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

Cash is king – how businesses can take control of their outgoings

The impacts of the pandemic will be felt well into the future but for now, businesses are taking their first steps in gradually reopening.

Coffee shops and cafes are welcoming customers inside, hairdressers and beauty salons are switching on the lights and workers are starting to return to the office.

Wyboston Lakes Resort has gained official recognition for its continuing extensive efforts to operate sustainably by achieving the EcoSmart Platinum Venue Award, after reaching the Gold level last year.

• Growth: 63% of firms surveyed confident in their growth prospects over next 12 months

• Restarting: 53% already operating at pre-pandemic capacity; 80% expect to be by October

• Barriers: 38% cited further lockdowns as a barrier to re-opening, while 37% cited ongoing social distancing measures

• Finance: 44% believe access to finance will help overcome the remaining barriers to fully restarting operations

Wyboston Lakes Resort has earned 45th place in the UK’s Top 100 Best Companies to Work For list 2021.

In the Top 75 Best Companies to Work for in the East of England, Wyboston Lakes Resort was ranked 21st and also at 10th in Leisure & Hospitality’s 20 Best Companies to Work For.

Businesses that deferred VAT payments last year have one month left to join online to pay in monthly instalments under the VAT Deferral New Payment Scheme, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has said.

The online portal for the new payment scheme closes on 21 June 2021.

Vice President of Crēdo™ on Demand will now lead ongoing expansion of worldwide services and network growth as company looks to further global presence

Engineering students at Central Bedfordshire College are thrilled to have the opportunity to extend their practical industry knowledge using top-of-the-range machines donated by Amazon.

The Government has announced to cut carbon emissions by 78% by 2035. With under 14 years to go, it is an ambitious goal which the Climate Change Committee says will require big changes. 
Robert Franklin, Head of Architecture & Building Surveying at Robinson & Hall explains…

A major new report is calling for a root and branch reform of the UK’s training system to help businesses access the skills they need to boost productivity.

The final report from the Workplace Training and Development Commission (WTDC), set up by the British Chambers of Commerce in partnership with Indeed, follows an 18-month in-depth study of what businesses want from adult skills training provision in the UK.

Speaking after news that the Trade and Co-operation Agreeement has been ratified, Hannah Essex, Co-Executive Director of the BCC, said:

“While there may be relief that the ratification of the TCA has gone smoothly, the reality is that the changes within the agreement have been operational now for almost four months.

Wyboston Lakes Resort in Bedfordshire has been awarded a 3-star accreditation for the second time by Best Companies, based on employee feedback. This means the venue is considered a ‘world class’ employer in terms of employee engagement.

Robinson & Hall, Land and Property Professionals provide an update on East West Rail…

“With a number of clients affected by the proposed corridor for East West Rail we have been awaiting more news of the proposed route. We have today received information of a consultation on five possible routes for the line between Bedford and Cambridge.The consultation also includes details of planned changes on the Milton Keynes to Bedford route.

Commenting on GDP figures for February 2021 published by the ONS, BCC Head of Economics, Suren Thiru, said:

“The latest data confirms a modest return to growth in February. However, coming after a contraction in January, it does little to alter the prospect of a downbeat first quarter for the UK economy.

Employers can claim up to £4,000 for taking on an apprentice aged 16-18.

And, apprentices of any age can attract £3,000 of funding.

Business Development Director Gina Bubbins of The Bedford College Group says:

The British Chamber of Commerce has signed the Armed Forces Covenant in a virtual signing event attended by the Assistant Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Simon Brooks-Ward CVO OBE TD VR.

The Forest of Marston Vale and Midas Pattern Company Ltd launch partnership to showcase zero-carbon business in action and plant trees in the local area

SHORTSTOWN AND COTTON END: Local Community Forest charity the Forest of Marston Vale has entered into a 5 year partnership with award-winning company Midas Pattern Company Ltd, planting 500 trees per year near Bedford and selling verified carbon units to cut the manufacturing company’s carbon footprint to absolute zero.

Company celebrates winning major accolade at Asia-Pacific Bioprocessing Excellence Awards

Peli BioThermal, the global name in temperature controlled packaging, was announced as winner of the Best Temperature Control Packaging Provider - Passive category at the annual Asia-Pacific Bioprocessing Excellence Awards 2021.

TWO of the leading publishing businesses in Milton Keynes, Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire have joined forces to create a new ‘print powerhouse’.
Lunar Publishing Ltd, which produces the monthly MK Pulse and NN Pulse lifestyle magazines, has relaunched the well respected and long-established Northamptonshire business publication Business Times earlier this year.

In March 2020 as part of the Budget, the Government committed to the preparation of a Spatial Framework for the Oxford to Cambridge Arc to guide the direction of development in this recognised growth corridor.

Robinson & Hall, Land and Property Professionals explain further….

Jaltek has invested in a TAKAYA APT-1400F Flying Probe Test machine from Accelonix Ltd. The new machine will sit alongside Jaltek’s existing Flying Probe further enhancing technical capacity and throughput.

There was a flood of bookings for all the facilities at Wyboston Lakes Resort immediately after the Prime Minister’s ‘roadmap’ announcement. 

From the spa and golf course to the hotel and conference centres, the few staff working were kept continually busy throughout the week handling enquiries and confirmations.

About six months ago my small bookkeeping business expanded to take on a part time assistant to help with admin and marketing which was a huge success. It was lovely to have a member of staff to talk things through with and the system we developed meant her work really saved me a lot of time (mainly a few hours a week swearing at my printer).

Sarah Howard MBE believes women in business have a lot to be proud of but more needs to be done to make sure their voices are heard, especially in company boardrooms.

The Board of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has today announced the appointment of Shevaun Haviland as the new Director General of the organisation.

The success of The Bedford College Group in winning the FE College of the Year Award has been made possible only through the support of employers.

By listening and learning, we have been able to adapt our curriculum and programmes, offers and courses, to meet your demands.

Giving his reaction to the Chancellor’s budget, Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the BCC, said:

“There’s much to welcome in this Budget for business communities across the UK. The Chancellor has listened and acted on our calls for immediate support to help struggling businesses reach the finish line of this gruelling marathon and to begin their recovery.

Giving his reaction to the Chancellor’s budget, Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the BCC, said:

“There’s much to welcome in this Budget for business communities across the UK. The Chancellor has listened and acted on our calls for immediate support to help struggling businesses reach the finish line of this gruelling marathon and to begin their recovery.

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.