A new business is celebrating and championing the cultural diversity of the region.

Diverse BCP is an innovative online business directory that allows residents to discover local diverse businesses.

The free web service has been created with financial support from BCP Council.

Visitors to diversebcp.co.uk can access products, services and community news, which will be available in multiple languages.

The finishing touches are being made to a full website, as more diverse businesses join the platform.

Diverse BCP will help small and medium size businesses reach a wider audience, identify new business opportunities and establish collaborations.

In addition, there will be promotional tools to personalise businesses with company information and photos or videos.

To mark the launch of Diverse BCP, a free trade event that’s open to the public is taking place on Friday April 22 from 10am to 2pm at the Citygate Centre in Boscombe.

Exhibitors from diverse businesses such as 4Kicks, pictured, Thrive Health and Wellness Store and Alliance Media will have an opportunity to network, spread information about their products or services, and build relationships in the community.

Bea Sieradzka, Founder of Diverse BCP, organises the annual World of Love Festival, which has been celebrating cultural diversity and inclusion in Dorset since 2019.

She believes that there’s never been a more vital time to connect with diverse businesses.

Bea said: “The pandemic, and even the Ukraine conflict, has had huge detrimental effects on business growth for everyone but it’s even more difficult for diverse businesses, especially those who are customer-facing.

“By eliminating the language barrier and offering a single point of contact, we’re excited at being able to promote these diverse businesses and the services they offer.

“It will also increase networking opportunities and the ease in finding these popular businesses in the community.

“Ultimately it will help boost the local economy and benefit us all culturally.

“A diverse business is not just the heritage background of the owners, but it’s also about the culture that it represents, the employees and the cultural collaborations that a company creates.

“Diversity can have different meanings and it’s not just ethnicity.”

• For more information and, if you qualify, to register your business for free, visit the website diversebcp.co.uk