THE CHAMBER NEEDS YOU
All Chamber Members will have received (or will shortly receive) survey forms for the BCC Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) and the BCC "Business Insurance" Survey in the post. Please return the QES only by FREEPOST by 18 June and send the Business Insurance survey back to the Chamber by 1 July. This ensures that your input is correctly handled and that your views are fully represented.
CHAMBER AWARDS
What would you do with £25,000? Get thinking! Because £25,000 is the main prize in the Chamber Awards which are being launched this year. As a member of an accredited Chamber of Commerce you are also part of a wider national business network. The British Chambers of Commerce awards are open to all Chamber members and are designed to give recognition for your business success.
There are 5 categories for entry and you are eligible to enter as many as you wish:
- The Microsoft Award for Innovation Through Technology
- Entrepreneur Of The Year
- Business Of The Year
- Most Promising New Business
- Export Business Of The Year
Judging for the awards will take place in 2 stages with regional judging completed during August. Finalists from the regional judging will proceed to the national judging with the winners announced at the Awards Gala Dinner in November.
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The closing date for entries is 5th July 04 and entry forms can be downloaded at www.chamberawards.co.uk.
DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION ACT
From 1 October, anyone who provides a service to the public needs to tackle physical barriers to disabled people accessing their service or to consider how they can provide their service to disabled people in another way. This means businesses like shops, pubs, gyms, libraries, doctors and solicitors need to consider what they can reasonably do to become more accessible. In addition, small employers will for the first time have the same duties towards disabled staff as larger firms. This means not discriminating against disabled employees or potential employees because of their disability and making reasonable adjustments for disabled people. Free information and advice for small businesses is available from the Disability Rights Commission at www.drc-gb.org
In addition a set of three A4 fact sheets on the Disability Discrimination Act aimed at providing clear advice for small businesses have been mailed out on behalf of the Dept of Work & Pensions (DWP). Max Boden at Leicestershire Chamber has been provided with electronic versions of these fact sheets in Word and will forward copies to anyone who is interested.
Email: boden.m@chamberofcommerce.co.uk
DTI - CONSULTATION ON OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW (OFR)
Company Law - the Government has published draft regulations for consultation on the Operating and Financial Review (OFR) and the Directors' Report. Copies can be obtained from DTI Publications Orderline: ADMAIL 528 London SW1W 8YT, Tel: 0870 1502 500, Fax 0870 1502 333 or e-mail: publications@dti.gsi.gov.uk.
Responses to the consultation should be made using the contact details in the document by 6 August 2004
NEW APPRENTICESHIPS WILL WIDEN OPPORTUNITY AND BOOST BUSINESS
The Department for Education & Skills (DfES) and the Learning Skills Council's (LSC) have announced changes in response to recommendations from the Modern Apprenticeship Advisory Committee (Cassels) Report. The LSC commissioned research with key stakeholders, including employers and young people, identified that using 'Apprenticeships' as a generic brand across the different products is a sound way forward.
The new apprenticeships structure will comprise of:
Young Apprenticeships for 14 to 16 year olds. These will be available from September 2004 for those at the beginning of Academic Year 10. In the first year it will be a small-scale programme covering about 1,000 students in total. It will be a high quality route at Key Stage 4 for good ability and well-motivated pupils who will pursue industry specific vocational qualifications with employers and training providers. All recruits to the initial scheme must meet published minimum achievement criteria at Key Stage 2 and 3. The Government expect that around 50 per cent will want to continue post 16 and progress to level 2 Apprenticeships.
Pre-Apprenticeships. Entry to Employment (E2E) was launched nationally in August 2003 following pathfinders in 11 areas. E2E is an entry to Level 1 programme for those young people not yet ready or able to enter an apprenticeship or other formal level 2 provisions. It is intended to support young people into positive progression outcomes, specifically apprenticeships, further vocational learning opportunities at level 2 or sustained employment. It has proven very popular and 50,000 young people are expected to access E2E by July 2004. E2E is now formally being introduced into the apprenticeship family.
Apprenticeships for Adults. The skills strategy is committed to developing apprenticeship programmes in the near future for learners over the age of 25.
PLANS FOR EQUALITY BODY PUBLISHED
Details of how the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR) will work are set out in a recently published White Paper. The Government announced plans to create a single body to challenge discrimination and promote human rights last October. The CEHR will bring together the work of the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Disability Rights Commission. It will also take responsibility for new laws outlawing discrimination in the workplace on grounds of age, sexual orientation, religion or belief.The creation of a single organisation will:
- Bring together equality experts and act as a single, consistent source of information and advice
- Tackle discrimination on multiple levels - Asian women, for example, may face more than one type of discrimination
- Help businesses by promoting awareness of equality issues, which may prevent costly tribunal cases
- Provide institutional support for human rights, with a power to intervene as a third party.
