University of Brighton Celebrates Milestone as 250th Local Business Leader Completes Help to Grow Programme

The University of Brighton recently marked a significant milestone with the 250th business leader completing the Help to Grow: Management course—an achievement that highlights the university’s key role in supporting the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the region.

Launched in July 2021, Help to Grow: Management is a 12-week course for SME leaders, combining online and in-person sessions, one-to-one mentoring, and peer networking. Delivered by Small Business Charter-accredited business schools, the programme aims to boost economic growth and productivity through improved management and leadership practices.

To date, over 11,850 business leaders have taken part in the programme via more than 60 business schools across the UK. There are currently 9,675 firms in the Help to Grow: Management alumni network, with continued access to business school support, local events, national conferences, and online content.

A recent evaluation by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and IPSOS found that participants reported significant improvements in leadership and business performance:

• 91% reported increased awareness of the factors that drive business productivity and growth

• 91% reported improved leadership and management skills

• 87% reported better understanding of employee engagement

• 74% reported increased resilience

• 62% reported increased sales

Following the success of the management programme, DBT also launched Help to Grow: Management Essentials—a free, two-hour, self-guided online course featuring bite-sized videos and resources.

To learn more: Help to Grow: Management Course | Small Business Charter

A Government-Funded Initiative Empowering Local Leaders

As SMEs represent 99.8% of the UK business population, their growth is vital to the national economy. The Help to Grow programme provides SME leaders with practical tools to scale their businesses sustainably.

Adam Jones, Programme Director at the University of Brighton, said:

“It is immensely satisfying to see our 250th business leader complete Help to Grow with us.

We understand how difficult it is for SMEs to survive and thrive locally. We are proud to continue this support with three new cohorts starting in September and October 2025.”

The programme is open to senior leaders and decision-makers in businesses with 5 to 249 employees. New cohorts will run in Brighton (September 2025) and Crawley (October 2025).

To find out more, visit the Help to Grow website or email helptogrow@brighton.ac.uk to speak with a course leader.

Help to Grow Success Story: Kyriakos Baxevanis

Entrepreneur | MBA | Founder of Nostos Restaurant, Nostos Catering UK, Be Well Live Well & Little Jasmine Therapies | Advisory Board Member | Goldman Sachs 10KSB Alumni | Business & Community Advocate.

“Back in May 2023, I had the honour of working with the renowned scholar and author Dr David Francis from the University of Brighton on the principles of Business Requisite Agility, where Nostos Hove was used as a case study as part of the Help to Grow Programme.

This was a unique opportunity for me to evolve my thinking and practices as an entrepreneur! It was also great fun to film our discussion at the Brighton University studios.

The learnings acquired were put into practice across all our businesses and ventures, resulting in substantial improvements in how we operate.

My message to fellow entrepreneurs is this: keep developing yourselves. Personal growth is the only sustainable competitive advantage you can build into your businesses.”

Graduate Feature: Lyndsey Clay, Connected Brighton

1. Can you describe your business, including its current size, sector, and what inspired you to start or join it?

Connected Brighton is a city concierge service designed to help people connect through curated experiences that support local businesses. We host small, friendly events across the city—from beach days and tastings to networking events and cultural outings—with the aim of supporting local hospitality and bringing people together in real life.

The business was born post-lockdown, when I found myself craving connection. I started with a newsletter, then hosted picnics and pétanque as restrictions eased. What began as a personal need quickly became a city-wide movement. Four years on, we have over 100 paying members across our Social Club and Connected100 Business Club, are regularly featured in the press, and have won multiple awards for community impact.

2. What specific challenges or barriers to growth are you currently facing, and how do you hope Help to Grow will support you in overcoming them?

My biggest challenge is scaling the business sustainably while maintaining the personal, high-touch experience I’m known for. The plan is to launch a licensing model to bring Connected to cities across the UK, but I need the right systems, strategy, and support to do this well.

