Seriun was proud to visit Westminster last week as part of Burnley Bondholders – promoting Burnley and the importance of its business community. Representing Seriun on the day was Wayne Fulton, Head of Cyber, and Mark Edwards, Co-owner and Director.
Burnley Bondholders is a privatesector led partnership created in 2009 to raise the prosperity and profile of the borough and drive Burnley’s business growth. It’s led by the Focus Burnley Group and heavily supported by Burnley Council. Warm thanks to Rachel Bayley of Burnley Council who leads on the Bondholder initiative and makes events like Westminster ‘happen’.
The visit was a great chance to show MPs and dignitaries what makes the borough stand out. Burnley has always been renowned for industry, innovation and hard work. Its manufacturing sector is competitive on a global scale. Family-owned and mid-sized businesses are ambitious, innovative and important to the wider UK economy. Networks like Burnley Bondholders bring local businesses, like these, together – getting the collective Burnley business voice heard, nationally, where it matters.
For Seriun, taking part in the Westminster visit was about backing Burnley as a place that builds, creates and leads in the digital world as well as attracting more and more talent to STEAM related careers locally.
Digital Strategy for Burnley
A key part of the day was the Digital Strategy for Burnley panel. Mark Edwards was joined by Leon Calverley of Door 4, Dave Walker of Plus 24 Marketing and Adam Patterson of Safran Nacelles, with Cat Mawdsley hosting.
The discussion revolved around ‘Why Burnley? Does location matter for business?’
The panel agreed that it does. The key takeaway was that Burnley offers a collaborative environment where businesses can connect quickly and build trusted relationships. Decision makers are easy to reach and partnerships form naturally. For many companies, it is more productive than travelling into Manchester, while still offering strong regional links.
The panel also talked about the opportunities for digital growth over the next five years. There was shared confidence in how towns like Burnley can drive innovation and productivity, especially when businesses are prepared to take measured risks.
Mark summed it up simply. Burnley is a great place for collaboration, and businesses should be proud to be part of it and not be afraid to take calculated risks to facilitate growth.
Hack the Garage: Cyber Security Brought to Life
Seriun hosted an interactive cyber security game called Hack the Garage that came with a set of cryptic instructions – crack, or hack, them and the garage door opens.
The game was designed to show how cyber criminals operate and how quickly weaknesses can be exploited if organisations are not prepared. The physical garage setup combined electronics, puzzles and real-life cyber scenarios to give people a hands on look at modern cyber threats.
The garage was created fully in house at Seriun by Adam Waring (Service Desk) who produced the garage model in 3D print and Jack Hebden (Cyber Security Team) who designed all the electronics to make the garage door open and close with one keystroke.
The response throughout the day was very positive. ‘Hack the Garage’ sparked conversations about cyber resilience, skills and the importance of investing in security as part of business growth. It also highlighted that technical talent is growing within the town.
A Positive and Motivating Visit
Wayne and Mark had conversations about what would help fuel business growth in Burnley with Oliver Ryan MP for Burnley and Lucy Rigby KC MP for Northampton.
For Seriun, the day was motivating and reaffirming. It showed the strength of Burnley’s business community, the home-grown talent within their team and the confidence they have in the town’s future.
Seriun was proud to showcase the fact that Burnley builds, adapts and innovates. The team are looking forward to continued conversations resulting from their new relationships forged at Westminster.