Former Lord Mayor Gary Millar Provides Drop-In for Entrepreneurial Advice @ Central Library

Former Lord Mayor and Cabinet Member, Councillor Gary Millar – who was a track record in running successful businesses – will become the first ‘Entrepreneur-in-Residence’ at Liverpool’s Central Library. He will be offering budding and existing business people help and support in turning their ideas into success, as well as signposting to them others who can help.

The Women’s Organisation hopes to be one of those organisations who can help, with our drop-in sessions happening simultaneously to Gary Millar’s, and last week we were able to work with Gary as he signposted two businesses to The Women’s Organisation where our advisors were able to help and advise them.

These Drop-Ins are part of Central Library’s new Business and IP Centre – one of just seven in the UK – which gives access to a wealth of free support, and the opportunity to take advantage of free intellectual property and business information and expertise.

Cllr Millar said; ‘Although my role as Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Investment is to politically lead on the business agenda, I am also a business owner and business adviser. I’ve felt the pain, excitement and satisfaction of setting up a business, but I always did it better when I sought out help when faced with hiccups, problems and opportunities.’

Former Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Gary Millar was appointed as Cabinet Member for Business & Investment in 2014. As well as this, he is the co-owner of Parr Street Studios & Hotel which is among the Independent Magazine’s UK Top 50 Best Bars.

‘I have a passion for business and a unique understanding of what entrepreneurs and businesses can go through. My role will be to listen, inspire, motivate and steer people to hopefully the right kind of support.’

The sessions will be taking place every Thursday from 1-4pm and the first Saturday of every month. There is also a programme of free workshops, speed mentoring sessions and networking events delivered by business experts focussing on a wide-range of topics including starting up, marketing, finance, as well as how intellectual property can protect products, brands and designs.

For further information please contact Paul Johnston, Liverpool City Council communications officer, on 0151 233 0069 or 07740 918615

To find out all the good things happening in Liverpool visit www.liverpoolexpress.co.uk or follow www.twitter.com/lpoolexpress     

The Women’s Organisation also offers loads of free advice and support for women interested in starting a business, or more advanced support for those who have already started their venture. Take a look at all of our sessions here: http://www.thewomensorganisation.org.uk/events

Success for @54StJamesStreet Tenant Constructing Equality (@ConstructingEq) as Founder Chrissi McCarthy is Shortlisted for Award

Chrissi McCarthy founded Constructing Equality in 2007. Since then, the business has grown to employ seven full time and four part time members of staff, whilst remaining debt free.   Not surprisingly Chrissi's success has put her in the limelight of the local economy as she has been shortlisted for Downtown Liverpool's Women in Business Awards 2014, sponsored by The Women's Organisation.

The business which is based at 54 St James Street, a new development in the thriving Baltic Triangle area of Liverpool,  takes a different approach to consultancy, creating centralised products with industry partners that are tailored to the needs of the construction sector.  Constructing Equality therefore allow companies to get one on one highly specialised consultancy expertise, at achievable costs.

Constructing Equality’s three main products are the creation and delivery of the CITB Be Fair framework, online equality training and the Community value project. All of these products have struck a chord with the sector and have received immense support. So much so, that major construction clients such as Crossrail and HS2 have independently contacted Constructing Equality after receiving outstanding response to the CITB Be Fair framework and training courses, from major contractors such as: Vinci, BAM, Murphy, ISG, Morgan Sindall and Wates.

Before starting Constructing Equality Ltd. Chrissi spent more than 10 years in the Construction Industry, firstly as a Setting-Out Engineer and then as a Site Manager. A Construction Management Graduate and Member of The Chartered Institute of Building she played an integral role in the delivery of numerous projects, including Peckham Library, Manchester Interchange, a range of BSF Schemes, and a school in Uganda for charity.  Together, these projects helped Chrissi to develop a deep understanding of the day-to-day practical challenges faced by teams on site and at head offices around the country.

Passionate about the social and emotional effects of the Construction Industry, Chrissi went on to complete a PGDip in Equality and Diversity, and is now studying for her PhD, which is sponsored by global construction organisation Vinci, in Mainstreaming Equality in the UK construction industry.  Considered one of the field’s leading exponents, she is part of the Fairness Inclusion and Respect Strategic Group that leads the Construction Industry on Diversity.  She imparts lectures on Equality and Diversity at Universities and Conferences, writes for leading Construction Publications, contributes to Government Papers, influences key Industry Figures, and has even spoken at the House of Lords.

