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

Employees from two Chamber members are cycling from John O' Groats to Land's End to raise money for The Alzheimers Society.   Steve Collinson from Admiral,  and Duncan Jack from Workflow are hoping to raise £5000 for the charity by completing the ride of 875 miles in just four days!

Commenting on today’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) interest rate decision, the first under the new Governor Mark Carney, David Kern, Chief Economist at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said:

• BCC’s Quarterly Economic Survey for Q2 2013 shows further progress, with most key balances stronger than in Q1 2013.
• Service export deliveries balance rose to +36%,  the highest level since the survey began in 1989
• UK business remains resilient, and confidence is rising, despite most balances remaining below their pre-recession levels in 2007

Groundwork Luton & Bedfordshire is part of Groundwork Hertfordshire which is an independent environmental charity which is part of a UK-wide Federation of Trusts that builds sustainable communities in areas of need. 

In an open letter to Mark Carney, who takes over as Bank of England Governor today. BCC Director General, John Longworth, urges him to do more to ensure a stable business environment, which will help to secure the UK’s future competitiveness. 

Business in Bedfordshire is on the up! That was the message from Rod Calvert OBE, Chairman of Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce at the business support organisation’s annual Members’ Summer Reception.

Defence and industry representatives involved in the land equipment sector gathered at Millbrook Proving Ground last week (19^th & 20^th June) to showcase innovative and efficient solutions for the support, upkeep and development of land equipment and capabilities that will feature in the Army 2020 structure.

Are you a keen cyclist?  Why not enjoy the challenge of a ride from London to Brussels via Amsterdam while raising money for child bereavement charity CHUMS? 

Chamber member Kier Homes, based in Sandy, has won a Silver Award from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) , for its occupational and safety management standards.

Commenting on the Spending Round for 2015/16, set out by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the House of Commons today (Wednesday), John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

It has been brought to our attention that someone has been calling companies stating that they are from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). They have been asking for a company’s full address as well as more sensitive information.

The Local Enterprise Agency SEMLEP is recruiting for two posts:  Business and Economic Analyst and Head of Business Development.

• Public sector borrowing, excluding transfers from the Bank of England QE scheme, was £12.7bn in May 2013, compared with net borrowing of £15.6bn in May 2012
• Public sector net debt was 75.2% of GDP

Chamber member Acuigen,  a specialist customer feedback service company, is recruiting for a Business Development Executive. The key purpose of the role is to initiate and build business relationships that secure business.

Businesses in Bedfordshire can now apply for a share of the new £2.5 million Grants4Growth programme – which is being distributed via Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) to companies based in the East of England.

• Annual Consumer Price Inflation was 2.7% in the year to May 2013, up from 2.4% in April
• Annual RPI inflation was 3.1% in May 2013, up from 2.9% in April

“GermanContractors” (www.germancontractors.co.uk) is an online construction directory designed for British construction companies and developers, architects, project planners and specifiers.

On Tuesday 18^th June, more than 180 people will tackle the Millbrook Proving Ground’s second running of the Millbrook Alpine DVD (M.A.D) challenge, a gruelling 5k Alpine and off-road race, to again raise money for Help for Heroes.

 Streets Chartered Accountants, a top 40 UK Accountancy firm, has recruited Gareth Short, a leading sports tax adviser, to spearhead the development of its new dedicated sports tax practice.

The Chamber Awards close for business entries on the 28th June.   Any business entering any of the eight business categories by 21st June 2013 will be entered into a prize draw to win an iPad mini.

Moves to be environmentally sustainable have gained the University of Bedfordshire a First in the People & Planet Green League 2013.

Several initiatives have helped propel the institution to number 20 – a leap of 16 places from last year’s 36 – out of 143 universities in the league, published in The Guardian on Tuesday 11 June.

More than 1.4 million employer PAYE schemes are now reporting to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in real time since the launch of new tax reporting requirements in April.

Lisa Emms has joined Robinson and Hall as  Lettings Assistant.

• Manufacturing output in April 2013: -0.2% on the month, -0.5% year on year
• Total industrial production in April 2013: +0.1% on the month, -0.6% year on year

As part of the on-going regeneration of the area and improvement to the road network in Dunstable, Bedfordshire Highways will be carrying out essential road works on Poynters Road.

A new service is being offered to clients of Risk Management Consultancy, THSP, to help them keep up to date with the complex world of Employment Law.  An ‘Employment Safe Newsletter’, published monthly, will focus on changes to Government legislation as well as highlighting possible implications and potential pitfalls of these changes to employers.  

Close to 100 Bedfordshire and Luton businesses completed a survey during Business Continuity Awareness Week this March about how prepared they are if disaster strikes. In a prize draw that accompanied the survey Bedfordshire business Kidatu Ltd won an iPad Mini and a free session with experts from the Bedfordshire and Luton Local Resilience Forum (BLLRF) to develop its Business Continuity Plan.