Stafford Chamber of Commerce President’s Charity Lunch raises thousands for local causes
Stafford Chamber of Commerce hosted its President’s Charity Luncheon at Stafford Rugby Club last Friday, 21 July, raising thousands of pounds in support of local sports initiatives.
Highlighting the event’s success were the esteemed guest speakers who captivated the audience with their insights and experiences. The Chamber would like to thank Tim Stimpson, former British and Irish Lion, Mike Hogan, the organiser of the 2023 Rugby League World Cup, and Nathan Hines, the former British and Irish Lion from Gallagher Insurance, for joining us on the day.
The event, which was kindly sponsored by Ansons Solicitors and Samurai, and organised in partnership with LR Partnership Events, included an auction of four tickets to a Premiership match and a Leicester signed shirt, as well as a Four Ball Golf experience at Nottingham Golf Club with none other than Tim Stimpson.
- Published in News
Stafford businesswoman named ‘Virtual Speaker of the Year’ in national awards
Staffordshire-based speaker Grace Marshall has been named Virtual Speaker of the Year at the 2023 Speaker Awards in London.
Grace, 43, from Stafford, was recognised at the international Speaker Awards ceremony, held at London’s Hilton Docklands hotel. The awards honour speakers from all corners of the globe who inspire, motivate and ignite change through the power of their words.
Since 2012 Grace has delivered over 750 virtual workshops and keynote speeches for an extensive global client list, including Sage, 3M, Pearson and BT. Up to 2019 she had delivered 32 virtual sessions, however recent demand for her virtual talks has grown by over 840% to almost 300 virtual speaker engagements.
Grace won the Virtual Speaker category based on her inspiring video talks for Member Masterclass, a series of exclusive content created by Sage, the leader in accounting, finance, HR, and payroll technology for small and mid-sized businesses. Grace’s videos were commissioned by Sage for its audience of small business owners, accountants, HR and finance professionals. They are live in five countries (UK, Ireland, US, Canada and South Africa) and are soon to be rolled out in France, Germany and Spain.
Grace partners with event companies, marketing agencies, HR and internal communications departments to deliver popular talks on emotional resilience, productivity and work life wellbeing, based on her third book.
The book has been described as honest, uplifting and ‘the antidote to fake positivity’.
Grace explains: “My talks are designed to help people face adversity, navigate uncertainty and overcome overwhelm with more resilience and compassion, as well as to help companies look after their staff through difficult times.
“I address the question; ‘What do you do when things go wrong?’ and encourage us all to look at struggle in a different way – because out of struggle comes innovation, growth and strength.”
To find out more about Grace’s speaking opportunities, please visit www.gracemarshall.com
- Published in News, Uncategorized
Harness the power of AI at Let’s Do Business with keynote speaker, Katie King
Staffordshire Chambers is delighted to announce that renowned author, keynote speaker and AI expert Katie King will be joining us as the headline speaker for this year’s Let’s Do Business.
Delegates will enjoy an exclusive insight into AI, digital transformation, and the future of marketing from Katie, who was recently voted a ‘Top 10 AI influencer’.Katie will share her insights on how businesses of all sizes and across all sectors can harness AI ethically for competitive advantage.
On Thursday, 12 October, at Uttoxeter Racecourse, Katie will outline how businesses can exploit new tools and processes across their marketing, sales, CX and HR, and provide insights into how they can get started, cost-effectively, using her Scorecard for Success. Book your free delegate space, here.
Business stands are filling quickly! Exhibit your services at Let’s Do Business and enjoy exposure to over 1,000 new customers, clients and suppliers! Book your stand, here.
- Published in News
Sara’s Blog: Inflation slows and the Better World Festival
This week’s inflation data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) illustrates that while consumer price and core inflation remain stubbornly high, businesses’ input prices have fallen.
Inflation fell to 7.9% in the year to June – down from 8.7% in May.
It means the rate of inflation has slowed more than expected largely due to fuel and food prices rising less quickly.
Inflation peaked at 11.1 per cent last year and has been on a downward trend since then but is still well above the Government and Bank of England target of 2 per cent – It may be some time until we see that again!
The Bank of England has raised rates 13 times since December 2021 to try to cool soaring price rises, driving up borrowing costs for millions. However, many leading economists now believe it is now under less pressure to act after inflation slowed.
While firms’ costs are now much higher than a year ago, the fall in the input rate will offer a glimmer of hope that consumer price inflation will soon start to ease. However, the drivers of price rises have shifted with labour costs now the most significant factor. This may slow down the rate of CPI decline – due to the high number of job vacancies.
