35 minute read
Chamber Training
Lucy Banner, apprentice at Kid Co.
Apprenticeship Success for Coventry Nursery
Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Training is pleased to celebrate another apprenticeship success with Kid Co, a privately-owned nursery and part of Walsgrave Academy in Coventry. Lucy Banner has completed an advanced apprenticeship, gaining a level 3 diploma in Early Years Practitioner, in spite of the ongoing challenges of the pandemic.
After studying higher education, Lucy decided on a career change in 2017 when she joined Kid Co as an apprentice in children’s care. Chamber Training stepped in to support Lucy and her employer with a tailored apprenticeship, designed around individual and employer needs. As a leading provider of apprenticeships, Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber Training has a wealth of experience in working with employers to provide high quality apprenticeship learning.
Commenting on Lucy’s success, Helen Stanley, a Manager at Kid Co added: “Lucy joined our team four years ago and her knowledge and confidence have grown substantially over that time. As a valuable member of the team at Kid Co, we are looking forward to her continued growth and success.
“We have worked in partnership with Chamber Training for a number of years in order to develop the training and future growth of our apprentices. It is so important to recruit the right apprentices and Chamber Training’s apprenticeship programme offers the right platform, along with a structured pathway to training and developing our staff.”
Angela Williams, an Early Years Tutor at Chamber Training added: “We are delighted to have been able to support Lucy in her training and development. We are currently working with a wide range of companies to provide a structured pathway to developing qualified staff. Apprenticeships offer a route to attracting new, fresh talent and are a real investment for a company’s future.”
Following on the feedback received, Lucy remarked: “Due to Covid-19, the online training was very different to what I was expecting. However, it didn’t affect the success of my learning as Anne Thomas and Angela Williams were on hand to support and guide me through. As a result I had a positive learning experience and gained valuable, applicable knowledge and rewarding skills. The apprenticeship has played a huge part in my future plans as it enabled me to apply to Schools Direct to study for a teacher training degree, which is my ultimate dream.”
Chamber Training is urging employers to take advantage of the incentive payment from 1st April to 30th September 2021. Any employer who is hiring a new apprentice could receive £3,000 for new apprentices of any age who join their organisation during that time frame, so it’s important now to miss out on this funding. There is also an additional £1,000 for recruiting an apprentice aged 16 to 18.
To discuss how apprenticeships could benefit your business or to find out more about the government incentive scheme, contact Chamber Training's Business Development Team a call on 024 7623 1122 or enquiries@cw-chambertraining.co.uk
Hairdressing Apprentices with a Cutting Edge
Hairdressing apprenticeships through Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Training have proven to be a successful pathway for three apprentices whose careers are going from strength to strength at Geiko in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire.
Hannah Byrne joined Geiko as an apprentice over seven years ago and is now the salon manager. After gaining her advanced level 3 in hairdressing, she also qualified in barbering skills with Chamber Training and continues to build on her skills today keeping up with the latest industry trends. Hannah is thoroughly enjoying the day-to-day challenges of her role at the successful, contemporary salon and is looking forward to new opportunities ahead.
Shannon Goonan embarked on her apprenticeship training at Geiko last year is currently working towards her level 2 hairdressing qualification. She is fully embracing her role and hopes to progress further. Another member of the team, Victoria Ward, has worked at the salon for over 2½ years and has recently completed her advanced hairdressing training, qualifying at level 3. The apprentices are an inspiration to individuals who are embarking into the hairdressing profession via apprenticeships, as they demonstrate the progress and career paths that apprenticeships offer.
The newest addition to the team at Geiko is Jess Carrow, who has recently started her apprenticeship and is studying towards a level 2 diploma in hairdressing. She is excited at the prospect of becoming a qualified hairdresser, working alongside the dedicated team of skilled professionals at Geiko.
Commenting on the apprentices’ success, Hannah Byrne, Salon Manager at Geiko said: “As a former apprentice with Chamber Training, I really enjoyed working in the salon to gain valuable experience and It gave me the opportunity to build my technical as well as interpersonal skills.
