Finalists for the 2023 Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards are being announced in Daily Focus throughout the week.

Readers will be able to find out who has been shortlisted by visiting the website – www.daily-focus.co.uk or by subscribing to receive the news service’s morning mail-out, which is delivered directly to inboxes by 8am.

The finalists in three of the 15 categories will be revealed each day, from Monday to Friday, with supporting articles on a special section of the website and posts on social media platforms promoting the success stories. The results from the first three categories are ready to view online, here.

This is the 11^th year of the Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards, which celebrate the outstanding achievements of local businesses who have demonstrated exceptional growth, innovation and contribution to the Staffordshire economy.

A record number of businesses and organisations entered this year, demonstrating the longevity and popularity of the event.

Winners will be announced at a glitzy award ceremony, taking place at DoubleTree by Hilton, Festival Park, in Stoke-on-Trent, on the evening of July 13.

The Cosy Direct Cycling Team is gearing up for a 100-mile ride to Skegness, all for the benefit of two fantastic causes.

Known as the SkegVegas 100, the ride will help raise funds for Derby Kids Camp and Derby Children’s Holiday Home, two organizations that gift nearly 1000 underprivileged children a week-long holiday each year. One in the country, one at the seaside.

Peter Ellse, Cosy Direct CEO, is taking on the challenge alongside colleagues Jake Beresford, Ben Riggott and Finlay Riggott.

Peter said: “With every mile, we’ll be one step closer to ensuring these deserving kids create cherished memories and enjoy a much-needed break.

“Your donations will contribute to their annual holiday experience, sparking a chain reaction of a thousand heartwarming smiles.

“Every penny helps us reach our goal and brightens these children’s lives. Join us in making a difference and let’s ride this journey together!”

Contributions can be made through their online fundraising page, here.

Good luck to the team!

RSM Tax Director Chris Alderman has called on Staffordshire businesses in the financial sector to join the next Money Matters Forum to help shape Staffordshire’s business landscape.

The event, available exclusively to Chamber members, will take place on Friday, 23 June, at Commerce House, offering a unique opportunity to engage in discussions surrounding finance and tax while actively shaping the Chamber’s policy decisions.

Chris said: “The Money Matters Forum serves as a premier platform for professionals in Staffordshire to exchange insights, collaborate, and broaden their network within the business community.

“Attendees will have the chance to connect with like-minded individuals, fostering valuable relationships that can pave the way for future growth and success.

“The meeting will commence promptly at 09:00 AM on June 23 and typically concludes by 10:30 AM. Following the event, attendees are welcome to utilise the Members’ Lounge, offering a conducive environment to continue their work.”

To secure a place at the Money Matters Forum, please click here.

For any inquiries or further information, please contact Declan Riddell, the dedicated Policy Adviser for the Staffordshire Chambers, at declan.riddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk. Mr. Riddell will be delighted to assist with any questions or concerns.

Staffordshire already has a reputation as a logistics centre of choice afforded by our geography and advantageous transport connections. Our central location between the two motorways, good rail links and proximity of four airports has seen a huge amount of logistics activity develop in the last two decades. So, it was no surprise to read the news this week in our Daily Focus that logistics will play an ever-increasing part in Staffordshire’s growth.

The news comes after a roundtable event at Burton and South Derbyshire College between industry and education representatives and senior councillors.  Much of the discussion centred around how logistics can create opportunities for hi-tech development and – perhaps surprisingly to many – high-quality jobs.

Having seen how the development near Warrington is growing and the huge new Pets at Home logistics hub just north of Stafford and the vast and imposing PLP Stafford building at the southern edge of Stone, no one can be in any doubt that our consumerism needs the support of these centres. And developments along the A50/A500 corridor and the West Midlands Interchange are offering exciting new opportunities which can only bode well for our future.  At the round table event, there were calls for local authority planning committees to better understand the need for the large logistics buildings – despite their potential visual impact – and to understand the value of the whole logistics sector.

Simon Philips, Head of Distribution Development with Pets at Home, talked of the huge investment in the new Stafford site where the company is working through an 18-month transition from existing sites. The new centre will be employing more than 750 people, including jobs in fields such as robotics and data analytics.