“The latest British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Quarterly Economic Survey in July, of 5,000 businesses, (with 200 of those being Staffordshire businesses) showed that fewer firms are now expecting their prices to rise, and while inflation remains the top concern, the numbers of worried businesses have been falling since the end of 2022.
As we know, the causes of inflation are diverse with most businesses, (68%) now citing labour costs as a key pressure, 63% citing utilities, and 45% citing raw materials. Labour costs will undoubtably remain an issue for business for some time; although the figure has been steadily falling, there are still around a million job vacancies in the UK.
However, for manufacturers, 75% cited raw materials as the main cost pressure, and hospitality firms were far more likely than all other sectors to cite utility costs as a worry.
In general, the QES data shows there has been optimism building in the business community that future price rises might not be inevitable. This week’s ONS findings will be an important factor for the Bank of England to consider going forward.
The next QES will launch in August, and we would really value your input to grow the response rate from our county. It takes about two minutes to fill out the survey. You will get notification of the survey by email and in Daily Focus.
Away from inflation and other worries now.
‘The Better World Festival’ organised by Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID, returns to Stoke-on-Trent for its third year on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th July.
It is a free, family-friendly event and I am delighted that Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce is sponsoring the Festival with its exciting range of performances across two stages, zones for mindfulness and an artisan market. Its the perfect (free) event for you and your staff to visit for a great family event and I hope that you encourage all of your colleagues, friends and families to go.
The World Music Stage located on Piccadilly is set to showcase acclaimed artists specialising in global music including Royal Bollywood Music Strings, Kotu Drummers and Los Gitanos Kings, with headline spots secured by award-winning DJ Kavita and World folk rap band Mobius Loop. Better World Festival favourites are also set to return, including Jon Walklate, July Julay and Julia Mosley.
Complimenting the musical line-up, Better World Festival will bring together speakers, activists, pioneers, charities, community groups and artisan market vendors with an interest in creating positive change during this weekend event.
This includes our very own, Kate Beardmore, our President, who will be delivering an exclusive insight into ‘Wellbeing Tips for Daily Living’ in the Wellness Area located on Market Square at 2:30pm on the Sunday.
Charities members from Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce will also be exhibiting and showcasing their vital work in the local community.
I do hope you can find time to visit the Better World Festival. You won’t be disappointed!
Better World Festival 2023 – Stoke BID (stokeontrentcitycentre.co.uk)
If you want to talk to us about any business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222, call the Business Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk
- Published in Influence & Network, News
Staffordshire Chambers President Kate Beardmore to deliver ‘Wellbeing Tips for Daily Living’ talk at the Better World Festival
Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce is delighted to reveal that our President Kate Beardmore will be delivering an exclusive insight into ‘Wellbeing Tips for Daily Living’ at the 2023 Better World Festival.
The Better World Festival, proudly sponsored by Staffordshire Chambers, is returning to the City Centre on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th July. This free, family-friendly event is a celebration of all things music, mindfulness and community engagement.
Kate, who is scheduled to speak in the Wellness Area located on Market Square at 2:30pm on Sunday, 30 July, said: “I am delighted to speak at the event on one of my favourite topics – wellbeing!
“With over 16 years in Corporate and a few burn-outs along the way I now know there is a way to achieve success without self-sacrificing.
“I will share a few tips that are easy to integrate into daily lives. They may surprise you!’”
With a kaleidoscope of performances across two stages, zones for mindfulness and a delightful artisan market, there’s something for everyone to enjoy!
The World Music Stage located on Piccadilly is set to showcase acclaimed artists specialising in global music including Royal Bollywood Music Strings, Kotu Drummers and Los Gitanos Kings, with headline spots secured by award-winning DJ Kavita and World folk rap band Mobius Loop, following their successful 2022 slot. Better World Festival favourites are also set to return, including Jon Walklate, July Julay and Julia Mosley.
Complimenting the musical line-up, Better World Festival will bring together speakers, activists, pioneers, charities, community groups and artisan market vendors with an interest in creating positive change during this weekend event.
Charitiy members from Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce will also be exhibiting on the day and showcasing their vital work in the local community.
Kate added: “This event goes beyond being a vibrant celebration of art, music, and inspirational speakers in our city centre.
“It serves as a vital platform for exceptional charities within our region to showcase their work, enabling them to focus on what they do best – serving and helping people in our community.”
Find out more by clicking here.
- Published in News
Summer edition of Focus magazine now available to read online
Staffordshire Chambers is thrilled to announce the release of the Summer 2023 edition of its highly anticipated Focus magazine, which is now available to read in full online for free.
