Business News
Vaccine hub: Millennium Point is one of several venues aiding the vaccine roll out
Sponsored by: Invest Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland firm helps Birmingham meet the UK’s 2050 Zero Carbon Target
This summer Birmingham will be the beneficiary of the world’s first ever hydrogen fuel cell double decker buses. Northern Ireland firm,
Wrightbus, a global brand in the public transportation sector, is again at the forefront of innovation. They’ve a long history of designing innovative transport solutions for cities such as London, Dublin, Hong Kong and Singapore. In the UK, Birmingham,
along with Belfast and Aberdeen, are now leading the way for sustainable public transport and Northern Ireland is fast becoming a pioneer in zero carbon transport solutions. Recently, a Belfast Maritime Consortium led by Artemis Technologies won a £33m UK Government grant to develop zero emission ferries there. Engineering innovation has a
long legacy in Northern Ireland. From a renowned aerospace sector to the global supply of equipment for processing construction materials, minerals and recycling equipment, it is supported by a 21st Century supply chain specialising in design, precision engineering, fabrication and assembly that offers GB businesses opportunities to develop relationships with certified nearshore, reliable suppliers that are accustomed to supporting larger companies exporting globally. Invest Northern Ireland supports NI businesses with new customer access and development. As members of the Chamber I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss your engineering supply chain requirements.
Contact Charles Goodier, head of advanced engineering and supply chain: Mobile: 07583 101130 Email:
charles.goodier@
investni.com
16 CHAMBERLINK February 2021
Vaccination hub is opened
Millennium Point has been established as one of several mass vaccination hubs across the country, helping to deliver the mass Covid-19 vaccination roll out. The centre is being run by NHS in Birmingham and
Solihull as part of the region’s Covid-19 vaccination programme. As part of its support for the vaccine centre, Birmingham City Council has gifted use of the multi-storey car park based on Jennens Road, to enable NHS patients attending their vaccination appointments to park free of charge. The hub is run on a strictly appointment only basis, with the NHS contacting people directly to book their appointments. Abbie Vlahakis, chief executive at Millennium Point,
said: “We are very proud to be able to support NHS staff in delivering the Covid-19 vaccination programme in Birmingham. We are working closely with the NHS in
Birmingham and Solihull, partners, staff and volunteers, to provide a crucial service to thousands of people across the region. “It’s important that we’re clear with the public that
this centre will be operating by appointment only, so they should not attend unless they have already been directly contacted by the NHS and have an appointment booked. We would like to thank everyone in advance for supporting us and the NHS to ensure that the centre can operate as efficiently as possible” Lichfield Cathedral has also been transformed into a
Covid vaccine centre. Field hospital style facilities along with waiting areas have been set up inside the cathedral, including along its central aisle. The Very Rev Adrian Dorber, Dean of Lichfield, said
he offered use of the cathedral to the Lichfield Primary Care Network after Covid vaccine news emerged.
Growth Through People set to return
A thought leadership and productivity campaign has received major backing from three Greater Birmingham organisations. Aston University, Birmingham Metropolitan
College (BMet) and the University of Birmingham’s Work Inclusivity Research Centre (WIRC) are backing the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce’s (GBCC) annual Growth Through People campaign as headline sponsors. The campaign takes place
throughout March, and is comprised four weeks of themed weeks, focusing on responsible leadership, attracting and engaging talent, unlocking potential and employee resilience. Last year’s campaign attracted more than 400 delegates to events
as part of the campaign, a series of thought provoking videos, podcasts and social media posts. During this year’s campaign, all events will be held virtually, including the initiative’s flagship conference taking place on 30 March. Yardley Labour MP Jess Philips (pictured) will join a number of
other speakers as part of the conference line-up. Before becoming an MP, Jess worked for Women’s Aid in the West
Midlands developing services for victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, human trafficking and exploitation. She became a councillor in 2012, where she worked to support residents, with her work being recognised when she became Birmingham's first ever Victims Champion. More guest speakers for the Growth Through People conference,
and other events will be announced through Chamberlink Daily in the run-up to the campaign. All events, including the conference, are free for Chambers.
To find out more about the campaign, visit
greaterbirmimghamchambers.com/gtp. Follow the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #GTP21
Chamber’s digital traffic soars
Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce’s (GBCC) digital traffic soared during 2020, as the organisation provided a range of resources to help firms through the pandemic. There were large increases
across all of the Chamber’s digital channels – with the website generating nearly a million page views. Web traffic was up by 66,544
visits from 2019 – a 24 per cent increase – while page views increased by 6 per cent. Visits to the Latest News section,
which are largely drive by clicks from the ChamberlinkDaily news bulletin, grew by 33 per cent. The GBCC’s three main social
media accounts also grew their followers last year - LinkedIn by 38 per cent, Facebook by 16 per cent and Twitter by three per cent. Digital marketing manager
James Lloyd-Smith said: “The growth of traffic across our digital channels has been fundamentally driven by our seamless transition to providing member benefits and activity online. “In particular our calendar of
online events has helped our members stay connected and do business throughout the year, while the continuous business support information such as our Coronavirus Support Business Hub and Brexit Hub has helped to deliver on our mantra of ‘Keep Business Moving’.”
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 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
