Elevate Northamptonshire

June 16, 2025: Your Weekly Guide to Business and Wellbeing Events in Northamptonshire - & Happy Birthday, Donna Walker!!!

Author

Damian Smyth
June 16, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes

Business Growth, Networking & Wellbeing Events Happening This Week*

*Below £50 entry with tickets remaining

Confidence in Leadership for Men | Monday, June 16 • 09:00 - 09:45 BST • Online • Free

NNBN "Make The Most Of Your Membership" | Monday, June 16 • 18:00 - 19:30 BST • Online • Free

Empowering Tomorrow's Entrepreneurs: The Future of Online Wealth | Monday, June 16 • 19:00 - 20:00 BST • Online • Free

#BusComm Kettering Business Networking Meeting - Face-to-face | Tuesday, June 17 • 07:30 BST • Telford Lodge Brewers Fayre, Rothwell Road Kettering NN16 8FX • £18.04

CEO Session with NNC | Tuesday, June 17 • 08:30 - 10:00 BST • Brooke Weston Academy, Coomb Road Corby NN18 8LA • Free

The Business Room - South Northants & Milton Keynes North | Tuesday, June 17 • 12:00 - 14:00 BST • The Fox & Hounds, 44 High Street Whittlebury NN12 8XJ • Free

Creating an Early Careers Strategy in your Workplace | Tuesday, June 17 • 12:30 - 13:30 BST • Online • Free

Weavers Academy Leadership Development Events | Tuesday, June 17 • 15:45 - 17:30 GMT+1 • Weavers Academy, Brickhill Road Wellingborough NN8 3JH • £27.80

#BusComm Northampton Business Networking Breakfast Meeting - face-to-face | Wednesday, June 18 • 07:30 BST • Turnpike Beefeater, Weedon Road Harpole NN7 4DD • £17.84

Northampton Business Buzz Networking | Wednesday, June 18 • 10:00 - 12:00 GMT+1 • Barratts Club, Kingsthorpe Road Northampton NN2 6HT • £13.55

The Business Room Wellingborough | Wednesday, June 18 • 12:00 - 14:00 BST • The Stanwick Hotel, West Street Stanwick NN9 6QY • Free

Google Digital Garage: Northampton | Thursday, June 19 • 10:00 - 15:00 BST • Vulcan Works - Offices & Coworking Space, 34-38 Guildhall Road Northampton NN1 1EW • Free

Daventry Business Buzz Networking | Friday, June 20 • 10:00 - 12:00 GMT+1 • The Arc Cinema, Daventry, Daventry NN11 4GH • £13.55

Squeeze Conference 2025 | Friday, June 20 • 19:00 - Sunday, June 22 • 13:00 BST • Victoria Road Congregational Church, 50 Victoria Road Northampton NN1 5EQ • £11.55

Business Networking Event | Saturday, June 21 • 12:00 - 15:00 GMT+1 • Grandbies coffee house and boutique, 26 St Giles street Northampton NN1 1JA • Free

Weekly Business Networking Events

Northampton Breakfast Business Networking Event
Every Monday (not bank holidays) 09:30‑10:30 BST
Online
Free

BNI Weekly Events:

BNI Ignite Business Networking Event: Tuesdays - 06:45 - 09:00 - The Turnpike, Harpole Turn, Weedon Road, Northampton, Northants, NN7 4DD - £15

BNI Pioneer Online Business Networking: Wednesdays - 09:30 - 11:30 - Online - £15 (We’re growing! Why not come along as a guest and grow your business through referrals?)