On the cover of the latest edition is ‘Natalia’s Story – From warzone to workforce’, an emotional account of Natalia’s journey as she fled the conflict in Ukraine and launched her own business in the UK.
Focus magazine is the official business magazine of Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce and, launched in 1952, has a long, proud history in the local business community.
Speaking about the release, Staffordshire Chambers Deputy CEO Chris Plant, said: “We are delighted to present the latest edition of Focus magazine that provides an interesting and insightful read for businesses of all sizes and sectors.
“Focus Magazine’s themed issues provide an in-depth look at issues important to our membership; from environmental sustainability to economic updates and business features. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have!”
Click here to read Focus in full.
- Published in News
Freeths launches in Scotland with strategic senior hires
National law firm Freeths has announced expansion into Scotland, with two key appointments and the opening of a new office in Glasgow, its first base outside of England.
Freeths has launched in Scotland with the appointments of Partners Paul Ockrim and Nick Taylor who join from Addleshaw Goddard. They will open the new Glasgow office at Atlantic Quay, Robertson Street with plans to establish a full-service offering in the region.
This comes as the firm announced another year of outstanding growth, increasing revenues by 15% taking turnover to £129m, up 220% from £40.2m in 2014 all through organic growth.
National Managing Partner of Freeths Karl Jansen said: “As a firm, we have ambitious plans for further growth in the coming years. Scotland is an important part of the UK’s economy and therefore integral to our core strategy.
“There is real opportunity for us to build our business in Scotland, delivering an innovative and progressive service for clients in the region. Aligned with our culture and values, both Paul and Nick bring a skill set that will add more breadth and depth to our national offering.”
Paul specialises in all areas of commercial real estate and regularly advises developers, tenants, investors and funding institutions in retail, leisure, banking, investment and development deals. He acts for high profile clients on deals right through from inception to conclusion.
Nick has a focus on investment and development finance matters. Advising investors, developers and lenders, he has assisted clients on a wide variety of different real estate resource-based projects such as renewable energy developments.
The Glasgow site will be Freeths 13th office in the UK, with the entrepreneurial firm having a well-known reputation for establishing successful operations across its regions.
This includes having built its London base from a team of two in 2013, led by Senior Partner Philippa Dempster, who won The Lawyer’s Hot 100 award for her development of the office, to a 100-strong multi-disciplinary team in 2023.
In just three years, Freeths’ Bristol office has also rapidly expanded from a team of two in April 2019 to a team of more than 50 lawyers as the office continues its recruitment drive in all legal service areas. In addition, the office’s revenue has increased by 51% over the last 12 months.
Paul Ockrim continued: “Nick and I have worked with Freeths over a number of years, so we know them well and share their values and ambitions, and the opportunity to join their exciting journey and open the new office in Scotland was too good to miss.”
- Published in News
Staffordshire-based Top Online Partners Group makes multi-million investment in Highlands Rewilding project
Staffordshire based Top Online Partners Group (TOPG), which owns the UK’s leading cashback site TopCashback, has invested £6million in Highlands Rewilding.
Highlands Rewilding is a project which seeks to rewild and re-people the Scottish Highlands by increasing carbon sequestration, growing biodiversity, creating green new jobs and generating sustainable profit for purpose.
The funds from Top Online Partners Group will be invested into the recent purchase of Highlands Rewilding’s third estate Tayvallich, a 1,300-hectare estate in Argyll, Scotland.
The investment will enable the restoration of temperate rainforest on the estate, which should absorb carbon dioxide thus removing it from the atmosphere.
The project also hopes to gain new understanding and data while restoring Scotland’s natural ecosystems. These new insights are expected to inform more effective land management for biodiversity.
Olly Ragg, chief executive and co-founder of Top Online Partners Group, said: “We are delighted to have provided the Highlands Rewilding Limited with financial support. The work Highlands Rewilding is hoping to achieve with the funding has exciting implications for climate and biodiversity.
“As a company we have always tried to have a positive impact in our local community as well as the rest of the UK. This investment is the latest in a series of sustainability initiatives we are supporting, alongside our commitment to impact investing and our pledge to the Race To Zero Campaign.”
Dr Jeremy Leggett, chief executive and founder of Highlands Rewilding, said: “Top Online Partners Group’s investments have been vital in establishing Highlands Rewilding as one of the leading pioneers on the frontier of the embryonic nature-recovery industry. This is essential in an emerging market, if our children are to have a viable future, and full of potential for ethical profitability and job creation.”
