Businesses are calling on Prime Minister Theresa May to use her promised Brexit speech tomorrow to offer clarity on key issues of concern.

Downing Street has confirmed that Prime Minister Theresa May will use the speech to give the clearest indication yet of the Government’s plans for Britain’s exit from the EU.

The Government has been under pressure to spell out its negotiating stance but has consistently declined to show its hand before Article 50 is triggered and negotiations begin.

Last November, East Midlands Chamber, with support from regional MPs, led a delegation of regional business leaders to Westminster and used the event in the heart of Government to unveil an eight-page report setting out what regional businesses want to ensure Britain prospers after it leaves the EU.

The report – Shaping a Great Future for the East Midlands: Leading Balanced and Sustainable Growth in a Post-Brexit Economy – called on the Government to

• expand its trade missions programme
• ensure meaningful consultation on priority markets
• secure the best possible transitional agreements for trading with EU countries
• ensure future immigration policy enables businesses to meet their skills needs
• give clear guidance on tax and customs issues
• maintain stability in terms of regulations
• guarantee funding for programmes currently co-funded through EU investment, and
• maintain access to the European Investment Bank.

Since the result of the EU Referendum last June, the Chamber has said that business, the creator of jobs and wealth and driver of the regional and national economy, should play an important role in exit negotiations.

Scott Knowles, the Chamber’s Chief Executive, said:-

“Getting the right messages into Westminster, and making sure our regional MPs are all attuned to the needs of the local business community, are vital to making sure that Britain prospers in a post-Brexit global economy.

“Taking a strong contingent of local business leaders to the heart of Government to deliver their message to MPs gave a very clear indication of just how strongly they want to be involved in negotiations and decisions that will impact them and ultimately affect their ability to be the creators of jobs and wealth and drivers of the regional and national economy.

“We hope to see some indication that Mrs May is listening to business and that she is committing to place the needs of business high on the agenda once Brexit talks begin in earnest.”

Scott added:-

“We know from our own Quarterly Economic Surveys that businesses in the East Midlands are doing well at the moment and are driving the economy but that they have concerns about their EU workforces, immigration generally and trade prices and their impact on inflation.

“Mrs May has an opportunity now to start laying some of those concerns to rest and set out Government plans for Britain outside the EU, where business is ready and waiting to meet whatever challenges lie ahead.”

Workers on Dunston Business Park will be able to take advantage of new catering facilities when the Chamber moves to its new office.

Commerce House, formerly St Andrew’s House, has a modern kitchen and refectory which will be opened up to workers from neighbouring offices.

Chamber member The Lovely Catering Company, Chesterfield, will be providing the café service and use the commercial-standard kitchen as a base for its outside catering business.

Hot and cold food, sandwiches, snacks and other refreshments will be available at the ‘Café at the Chamber’.

Scott Knowles, the Chamber’s Chief Executive, said:-

“We were in two minds about whether to utilise the kitchen and refectory at the new office or remove it – although it seemed a bit of a waste to rip out something which on the surface was perfectly functional.

“There seemed to be a shortage of proper café facilities in the area so we offered the kitchen to one of our members, Neil Parkin at The Lovely Catering Company, and are delighted that he will be able to put it to good use by providing a café not only for Chamber staff but also for our new neighbours.”

Neil said:-

“Our corporate catering service, Lovely Buffet, has grown rapidly over the past couple of years and we were looking for additional space and facilities. We have been a supplier to the Chamber and members for many years now and have a great working relationship.

“I’m pleased we have the opportunity to provide a much-needed cafe service on the Dunston Business Park for staff and public, and to further expand our corporate catering business. We are really looking forward to it.”

The Chamber is planning to move from its current office on Canal Wharf, Chesterfield, to Commerce House, Millennium Way, at the end of February.

It will occupy two floors of the three storey building and is looking for a tenant for the upper floor.