“Chamber Training’s apprenticeship programmes offer a personalised pathway of learning which was invaluable. Working four days in the salon and having one day of dedicated training each week at Chamber Training’s hairdressing salon provided me with the on-the-job and off-the-job experience required to become a fully qualified stylist. We are looking forward to a continued relationship with the team at Chamber Training.”
Jayne Powell, a Hairdressing Trainer at Chamber Training said: “There are fantastic progression routes within our hairdressing apprenticeship programme. We have worked with Geiko for over 10 years and trained lots of apprentices. There is no better place to learn a trade than in the workplace and apprenticeship training gives individuals the opportunity to become qualified in the exciting world of hairdressing.”
L-R: Shannon Goonan, Jess Carrow, Hannah Byrne and Victoria Ward.
View Geiko’s video on YouTube at https://youtu.be/O2krWicSRNE. To find out more about Chamber Training’s Apprentice Programme, call a member of the Business Development Team on 024 7623 1122 or enquiries@cw-chambertraining.co.uk
More Apprenticeship success for Armstrongs
Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Training is celebrating the success of another accountancy apprentice with award winning chartered accountancy firm, Armstrongs. Ashleigh Tucker has passed her final Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) exams to become a fully qualified accountant.
As a leading provider of apprenticeships and business-to-business training courses in Coventry and Warwickshire, Chamber Training has a strong track record of supporting businesses to design and deliver a plan of learning that meets their specific needs. Apprenticeships are designed around the requirements of employers and enable businesses to grow their own talent and become more productive. Ashleigh Tucker joined Armstrongs in 2017, embarking on her accountancy apprenticeship with Chamber Training. She quickly progressed through her assistant accountant apprenticeship
Asheligh Tucker at levels 2 and 3 before seamlessly progressing and succeeding with higher level study as a professional accounting technician at Level 4. She is based at the firm’s Coventry office as part of the accounts team and will continue to further her career through the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Commenting on becoming a qualified accountant, Ashleigh said: “The apprenticeship route has definitely been the best option for me. I have enjoyed the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a professional firm with the support from a structured training platform at Chamber Training. Becoming a fully qualified accountant whilst working in a job I love has worked far better for me than going to university and trying to pursue a career in accountancy afterwards.”
Cheryl Stanley, Business Development Manager at Armstrongs added: “We are delighted with Ashleigh’s fantastic achievements. She is a very driven member of the team and has worked extremely hard to gain her apprenticeship and Cheryl Stanley Business Development qualifications. Manager
“We have an established team of qualified accountants and developing apprentices which creates a workforce of talent. The Directors at Armstrongs formed a close working relationship with Chamber Training a number of years ago and we currently have eight apprentices. They are at various levels of development from level 2 through to professional study. We are planning to take on another three apprentices in the near future. Our account manager at Chamber Training, Nicky Cheshire, understands our business and how we operate, which means that we are matched with the right people.”
Nicky Cheshire, Account Manager at Chamber Training, added: “We are delighted to have been able to help and support Ashleigh with her apprenticeship training. It is always a pleasure to see our apprentices grow in confidence and thrive in their roles. We wish her every success for her future development at Armstrongs.
“We are currently working in partnership with a wide range of accountancy firms across Coventry and Warwickshire to provide a structured programme of training enabling businesses to develop qualified accountants. If a company are seeking to recruit an apprentice or train new staff, we would love to hear from them.”
