Award-winning video production company, Reels in Motion, has made an exciting addition to their team with the hiring of a new content creator.

The new hire, Savanna Mae, will help with the adaptation to modern marketing through digital and social media content.

Savanna said: “I am so excited to be the new content creator here at Reels in Motion. Having studied journalism at university and worked in production for several years, this role brings my two passions of digital marketing and film production together.

“I will be running the social media accounts of the renowned production company and their film studio, Stoke Studios. I am thrilled to be joining a team who are excelling in their craft as creatives”.

Matt Hubbard, the company’s director, added: “The internet and social media have revolutionised marketing and so much attention can be generated from a simple post.

“In digital marketing, video content is performing the best since the domination of social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube.

“It is very exciting then, that Reels in Motion are video specialists! The possibilities are endless to the fun we can have in producing unique content for brands across the world.”

Savanna will be focused on growing Reels in Motion’s digital presence by showcasing their talent on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube

The Band of The Mercian Regiment are set to perform on Saturday 03 June 2023 in support of ABF The Soldiers’ Charity. Joining the band will be The Corps of Drums of Staffordshire ACF and Pipers of the Scots Guards Association from Manchester.

This concert, which takes place in The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery from 6:30pm, aims to raise funds for the charity, which provides support to soldiers, veterans and their families in Staffordshire and across the UK.

Chris Plant, Deputy CEO of Staffordshire Chambers, said: “This is the perfect opportunity to not only enjoy a wonderful evening of entertainment, but also to make a meaningful difference in the lives of soldiers, veterans, and their families.

“By attending this event and contributing to ABF The Soldiers’ Charity, we can ensure that vital support reaches those who have served our country.”

Last year, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity made grants to veterans in Staffordshire amounting to £40,500, while only raising £12,000 in the area. This highlights the importance of events like the ABF Concert in generating much-needed funds to support veterans in need.

For those looking to make the most of this special evening, there is a VIP package available, which includes a reception with a light buffet and wine or soft drinks. The dress code for the evening is lounge suits, and VIP guests will have access to a reserved seating area. The VIP package is available for £26.50 and can be booked by emailing westmidlands@soldierscharity.org

The ABF Concert promises to be an incredible evening of entertainment for a great cause, with The Band of The Mercian Regiment providing a fantastic musical performance.

Book your tickets, here.

The Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards has received an overwhelming response this year, with a record number of applications from local businesses across the region.

Widely recognized as one of the most prestigious events in the region’s business calendar, the awards ceremony, set to take place on 13 July, will celebrate the achievements and successes of businesses in the Staffordshire area.

This year’s application process has received a record-breaking number of entries, with businesses from a diverse range of sectors submitting applications.

A shortlist of businesses will be exclusively received in Daily Focus following the conclusion of the judging process.

Staffordshire Chambers CEO, Sara Williams OBE, said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the response we have had to this year’s Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards, receiving over 300 applications from a real range of businesses.

“The number and quality of entries we have received are a testament to the strength and diversity of the business community in Staffordshire.

“We are proud to be able to celebrate the hard work and achievements of local businesses and we look forward to recognizing their success at the ceremony in July.”

For more information about the Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards, please visit the Staffordshire Chambers website.

The guest speaker at the Chambers’ Council meeting on Wednesday of this week was Jason Lancaster, Director of Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Institute of Technology, Newcastle & Stafford Colleges Group – and that’s a long title!

There are only going to be 21 Institutes of Technology (IoTs) in the country, and they form a key part of the Government’s biggest shake up to technical education in a generation.

I suppose you could view IoTs as the new polytechnics – an institute to equip the people and employers of Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire with the higher-level technical skills we need now and, in the future, to enable our area to become a hotspot for innovation and success. Our IOT is due to open its doors in September 2024.

And although it is great that we have an IOT, it is needed because we lag behind the national position in the acquisition of higher-level skills qualifications and our industries are the ones which will need more of these technical skills in the future as we modernise, automate and digitise. To be successful, a focus on delivering these skills in priority sectors through full-time, part-time and apprenticeship programmes will be key.

It is well documented that this area scores poorly on attaining Level 3 qualifications (A Level or equivalent) and Level 4 qualifications (HNC) with Stoke-on-Trent being a sobering 11.6% and 14.6% below national average respectively.

IoTs will concentrate on four main areas namely digital, STEM, construction and health sciences. In each case teaching will be built around modern methods weaving in new digital skills and sustainability and drawing on the businesses who have, and will, sign up as partners. There are already big names including Keele University, Dell, Hitachi, MOOG (aerospace), Siemens, Axia Solutions and St Modwen Logistics.

Qualifications and apprenticeships will range from Level 3 (A level, T level, BTEC) right up to Level 7 MSC and MEng qualifications. And delivered primarily from a brand-new 4000 square metre IoT hub building in Stafford and with centres in the colleges in Stoke, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Swadlincote.

So, lots to look forward to and hopefully IoTs can deliver the relevant high level technical education we need to secure our economic future and see the impact it has on higher level skills attainment.

Also, it is essential that there is not a gender imbalance in any of the skills we promote. We need to do more to make careers in engineering, manufacturing and construction appealing to young women. Perhaps some of the language and culture around these sectors needs to change to appeal to girls, as well as boys, at an early age.

We had a very lively discussion around this after Jason’s presentation and it was interesting to hear from a Council from different backgrounds and experiences – from a leader of the voluntary sector working with families where parents are often not working, and English may not be the first language, to a leading accountant and high profile business consultant – all of the Council who are elected from the membership. We agreed that we cannot and must not as a responsible community give up on young people from difficult backgrounds who are just as much a part of our future as those fortunate to have support to achieve their aspirations.

