The latest issue of East Durham Business magazine features Dawn Jarvis from the North East Combined Authority, who talks about her role as Business Connector at the North East Combined Authority, the importance of networking and the help available through the organisation to support growth and encourage job creation…
Tell us more about your job at the North East Combined Authority?
In my role at the North East Combined Authority as a Business Connector, I provide one-to-one support, most often at client premises, to help small and medium-sized businesses navigate the often-confusing landscape of business support and finance. Many business leaders are unsure which services will best meet their needs, and part of my role is to simplify this process.
I take an independent, impartial, and objective approach, working closely with businesses to understand their opportunities and barriers to growth. By pinpointing the right solutions and providers, I encourage them to engage with business support services that can help them achieve their ambitions.
I’m passionate about building trusted relationships, so I focus on motivating businesses by clearly demonstrating the benefits of engaging with support services, ensuring they feel confident that their investment of time and money will bring value.
As a Connector, I don’t deliver the support directly; instead, I act as an independent connection point, managing introductions to specialist providers who can help businesses reach their full potential. My work is entirely driven by the needs of the businesses I support, and I take pride in helping them grow and thrive in the North East region.
Your very active in the business community. Is that something you enjoy?
Absolutely, I really enjoy being active in the business community. It’s fantastic to have the autonomy to meet with such a wide range of businesses – from pre-starts and sole traders to established SMEs – and to build genuine relationships with them. I’m passionate about developing those connections over time and helping businesses see the value in what we do.
I also actively network to raise awareness of the excellent services the North East Combined Authority Growth Hub provides, making sure business owners know that support is out there to help them grow and succeed.
Your role means you get to meet a diverse range of businesses from many different sectors. Tell us more about that.
One of the best parts of my role is getting to meet such a wide variety of businesses from all kinds of sectors. It’s not just about seeing where growth is happening or who’s doing what – it’s about really hearing the stories behind those businesses. Sitting down face-to-face gives me an honest, first-hand view of their challenges, their opportunities, and their ambitions.
I love that every conversation is different and that I get to build genuine, lasting relationships with the people driving our region forward. It’s incredibly rewarding to use those insights to connect them with the right support, helping them feel more confident about their next steps.
For me, it’s about so much more than just signposting services – it’s about being a trusted partner, someone who listens, understands, and helps make a real difference for businesses of every size.
The support offered by the North East Combined Authority is invaluable to business growth. What can businesses tap into to help their growth?
The support offered by the North East Combined Authority is invaluable to business growth. Here’s what businesses can tap into:
- North East Growth Hub
As the gateway to business support in the region, the Growth Hub offers tailored one-to-one support from a team of expert advisers, helping businesses at any stage—from startups to established SMEs—navigate the full spectrum of support and funding opportunities. Whether you need help identifying challenges or accessing financial resources, they’re there to guide you impartially and effectively.
You’ll also find a wealth of practical toolkits, such as:
- Start‑up Toolkit
- Leadership Toolkit
- Markets Toolkit
- Net Zero Toolkit
- Finance & Funding Toolkit
- Operations Toolkit
Each toolkit delivers hands-on guidance to fine‑tune your business strategy and operations. netzeronortheastengland.co.uk+14North East Growth Hub+14North East Growth Hub+14
- Shine – Mayor’s Employer Accreditation
Shine is a free accreditation programme open to all employers in the region. It recognises businesses committed to fair, inclusive, and high‑quality employment practices across five pillars:
- Health, safety & wellbeing
- Community impact & sustainability
- Employee voice & representation
- Inclusivity & upskilling
- Fair pay & secure work
There are progressive levels of recognition—from Subscriber to Advanced—with each unlocking benefits like expert guidance, public recognition, and visibility in the Shine Members Gallery. Over 100 businesses have already signed up in just two months.
- Mayor’s Opportunity Fund
The North East Combined Authority also works with Community Foundation North East and Point North to deliver the Mayor’s Opportunity Fund, supporting initiatives that drive opportunity and inclusion across our communities. While not limited to businesses, it provides vital grant support to projects that promote economic and social involvement. The Growth Hub is your go-to for personalised business advice, funding access, and strategic toolkits. Shine gives organisations a way to be recognised and supported as great employers. And the Mayor’s Opportunity Fund opens doors for impactful community-related projects.
What do you like most about your job?
What I enjoy most about my job is getting to meet and work with such a wide range of businesses across the region I’m proud to call home. Being from the North East myself, I’m genuinely passionate about helping local businesses thrive. I love being able to connect them with the right support, information, and opportunities they need to succeed and grow.
Every conversation is a chance to build relationships, understand their ambitions, and make a real difference—not just for individual businesses, but for the wider regional economy. That sense of connection and impact is what drives me every day.
Finally you are a director of a Coumminity interest Company.
Yes, I am a Director of Threads of Hope, a Community Interest Company directly linked with Low Newton Women’s Prison in Durham. Our project is built on a strong social purpose: to create opportunities for women in prison while reducing landfill and supporting local communities.
We collaborate with organisations and businesses that are willing to donate their redundant workwear or, in some cases, pay to have it securely disposed of for safety and confidentiality reasons. Rather than sending this clothing to landfill or incineration, we bring it into the prison, where it is “remastered” by women taking part in a structured sewing and textile training programme.
These women develop valuable skills on industrial sewing machines, gaining qualifications and confidence that can support their rehabilitation and future employment prospects. The repurposed items are then redistributed to charities, food banks, and homeless shelters, helping some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
Threads of Hope not only diverts waste from landfill but also provides a meaningful route to rehabilitation by equipping women with practical skills and a sense of purpose. It creates a positive ripple effect—benefiting businesses, the environment, the women involved, and the communities who receive much-needed support.
This project is incredibly rewarding for me on both a personal and professional level. Seeing the women grow in confidence, develop new skills, and find pride in their work is deeply inspiring. At the same time, knowing that our efforts support vulnerable communities while reducing textile waste gives me a strong sense of purpose. Threads of Hope has shown me the power of collaboration—how businesses, prisons, and community groups can come together to create real, lasting change.
