Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce is proud to have committed our support to the Fostering Friendly employers scheme.

Organised by The Fostering Network, the scheme offers businesses of any size a chance to make a difference for foster carers and the children they care for in their local communities, while simultanously improving the support for their own employees.

Nearly 40 per cent of foster carers combine fostering with other work. Those who do say that a supportive employer can make all the difference, enabling them to balance employment with looking after children.

Sara Williams, Staffordshire Chambers CEO, said: “The Chamber has committed our full support to this initiative and is proud to become a Fostering Friendly employer.

“Becoming a foster parent is an amazing opportunity to give a child or young person the fresh start that they need – and we will do everything that we can to support our employees through this process.

“There is a shortage of foster carers in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, and schemes like this are invaluable in getting people to think about fostering.”

Find out more about the scheme, here.

SDG 12, Responsible Consumption and Production, encourages both individuals and businesses to look at how they can use and produce in sustainable ways that will help us reverse the harm already done to the planet.

Chamber Members, Water Plus, have written a guest blog outlining three useful tips that can help you to reduce your water consumption, lower your running costs and help our planet.

“Take a moment for your water as it can be an untapped source for savings – and can cut carbon emissions linked to your business, charity or public sector site.

• Do you need to use all the tap water you currently do? Not everything needs tap water – for example rainwater can be used for watering plants and shrubs in your grounds, as well as used to wash down hard areas at sites (and water butts to collect it are very low cost). Fill up dishwashers and use eco settings – so less water is used.

• Explore where water can help you lower your future utility costs: Low-cost push taps and aerators can cut flow rates by 16 litres a minute, so less hot water use means lower energy costs. Showers can be reduced to 6 litres a minute – making a big difference for workplaces, gyms, spas and leisure facilities. Less water heated helps the environment too.

• Do you know where your waste – including your wastewater – goes? Checking your pipes and your site/s regularly, including noting monthly meter readings, if it’s safe to access, will mean you can react quickly to leaks and issues – not only cutting water waste but also limiting increases in additional costs. A leaky loo can waste up to 400 litres of water a day – that’s equal to 5 full bath-tubs.

Plus, there’s carbon emissions linked to the wastewater from your site which is taken away and treated once you’ve used it – and carbon emissions linked to the water that you get through your taps – so reducing either of these, along with any water waste, helps you towards Net Zero and beyond!

You can read more about what you can do with water, here.

This week is both Armed Forces Week and Refugee Week with events up and down the country marking the contribution and sacrifices our armed forces make on our behalf and raising awareness of refugees, their plight and what a positive contribution they can make to society with our help.

Armed Forces Week is an opportunity to show our support for the men and women who make up the armed forces community from currently serving troops to service families, veterans, and cadets and the role they play protecting the UK both at home and overseas.

So much has changed since Armed Forces Week last year. Who could have imagined that we would have a war on European soil, and that in Ukraine, a country looking increasingly to Europe and its values of democracy and freedom, we would be witness to so many lives lost, cities reduced to dust, and millions forced to flee their homes, loved ones and everything they held dear?

This needless war has brought the role of our armed forces sharply back into focus, from how we can aid an ally such as Ukraine, defend our soil and contribute to a newly reinvigorated NATO force.

Therefore on Monday it was a privilege to welcome Col Paul ‘Shove’ Gilby OBE to Commerce House for our Armed Forces Week networking lunch – raising money for ABF The Soldiers’​ Charity.

It was fascinating to hear about his 15 operational tours including Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Cyprus and how he is now leading the Army’s operation to help deliver the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham next month.

Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce have always had strong links with the armed forces, and we know that many local employers and employees play a vital role in their support of our reserve forces.

We have our very own Honorary Colonel of the British Army, in ex-Chamber President Mike Frewer,  and we are also extremely proud to have West Midlands Reserve Forces & Cadet Association (WMRFCA) as patrons and very pleased that the Chambers support to our armed forces has been recognised through our Silver Award and by being a signatory to, the Armed Forces Covenant – a promise to ensure that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly.

Four of our local organisations also signed up to the Covenant on Monday. They were ELM Group, Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service, Synectics Solutions and Port Vale FC.

You can find more about the Armed Forces Covenant here: Armed Forces Covenant: guidance and support – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

We are also supporting Refugee Week 2022 by highlighting our Positive Pathways project and the way in which it helps refugees in the Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire to become employment ready and enabled to contribute to the local labour market.

Refugee Week is a UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary held every year around World Refugee Day on the 20 June.

Refugee Week’s vision is for refugees and asylum seekers to be able to live safely within inclusive and resilient communities, where they can continue to make a valuable contribution.

Positive Pathways is a business start-up and employability skills programme specifically designed to support refugees across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. Participants can access training in starting a business or employability skills such as CV writing and interview skills.

We are currently working with many refugees who want to work and make a valuable contribution to their host community. They are often highly skilled, and capable individuals who hold qualifications and practical experience across so many areas of work.

With an increasingly tight labour market it has become much harder for employers to fill job vacancies. The knock-on effect is impacting on firms’ ability to operate normally and retain skills in the business. We have contact with refugees locally with the skillsets that local employers are struggling to find.

We have seen several refugees arriving in Staffordshire from Ukraine since the start of the war in February. Many are highly skilled and desperate to work and give something back in return for the welcome and hospitality they have received.

We are looking to engage with employers who would consider taking on a refugee in a position you may be finding difficult to fill.

