More than 60 members of the Black Country business community joined BCRS Business Loans for an enjoyable afternoon of networking at its annual Black Country Diners Club event.

Hosted by the business loan provider, the two-course networking lunch took place at the Molineux Stadium on Wednesday 23rd September.

The event featured guest speaker Michelle Mills-Porter, a human behaviour expert, author and award-winning entrepreneur.

On Boxing Day 2004, Michelle's life changed beyond recognition when she survived the Indian Ocean tsunami in Sri Lanka. The extraordinary experience transformed her perspective and helped shape the work she is known for today.

Michelle took event attendees beneath the surface of human behaviour, exploring the forces that shape decisions, relationships, careers and businesses. She stressed the importance of understanding the personal motivations of people and finding your own purpose.

Addressing business leaders, she said: “I think the most important thing we can do, if we want to retain our star performers, is understand what truly motivates our people. By understanding what drives them, we can create an organisation that nobody wants to leave. Why do some organisations retain their people while others struggle to keep hold of their best people?

“Whatever drives you is what you should be doing, as that is going to keep you fulfilled, happy and mentally healthy.”

BCRS Business Loans chief executive Stephen Deakin said: “Our Black Country Diners Club lunch is one of our favourite annual events, and we were very pleased to have so many guests join us. Michelle brought a powerful and thought-provoking perspective to the room.

“At BCRS we are committed to supporting the West Midlands business community, and events such as this play an important role in raising awareness of the funding solutions we offer and helping business leaders explore opportunities for collaboration and growth.”

Louise Brookes from the Dudley Stroke Association, BCRS’s charity of the year, gave a moving presentation on the lifechanging work done by the charity to support people who have suffered a stroke. An event raffle in aid of the good cause raised £150 for the charity.

Having launched more than a decade ago, the Black Country Diners Club has established itself as one of the West Midlands' premier midday networking events, attracting business leaders from across the region.

Operating as a non-profit community development finance institution, Wolverhampton-based BCRS Business Loans offers a story-based approach to lending, enabling firms in the West Midlands and Wales to access finance from between £10,000 and £250,000 to help generate growth and support recovery plans.

Since 2002, BCRS Business Loans has delivered more than 2,300 loans totalling over £110 million, generating more than £500 million in economic impact.

BCRS Business Loans recently celebrated lending £13m through the Community Investment Enterprise Fund (CIEF), supporting more than 150 businesses across the West Midlands and Wales. Having recently completed the distribution of its allocated funds, BCRS Business Loans has generated more than £67m in economic impact in total.

Earlier this year the lender was allocated £20m to support underserved small businesses across the West Midlands and Wales as the sixth lender to be accredited by the British Business Bank under its Community ENABLE Funding programme. 

BCRS Business Loans is also a fund manager for the small funds pot of the first £130m Investment Fund for Wales and for the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II, which will deliver a £400m commitment of new funding for businesses across the Midlands.