," she said.
“This year is likely to be very challenging for many businesses, but Bristol's resilient community can get through it by working together."
The event follows the launch of Lloyds Banking Group’s Black Business Advisory Committee in December.
The committee, which is being headed up by business psychologist and social entrepreneur Claudine Reid, was established to investigate the specific challenges for the black business community and develop solutions, according to the bank.
Last year, research by the Black South West Network found the virus and social-distancing rules had exacerbated pre-existing socio-economic inequality in the region.
“Bristol is a vibrant city with a diverse and exciting business community, but recent global events have exposed inequalities in the business landscape," added Mr Hayward.
“Covid-19 and the Black Lives Matter movement have highlighted the need to address the very stark challenges faced by black-owned businesses.
“With this event, we want to hear about their experiences and explore what is needed to ensure that all businesses have the equal opportunity to start up, grow, adapt and thrive."
In October, BusinessLive spoke to 12 inspiring black owned businesses across the UK as part of its #IAMBOB campaign to highlight the importance of black-owned companies to the UK’s economic recovery. In February, it is launching a monthly newsletter to support black-owned businesses across the UK.
Those wishing to attend the Lloyds Banking Group event, which will run from 9.15am on Friday, February 5, are encouraged to book their place online via Eventbrite.
