BU hosts AFC Bournemouth business breakfast

Businesses from across Dorset and Hampshire gathered in at Bournemouth University (BU) as BU hosted the AFC Bournemouth business breakfast.

Through its AFC Business function, the local football club gathers businesses monthly for networking and to hear from experts on issues affecting local business.

Opening the event, BU graduate and Commercial Director at AFC Bournemouth Rob Mitchell said, “We’re delighted to be hosting this AFC Business event at Bournemouth University, who are of course Official Higher Education Partners of AFC Bournemouth and have been for six years now.

“We continue to work with students and academics, with research insight and resources that the football club can use here at the university, and I’d like to thank them for their support for us as a football club. Their students act as student ambassadors on match days and help and support fans on match days. We have talks, player appearances, mental health events, and BU is also supporting our girls football teams, which is fantastic as well.”

BU’s Chief Operating Officer Jim Andrews said, “We were delighted to see so many local businesses on our campus this morning. At BU, we are proud to be an active member of our local community, which includes our partnership with AFC Bournemouth, and events like this help us to engage in meaningful ways with other local businesses who are keen to work with us.”

After an initial networking breakfast, local businesses were taken into the Inspire Lecture Theatre, in BU’s Fusion Building, to hear from Jim Andrews and Ian Jones, Head of Regional Community Partnerships at BU, who gave an overview of Bournemouth University and its BU2025 strategy.

BU’s Jim Roach then shared an economic outlook on business in Dorset to help businesses understand the local landscape when compared to the rest of the UK, and key markets internationally.

Organisations represented included Barclays, Dorset Mental Health Forum, and Bournemouth and Poole College, who made up the 70+ strong audience.

For more information about BU’s regional impact, visit: https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/about/our-regional-impact