Burton & District Burton & District Chamber Patrons


Contact: Chris Plant T: 0845 6036650


Amazon centre leader to address Chamber AGM


The guest speaker at Burton and District Chamber’s annual general meeting and business lunch on 6 May is Gary Norton, of retailing giant Amazon. Mr Norton is the site leader at Amazon’s


Rugeley fulfilment centre, a huge facility the size of ten football pitches that is staffed by around 1,000 employees. The centre carries millions of items, ranging


from cosmetics through to toys and games, and deals with customer orders every minute of almost every day (except for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day). Mr Norton, in his fifth year with Amazon, has


worked for a number of other big-name companies across a variety of industries, including the Coors brewery in Burton, which is his home town.


‘More Burton businesses have received support from and interacted with the chamber’


This year’s AGM takes place at Burton Albion’s


Pirelli Stadium and will be hosted by Burton Chamber president Nik Hardy, managing director of Hardy Signs. Mr Hardy will announce at the AGM that he is to continue as president for a third year and said: “My two years of presidency have been a great experience for me. “Although there have been several factors that


have caused turbulence to our businesses, I’m pleased to say that the membership has increased by 20 per cent and more Burton businesses have received support from and interacted with the chamber. We’re currently working towards the next AGM, where we will be sharing the positive news of the last 12 months and announce the agenda for the next year.’’ The AGM will start at 11.30am and the lunch featuring Gary Norton will take place at 12.15.


Let’s Do Business


set to make return Staffordshire’s biggest business exhibition – Let’s Do Business – will once again be held at Uttoxeter Racecourse, on 25 June. The free-to-attend event attracts


hundreds of delegates from a broad range of sectors, and is a not to be missed date for anyone who wants to promote their business in Staffordshire. According to Chamber director Chris


Plant, the event also puts Staffordshire on the map as the place to come to do business. He said: “Staffordshire is spectacularly


successful at breeding and encouraging new, small, exciting firms full of dynamism and promise. “There is no shortage of enterprise in this


county but there is a shortage of shouting about it. So full marks to everyone who is planning to exhibit, or attend our exhibition. Exhibition stands sold out three months prior to the event last year and we have received a huge number of enquiries already. “We expect this year’s event to surpass


Gary Norton: Speaker at Burton Chamber’s AGM Prior to the AGM, the Chamber is seeking


three new members to join its council. The council consists of 12 members, and meets monthly for approximately an hour to discuss a range of issues related to local and regional business and Chamber activities. Council members are required to attend a minimum of 50 per cent of the meetings per year, and attend at least one Chamber networking event per year. In line with the Chamber Constitution,


nominations must be made in writing prior to 17 April. Please contact Chris Plant at the Chamber for a nomination form (c.plant@burton- chamber.com). In the event of more nominations being received than there are available places, then supporting statements will be read out at the AGM and a ballot undertaken.


YMCA seven take on marathon


Seven supporters of YMCA Burton will be taking part in the London Marathon to raise money for the charity. Among the seven is Steve Sharp, new co-


owner of Branston Golf and Country Club, who said of the YMCA: “A local charity who make a difference in the local community.” Another, Simon Brittan from Cloud Central,


said: “I always feel it is necessary to recognise and support those who have fallen on hard times in their life, often through no fault of their own. “I want to raise as much as I can to help


support these individuals and give them a chance to get on in life and hopefully turn their life around. At times these people may feel that


they have no hope or chance to move on from a difficult situation, I want to help to give them a chance and see that they can prosper.” Also doing the marathon on behalf of the


YMCA is Scott Pettingale, who said: “I have been a committed supporter of YMCA Burton for the last few years. “The projects they run for some of Burton’s


most vulnerable people are incredible.” Paula Senior, fundraising officer for YMCA


Burton, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have this many runners undertaking this massive challenge for us this year and look forward to hearing about and supporting the fundraising they will do.”


the success of 2017, 2018 and 2019, and we are confident of attracting more than one thousand visitors – making it the biggest business event in the county again.” Among the guest


speakers at this year’s event will be ex- marine Chris Thrall (pictured), who has led a colourful life, to say the least. After leaving the Royal Marines to run


businesses in South East Asia, his life fell apart due to mental illness caused by crystal meth addiction, which also caused him to be made homeless. He also began working for Hong Kong’s criminal triad gangs. However, from this low point, Thrall


rebuilt his life, and became a qualified pilot, adventurer and best-selling author. Among his books is ‘Eating Smoke’, an


account of his life as a down-and-out in Hong Kong. A second memoir, ‘Forty Nights’, is about his addictions, and how he managed to deal with his demons. As if this wasn’t enough, as an


adventurer Thrall has walked for 120-feet over red hot coals to raise money to help street children in war-torn Mozambique, survived without any equipment in the Amazon rainforest, and gone swimming with bull sharks off Belize. He has survived to tell the tale, which he


will relate to the Let’s Do Business audience. In addition, he will demonstrate how people can unlock their potential. He will also have a message for corporates about looking after the wellbeing of their workforce.


March 2020 CHAMBERLINK 53


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