Russians learn from Rotherham regeneration

Business adviser Martyn Benson spoke to delegates in Yubileyny, near Moscow, about how Rotherham provides support for entrepreneurs.

He said: “There are parallels between the situation in Yubileyny and that faced by the Dearne Valley in the 1980s with the closure of the coal mines.

“Most people in the Yubileyny area worked for the military and associated industries, in which most work dried up with the end of the Cold War.”

He said the Mayor of Yubileyny was keen to copy the Rotherham regeneration model and see talented people set up their own businesses to boost quality of life.

It is not the first time Rotherham has used its regeneration experience to help overseas towns.

In the Balkans, Poland, Germany and elsewhere, Rotherham’s renaissance has provided lessons for others clawing their way back from the economic abyss.