Nah then, ‘ere we are again. Another ‘reet’ ‘appy Yorkshire Day. A day for all of us born and bred Yorkshire folk to show just ‘ow chuffed tha’s to be from God’s own county.

Ok, I will ease off on the Yorkshire dialect for now, but, if you’re blessed enough to hail from such a fine county – North, West, South or the East Riding (let’s put our differences aside for today) – then, like me, you will probably wear your pride on your sleeve.

After all, Yorkshire folk are talent abound – just look where Yorkshire placed at the 2012 London Olympics if it had entered as its own country – 12th place – yes, we still harp on about it.

Let me tell you, we love our sports people so much we name pubs after them – I’ve had many a drink in the Hedley Verity (A Wetherspoons finest), for one – but our talent does not end there.

Turns out, Yorkshire folk aren’t just tough enough to win Gold medals – we’re clever too. Clever enough to help drive one of the UK’s most vital industries – pensions!

Indeed, having been a powerhouse of the industrial revolution, in more recent decades, Yorkshire has become a financial hub, with Leeds widely regarded as the UK's second-largest financial centre after London.

Today, major players in the pensions sector, from administrators to consultancies, communications firms to accountants, providers and key LGPS players, are based across the county – not just in Leeds.

To name just a few: Aviva, Aon, Barnett Waddingham, Zedra, Capita, the Border to Coast Pensions Partnership and the Big Four accountancy firms all have a presence in the county.

This is backed by strong academic links – the University of Leeds, for example, has a Centre for Financial Technology and Innovation, headed by Professor of Pensions and Finance, Iain Clacher.

This thriving pensions sector is why, every June, the Pensions Age team makes an annual pilgrimage to Leeds for the publication’s Northern Conference, where the strength of the pensions community in Yorkshire shines through.

The event regularly draws hundreds of pension professionals from across the country, not just from Yorkshire, but from the Midlands, North East, and North West, reflecting how the region has become a vital focal point for debate, strategy, and progress.

On a day like today, it’s easy to lean into regional pride and tradition, and in Yorkshire, we’ve got that by the bucketload. But the region’s role in pensions isn’t just about sentiment – it’s built on real substance.

From the financial streets of Leeds to the buzzing Northern Conference, Yorkshire’s pensions industry isn’t just keeping pace – it’s setting it. The work done here is shaping retirement outcomes up and down the country, and as the sector grapples with adequacy, engagement, and reform, this county’s influence will only grow stronger.

Yorkshire Day might be a time to look back, but when it comes to pensions, we’re firmly facing forward. Eh bah gum – if that’s not summat to put a smile on thy face and pride in thy heart, I don’t know what is. Happy Yorkshire Day!

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