Sutton Coldfield Sutton Coldfield
Chamber of Commerce
Sutton Coldfield Chamber Patrons
CONTACT: Julia Gray T: 0845 603 6650
Chamber partnership promotes growth
Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School (BVGS) Corporate Partnership has enjoyed rapid growth – thanks to the support of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC). Drawing on the vast experience of the Chamber, Bishop Vesey’s has managed to develop its own successful Corporate Partnership, which now boasts 30 full-time members. Key relationships with partners, including
Rational FX, Moor Hall, Ansons, Argentea Gallery, Eventmasters and Crisp Branding have all been secured through existing Chamber connections. The Chamber was also represented at the
most recent Corporate Partnership networking event in September, where head of Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce, Julia Gray, appeared as a guest speaker. The relationship between GBCC and BVGS
Corporate Partnership has proved invaluable to establishing the school’s partnership within the local business community. Julia Gray said: “It’s been a great experience
working closely with development director, Brian Davies, and the rest of the Corporate Partnership team. “It’s refreshing to see a team so dedicated to
improving the school’s facilities and services that they’ve grown this successful partnership that benefits local organisations too.
“The Greater Birmingham Chamber of
Commerce is always happy to support such schemes, which are crucially important to promoting working relationships between local businesses.” Brian Davies, development director at the
school, said: “Having the ongoing support of a well-established corporate partnership scheme like Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce has been absolutely invaluable to our growth. We’ve recently welcomed a host of new partners to the initiative, all of which have added great value through the help of Julia and the wider team. “Not only have they helped bring in new members, but they have also provided insight that has allowed us to establish ourselves within the local business community.”
Lack of office space
is a huge concern Sutton Coldfield Chamber president Nigel Waldron fears Sutton Coldfield is in danger of becoming a ‘commuter town’ if concerns over office space aren’t addressed. Mr Waldron, the managing director of Power
Minerals, says the issue of suitable office space has been raised on several occasions by Chamber members. Earlier this year, his own company ditched
plans to move premises because of a lack of suitable commercial space. And he has urged planners to address the issue to avoid driving businesses away from the royal town.
‘I hope planners will look at this sensibly and make provisions’
Mr Waldron said: “A concern that has been
raised by Chamber members is a lack of office space. While the area is experiencing a boom in residential property, the same cannot be said about commercial property. “Earlier this year, my company Power Minerals abandoned plans to move premises, simply because there was nothing suitable in and around Sutton Coldfield. “I hope planners will look at this sensibly and
make provisions to accommodate businesses. “The quality of housing and schools on offer
are two of the town’s real strong points. “However, if we don’t have the facilities to
attract or cater for the needs of businesses, we are in danger of becoming a ‘commuter town’ – especially with HS2 arriving in the West Midlands in 2026.”
BMW Group’s STEM project is hailed a success
Students from The Coleshill School were invited to BMW Group’s engine manufacturing plant, Hams Hall, as part of a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) project funded by Warwickshire County Council. The project was launched 18 months ago, and has just finished. The event allowed the students to showcase
what they had learnt from BMW engineers and apprentices, who supported the students throughout the project, during a five-minute presentation and question-and-answer session. Students presented their research on
hydrogen fuel cell technology, car designs and the results of their speed and efficiency testing. These were judged by staff from BMW, The Coleshill School and Glenn Robinson, skills for employment programme manager, Warwickshire County Council. Headteacher Ian Smith-Childs said: “It was
inspirational to see these boys rise to the challenge. I hope that the experience will now spur them on to fulfilling their amazing potential.”
December 2017/January 2018 CHAMBERLINK 37
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