- Published in News
Rodgers Leask partners up to reduce carbon footprint on construction sites
Engineering consultancy Rodgers Leask is working with PowerCem Technologies to improve sustainability on construction sites by converting unsuitable soil into an engineering material called RoadCem, drastically reducing a project’s carbon footprint by 80% to 90%.
Using RoadCem and expert design techniques, Rodgers Leask can support contractors in creating temporary roads, permanent roads, working platforms, piling mats and car parks. Manufactured in Holland, RoadCem is a product designed and sold for building stabilised soil road base, used as a sustainable replacement for unbound stone and binder course.
The innovative soil stabilisation material works well with topsoil, while other ground improvement methods cannot deal with greater than five per cent organic content, and is capable of binding in contaminants so they do not leach out into the environment. Additionally, it can be installed in wet weather while alternative methods only work in dry conditions.
Andy Leask, director at Rodgers Leask, said: “It is crucial that we are thinking of new ways to reduce the environmental impact of construction projects and our collaboration with PowerCem is an innovative example of this. With the introduction of RoadCem into designs, the risks of environmental pollution and use of a finite resource are reduced. And any reduction of concrete, which is responsible for around seven percent of the world’s carbon emissions, is a progressive step towards a net zero future.”
This eco-friendly method has been used in Burton at Claymills sewage works. Rodgers Leask came up with the solution that allowed a piling mat to be constructed in only seven days using the very soft silty soils present on site. Using the soil that already existed on site avoided significant HGV transport taking unsuitable soil to landfill and bringing in freshly quarried stone. The traditional method of constructing a piling mat for a structure of this size would have needed an excess of 2000 truckloads of stone delivered to site.
RoadCem was adopted at Claymills after desktop studies and on-site trials with industry experts confirmed that it would be most suitable method for stabilising the silty organic soils.
For more information on civil, structural, geo-environmental and transport engineering consultancy Rodgers Leask, please visit rodgersleask.com.
- Published in News
Declan’s Blog: Key priorities for Stafford
Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce is the voice of the local business community. We’re here to represent the views of our member businesses, on a range of topics. We give our members the chance to come together and meet political leaders and key decision-makers. Last Friday, we invited the MP for Stafford (Theo Clarke, MP), to meet a group of member businesses at our office in the heart of Stafford, at Shire Hall Business Centre.
We know that Staffordshire is a great place to do business and this is epitomised by Stafford, which enjoys exceptional transport connectivity (particularly by rail) and a highly skilled workforce. The local population is growing and there is a need to strike the right balance in building new homes but also making sure that there is a sufficient supply of employment land across the area.
You’ve probably noticed the expansion of both residential and commercial developments across the area. A good example of this is the new housing development at Marston Gate on the A34, north edge of Stafford, sitting over the way from the new Pets at Home distribution centre.
Ms Clarke’s constituency centres on the urban area of Stafford but spans a wide area, from parts of Shropshire in the west, across to Great Haywood and Hixon in the east. The businesses who joined us at last week’s meeting came from different parts of the constituency.
Our Stafford Chamber Local Area Advisory Board (LAAB) is a representative group of member businesses from across Stafford Borough and in recent months, the LAAB has developed a list of key priorities for Stafford. These included a call for a focus on developing the centre of Stafford.
Boarded up commercial premises can become such an eyesore in any town and we support action or legislation, to ensure property owners cannot simply board up premises. Bringing health service provision into the centre of town would boost footfall for retailers and hospitality businesses.
Thriving town centres need easy access in and out and this aspiration is supported by improved public transport and secure cycle storage. A mix of commercial premises will bring employees into town and they’ll also spend their money at local retailers and hospitality venues.
Stafford Station Gateway and the Institute of Technology (IoT) are exciting developments which will help to grow our County Town but we’re keen to play our part in pushing for town centre improvements. Work to transform Market Square is taking shape and once completed in the autumn, it should create a space for a real mix of vibrant events.
Other topics discussed, included electric vehicle charging and the transfer of surplus energy generated by a business, with infrastructure not in place to allow this to be transferred to the Grid.
Ms Clarke listened carefully and spoke with all present, before opening up a wider discussion and agreed to take away some of the key points that were raised. We’ll look forward to getting an update.
Ms Clarke was joined by Nigel Huddleston, – Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade. Some of our members have experienced frustrations with exporting to the EU and we took the chance to raise these with the Minister. He agreed to personally look into what has happened and will also get back to us with an update.
If you would like to learn more about the key business priorities for Stafford, please contact me:declan.riddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk
- Published in Influence & Network
