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1813 Club and Premier Members


Newlyweds enjoy trip thanks to expo prize


An Atherstone bride and groom jetted off to Paris following a surprise competition win at Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Expo. Gemma and Ben Banks may be


the luckiest newlyweds in the West Midlands. The couple, who got hitched at


St. Nicholas Church, Baddesley Ensor during April, didn’t think they were going on honeymoon. Like many young couples, they


simply couldn’t afford one due to the cost of the wedding and their new marital home. But thanks to Gemma’s father,


along with Nexus Creative and A- plan Insurance, the delighted couple enjoyed a celebration break in Paris. Gemma’s dad, a Lichfield


council director, won a competition run by the two companies at the Chamber Expo. The prize was two return flights


to Paris, for a four-day break. And the trip was donated to


Gemma and Ben to use as their mini-honeymoon. Hearing of Gemma and Ben’s


situation, Nexus Creative and A- plan Insurance wanted to make the trip extra special for the newlyweds. They therefore, changed the


flights to fit around the wedding. Colin Foxall, commercial


director at Nexus Creative said, “We knew this would be a great competition and prize but who


Don’t ignore auto-enrolment


Workplace pension consultants Johnson Fleming have issued a warning to employers who have fallen foul of auto-enrolment non- compliance. It comes after a high profile case


involving a high street footwear firm that turned a £400 fixed penalty notice into a bill for more than £40,000 after claiming it was too busy to meet its pension responsibilities. Caroline Hope, marketing


manager at Johnson Fleming, said: “Although the company paid the £400 fine it still did not become compliant. Despite repeated reminders it did not meet its responsibilities. The fine reached £40,000 before the company finally became compliant. “We are hosting events to help


employers with their duties. Auto- enrolment is a legal requirement and will not go away. “We can help and provide free


Getting any eye-full of the Eiffel: Gemma and Ben in Paris


‘We knew this would be a great competition and prize but who could have foreseen the recipients would be a honeymoon couple?’


could have foreseen the recipients would be a honeymoon couple? James Haynes, branch manager


at A-Plan Insurance, Birmingham, added; “Between Nexus Creative and A-Plan Insurance, we're helping a couple start their journey of marriage together. “My team and I wish them both


well and toast their future. Cheers to the bride and groom.” Needless to say, the


unexpected wedding gift made Gemma and Ben’s day. Gemma said: “Ben and I are


absolutely over the moon. Dad, Nexus Creative and A-plan Insurance really saved the day for us.


“It has been a stressful time


and we were struggling to afford a honeymoon, so it's wonderful to have had such an exciting and romantic trip.”


Ultrasound Direct is snapped up


The Fertility Partnership has bought a baby scan company, Ultrasound Direct, in a deal advised on by Midland accountant Smith Cooper. Ultrasound Direct was formed by husband and wife,


Mike and Jan Steward, to give people better baby scans. Having started with just a single clinic, their company network is now 80 strong. The Fertility Partnership runs more than 22 clinics


across the UK and Poland, employs more 350 staff and achieves some of the highest pregnancy success rates in Europe. The acquisition of Ultrasound Direct means its patients


and other families will be able to receive close and regular monitoring throughout their pregnancy, which is highly valued by couples who have conceived through IVF. Dan Bowtell, corporate finance partner at Smith


Cooper, said: “Strategically, this acquisition strengthens The Fertility Partnership's commitment to the IVF market and allows them to better serve the growing requirements for expecting parents. “The Ultrasound Direct team is knowledgeable, innovative and experienced and is a great fit with The


advice on sourcing the right scheme for your business, as well as addressing common misconceptions and identifying the true cost to your business.”


Increase in need for bid writing


A Bolton-based company which helps firms bid for new business says there has been a massive surge in the number of firms taking up their services. Thornton & Lowe says that there


has been a huge wave of interest in its bid writing workshops, which it claims is down to firms trying to gain a competitive advantage over their rivals. Thornton & Lowe training


manager Charles Grosstephan said that in the first quarter of 2017, there had been a huge increase in the uptake of places on bid writing courses held across the country. He said: “While writing bids is a


highly-specialised skill that some people consider to be highly complex, many organisations need to recognise the potentially lucrative opportunities they could access with the right bid training and support. “Our bid writing training workshops


Fertility Partnership, and the combined strengths of the companies will allow them to continue providing award winning services.” Fertility Partnership chief executive Andrew Came


said: “The combination of The Fertility Partnership and Ultrasound Direct leverages the expertise of two exceptional organisations and further enhances patient experience with improved accessibility and convenience of fertility care, during what can be a stressful time for couples undergoing treatment.”


are delivered in a highly interactive way and are completely underpinned by our extensive knowledge of both bidding and procurement to help delegates fully understand the requirements and construct a compelling and compliant bid. “We are incredibly proud to be


imparting this knowledge on an ever-increasing number of delegates, many of whom contact us post- training to share their success stories on recent bids with us.


June 2017 CHAMBERLINK 23


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