View Armstrong’s video on YouTube at https://youtu.be/nrHAaeR9wOw To further information about Chamber Training’s Apprenticeship Programme, call 024 7623 1122 or enquiries@cw-chambertraining.co.uk
Training Courses 2021
Chamber Member Price + VAT Non-Member Price + VAT Duration Sep 21 Oct 21 Nov 21
Customer Service Essentials Complaint Handling Professional Telephone Techniques
£110.00 £135.00 Half Day - AM 15 £110.00 £135.00 Half Day - PM 15 £110.00 £135.00 Half Day - AM 21 Professional Email Writing £110.00 £135.00 Half Day - PM 21 Emergency First Aid in the Workplace (HSE Recommended) £115.00 £140.00 1 Day 24 Key Account Management £110.00 £135.00 Half Day - PM 28 Certificate in Awareness of Mental Health Problems £450.00 £450.00 3 Days Microsoft Excel - Basic to Intermediate £130.00 £160.00 1 Day ILM Level 2 Award in Leadership and Team Skills £600.00 £600.00 4 Days* Level 3 Award in Education and Training First Aid at Work (HSE Recommended) £495.00 £550.00 6 Days* £220.00 £245.00 3 days
Effective Communication £110.00 £135.00 Half Day - AM 4, 11 + 18 5
8 11, 18 1, 8 13, 20, 27 3, 10 17 + 24 15, 22 + 29 19 Training & Coaching the Team £110.00 £135.00 Half Day - PM 19 ILM Level 3 Diploma in Leadership and Management £2000.00 £2000.00 29 Days* Contact Chamber Training for a list of dates enquiries@cw-chambertraining.co.uk Building the Team Motivating the Team Appraising People and Performance Managing Difficult People Understanding Discipline in the Workplace Setting Goals & Targets Microsoft Excel - Intermediate to Advanced £110.00 £135.00 Half Day - AM £110.00 £135.00 Half Day - PM £220.00 £245.00 1 Day £110.00 £135.00 Half Day - AM £110.00 £135.00 Half Day - PM £110.00 £135.00 Half Day - AM £130.00 £160.00 1 Day 26 26 28
2 2 9 18
Travel firm gets ready for Christmas market
A Henley-based travel company is ramping up preparations for Stratford’s Victorian Christmas market as part of its recovery from the effects of the pandemic.
Johnsons Coach & Bus Travel is working with Stratford District Council, Stratford-upon-Avon Town Council and Warwickshire County Council to provide its Park & Ride service for the Christmas market this year, after the 2020 event was cancelled due to government restrictions.
The family-owned company, which has been operating since 1909, runs bus services across Warwickshire and within Stratford District, and also operates coach hire services, as well as holidays and day trips. It has already restored many of its services in the area and to various holiday destinations in the UK and is now looking forward to helping the council run a smooth park-and-ride service from Bishopton to the Christmas market.
John Johnson, commercial director of Johnsons Coach & Bus Travel, said: “It’s fair to say the pandemic was an incredibly difficult time for our business as it was for the whole of our industry.
“Many of our services such as holidays and day trips had to be completely cancelled, and our bus services were significantly reduced.
“While our drivers operated essential bus services for those that needed it, it still wasn’t easy as some of them were quite worried about the risk of transmission.
“That said, we implemented comprehensive hygiene policies including regular deep cleans of our vehicles, PPE for all drivers, and social distancing onboard all our services.
“We also made sure to stay in touch with many of our regular passengers – some of them are elderly and on their own and didn’t have people to turn to during the hardest parts of the pandemic. Our motto is ‘Travel with Johnsons, Travel with Friends’ – so we made a real effort to keep in touch with our customers.”
From left: John Johnson, Cllr Matt Jennings, Johnson Coaches driver Tracey Inglis, Cllr Kevin Taylor, and Cllr Izzi Seccombe
A challenging last 15 months!
ERIC mascots holding a thank you to Pure Washrooms
Vickie Pugh, sales director at Pure Washrooms, a washroom service provider for facilities across the West Midlands, reflects on the pandemic and why Pure chose to look outside of the business to make a difference, selecting three charities to support this year.
She said: “Like most business owners we had to act fast to adapt to meet the changing needs of our clients throughout the pandemic – all the while making sure we kept our colleagues safe. We are immensely proud of how our team pulled together.
“However, it is the not-for-profit organisations we felt for, some of whom we have as clients. Through no fault of their own they have been unable to carry out their planned fundraising activities and no one could have forecasted that, putting even their most essential initiatives at risk.
