Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce

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Author: Matt Maclean

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BCP Council Budget for 2024/25

BCP Council Budget for 2024/25

BCP Council would like to invite their business community, representatives, and other organisations to hear about the process of setting and agreeing the council’s budget for 2024/25, at an online meeting, 9-10am, Friday 2 February 2024.

There will be a presentation and opportunities to put questions to members of the Cabinet, the Chief Executive, Graham Farrant and the Chief Finance Officer and Director of Finance for the Council, Adam Richens.

If you or a representative from your business or organisation would like to join the meeting, please submit your details below and you will be sent a Teams meeting request.

Register Here

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Bournemouth Chamber’s Soccer Sponsorship

Bournemouth Chamber’s Soccer Sponsorship

Bournemouth Athletic FC will be kicking off next year wearing new shirts sponsored by the Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce (BCTC).

The Pelhams-based outfit are currently flying high in Division 3 of the MA Hart Bournemouth Football League.

The new shirts are emblazoned with the Chamber’s logo and will help increase the profile of the business membership organisation.

Matt Maclean from BCTC said: “When we heard the first team was looking for a shirt sponsor, we felt it was a good fit.

Bournemouth Athletic is one of the oldest and most respected Sunday clubs in the area and the Chamber goes back more than a century. There is a lot of synergy between us.

The team plays in the Bournemouth Football League where our logo will receive lots of exposure.

We are experiencing exciting times with the Chamber as lots of new businesses come onboard.

It’s our goal to build the organisation to benefit all our members and the local economy – and we hope Bournemouth Athletic’s goals will help boost our presence in the town.”

The team’s manager, John McKay, said: “We had been looking for a new sponsor and were really pleased when the Chamber offered such a prestigious sponsorship.

Considering the respective reputations and histories, we expect our partnership to be mutually beneficial and enhance our joint profiles.

Wearing such a beautiful kit, with all the players looking so professional really does help our performances on the pitch, and it assists in forging a tight team unit.”

Matt Maclean, Vice-President of Bournemouth Chamber with Bournemouth Athletic’s skipper Ben Donohue

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Joining Bournemouth Chamber just adds up

Joining Bournemouth Chamber just adds up

TaxAssist Accountants has become the latest patron of Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce.

Established in Poole for more than a decade, the company now has an office in Bournemouth and will soon open one in Christchurch.

Run by the highly experienced David and Adele Pearce, TaxAssist delivers personalised and professional accounting and tax services.

TaxAssist Accountants works with sole traders through to large SMEs and has spread its wings across the BCP area.

David/Adele said:
“Even though we are a local business in our own right, we are part of the TaxAssist Franchise group which is the 22nd largest accountancy firm in the UK.

“This means clients get that personal touch, but also the technical support and know-how of a larger organisation.

“Since we bought the business two years ago we have spread from Poole into Bournemouth and joined the Chamber as a way to meet new businesses.

“The events have proved very productive and opened our eyes further to the variety and number of successful companies in the area.

“Bournemouth Chamber is growing and is the voice of business in the town and we want to be a part of that.

“We are and will continue to be an approachable business that people can just call and talk to.”

Matt Maclean, Vice-President of the Chamber, said: “Everyone knows in business that they can’t be successful without their accounts being done properly.

“TaxAssist brings financial expertise to the Chamber as patrons and we’re extremely pleased to have them on board.

“We have a growing number of patrons and members who are helping each other as well as the local economy.

“The Chamber runs events and networking opportunities and we’d welcome any new members who would like to join.”

L-R Matt Maclean, Vice-President of Bournemouth Chamber, Adele & David Pearce from TaxAssist

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BCP Council has £2.5million to in invest in local businesses. Have you taken advantage of this fund yet?

BCP Council has £2.5million to in invest in local businesses. Have you taken advantage of this fund yet?

Under the UKSPF fund we have match funding grants available of between £500 – £5000. To date, 81 organisations in BCP have been offered grants, and 168 businesses’ have benefitted from our business support.

To see examples of successful grants awarded please click here.

What is the UKSPF?

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. The government has allocated £2.5million for investment in business across Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole.

What support is available?

    1. A free diagnostic survey and generated report providing valuable insights into the operations of a business.
    2. Signposts and guidance to address any highlighted weaknesses
    3. An opportunity to discuss the diagnostic report with a member of BCP Council’s Economic Development (ED) team or (if eligible) Evolve – a business development and coaching company based in Poole.
    4. Following the diagnostic stage, SMEs will be eligible to apply for a project-based match-funded grant on a competitive basis in one of the following categories (next round closes to applications on 6 July 2023):
    5. start-ups (£500 up to £1,000)
    6. business growth (£1,000 up to £2,500)
    7. research and development for innovative product and service development (£1,000 up to £5,000)
    8. exporting to grow overseas trading (£1,000 up to £5,000)

Eligible businesses

A business’s sole or main place of business must be an address within Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole in order to be eligible to apply for support from the UKSPF

More information

Stay up to date regarding the very latest UKSPF news and other business support from us by subscribing to our regular Business News and Information newsletter.

