Vicky Lofthouse Chief executive officer
@LDCoC
company/lancaster- district-chamber-of-commerce
CHAMBER CELEBRATES 125 YEARS OF VITAL BUSINESS SUPPORT This year Lancaster and District Chamber
PRESENT:
Paul Aisthorpe Scale-Ability
Maggie Cawthorn Lancaster and Morecambe College
Nick Dagger ICS Accounting
Councillor Tim Hamilton-Cox Lancaster City Council
Charlie Haywood Hotfoot Design
Dan Knowles
D&S Knowles Consulting and Lancashire Digital Hub
Fiona Lugiano Ascentis
John O’Neill
Lancaster and District Chamber of Commerce and Morecambe Business Improvement District
Caroline Rayner Baines Wilson
of Commerce is celebrating its 125th anniversary, making it one of the oldest established organisations in north Lancashire, and a provider of continual support to businesses over the years.
Over the last 125 years there have been some incredible changes in this area, and it is important that we reflect on these and we remember the heritage of this area and the chamber.
Lancaster & District Chamber of Commerce is a not for profit organisation owned by and directed by its business members. It has a proactive board of non-executive directors who represent different sectors of the membership.
That strategy aims to bring education and local people together to “share knowledge, green skills and behaviours” to take personal responsibility for the environment and the future of the bay.
The unique curriculum, from pre-natal to 25 years, has seen Lancaster University, Lancaster and Morecambe College and experts from Eden Project North working in partnership with early years settings, local schools and colleges to promote green, practical ‘pathways to learning’ in the natural environment of the bay.
Sitting alongside the national curriculum it also encourages children and young people to make an active contribution to their community through involvement in practical projects.
Maggie Cawthorn, sustainability project coordinator at Lancaster and Morecambe College, describes it as “bringing the curriculum back to the environment.”
She adds: “It is understanding that the environment, and particularly our local environment, is educational and we need to look after it.” Eden, she believes, has also been a hook to get businesses interested in sustainability and to understand that they need to “gear up” for that.
She says: “That’s an opportunity irrespective of Eden being in the area. It is beginning to make people think more about the opportunities. One of the real opportunities for our area is in terms of green energy, tidal and wind.”
Paul Aisthorpe, managing director of Carnforth based business training company Scale-Ability, says Eden has already made
a “massive difference” in putting the spotlight on north Lancashire and creating a ‘feelgood’ factor.
He says: “If we look at some of the developments in the area, can we link some of that to the spotlight. People coming in to the area, investing and thinking, ‘This is the future, is our future’.
“Eden has brought people together to think about ideas and the spin-off ideas and projects that have come from that will continue. Even if Eden doesn’t happen those projects will still be driven forward.”
Fiona Lugiano, deputy chief executive at Lancaster headquartered education qualification awarding organisation and Red Rose Award winner Ascentis, agrees Eden is already making a difference.
She says: “We’ve been working on the Eden Project and with businesses in the local area and we’ve been getting lots of ideas from it.
“It’s almost been an ‘ideas catalyst’ because the businesses we’ve been working with are ones we wouldn’t necessarily be in contact with normally. So that’s something that has come from it.
“It’s not very tangible, it’s not a big, massive project, but it’s getting people talking to each other in the local area which is always a good thing.”
Caroline Rayner, partner at law firm Baines Wilson, has been impressed by the engagement around the Eden North programme and believes the area’s business community has to keep getting behind the project.
Continued on page 30
LANCASHIREBUSINESSVIEW.CO.UK
Its history dates back to the 18th century and is firmly rooted in the business community. The role of the chamber then and now is to connect, support and represent businesses based in North Lancashire.
In January 1897, the new chamber committee met for the first time in public and was given the responsibility for setting up Lancaster & District Chamber of Commerce. Cards were circulated to traders to discover the degree of interest in joining the chamber at a one guinea subscription. Within a month fifty had signed up as members.
From early on the chamber’s purpose was directed by its members who decided which issues the chamber should concern itself with, still a strong over-riding purpose of the chamber to this day: representing the views and needs of its members promoting north Lancashire’s businesses to ensure the business community thrives.
For 125 years the chamber has always been here to help. Here for you, here for business. Every Step of the way and there has never been a better time to join.
www.lancaster-chamber.org.uk 01524 381331
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