Mentoring and development expert Graeme Crosbie has been appointed as the new chairman of Somerset Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors, with recruitment specialist Emma Warren named as his vice chairman. The pair were appointed at Somerset Chamber’s online Annual General Meeting last Thursday, which also saw the departure of outgoing chairman, recruitment businesswoman Helen Lacey, who h...

As Somerset (Mendip, South Somerset, Sedgemoor and Somerset West and Taunton) was earmarked to go into Tier 2 post national locakdown and North Somerset was facing Tier 3, the British Chambers of Commerce Director General, Adam Marshall, warned ongoing restrictions would have a devastating impact on business.   He said: “To weather a difficult winter ahead, greater support will be needed for ...

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has warned the economy is expected to shrink by 11.3% this year and will not return to its pre-COVID size until the end of 2022. Setting out his winter Spending Review, the Chancellor said the Coronavirus pandemic had done "lasting" damage to the economy and warned: "Our economic emergency has only just begun." Key findings from the review and statistics released by the Go...

The Prime Minister confirmed the national lockdown would end on December 2 as planned and be replaced with “tougher” regional tiers, which will be announced on Thursday. Gyms, shops and personal care providers can also re-open, while the 10pm pub curfew has been replaced with last orders at 10pm and doors closed by 11pm. Providing an initial response to the Prime Minister’s announcement, BC...

The winners of the Somerset Education Business Partnership Awards 2020 were revealed on Thursday, November 19. Thatchers Cider took the prize for Careers Inspiration in Business (50+ Employees). Head of Field Sales, Emma Cox, said: "This award is really special as its celebrates the work we do in schools with the young people who are at the heart of our young talent programme and community." The...

Commenting on the announcement that the UK and Canada have finalised a trade agreement to replace CETA - the existing deal it has through European Union membership - BCC Director General Adam Marshall said: “Securing continued access to one of our top trading partners, will be warmly welcomed by our business communities.     "Firms will be keen to see the UK and Canada contin...

The British Chambers of Commerce has called on the UK Government to publish its approach to national Coronavirus restrictions in England without delay, providing firms with:At least one week’s notice ahead of the end of lockdown on December 2 Scientific evidence for any continuing restrictions on specific business sectors An economic impact assessment of the impact of continued business...

Commenting on the Government’s net zero plan to tackle climate change, BCC Director General Adam Marshall said: “As business communities restart and rebuild after the pandemic, Chambers are clear that the transition to net zero must be measurable, credible and fair.  “The Prime Minister’s announcement is a step forward on this journey, but more detail and even higher levels of ...

Charities, individuals and businesses have just two weeks left to enter the Somerset Business Awards – and with 14 categories there is something for firms of all sizes across all sectors. The deadline for entries is midday on November 27 with all entries needing to be submitted via the Somerset Business Awards website www.somersetbusinessawards.org.uk. The awards are now in their 16th year and...

The UK economy has come out of the recession caused by the original Coronavirus lockdown, but growth is showing signs of slowing down, according to the latest GDP figures from the Office for National Statistics. Growth of 15.5% in July to September was the biggest on record, following a six-month slump caused by lockdown. However, growth was weaker in September than in the preceding months, whi...

The UK's unemployment rate rose to 4.8% in the three months to September, up from 4.5%, as Coronavirus continued to hit the jobs market, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Redundancies rose to a record high of 314,000 in the same period as firms made more workers redundant in anticipation of the end of the furlough scheme, which was originally supposed to f...

The Chancellor has announced the extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough) until the end of March, but British Chambers of Commerce Director General, Dr Adam Marshall, said more still needed to be done to help businesses which had so far failed to receive any additional grant support. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the Government would continue to pay 80% of wages until the end of...

Leading Taunton law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has renewed its business partnership with the Somerset Chamber of Commerce following a successful first year. The firm is one of the Chamber of Commerce’s longest standing members and became a business partner in 2019. The business partnership brings members to the heart of the business community, together with unrivalled opportunities to engage wit...

Results from the British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Recruitment Outlook (QRO), in partnership with Totaljobs, found that the number of firms attempting to recruit in the third quarter had increased on the previous one, albeit from historic lows. The survey, carried out in August and September ahead of the resurgence of Coronavirus cases and the imposition of new, national restrictions, fou...

Businesses have had the rug pulled from underneath them with the announcement of a second lockdown, according to Stephen Henagulph, Chief Executive of Somerset Chamber of Commerce. Mr Henagulph said firms had done everything they could to be COVID-secure and while an extension to the furlough scheme was to be welcomed, it was only a 'sticking plaster' and not a long-term fix to ensure a vibrant e...