We must also consider opportunities for neurodiverse people. As one large employer noted, neurodiverse employees were playing a key role in his organisation in jobs that demanded a high level of detail, particularly in IT and some aspects of engineering.

If you would like to find out more about Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire Institute of Technology or find out how your business can get more involved, you can contact Jason Lancaster: jason.lancaster@nscg.ac.uk

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 is thrilled to announce the release of the Spring 2023 edition of its highly anticipated Focus magazine, which is now available to read in full online for free.

Headlining the latest edition is journalist, author and broadcaster Caitlin Moran – who recently appeared as keynote speaker at Confidence Live. Joining Caitlin is Staffordshire Chambers CEO Sara Williams, who discusses her OBE, and former Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic who talks life in business beyond football.

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.

“It was great to see the print version of the publication officially unveiled at Confidence Live, which has had some fantastic feedback after it took to the King’s Hall, Stoke.

“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.

Staffordshire Chambers and i-creation are celebrating a major milestone as their business news publication, Daily Focus, has reached 10,000 subscribers.

Since its launch in January, Daily Focus has established itself as a trusted source of information, covering everything from business news and local economic trends to national and international developments.

The success of Daily Focus has been driven by the collaboration between Staffordshire Chambers and i-creation, who have worked together to create a publication that meets the needs of the business community.

With a team of experienced journalists and analysts, Daily Focus provides in-depth coverage of key issues affecting businesses across the region, as well as insights into emerging trends and developments.

Commenting on the news, Chris Plant, Deputy Chief Executive of Staffordshire Chambers, said: “We are delighted to have reached this milestone so quickly. It is testament to the hard work and collaboration between i-creation and our marketing team.

“Daily Focus is an independent publication that is truly valued by the business community and we have had some fantastic feedback since launching in January. We look forward to continuing to provide high-quality news and analysis to our readers in the years to come.”

Subscribe to Daily Focus and receive a free business news bulletin every weekday morning, here.

Online bathroom retailer Bathroom Mountain is moving to a brand new 175,000sq ft facility – which is ready for occupation just 18 months after construction began.

The brand-new purpose-built warehouse, built by Clowes Developments, has office and welfare facilities extending to over 10,000sq ft, spanning over five-floors. The building is nearly double the size of their existing premises located off Brownhills Road leading directly into Tunstall Town Centre.

The latest investment marks further expansion and growth for the family-run businesses.

Bathroom Mountain, a sister company to Tile Mountain, will relocate its entire business to the new 175,000 sq ft building, whilst the former unit will be used for additional storage to benefit both businesses.

Shamila Iqbal, Director at Bathroom Mountain, said: “Bathroom Mountain has witnessed sustained growth since we launched the business back in 2021. As a result, we are investing heavily in a fully automated warehouse with floor-to-ceiling racking which will enable further expansion.

“Tunstall is where our story began, and the majority of our dedicated workforce are based here. We are delighted to have a brand-new facility just a stone’s throw away from our existing premises allowing us to continue to enhance the local area with employment opportunities.”

The team at Bathroom Mountain are currently setting up their bespoke and innovative warehouse storage and picking system in readiness for stock being transferred from their former premises. The online bathroom retailer will be fully operational in their new building before the end of this year.

As a largely rural county, the results of recent research from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and global business platform, Xero, will come as no surprise to firms here. For years, they have had to contend with decaying public transport provision, poor internet connectivity and labour problems.

The research shows that the availability of quality public infrastructure and access to skilled labour are entrenching a rural-urban divide among UK SMEs. And rural firms, not surprisingly, are more dissatisfied with the quality and availability of local resources than those in cities.

Across the country, the SME business outlook is subdued. Only half (53%) expect to see turnover growth in the next 12 months, while one in four (27%) expect turnover to shrink over the same period.  And less than a third (30%) of SMEs plan to increase investment in technology, research, and development, while 18% expect a decrease.

High-quality public infrastructure and access to a skilled labour force are both key to the success of a business, in particular SMEs, and the findings indicate that rural businesses are at a significant disadvantage and this is shown by the issues relating to transport:

• Well over half (58%) of SMEs in rural areas do not believe their area has reliable and well-connected trains, compared with just 39% in urban areas but this was higher in the Midlands (51%) than the South of England (36%).
• This rose further still when it came to buses – over three-quarters (79%) in rural or countryside areas do not think they have access to reliable buses.

The rural-urban divide is also evident when it comes to connectivity. While three-quarters (75%) of SMEs overall agree their area has reliable broadband, this rises to 82% in urban areas and falls to around half (56%) in rural areas.

We know that everybody, everywhere is having difficulty finding the right people for the jobs on offer. However, rural companies report a high level of dissatisfaction with their local labour markets; almost two in three (64%) SMEs across the country do not believe their local area has high availability of appropriately skilled labour BUT 72% of rural firms state this as an issue.

Government must urgently prioritise the development of public infrastructure. Such investment will not only enable local and small businesses to adapt and thrive, but it will also create jobs and inject money into local economies across the UK.

However, it is not all doom and gloom and we have some incredibly successful businesses in our rural areas who are forging ahead despite the negative factors listed above.

And we have our Rural Business Forum who have been discussing and acting upon these issues since its formation nearly five years ago. The forum been working with Staffordshire County Council to draw up the Staffordshire Rural Economic Strategy 2023-2030 which aims to tackle these inequalities and level up business competitiveness across the urban-rural divide in the county.

Rural Economic Strategy: 2023-2030 – Staffordshire County Council

If you would like to join our Rural Business Forum or find out more about it you can contact Declan Riddell, declanriddell@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

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