The inward investment portal for Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole

New staff for MAA programme.		23rd January 2009

On 5th January Louise Harper joined Dorset Business as the MAA Programme Administrator. Louise’s role is to support Matt Beaumont in the daily organisation of MAA related meetings and other activities. She will also have a responsibility for regular newsletters and updating the MAA website so that we can keep all our stakeholders appropriately informed. Louise lives in Bournemouth and will work week-days from 0900 to 1300. She can be contacted by phone on 01202 714815 or by email.

Death of MAA Board Member		23rd January 2009

It was with regret that we learned of the death of David Woodhouse on New Years Day. David was Managing Director of brewers, Hall and Woodhouse and had served on the MAA Board since its formation in mid 2008. His contribution to the establishment and vision of the MAA partnership has been widely recognised and reflects his interest in the economic development of all of Dorset both urban and rural.

MAA Representatives Visit No. 10		23rd January 2009

		A further three multi-area agreements were signed on 14 January to join those already agreed with government last year. The signing ceremony was held at No. 10 Downing Street where representatives from Liverpool city region, Leicester and Leicestershire and Pennine Lancashire councils joined the Prime Minister in sealing their agreements.
The Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole partnership was represented by Dr Stephen Leverett (Leader, Poole), Mr Stephen MacLoughlin ( Leader, Bournemouth), Mr David Jenkins ( Chief Executive, Dorset County Council), Mr Tony Bray ( Director, South West Regional Development Agency) and Mr Matthew Beaumont ( MAA Programme Manager). The ceremony was attended by over a hundred representatives of other MAA partnership from throughout England and several government ministers. In a brief address the Prime Minister expressed his understanding of the difficulties partners had to sometimes work under to make progress against their targeted improvements. He also highlighted the importance of the Agreements to his government as they sought to devolve power to provide jobs, training and economic resilience to regional groupings such as Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole.

MAA Programme Manager now in post		12th December 2008

		Matthew Beaumont joined Dorset Business in early November, as the Programme Manager for the delivery of Bournemouth Dorset & Poole’s Multi-Area Agreement (MAA). Much of Matt ‘s previous career has been in the area of business development, working globally for companies such as Shell and Honeywell. The “MAA” brings together the public and private sectors across the sub-region, with a commitment to a programme of joined-up economic development activities. Matt recently completed a contract with Dorset County Council to negotiate the Local Area Agreement for the Dorset Strategic Partnership. He feels this experience has given him an understanding of the difficulties inherent in a partnership of mixed stakeholders, but also a firm belief that it is only in such partnerships that real progress against entrenched economic and social challenges can be made.

Matt, 48, moved to Dorset from New Zealand with his English partner and two daughters in 2000. They live in Bridport, West Dorset.

‘MAA’s – the story so far’ – a November 2008 article from First newsmagazine

Download the story so far

For further information contact us on:
	enquiries@investindorset.co.uk		+44 (0)01305 224797