Who we are

Founded in 2010, the Skipton and Ripon Enterprise Group (SREG) is a network of experienced business leaders dedicated to providing enterprise mentoring to local companies. SREG Mentors come from a broad range of business backgrounds and support is both free and confidential.

Our mission statement

SREG’s aim is to support North Yorkshire’s long-established enterprise culture and ensure the continued growth and economic prosperity of the region. We do this by connecting successful and experienced business people, prepared to offer some time and expertise, with business owners and entrepreneurs seeking to overcome enterprise challenges.

Our role is to bring business people together – not provide business advisory services.

What we do

Since SREG began, we have built a network of over 50 mentors and have supported over 150 companies. Our clients range from start-ups to companies that have been in business for several generations and span industry sectors from retail and hospitality to professional services and manufacturing. For Success Stories, click here.

As a group, we also put on a breakfast meeting every couple of months, usually with a presentation or talk on a business topic by a key business specialist.

Where we operate

SREG is based in the Skipton and Ripon area and beyond, stretching across a large part of North Yorkshire’s Pennine and Dales. It covers many towns and villages including Skipton, Ripon, Settle, Sutton-in-Craven, Cross Hills, Ingleton, Bentham, Masham, Pateley Bridge, Grassington, Boroughbridge, and Northallerton.

The SREG Team

SREG was founded by a small group of local business people:-

• Alan Halsall, former chairman to Silver Cross Ltd
• Alex Robinson, commercial director at Skipton Building Society
• Roger Tempest, entrepreneur and owner of Broughton Hall and Business Park
• Julian Smith, Skipton and Ripon MP is SREG’s Honorary President

SREG is run local steering groups that include the founders and:-

• Andy Barton, business coach with Compass-UK and SREG CEO
• Sarah Hardy, PR and communications consultant.
• Paul Theakston, founder and chairman of Black Sheep Brewery
• Mark Cunliffe-Lister, proprietor of Swinton park
• Martin Sterne, owner of Sterne Properties
• Stuarty Gill, estate manager at Newby Hall.

The organisers work to ensure that SREG is enterprising, friendly, informal, voluntary and independent.

For more details about our organising committee, click here.