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

Woods Hardwick won Employer of the Year at the Bedfordshire SME Business Awards at the Auction House in Luton.

The independent architecture, engineering, planning and surveying practice has operated from Bedford since starting in 1987 and took home the Gold Award for how it has worked with its 80+ staff to provide the best employee experience and company culture.

Greystone Solicitors were crowned Gold Winners for Luton Business of the Year, and their Director Bilal Farooq, was awarded Bronze Winner in the Business Person of Year Category at the SME Bedfordshire Business Awards 2023, which took place on Thursday, 29th June 2023 at The Auction House.

For Joe Selmes, Headteacher of Bedfordshire special needs school Weatherfield Academy, it’s all about the “I can” – instilling in his pupils the belief that, done their way, achievement, progress, and excellence are well within their reach.

Small businesses are stronger when they’re part of something bigger, but also when they’re part of something local. And with membership of the Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce, you get the best of both worlds, as you’re also connected to the nationwide force for business that is the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

The Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Sue Lousada, is a seasoned businesswoman with a scientific background and a hands-on approach to getting things done. She’s also a true ambassador for business in the county, determined to use her post to “shine a light on the good that is in Bedfordshire.”

Focus on helping clients understand and mitigate the impact of their events


Wyboston Lakes Resort is partnering with event:decision to heighten sustainable processes, metrics and best practices at live and hybrid events held at the Resort.

As a member of Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce, your voice, input, and influence don’t stop at the county’s borders. As part of the wider British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), we represent your interests to policymakers, politicians, industry peers, and the media, at a national level.

Reacting to the new UK-Australia and UK-New Zealand trade deals which entered into effect at midnight, BCC Head of Trade, William Bain, said: 
 
“A new era of international trade will begin today as the first trade agreements agreed by the United Kingdom since it left the European Union come into force.  

Jaltek, a leading provider of Electronic Design and Manufacturing Solutions for over 35 years announces the arrival of a new Chief Financial Officer, Simon Wallington.  

Award winning conference, training and leisure venue Wyboston Lakes Resort has again been recognised as one of the best conference venues in the country, also as among the most sustainable.

Woods Hardwick Planning have this week been shortlisted for the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Awards for Planning Excellence 2023. 

The team is up for Small Planning Consultancy of the Year alongside DAC Planning, Lawson Planning Partnership Ltd and Sphere25 in the East of England category.

Deroiste Natural Beauty, a Bedfordshire-based business, has received a boost from Retail Entrepreneur Theo Paphitis. Esther Roche, Founder of Deroiste Natural Beauty, tweeted Theo about her business during ‘Small Business Sunday’ (SBS).

Local businesses invited to sponsor a sculpture

Keech Hospice Care’s Wild in Art trail will be back for 2024. The last trail in 2021, which featured 60 brightly-coloured elephants, raised over £230k for the much-loved local charity.

One of Luton’s longest established family-owned group of businesses, Neville Trust, which comprises of Neville Funerals, Neville Special Projects and Neville Joinery, has successfully installed and registered its first publicly available automated external defibrillator (AED), at its premises on Marsh Road, Luton.

An expanding research company has agreed deals on two office suites at a leading technology park in the heart of the Oxford Cambridge Arc, commercial property consultants Kirkby Diamond announced today.

SEMLEP High Growth Business Adviser Sandra Edwards has more than 18 years’ marketing experience in a variety of industries, working with B2B and B2C organisations.

It’s a double celebration for the King on 6 May, not only because the world will watch his Coronation at Westminster Abbey, but because it’s the day the entries open for his (recently renamed) King’s Awards for Enterprise 2024 – and we want to do everything we can to support a strong showing from our county and our members.

HM Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, Susan Lousada, is delighted that three Bedfordshire-based companies are among the winners in the 2023 King’s Awards for Enterprise. Formerly known as the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, these prestigious business awards are announced annually.

An intensive growth programme has announced it will deliver an extra university masterclass for business leaders to cope with demand for the service.

The Y Spa at Wyboston Lakes Resort has earned prestigious recognition by being announced as a finalist in the coveted Good Spa Awards 2023.

A dynamic growth programme is gearing up for its last two fully-funded university masterclasses for business leaders.

The Foxley Kingham Anniversary Foundation aimed high – literally – this year to raise funds for its charity partners. The courageous team of accountants undertook challenging, even ‘death-defying’ acts to inspire people to dig deep into their pockets for the three important local health and wellbeing charities.

When it comes to the importance of employees’ mental health and wellbeing, the stats speak for themselves: in a recent CIPD UK survey, 75% of HR professionals stated that these would be the most important areas in which to provide support to staff in 2023.

Fast-growing businesses across Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes and Bedfordshire only have a few weeks left to sign up for a dynamic peer networking group.

Company colleagues’ charity collections assist aid efforts following earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

Caring colleagues at Peli BioThermal have made substantial donations to help the ongoing relief efforts, supporting victims of the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

As the new financial year kicks in on 6^th April, your business will naturally find itself focused on the challenges and opportunities the new year will bring – projecting leads, assessing pipeline, forecasting income, and planning budgets.

Wyboston Lakes Resort in Bedfordshire has introduced a new sustainability initiative to reduce food waste across the resort.
 
The People’s Pantry will ensure that unsold or unused food from the Resort’s hotel and two event venues will be made available for colleagues to take home to share with their families.

Bedford-based Stuart Amies, of new Chamber member Kenect Recruitment, has a very clear vision of his role. It is not to shoehorn candidates into positions, but to understand and solve employers’ underlying recruitment problem – something they may not themselves be fully aware of.

With over a decade’s experience in recruitment, initially in the specialist education sector, he runs and manages the entire business - covering Commercial, Industrial, Travel, and Recruitment Consultancy.

The Bedford Giving Residents’ Panel has awarded its first grants to organisations to help young children in Bedford to thrive.

Neville Funerals, one of the Home Counties longest-established family-owned businesses, is reporting an increase in requests for Direct Funerals in the wake of both the pandemic and as a result of the current cost of living crisis.