Wirral business incubator Whitfield Business Support has recruited one of the UK’s youngest politicians in a bid to drive greater community engagement.
18-year-old Warren Ward has landed a role as Engagement Coordinator at the fast expanding Heswall firm which is focused on delivering SME business support packages.
The councillor for Bromborough, Port Sunlight & New Ferry is the youngest person in UK political history to hold public office.
Whitfield Business Support director Justine McLaughlin said Cllr Ward joins with a formidable reputation for a recruit of his age, most recently supporting Walton MP Steve Rotherham’s successful campaign to become Labour’s candidate for Liverpool City Region Mayor.
At the age of 14, Cllr Ward successfully led a campaign to save his local youth services from council cuts to Wirral Council’s budget, which won him national recognition and awards from the Rotary Club of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. He later completed a 12-month apprenticeship as private secretary to Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Jane Kennedy.
“As a young and progressive firm we are keen to build a team who can drive forward our business objectives with passion and purpose,” said Ms McLaughlin. “We have absolute confidence in Warren who we have recruited as our new Engagement Coordinator. He’s an impressive individual with strong communication skills who has achieved a great deal in his short professional career. We believe Warren is ideally suited to this front facing role which will see him representing Whitfield Business Support across the region and taking responsibility for client delivery.
“Warren will be helping raise greater brand profile and awareness. He will be spreading the message about our complete business support package which covers accounting and funding to IT, recruitment, consultancy, mentoring, marketing, web, graphic design and branding support. We have experienced strong demand since setting up in April 2015 due to the fact we are one of very few organisations in the Wirral providing this specific range of services. Our high level customer service and desire to engage with the local community help us stand out from the crowd. Warren will be taking a leading role helping us further excel in these key areas.”
The ambitious new charge brings further experience as a political campaign manager coordinating hundreds of volunteers and speech writing. He has led parliamentary campaigns in Fylde for then Labour parliamentary candidate Jed Sullivan and a second in Wirral South for MP Alison McGovern.
Cllr Ward is Wirral’s only openly gay councillor and a strong supporter of LGBT rights. Having left St John Plessington College at 16-years-old Cllr Ward quickly rose up the political ranks whilst also gaining experience in the law sector and family businesses. One of his proudest achievements during his time as a political campaign manager was helping drive a Labour majority of 530 votes to more than 5000 in the Wirral South constituency.
“I’m thrilled to have joined Whitfield Business Support in a role which I feel is made for me,” he said. “I am hugely passionate about business and particularly SMEs which are the backbone of the UK economy. I come from a family of business owners and I understand the immense effort, sacrifice and hard work required to be successful. My grandad and father have both run businesses which has exposed me to a number of sectors including maritime, oil and gas and retail.
“This role at Whitfield will enable me to represent and support local business on a number of levels. I am looking forward to building on what has already been achieved by Justine and team in a short space of time and drive even greater momentum. Whitfield are involved in a good mix of community work including the likes of Heswall District Business Association which I will be getting behind. On a personal level it also presents a terrific opportunity to put all of the skills and experience I have gained in recent years into practice. I take great pride in representing my local area in council and this move will allow me to make even greater impact.”
For more information of Whitfield Business Hub visit the website www.whitfieldbusiness.co.uk email: grow@whitfieldbusiness.co.uk or call 0151 342 0679.
Notes to editors
Whitfield Business Hub
WBS launched in April 2015. Based in Heswall, Wirral, it provides office space and a dynamic and proactive ‘business incubator’ service helping a range of firms from start-ups to SMEs. Its support package includes initial start-up, accounting and funding to IT, recruitment, consultancy, mentoring, marketing, web and graphic design, and branding support. WBH has more than 60 clients on the books ranging from post address, virtual office and full-time tenants. Whitfield Business office hub has around 15 full time tenants. It considers itself the best serviced office in Wirral and the only to provide this specific range of services. Seven full-time staff driving the business support vision, including two new recruits who joined in March 2016.