36 minute read
CHAMBER NEWS
The East Midlands: Where good business makes good sense
Much of the discussion in political circles of late is focused on opportunities to reshape the economy as it emerges from the pandemic. Government has told businesses we need to “build back better” and “build back greener”. But one thing less discussed is the opportunity to build back in a way that recognises successful businesses and thriving local communities go hand in hand, writes Chris Hobson (pictured), director of policy and external affairs at the Chamber.
The impact of the
pandemic has been uneven in terms of the communities most impacted and, as the economy recovers, there is a chance to demonstrate how that growth can benefit everyone.
The Chamber recently surveyed more than 400 businesses on their approach to community work –corporate social responsibility (CSR) in old-speak – and found that 63% of businesses currently do something they would class as community work. The most popular activity was one-off donations, but companies also offered skills, premises, structured volunteering opportunities and more regular donations.
When asking businesses why they do this, the biggest reasons were emotive – 85% were driven by a desire to “give something back” and 45% had a personal connection to a cause. However, businesses also saw strategic reasons for this work – four in 10 were seeking to build their profile and a quarter viewed it as an opportunity to develop staff. In fact, when asked on a scale of one to 10 how important community activity was to them achieving their overall strategic objectives, the average score given was 5.8. This suggests it’s not just something that people view as a nice thing to do, but is an integral part of their wider business purpose.
And it does make good business sense. In a series of focus groups with members on this activity, businesses told us about the importance of having strong values in attracting and retaining staff, being able to demonstrate their environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) credentials when bidding for contracts, and the positive role it played in winning new business.
Maybe not as altruistic as “giving something back”, but developing relationships that both the business and community can benefit from shows the flow of value can go in both directions.
HELPING BUSINESSES TO HAVE MEANINGFUL IMPACT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES
The Chamber wants to support much more activity in this space and to do this, we’re asking the following question, which comes in three parts: How do we get more
businesses, doing more varied activity, in a more impactful way?
Understanding impact is something that can very quickly become complicated, but it doesn’t need to be. The surest way to ensure work has impact is to make sure it’s what is needed, and this is done through two-way dialogue. Many charities are screaming out for pro-bono support in marketing, HR and other professional skills –but apparently finding trustees with an accountancy background is particularly difficult at the moment.
In terms of more varied activity, financial support will always be essential. But while those one-off donations continue to be invaluable, a large financial services firm in Nottingham told me a more focused, tailored relationship with a community group or cause –involving multiple touchpoints and different activities – can bring much greater value to both parties. It is also more compelling to sustain over the longer term. Businesses need to be supported to focus on an issue and see how they might develop a deeper relationship with that cause.
And finally, how do we get more businesses involved? If 63% of our respondents currently do something, then 37% don’t. When people were asked what the biggest barriers to activity were, 46% said they didn’t have enough resource, 24% were too busy, 20% hadn’t considered it before and a small number were just unsure of how to.
All these issues can be overcome to a greater or lesser degree by making it easy and resourceeffective for businesses to get involved, demonstrating the value to their company, and some simple explainers about where to start. There are many organisations – lots in membership – that can help with this and we’ll be looking to form closer relationships with them over the coming months.
OPPORTUNITIES ARE PRESENTING THEMSELVES
And finally there are those already active but just don’t realise it, like the scaffolding business that told me it doesn’t engage in CSR activity – yet it sponsors a children’s football team, revamped the local community centre for free and offers discounted services to the elderly. It didn’t have a strategy for community engagement because it was something writ large through its own values –which were so obvious to the organisation that it didn’t think to attach a name to this.
And ultimately, this is the opportunity that presents itself as we “build back whatever”. The pandemic has thrown lots of things that people took for granted up into the air. As the economy recovers, there’s a chance for businesses to have a closer look at their values, their purpose and the ways in which they help drive their overall competitiveness and success.
It’s an exciting opportunity and the Chamber will work with all members interested in finding out how they can do more to help create and support the thriving communities across the East Midlands in which we all live, work and play.
Strong return for confidence in region, finds latest QES
Confidence among East Midlands businesses is at its highest since before the last general election, according to new data compiled by the Chamber.
The latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) for Q1 2021 showed a net 53% of businesses expect their turnover to improve over the coming year, with a third (net 35%) anticipating a rise in profits.
It was the most comprehensive QES yet, with responses from a record 540 businesses between 15 February and 8 March.
Chris Hobson, director of policy and external affairs at the Chamber, said: “The survey data suggests businesses are ready to grow and support the wider economic recovery the country now needs.”
“Sentiment among businesses is as strong as it has been since summer 2019, supported by the vaccine rollout, a roadmap for reopening the economy and a broadly positive response to the spring budget.”
Investment intentions are also on the up, with a net 7% and 15% respectively planning more investment in people and equipment as they look to repoint their business to succeed in a post-Covid world.
Recruitment expectations are also strong – 30% expect their workforce to grow, with the majority of these posts full time and permanent, with only a small percentage (7%) expecting reductions in workforce over the next quarter.
Despite these positive signs, cashflow – which worsened for the majority of firms in each quarter of 2020 – remains a problem for a significant number of businesses, with a net 14% reporting this to be down once again in Q1.
And while UK activity is recovering well, overseas activity continues to trail behind. A third (33%) saw overseas sales worsen over the quarter – only 24% reported an improvement – with four in 10 witnessing a drop in EU activity.
“The EU remains the East Midlands’ most significant trading partner, so the extent to which businesses are able to continue moving up the learning curve for the new way of trading – or in fact whether some of the problems are structural and irreversible – will be of great importance to future prospects,” said Chris.
How the economy handles price pressures will also be significant, he believes. Four in 10 expect their prices to increase over the coming months, rising to six in 10 when looking solely at manufacturers – largely driven by a growth in raw material prices, which were reported by 85% of manufacturers.
Chris added: “Over the past 12 months, many businesses have looked at their operating models and have sought to position themselves to succeed as restrictions are lifted. New ways of working initially forced upon businesses by the pandemic have brought forward some opportunities for efficiencies and greater opportunities to collaborate.
“The success of this activity will be put the test over the coming months as the economy reopens. This set of results suggests that businesses are up for the challenge.”
Enterprising Women #ChooseToChallenge
GB Paralympian Samantha Kinghorn (pictured) joined Leicester-based divorce lawyer at a special Enterprising Women event to celebrate International Women’s Day.
With a nod to this year’s IWD theme of #ChooseToChallenge, they each shared their inspirational stories, which included breaking glass ceilings, challenging themselves mentally and physically, and the importance of self-belief.
It was the latest in a series of well-attended webinars hosted by the Enterprising Women network since the beginning of this year, with about 80 people tuning into the event.
Chamber president Eileen Richards MBE, who co-chairs the group, said: “I am delighted that International Women’s Day is being celebrated by men and women like never before by honouring the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
“As a network, we encourage our female peers to continue the #ChooseToChallenge.”
Nominations have now closed for the Enterprising Women Awards and finalists will be announced on 20 May, with the awards ceremony to be held in October.
Co-chair Jean Mountain added: “We are absolutely delighted with the response and calibre of applicants and are looking forward to celebrating the fantastic achievements within our network this October.”
The next Enterprising Women webinar will be held on 22 April, with guest speaker Derby North MP Amanda Solloway joining to discuss mental wellbeing.
To register, visit www.emcdnl.co.uk/connectingyou/enterprising-women.
East Midlands freeport will deliver investment and jobs
A freeport could be a “game-changer” for the East Midlands – bringing jobs, growth and investment, says the Chamber.
The Chancellor confirmed East Midlands Airport was one of eight locations in England to receive freeport status, which provide companies inside the sites with tariff-free trade and temporary tax breaks, in the budget.
The news was welcomed by the Chamber, which had campaigned for this since 2018 when it published the Delivering a Great Future manifesto at Westminster and presented ‘The Big Opportunity’ for the region, featuring a free trade zone linked to the airport.
Chief executive Scott Knowles (pictured) said: “Since our manifesto was published, we believe both the need and the scale of the opportunity for our vision has only grown, and it was great to see a fantastic collaborative effort from our region during the bid process –including 15 of our MPs coming together to offer their support. "Our region already has fantastic national and international trading links – something highlighted during the pandemic – and freeport status means we can cement our role at the centre of Britain's postBrexit global trading relationship.
