The Heart of the Midlands

Do you think it's time to stand up and shout about the Heart of the Midlands?

Maybe it’s the reserved English nature to be understated, quietly change things and get on with the tasks ahead. However, in an ever expanding global market where fake news rewrites history, makes unsubstantiated claims and a culture where bad news prevails - some passionate business leaders have combined to create this website, the poem to the right and the video performed by poet Jamie Thrasivoulou below.

Introducing The Heart of the Midlands

The Heart of the Midlands is an exciting new concept which aims to create a stronger identity for Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire and showcase the crucial role they play in driving the East Midlands and the wider Midlands region forwards.

It was developed by Love Business with support from East Midlands Chamber and local poet Jamie Thrasivoulou.

The photo above was taken at Love Business Expo on February 27th, 2020 at Holywell Park. Pictured left to right are; Jon Smart, Love Business News Editor; David Pearson, Director of Partnerships at the East Midlands Chamber; Scott Knowles, CEO of the East Midlands Chamber; Steve Megson, Quiet Storm Managing Director; Gemma Orton, Mocha Marketing Managing Director; Philip Megson, Operations Director Quiet Storm.

While planning for Love Business 2020, its organisers wanted to do something to highlight everything that’s great about the three counties, which often operate in silos.

After considering and researching this proud legacy of innovation, plus the opportunities presented to our businesses and communities through investment, location, skills, culture and diversity, Love Business took the concept from its partner, East Midlands Chamber.

The Chamber, given its geographic focus, really got behind the idea and offered to sponsor the commissioning of a poem that celebrates the three counties which make up The Heart of the Midlands.

On the back of this, and using the research and information provided by Love Business, Jamie was commissioned to develop the poem which tells the story – from Robin Hood to Lara Croft – of the innovation, creativity, leadership and passion of some of the individuals and organisations which have helped establish Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire as the Heart of the Midlands and the engine room of the UK.

So, if you’ve got any association with Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, remember, We are The Heart of the Midlands.

Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire are the Heart of the Midlands.

These three counties, and their respective cities, sit at the centre of the UK.
They are the vessel through which the lifeblood of British business flows. Our tourism, hospitality, business, sports, leisure, retail, cultural, natural and heritage assets have a formidable reputation.

We are extremely fortunate in this part of the region to be blessed with a number of these across our three counties. In fact, that’s an understatement. When it comes to what the Heart of the Midlands has to offer, we sometimes don’t appreciate how lucky we are.

Famous faces and places

Nottinghamshire is famed for its caves, its castle and the legend of Robin Hood. Leicestershire is home to the National Forest and King Richard III. Derbyshire, meanwhile, has its proud industrial heritage, its stately homes and, of course, the stunning Peak District, a real jewel in the region’s crown.
This region gave birth to some famous faces, from Jason Statham to John Hurt, Rebecca Adlington to Kate Beckinsale.

There are iconic sporting venues, from Trent Bridge to the King Power Stadium. Some of the biggest music acts in the world are regularly drawn to perform here at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena, festivals like Y Not and the spiritual home of rock, Donington Park.

All these assets bring people to the region, often from all corners of the globe. And that’s before you start talking about our industrial heritage.
Our three cities and counties fit together well, both in geographical terms but also in the way they complement one another. It’s this collaboration, this pride and this innovation, that makes this part of the region tick, that creates the complex business infrastructure that sits at the heart of our economy. It’s an alchemy which is unique to this part of the UK.

A history of revolution

Let’s look at the facts about Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. Innovation is in our DNA. We are the site of the world’s first factory… so the industrial revolution started here.

Ada Lovelace, Lord Byron’s daughter, was a prophet of the computer age, helping to decode the world’s first computer programme… so the digital revolution started here.

The world’s first and oldest department store, Bennett’s, is in Derby… so the retail revolution started here. Thomas Cook, the godfather of modern travel, was born in Leicester... so the tourism revolution started here.

Florence Nightingale lived in Matlock, she started the healthcare revolution, aided and abetted by Jesse Boot, from Nottingham, who brought us the high street pharmacy. Alice Hawkins, from Leicester, was a leading suffragette who revolutionised women’s rights and equality.

It all started here, in the Heart of the Midlands.

In this part of the world, we have fantastic advantages over other regions.
When you look at the business operating here, we punch well above our weight. We’ve got the UK’s biggest manufacturers in construction based here, the biggest manufacturers in engineering, in automotive, all within a 35-mile radius of the airport. Plus, you’ve got great motorway links and the busiest air freight and cargo operation in the country, which is set to level up even further thanks to the East Midlands Gateway development. It’s a great place to do business.

We are the Heart of the Midlands

Still not convinced? Here’s more proof if you need it… We’ve got two of the world’s first football teams, who started the football league. There are so many inventions and innovations from our three counties that it’s impossible to list them all… traffic lights, tarmac, ibuprofen, the MRI scan, hot dogs, HP Sauce, the list goes on and on.

We’ve got the Peak District, the National Forest and the Legend of Robin Hood. We’ve got iconic brands – Paul Smith, Raleigh, Triumph, Norton, Rolls-Royce, Toyota. We make things here that are world famous, from Samworth’s, Speedo and Raleigh to John Smedley and Saint Gobain.

But we don’t talk about these things enough. We take them for granted, instead of bigging up the three counties like we should. What we’ve got here is unique, it’s special, it’s the Heart of the Midlands.The challenge is to package it up and sell it properly.

When you look at somewhere like the Black Country, they’ve got it right. They’ve got a really strong identity which not only fits into the regional agenda of the West Midlands, but also sets them apart as a unique part of a greater whole.

That’s what Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire should be working towards, creating a strong identity that reflects everything that’s great about the three counties, their people, their culture and their economies, and presenting it as a full package.

At the end of the day, when we come together to collaborate, we’re always stronger for it. We need the Heart of the Midlands to beat strong. It is, after all, the pulse of the UK.