WELCOME TO THE SPRING EDITION OF ‘WELL CONNECTED’

I don’t know about you but it feels like Winter has dragged on this year, perhaps as a result of the many challenges and obstacles we continue to face as businesses, as well as in our personal lives. Now that Spring is finally here however, there does seem to be much more of a feeling of optimism, down in no small part to the continued determination to succeed shown by local business leaders and the teams that support them. Putting people at the heart of everything we do is essential, not only to build successful businesses but also to create the communities which support them – one simply isn’t viable without the other.

In this edition of Well Connected therefore, we are focussing on all things ESG – or Environment, Social and Governance performance for the uninitiated! Our members never fail to astound me with the breadth of activities they undertake and their commitment to making a positive impact through ESG recognising that it is not just another tick box exercise and the businesses who understand that will be the ones who prosper in the long term.

If you aren’t sure where to begin, or what ESG even means, then we hope you will be inspired by the articles featured in the magazine, including our feature article from Lloyds Bank discussing the support they are providing to SMEs to move towards net zero.

Spring also heralds Liverpool’s hosting of Eurovision – a seminal moment in the modern history of our city and a genuine once in a lifetime event. It comes at a time of significant changes to the city’s political structures and leadership, further adding to the sense of new beginnings and creating a new optimism for the city region and it’s long term future. With a global focus on the city it also provides an additional impetus for us to look outwards towards Europe and beyond, expanding our export markets and supporting local economic growth.

As the British Chambers’ latest Quarterly Economic Survey highlights, the mood around the economy remains relatively sombre. As a Chamber, we continue to adapt to ensure that our businesses are supported and enabled to achieve sustainability and growth. The environment within which businesses will operate remains a critical consideration and we look forward to working with our new political leadership to ensure economic growth is at the heart of local delivery.

The Chamber team is looking forward to an exciting year ahead, working with our member businesses on a mix of events, initiatives, projects and campaigns. It is during the more challenging times that we can really make a difference by working collaboratively and we would encourage you to get engaged whether through attending events, utilising our range of media or getting involved in one of our Expert Panels.

Enjoy the read.