"We are in a unique position as the only inland freeport among the 8 designated zones, which is testament to East Midlands Airport's reputation as the country's most important mover of international freight and the catalyst for the explosive growth we've witnessed in our region's logistics sector in recent years. "This free trade zone, which will have a focus on innovation, low carbon and trade, signals the direction of travel for the East Midlands economy – giving investors something tangible to back in order to deliver the inward investment and jobs that will enable growth.” The wider budget announcements – which included announcements of further short-term support for businesses affected by lockdown and longer-term incentives for ambitious firms wanting to innovate and grow – also had the broad approval of businesses, despite the rise in corporation tax for the largest companies.
“Many firms will welcome a business-friendly budget that not only supports them through what is hopefully the final throes of this pandemic, but also provides a shot in the arm to help them grow, invest and innovate during the post-Covid economic recovery,” added Scott.
“It’s important to note though that while this appears on the face of it to be an optimistic budget that is friendly to growth ambitions, announcements of this type only become meaningful once the money starts flowing through – so clearly we will be watching closely to see the Chancellor’s promises delivered over the coming year.”
EU exports tumble after Brexit
Exports of UK goods to the EU fell by 40.7% in January – with imports decreasing by 28.8%, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
During the same month, UK economic output shrank by 2.9%.
David Pearson (pictured), the Chamber’s director of partnerships, said the figures tallied with the “significant hit” to East Midlands exports and imports witnessed by the international trade team.
“We’ve seen very minor signs of recovery during February and March, but it’s clear that we won’t return to the same levels of international trade in a matter of weeks or months so we remain cautious,” he said.
“The Chamber has helped businesses in our region throughout this time, delivering more than 250 hours of free advice and support to businesses trading with the EU.
“This covers a vast range of topics – in most cases, we’re finding issues are unique to each company – but there are certainly prevailing problems around rules of origin, VAT and duties.
“The Government’s decision to postpone border checks on certain EU goods, including foodstuff and animal products, by six months until October this year is a positive step to help smooth the transition for UK importers. However, we need to also simplify the process for similar products being exported into the EU.”
Helping employees with their mental health
It’s now more than a year since the first national lockdown brought huge disruption to our lives. Many office workers are still working from home, huge parts of the labour market are furloughed and others worry whether their job will still exist soon. All this, alongside the continued prohibition on anything resembling a social life, creates a melting pot for mental health issues. The Chamber’s director of resources and mental health first aider Lucy Robinson (pictured) explains how businesses can help their employees.
THE DATA BEHIND MENTAL HEALTH EPIDEMIC
There’s no doubt the situation we’ve found ourselves in over the past 12 months, and counting, has had a significant impact on people’s mental health.
According to the most recent survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the proportion of people experiencing some form of depression doubled from one in 10 to one in five between March and June last year.
Further ONS research shows that as the labour market shocks associated with coronavirus have been felt more by young people and the lowest paid – people aged under 30 and those with household incomes under £10,000 were around 35% and 60%, respectively, more likely to be furloughed than the general population – so have the mental health effects.
Those most likely to experience some form of depression during the pandemic have been adults aged 16 to 39, female, unable to afford an unexpected expense or disabled.
Other impacts have been evident in anxiety levels, which reached their highest level since wellbeing data started being collected in 2011 – with financial pressures, struggles to maintain pre-pandemic physical activity levels and an inability to enjoy normal social wellbeing all playing their part.
EMPLOYEE MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS
For workers, particularly those who have been forced to do their job remotely, they have been thrust into particularly alien territory.
Three in five UK employees had never worked from home before the pandemic, according to a survey of more than 13,000 workers by employee reward platform Perkbox – but now just 9% want to return to the office full time.
It also found, however, that 93% of UK workers have faced new wellbeing challenges during the past year.
While we don’t yet know the full impact from Covid-19 on people’s physical and mental wellbeing, many reports suggest these issues are set to increase, rather than decrease.
Perhaps we’re currently in a “fight” situation, where we are using our adrenaline to keep us going.