BNI Pavilion Business Networking Event: Thursdays - 06:30 - 08:30 - Holiday Inn Northampton, an IHG Hotel, Bedford Road, Northampton NN4 7YF - £15

BNI Prosperity Business Networking Event: Thursdays - 06:45 - 09:45 - Kettering Golf Club, Headlands, Kettering NN15 6XA - £15

BNI Luminate Business Networking Event: Thursdays - 07:40 - 09:40 - Daventry Town Hall, Daventry - £15

BNI Sterling Business Networking Event: Thursdays - 11:30 - 13:30 - Nene Whitewater Centre, Bedford Rd, Northampton NN4 7AA - £15

BNI Lighthouse Business Networking Event: Fridays - 06:45 - 08:45 - Northampton County Cricket Ground, Wantage Rd, Northampton NN1 4TH - £15

Please send your upcoming events to [email protected]

Health and Wellbeing

Learning Disability Week: Health Promotion event (Kettering) | Tuesday, June 17 • 10:00 - 14:00 GMT+1 • Corn Market Hall, 42 London Road Kettering NN15 7QA • Free

Menopause Cafe Walk And Talk | Tuesday, June 17 • 14:00 - 16:00 GMT+1 • Heathers, 86 Kingsley Park Terrace Northampton NN2 7HJ • Free

Outdoor Yoga with Emma Yoga PT - Wild Wellbeing | Tuesday, June 17 • 19:00 - 20:00 BST • Bradlaugh Fields & Barn, Fulford Drive Northampton NN2 7NX • £7.21

iDiscover Make Your Own Calm Kit Workshop -8-11yrs to include Parent/Carer | Wednesday, June 18 • 16:00 - 18:30 GMT+1 • Newland House, Campbell Square Northampton NN1 3EB • Free

Depression Awareness and Recovery | Thursday, June 19 • 09:30 - 16:30 BST • St Thomas Centre, Northampton Cathedral, Semilong Road Semilong NN2 6DF • Free

Understanding Trauma | Thursday, June 19 • 10:00 - 15:00 GMT+1 • Newland House, Campbell Square Northampton NN1 3EB • Free

Group Coaching for Awakening Women with Creative Dreams | Thursday, June 19 • 16:00 - 17:00 GMT+1 • Online • Donations

Managing Arthritis | Thursday, June 19 • 18:30 - 20:00 GMT+1 • Richmond Villages Northampton - CQC rated 'Outstanding', Bridge Meadow Way Northampton NN4 5EB • Free

Pytchley Sacred Sound Bath Evening | Thursday, June 19 • 19:00 - 20:00 GMT+1 • Pytchley Village Hall, Church Road Pytchley NN14 1EL • £15

Nursing OSCE Crash Course | Friday, June 20 • 09:00 - Sunday, June 22 • 17:00 BST • Online • Free

Breath of life Day Retreat | Saturday, June 21 • 09:30 - 16:30 BST • Diana's Health & Fitness, 109E Finedon Road Wellingborough NN8 4AL • £33.22

International Yoga Day: Rest & Restore | Saturday, June 21 • 14:00 - 15:00 GMT+1 • The Roade House Hotel, Cafe Bar, Restaurant & Yoga Studio, 16 High Street Roade NN7 2NW • Free

Weekly Health and Wellbeing

Women's FREE Safety & Self Defence Workshop - Kettering | Mondays • 18:30 - 19:15 GMT+1 • St John Community Hall, Edith Road Kettering NN16 0QA • Free

Healing Breathwork | Accelerate emotional and physical healing • Northampton
Mondays (not bank holidays) 18:00 - 19:15 GMT Online – £15

Tai Chi Class
Wednesdays 13:00 - 14:00 GMT Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, 4-6 Guildhall Road, Northampton NN1 1DP – £9.38

Breathwork - Free Weekly Class • Northampton
Wednesdays 18:00 - 18:30 GMT Online – Free

Pranayama Breathing Free Class • Northampton
Wednesdays 18:00 - 18:30 GMT Online – Free

ONLINE Seminar – Emotional Separation from Parents
Daily 14:00 – 15:00 | Online – £15

ONLINE Seminar – Inner Child: Stuck in Childhood
Daily 17:00 – 18:00 | Online – £15