Importantly, while her achievements are diverse, they share a common thread – to improve the reality of working within Construction and its reputation among the public. 

Delighted to be shortlisted for an award Chrissi said: "Thank you to everyone who voted for us and as always the brilliant support that we have received from The Women's Organisation and 54 St James street, not only do they support and encourage us but they also provide the modern, professional and friendly roof over our head!"

The Downtown Liverpool Women in Business Awards take place on Friday 14th March at Hilton Liverpool when the overall winners will be announced.  We at 54 St James Street would like to wish Chrissi best of luck!

To find out more about Constructing Equality visit constructingequality.co.uk

If you would like to enjoy a stylish, professional office setting for your business please contact 54 St James Street via venue@thewo.org.uk or 0151 706 8100 to discuss availability of reasonably priced office space in L1, Liverpool City Centre.  

Britain And China Join Forces To Harness The Power of Women

A joint initiative to promote and enable women to achieve success and prosperity worldwide was agreed at a high-level seminar between the Liverpool based The Women’s Organisation and a delegation from the Shanghai Women’s Federation.

 

The six strong group was visiting Shanghai’s sister city in the UK and was greeted by Lord Mayor Gary Millar at Liverpool Town Hall before attending the event at The Women’s Organisation’s headquarters at 54 St James Street, located adjacent to the city’s famous China Town, the oldest Chinese community in Europe.

 

The delegation was led by Madam Li Rong, vice-chairperson of the Shanghai Women’s Federation, accompanied by Madam Xu Xiufeng from the Office of General Affairs of the Federation and Madam Kang Binqin, director of the Women’s Working Committee of the Art Centre of Shanghai’s Grand Theatre.

 

Hosted by The Women’s Organisation chairperson Gill Moglione, chief executive Maggie O’Carroll and chief of finance and operations Helen Milne, other speakers included Cllr Anna Rodery who is deputy chair of Liverpool City Council’s culture and tourism select committee and Mrs Deng Jing Liu, managing director of Harvest Land Education.

 

The Women’s Organisation chief executive Maggie O’Carroll said: “It is crucial that societies globally harness women’s enterprise and encourage and support women to start their own businesses.

 

“We first established links with the Shanghai Women’s Federation when we staged a seminar at the Liverpool City Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo. The delegation’s visit underpins our continuing strong relationship and determination to promote the interests of women in both our nations and worldwide,” she added.

 

Madam Li Rong (pictured here with Maggie and Helen from The Women's Organisation) commented: “It is important that we share our views and expertise in promoting women’s rights and we are delighted to be taking part in such a forward looking plan with The Women’s Organisation, the foremost group of its kind in the UK, and Europe.”

 

The group later toured the Women’s Enterprise Centre and Liverpool’s Central City Library where it was given a briefing by Madaline Heneghan, director of Liverpool’s acclaimed Writing on the Wall festival. It was also given an outline of the city’s plans for The International Festival of Business in 2014, when The Women’s Organisation will host numerous seminars promoting women’s equality and enterprise.

 

The Festival’s programme director Andy Snell said: “We are keen to attract women entrepreneurs globally and particularly from China because of Liverpool’s close ties with Shanghai.”

The Womens' Organisation's WICED Building Wins Mayor's Award

The Women's Organisation's hard work paid off this month as we were once again confirmed to be an award winning organisation. This time it was the organisation's new £5.3m Women's International Centre for Economic Development (WICED) that prompted recognition.

The winners of the very first Merseyside Social Enterprise Awards were honoured at a ceremony held at Liverpool Town Hall, and The Women's Organisation were delighted to be nominated alongside other Merseyside based Social Enterprises nominated in 11 categories to recognise their contribution to improving the lives of local residents.

WICED was nominated for The Mayor's Innovation Award sponsored by Liverpool City Council. When The Women's Organisation were announced as the winners for their innovative building, Chair of the board Pat Shea Halson and Chief Finance and Operating Officer Helen Millne who went forward to collect the award couldn't contain their delight. When Councillor Nick Small (pictured above with Pat and Helen) presented the award to The Women's Organisation the support from the other organisations in the room was overwhelming; Helen and Pat were deeply touched by the response.

