Putting our case to government amid milestone celebrations
I'm a great believer in mindfulness and whilst I'm not always successful, I try to acknowledge that there is only now, this moment, writes Deb Leary.
However, this moment wouldn't have arrived without a whole lot of history/herstory to create that moment and an acknowledgement that nothing operates in isolation, with the past influencing what comes next.
As one gets older there is a feeling that 'we've seen it all before' - booms and busts, wars and trends, the seemingly natural fluctuations of being a part of the human race. It is therefore no wonder that where stability, providence and integrity are embedded in an organisation that theirs is recognised as an authentic voice with a gravitas that comes from years of experience.
July has been a somewhat reflective month - a time to have one eye on the past, acknowledging what it has taken to get to where we are, but always with the other eye firmly focused on the future.
The 21st July was the 210th anniversary of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, and celebrations took place at Birmingham's Botanical Gardens. This Chamber was the first organisation of its kind in Britain, providing businesses with a legitimate voice that could influence government policy as well as encouraging businesses to network with each other to grow industry and commerce.
This plays out to this very day. At the start of July, I was invited along with CEOs from other Chambers and representatives from Nissan, LiNa Engergy and Moderna to attend a breakfast meeting with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
I was joined by Mike Owens, managing director of Schumacher Packaging, a Chamber patron. Schumacher is an international manufacturer of specialist packaging with links to Birmingham dating back more than 70 years.
The talks were organised by the British Chambers of Commerce, whose director general Shevaun Haviland chaired the meeting.
The purpose of the meeting was primarily to share business challenges and priorities from a regional perspective.
Labour market challenges, economic growth and energy capacity were top of the agenda. The Chancellor listened to views on a range of topics including the levelling up agenda, investment zones, skills, the UK's tight labour market, utilising planning for growth and sorting out the National Grid queuing system.
It was an incredibly valuable meeting, giving the Chambers an opportunity to provide a 'grassroots' level view of the challenges faced by businesses in the regions.
My discussions focused on the need for greater clarity for businesses with regards to the levelling up agenda and what it means to business in real terms, along with the potential for investment zones and what needs to be in play for these to succeed.
Innovation also featured as a discussion point and in particular greater clarity and signposting as to where funding and business support generally can be found.
Overall the message was that whilst the Chambers as a whole are a strong collaborative body to support its members and inform government, each region has its own individual 'flavour' and as a consequence greater devolution would bring significant benefit.
It was an open, realistic and positive meeting on all sides which significantly benefited from having business representatives in the room like our own Mike Owens, who provided real world scenarios as to the opportunities and the challenges they face in converting those opportunities into a reality.
Shevaun Haviland said “It's by having conversations like these that we can work with Government to make a real difference for firms on the frontline of the economy and give them the tools they need for success.”
From my perspective as a business owner, the Chamber continues to be a relevant and resilient voice for business. 210 years of history through thick and through thin.
Lobbying and influencing government policy past, present and future.
The 27th July saw the Birmingham Assay Office celebrate its 250th Anniversary and I was delighted to be asked to join the celebrations at The Grand Hotel. Founded in 1773, when the city and some of its most famous entrepreneurs were playing a leading role in the Industrial Revolution. I shall be looking to cover this in a future article, particularly focused on staying relevant through innovation.
They say things comes in threes, and none could be more widely impactful than that of the Commonwealth Games. A year on and the city has once again stepped up and held a fantastic anniversary festival between 28 July to 6 August in Centenary Square. With 'Ozzy' safely in situ in New Street, we continue to draw visitors who are keen to experience the 'bostin' place we are.
In fact, there has been a huge increase in visitors - around 52 per cent. A massive 915,45 people have been recorded at the station during the first week, compared to the previous week's figure of 602,512, doubtless creating a positive impact for retail and hospitality.
Following Birmingham's motto 'Forward' we continue to evolve, we continue to move forward, we continue to shine.
The only question now is - are we on for 2026?!
Deb Leary is president of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and CEO of Forensic Pathways
This column first appeared in the Birmingham Post
