National Memorial Arboretum

Over the lifetime of our membership, the Chamber has supported our business in many different ways and this has changed as we have grown and developed.

Initially we focussed on increasing our profile with local businesses, encouraging them to visit, support and advocate for our core charitable purpose; to be the Nation’s year-round place to remember, freely open to all. Over many years, the Chamber’s press team has featured our work in both Chamberlink magazine and e-newsletters, highlighting the work of the charity.

In 2017 we fundraised for £8.1m to build 'Aspects' at the National Memorial Arboretum, a dedicated conferencing and events centre which replaced a temporary marquee onsite.

Aspects opened in 2018 and the Chamber networking events, trade fairs and speaker talks were an invaluable way for us to understand more about the economic landscape around us, find suppliers and connect with other members who were looking for conferencing and events space. Hosting chamber events within Aspects was also another way for us to bring potential new clients into the building and market our events business.

More recently, our relationship manager at the Chamber has helped us to connect with individuals and organisations on a much-needed project to preserve the poignant Shot at Dawn Memorial for future generations. That assistance not only saved us thousands of pounds in materials but helped us to create new connections that will hopefully last a lifetime.

The Chamber has such a variety of ways in which they can support businesses but their real strength is in knowing their members. Over the years, the Arboretum’s needs have changed, but the Chamber has been able to support at each step of the way whether it is through understanding the market and business challenges, connecting us to other members, or offering opportunities to meet new members and businesses.

Our relationship with the team at the Greater Birmingham Chambers, and particularly Gary Birch (Head of Group Relationship Management), has been invaluable to us over the last few years. Storytelling is central to the work of our team at the Arboretum, and the stories we share in our grounds are incredibly important. The Chamber team has taken the time to develop a real understanding of the Arboretum’s own story, charitable mission, and vision for the future. With their knowledge of the regional market, and other chamber members, they have been able to highlight potential synergies between our organisation and others and helped us build, mutually beneficial, relationships with businesses across the region.