What happens when the situation becomes more manageable if we are not aware and being supported – will we turn to “flight” instead?
We can’t deny Covid-19 has been stressful and traumatic for many people and psychologists are reporting this could lead to PTSD. While this may only be in the most severe of cases, we absolutely need to take mental health seriously, especially now.
WHAT CAN WE BE DOING AS EMPLOYERS?
Some organisations may view looking after their people as being something nice to do, an add-on to their main purpose but not a top priority.
However, research shows the correlation between caring for people in a great working environment and productivity – not to mention a reduction in absences and the ability to attract and retain key people.
Research from Deloitte demonstrated a return on investment of at least £5 to ever £1 spent on employee wellbeing programmes. Zurich Insurance Group, meanwhile, is suggesting that as people feel more concerned about moving jobs due to the current economic climate, looking after their health is an investment the company should make.
So as employers, we have a duty to look after the people that work within our organisation.
RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE
This could be as simple as sharing information, such as Able Futures’ guide to mental health support for people at work, to implementing wellbeing schemes with providers like Chamber patron Westfield Health.
Training up some colleagues to be mental health first aiders, and ensuring your managers are equipped to have conversations and signpost employees to the right place, would set the right tone within a business.
The Mental Health Productivity Pilot, funded by the Midlands Engine, was recently launched to support employers across the region and may be your first port of call.
But I believe the most important thing of all is to have a trusting culture where people feel safe to inform HR, their manager or a colleague of an issue they may have, rather than keeping it to themselves.
CHARITY PROFILE: CHESTERFIELD SAMARITANS
Each year, the Chamber president chooses three charities across its three counties to support with a series of fundraising activities. In 2021, these organisations are Chesterfield Samaritans, Help the Homeless Leicester and Nottinghamshire Hospice. Over the next three issues, Business Network will profile each charity – starting with a volunteer from Chesterfield Samaritans.
Who are you and what’s your role within the charity?
I’m Peter Gately, the treasurer and head of resources.
What is the background to your charity?
On 2 November 1953 in London, vicar Chad Varah answered the first ever call to a new helpline for people contemplating suicide, called Samaritans. Although not a religious organisation, he offered counselling to his parishioners. The Chesterfield branch opened in 1971.
Who do you support?
We take calls from anyone who is suffering from distress, despair, anxiety, financial or marital worries, mental and physical health problems, and suicidal feelings.
On occasions, a caller could be in the midst of taking their own life and needs someone to be with them, albeit over the phone.
Callers can contact us by telephone, email, web chat (in some branches only) and, in normal times, by coming into branch for a face-to-face chat. Our outreach team also takes our work into the community.
How has Covid-19 affected the work of the charity?
Covid has affected how we work as a branch. About 25% of our volunteers are shielding either for themselves or to protect a partner. This means we have to close shifts sometimes, while our face-to-face service and outreach operations have both closed temporarily as we can’t allow anyone into the branch to talk or meet outside.
How important a role do businesses have to play in supporting your charity?
Giving back to local young entrepreneurs
The Chamber allows each of its 150 employees to spend the equivalent of two working days per year on CSR activity. Enterprise adviser Steve Nelson, who previously ran an international events business, explains how he spent his first CSR experience.
At the start of March, I tentatively agreed to offer a couple of hours of my time to talk to second year Peter Jones Enterprise Academy students at Chamber member Leicester College.
The students are currently working on a development and enterprise strategy module and I was invited to a business surgery to listen to their ideas and advise where appropriate. I had no idea what to expect, but after a short welcome from the college team, I found myself in a whirlwind of enthusiastic entrepreneurs rotating every 15 minutes between different business advisers for the next two hours.
It was fantastic to meet all these young students with such amazing ideas, including food and drink combo design packaging, social media management, translation services, eyelash treatments, a tennis racquet restringing service, and a wonderful mobile food service with a twist.
As the students eagerly awaited my response, I found myself able to support them with the experience and training that I’d recently learned from the Chamber’s enterprise team.
The couple of hours flew by. It was a great experience for me and I’ve been asked to return as a guest speaker in April. If anyone is considering this type of CSR activity, I can highly recommend it. Business can help our branch by advertising our service, holding events to raise money and donations.