The development came about after nearly a decade of discussion, planning and campaigning. WICED is the largest dedicated centre for women's economic development in the UK. It boasts business incubation units for women led businesses, a sleek and modern conferencing and meeting centre, virtual office and hot desking facilities, as well as housing the women's enterprise services offered by the organistion. The project also included the development of an international research hub drawing on the expertise of leading experts on women's economic development from across the globe. The development was completed in January 2011 and has since welcomed thousands of budding female entrepreneurs.

To read more about the background of the development please visit our website.

If you might be interested in hiring our meeting rooms or holding a conference here please contact our team on venue@thewo.org.uk or 0151 706 8100.

Maggie O'Carroll is 'Woman of the Year' - Livercool 2011

Downtown Liverpool held their prestigious 'Livercool' awards ceremony celebrating local business success in Crowne Plaza last Thursday night. The Women's Organisation were delighted to see a number of our clients among the nominees including: Emma Dolan of Your Business Ezine - Nominated in the Marketer 2011 category, Kayleigh & Talia Baccino of Trendy Vend- Nominated in the Young Entrepreneur 2011 category and Victoria Brown of High Performance Consultancy who was the eventual winner of Young Entrepreneur 2011.

The biggest cheer of the night came when our very own CEO Maggie O'Carroll was deservedly named 'Woman of the Year'. Maggie founded The Women’s Organisation (formally Train 2000) in 1996 and has grown it into the largest UK-based women’s economic development social enterprise. This has enabled Maggie to pursue her passion for women’s enterprise - having a real, positive impact on women’s lives, whether nurturing new businesses towards a viable future, driving improvements in legislation and power structures or contributing to social awareness. This year the physical realisation of her commitment to women's economic development came to life with the creation of WICED (Women's International Centre for Economic Development). The £5.3m development opened its doors in Liverpool to the first groups of local women in January 2011 and is continuing to build momentum as both a centre for women's enterprise and development, as well as an international research hub to promote gender equality.

A massive congratulations to Maggie and all of the winners and nominees.

Conference and Meeting Centre - 54 St James Street

54 St James Street is a stunning and unique new building conveniently located between the pioneering Baltic Triangle and Liverpool’s China Town and minutes’ walk from Liverpool One and Bold Street.

Completed in January 2011, the centre is designed to provide a light, modern, welcoming and distinctive addition to city life.

This fully accessible and flexible venue is a perfect location to host business meetings, conferences or private events. A range of individually styled rooms appropriate for gatherings of 2 to 150 people are available for hire for as little as an hour.

Our private garden provides relaxing external space within the venue, and the two fourth floor terraces provide chilled-out, music enhanced, reception spaces with excellent views of the City.

With friendly reception staff, complimentary wireless access throughout the building and a range of audio visual facilities including integrated data projectors, blu-ray players and smart boards; plasma screens for projection or TV; and video conferencing facilities this building meets the needs of people who require a highly professional service in a contemporary setting.

Our Rooms











Roddick Rooms
A sophisticated venue with fabulous views of the River Mersey and Liverpool City, these rooms can be used as one or divided into two or three separate areas. Fully equipped with integrated audio-visual equipment these are elegant training, networking or social spaces.
The Roddick Rooms are very versatile; located on the fourth floor of the building and have easy access to external terraces.

Fawcett Room
A light, airy semi-circular room on our second floor the Fawcett is appropriate for networking and training events, can accommodate 36 cabaret style and 40 theatre style, or can be left as an open space for free circulation for slightly larger groups.

Keller; Parks and Simey Suites
The Suites are located on the first, second and third floor of the building, each is styled differently, but all have the same facilities of plasma screen; TV; integrated audio visual and IT. The Suites provide smart environments ideal for hosting client presentations, board meetings and staff development sessions.

Bebbington Lounge
The Bebbington Lounge is a relaxed yet vibrant space ideal for more informal meetings or interviews. Also works in conjunction with the Simey Suite as a reception and breakout space for development days.

Suu Kyi; Butler; Rathbone; Curie and Amos Rooms
These smaller meeting rooms are stylishly and comfortably designed to facilitate meetings of between 2 and 6 people.