If you have any queries, which cannot be answered by the information on this page or the scheme document, please contact the Economic Development (ED) team by emailing ukspf@bcpcouncil.gov.uk. Due to the demand we are expecting for this support and limited resources there may be a short delay in responding to you. If you are contacting us about an existing registration and/or grant application, please provide your business name and reference number(s). 

If you require a more accessible format to complete the registration and grant application forms, please email ukspf@bcpcouncil.gov.uk to discuss alternative options which may be more suitable. 

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Coles Miller’s ‘Feeling Good’ About Business Come Dancing!

AFC Bournemouth Announce Home-Start Wessex as one of Their Charity Partners for 23/24

Coles Miller Solicitors are hoping to make it two wins in a row at this year’s annual Business Come Dancing contest organised by Pavilion Dance South West.

Last year the firm’s Head of Commercial Property Kerry Houston-Kypta and her professional dance partner Marek Lynch were victorious with their Argentine Tango.

This year it’s the turn of wills and probate solicitor Kerry Hay and professional dance teacher Julie Wathen to wow the judges with their tap dancing.

The Business Come Dancing black-tie fundraiser will take place on Saturday November 25 2023 at the Highcliff Marriott Hotel on Bournemouth’s West Cliff.

Business executives and their dance partners will vie for glory – raising funds for community arts projects in the process.

Kerry and Julie have been busily rehearsing their routine. They’ll be tap dancing to Feeling Good (Michael Bublé) and I Need You (Jon Batiste).

“I haven’t danced like this since I was at school. I wanted a challenge and it’s great fun!” said Kerry, an Associate Solicitor based at Coles Miller’s Poole town centre head office.

Pavilion Dance South West develops and delivers dance-based targeted health and wellbeing programmes in Dorset schools, care homes, community settings, and its own venue in the centre of Bournemouth.

View Kerry Hay’s Givey page for further details: https://www.givey.com/businesscomedancing  

For more information about Coles Miller, contact Marketing Director Nick Balchin, 01202 673011, nbalchin@coles-miller.co.uk, https://www.coles-miller.co.uk

L-R Coles Miller solicitor Kerry Hay and dance teacher Julie Wathen

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AFC Bournemouth Announce Home-Start Wessex as one of Their Charity Partners

AFC Bournemouth Announce Home-Start Wessex as one of Their Charity Partners for 23/24

AFC Bournemouth are delighted to announce their new charity partner nominated by the supporters for both the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons. 

Charity partners will receive support from the Cherries over the coming two seasons through player appearances, signed merchandise and club media support. 

Caroline Pope, Corporate Partnerships & Marketing Manager for the charity said, “We are very excited about this opportunity to promote our work to the wider community and recognise the vital work of our volunteers.  The support of the Club is a huge boost for all of us”.

Their Supporters partner is: Home-Start Wessex

The mission at Home-Start Wessex is to give children the best possible start in life by supporting local parents going through a challenging life situation. They provide specially-trained volunteers to work with the family at this vital time to ensure the child has a positive start in life and goes on to flourish.

Parents are often dealing with more than one issue from; poor mental health, disability, domestic abuse, bereavement and isolation, which impacts the child’s young years causing ongoing problems. The earliest years make a big difference and they help to make sure those years count, so no child’s future is limited.

More information: homestartwessex.org.uk

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Air festival gives Bournemouth wings

Air festival gives Bournemouth wings

Bournemouth Air Festival has been hailed as a huge success by the town’s Chamber of Trade and Commerce.

Bill Perkins, the Chamber President, said figures he’s seen show the festival increased visitor spending by more than £50m, and that Poole and Christchurch also benefited.

More than 600,000 people attended the four-day event that extends the summer season, boosting the hospitality industry that was so hard hit during the pandemic.

This year the weather was mainly kind and the festival boasted a large variety of aircraft.

In its 15 year history the event has become a fixture in the aviation calendar and it is the biggest seafront air show in the country.

The cliffs allow visitors to view aircraft from a different perspective and enthusiasts flock to the town.

Bill said: “Although it rained on the first day we were blessed with good weather for the rest of the weekend.

“Hotels were almost all completely booked and you can’t underestimate the importance of this for the sector that was hit so hard by the lockdowns.

“The festival effectively extends the tourist season for another week and this makes a huge difference.

“The entire seafront was packed with stalls doing business and all this helps create a major boost for the local economy.

“Poole, Christchurch and other towns and villages benefited as visitors explored, or took boats to watch the airplanes.

“The hospitality sector is what the town was built upon and that is why it needs policy to help it wherever it can.

