Access to finance with the Help to Grow: Management Course (Leeds)

Tues 7th October 2025

Access to finance with the Help to Grow: Management Course

October 7th

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Royal Armouries Museum, Armouries Drive, Leeds, LS10 1LT

The Help to Grow: Management Course is hosting this event as part of Business Finance Week, an annual campaign led by the British Business Bank. The campaign features a wide range of events across the UK including in-person sessions and webinars designed to help smaller businesses explore the various finance options available to support their unique needs.

As part of this year’s campaign, we’re hosting an event in Leeds tailored for SME business leaders who want to scale confidently and build resilience. This event will introduce you to some of the key financial avenues available to small businesses, help you understand some of the tools and methodologies to implement finance effectively, and allow you to network with like-minded peers.

Agenda

18:00 Doors open

Refreshments.

18:05 Welcome address

Flora Hamilton CEO, Chartered Association of Business Schools

18:10 Introduction to the Help to Grow: Management Course

Glen Cookson has been involved in the delivery of the Help to Grow: Management Course in South Yorkshire since its inception, helping to champion participants in the classroom and beyond. Glen will give you a course overview, with a focus on outputs, and introduce alumni from the programme who will give you first-hand testimonials.

Glen Cookson Senior Lecturer in Accounting, Sheffield Hallam University

18:30 Access to finance

In this session, Commercial Funding Specialist Gareth Allen will explore the funding landscape for local businesses, what an investment-ready business looks like, and some of the common pitfalls SMEs experience when accessing finance.

Gareth Allen Commercial Funding Specialist

18:50 tide

This session will introduce Tide, explain why alternative funders exist, and give a clear overview of loans, asset finance, invoice finance, and other funding routes available to SMEs. He’ll share real customer stories, outline what “funding ready” looks like – from building a strong credit profile to providing the right documentation – and show how their technology, expert brokers, and lender network help small businesses secure the best funding outcomes.

Thomas Boyd Head of Partnerships, Tide

19:15 Networking

Refreshments and networking.

20:30 Doors close

Please note: speakers, timings or format of our events may change due to circumstances beyond our control. We will inform delegates of any changes at the earliest opportunity.

Please note: The views expressed by event participants are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of or the British Business Bank. Always seek independent, professional advice tailored to your individual circumstances.

About our Speakers

Glen Cookson Senior Lecturer in Accounting, Sheffield Hallam University

A passionate advocate for SMEs, Glen has supported senior leadership development through programmes like Help to Grow: Management since its launch. With 12 years in Higher Education, he brings expertise in Financial Management, Corporate Reporting, and Social and Environmental Accounting, helping leaders build financial confidence and strategic insight.

Flora Hamilton CEO, Chartered Association of Business Schools

Flora Hamilton is the Chief Executive of the Chartered Association of Business Schools and the Executive Director of Small Business Charter. Prior to this, she was the Director of Financial Services at the CBI, where she was responsible for directing the CBI’s lobbying on issues related to financial services, including sustainable finance.

Thomas Boyd Head of Partnerships, Tide

Thomas has a blend of lender and fintech expertise giving him a unique perspective on how partnerships can deliver better outcomes for small businesses. At Tide, he’s responsible for building and scaling relationships with lenders, introducers and data partners to broaden access to credit for Tide’s SME members.

Gareth Allen Commercial Funding Specialist

Gareth is a Commercial Finance Broker and Business Coach with 25 years’ experience. As a former Commercial Bank Manager, he understands the finance market from both the borrower’s and the lender’s side. Gareth has worked with hundreds of businesses over the years to achieve their growth potential. From start-up funding to multi-million pound property purchases, […]

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Access to finance with the Help to Grow: Management Course (Leeds)

Tues 7th October 2025