About Beverley

Midlands Business Leader

As a Councillor on Malvern Hills District Council Beverley holds the Economic Development & Tourism Portfolio. She works to actively promote our high streets, small, family-owned, rural, and high-tech businesses. She has overseen the distribution of grants to rural and growth businesses, set up a High Growth Forum which is profiling our many successful businesses creating opportunities for young people. Most recently she is working with NMITE in Hereford to put in place a new Manufacturing Systems Optimisation Course following requests from local businesses looking to upskill existing employees. She has also been working with traders in Malvern to deliver a more pedestrian and visitor-friendly environment on Church Street and Edith Walk given growing visitor numbers enjoying our town centre.

Beverley used her business experience to ensure Malvern Hills Outdoor Education Centre, formerly part of County Council, did not close as was threatened. Instead she helped set up a community business, Boundless Outdoors, which has since then trebled in size with 10,000 young people visiting each year. They are currently investing £750k into a new dining hall facility – a project which has been on the blocks since taking over the business from the County Council 13 years ago. It will provide a richer experience for the young people visiting the site offering elevated views and integrating with the natural environment.

Supporting young people

Beverley worked at Birmingham City University for sixteen years. During this time, she held a number of roles including Director Corporate Affairs, Director Employer Engagement and latterly as Associate Professor and Director at the IDEAS Institute - the Institute for Design, Economic Acceleration & Sustainability. She also enjoyed supporting the Centre for Brexit Studies as a Visiting Professor.

Her work with students and staff has helped with the launch and growth of over 45 new start-ups. Beverley continues to work with universities and Colleges, such as NMITE in Herefordshire, helping to link them into business, whilst also supporting young people to take early practical steps towards achieving their dreams.

Beverley now runs her own consultancy working with a range of clients in the West Midlands and further afield including the independent think tank, the Centre for the New Midlands, Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Pre Metro Operations Ltd, Air Quality News and previously has worked with Richardson Developments, Aga Rangemaster plc and Pashley Cycles, amongst other local businesses.

Publications

Through her work at Birmingham City University’s think tank, IDEAS, Beverley has co-edited books including English Regions After Brexit and Brexit Negotiations After Article 50. She co-authored Redesigning Manufacturing with economist, Vicky Pryce and Professor Michael Beverland. Her books, Exploring the Green Economy, Green Manufacturing, and ‘India at 75, Thoughts and Reflections’, are available from Bite-Sized books. Her latest book, ‘Exploring Net Zero, Creating solutions for a Greener Society and Sustainable Economic Growth’ is available from Emerald Group Publishing.

Local champion

As a Councillor on Malvern Hills District Council Beverley held the Economic Development Portfolio in 2019-2020. She worked to actively promote our high streets, small, family-owned, rural, and high-tech businesses specialising in 5G, cyber and connectivity.

Beverley used her business experience to ensure Malvern Hills Outdoor Education Centre, formerly part of County Council, did not close as threatened. Instead she helped set up a community business, Boundless Outdoors, which, prior to Covid, had trebled in size with 10,000 young people visiting each year.

Political Involvement

Beverley was a County Councillor representing Malvern Trinity for the Liberal Democrats between 2009-2013, later becoming a Liberal Democrat councillor on Malvern Hills District Council in 2019. She was the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for West Worcestershire in the 2019 general election, finishing second with 10,410 votes (18.1%) with an 8.7% swing in her favour. She was selected in 2017 and 2020 as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Metro Mayor of West Midlands, gaining 6% vote share in 2017, coming third after Labour and beating UKIP.

She resigned from the Liberal Democrats along with five councillors following splits in the local party regarding policy priorities for Malvern Hills. She stood and was successfully elected to Worcestershire County Council as an Independent Councillor for Malvern Langland in May 2021 with a 24.46% swing.

In 2020 she was appointed Climate Tsar for Liam Byrne MP’s West Midlands Mayoral campaign in 2021. Beverley subsequently worked alongside the Labour Party providing input as an Expert Commissioner into the Manufacturing Commission as part of the All-Party Manufacturing Group, working with Jack Dromey MP and Liam Byrne MP and later joining the Labour Party.

Following Malvern Hills District Council elections in May 2023, Beverley was re-elected to the newly named ward, Great Malvern, formerly known as Malvern Priory. She sits as a non-aligned councillor alongside Independent Councillor, Cynthia Palmer, who was also re-elected.

Campaigns

In December 2020 Warwickshire College Group (WCG)announced their intention to close Malvern Hills College. A Save our Students (SOS) task force was formed by Cllr Tom Wells and chaired by Nielsen, raising £1.2m, linking together with campaigning by students promoting Save Malvern Hills College website, a Change.org petition and a Postcard Protest.

An offer was made for Malvern Hills College by a newly established company, Malvern Hills Arts & Community College, but was not accepted by WCG. The College site has since been sold to the Aurora Group for a new SEND College.