A VIRTUOSO electric organist has struck a new note by setting up her own HR company.

The HR Dept Stratford and Evesham run by Julie McGovern will cover a large area of south Worcestershire and the bordering counties, including Pershore, Tewkesbury, Henley in Arden and Alcester.

Mrs McGovern is a chartered fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, who worked for Severn Trent Water as HR manager for more than a decade before taking time out to have a family. Since leaving the role she has worked as an adviser at the Citizens Advice Bureau in Stratford and has also helped with the HR at the property development business run by her husband, Bart. In the meantime she has also been a member of the Dorridge Musical School, which is run by Bev Bevan of the Electric Light Orchestra and plays regular concerts at the Birmingham Symphony Hall.

Now the 54-year-old, has taken the big step to set up her own business. She said: "I decided a few months ago that it was time to get back to work and continue with my career. I looked at a few things but none of the opportunities I saw really appealed to me. Then I came across The HR Dept and loved the model, with the support you get from head office and from other licensees. So I went for it, and here I am with an exciting new business.

“There’s lots to learn, of course, but the HR is the easy bit really. The challenge is getting to grips with the networking, using social media to develop contacts and how to run the business. There’s significant small business activity in this area so it’s exciting to be involved. I’m also keen to develop relationships with accountants and solicitors for mutually beneficial referral partnerships.”

The HR Dept is a national company based in Bristol. It has a network of 63 licensees working in 85 territories around the UK and Ireland, providing the full breadth of HR services, from recruitment, employee relations and benefits to the admin of the policies and documents to SMEs in their areas.

Managing director Gemma Tumelty said: “It’s great news for small businesses in Stratford, Evesham and the surrounding areas that they have someone with Julie’s experience and expertise offering her advice and support."