We offer a 10% discount on room rates to tenants of the building and smaller charities/social enterprises with an annual turnover less than £250,000

For further information, including room capacity, viewings, a competative quote and bookings please phone Sandra, 0151 706 8100 or email venue@thewo.org.uk












54 St James Street is a development of The Women’s Organisation which works for women’s economic progress. The Women’s Organisation has been a non-profit distributing company since 1996 (formerly known as Train 2000). Our outlook is international. We promote entrepreneurship, innovation and sustainable business growth. We aim to enable women to achieve success and greater prosperity, to become leaders and to connect with each other. The building is a tangible representation of our values.

All rooms have natural ventilation as well as locally controlled heating and cooling systems. Sustainability is integral to the building design and in line with BREEAM Excellent standards.

On street parking is available for visitors, we have limited car parking spaces which can be reserved in advance for disabled visitors. A bicycle store and shower facilities are available for cyclists using the building.
Refreshments are available through our in-house team, catering is currently offered through local women led small businesses or social enterprise providers.

The Women’s Organisation, 54 St James Street, Liverpool, L1 0AB

The Women's Organisation WICED Development

The Women's Organisation unveiled a first image of the proposed £5.3 m Women’s International Centre for Economic Development (WICED) back in September 2009. Work soon got underway on the development which is located in the Baltic Triangle area of Liverpool, on the corner of St James Street and Norfork Street.

What was a patch of bare wasteland now houses the fantastic new building which will provide a range of enterprise support services, including space for up to 80 business units to help women start and grow their businesses as well as serving as an international research hub for women's economic development.
The 2,000sqm centre aims to ‘break the gender gap’ in starting businesses and is expected to help 3,000 women set up businesses in the next 10 years. The project has been jointly-funded by WICED, the North West Development Agency, Future Builders and Liverpool Council.

The Women's Organisation have now started to house their first tenants and are happy to show interested parties around the building. Rates for rented office space depend on the size of the room and any additional services required e.g. telephone services. Those interested can express their requirements and receive a quote tailored to individual needs.

The virtual office and meeting room rates start from £15 plus VAT per month to rent a virtual office. Meeting rooms can be rented from £60 plus VAT per day with half day rates also available.

Tenants receive 10% discount on the cost of meeting room hire and by doing business in our new building, you can tap into a wealth of valuable resources including networking and business advice and support.

Call The Women's Organisation on 0151 706 8111 or email info@thewo.org.uk to arrange a viewing.

Photos by www.tonywestphoto.co.uk

Train 2000 Plays Host to Researcher Dr Isolde Anderson

"I have felt very welcomed and for sure want to come back" said Dr Isolde Anderson following her research visit with Train 2000.

Isolde whose research interests include organisational culture and leadership has been visiting Liverpool Hope University from Hope College in Michigan in the US. She came to Train 2000 to learn more about how the organisation operates, and to see what the "personality" of the company was.

Isolde commented:
"I have always performed cultural analysis on organisation I was a part of, so I was interested to be an 'outsider' looking in."

When asked what her impression of Train 2000 was Isolde said
"Without giving away too much of my reserch at this point, I would say Train 2000 is an organisation that empowers women - not only by the services offered, but through the way those services are delivered in supportive and consistant way."

During Dr. Anderson's final day with Train 2000 on Wednesday 24th March 2010 we asked her what she would take away from her experience.
"I think it would have to be the importance of feminism, whether you idetify it as 'the F word' or not. Women are powerful and can be empowered with the right support."

Referring to how the staff team works together Isolde said
"There is a real female way of caring for one another shown here - not in an unprofessional way, it's through sharing."

Train 2000 look forward to the final report from Dr Anderson's research which she referred to as "uncooked porridge" at this point. Her hopes were that her "notes will become insights to share and use once cooked".

WICED President Leads the Way for Women's Economic Development

"We will make the rest of the world sit up and take notice of what women can, should and will achieve" said Councillor Flo Clucas OBE as she was inaugurated as the first President of WICED (the Women's International Centre for Economic Development in Liverpool).

The presentation of the presidential broach and offical inauguration took place on International women's day in conjunction with WICED's annual lecture - "Developing Women's Entrepreneurial Talent" presented by Professor Colette Henry.

Chair of the board for WICED Alison Price commented that she was "proud and delighted" to inaugurate Councillor Flo Clucas and praised her for her continued support and hard work on women's enterprise.

Held at the Novas Contemporary Urban Centre the lecture was attended by local council members, leading local enterprise initiatives, representatives from the Universities, and female entrepreneurs.

