We are aware that the impact of the Coronavirus/COVID-19 virus is likely to be a cause of serious concern to you, from both a business and a personal perspective.
The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson held his first live COVID-19 Update on Monday afternoon and has said the following:
Now is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact with others and to stop all unnecessary travel,” the prime minister says.
- Anyone who lives with someone who has a cough or a temperature should stay at home for 14 days
- People should start working from home where they possible can
- Avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and other such social venues
- Only use the NHS when we really need to
We wanted to reassure you that Norfolk Chambers is here to support you and your business; to help keep you up to date with the latest information; and to signpost you to a range of business solutions.
We are also waiting to hear from the Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, as to what other measures he is proposing to put in place to support the business community during this challenging time.
Norfolk Chambers team will remain available to you and continues to connect, support and give voice to every business in Norfolk.
However, we will be operating with a small team at the office for as long as we are able and the balance of our staff, including any ‘at risk’ team members will be working from home. This will mean that some of our services will be change slightly, but please be assured of our continued support for you and your business.
In particular, I wanted to update you as to how each part of our ‘offer’ is working to assist you, whilst operating in accordance with the latest Government requirements:
- Business Support: Norfolk Chambers’ membership gives businesses access to free HR, legal, tax and health & safety advice – much of which may be useful to you during the current COVID-19 situation. The Norfolk Chambers’ team is on hand to help you get the maximum benefits from your Chamber membership. For more information: [email protected] or we have a live-chat facility on our website during working hours.
- Events: In view of the latest advice, we have taken the decision to postpone all events/training courses until the end of April 2020. We will reconsider our position on events at this point. In the meantime, if you are booked onto an event during this period, we will be in touch to advise you about your booking. For any queries relating to our events, please contact [email protected] or 01603 625977
- Export documentation: This expert service continues to operate, but please note there may be a slight delay on the speed of service. We would encourage you to consider using the electronic e-zCert system to process your documentation wherever possible. We have also put contingency plans in place to ensure continuous service. For any queries relating to this please contact: [email protected] or call 01603 625977 and we will arrange a call back.
- Communications: All of our communications channels remain open to support members boost their customer reach and access support. For further information on using Norfolk Chamber’s website and accessing our social media platforms: [email protected] or 01603 625977
- Campaigning and policy: Norfolk Chambers continues to lobby hard on your company’s behalf. We very much welcome any feedback that you may have on how Covid-19 is impacting on your business and also suggestions of what the Government could do to help you to navigate this difficult period. Please contact Nova Fairbank on email: [email protected] or Tel: 01603 729713.
As you are aware, the response to Coronavirus/COVID-19 means that the advice to business is likely to change. We will ensure that Norfolk Chambers keeps you updated as the situation changes. The latest advice from Government on what businesses need to do and the support available to them can be found here.
Assuring you of our continued support.
Chris Sargisson
Chief Executive