“We made the decision to do what we could to help local causes and over the past 15 months have supported three such organisations, two of whom are clients. Firstly, Solihull Moors FC, who are more than just a grassroots football club and even before the pandemic were making a big difference to the local community. More recently they have put welfare calls in place to check in on vulnerable fans and operated a food and toy bank to help those who need it most.”
Pure Washrooms has also supported, CRASAC, a Rape Crisis Centre based in Coventry, which provides specialist helpline services, counselling, and advocacy support to all those who have been affected by rape or sexual violence.
Pure Washrooms final donation was made to the charity ERIC, The Children’s Bowel and Bladder Charity whose vision is “for all children and young people to live a healthy and happy life regardless of any bladder or bowel issue they may face”.
West Midlands hire bikes: made by Pashley
Pashley is very proud to be producing the bikes for the new West Midlands Cycle Hire Scheme.
The scheme is a success story for regional manufacturing, with almost all parts being made in the West Midlands.
The bikes are manufactured in Stratford-upon-Avon by Pashley, while the on-street docks (designed by Pashley) are being made by Universal Fabrications in Nuneaton. The locking system is produced by Coventry-based RDM Group and PHA Europe in West Bromwich, and the plastic mouldings for the bikes and docks are made in Telford by LVS.
The pedal cycles have three gears to allow for the varying terrain and are fitted with laser safety lights that project an image five meters in front of the bike. The bike features a ‘one handed’ seat clamp so the height of the saddle can be adjusted easily to fit the rider.
The bikes will allow more people the chance to explore the region – including Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell Solihull, Wolverhampton and Walsall – and will support transport demands during large scale events such as the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Pashley’s award-winning design of the city hire bike offers improved handling, safety and comfort whilst ensuring that maintenance and operating costs are kept to a minimum. Innovative anti-vandalism design features also significantly increase its life in active service. This British-designed and manufactured bicycle is now seen on the streets of London, Edinburgh and the West Midlands.
New season - get your team organised!
By Graham Freakes
Holidays are over as is furlough – and so it's back to work! But who's come back wanting a different role? And who's not reappeared at all?
We're all aware that there are skill shortages and sure that some of you will be facing a new reality, but it's a golden opportunity to rethink you're starting line up in the same way football managers have to do to optimize your use of skills.
There are many direct comparisons between business organisation and a sports team – you need the right number of people doing the specific task in the right place on the pitch. This is the ideal time to redraw your team plan – or organogram – look at the gaps, and at the players who are playing in more than one position on the pitch and wondering why? 'If you want a job done give it to a busy man' was the adage.
Organisations need to be flexible but it's very easy to let job descriptions smear over time without correcting the errors, and for individuals to pick up extra work on a temporary basis that then becomes the norm. The result is capable people shouldering more responsibility and work without recognition or reward, leading to resentment and inefficiency.
Time for a team talk – essential communication between manager and team before going out on the pitch. Understand your team members strengths and weaknesses, review your team line up, playing to their strengths and eliminating the weaknesses. Advertise for the missing players and rewrite any job descriptions of players out of position, correcting pay anomalies at the same time.
Bring your team together to discuss the new line up and then eliminate some of the waste that has found its way into your processes. 'Value stream mapping' is another tool from the LEAN toolbox which examines every step of each of your processes and asks the question – Why are we doing this? - at each stage.
I've delivered this simple but effective process to a wide variety of businesses. It's simple, hands-on, no-nonsense business process reengineering to reduce waste.
Call 07774 200321 or email graham.freakes@handgtechnology.co.uk
Have a conversation to keep top talent
Vacancies are up and candidate numbers are down. That’s the message arising from several recent surveys.
Job security has been important during the pandemic; we’ve had other things on our minds. But we could now see a pent-up demand for change. Employees have had time to evaluate their lives and some are maybe coming to the conclusion that they could do better job-wise.
At the same time there’s an increase in opportunities for jobseekers.
