- Work Hard
- 27th May 2026
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The Whole Point launches in Newcastle – because when we back women-led businesses, everybody wins
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Female leaders in Newcastle are ambitious, innovative and talented.
Anyone who has spent time in our city’s business community already knows that to be true. And yet, women-led businesses in Newcastle currently receive just 7.3% of the city’s total funding (May 2026 data from The Data City).
Now that The Whole Point has officially launched in Newcastle, it’s time to change that.
What is The Whole Point?
The Whole Point is a UK-wide, government-aligned initiative focused on increasing the flow of capital to high-growth women-led businesses. Backed by Lloyds and working alongside data partner The Data City, The Whole Point moves beyond performative allyship and well-intentioned gestures, focusing instead on data, ecosystems and collective action to drive meaningful economic change.
Nationally, only 2% of equity funding reaches women-led businesses, and more than half of that remains in London. The Whole Point’s regional boards in Newcastle, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool and Edinburgh were established to increase visibility, unlock investment, and ensure more funding reaches women-led businesses outside the capital too.
Because the opportunity is enormous. In 2019, the Rose Review found that closing the funding gap for women-led businesses could add £250 billion to the UK economy, equivalent to more than £310 billion today when adjusted for inflation.
Founder Zandra Moore said at the Newcastle launch event:
“I’ve been in too many rooms where there’s lots of nice talking. Now, we need to act. If we close the funding gap, that’s more money for the economy and more money for jobs — so everybody wins.”
The launch of The Whole Point Newcastle
On 13 May, The Whole Point Newcastle officially launched at The Biscuit Factory. More than 100 leaders, founders, investors and connectors gathered in the venue’s Garden Room, united by a shared determination to reshape the landscape for women-led businesses in the North East.
It was an evening defined by honest conversation, real energy and the kind of alignment that happens when the right people come together with a shared purpose.
Guests were welcomed with drinks and canapés thanks to the support of event sponsors Lloyds, Perspective Financial Group, Square One Law and The Biscuit Factory.
But it was the discussion and the collective ambition in the room that truly set the tone for what comes next.
Meet the Newcastle board
Leading The Whole Point Newcastle are Chair Debra Leeves and Vice Chair Nina Walton.
Their ambition is clear: increase the capital invested into Newcastle’s high-growth women-led businesses by 5%, while attracting new funds into the region.
Ambitious? Absolutely.
But with a regional board spanning venture capital, law, banking, tech, AI, education, pharmaceuticals, marketing, public sector, and business support the focus remains firmly on closing the funding gap and building a powerful ecosystem capable of creating lasting change.
As Debra Leeves shared at the launch:
“Women-led businesses do not have lesser ideas or products, they are just as good, if not better. But too often they are less able to scale because of a lack of funding. We need to open more doors for women. We need to lift each other up.”
Where community meets accountability
What makes The Whole Point different is its commitment to evidence and accountability. Working alongside The Data City, the initiative tracks real-time data to measure progress, ensuring the ecosystem can demonstrate meaningful impact rather than simply making promises.
Alongside this data-led approach, The Whole Point Newcastle has launched its Elevate Series, profiling high-growth women-led businesses across the region, celebrating their founders and helping illuminate the path for others to follow.
Featured leaders to date include Alex Longton of Tiba Tempeh, Dr Fozia Saleem of Magnitude Biosciences,Nic Greenan of Tyneside Cinema, Dr Tallie Bush of Circadacare and Jacqui Kell of Live Theatre
Their stories can be explored via The Whole Point LinkedIn page.
How you can get involved
Closing the funding gap will not happen overnight. But as the Newcastle launch demonstrated, there is already a powerful movement of people committed to making it happen.
Whether you are an investor, founder, leader, connector, or simply someone who believes women-led businesses in Newcastle deserve better, there is a place for you within The Whole Point ecosystem.
Join it. Champion it. Help build it.
Because when we back women-led businesses, everybody wins. That’s the whole point.
Join the ecosystem by scanning the QR code below:
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