Bringing businesses together with sector organisations, educational establishments and local decision makers enables us to have a constructive discussion on the future of the sector in the county and how we can make it a success for businesses and our community.

If you would like to have a say on how logistics and related development can be harnessed to our advantage why not get involved with the Chambers’ Transport Forum. For details of its work and future meeting dates contact Declan Riddell: declan.riddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

Planned changes to the Government approach on EU regulation reform

Businesses will be relieved that the Government has ditched plans to allow thousands of EU-era laws to expire by the end of 2023. It is welcome that Government has listened, and the Bill will no longer apply a blanket sunset clause in this way, with the real risk of unintended but negative consequences including that this rush to the abrupt ending of vast swathes of EU legislation overnight would make it harder to compete internationally.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) will be carefully scrutinising the series of measures which are due to be amended or revoked through the revised Bill. If you have views on what elements of EU law you would like to see abolished, amended or adapted, please let me know and we can make sure that your views are heard by Government as it reviews this work.

Through the BCC we will be working with Government and other policy makers on crafting the appropriate regulatory balance – protecting certainty for business first and foremost but reforming rules in the overall economic and human rights interest.

Latest interest rate rise

The decision to raise the interest rate for the 12th consecutive time to the highest rate since 2008 shows the Bank of England is determined to keep up the pressure as the rate of inflation remains stubbornly high.

The unprecedented and prolonged spike in inflation has been devastating for many firms who have been struggling to absorb continued price rises.

Interest rate rises can also have serious negative effects too, particularly for firms looking to borrow to manage their cash flow problems. The most recent BCC quarterly economic survey (of which around 150 surveyed were Staffordshire firms) found that interest rates were a concern for 47% of hospitality firms. The combination of high interest rates and high inflation would mean the worst of both worlds for many small firms.

Government must consider further action to break this vicious cycle by boosting economic growth – through investment in infrastructure, skills training, and global trade.

Keep an eye out for our next quarterly economic survey by email and on our social media or visit: QES Survey – Staffordshire Chambers  or email declan.riddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk to ensure you contribute.

Eurovision

Finally, I hope you all have a fabulous Eurovision weekend. I’m at a party with friends in Liverpool and will be taking the opportunity to soak up the atmosphere in the city. I would also like to say to all our Ukrainian colleagues that we will be celebrating Unity Through Music and thinking about the reasons why this over-the-top event isn’t being held in your wonderful and brave country.

If you want to talk to us about any business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222 or call the Stoke and Staffs Growth Hub Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce would like to congratulate our board members, Hannah Ault and Josie Morris MBE, on being appointed Deputy Lieutenants for Staffordshire by His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Staffordshire, Mr Ian James Dudson CBE KStJ.

The Deputy Lieutenants commenced their roles on Wednesday 3 May, with a formal commissioning ceremony taking place later in the year.

Speaking about the appointments, Mr Dudson said: “It is a great pleasure to welcome Staffordshire’s new Deputy Lieutenants. They have all been selected because of their roles within their communities and I am sure they will do an excellent job.”

Hannah said: “It’s such an honour to be asked to support Staffordshire in this way.  I have a huge sense of pride for my city and great county and feel grateful to be able to contribute to my community with other local individuals.”

Josie added: “I am proud and excited to become a Deputy Lieutenant of Staffordshire.  I love this area and am committed to ensuring I use this honour for the betterment of the area and those in it.”

The full list of new Deputy Lieutenants are as follows:

Miss Hannah Ault

Mr Lee Bates BEM

Mr Simon Davies RRC VR

Ms Karen Dobson OBE

Lt Col Toby Gaddum

Mr Ian Greaves

Mrs Reena McCourt

Mr Julian Mitchell

Miss Josie Morris MBE

Mrs Judy Scott-Moncrieff

Mr Will Simkin

Mrs Alison Wedgwood

People can find out more about the Lord-Lieutenant by visiting the Lieutenancy Website at http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/yourcouncil/civicoffices/lieutenancy/lieutenancy.aspx.

As I write this week’s blog only Stoke-on-Trent and Tamworth have declared results in the local council elections with Tamworth seeing a Conservative loss with no party majority and Stoke-on-Trent seeing a Labour gain from a no party majority.