Following on from Councillor Clucas' moving speech where she told the attendees
"As women we are making a statement about what we want other women to be able to do"
Professor Henry gave an insight into ways to help women to overcome the barriers that prevent them from making their dreams a reality.

Making it clear that she believes in empowering women to believe in their own ability, Professor Henry also added that it is essential to
"give women a realistic picture of their journey to where they want to be. It won't be easy, but with the right support they CAN do it".

To keep informed of the developments with WICED follow this link. And to see more photographs from the event check out our flickr album.

WICED Plans Approved!

Following a meeting with Liverpool City Council, the plans for the new Women's International Centre for Economic Development were officially approved! The design which was drawn up by Nightingale Associates, was congratulated by the planners.

Kier North West have now been appointed to head up the contruction of the scheme which will begin later this year and expects to be completed in late 2010. Wiced, which will run as a social enterprise, will be housed in a £5.3m building in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle area.

New Start Magazine interviewed Maggie O'Carroll, Executive Director of WICED and Train 2000 regarding the project. Read more about her thoughts on how the centre will be a fantastic research hub for female entrepreneurship here.

Train 2000 unveils the £5m shape of Women's Enterprise in Liverpool

Train 2000, has unveiled a first image of the £5.3 m Women’s International Centre for Economic Development (WICED) which will open in the city centre in 2010.
WICED is to be located in the Baltic Triangle on the corner of St James Street and Norfork Street and will be the hub of international research on female entrepreneurship. 

It will also provide a range of enterprise support services including space for up to 80 business units to help women start and grow their businesses.

The 2,000sqm centre aims to ‘break the gender gap’ in starting businesses and is expected to help 3,000 women set up businesses in the next 10 years creating 4,500 new jobs. Initatives planned for the centre by Train 2000 and the WICED team have already been hailed as “amongst the best I’ve ever seen” by the world’s leading expert on women’s enterprise , Professor Patricia Greene of Babson College, USA who visited Liverpool to review the plans in May this year.Maggie O’Carroll, Executive Director of Train 2000 said:“We are creating the most advanced centre for women’s’ entrepreneurship and economic development in the world - right here in Liverpool. 

It will connect to a global network helping to create the conditions for more sustainable and high growth women’s businesses”. 

“In the 13 years since Train 2000 was set up we have shown how to provide innovative support mechanisms to accelerate the pace of creating and growing women-owned businesses and the WICED centre will only accelerate that process.” 

The new-build project will contain a range of offices, training & conference facilities and incubator space for new businesses.


Deputy Council Leader at Liverpool City Council, Cllr Flo Clucas said:“Liverpool City Council is fully behind the WICED plans and we are delighted that the plans are being internationally recognized for something that will happen right here in Liverpool.

Work on the building which has been designed by Liverpool based architects, Nightingales will begin in October and is expected to be completed in late 2010.

About WICED

The £5m Womens’ International Centre for Economic Development (WICED) will comprise of 2,000sqm located in the heart of Liverpool and is expected to help 3,000 women set up business creating 4,500 new jobs over the next ten years. The WICED will be the hub of international research on female entrepreneurship as well as providing a range of enterprise support services including space for up to 80 business units to help women start and grow their businesses.The new-build project, expected to reach completion in late 2010, will contain a range of offices, training & conference facilities and incubator space for new businesses. It is being jointly-funded by WICED, the North West Development Agency, Future Builders and Liverpool Council. WICED, a registered charity, was re-launched this year with the merge of two organisations, Train 2000 and the Women’s Electronic Village Hall.

Nightingale Associates appointed architects for £5m international womens' enterprise centre

Liverpool’s £5m international centre for women’s economic development (WICED) moved a step closer today as architects’ Nightingale Associates were appointed to design a bespoke building.

The 2,000sqm centre - which will be located in the heart of Liverpool - will be the first of its kind its kind in the UK and is expected to help 3,000 women set up business creating 4,500 new jobs over the next ten years.

Train 2000 and WICED’s Executive Director, Maggie O’Carroll said: “The Women’s International Centre for Economic Development (WICED) will be the hub of international research on female entrepreneurship as well as providing a range of enterprise support including space for up to 80 business units to help women start and grow their businesses. ”We wanted the building itself to be an iconic building and we awarded Nightingale the contract on the strength of its design team.” Katy Heath, Principal at Nightingales’ Liverpool studio, added: “We are very much looking forward to working on what will be an exciting project and are delighted to be playing a part in creating a bespoke building that will have such a positive impact on so many women starting businesses.”