BUSINESS NETWORKING EVENING-SPONSORED BY WILSON BROWNE SOLICITORS
Date: 8th June
Time: 6pm - 8.30pm
Venue: Leicestershire County Cricket Club, Grace Road, Leicester
Cost: Attendance only: £25 Members/£35 Standard,
Exhibition stand space & attendance: £55 Members/£65 Standard
Always keen to encourage members to network, Leicestershire Chamber has organised this event at which attendees will be able to view business exhibition stands whilst networking. There will also be the opportunity to exchange company literature over a glass of wine and a delicious buffet.
BUSINESS WOMEN'S LINK PRESENTATION MS MOTIVATOR OF THE MIND
Date: 15th June
Time: 6pm - 8.30pm
Venue: Belmont House Hotel, Leicester
Cost: £29.50 inc. buffet supper
Ms Motivator Mo Shapiro can turn obstacles into stepping-stones on the path to success. An international best selling business author, broadcaster and speaker her words give people the confidence to succeed.
PATENT TRADEMARK BREAKFAST SEMINAR-SPONSORED BY MARKS CLERK
Date: 23rd June
Time: 8am-10am
Venue: Ramada Jarvis Hotel, Leicester
Cost: £25.00 Members/ £35.00 Standard
Patents, trademarks, designs and copyright are all important assets that can enhance a company’s value and bring real business benefits. This seminar will help companies to understand which of their ideas and products they can protect and how they can legally do so.
INTEGRA PRESENTATION WITH LYNDA PAGE
Date: 29th June
Time: 6pm - 8.30pm
Venue: Quorn Country Hotel, Quorn near Loughborough
Cost: £32.50 Members/£42.50 Standard
Amazingly, for someone who never had any aspirations to be a writer, Lynda Page has succeeded in writing 17 books in as many years. Her first book, written during rushed lunch breaks from her office job, took just 18 months to complete and was immediately snapped up by her current publishers. Lynda is now a full time writer and a resident of Leicestershire.
For more details or to book onto Chamber Events please contact Kam Atker on Tel: 0116 204 6614/email:atker.k@chamberofcommerce.co.uk. You can also visit www.chamberofcommerce.co.uk and click on What’s On/Events.
Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce networking events are
sponsored by Wilson Browne Solicitors
FREE WORKSHOP OPPORTUNITY WITH ALLIANCE LEICESTER
Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank are inviting you to attend the FREE workshop that they have organised with research psychologist and best-selling business guru, Dr. David Lewis. This workshop will offer practical guidance to help you better understand the needs of evermore demanding customers and see how you can find uniqueness about your business that really distinguishes you from your competitors. The workshop will be held in Leicester on Monday 14th June from 10.30am – 12.30pm.
There will also be two others in the same week:
Birmingham on Thursday 17th June from 10.30am – 12.30pm
Nottingham on Friday 18th June from 4.00pm – 6.00pm
There are limited spaces at each event so do please register now by calling Caroline Wade on Tel: 020 7022 4023 or Toby Conlon on Tel: 020 7022 4122.
LEICESTER SHIRE INTELLIGENCE WEB PORTAL LAUNCHED
The new version of the Leicester Shire Intelligence website has now been launched. You may remember this under the old name of Leicestershire Economic Research Partnership (LERP). This is a definitive source of current, focussed, local economic data and research, including Economic Perspectives, Business Surveys, Workforce Surveys and many other useful resources – many reports can be downloaded in full and links to local holders of datasets are included.
The new address is www.lsint.info
REGENERATION EAST MIDLANDS INAUGURAL CONFERENCE AND AWARDS
Regeneration East Midlands (REM) is pleased to announce its inaugural conference on 14th June 2004 at the Midlands Conference Centre, Walkers Stadium, Leicester.
The conference entitled “Promoting Better Practice” will bring together practitioners from all parts of the East Midlands, engaged in various aspects of regeneration and working in the private, public, voluntary and community sectors.
With an anticipated attendance of over 300, the conference is designed to be highly participative and provide attendees with the opportunity to network with other practitioners at the same time as learning about good practice and the work of REM.
There will be a choice of workshops covering the following themes
- design and the built environment
- funding access
- knowledge and intelligence
- skills and organisation development
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The conference will also include the presentation of REM’s Awards for Excellence, sponsored by Regeneration and Renewal, covering a number of categories, this will provide an opportunity to identify and celebrate the good practice within the East Midlands.
