Hixon Group
Building a Safer Digital Future: Free Cyber Security Awareness Training for Businesses
The Hixon Group Cyber Awareness Programme demonstrates how targeted public funding, strategic partnerships, and a clear focus on accessibility can deliver meaningful impact for regional business resilience. Supported by funding from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), and backed by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, the initiative was designed to address a growing and urgent challenge: the rising economic and operational impact of cybercrime on local businesses.
From the outset, the programme was built on collaboration. Hixon Group partnered with Keele Business School and Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce to ensure the solution combined academic rigour, business relevance, and regional reach. This partnership enabled not only the delivery of training, but also the development of a Cyber Security Impact and Measurement approach to better understand and respond to cyber risk at scale.
The core of the initiative is a free, certificated online training platform designed specifically for SMEs. By removing the two most significant barriers to engagement—cost and accessibility—the programme has enabled businesses of all sizes to take part. The training is accessible on any device, easy to complete, and focused on practical behaviours such as identifying phishing emails, creating secure passwords, and reporting suspicious activity.
Since launching in late summer 2025, the programme has delivered strong early results. More than 2,000 employees across Staffordshire have already completed the training, with a target of reaching 5,000 by year-end. Feedback indicates increased confidence among participants and a stronger awareness of everyday cyber risks—critical factors in reducing vulnerability across the workforce.
This work has taken place against a backdrop of high-profile cyber incidents affecting major UK organisations and their supply chains, underlining the importance of proactive intervention at a local level. With nearly half of Staffordshire businesses reporting a cyber-related incident in the past year, the need for accessible, preventative training is clear.
The programme has also received regional recognition, winning the Digital Futures Award at Keele University’s Breaking the Mould Awards 2025, highlighting its innovative approach to collaboration and impact.
As Jonathan Lawton, Managing Director of Hixon Group, explains:
“Cybercrime is not just a technical problem; it’s an economic one. Every attack has a ripple effect across our local economy. By making training free, simple, and accessible, we are giving Staffordshire businesses the tools they need to build real resilience.”
This UKSPF-funded initiative provides a scalable model for strengthening digital resilience—demonstrating what can be achieved when public investment enables collaboration between business, academia, and the wider community.
