President & People
Alsters Kelley celebrates a year since key acquisition
Tom Mongan, president of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and chair of its North Warwickshire branch. There has been plenty for this region to be proud of over recent weeks and there’s much more to look forward to. It was great to have the spotlight on the Miners Welfare Park in Bedworth as the wonderful structure that was Sanctuary was created and then burned, attracting crowds of people in a truly spectacular moment for the town. At the same time, Radio 1’s Big Weekend was happening down the road in Coventry, putting our region on the national airwaves over the course of several days, as the UK City of Culture came to an amazing close. And then there were the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations that seemed to really bring everyone together in celebration both regionally and nationally. I am delighted that the party isn’t over as the Commonwealth Games will be underway very soon bringing even more interest and excitement to our part of the world. Of course, there are issues remaining within the economy – we saw GDP drop by 0.3 per cent in April, which was a second successive monthly fall. Our colleagues at the British Chambers of Commerce revised their forecast for yearly growth down to 3.5 per cent. They also predicted that inflation will hit 10 per cent in the final quarter of 2022 and business investment is going to fall short of previous estimates. We’re all feeling these things in our daily lives, especially when we come to pay our energy bills or go to fill up with fuel. It’s exactly the same in the world of business where companies are become increasingly frustrated that the cost of doing business and the difficulties to recruit – as well as other issues within the economy – are holding back growth. Of course, we all hoped that as we came out of Covid-19 restrictions that it would be a chance to put our foot down and really accelerate the growth in the economy but, sadly, that’s not been the case and we’re all urging Government to help ease the burden of costs on business. I’d also urge firms across the region to make sure they stay in touch with the team at the Chamber to make the most of the support that’s available to help them get through this tricky period and look to grow. You can contact the Chamber Team on 024 7665 4321 or drop an email to info@cw-chamber.co.uk
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After two years of effectively avoiding close contact with people and a general lack of face-to-face social interaction, it was good to finally be able to do something different. That’s why we were delighted recently to welcome nearly 100 people to Stratford Town Hall to help us celebrate a whole year since Bonell & Co became part of Alsters Kelley Solicitors. Julie McGarrigle, business development director at Alsters Kelley, said: “The event was primarily an opportunity for us to introduce ourselves and other members of the AK team, as well as officially welcome Andrew and other Stratford staff to the team. “We had a great turnout. Directors, staff, clients, suppliers and business contacts, and the
Mayor of Stratford, joined us for a wonderful evening of wine, canapes and plenty of chat. As well as a raffle to raise money for our nominated 2022 charities, there was a wonderfully designed and branded anniversary cake, which was expertly cut by Cathy Wahlberg and Andrew Bonell. We also had a professional photographer on hand, who captured some fantastic shots of everyone throughout the evening. “The evening was a huge success, and the setting was picture-perfect too. We were in the Ante-Room and Ballroom upstairs in the Stratford Town Hall which are both beautiful spaces and complimented the evening perfectly. We were also delighted to use all local suppliers including Wine Poole, Fabulous Suppers, Laurence Jones
Photography and KOVA Support for the bar, food, cake, photography and event planning.” Alsters Kelley Solicitors, one of Coventry and Warwickshire’s premier law firms, acquired Stratford-based Bonell & Co Solicitors in January 2021, when the country was in lockdown. Since then, the office in 2 Chestnut Walk, which traditionally dealt with conveyancing and family law, has seen a makeover. Not only has it been repainted, but it has expanded its range of legal services to include criminal litigation and motoring offences, dispute resolution, medical negligence, personal injury, wills, probate and trusts.
For more information visit www.alsterskelley.com
“The evening was a huge success, and the setting was picture-perfect too. We were in the Ante-Room and Ballroom upstairs in the Stratford Town Hall which are both beautiful spaces and complimented the evening perfectly." www.cw-chamber.co.uk