For further information on the conference or any of REM’s activities or to become a member, visit the REM website www.regenerationem.co.uk or call 0870 240 4459.
CONFRONTING VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE
Someone suddenly becomes confrontational in the workplace, they could become violent - what do you do?
An event, which takes place on 22 June at the Yew Lodge Hotel & Conference Centre, Kegworth, aims to provide a practical understanding of the nature of violence and aggression at work and to provide simple tips to help make work safer for all concerned. A range of speakers will offer insights into behaviours that have caused problems, provide practical examples of how organisations have become safer and allow delegates to develop their own action plans.
Details about the Violence in the Workplace conference can be found on the Ergonomics Society website:www.ergonomics.org.uk Alternatively, contact the Ergonomics Society Conference & Marketing Officer Sue Hull on 01509 234904 or email s.hull@ergonomics.org.uk
AWARDS FOR ACCESSIBLE BUSINESSES
The Government has launched the second Access All Areas awards to draw attention to the thousands of organisations in Britain, which go the extra mile for their disabled customers. The awards recognise small and medium sized businesses that have made their services accessible to disabled people in innovative and creative ways.
Service providers and small employers may soon need to make changes by law, but there are also strong commercial reasons for businesses to be more accessible. The latest estimate shows that there are about 10 million disabled adults in Britain. Between them they spend around £50 billion a year. Compared with the cost of making adjustments like providing large print menus, better lighting or a hearing induction loop, the potential commercial benefits for businesses are considerable.
Businesses across the UK that provide services to the public have a few months before changes to the Disability Discrimination Act come into force on 1 October 2004. These will require firms to tackle physical barriers, like steps or high counters, which prevent disabled people accessing their goods or services. If they don’t then they may risk legal action. However, businesses will only be required to do what is reasonable. They will not be expected to make changes that are not practical or affordable. What might be reasonable for a large national company may not be reasonable for a small individual business. Also from October, businesses that employ fewer than 15 employees will have the same employment duties as larger firms not to discriminate against disabled workers or job applicants. The Access All Areas Awards are being supported by Vodafone and recognise those small and medium sized enterprises with fewer than 100 employees that have made their services accessible to disabled people in an innovative and creative way.
Entries are being invited in six categories:
- retail
- hotels, bars, pubs and eating establishments
- financial, legal and other business services
- entertainment and leisure
- health (opticians, dentists, GP surgeries, etc)
- beauty and hairdressing
- other public bodies, charity and voluntary organisations
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Information about the Awards and an application form can be obtained from www.disability.gov.uk/dda/awards or by ringing 0845 124 9841. The closing date for nominations is 30th September 2004.
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EUR1s
On 1st June Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce launched an additional documentation service with the provision of EUR1 forms.
Exporters of EU origin goods require officially stamped paper EUR1s to help certain foreign buyers pay less import duty. From 1st April 2004 H.M. Customs & Excise ceased to process EUR1's at local offices in line with their modernisation programme. To ensure that UK exporters are not disadvantaged Chambers, acting on behalf of HM Customs, will take over this work as an extension of current documentation services.
Three options are now available to exporters:
- Counter and postal service through the Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce, Export Documentation Department, Charnwood Court, 5b New Walk, Leicester
Chamber Members £11 Non Chamber Members £22
A same-day service is available by appointment alongside the standard next- day (postal return) service. - Applications by post or courier only to HMC&E, Custom House, Furness Quay, Salford, Manchester M50 3XX
- Applications made at some authorised members of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers at some UK ports, no details available as yet.
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Copies of notices 827 and 828 will be available from the Leicestershire Chamber as will EUR1 blank forms.
For more information please contact: Bridget Hankers Tel: 0116 2587321 e-mail: hankers.b@chamberofcommerce.co.uk
EXPORT DOCUMENTATION COURSE 9 JUNE Covers the preparation of export paperwork, from transport documents through to methods of payment and banking.
EXPORT LETTER OF CREDIT (Getting Paid) 21 JUNE Intended for delegates with working knowledge of export documentation involved in processing Letters of Credit.
IMPORT FOUNDATION WORKSHOP 23 JUNE Beginners course sets out to give a clear overview of the procedures and documentation involved in importing.
Course venue: Leicestershire Chamber, Charnwood Court, 5b New Walk, Leicester
For more information contact John Moore on Tel: 0116 2587 329 Email: john.moore@leicestershire.businesslink.co.uk Or fax the International Trade Department on Fax: to 0116 2855 951