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

If you still haven’t sent in your 2011-12 Self Assessment tax return, you’ve got just a few days left to do so and avoid a penalty.

Climate Week is a supercharged national campaign to inspire a new wave of action on climate change. It culminates with thousands of events and activities taking place throughout the week of 4 to 10 March 2013, planned by organisations from every part of society. Showcasing real, practical ways to combat climate change, the campaign aims to renew our ambition to create a more sustainable, low-carbon future.

New EPC changes came into effect this week which means that an EPC must have been commissioned prior to marketing and obtained within 7 days of the property first being marketed. It is also essential to make the EPC available to prospective buyers and tenants when requested and advertise the EPC’s rating on all advertisements, both print and online. It is no longer necessary, however, to attach the front page of the EPC to written material.

If you want to know more about developing skills through education and training and find out about local jobs then the Luton Employment, Training and Skills Fair is for you.

Weather forecasters are predicting snow in the next few weeks with temperatures dropping in some parts of the country to as low as -15 degrees.  If previous experience is anything to go by, the adverse weather conditions are likely to cause massive problems for  businesses and their ability to function, especially those in rural areas and trading estates.

Commenting on the proposals to launch a national traineeship programme published by the government today, Dr Adam Marshall, Director of Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:

Bedfordshire Chamber member East Anglian Air Ambulance has appointed Professor Timothy Hodgetts, a serving Colonel in the British Army, as Director of Clinical Quality and Development. Professor Hodgetts’ appointment will significantly increase the medical scope and capability of the Charity, adding considerably to our existing professional clinical expertise.

Dr David Zideman has been appointed by East Anglian Air Ambulance to take up a new role of Director of Clinical Operations.  EAAA now runs 2 dedicated air ambulances every day of the year and is about to start flying night-time missions. 

Hastingsbury Business and Enterprise College are currently seeking any Business partners who would be able to provide two hours of their time to attend their Year ( Options Evening and Careers Fair, an event to support students who are currently making important decisions about their future pathways. 

Bedford College is holding a series of open days which will help prospective students find out more about study options at the college.

Central Bedfordshire University Technical College opened in September 2012 to a Post 16 cohort, and will welcome its first Year 10 students in September 2013.

A fully-funded programme, supported by the European Social Fund in partnership with Central Bedfordshire Council and Bedford Borough Council, is being offered by the University of Bedfordshire. Skills for Growth offers organisations operating in Bedfordshire the opportunity to develop their employees' leadership and management skills.

Are you the owner of a small or medium sized enterprise? Are you facing challenges in today's turbulent and competitive market? Would you like to improve your business and revenue?

Robinson & Hall’s Property Auction department is now known as Auction House Beds & Bucks due to joining the country’s largest and fastest growing auctioneers, Auction House UK.

Cenex, the UK’s centre of excellence for low carbon and fuel cell technologies, will host its sixth annual Low Carbon Vehicle (LCV2013) event on 4 and 5 September at Millbrook Proving Ground.

Irfan Khan, a business graduate from the University of Bedfordshire, is applying the skills and knowledge he learnt during his degree to the world of work through Arriva UK’s Business Development and General Management Scheme.

Alcohol Services for the Community (asc)  is seeking sponsors for an event that is intended to help understanding of behaviours that lead to problematic family drinking and develop strategies to reduce existing and future problems.

Chamber Members Zest Solutions, the Milton Keynes based IT support and hardware company, have expanded their business into the hand sanitising sector by waging war on living breading germs rather than the electronic type.

BIS Minister Michael Fallon has announced that the government are looking for two Entrepreneurs in Residence. They want to bring small businesses and entrepreneurs in to the heart of government in order to ensure that policy decisions have the small firm perspective taken into account from the very outset.

Around 300 people from various voluntary agencies together with staff and the general public attended a stunning fundraising ball for The Mary Seacole Housing Association Limited.

The Basepoint Innovation and Business Centre in Luton has donated £1,744 to its chosen charity, ReachOut Plus, and also £346 to St. Vincent de Paul, an international Christian voluntary organisation that tackles poverty.

The Premier Newspaper Group commends Zest Solutions on making the finals of the Annual Bedfordshire & Luton Rising Stars Business Excellence Awards 2012.

The Bedfordshire based company were finalists in the New Business of the Year category; Zest Solutions received their commendation for all the hard work and dedication they put in to each day to grow and develop their business solutions and IT company.

Wyboston Lakes, the leading conference, training and leisure venue, has won the accolade for customer service in the annual Bedfordshire & Luton ‘Rising Stars’ Business Excellence awards. The achievement underlines the company’s comprehensive commitment to the training of all employees to provide exemplary standards of service not only to external customers, but also to working colleagues.

The National Health Service spends billions of pounds each year on products and services. The University’s Knowledge Network takes a look at the NHS’s procurement process, on 29 November, to find out how local small businesses can compete to become NHS suppliers.

The Barnfield Federation is planning to put together an employer focus group for their Academy and Free schools. They are inviting expressions of interest from larger employers, particularly in the following sectors. Barnfield Federation see this as an opportunity to use their experience and put something back into the community through the education of young people.

Augur Group is holding a public exhibition at Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce in Kimpton Road to set up proposals for the development of Napier Park and Stirling Place on the former site of the Vauxhall Motors car plant.

The National Health Service spends billions of pounds each year on products and services. The University’s Knowledge Network takes a look at the NHS’s procurement process, on 29 November, to find out how local small businesses can compete to become NHS suppliers.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is reminding anyone sending their 2011/12 tax return on paper that they need to do so by the 31 October deadline, if they want to avoid a penalty.

Paper tax returns received on or after 1 November will result in a £100 penalty – even if there is no tax to pay or the tax due is paid on time.