British Chambers of Commerce alongside
the local Chamber network, launched a campaign to recognise the incredible work UK businesses have been doing to support local communities, innovate and meet new demands during the coronavirus pandemic. T e UK Business Hero stamp was created to
pay tribute to those businesses and individuals that have gone the extra mile and made a vital contribution in these diffi cult times. It is with real pride the Bedfordshire Chamber
of Commerce can announce that London Luton Airport, Vauxhall, Chiltern Academy, GKN Aerospace, Peli BioT ermal, Community Interest Luton, Lockheed Martin, Silver Screen Services, Willow Tree Distilling Company, Jaltek Systems and Verifile all received the national accolade for demonstrating resilience, community spirt and a selfl ess approach to the challenges of the pandemic.
Truly inspiring stories T e pandemic saw UK Business Heroes use their resources in altruistic and inventive ways to step up and serve their communities in times of crisis, resulting in some truly inspiring stories – from London Luton Airport providing over 100 volunteers to help support local community organisations and donating surplus food items to homeless charities, to Chiltern Academy, who during lockdown made over 14,000 face visors that were distributed all over the country to frontline workers. Many UK Business Heroes repurposed their
equipment or staff to do everything they could in creating vital supplies for the NHS. A handpicked team of Vauxhall workers completed a 16-week assignment at Smiths Medical working as part of a consortium that helped to deliver 13,437 ventilators to the NHS. Some exceptional stories of adaptability and collaboration. T e companies also received royal recognition with a letter of
congratulations from HRH Countess of Wessex GCVO, who supported the campaign. In the letter, HRH T e Countess of Wessex highlighted how it has given her great pride to hear how businesses have gone the extra mile to help during the coronavirus pandemic and stated: “It has been a particular pleasure to hear stories of how you have supported your local communities throughout the outbreak and to see you nominated as UK Business Heroes by your local Chamber of Commerce. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your positive contributions, congratulate you on your recognition as a UK Business Hero and wish you every success in your endeavours in the weeks and months ahead as we look to the recovery of our country.”
An optimistic future It is hard to predict what this year will truly look like. T ese are undeniably challenging times for many businesses across the county but the resilience we saw in 2020 shows we are well placed to take full advantage of new opportunities. Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce is devoting its resources
ALL THINGS BUSINESS
and expertise to working with a range of local and national partners on schemes aimed at supporting local businesses navigate uncertain times and adapt to new conditions. T ese include ChamberCustoms® to help businesses keep trading now the transition period has passed and working with long-term partners Wenta in collaboration with members to deliver free business support to the network. We have also been given the green light to
become a gateway for the government-backed Kickstart Scheme - designed to help support young people who are struggling to get onto the jobs market. Demand, even in diffi cult times, has proved there are reasons to be optimistic and we are already working with 100 companies looking to provide 200-plus job placements. In short, 2020 was quite a year and there are
further challenges to overcome but by working together I’m confident we can help deliver sustainable and inclusive growth for Bedfordshire.
Find out more about Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce at
www.chamber-business.com
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