The new-build project, expected to reach completion in late 2010, will contain a range of offices, training & conference facilities and incubator space for new businesses. It is being jointly-funded by WICED, the North West Development Agency, Future Builders, Train 2000, Liverpool Vision, and Liverpool Council. Nightingale Associates will shortly start the design stage of the project, will provide a full architectural and interior design service. Construction is due to start on site in October this year.
Nightingale Associates is a leading practice serving the public sector. It specialises in the fields of health, education and science. Nightingale Associates is part of the Tribal Group plc and has eight offices in the UK, as well as one office in Cape Town, South Africa. Nightingale Associates’ commitment to innovation and research has placed it at the forefront of design developments in areas such as modern learning environments, mental healthcare, environmental sustainability and laboratory design.

Pictured: Left to right: Alison Price WICED Chair, Cllr Flo Clucas, Deputy Leader Liverpool City Council, Katy Heath Principal, Nightingale Associates, Maggie O’ Carroll Executive Director WICED and Train 2000 Ltd.

Liverpool Womens’ Enterprise Model Hailed A World Leader

Liverpool Womens’ Enterprise Model Hailed A World Leader

A model for the Liverpool based Women’s International Centre For Economic Development (WICED) has been hailed a world leader by experts from eight nations.

Plans for the £5m centre were examined by delegates from Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland, the UK, the USA and the Middle East who were so impressed they plan to replicate the centre across Europe and the Middle East.

Speaking at the top level summit which took place at Train 2000’s city centre headquarters, Professor Patricia Greene of Babson College, USA said the initiatives planned by Train 2000 and the WICED team were “amongst the best I’ve ever seen.”

Cllr Flo Clucas and Nicola Gleave of Liverpool Vision met with the delegates to show their support for the plans.

Deputy Council Leader at Liverpool City Council, Cllr Flo Clucas said: “Both Liverpool City Council and Liverpool Vision are fully behind the WICED plans and we are delighted that the plans are being internationally recognized for something that will happen right here in Liverpool and which will lead to the creation of up to 4,500 jobs over the next ten years.”

Maggie O’Carroll, Executive Director of Train 2000 said the meeting was a great success.
“It is our aim to create the biggest and most advanced centre for womens’ entrepreneurship and economic development in the world - right here in Liverpool.

“We have shown how we provide innovative support mechanisms to accelerate the pace of creating and growing women-owned businesses and the WICED centre will only accelerate that process.”
Ends

Picture Caption: Liverpool Womens’ Enterprise Model Hailed A World Leader (Left to right:Nicola Gleave of Liverpool Vision, Professor Patricia Greene, Cllr Flo Clucas, Professor Sue Marlow, Maggie O’Carroll)

International Summit Will Help Shape 4,500 new jobs in Liverpool

An international panel of experts from eight nations is to meet at Train 2000’s Liverpool offices to prepare the framework for the “biggest and most advanced centre for womens’ entrepreneurship and economic development in the world.”

The summit will draw upon the experiences of some of the world’s leading researchers ahead of the £5m WICED (Women’s International Centre for Economic Development) which is due to open in the city in late 2010.

Maggie O’Carroll, Executive Director of Train 2000, said there were a number of key issues to be discussed at the meeting: “It is our aim to create the biggest and most advanced centre for womens’ entrepreneurship and economic development in the world - right here in Liverpool.

“We will be looking at how we can provide innovative support mechanisms to accelerate the pace of creating and growing women-owned businesses.

“We will also be looking closely at the green market and how we can help grow low carbon enterprises.”

The panel will include representatives from Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Republic of Ireland, the UK, the USA and the Middle East.

The keynote speaker is international expert on women’s business leadership, Professor Patricia Greene of Babson College, USA.

Cllr Flo Clucas, deputy council leader welcomed the group to Liverpool.

She said: “This summit will mark a significant step forward to extend international links between Liverpool and the rest of the world creating not only a world-leading facility right here in the city but the reality of creating thousands of new businesses and jobs across the region.”

The meeting will take place at Train 2000’s Strand headquarters on Thursday, May 14th.

Pictured: Cllr Flo Clucas (left) and Maggie O'Carroll.