Board member:

Sara Williams

Sara Williams

Sara was appointed to The Marches LEP board in July 2019. With a career forged in the Marches cluster, Sara brings a wealth of experience gained in both the private and non-profit sectors.

About Sara Williams

Having been raised in Shropshire, Sara’s professional life began in the heart of the county at Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust. There she was influential in the establishment of Enginuity, one of the most popular educational attractions in the area and a key economic foundation for the Trust itself. Following this, and with a taste for project management, she has gone on to perform influential roles at some of the region’s most notable employers.

After a number of years in event management, it became clear that marketing and public relations were natural callings for Sara. As her journey progressed into the B2B circuit, her agile skillset has adapted according to the specific requirements of the industries she’s served. First with Lyreco, a Europe-wide office supplier based in Donnington Wood; and more recently an international role with Protolabs, a global digital manufacturer based in Halesfield.

Education is a passion for Sara, and through her role at Protolabs she supports the local educational community’s focus on STEM subjects. As a certified STEM ambassador, she is tasked with providing practical and vocational support to secondary schools. The primary objectives here are to instil in schoolchildren a fascination of STEM subjects and to ensure the associated skills remain in the region; the Marches’ future generation of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians.

The LEP Board

The Marches LEP board includes the leaders of the three local authorities of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin as well as the chairs of the regions Business Boards.

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The LEP Team

The LEP works with colleagues in the partner local authorities and is supported by a small team of support staff based in Shrewsbury to support The Marches LEP board.

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The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership has now ceased trading and transferred all its functions to Shropshire Council working with Telford & Wrekin Council and Herefordshire Council, in line with the UK Government's plans for devolution.

The Marches LEP was established in 2011 and hands over an impressive legacy from its 13-year life. In that time the LEP invested over £196m in projects across the Marches, securing in excess of £100m of match funding and supported more than 66,000 business interactions.

The schemes supported have made tangible differences to local communities, increasing skills, creating jobs and improving the physical appearance of many towns.

We would like to thank all the LEP Board Members who have given their time freely over the life of the LEP, as well as all the staff who worked for the LEP over the years. We also want to thank our delivery partners, local education providers and local, regional and national stakeholders who helped us achieve so much.

The Marches Growth Hub will continue to support businesses and will be managed by Shropshire Council, supported by Telford and Wrekin and Herefordshire Councils. Each of the three Local Authorities will also continue to provide direct business support locally. Details of this support will be available through the Marches Growth Hub website and from the Local Authorities directly. Website: www.marchesgrowthhub.co.uk | email: enquiries@marchesgrowthhub.co.uk.

The Marches Careers Hub will continue to be delivered and will be managed by Shropshire Council, supported by Telford & Wrekin and Herefordshire Councils. Website: www.marchescareershub.co.uk | email: info@marchescareershub.co.uk

For any queries about Getting Building Fund (GBF), Local Growth Fund (LGF) and Marches Investment Fund (MIF) projects supported by the Marches LEP please contact: gary.spence@shropshire.gov.uk

For any finance queries please contact: michelle.hodgkiss@shropshire.gov.uk

The solvent liquidation of the Marches LEP is being managed by the Evelyn Partners Limited. For any matter related to this please contact: Camilla.Mulholland@evelyn.com

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