Gloucestershire’s Local Enterprise Partnership, GFirst LEP, is pleased to announce that our new Chair is Ruth Dooley.

Ruth Dooley is a partner and head of the litigation support team at Hazlewoods LLP, an accountancy firm based in Cheltenham and Staverton with 412 staff and partners. Ruth’s role as chair will be to lead the LEP Board who represent a wide range of private, public, education and voluntary sector organisations from across the county, and work with partners to engage government and realise the LEP’s ambitions for Gloucestershire.

Commenting on her appointment, Ruth said; “I am honoured and excited to be taking on the role of Chair. In the decade since it was established, GFirst LEP has secured more than £112million in capital funding to invest across the county, it has launched a hugely successful Growth Hub network along with a whole host of fantastic projects including the Gloucester Transport Hub, the Gloucester M5 Services, Cyber Central in Cheltenham, Farm 491 in Cirencester and the GREEN Skills centre in Berkeley. I am determined that the LEP will build on this impressive legacy over the comings years, continuing to deliver the sustainable economic growth that Gloucestershire needs and deserves.”

The LEP also has appointed four new Board members from the private sector.

Tyler Attwood, Founder/Director of Your Next Move Ltd, Nicola Bird, Founder and Managing Director of AccXel Ltd; Safety and Business Development Director of Bell Contracting, Matt Charman, Head of Public Sector Marketing at Google and Joe Roberts, Director of Roberts Limbrick Ltd.

GFirst LEP Board members keep the LEP focused on its key priorities; job creation and sustainable economic growth, and ensure that when funding is available, they respond to the needs of Gloucestershire’s businesses and ensure that the right projects receive the funding.

David Owen CEO of GFirst LEP, “This is a pivotal time for Gloucestershire, and GFirst LEP is in a strong position to help lead the local economy as it emerges from the pandemic. The immediate priority is to protect jobs, create opportunities for new employment and upskill workforces to move to a more digital and environmentally sustainable Gloucestershire. The immediate focus being on delivering major schemes for the county including the five ‘Getting Building Fund’ projects. It is fantastic that Gloucestershire will be able to draw on the wealth of experience and vision from Ruth and our new Board members. I am delighted to welcome them to the LEP Board and look forward to delivering on our projects and priorities collaboratively for the county.”