What does the future hold for your charity?
In the future, I would hope we can attract more volunteers to become listeners or even support workers. More volunteers would mean more shifts could be opened, as some branches are open 24/7.
For more information on how businesses can support Chesterfield Samaritans, contact chesterfield@samaritans.org
Helping SMES comply with legal obligations
Fashion and textile manufacturers across Leicestershire can access free support to help them demonstrate their commitment to ethical and social compliance.
The Business Gateway Growth Hub has created a new programme for SMEs to ensure they comply with legal obligations around health, safety and employee wellbeing.
It’s designed not only to help them survive and recovery through current challenges, but also to transform their businesses and enable future growth.
Growth Hub manager Jon Egley (pictured) said: “Our fashion and textiles sector has taken a beating in recent years and unfortunately this has damaged its reputation. However, there are many fantastic firms in our region doing great things that want to keep improving and move forward as responsible, safe and sustainable businesses.
“We are delighted to provide this fully-funded service to help them strengthen the businesses from the inside out and, in turn, open them up to new opportunities and new business.”
The Growth Hub’s service includes dedicated advice from an experienced business adviser, free support clinics and webinars covering three key themes – health, safety and wellbeing; ethical and social compliance; and employing people.
Free crime-fighting scheme available
Up to 2,000 businesses in Chesterfield can sign up for free to an East Midlands Chamber-run scheme that helps to reduce town centre crime and anti-social behaviour.
The Business Crime Reduction Partnership (BCRP) has secured funding from Chesterfield Borough Council to offer access to Disc, an online crime information-sharing system that connects businesses with local police forces.
There will be no cost for the first 12 months, with subsequent years costing up to £100 – and potentially lower if enough businesses take up the programme permanently.
Jackie Roberts, BCRP manager at the Chamber, said: “Businesses in town and city centres are struggling at the moment and crime will only make this worse.
“The Disc portal is an integral part of crime reduction strategies as it makes it so much easier for businesses to share intelligence about incidents and offender images between members, police, community safety officers and other partners such as the BCRP team.
“We’ve had a lot of reports during lockdown because police resources have been really stretched due to sickness, so the BCRP fills the gap where police can’t deal with petty crime.
“By working with local authorities such as Chesterfield Borough Council, we’re delighted to offer this scheme for free to businesses in order to make them more resilient – a key theme during the post-Covid economic recovery.”
The BCRP, one of 200 such programmes in the UK, is funded by both the Chamber and the Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s office.
Its remit to reduce crime in participating towns, cities and retail parks fits into an overall objective to make them a safer place to work, visit, socialise and shop.
Members pay a fee and benefits include a GDPR-compliant datasharing system that facilitates direct reporting to the police without the need to use the timeconsuming 101 system.
Intelligence and crime reports can be submitted electronically to the police and other BCRP members.
There are currently about 80 businesses in Chesterfield signed up to an advanced version of the BCRP scheme that also includes radio connections.
The new funding will give about 2,000 businesses in sectors such as retail, hospitality and tourism the opportunity to sign up for the basic package, which uses the online Disc system.
It will be launched at the beginning of May ahead of the reopening of hospitality in the Government’s roadmap to ending lockdown.
Discussions are ongoing on how to roll out the offer to Staveley, while there are plans to roll out the Disc scheme in Matlock and Bakewell, in which a combined 40 businesses are signed up to the radio system.
Jackie added: “The more businesses that are involved in the BCRP scheme and sharing information, the stronger it will be – and the better the area will be as a result.”
Anyone interested in discussing how to get involved with the Derbyshire Business Crime Reduction Partnership can email jackie.roberts@emc-dnl.co.uk
Free SME digital healthchecks
Free digital health checks are available to SMEs across Leicestershire looking to improve customer experience, productivity and security.
The Business Gateway Growth Hub is also offering a digital consultancy service to eligible businesses.
Growth Hub advisers, together with a range of digital specialists, are working with companies to understand their aspirations and provide action plans to help them not only see potential opportunities, but also develop appropriate digital strategies.
