A new supply chain scheme is being launched throughout South Yorkshire, which is designed to provide help with local trading and buying to businesses based in the region.

The councils for Doncaster, Sheffield, Rotherham and Barnsley have teamed up on this project, and they have each appointed a business manager with experience in the field to oversee it. Victoria Poppleton will be the Doncaster supply chain business manager, while for Sheffield, it will be Andrew Jackson. In Rotherham, it will be Neil Wilkinson, and John Mellor will take on the role in Barnsley.

This scheme forms part of the Renewal Action Plan (RAP) created by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority to help businesses in the region recover from the pandemic. It is just one of several support options available to them, with others including a specialist business accountant in Doncaster.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post, South Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Chairman James Muir stated that a number of factors had led to the supply chain problem, including Brexit, the need for sustainability and the worldwide energy crisis. He then went on to say that:

“These highly experienced supply chain managers are here to advise and support local businesses in sourcing goods, suppliers and staff locally or within the wider region.”

Muir concluded by adding that the LEP was hoping that the scheme would see suppliers and companies across South Yorkshire build better and closer working relationships, and that this was something that both parties would stand to gain a lot from.