Message from CEO

Emerging stronger

and more resilient

Welcome to the spring edition of Well Connected, where the focus is on how we can emerge from the pandemic stronger and more resilient. Despite the setbacks, the overwhelming impression we are getting from members is one of optimism – Spring really has arrived.

Fundamental to any recovery will not only be strong economic growth but also increased confidence, particularly for our manufacturers. The results of the latest Quarterly Economic Survey highlight that despite conditions remaining negative, business confidence has increased over the last 3 months. The full results can be found on pages 4 & 5.

Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on businesses globally but it has also offered us the opportunity to do things differently as we aim to build back better. In this magazine we have some excellent examples of how our members are responding to the changes, addressing these issues head on and adapting the way in which they provide products and services as well as how they engage with staff and their local communities. Business will continue to be key in the safe reopening of our city and we all have a role to play to make sure that we don’t undermine all of our achievements so far, making sure our workplaces are safe and secure and supporting testing and vaccination programmes. Let’s get out there and support our local businesses - but let’s do it safely.

In the Chamber we are also taking the opportunity to make changes to allow us to represent and support our members more efficiently and more flexibly. In the last edition we launched our new membership packages to enable all businesses to have the opportunity to join their local Chamber and access a wide range of practical support and advice. I am delighted that we have been able to strengthen the team to deliver those services with some excellent new appointments. Check out the team on page 49 and you can find details of some of our initiatives throughout the Magazine.

We are continuing to make sure that your voice is heard both locally and nationally, through the campaign work of the British Chambers. The former Director General of British Chambers, Adam Marshall, has recently left the BCC and we would like to thank him for his exceptional contribution. You can read Adam’s reflections on page 11.

We need to use our collective experiences to inform how we tackle new challenges, from the inevitable impact of climate change on the way we operate our business, to lobbying for schemes and funding to help us to rebalance the economy in the North, particularly in our region. We know we are fortunate enough to have a wealth of knowledge and experience across our membership, so please get in touch to find out how you can be instrumental in shaping the post Covid recovery so we can genuinely build back better and position our city as the world class location we all know it is.