Latest updates and stories from Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce and its Members

A Luton community and business leader has spoken of his pride at being appointed as Deputy Lieutenant of Bedfordshire at the age of just 38.

Father-of-four Mostaque Koyes, from Luton, is one of the youngest people to hold the honorary position in the county.

Central Bedfordshire Council, in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, has launched a community testing initiative to help drive down Covid-19 transmission rates.

A new grant funding pot of £475,000 has been made available by the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) to help small and medium sized enterprises in Bedfordshire to reduce the energy consumption and carbon emissions of their commercial premises.

Works are close to completion on the big improvements to Allhallows and Church Square.

Allhallows is a key part of Bedford town centre, and is a busy link between the town, the bus station and the train station. The whole stretch of Allhallows from St Loyes Street down to Midland Road, and Church Square is set to be improved in a major project.

Commenting on the announcement of the fund, Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the BCC, said: 
 
“This is a welcome first step in dealing with some of the major issues that small businesses trading with the EU are facing.

Results from the first major business survey for 2021 by the British Chambers of Commerce on Brexit found that half (49%) of  exporters  are  facing difficulties in adapting to the changes in the trade of goods following the ratification of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) on 1 January 2021. 

• Work commences on a further 250,000 sq ft of prime distribution and logistics space at Bedford Commercial Park
• Phase two of development follows leasing of 407,143 sq ft distribution warehouse and completion of i-Worx innovation units 
• Strategic location at heart of Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor to provide customers with access to 32 million consumers within a two-hour drivetime
Goodman has broken ground on 250,000 sq ft of prime distribution and logistics space at Bedford Commercial Park.

Wyboston Lakes Resort has appointed Chelsey Hutchinson as chair of the 380-acre conference, training and leisure resort in Bedfordshire.

Hutchinson, 34, has spent a decade working across every area of the Resort, including four years as a board director.

Luton Businesswoman, Bina Briggs has been selected to be part of the F: Entrepreneur Top 100 businesswomen in their #isalso campaign for 2021.
This campaign highlights inspiring female business leaders across the UK.
Bina owns Plain Talking HR, an HR consultancy based in Luton supporting clients with HR requirements.

Providing pandemic response support sees company’s Crēdo™ on Demand network expand with latest airline cargo collaboration

Peli BioThermal, the global name in temperature controlled packaging, announces its latest partnership with Asiana Airlines, which will see an extensive expansion of the company’s growing global network.

This is the year of new beginnings for so many in business and industry.

At The Bedford College Group we are focussed on supporting employers who need staff with the right skills to navigate the “new normal”, or Brexit Britain, or tackle technology fast-forwarded by lockdowns and ‘working from home’.

Neville Funerals has announced that it is to open a new branch at Dunstable in January 2021. This will be the long-established firm’s ninth branch to open in its heartland of the Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire region.

The start of 2021 sees the appointment of Sarah Williams as a new Business Development Partner for top UK accountancy practice, Streets Chartered Accountants.

The British Chambers of Commerce’s Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) – the UK’s largest independent survey of business sentiment and a leading indicator of UK GDP growth – found that business conditions remained weak in the fourth quarter as the second lockdown squeezed activity.

 
Commenting on the support measures for business announced by the Chancellor, BCC Director General, Adam Marshall said:   
 
'While this immediate cash flow support for business is welcome, it is not going to be enough to save many firms.

Despite the pandemic, a local leisure company has seen an increase in profits and clientele after seeking free SME business support from the University of Bedfordshire.

We have been eagerly awaiting the latest information from Defra on changes to agricultural policy following Brexit and our withdrawal from the Common Agricultural Policy. On 30th November we received the England’s Agricultural Transition Plan which sets out Defra’s future plans.

The events of 2020 have had a significant impact on the wellbeing of many people across the country. When we first went into lockdown in March, half of British adults reported feeling anxious. Health, making ends meet and job security were among the top worries - and for many people, still are.

In October British Chambers of Commerce alongside the local Chamber network, launched a campaign to recognise the incredible work UK businesses have been doing to support local communities, innovate and meet new demands during the Coronavirus pandemic.

British Chambers of Commerce calls for the government to give businesses more evidence, support and clarity to weather Coronavirus restrictions and help power our economic recovery. 

Business owners face many challenges, from attracting new customers to maintaining profitability. Building high-performing teams is another. Many business owners want to get more out of their teams but simply don’t know how to. They don’t have clarity on performance. They aren’t natural coaches. And they don’t know how to get the best out of people.

Peli BioThermal, the global name in temperature controlled packaging, announces it has been recognised as a UK Business Hero for its efforts during the pandemic. 

With normal fundraising activities affected by Covid-19, MacIntyre, a national charity providing education, support, and care for over 1,200 people with learning disabilities and/or autism, are taking part in the 2020 Big Give Christmas Challenge. 

Abel Bunu, Senior Planner at Robinson & Hall, Land and Property Professionals, provides a planning update of key areas which may interest you.

National restrictions continue to significantly affect businesses across the country. While non-essential retail, hospitality and leisure businesses have had to temporarily close during lockdown, those businesses which are still operating will also have been heavily affected by the pandemic.

British Chambers of Commerce calls for evidence and clarity for businesses as government mulls post-December 2nd Coronavirus restrictions in England

Many businesses have had to make spending cuts due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the latest IPA Bellwether report reveals a record decline in marketing budgets in 2020.

The Bedford College Group has won the title of FE College of the Year in the prestigious Times Educational Supplement (TES) Further Education awards.

The Bedford-based company revalidates its Silver Award, which is part of the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).
 
This timber garden products manufacturer was firstly awarded in 2015 with the Bronze recognition.

Business uncertainty seems set to continue for some time, and we don’t know exactly how things will look on the other side. What was key to unlocking success before might not be the same going forward.

Priorities may need to change as new and exciting opportunities emerge. Now is the perfect time to challenge our plans and think about what we might need to do differently.