Attracting good candidates is already a problem in certain sectors. It’s key then that you try to do what you can to keep hold of the good employees you have.
Here’s a conversation you can have today which will cost you nothing but could have a real impact.
Choose one of your best employees; someone you would really hate to lose. Invite them to a meeting with you. At the meeting do three things: • Thank them for a contribution they’ve made. Make it specific, relating to something they have done recently. Explain how it has made a difference and ensure they know that you appreciate it. • Ask how are they? They’ll probably say “fine” or “OK”. But ask, really, how are they? We’ve all been through a lot. What is going well for them? What concerns do they have? How is their life outside of work? Don’t try to solve everything.
Giving time and space and really listening is more important. • Ask what you can do that would help? Encourage them to be honest and open in their response.
The whole meeting could take fewer than 30 minutes but may well make a real difference to the engagement, motivation and retention of your best employees. And how much would that be worth to you?
Would this make a difference in your organisation?
From IT to Tai Chi and beyond
Member Blog by Julia Mitchell Twenty years ago I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis and told that my spine was fusing and that I should consider changing my career as my work involved being sedentary for long periods.
I was a high flyer in the IT industry and absolutely loved my job but I chose health over wealth. I went to night school, retrained and in September 2004 I set up my floral wedding and events business. I have continued to adapt and diversify ever since, more so than ever during this last year.
Following more health problems in 2018, I had another unexpected career change and retrained as a Tai Chi and Qigong instructor.
Like many businesses, when the first COVID-19 lockdown came in 2020, my income as a Tai Chi instructor disappeared overnight. After a few weeks of grappling with technology and purchasing new equipment, I took my Tai Chi sessions online. It’s been such a success that my Thursday evening session is going to continue online. A way to relax, de-stress and recharge as we approach the weekend.
I knew that I couldn’t just teach online Tai Chi sessions; I needed more interaction and income. So last August I went off to Wales and completed my training with British Nordic walking.
If you’ve never heard of Nordic walking, think cross-trainer at the gym but in the fresh air! Of course, these sessions also had to stop with the second lockdown but it’s fantastic to be out and about now enjoying the amazing Warwickshire countryside.
To provide a truly holistic approach, I completed my health & wellbeing coaching qualifications with the Centre for Coaching in London.
My aim is to inspire everyone to take really small steps to better health everyday: mind, movement and motivation.
For more information visit www.yourhealthysteps.co.uk
Let's get ready to trademark!
Trademark disputes and registrations have forced intellectual property into the limelight recently. If you have created a work there are a variety of options available to protect your creative effort and to ensure you reap the benefits of your labour.
Trademarks protect brands and logos, whereas copyright protects artistic or literary creations and designs protect the shape or configuration of a product.
Trademarks in particular are indicators of origin and can include anything from words, sounds, logos, colours or a combination of them all. As long as your mark is not offensive, misleading, commonplace or nondistinctive, it can be registered.
For decades now, there has been a misconception regarding trademarks. The common belief is that trademarks can only be used by brands, but this is now not the case. Celebrities have begun registering trademarks that have to do with their personalities and their stardom.
Reality TV stars like the Kardashian family have amassed a staggering 716 trademark applications to their name; including “Keeping Up With The Kardashians”, “Kimoji”, “Yeezy” and “Kylie Cosmetics”. They have even registered their children’s names.
It is not just reality TV stars who have jumped on the trademarking bandwagon: In 2011, Charlie Sheen moved to trademark a portfolio of 22 of his catchphrases, but actually only succeeded with “Winning!”. Moreover, he registered his name, signature and undeniable gravelly voice.
Bizarrely, Taylor Swift has even managed to trademark and protect her cats’ names…
For more information visit https://pure-ideas.co.uk/
Investment in Coventry & Warwickshire points to strong post-pandemic recovery
Nearly 2,000 new jobs have been created in Coventry and Warwickshire thanks to investment from foreign companies in the last year, newly published data has revealed.
