Business News In Brief


The Wilkes Partnership is to devote the next year supporting Birmingham Children’s Hospital. The Solihull law firm is to undertake a packed fundraising programme of events to raise money for the hospital, after adopting it as its chosen charity for the year. The events will kick off with a


‘Bandage Day’ in August, which will see staff raise sponsorship money by bandaging themselves up during a working day as part of the hospital’s ‘Big Bandage’ campaign.


The British Chambers of Commerce has appointed Francis Martin as its new president, succeeding Nora Senior who stands down after three years. Mr Martin, who becomes the Chamber’s first president from Northern Ireland, served as vice president since 2013. He is a Partner in BDO Northern


Ireland and has over 20 years’ experience in corporate finance and business advisory.


University College Birmingham is celebrating a record year of achievement in national and international competitions. Young chefs, bakers and front of


house trainees have picked up a total of 136 individual awards. UCB was also a finalist in the AA


College Restaurant of the Year and is sending a team to next month’s Culinary Olympics in Germany.


A city of culture needs innovative investment


By Dan Harrison


A report into new investment models to support Birmingham’s cultural and creative sector says “collective action and innovative thinking” are essential if the city is to compete on a global scale. The Cultural Investment Enquiry was


launched in April to help protect and develop a sector that supports a workforce of 55,000 people in Birmingham and Solihull.


‘Ensuring that world class culture continues to take place in the city is essential’


Conceived as a joint initiative between Birmingham City Council, Chambers of Commerce, the Arts Council, Aston Business School and newly-formed company Culture Central, the enquiry’s taskforce conducted an initial three-month investigation into new investment- based models for culture in the city. In its initial findings, the enquiry recognised the need


for a “significant reboot” in traditional approaches to investment in the cultural and creative sector.


It called for a “more robust set of partnerships and


collaborations” with anchor institutions including the higher education and business sectors, pinpointed as key to helping Birmingham grow its cultural offering. Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce chief


executive Paul Faulkner, who has been chairing the enquiry, said business leaders and organisations have an opportunity to do something ground-breaking to ensure the city’s culture continues to thrive. He said: “As those of us who live in and


around Birmingham already know, the city has been experiencing a renaissance in recent years with a number of exciting developments coming to life – with more one the way. “But the aspiration – and need –


is to do a lot more. We want to be a city that can compete on a global scale.


“Ensuring that world class culture continues to take place in the city – and crucially, that we develop and add to an already rich


mix – is essential if the city is to fulfil its ambitions and undoubted potential.” Gary Topp, Culture Central’s first director, said: “The


enquiry represents an important moment in the way that the city thinks again about culture and creative industries as an asset that will make it globally competitive.”


Offering access to the legal profession


Law firms in Birmingham are supporting a collaborative programme dedicated to broadening access to the legal profession for young people from non-privileged backgrounds. Gowling WLG (formerly Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co) is collaborating


with other law firms in the city, along with their partner clients, professional sports teams and commercial partners, to introduce the Legal Social Mobility Partnership (LSMP) to Birmingham following two successful years in London. As part of LSMP, a group of secondary state school students from the


city have completed a week's intensive skills training at Gowling WLG, DLA Piper, Irwin Mitchell and Squire Patton Boggs. The students are also spending time gaining intensive skills training coupled


with work insights into in-house law and the wider commercial environment with ITV, Barclays, Deutsche Bank and Aston Martin Lagonda. In addition, they will join the Wasps and Harlequins rugby teams at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry to learn the key to resilience and achieving goals. The Solicitors Regulation Authority,


based in Birmingham, is also hosting a plenary session to provide an insight to their role in the legal profession. Principal associate and corporate


responsibility manager Laura Charles (pictured), who co-ordinates the scheme for Birmingham on behalf Gowling WLG, said: "Diversity is at the core of Gowling WLG. We are thrilled to be able to be part of the LSMP programme - it forms part of our commitment to a more diverse legal sector and will provide key support and guidance to a group of young people."


10 CHAMBERLINK September 2016


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