Dating back to the 8th century, Reading, West Berkshire is widely recognised as a historically important town. We’ll spare you the full history lesson, but suffice to say that Reading, West Berkshire has played it part!
From King Henry I building Reading Abbey, in 1121, and Henry VIII proceeding to knock it down in 1539, playing a pivotal role in the Revolution of 1688, inspiring poetry from Reading Gaol in 1897 and seeing Reading FC ‘The Royals’ promoted to the premiership in 2006 (we can’t blame Henry for the demise of this one!), Reading has long been, and continues to be an important town, particularly when it comes to the economy. With the arrival of the Great Western Railway in the 19th century, Reading grew rapidly, becoming a key manufacturing centre and becoming famous for it’s beer, biscuits and bulb growing industries, The Three B’s. It could be the Four B’s if you include “Chartered Insurance Brokers”!
Reading – Our Home Town
Reading, West Berkshire has been Macbeth’s home town since we were founded by Malcolm Macbeth in 1992. Since then, Macbeth Chartered Insurance Brokers have gone on to become one of the fastest growing independent chartered insurance brokers and financial services organisations in Reading, West Berkshire and the surrounding Thames Valley area.
Over the last 25 years, Macbeth, chartered insurance brokers in Thames Valley, have worked hard to build a reputation for professionalism and quality within our client base, many of whom are also based in the Reading area. We have also worked hard to build a network of trusted partners in the professional services industry, including some of Reading’s leading accountants, solicitors and property surveyors. We make an effort to maintain valued relationships with those that support and value what we do.
Macbeth became a Chartered Insurance Broker in 2010. When you use a Chartered insurance broker you are dealing with proven professionals. The Chartered Institute of Insurance is empowered by the Privy Council to award Chartered status, and the award is only made when firms can demonstrate that they have reached an incredibly high standard. Our reputation and network of suppliers and partners have allowed us to build the strength of our brand, something that we are incredibly proud of.
We use local, Reading, West Berkshire based businesses such as Greenfisher, Conservatree, Positive Computing, Solution Consultants and Generate UK to provide creative and technical support. We also invest in the Thames Valley and Reading community by sponsoring a number of local youth sports teams, including the Bradfield Tennis Academy and Eversley Cricket Club as well as one off events such as the Thames 10K hosted at Beale Park and a number of charity golf days at Calcot Park Golf Club. We like to get out into the Reading community and get involved, meeting great people along the way.
Recruiting in Reading
Many of Macbeth’s employees were born and raised in the Reading, West Berkshire area; perhaps the reason why the Macbeth team have a genuine sense of family. Our insurance and financial services team offers a productive blend of experience and energy, with a mature and flexible approach to balancing work life and home life. With a healthy social diary, the team are often rewarded for their hard work! Often we’ll take part in sporting events hosted by clients and partners. Macbeth are the current champions of the Gardner Leader rounders tournament. One of our proudest moments!
We are currently recruiting in our chartered insurance broker team. Take a look at our blog post for more information.
Reading – A Vibrant Tech Sector
Today, much like it’s past, Reading, West Berkshire is a thriving commercial centre. Beer, biscuits and bulbs have been replaced by technology, communications, science and insurance, with the likes of Oracle, Microsoft, CGI, Westcoast, Huawei, MMA Holdings and Prudential providing significant levels of employment and productivity in and around the town. Management Today’s “The 21 Best Towns and Cities for Business” ranks the UK’s major urban centres, barring London, on how attractive they are as locations to start a business. Reading are ranked 5th!
Reading, West Berkshire and the wider Thames Valley, is now considered to be the silicon valley of the UK, with eight times the concentration of digital jobs compared with the UK average. Tech turnover in Reading was £13.6 billion in 2017 with the sector providing over 58,000 jobs in the town. And it’s not all down to the big players either. The start-up community is growing year on year, with over 283 tech companies in one year.* Far from just being a commuter town feeding London, Reading actually has a positive net influx of commuters. Reading is a great place to be if you’re looking to grow your business, particularity if you’re in the tech sector! One of our specialities is insuring tech companies.
Reading Culture – Not Just a Commuter Town!
Plenty goes on around here! From bursting your ear drums at Reading Festival to relaxing in the serenity of the Reading Abbey, wearing your knees out running the Reading Half Marathon or wearing your soul out supporting Reading FC !, Reading, West Berkshire is a town steeped in history, with a great business community and tremendous potential for growth.
Royal Elm Park is gathering momentum, with a mission to put Reading on the map as a nationally recognised centre of excellence for conferences and events. It has a way to go yet, but the potential is exciting. Some of our history is getting a new lease of life as the Reading Abbey and the Thames Lido are both rejuvenated. We’re also recognising volunteers, health workers and young people who have all done amazing things in Reading by way of the Pride of Reading Awards. Supported by great Reading businesses.
Reading, West Berkshire is our home town and we’re happy to be involved in such a productive and energetic community.
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