Technical support from specialists is focused on improving performance and reviewing current practices. Other areas of support include accessing grant funding, selling online, website development, selling via platforms like Amazon or eBay, integrating stock systems or customer relationship software.
As well as the free consultations, specialist digital marketing support is also available to businesses in badly-hit sectors including tourism, hospitality, leisure and retail. This includes free access to a digital marketing expertise, creation of a threemonth action plan and peerto-peer networking.
In addition, a business growth grant, ranging from £2,000 to £25,000, is available to provide a 35% contribution towards capital costs supporting growth and development – for example, towards innovative technology products or services that improve performance.
For more information, visit www.bizgateway.org.uk/enquiry
RSM to help members build business resilience
RSM has signed up as the Chamber’s official business resilience partner – with a mantra to share its expertise with members across the network throughout 2021 and beyond.
The audit, tax and consulting firm will deliver workshops, webinars and other online content that is designed to help businesses build an organisation fit to respond to the twin challenges of Covid-19 and Brexit.
It will also help them to recognise the opportunities that arise as the pandemic subsides and the UK sets its sights on global trading relationships.
Kevin Harris (pictured), Leicester office managing partner for RSM, a strategic partner of the Chamber, said: “2021 will be a year where resilience and agility will be the hallmarks of successful businesses. These traits can come in many different forms.
“By joining forces with East Midlands Chamber, RSM will support local businesses throughout the year to quickly adapt to any business disruptions while maintaining continuous business operations and safeguarding their people.
“The coming year will be one of growth and excitement for East Midlands businesses. Through this partnership, Chamber members will have access to the best knowledge and support in the region to help them make the most of the months to come.”
RSM has already supported the Chamber through the implementation of 4Risk, a cloud-based risk management platform, within the organisation to provide a complete picture of its enterprise-wide risks, mitigations and assurances.
The tool, which sits within the company’s Insight4GRC suite for governance, risk and compliance software, helps businesses to understand, map and monitor the various risks they face. As the business resilience partner, RSM will also help members understand their exposure to cyber risks and steps they can take to safeguard against these.
Kevin added: “Resilience is much more than just risk, and through our innovation expertise, we will support businesses to understand the opportunities that can come from doing things differently to get better results – and the incentives that exist for this.
“With businesses across the East Midlands learning to adapt and survive in a Covid-19 landscape, tax incentives continue to offer a way to boost cash reserves available to reinvest.
“R&D tax credits are playing a fundamental part of the Government’s strategy to encourage investment in UK-based innovation. This will no doubt present a huge opportunity for businesses in the East Midlands, where R&D is at the heart of the region.”
Scott Knowles, chief executive of the Chamber, added: “Over the past year, businesses have been challenged in ways that may had never before experienced.
“We are still living with ongoing disruption and, therefore, resilience is the watchword for 2021 so it’s great to strengthen our already fantastic relationship with RSM to offer invaluable expertise to our members.”
Asda offers apprenticeship levy transfer
Asda has pledged to support businesses across Leicestershire by transferring some of its apprenticeship levy to create new apprenticeships in the county.
The supermarket giant has teamed up with the Leicester Employment Hub, run by Leicester City Council, to identify SMEs that would benefit from the support to develop talent they may otherwise not be able to afford.
Businesses with an annual wage bill of more than £3m must pay 0.5% of this total figure as a levy to the Government, but can claim it back for funding its own apprenticeships.
Asda has opted to transfer a portion of its annual funds to pay for apprentices across some of the areas where it operates. After a pilot with £100,000 funding in the area covered by the Leicester and Leicestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, it has now increased the pot by a further £200,000.
Tracey Waterfield, employment hub manager at Leicester City Council, said it was a “good time for employers to take advantage of this great offer”.
Reflections from outgoing BCC director-general Dr Adam Marshall
As Dr Adam Marshall leaves his post of British Chambers of Commerce director-general after five years in the role and 12 years at the organisation, he reflects on his time at the helm, the impact of Covid-19 and looks to what the future holds.
My first day as part of
the Chamber of Commerce network was a sunny day in July 2009, meeting with business leaders from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland at the St David’s Hotel in Cardiff Bay.