Help to Grow came at the perfect time. It’s helped me zoom out and think like a CEO—identifying what needs to change in our structure, customer journey, and team to make national expansion possible. It’s also made me reflect on how I need to change as the founder—how I spend my time and appreciate my own value (my mentor was amazing at reinforcing this!).

3. Where do you see your business in the next three to five years?

In five years, I see Connected in the City operating in 10+ UK locations, led by licensed local hosts and supported by a central brand, toolkit, and concierge model. Brighton will remain our flagship, and I’ll oversee national growth, brand partnerships, and new revenue streams from tech and tourism. I want to create ecosystems that provide everything you need, when you need it, in the city you call home—a trusted community brand.

4. In what ways do you plan to implement what you learn from the programme into your day-to-day business operations or long-term strategy?

I’ve already started mapping our customer journey, refining the Social Club membership offer, reviewing our pricing tiers for Connected100, and improving our sponsorship strategy. I’m using what I’ve learned to build out the full model and researching tech stacks that will allow both HQ and licensees to operate effectively.

5. Are there any results in growth or change that you have already seen as a result of the scheme?

We’ve shifted our focus to people who are new to Brighton, and our social media views have risen to nearly 80K this month—up from 50K. I’ve adjusted my working hours and implemented better boundaries to protect my time and focus on long-term goals. Most importantly, I feel more confident leading the business into its next chapter.

Graduate Feature: Holly Gradwell, StarPhysio CIC

1. Can you describe your business, including its current size, sector, and what inspired you to start or join it?

I co-founded StarPhysio CIC with Jo Wilkes and Steve Southwell. We are a small specialist paediatric and aquatic physiotherapy service working across Sussex. Our team supports babies, children and young people with a wide range of neurological and physical needs through both land-based and water-based physiotherapy.

We started the business because we saw a clear gap in provision for children. We wanted to create something different—a responsive, family-centred service rooted in clinical expertise and delivered with warmth. As we’ve grown, we’ve recognised how much parents and carers need support too. We now offer some family wellbeing services and are keen to expand this. We chose to establish StarPhysio as a community interest company because we believe specialist therapy should be accessible to those who need it, not just those who can afford it.

2. What specific challenges or barriers to growth are you currently facing, and how do you hope Help to Grow will support you in overcoming them?

We’re at a point where demand for our service is growing, but we need better systems and clearer structures to support that growth. Balancing clinical delivery with operational planning is an ongoing challenge. The Help to Grow programme is giving me tools to step back and think more strategically. I hope it will help us refine internal processes, strengthen leadership, and plan for growth in a way that remains aligned with our values. I also want to build confidence in making business decisions rather than defaulting to the clinical side.

3. Where do you see your business in the next three to five years?

We aim to strengthen StarPhysio’s role as a leading provider of paediatric and aquatic physiotherapy in the South East. Our focus is on developing a sustainable model that allows us to grow while protecting the flexibility and quality that families value.

We want to expand our clinical capacity to increase access to land- and water-based services and build more support for parents and carers. Our growth will be thoughtful and measured—not rapid—with a focus on increasing community impact through partnerships, subsidised services, and better support for underserved families.

4. In what ways do you plan to implement what you learn from the programme into your day-to-day business operations or long-term strategy?

The programme is already helping me shift from day-to-day problem-solving to long-term strategic thinking. I’m starting to focus more on how we plan, prioritise and communicate as a team, and how we use our time effectively.

I intend to apply what I’ve learned to improve our planning, delivery, and evaluation systems. I also want to strengthen how we define and communicate our values to guide future decisions. Over time, I hope this will increase my confidence in leadership and clarify our direction.

5. Are there any results in growth or change that you have already seen as a result of the scheme?

Yes. One of the biggest changes has been creating the time and headspace to reflect. It’s helped me step back from the pressure of daily clinical work and start thinking more proactively about business needs.

We’ve already made small changes to how we structure our week and plan ahead. I’m having more strategic conversations with colleagues and feeling more confident about where to focus our energy. It’s early days, but the shift in mindset has made a noticeable difference.