MEMBER NEWS


Rotary and transport firm join forces on foodbanks initiative


A new foodbank delivery scheme, which will see more than 150,000 food items reach people in need in the next eight weeks, is up and running, thanks to Rotary Clubs in the East Midlands and South Yorkshire, and Chamber member Taylor’s Transport. The scheme, Rotary4foodbanks,


is already delivering much needed supplies to foodbanks in the area, with the help of the firm’s Managing Director, Alan Taylor, and his team. Foodbank use is on the increase


as people lose their jobs because of the virus. Year on year, foodbanks saw an 81% increase in demand for emergency food at the end of March. The situation will probably only get worse as thousands of people lose their jobs or face pay cuts, which means they simply cannot afford to eat. This comes at a time when food


banks are already stretched to the limit - in 2019 they supplied 1.8m emergency food supplies, a year on year increase of 20%. Rotary’s co-ordinator John Cavey


said: “We could see a huge and growing need for foodbank provision in our area. As a leading UK charity organisation, Rotary is committed to helping meet that need. From our own charity funds, we have already allocated £35,000 to buy goods wholesale. Our plan is to extend that with another £60,000 by the end of July.”


Alan Taylor, of Taylor’s Transport, with a truck loaded with foodbank supplies


‘We could see a huge and growing need for foodbank provision in our area’ Without warehousing and an


effective distribution network, Rotary4foodbanks would not be able to operate on the scale that is needed to meet that growing demand. That’s where local businessman and long-time Rotarian, Alan Taylor, stepped in. Despite his own business feeling the strain imposed by the Covid-19


pandemic – Taylor’s has furloughed around 50% of its 200 vehicles and 300 staff – Alan agreed to set aside around 2000sq ft of warehousing space and allocate existing staff to sort stock for distribution. He said: “Even though we work


internationally, we have always been rooted in the East Midlands


and it is only right to give back to the community. It is a philosophy which runs right through to the heart of the business.”


Anyone wanting to support the programme - or foodbanks requiring Rotary4foodbanks’ help - can contact John Cavey at rotaryfoundation1220@gmail.com.


Support group improves communication


A new online community is helping businesses in the East Midlands to connect and support one another through the challenges of lockdown. ‘Communicate with Purpose’ is the brainchild of High Peak


communications business, LR Comms. It was set up as a supportive space where businesses across the county can share ideas and lessons learned with other small business owners and managers. Lucy Rennie, Director at LR Comms said: “We all know that small


businesses and start-ups are built on passion; but passion alone does not fuel a business. Access to the right tools, resources and best practice from others who have learned from past mistakes can really make a company fly. “I could see that many businesses, small and large, were grappling with


how best to communicate during this crisis with their customers, suppliers and staff. I set up the Communicate with Purpose group as a port of call to help small business owners with that journey. “I truly believe that together is better and that’s certainly the ethos


shared by early members of this group. Our members come from varied backgrounds – performing arts, bookkeeping, app development and translation to name a few – but it’s their commitment to working together that’s the common goal.” Members of this new community have access to a range of resources including stakeholder mapping tools, a social media calendar and content plan templates. Every week, the group meets for a virtual coaching session on a topic of value to small business owners delivered by LR Comms or by a guest speaker.


6 business network June/July 2020


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