At that time, the UK and the world were beginning a long and complex recovery from the global financial crisis.
Now, nearly 12 years later, my time at the British Chambers of Commerce has come to an end.
Once again, our Chamber business communities are working to restart, rebuild and renew in the wake of another world-changing period.
It has been a huge privilege to be part of the unique and special Chamber family for more than a decade. Over the past five years, I have been lucky indeed to lead the work that we do together to effect change on behalf of our business communities.
Together, we’ve influenced and changed Government policy. We’ve spoken up for our communities, articulating the real-world interests of firms in every region and nation of the UK.
We’ve built a stronger global network for British business, with Chambers and business groups now supporting two-way trade with over 70 countries worldwide. And as we begin life outside the EU, Chambers have risen to the huge challenge of supporting traders and companies through a period of significant change.
Our international trade teams, and our new ChamberCustoms service, have delivered advice, training and brokerage to thousands of businesses as they adapt to new trading conditions –and we have continued to push both the UK Government and our European partners to solve the practical, real-world issues facing firms and to build a stable longterm relationship. OVER THE PAST year, the coronavirus pandemic has also impacted the way Chambers work, just as it has so many other businesses around the world.
Yet, as we have faced the same economic uncertainty as companies of every size and sector, our network of accredited Chambers has also grown stronger.
We have seen our business communities come together in new and special ways. As geographic distance has become less of a barrier, levels of collaboration, the sharing of ideas, and joint working on common challenges and opportunities has increased dramatically.
The indispensable role played by Chambers, as cornerstones of local and regional business and global trade, has grown even more important. In every conversation, the importance of community, of belonging, and of coming together to support the places where we live and work has shone through.
Many in our communities are suffering – from businesses that have faced closure or a collapse in demand, through to individuals who have lost their livelihoods or experienced physical or mental health challenges. Chambers see and feel this acutely – and have been hugely influential in securing greater support for businesses and their employees.
The recent budget has reinforced the success of our approach, and shown how we as a Chamber network can influence Government thinking so that as many businesses as possible can keep going until the economy fully reopens. We have also seen significant movement on the training and skills challenges that the pandemic has only accentuated. Chambers across Britain are at the forefront of supporting young people into work, and there is great hope that a locally-based approach to skills training with substantial Chamber involvement will finally emerge.
WE ARE NOT out of the woods yet, and significant challenges remain.
Yet the eternal optimist in me sees innovation and progress as well, though we may still be too close to that change to be able to see it and label it as such.
But it is undoubtedly happening. Companies are rising to the occasion, supporting each other and their people. And they are coming together, through Chambers of Commerce, to find pragmatic solutions to the issues that we face, collectively, in business.
As I come to the end of my time with the BCC, I know these civic business communities will lead the way and will be heavily involved as we work to restart, rebuild and renew.
Long may that continue.
New director-general appointed at BCC
Shevaun Haviland (pictured) has replaced Dr Adam Marshall as the new director-general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).
She joins from the Cabinet Office, where she has worked for the past five years running the business partnerships team.
Shevaun has also led the Inclusive Economy Partnership, which aims to build a stronger economy and fairer society through partnerships between Government, businesses and civil society.
Prior to joining central Government, Shevaun had an extensive private sector career and was at the forefront of digital innovation through her work as the founding director of the Academy of Digital Business Leaders and as a director at Independents United. She replaced Dr Marshall after he stepped down on 31 March.
She said: “It will be a privilege to represent this network and to lead the BCC in the next phase of its development.
“Our businesses will be central to driving recovery and renewal in their communities across the UK.
“I look forward to championing the needs of our members – at home and around the world – driving change and seizing the opportunities to thrive and grow.”
How the Peak District can support mental health, wellbeing and resilience
With the Peak District National Park on our doorstep, East Midlands businesses are lucky to have one of the UK’s best natural environments –once lockdown restrictions allow – to use for teambuilding activities. Tracy Duggan (pictured), director of health and wellbeing consultancy Skills Local and a board member of the Business Peak District representative group, explains why it will be important.
The benefits of exercise on our mental
health is well known, and throughout the pandemic the Government has encouraged at least one hour’s exercise every day.