Data from the Department of International Trade (DIT) shows that 1,909 new jobs have been created and 42 jobs safeguarded, with 45 successful foreign direct investments in the area, and a further five shared across other regions.
This 10% jump in projects compares well against overall UK figures, which declined by 12% over the same period. Local key sectors were strongly represented, with eight projects from software/games development and 11 from automotive and advanced engineering.
This year investors have included Hello Fresh (a new e-commerce fulfilment centre in Nuneaton), Lotus Engineering (expanded their local presence with a new base at Wellesbourne Innovation Campus), BSA/Classic Legends (established a design and development centre in Coventry), and games developer Electric Square (set up a studio in Leamington Spa).
The Coventry and Warwickshire area has seen 17,985 jobs created from 302 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects over the last seven years.
Sarah Windrum, chair of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), said: “Given the difficulties and uncertainty presented by the pandemic, it’s extremely positive that Coventry and Warwickshire has continued to perform strongly and attract major international investment.”
Cllr Kam Kaur, Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for Economy and Place, said: “There has been a concerted effort from all parties to make sure that we maximise our potential and to ensure that we are selling the undoubted attributes of the area.”
Cllr Jim O’Boyle, portfolio holder jobs, regeneration and climate change at Coventry City Council and CWLEP board director, said: “We continue to be a very attractive proposition for inward investors because of our location, skilled workforce and other attributes including our two leading universities.”
Chamber backs International Children’s Games as firms meet
Louise Bennett, Martin Reeves, Rowena Cole, John Timms
The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce used its first faceto-face event in close on a year to throw its support behind a major sporting event coming to the region in 2022.
The Chamber held its first ‘in person’ event since October 2020 at the Telegraph Hotel in Coventry, bringing together business people and civic leaders.
After a brief opportunity for networking, guests at the event were given an insight into the International Children’s Games, which is returning to Coventry from August 11 to August 16 in 2022. It was previously staged in the city in 2005. The event heard from Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Chamber and high sheriff of the West Midlands; Martin Reeves, chief executive of Coventry City Council; John Timms, of the International Children’s Games; and Tom Baynton-Williams, who is leading the sponsorship effort for the Games, which will see more than 1,500 young athletes from 30 countries competing in the city.
The games are approved by the International Olympic Committee and offer 12 to 15-year-olds the chance to compete in athletics, 3-on-3 basketball, climbing, football, swimming, table tennis and tennis.
The Games Village will be at the University of Warwick, with sporting action taking place at Coventry University, The Alan Higgs Centre, the University of Warwick and Broadgate in the city centre.
Businesses were urged to get behind the event either through sponsorship, support-in-kind or spreading the word about the games and encouraging staff to be volunteers.
Rowena Cole, a Coventry athlete, said: “Competing in the International Children’s Games was huge for me and gave me experiences I couldn’t have dreamed of.
“If, as businesses, you support the games coming to Coventry, you are not just investing in an event, you are investing in life-changing experiences for Coventry kids.”
For more information go to www.coventryicg2022.org
Free support to help overseas trade
Businesses in Coventry are being offered free, one-to-one support with an export expert to help them overcome some of the challenges to overseas trade.
The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and the Department of International Trade are offering companies the support on the back of the UK’s exit from the EU. This is being funded by Coventry City Council through the Additional Restrictions Grant support package for businesses.
Beverley Price, who has more than 25 years’ experience in international freight forwarding and customs, will be helping businesses with any trade issues they might be experiencing anywhere in the world.
Businesses can either meet one-to-one in person, online or chat over the phone and can benefit from up to six hours of free help, to be taken over a period of time whenever it suits.
Beverley said: “The exit from the EU has forced many more businesses to understand much more about export procedures, documentation and customs.
“This is my area of expertise and I am delighted to be able to share that knowledge with businesses across Coventry to help them export all over the world.
“Those businesses that were trading with the EU prior to Brexit could do so very easily but there are now a number of procedures to follow. Firms that have traded around the world will know some of these already.
