Norfolk Chamber members Chantry Place have been working towards improving the sustainability of the centre. Although built with it in mind, they have been working hard to have sustainability at the heart of their operational practices, culture and values. Their goals include:
Actively monitoring and reducing waste
Considering sustainability in everything we do
Engaging our 1,244 employees with our values
Supporting local businesses, charities and our local community
Being inclusive
Supporting our team with mental and physical wellbeing
Always reviewing, learning and understanding how we can do better
Responding to news of the ratification of the Windsor Framework, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said:
“The joint EU and UK decision to give formal effect to the Windsor Agreement is another important step in improving trading conditions between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
“For the BCC, the priority is now making sure the new customs and paperwork arrangements, plus the trusted trader schemes, work smoothly for businesses either side of the Irish Sea.
“We look forward to close engagement with HMRC over the coming months to make sure the on-the-ground reality of this deal produces tangible benefits for firms.”
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) are taking expressions of interest from companies who want to be considered to join our UK trade mission and take advantage of the opportunities offered across the Middle East, Gulf States and beyond.
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is pleased to announce that we will be taking a delegation of Sustainable Infrastructure companies from the English Regions on a trade mission to the UAE.
This mission is planned for the 3rd – 8th December 2023 and is a great opportunity to learn about the developments and opportunities in the wider construction sector in the UAE and across the Middle East region.
Both the BIG 5 exhibition and COP28 will be taking place in Dubai during the mission dates. If your business is in the infrastructure sector and you are looking to grow internationally, it’s an opportunity not to be missed.
Join our Trade Mission:
We are taking expressions of interest from companies who want to be considered to join our UK trade mission and take advantage of the opportunities offered across the Middle East, Gulf States and beyond.
Places on this mission are limited, so please use the link below to view further information and to register your interest in joining.
Yesterday saw our series of Focus Engagement Groups arrive in Dereham, we met at The George Hotel in Dereham town centre for another opportunity to hear what we can be doing to better support and give voice to every business in Norfolk.
Our thanks go to our event sponsors, Upp, for their help and insight into the day’s discussions, as well as to the George Hotel for hosting us. Thanks also to Kelly Cartwright from Core Recruiter Ltd and Katie Norwood, Account Manager.
To start the discussion, the question of how ageing broadband infrastructure can impact business was raised by our sponsors, Upp. The consensus was that while technology can allow greater connectivity, more rural locations such as market towns and smaller villages can suffer from lack of availability,
The point was raised how broadband speed and mobile phone signal plays a huge part not only for business leaders on deciding where to base their business but also homeowners, it was felt that it now is one of the first things people ask when buying a house.
The other topic of discussion was on the lack of basic skills that is presenting in new employees, Soft skills are a major gap, from the very basics such as CV writing and understanding of Tax and national insurance through to more complicated issues like interpersonal skills.
It is felt that Dereham is growing with new businesses opening in Rusher Green and new housing but the worry is can the infrastructure cope, Dereham is often gridlock.
We were also told about the Konect Bus app which many of us were not aware of which not only is helpful for people to see when busses are coming but also helps parents give teenagers more freedom as they can see where the bus is just by looking at the app giving parents more peace of mind.
Have your voice heard at your local Focus Group – see our upcoming groups here.
Responding to the latest inflation figures from the ONS, David Bharier, Head of Research at the British Chambers of Commerce, said:
“Today’s easing of the CPI rate to 3.4% will give businesses and consumers some sense of relief. At 4.5%, core inflation has also slowed, and the producer price index for input costs remains negative at –2.7%.
“These positive trends were to be expected as many of the key drivers have begun to fall away.
“However, we are now two years into this inflation shock and prices have simply stabilised at a much higher level. Uncertainty for businesses remains high. Further rises in the minimum wage are likely to impact pay differentials, and the ongoing crisis in Gaza, alongside shipping disruption in the Red Sea, is a source of great instability.
“It is also a concern that the owner occupiers’ housing (OOH) component of CPIH has risen by 6.0%, indicating the adverse impact of higher interest rates. This measure is likely to be exacerbated by further council tax rises.
“The fundamental issues for SMEs still remain – skills shortages, a lack of infrastructure investment, and trade barriers, particularly with the EU, which all feed into GDP growth expectations of less than 1% for the coming years.”
More information on the ONS data can be found here.
Trade sanctions seek to deny Russia access to the goods, technologies and revenue necessary to pursue its illegal war. The aim of this notice is to prevent the undermining of trade sanctions, export controls, and other restrictive measures designed and implemented in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Awareness of the risk and obligations in relation to sanctioned goods is an important first step for trade.
Reacting to the news that the trade deals with Australia and New Zealand will come into force on May 31, Julie Austin, International Trade Quality Manager at Norfolk Chambers said:
“It is good news to hear that the free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand will finally come into force at the end of the month.
“These deals will lower tariffs, simplify customs procedures, allow for greater freedom of movement for labour and provide stronger market access for the UK’s world-leading services sector.
“But the success of any free trade agreement comes down to whether businesses use it, so it’s vital the Government shouts from the rooftops about these new opportunities.