At the hustings event at the Chamber last week Labour’s Cllr. Jane Ashworth, who is set to be the new Stoke-on-Trent City Council leader, said that if Labour form the new administration, she wants to be able to look back on the four-year term and say what happened was transformative for the relationship between them and business in our city.

Jane went on to say that she wanted to see us with a high wage, highly skilled workforce, and for this area to be leading the country, particularly in various forms of digi-tech.

Cllr. Ashworth said: “One of the things we need do immediately is create a proper business support network that can help businesses that are likely to be in trouble because of the cost-of-living crisis.”

She also called for a review of the council procurement strategy and said she would work closely with other significant agencies and employees in the city to make it easier for local businesses to win contracts from the city, adding: “About a third of contracts stay within the city but it should be vastly more than that.”

“Last year the distribution value of contracts was £1 million inside the city, £19 million outside the city. That is not ok. It means we are haemorrhaging money.”

All the sort of messages we want to hear, and I hope whoever takes control of the other councils in our county will have business at the top of their agendas. You can be assured that Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce will be making the necessary representations to councils to ensure all the above and more actually happens.

We are expecting results from other councils later today and our Daily Focus newsletter will have a special 4pm edition, rounding up the results at that time. Check your inbox or view online: Daily Staffordshire Business News – Daily Focus (daily-focus.co.uk)

We will also keep you up to date on election results via our social media channels.

Co-working

Earlier this week several Chamber members took part in took part in a research project investigating the potential of co-working spaces to contribute to geographically distributed (digital) manufacturing activity and levelling up.

We were one of three UK locations taking part in the research, the others being Thames Valley and North Devon.

The project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Made Smarter Network and undertaken by the University of Bath School of Management.

As a bridge between the formal workspace and home, co-working spaces offer a space where you can network, build relationships, share knowledge and ideas and collaborate. And when you consider the millions of self-employed and micro start-ups in the UK, co-working offers flexibility, affordability and collaborative opportunities that were not available up until recently.

Originally an urban phenomenon they are increasingly appearing in semi-rural and rural areas.

The reason for the research is that despite their rise, especially post-pandemic, in the UK they are absent from regional policy discussions.

We certainly know the value of co-working spaces here in Staffordshire where a range of co-working spaces have opened their doors over the past few years. Our universities, private providers and other places such as the Foxlowe Arts Centre in Leek, all offer a range of co-working options.

Our own Members’ Lounge here at Commerce House on Festival Park opened in 2019 and post lockdowns it has become increasingly popular with scores of members who utilise it to work, hold meetings, interviews and as a place to network and surround yourself with likeminded businesspeople. You can view a 3D tour of our Members’ Lounge here: The Members Lounge – Staffordshire Chambers

Similarly in Stafford, Chamber members can use the open plan area on the ground floor of Shire Hall Business Centre, for hot desking on an ad-hoc basis, free of charge. Upstairs, there is a dedicated co-working area with segregated pods available at a small charge.

Shire Hall Business Centre – Staffordshire County Council

We invited regular Members Lounge users to take part in the research and we also had the centre manager from flexible space provider BusinessLodge Stoke, which also opened in 2019, and as well as providing everything from a desk to a fully serviced large office, they also have a co-working space, breakout space and a gym for their clients.

Those who attended the session with the University of Bath team spoke in glowing terms of the benefits of co-working; having the right environment for work, the opportunity to meet new people and build relationships and the positive benefits on mental health and wellbeing.

We have created a welcoming environment with tabletops, a high counter-style desk and sofas, to cater for working on a laptop to meeting informally over a coffee – from our excellent fresh bean coffee machine!

The Members’ Lounge feature of local art on the walls and only two weeks ago we previewed our first ever solo-artist exhibition featuring local artist Terry Shave in conjunction with our newly launched design forum.

It will be interesting to see if this research does conclude that co-working spaces can contribute to manufacturing activity and regional levelling up in the UK.

I would like to see more people involved in manufacturing using our spaces as a breakout from the factory environment and this will be something our manufacturing forum will play a role in facilitating.

I look forward to sharing the findings of the research later and hope that we can use the results to persuade politicians to make co-working spaces a priority.  In the meantime, if you want to find out more about co-working opportunities in Staffordshire contact us using the details below.