“The support on offer can cover a range of topics to meet each business’s needs and is designed to help get more companies across Coventry exporting with the full knowledge of what is involved.”
Topics include customs procedures in import and export to and from the EU, customs procedures towards the rest of the world, customs procedures necessary for exhibitions and temporary import/export and certificates of origin, EUR1 and preferential statements.
More information is available by emailing beverleyp@cw-chamber.co.uk
Seek help as the economy emerges from crisis
Businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire have been urged to take advice as soon as possible to make sure they are on a sound legal and financial footing as COVID-19 support starts to be phased out.
Coronavirus restrictions were lifted on July 19 but that also saw the beginning of the end for many of the support packages and legal changes designed to help companies survive.
The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce teamed up with regional law firm, Wright Hassall, to share insights with businesses, directors and business owners on looking forward and planning for the future.
Caroline Benfield, Wright Hassall’s insolvency and restructuring team partner, and consultant Elizabeth Taylor, spoke to around 30 companies on the Chamber Live online event, hosted by the Chamber.
Caroline said: “The evidence tells us that corporate and personal insolvencies are down over the past year.
“However, that is due to the fact that there has been so much support available to businesses and measures in place to prevent creditors from pursuing claims.
“As that support is withdrawn, all the signs point towards a very tough road ahead and just as in ordinary times, business owners and directors must do all they can to ensure the ongoing success of their business and ensure it is trading solvently.”
Firms were urged to consider a range of factors as they look ahead, including entering into conversations between landlords and tenants about any rent arrears and restructuring loans that may have been taken out during the crisis – including government-back CBILs and Bounce Back Loans.
Chris Nagle, events & marketing manager at the Chamber, said: “We are very grateful to Caroline and Elizabeth for delivering such an insightful presentation. There has been lots of support available to businesses during the pandemic to help them survive and it’s important that they are now able to stabilise and grow in the future.”
Olympian is keynote speaker
One of Team GB’s greatest ever Olympians will be the keynote speaker at a major event for businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire later this year.
Sir Matthew Pinsent CBE, who won rowing gold medals at the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, will be speaking at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Business & Economic Conference on Friday, November 12.
The event will be a hybrid of a live and virtual audience hosted from the IXL Events Centre on the site of the Dallas Burston Polo Club in Southam.
The conference, sponsored by Prime Accountants Group, will be based on the theme of ‘Against All Odds’ and will hear from a range of businesspeople and key decisionmakers looking at some of the inspirational stories of the past 18 months and looking ahead to brighter economic times.
Pinsent will look back on a career that saw him pick-up two Olympic gold medals in the rowing coxless pairs with Sir Steve Redgrave in 1992 and 1996 and then a further two goals as a part of the coxless fours team in 2000 and 2004.
Away from the focus of the Olympics, he was just as successful – claiming 14 titles out of a possible 15 in the rowing at the Henley Regatta from 1990 onwards.
Pinsent was knighted in 2005 and has gone on to enjoy a successful career in the media as well as being the author of the best-selling book A Lifetime in a Race.
Louise Bennett, the chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to announce that our keynote speaker for the Annual Conference is Sir Matthew Pinsent.
“It has been such an incredible year for sport already and who better to inspire our audience than one of the greatest ever Olympians this country has ever produced.
“Our conference is going to have a theme of Against All Odds and we want to use this year’s event to show the world that Coventry and Warwickshire businesses are well and truly back. We’ve battled against 18 months of restrictions and have had to adapt to changes, sometimes on a daily basis.
“So, we are putting together a line-up that will inspire and inform our audience ready to meet the challenges of the next 12 months head on.”
The Chamber’s Business Influence and Business Engage Members will be invited to be part of the live audience at the event, which will start at 8.30am and finish at 1pm, with live streaming available to all other businesses.
Louise added: “We were determined to get back out there and produce a live event for this year’s Conference but understand that not everyone is ready, yet, to be part of a packed business audience. So, producing a hybrid event made the most sense and we are looking forward to seeing everyone either face-to-face or remotely on November 12.”
