FORMER director general of the CBI and Minister of State for UK Trade & Investment Lord Digby Jones is to be the guest speaker at the launch of a new business club for manufacturing and engineering businesses.

Ludgate Finance’s Go4Growth Business Club will be launched on Tuesday, February 11 in the Jack Haywood Suite at Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Molineux Stadium.

The business finance specialist, which has offices in Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton, is launching the new initiative to support the growth of businesses in the sector across the Black Country.

Go4Growth is designed to support manufacturing and engineering businesses to consider peer-to-peer funding as the starting point for growth planning but the initiative goes further than simply raising finance.

Ludgate will also offer to help the enterprises grow, by offering a series of follow-up events - run by specialists from the firm and other professional firms they work with - to offer free support on key legal, marketing, business management and coaching issues.

As well as a key note speech from Lord Digby Jones, the launch event, which will run from 9am to 11am, will also hear from Ludgate Finance experts on the growth of the peer-to-peer lending sector and the opportunities it provides for businesses.

Ludgate has raised over £20 million of funding for 100 growing businesses in the past two years. Demand for finance is growing in the SME sector and with banks appearing reluctant to support growth the peer-to-peer sector is now providing much-needed support for entrepreneurial businesses.

Richard Mason of Ludgate Finance said: “Getting a manufacturing or engineering business off the ground is something to be proud of but, once it is up and running, making sure that it keeps growing can be even more challenging, particularly where capital investment is required in advance of growth and profitability.

“This is why we are launching this new business club, which will offer support, advice and networking sessions to keep manufacturing and engineering firms on the front foot when it comes to growth and expansion.

“We are delighted to welcome Lord Digby Jones to speak at the launch event and hope that many manufacturing and engineering companies in the region and further afield will sign up to the programme and club and join us for our launch event.”

To book a place at the launch event apply by Monday, January 20 to Laura Tilson at laurat@ludgatefinance.co.uk or on 0121 232 4809.