“Thousands are employed in it, many of them young people, and without the air festival these jobs and shifts wouldn’t exist.”

Bill Perkins, BCTC President

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Have Your Say on BCP’s vision, priorities and objectives

Have Your Say on BCP’s vision, priorities and objectives

We all know that we live and work in a place brimming with potential. From Highcliffe to Hamworthy, Broadstone to Boscombe this is not one town or three – but somewhere that celebrates multiple identities, cultures and opportunities at the same time. It’s a place where people aspire to stay – as residents, visitors, students, or businesses. 

There are a number of ways you can take part and give us your views, we would like you to do as many as you are able to.

    • Our Survey use the survey to tell us your views on our draft vision, priorities and objectives, suggest changes and tell us anything we’ve missed.
    • Our ideas wall – use the ideas wall to tell us what you think we can do to achieve the objectives.
    • Share you story – we are inviting you to tell us what it’s like for you running a business in the area. Share with us what works and what could do with improvement.

Here is the link Our vision, priorities and objectives | Have Your Say Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (bcpcouncil.gov.uk)

We would also like to ask you to promote this to your workforce – it’s important we hear from people living and working in the area. Please will you support by promoting either on your intranet, email or the poster attached.

 Thank you for your support.

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Bournemouth University to Offer New CPD Course on Supply Chain Management

Bournemouth University to Offer New CPD Course on Supply Chain Management

Bournemouth University (BU) is launching a new Continuing Professional Development (CPD) course on Supply Chain Management. Delivered in person across four sessions in September (8, 15, 22 and 29) at BU’s Talbot Campus, and led by a team of experienced academics and practitioners, the course will cover a range of topics, including:

    1. Managing supply chain operations
    2. B2B marketing
    3. Smart technologies for supply chain resilience
    4. The economics of value chains

The course has been designed to help businesses respond to supply chain disruptions caused by events like Covid-19, Brexit and the energy crisis. It will help people and organisations to identify and adopt strategies and tools that can help them overcome challenges such as increased costs and red tape, making their operations more efficient and resilient. It will also provide attendees with the chance to network with each other, sharing ideas and best practices.

The course is open to senior business managers and anyone interested in developing their skills in supply chain management. The standard fee is £1,000, but BCP Council will fund 50% of the cost for the first 15 organisations based in their area that book onto the course. Alternatively, Dorset Chamber of Commerce & Industry members can claim 10% off if they don’t qualify for the 50% funding.

The course is part of BU’s commitment to acting as a catalyst for growth, using its skills and expertise to boost skills and advance the region.

For more information, please visit the BU website: www.bournemouth.ac.uk/supply-chains

Upon finishing this course you will be awarded a certificate. This course is not CPD accredited but is delivered by an AACSB accredited Business School which has also earned the Small Business Charter Award in recognition of its significant contributions to small businesses, student entrepreneurship and the local economy. Further information about this course can be found at: www.bournemouth.ac.uk/supply-chains or by emailing Mark Painter at mpainter@bournemouth.ac.uk

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Bournemouth Chamber has new patron

Bournemouth Chamber has new patron

UK press office specialist Deep South Media has become a patron of Bournemouth Chamber of Trade and Commerce.

The consultancy is staffed by former news journalists and offers wide-ranging PR services as well as photography, video, design and content creation.

In its 25th year, the firm is also media partner to Dorset Chamber and is looking for ward to working with the town’s Chamber.

Bournemouth’s largest business sector is professional and business services – and tourism, hospitality and financial services are also important.

There is also a burgeoning digital sector that attracts many young workers because of the location.
Bournemouth Chamber is more than 100 years old and is attracting new members who are bringing a fresh energy.

Ron Wain, managing director of Deep South Media, said: “Our long-standing relationship with Dorset Chamber has generated great ROI.

“And with Bournemouth Chamber attracting new members we hope that it too will lead to new business.

“Already we are working with one if its patrons and hope to create new relationships.

“We were formed in the town and have always had Bournemouth clients, and while we now serve much of the south and UK, this is very much home turf.

“There is vast potential for the town in many areas and we fully intend to play our part as we have done for a quarter of a century.”

Bill Perkins, President of the Chamber, said: “Deep South Media is a well respected business in the town and brings vast experience and expertise.

“As a town we are still recovering from the pandemic and associated lockdowns, but there is a great energy about the place.

“As a Chamber we are determined to promote the town and oil the wheels of business to create new wealth for the benefit of the town and wider conurbation.

“All new members are welcome of any size – we cater from sole proprietors through to major institutions and organisations.

“We organise networking opportunities and business breakfasts, offer business support, information, training and development, and there are numerous other benefits of being a member.”

Bill Perkins, Bournemouth Chamber President, and Ron Wain, Managing Director of Deep South Media

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