Group Coaching for Awakening Women with Creative Dreams
Every Thursday 16:00 | Online – Donations

Immersive Yoga – Single Ticket (June–July 2025)
Every Tuesday 19:00 | Northampton Museum & Art Gallery, 4-6 Guildhall Road, Northampton NN1 1DP – £9.38

Aromatouch Lymphatic Massage
Every Monday (various time-slots) | Northampton – £38.62

Weekly Success Story: The Stuffed Olive: A Recipe for Success That's Been 19 Years in the Making

Sometimes the best business ideas start small and grow organically – and that's exactly what happened with The Stuffed Olive on Wellingborough Road. What began as husband Yavuz Ozboyaci's "little idea" back in 2006 has blossomed into a beloved Northampton institution that's been serving the community for nearly two decades.

Yavuz, who already owned Istanbul Chef next door, spotted an opportunity when the adjacent property became available. Together with his wife Tracey Faulkner, they took the leap and opened The Stuffed Olive – creating something truly different for the street.

"The first two or three years were amazing because it was just a little idea that we created, and all of a sudden, to see it come into fruition," Tracey recalls. "People were curious – there used to be waiting lists to get into the restaurant!"

Their success wasn't just a flash in the pan. By 2011, demand was so strong that they knocked through into the next-door unit, doubling their space. But what's kept them thriving for 19 years isn't just good food – it's the relationships they've built with their customers.

"Now we've got customers coming in saying, 'We had our first date here' – and they've got three kids," Tracey shares with obvious pride. "You see people grow up, get married… we've seen it all. It's really special."

Adapting to Survive and Thrive

The Stuffed Olive's longevity comes down to their willingness to evolve. What started as a purely à la carte restaurant now serves burgers and kebabs alongside their traditional menu. "That's not what we saw ourselves doing in 2006," Tracey admits.

They've embraced social media marketing and are even launching delivery services through Uber – a far cry from 2006 when "Facebook and Instagram weren't a thing." Their approach to staying relevant includes hosting monthly events like jazz nights, wine tastings, and live music to keep customers engaged.

Even COVID-19, which hit during their busiest Christmas period, couldn't keep them down. "Watching all those bookings cancel — cancel, cancel, cancel — it was painful," Tracey remembers. "But yeah, you bounce back, don't you?"

A True Partnership

Perhaps most remarkably, Tracey and Yavuz have maintained both their business partnership and their marriage through it all. "At the end of the day, he's a chef. So, he wants perfection and I get that," Tracey explains. "We're still in it together after 19 years."

When asked about the next 20 years, Tracey laughs: "Oh my God… let's see what happens."

What We Can Learn:

  • Start small, think big: Sometimes the best businesses begin as simple ideas

  • Relationships matter: Building genuine connections with customers creates lasting loyalty

  • Adapt or perish: Successful businesses evolve with changing times and customer needs

  • Partnership strength: Having complementary skills and shared vision makes business partnerships stronger

  • Resilience pays: Bouncing back from setbacks like COVID shows the importance of persistence

The Stuffed Olive proves that with the right recipe of passion, adaptability, and genuine care for customers, a small idea can grow into something truly special. Here's to another 19 years of success!

Ironically, this is where Donna Walker and I went on our very first date! Happy birthday Donna Walker!

Sporting Fixtures

Rugby: No fixtures this week

Football: MEN: No fixtures this week

Football: WOMEN: No fixtures this week

Cricket:

Northamptonshire Weather:

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The Happiness Hub

Check out our Happiness Hub in partnership with Action for Happiness! This resource hub will provide free tools and guidance to help Northamptonshire’s businesses excel in workplace wellbeing.

The Purpose of the Newsletter

We’re connecting Northamptonshire businesses to get us all working together and elevate our well-being, making this incredible county a (happy) UK business powerhouse. Please share it with your friends and colleagues to help them benefit.