Solihull Solihull Chamber Patrons Privilege Partners


Living wage must not hinder growth


Next month will see an increase in the official national minimum wage and the national living wage – but Solihull Chamber is worried about the impact of pay rises on business, unless it is linked to growth. The national living wage – which is paid to


those aged 25 and over – is going up from £7.20 per hour to £7.50 in April, and the national minimum wage – for those 24 and under – is also being increased. For 21 to 24-year-olds, the new rate will be


£7.05, compared to today’s £6.95. For those aged 18-20, the new rate will be £5.60, compared to the current £5.55. By way of comparison, the independent Living


Wage Foundation announced that it would be increasing its voluntary living wage rate by 20p across the UK to £8.45. Solihull Chamber director Joan Smith said that


recent surveys had revealed that there was concern that as a result of increasing pay for existing staff, almost 20 per cent of West Midlands businesses anticipated having to reduce recruitment. She said 41 per cent of the region’s businesses


responding to a British Chamber of Commerce workforce survey said that they had seen their overall wage bill increase since the introduction of the national living wage.


Joan Smith: Pay rises must be linked to growth Joan said that although the Chamber


supported fair pay, future national living wage increases needed to be closely linked to growth and the UK’s wider economic condition. She said: “Solihull has a growing economy but


care needs to be taken with expenditure such as the living wage to avoid any setbacks within SMEs. “The living wage links directly to employment


prospects for students and if this is too much there can be a danger of employers not taking them on. There needs to be a balance because if it’s too little for the student and they don’t have enough money to live on, they may move to other areas which will impact on our loss of skills for our area.”


Working to reduce business crime


By Basit Javid Solihull Police


Business crime remains a challenge across the West Midlands Force area showing an increase in recorded crime (year to date) of 12 per cent. I am proud to report on the level of commitment here at Solihull amongst police and partners to reduce victimisation. Solihull Police is working in an integrated way


with key partners and this smarter way of working brings together data sets and the skills of other blue light services, local authority, voluntary and third sector organisations. I would encourage you to take a look at some of this innovative work on the partnership web page www.Solihullgetinvolved.co.uk. West Midlands Police has invested in new


technology and frontline officers now have mobile devices providing them with direct access to information while on patrol. With this in mind I thought I would use this opportunity to promote the new West Midlands Police communication tool WMNOW. Once signed up online to WMNOW, users can


receive messages bespoke to their selected interest – one of many options being ‘Business’. Messages will be sent from local Neighbourhood Officers as well as Force and regional information, allowing our community to adapt and respond to current crime trends , information and advice. WMNOW provides a two way communication enabling users to message their local Neighbourhood Team.


Former England


spinner set to visit Former England cricketer Phil Tufnell will be fielding questions from Solihull sports fans when he visits the town centre this March. The cricketer-turned TV


Virgin Trains spreads the word On the right track: The Solihull delegation at London Euston station


Solihull Council and Solihull Tourism Forum have been working with Virgin Trains to promote the town to commuters. The partnership has also seen Virgin staff act


as tourism ambassadors for the area. Members of the forum, including Hampton


Manor, Hogarth’s Hotel, Solihull Business Improvement District, Genting Hotel and Resorts World will be greeted Virgin Trains passengers at London Euston station to spread the word about what the borough has to offer visitors. Passengers were presented with 16 facts


about Solihull and a leaflet outlining key headlines and statistics about the borough –


including that it now boasts a Michelin-starred restaurant – Peel’s – based at Hampton Manor. The partnership with Virgin Trains supports


the recent investment and transformation of Birmingham International station. Sally Bowen, chair of Solihull Tourism Forum,


said: “We are delighted to be working with Virgin Trains to promote the excellent connectivity from London to the borough showcasing Solihull as a great place to visit, shop, dine, stay and enjoy. “Solihull’s tourism and leisure sector is


incredibly important to the area – in 2015 it contributed over £965 million to the local economy and supported over 10,000 jobs.”


personality will be the star turn at ‘A Question of Talk’ at the St Johns Hotel on Warwick Road, on 16 March, at 6.30pm. The event, aimed at Solihull


town centre’s professional service and office sector, is being organised by Solihull BID, with tickets costing £35 each. A sports quiz will give teams the chance to


win a signed England cricket shirt before a pie and mash dinner and questions to Tufnell. Tufnell, a left-arm spin bowler, played 42 Tests


and 20 One-Day Internationals for England, taking more than 1,000 wickets across all first- class cricket. His lively personality made him a popular sports star and following his retirement in 2002 he has made several TV appearances including They Think It’s All Over, Strictly Come Dancing and A Question of Sport.


March 2017 CHAMBERLINK 41


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72