Despite this, it’s clear that with the ongoing restrictions and compliance with social distancing, our mental health is suffering. The isolation of working from home, pressures from homeschooling and lack of face-to-face social interactions are definitely take their toll. Who would have thought Zoom fatigue was a thing?
We need to take a deeper dive into how we can support our people and businesses as we come out of lockdown. The repercussions of poor mental health, if we aren’t careful could be hugely detrimental to our economy – with pre-Covid Deloitte research suggesting it already stood at up to £45bn a year.
As a practitioner for the We Invest in Wellbeing accreditation offered by Investors in People and Wraw Index for workplace resilience and wellbeing, as well as being a mental health first aid instructor, I’ve seen first-hand the impact of the pandemic on many employees and small business owners.
We need to consider how we support ourselves and our workforce as we come out of lockdown. The pandemic has disrupted so much of our working lives and will impact the way we work forever.
RESILIENCE SUPPORT FROM BUSINESS PEAK DISTRICT
Throughout the year, Business Peak District has hosted a series of webinars to support local businesses with resilience techniques and update them on the various funding and support available to them. But clearly there’s still more to be done as we come out of the lockdown.
There needs to be more focus on the support available to help businesses with the longer-term impact of the pandemic and consideration to how we retain some of the good practices. This includes more flexible working, helping manage more remote ways of working and embracing how blended working arrangements can encourage a better work-life balance.
Businesses need to consider a more proactive approach to mental health and wellbeing. A recent poll in People Management found that only half of firms have a company-wide strategy to support the health and wellbeing of the workforce. Mental health and wellbeing need to become integral to how you support yourself and your staff.
It’s recommended that every adult should partake in up to 75 to 150 minutes of exercise a week. Activities such as walking, hiking or riding a bike provide a great way for all of us to get our daily of exercise. And what better place to do this than the Peak District?
TEAMBUILDING IN THE PEAK DISTRICT
The Peak District and the Peak District National Park Authority (PDNPA) provide an abundance of options on our doorstep, and businesses can use this natural environment.
As we come out of lockdown, there are various teambuilding and corporate sponsorship opportunities open to businesses that want to give something back, not only to their people but also supporting our natural environment.
For smaller teams and individuals just wanting to explore the park, the rangers can organise a host of walks that are suitable and accessible to all. You can benefit from the many cycle paths, with cycle hire a cost-effective and fun way to explore the national park.
There are also a number of health walks and volunteering options available and this is a great way to support our local area while providing a clear purpose – which is proving really important following the pandemic.
What is clear is that introducing physical activity, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, encouraging social connections and providing purpose are proven strategies we can employ to support mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.
Business Peak District is a free-to-join organisation for businesses in and around the Peak District National Park.
Its aim is to be a community, voice and lobby for its 650 members from a diverse range of sectors. The Chamber is the accountable body of the group.
For more information on joining, visit www.businesspeakdistrict.co m/get-involved
the long-established international freight and logistics company, has jumped 42 places to 119th position in the latest Sunday Times PwC Top Track 250 league table, sponsored by PwC and Lloyds Bank. The rise up the Top Track 250 table follows Davies Turner’s earlier success in the British International Freight Association’s (BIFA) Freight Service Awards. Recognised as the UK's premier freight and logistics awards scheme, Davies Turner won gold in the European Logistics category. This success is a testimony to the progressive investment that Davies Turner continues to make in its distribution centres, IT systems, services and staff training, while its strong audited results and financial performance are a product of its total focus on responding to ever-evolving customer needs. With very few other logistics companies in the top 250 table, it gives Davies Turner a unique selling point in competitive and rapidly changing markets, which has been a characteristic of the company’s development throughout its 150 year history. Davies Turner is well placed to take on any challenges the future may bring. aim to give a high level of service to all its customers on all modes of transport, be it air, sea, road or courier. We have the capabilities to move heavy and out of gauge consignments, as well as general freight forwarding by all modes. We also offer valued added services such as assisting with letter of credit and offering Marine Insurance. in essence from an envelope to a factory, normal to abnormal. Branch Manager 01709 529 709 andrewford@daviesturner.co.uk
