WELCOME TO THE FIRST EDITION OF LIVERPOOL CHAMBER’S WELL CONNECTED MAGAZINE IN 2025, OUR 175TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR.

The 175th anniversary of the Chamber in 2025 enables us to reflect upon our organisation and its contribution to Liverpool and our member businesses. It is perhaps starker in the midst of years like 2024 (and the upheaval of the past decade) that Chambers have constantly been required to adapt, change and flex to remain relevant and prosperous. Our series of articles reflecting on 175 years of the Chamber begin in this issue as we set out on developing a vision for 2050 – the Chamber’s Bicentennial year.

Aside from a moment’s reflection on the past and consideration of the future, the Chamber is keenly focussed on what it delivers in the here and now.

The current focus upon skills and talent through the Local Skills Improvement Plan and the involvement of businesses within the work is at the forefront of our activity. Many businesses continue to report challenges recruiting talent at sufficient volume or level of skills capability to meet their growth aspirations. Collaborating with our colleges, training providers, universities and Combined Authority will ensure that employers remain at the vanguard of skills provision so that economic growth and job creation becomes embedded within our local skills delivery.

Paul Cherpeau Chief Executive

We continue to deliver our export support and brokerage project, ensuring that those businesses seeking export growth have access to the support and funding required to maximise the opportunity. Ensuring our city region businesses have the capability to grow beyond our locality must be a priority for us all to maximise the potential power of Liverpool’s business growth.

The stimulation of growth and support is why we partnered with Liverpool City Council to improve the access for Liverpool city-based businesses to available expertise, funding and talent within our city. Ensuring that businesses have a simpler, clearer and more coherent support network to access must be a priority for us to mitigate the complexity of the stacked menu of excellent support that becomes lost within delivery to the timepressured business owner-manager.

It is a time of great political and economic change. I hope the year ahead represents a positive one for members and readers of this magazine. We look forward to continuing our work to represent the voice of business in Liverpool for another 175 years and to working as the trusted partner of businesses in the city region this year.

Enjoy the read.