If you would like to find out more about how positive pathways could benefit your, please contact Julie Priestnall: julie.priestnall@staffordshirechambers.co.uk

Home | Refugee Week

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

Giving birth to triplets in 2002 was life-changing for Nicki Kainth from Penkridge.

She had worked in banking for seven years but becoming a mum of three girls led her to quickly reassess her priorities.

Nicki said: “As soon as I became a mum and saw these three gorgeous girls, I knew that I wanted to be with them every step of their journey through life. The girls are now 19 and at university.

“When they were 10, I started making cakes. I knew the basics and I’m quite artistic, so I taught myself more advanced techniques with a lot of help of YouTube. This led to me setting up my own cake business.

“During the first lockdown in 2020 I had an idea to start my ‘East meets West’ afternoon teas with an Indian twist of adding samosas and pakoras. This really took off and people loved it as it was something different.

“Positive feedback and readiness for a new challenge led me to start a new Indian food home delivery business, ‘The Indian Foodiva’. This was during the second lockdown; it was an instant hit, and I was fully booked within the first week. I had to turn people away and politely ask them to book early for the following week.

“I tried to offer something a little different by adding a delicious dessert to my starter and main course options. The reviews were amazing, and I got so many comments about the quality, freshness and taste of the food and the addition of desserts with a takeaway.

“However, as lockdown ended and the restaurants reopened, I saw a tail off in business. This is when I got in touch with the Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce for some help.

“I want to take my business to the next level and wasn’t entirely sure how to do this. I had great advice from start-up advisor Aly Davidson.  Her advice was invaluable, as not only had she provided me with insight and knowledge to take my business forward but also, her encouragement and faith in me was so positive it made me realise that if I’ve done it once, I can do it again!

“The next exciting stage in the development of my business is to add party and corporate lunches to my offer whilst still continuing with my regular deliveries and my cake business, Adoracake.

“Going forwards I will be attending lots of Chamber meetings I have signed up to their Boosting Women in Business course. I aim to take every bit of help that’s offered and utilise the networking to build up my circle of contacts.

“I am incredibly grateful to Aly and the Chambers for this opportunity and for helping me on my new journey. The help may be free, but its value is immense as I would have struggled to learn so much and make so many wonderful contacts in a relatively short time.”

Aly Davidson added: “Nicki has a fabulous business and a great work ethic. I was impressed that she has quickly recognised that circumstances change, and you can’t stand still. That’s what we are here for, to give people the knowledge and tools to develop and grow their business. It’s a pleasure working with Nicki, and I have no doubt she will continue to build on her success.”

If you are thinking of starting a business and would like to discuss your plans, contact start@staffordshirechambers.co.uk or call 01782 202222.

Earlier this week, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released their latest latest labour market statistics.

The ONS Labour Force Survey estimates for February to April 2022 show that over the quarter there was an increase in the employment rate, while unemployment and economic inactivity rates decreased.

With an increasingly tight labour market, it has become much harder for employers to fill job vacancies. The knock-on effect is impacting on firms’ ability to operate normally and retain skills in the business.

The further rise in the employment rate coupled with a drop in the unemployment rate is good news, but they also reflect how little room for manoeuvre there is for unfilled vacancies on the ground.

With a new record set for the number of vacancies, and no easy way to fill them for many companies, labour shortages are likely to continue to damage the UK’s growth prospects.

Despite recruitment difficulties, the damage to firms’ finances from soaring inflation and rising national insurance will limit the extent to which wages can continue rising. A double-whammy as disposable income falls, and consumer spending decreases even further.

We need to find ways to bring people back into the UK labour market. Flexible working practices, rapid re-training opportunities and a focus on workplace health can support many economically inactive people to return to the workplace.

We will be directing much of our lobbying resource towards these crucial issues, not only for our area but through the British Chambers of Commerce who have a direct route to government ministers including the PM, the Chancellor and the Minister for Business, Innovation & Skills.

If these issues are affecting your business, we would like to hear from you. I would urge you to get in touch with our External Affairs and Communications Advisor, Rhouda Elalfy at the Chambers: rhouda.elalfy@staffordshirechambers.co.uk or 01782 202222.

You can view the full ONS report here: https://bit.ly/3mOJAeJ

The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee raised interest rates to 1.25 percent this week – we now have the highest rate in 13 years.

Business and consumer confidence is likely to be further damaged, causing fewer firms to invest and grow their business, ultimately having a negative impact on the UK’s economic growth.

Despite the effect that this will have on UK companies, the Bank of England has stated that an increase in interest rates will help to stabilise exchanges rates and ease rampant inflation.

You can join our discussion about interest rates and its impact on business in our Virtual Member’s Lounge from Monday at: bit.ly/3mQqi8T

I am delighted to announce that Chamber members can now book a stand at Let’s Do Business, Staffordshire’s largest business show, set to take place at Uttoxeter Racecourse on Thursday 20^th October.

Let’s Do Business will see over 1,000 delegates and local businesses come together to network, make new connections, showcase their services and ultimately, do business.

Each year, the very best Staffordshire companies come together to promote their products and services to decision makers from across the region. Let’s do Business is also a fantastic way to meet new customers and suppliers to help move your business to the next level.

Members can take advantage of our early bird offer to receive £50 off the cost of their stands.

Networking is still one of the most effective ways to promote and build business, and this event is a must-attend for any business looking to connect and share information with new and existing contacts.

Stands are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and the sooner you book, the bigger your choice of stands.

You can reserve your stand here: Let’s Do Business – Staffordshire Chambers

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