“A recent BCC survey also found almost a quarter of firms (23%) said finding a business partner or distributor overseas would encourage them to either start exporting or export more.
“We have strong Chambers in both Australia and New Zealand and will be working with them to get the most out of these trade deals for all our economies.”
Further details on the trade agreements can be found here, for Australia, and here, for New Zealand.
Find out how the Norfolk Chambers could support your business with International Trade here.
On Tuesday 19th September we held The Big Breakfast at Royal Norwich where we heard from our panel who covered topics discussed in our Focus Groups. Lots of great connections were made and some fascinating table discussions took place around phase 2 of the Norfolk & Suffolk LSIP.
A BIG thanks to our panel, James Ingham (UPP), Harry Harris (Swarm Training), Gemma Crane (Mindset-HR), and James Howells (Turning Factor) for sharing their views and advice on some key issues such as workplace wellbeing, skills, and more.
Thanks to Royal Norwich for providing a lovely full English breakfast and to our headline sponsors Turning Factor.
Businesses keep telling us that skills, recruitment and talent retention are major issues for them. The Big Breakfast gave us a brilliant opportunity to discuss these, our ongoing work on the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) and hear from industry leaders on what businesses can do to overcome those issues. We’ve had amazing feedback on the networking, roundtable discussions…not to mention the breakfast. All your insight will go straight into Phase 2 of our LSIP, and inform what we do next with our focus groups around the county.
Dean Pierpoint, LSIP Project Manager:
“It was great to see so many businesses attend The Big Breakfast to discuss skills and workforce development, a great networking buzz made for a very positive event for all involved.”
As we look ahead to 2024 and new opportunities for our members, we are seriously considering the economic viability of a business hub. It would have a mix of hot-desking space and longer-term desk rentals in the city centre – would you use it?
A well-curated space with a level of quality you would expect from a Chamber of Commerce. Everything you’d need to work effectively and productively, with the bonus of having our team on hand to support you.
Unexpectedly wet weather since Wednesday prevented the opening of the new bridge over the A47 at Postwick last night (Thurs-Fri).
Surfacing the new bridge was halted by persistent and sometimes heavy rain on Wednesday. The asphalt surface will not bind to the base layers if they are wet. It had been hoped to catch up yesterday (Thurs 15 Oct), but this was not possible and last night it was decided that it would not be safe to open the new bridge as planned this morning (Fri).
Instead, the old bridge across the A47 was kept open as the route towards Broadland Business Park, Thorpe St Andrew and east Norwich for traffic from the Acle and Great Yarmouth direction, and as the route to Postwick village.
Work on the new bridge will resume as soon as the weather allows. The aim is to open the new bridge, and close the old, overnight tonight (Fri) if possible. Traffic would then start using the new bridge tomorrow morning (Sat). Thiswill only happen if it is safe to do so.
Drivers are asked to pay particular attention to direction signs through the junction during this change-over phase. Norfolk County Council is sorry for last night’s late change of plan, which was for reasons beyond our control and in the interests of road safety.
Further information on the Postwick junction, including the new temporary traffic flows, the safety reasons for the junction layout and final routes for traffic,is available on Norfolk County Council’s website: www.norfolk.gov.uk.
The King’s Awards for Enterprise is the most prestigious award for UK businesses and can bring substantial benefits to winners, including increased staff morale, boosts to turnover and international trade, promotes greater recognition and excellent marketing opportunities.
The award recognises and rewards outstanding achievement in the following fields:
International Trade – Recognising companies that have demonstrated growth in overseas earnings;
Innovation – Recognising companies that have demonstrated commercial success through innovative products or services;
Sustainable Development – Recognising companies that have integrated environmental, social, economic and management aspects of sustainable development into their business;
Promoting opportunity through social mobility – Awarded for social mobility programmes that help people from disadvantaged backgrounds into successful working lives
Support is also available from Norfolk Lieutenancy. Please feel free to email us [email protected] to express an interest in the Award.
These awards are made annually by HM The King and are only given for the highest levels of excellence demonstrated in each category. They are judged to a demanding level and winners are invited to a Royal reception, are presented with the award by the Lord-Lieutenant of Norfolk and are able to fly the King’s Award flag at their head office and use the emblem on marketing materials.
The Lord-Lieutenant encourages Norfolk businesses to enter The King’s Awards for Enterprise.
Previous corporate winners in Norfolk have come from a diverse selection of business sectors and have included large and small businesses. Recipients of the individual award have been from varied social and professional backgrounds.
Reacting to the latest GDP data from the ONS, David Bharier, Head of Research at the BCC, said:
“Today’s GDP figure of0.1% growth for the three months to April further indicates the UK economy is trapped on a low-growth trajectory. Our own forecast expects 0.3% growth for the whole of 2023as our research continues to show that most SMEs are still holding back on their investment plans.
“Our forecast also expects a 4.7% decline in exports this year. Further upcoming changes on trade with the EU, such as new reporting requirements and import charges, will also add more pressure to exporters, many of whomhave seen diminished activity due to mounting trade barriers.
“Following three years of economic shocks, a stronger investmentenvironment could be created by easing the tightness in the labour market, tackling stubbornly high inflation, and significantly improving our trading relationships.”