If you want to talk to us about any business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222 or call the Stoke and Staffs Growth Hub Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

After a hugely-successful AGM and Spring Lunch last week, Staffordshire Chambers is delighted to confirm three new Finest and Future Finest events to mark the networks’ 20th anniversary.

Finest Coffee Morning, Friday 19th May at 9:30am – 11:30am

Join us at Commerce House for the return of our hugely-popular coffee morning!

Enjoy a cuppa and a catch-up with the county’s leading professional services network and call in to see us any time between 09:30-11:30.

Whether you are a new member, or thinking of joining the network, join us at Commerce House to enjoy a casual and relaxed approach to business networking. Book your free space here.

Finest distillery tour and gin tasting, Thursday 8th June at 5:30pm – 7:30pm

Join Finest for an unforgettable networking experience that will not only connect you with other professionals but also indulge your senses with a distillery tour and gin tasting.

Staffordshire’s largest professional services network will be adventuring through the world of craft distilling at SIXTOWNS Gin, Barlaston, with a fully immersive tour on Thursday 8 June from 5:30pm.

Join us for the perfect opportunity to expand your business connections and build meaningful relationships with other professionals in a relaxed environment. Book your space here.

Finest and Future Finest End of Summer Drinks, Thursday 21st September at 5:30pm – 7:30pm

Save the date – we’ll be heading over to the QUARTER at Potbank, Stoke, for our end of summer drinks on Thursday 21 September.

Our end of summer drinks offer the perfect chance to enjoy an evening of refreshments and networking while you catch up with some familiar faces. Guests will be welcomed with a drink on arrival, followed by delicious canapes. Book here.

It is a well-known adage that a society should be judged not by how it treats the most advantaged but by how it treats the least advantaged. And I think it is fair to say that the Chamber community makes every effort to look after, and provide opportunities for, those with least advantage.

So, you can imagine how delighted and incredibly excited I am to announce that we have received The King’s Award for Promoting Opportunity.

This prestigious award specifically recognises social mobility programmes that help people from disadvantaged backgrounds, into successful working lives.

Those of you who know me, and Staffordshire Chambers well, will know that our focus is on community and the belief that business is the bedrock of that community.

And so, I must thank the whole Chamber community, members, patrons, board, council and forum members, our team, stakeholders, and partners. You have all won this award!

Our businesses employ people, empower people, educate people and work within the community to ensure opportunity for everyone, especially the most disadvantaged and vulnerable and I am proud that Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce is at the heart of this.

This direction comes from our Board of Directors based on their own forward looking and inclusive business cultures within their organisations.

And I think most, if not all our members, give of their time and resources to support the community in some way through volunteering, fundraising, mentoring, providing opportunities to the disadvantaged and countless other ways.

And of course, the fantastic team at the Chamber have always embraced this culture of inclusivity and gone above and beyond what is expected to ensure we deliver on inclusivity.

We were the first Chamber nationally to establish a Social Value Forum as a place to develop and extend the impact of the social value agenda across Staffordshire. The forum is made up of partners from across public, private and third sector who are looking to promote social value and corporate social responsibility and it has been key to influencing and developing initiatives aimed at the more vulnerable communities due to partners knowledge of, and the support they can offer to, those who are most in need.

Our Boosting Women in Business programme, which empowers women to take back control of their lives through self-employment and the Positive Pathways scheme, which helps refugees into employment and self-employment, are just two examples of targeted tailored support to groups that we feel need that extra support in building confidence and obtaining the skills to be able to start a business which will then provide for them whilst fitting around their lifestyle needs.

Both schemes have helped create dozens of new businesses and the support does not stop there. We then encourage and nurture theses businesses by bringing them into the membership at a subsidised rate to enable them to build their networks and take advantage of all the membership benefits aimed at making business simpler.

If you would like to get involved with our Social Value Forum or find out more about what they get up to, perhaps by attending the next meeting please contact Sarah Colclough: sarah.colclough@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

And once again – well done and thank you to you all!

If you want to talk to us about any business issues, including funding, you can call our switchboard on 01782 202222 or call the Stoke and Staffs Growth Hub Helpline on 0300 111 8002 or email: info@staffordshirechambers.co.uk