Influence & Network

‘Dear Chancellor…..’ – our wish list for the March Budget We have written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, who will deliver his Spring Budget on Wednesday (6th). 

Air pollution continues to pose a large environmental public health risk in the UK and threatens the lives of the more vulnerable members of our society. Recent studies suggest that

Businesses in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire during the last 12 months were celebrated with no fewer than 15 category awards

A framework for businesses to tackle the literacy challenges throughout the county.

The government’s clean air strategy aims to protect the nation’s health, protect the environment, and secure green growth and innovation.

….The fall of the Berlin Wall…. ….UK music charts dominated by Jive Bunny…. ….Port Vale join Stoke City in the second tier of English football, to reignite “El Ceramico” sporting

You’re sat on a train which has just stopped at Stoke-on-Trent Station. The doors close and the train glides away from the station, heading northwards. Look to one side and

Last week I joined my fellow Chamber colleagues from across the global network, for the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Global Annual Conference (GAC). Hosted at the QEII Centre in

I’m delighted to announce that we are launching a new International Trade forum, open to our member businesses who export and import goods and services from overseas. The forum will

Last week saw the launch of our Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce Business Manifesto.  It’s not long to go until the 2024 General Election and time for us to outline our commitments

Last week, our Transport Forum held its first meeting of 2024. The main topic of discussion centred around electric vehicles and we were pleased to welcome one of our Chamber members,

Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce is the voice of business and we connect our members with key decision-makers. It’s why we took a group of our patrons and members to the

In last month’s Money Matters Forum meeting, we discussed the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement which will be delivered on Wednesday 22nd November 2023. We’ve developed a number of key business ‘asks’.

A bitter Arctic wind blew across the centre of Stafford last week, as I ventured out from our Stafford Chamber office at lunchtime. The giant Christmas tree in Market Square

There was an outbreak of election fever at Staffordshire Chambers last week, with members casting their votes for new applicants to join our Stafford Chamber Local Area Advisory Board and

It’s election season at Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, as we invite our members to apply for places on our local area advisory boards, in both Stafford and the Staffordshire Moorlands. 

Our Chamber forums are a great way for our members to come together and shape our policy and lobbying work. Chamber forums are also a perfect opportunity to grow learning

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

Last week’s Chamber Transport forum had a packed agenda of guest speakers, with updates on ambitious proposals to link Hanley and Stoke-on-Trent Station, improvements to local bus services and developments

I’ve started work on the development of our new Business Manifesto. The previous one was published in early 2022 but so much has happened to our economy in the last

Let’s talk about the powerhouse that is manufacturing in Staffordshire. This sector not only contributes a solid 10 per cent to the local economy but also showcases the region’s exceptional

With a population of more than 123,000, the Borough of Newcastle under Lyme stretches across the north of Staffordshire, extending from the edges of Market Drayton, over to Kidsgrove and

Train passenger numbers continue to climb after the pandemic. Trains bring people to and from work and they also move people for work. It’s so important for a rail network

I’ll start this week’s blog by turning the clock back to 25th September 2015. David Cameron was the Prime Minister. Barack Obama was the US President. The United Kingdom was

A group of our Stafford Chamber Local Area Advisory Board (LAAB) members recently joined the Deputy CEO of Stafford Borough Council, Gregg Stott, to have a look at the centre

Well, it’s official! Last week saw the announcement that the UK economy slipped into recession at the end of 2023.  The release of economic results confirmed that the UK economy

Last week saw the Government announcement of new powers for communities to regenerate high streets and fill empty shops, due to come into force by the summer.  The powers will

8 million sq feet – or the size of 140 football fields? Whichever way you look at it, the West Midlands Interchange (WMI) site in South Staffordshire will be a

Transport is a key enabler for business, moving both people and goods. Staffordshire enjoys exceptional connectivity with four major airports (Birmingham, East Midlands, Liverpool and Manchester) and three major population

Next month sees the inaugural meeting of our new International Trade forum, and we’re calling on Staffordshire’s importers and exports to get involved and join the meeting on 20 November.

Last week, our Employment, Skills and HR forum received a very informative update on gender equality from Helen Bailey, Head of Learning and Development at Strategi Solutions. Helen reviewed a

The start of April, a new financial year and the chance to review our role as ‘the voice of business’ in Staffordshire.  It’s been a hectic start to 2024 but

It was very deflating to read that February 2024 will go down as the world’s warmest February in modern times. The news links with data from the EU’s climate service,

Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce recently held our first digital forum of the year, hosted at our Stafford office. As a digital forum, it was appropriate that members had the ‘hybrid’

I’m kicking off the week by meeting with Stafford Borough Council’s Climate Change Commission.  I’ve been asked to deliver an update on how Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce is promoting the

Last week was a hectic week at Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, with the delivery of more flagship events.  During the course of the year, our Events team successfully co-ordinates a

After months of speculation, it’s finally been confirmed that the country will go to the polls on Thursday, 4 July. Rishi Sunak fired the starting gun on what promises to

I was fortunate enough to join one of the first “Teapot Tours” organised by Simon Davies, MD of Protectapet, which have now boomed in popularity as Simon continues his mission

We were disappointed to hear of the announcement to delay the start of construction of Phase 2A of the HS2 line. The line has been split into sections – and

Chances are that when you read this, there will be just over a fortnight until the 2024 General Election. The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, announced that there would be a

Manufacturing…the heartbeat of our economy and the largest sector of employment in our region.  It’s a sector which has its own dedicated Staffordshire Chambers’ policy forum, with the aim of

Last week we invited Simon Davies of The Teapot Factory – CIC, to join our Planning & Infrastructure forum. Simon is a successful local entrepreneur, and won The King’s Award

Last week, we hosted a business round table meeting at Commerce House, with the Bank of England joining a cross-section of local business owners to discuss the performance of the

Every three months, all Chambers of Commerce across the UK ask businesses in their respective areas to complete a Quarterly Economic Survey, or QES. QES is the UK’s longest-running independent

Our Digital Forum aims to drive the growing digital sector in Staffordshire, enabling businesses to freely exchange information, share best practice and discuss digital innovation, information communication technology and artificial

It’s been another busy week at Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce. On Wednesday we had the chance to say “Willkommen in Stoke-on-Trent!” to a delegation of German visitors from Stoke-on-Trent’s twin

Staffordshire Chambers Energy Services: Expert Energy Advice for Staffordshire Business Owners. If you are a Staffordshire Chambers member, you can benefit from Staffordshire Chambers Energy Services provided by Troo. This

Find new customers, promote your business and network with other Chamber members.

On Thursday 4th May, voters went to the polls in local elections taking place in many parts of Staffordshire. A week before we brought the then Leader of Stoke on

Our influence and policy team aims to represent the interests of Staffordshire businesses at a local and national level.