For more information go to https://www. cw-chamber.co.uk/events/annual-businesseconomic-conference-2021/
A taste of Hollywood comes to Warwickshire
A Warwickshire company is planning to launch its own immersive experiences after supplying international entertainment giants for more than 15 years.
Meriden-based Hollywood Gaming has become a market leader in providing effects using its hardware and software solutions, working with the likes of Hasbro, Paramount Pictures, Sony and EA on games distributed by Sega Amusements to arcades and family entertainment centres around the world.
The business is led by directors Malcolm Barnes and Mark Evans and employs a handful of people who help make experiences come to life.
Hollywood Gaming is working with a team of scriptwriters to help create the narratives for the new experiences, which Malcolm forecasts will cost around £30 per person to play.
The experiences currently being mapped out are a safari, alien invasion and dinosaur world. Each would use the same physical props but, by tailoring the virtual reality (VR) and other 4D elements such as smells, motion and wind, every experience would be different despite taking place in the same place.
Malcolm said: “We believe that our experience and skills in this area give us a great platform to create our own venues and our own experiences.
“The plan would be to make them interchangeable – so you could have a horror game running for one group of visitors and then change that to be something children-friendly using the same props but with a different narrative and different reality experiences.
Pictured (left to right): Mark Evans (director of Hollywood Gaming), Gaynor Matthews (Business Ready), Malcolm Barnes (director of Hollywood Gaming)
“All of the money raised by this unique event will go towards supporting young vulnerable people in Coventry who are either homeless or at risk of homelessness."
Coventry charities to host event to prevent homelessness
People across Coventry & Warwickshire are being invited tosleep out for a night in theruins of Coventry cathedralto highlight the problem of homelessness and raise funds for the charities tackling it in and around Coventry.
Homelessness charities Basils, YMCA Heart of EnglandandCyrenianshave come together as part of the City of Culture ‘HOME’ festival to host the Coventry sleepout. The event will take placeon Saturday October 9going into the Sunday morning of October 10, which is world homeless day.
Steve Rainbow,St Basils events manager,said: “St Basils,YMCAHeart of EnglandandCyreniansare working tirelessly in Coventry to prevent homelessness and support people who areexperiencing hardship. To help us to do even more,we are holding a fundraising sleep-out event in the ruins of old Coventry Cathedral.
“The eventchallenges people to sleep outfor a nightand help raise money so that more young people don’thave to experience the plight of sleeping rough for real.
David Wootten, fundraising and donations coordinator at YMCA Heart of England, added: “All of the money raised by this unique event will go towards supporting youngvulnerablepeople in Coventrywho are either homeless or at risk of homelessness.
“Research conducted by YMCA found thatjustone in four young people who are homeless (26%) believe that the public care about youth homelessness.We hope that this event will show that there are many people who care,and that bycoming together to raise vital funds we can support even more young people to build a better life.”
Caron Williams, CEO of Coventry Cyrenians said: “Anyone iswelcome toattend,andweareurging individuals, groups of friends or companies to sign up to take part.
Tom Bromwich and Richard Hardy
Bromwich Hardy and its founding partners have been named in a new list showcasing the country’s leading experts.
Tom Bromwich and Richard Hardy feature in the list of the top 32 commercial property experts across the country compiled by the national Business Leader magazine.
The magazine says those highlighted are at the top of the UK rankings and have been selected by its readers and subscribers for their impact on the industry.
Bromwich Hardy named in national elite
The magazine says: “Bromwich Hardy comprises of a dynamic and professional team of property consultants based in the West Midlands.
“The multi-disciplinary firm has more than 200 years’ experience in commercial property and its extensive portfolio of skills and experience has helped build a successful company.
Tom said the company was delighted with the recognition – which underlined its growing status on the national stage.
He said: “This recognition is a tribute to the entire team of partners and staff we have built up here and the way they have worked through the pandemic to ensure we have continued to enjoy success.
For more information visit www.bromwichhardy.com
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