In 2017 Herbal Likör brand Jungfrau returns to sponsor ultimate snow sports and music festival Snowboxx, for the third year running.

Chesterfield Champion and the UK’s leading independent drinks brand development business – Global Brands – owns, markets and distributes Jungfrau Likör.

More than 3 in 4 millennials (78%) would choose to spend money on an experience or event over a material purchase. Therefore it is important for brands to connect with their audience through meaningful experiences, especially hosting events in their area of interest.

Recognising this, Jungfrau has invested more than ever in a huge, experiential marketing campaign, #discoverthelegend, to entertain and engage with their target audience of millennials. The campaign appeals to those wishing to encounter new, fun experiences to share with friends.

Jungfrau plan to deliver an impressive experiential campaign at Snowboxx, tying their activities seamlessly into the festival which boasts a series of snow parks, pistes and late-night parties. Taking their #discoverthelegend campaign to the peaks, the brand continues to pursue its relentless and enthusiastic search to deliver the most amazing life experiences for its thrill-seeking consumers.

To kick off the campaign, Jungfrau continues to host a series of ‘Après Ski Snow Parties’ at universities across the UK in December and January. These events give the key student market a taster of what’s in-store for the festival in March. The events are designed to transport attendees to the Alps, as each venue is decorated with snow machines and CO2 cannons to create a complete Jungfrau wonderland.

Further to this, Jungfrau is hosting the ultimate competition giving one lucky entrant and a friend the chance to win an all-expense paid VIP trip to Snowboxx. The innovative competition is linked to the ‘Après Ski’ events as Jungfrau utilises ever-popular interactive app, Snapchat, as a means of entry. Using the app appeals directly to millennials and encourages them to interact with the brand during each event. All campaign activity will be heavily supported on social media, meaning touch points are clearly linked and key target markets will get a great sense of the brand.

Christian Sarginson, Senior Brand Manager at Global Brands, says:-

“Snowboxx is the perfect fit for Jungfrau and that’s why we continue to collaborate year after year. Jungfrau takes pride in engaging with our consumers and creating real, memorable experiences for them. We are lucky to work with a great team at Snowboxx who put on a fantastic festival, and can’t wait to bring the #discoverthelegend campaign to the UK and to France!”

The supporting events, competition and festival action create a crossover of activity to show consumers what they can expect from Jungfrau now and in the future.

Chesterfield-based IT and telecoms provider Central Technology, is teaming up with three of the biggest names in the industry to deliver an event aimed at helping local firms make the most of the latest emerging technologies.

The ‘Technology Roadmap’ event, which takes place at Chesterfield Football Club’s Proact Stadium, on 1 February, will feature keynote presentations from tech giant Dell, cloud back up-provider Veeam, and email security expert Roaring Penguin.

Industry experts from Dell will be giving live demonstrations of the latest devices and solutions that address real-work needs.

Veeam will be showcasing its latest software for back-up and replication, including back-up for physical servers and PCs.

And the creators of email security software Roaring Penguin will be talking about email spoofing and cyber-attack prevention.

Members of CT’s technical team will be on-hand to help ensure those attending have the right IT solutions in place within their organisations.

There will also be a stadium tour, a pie and pea supper, and networking, giving delegates the opportunity to share their thoughts about the benefits of cloud technology with likeminded businesses.

And those attending will also have the chance to win some top prizes including a drone, a fit bit and a laptop.

Richard Thompson, Sales Director at Central Technology, said:-

“Keeping up-to-date with the latest technologies and software solutions can be time-consuming and daunting for most businesses, but it is critically important that businesses stay ahead of the curve.

“This event is all about addressing that need and giving local firms the opportunity to hear from some of the biggest names in the industry about how they can use technology to transform their businesses.

“It will equip delegates with the latest information and expertise, and provide businesses with an opportunity to look at and experience new technology and solutions in an environment designed to inspire new ways of working, help to make the most of technology and improve their digital capabilities.”

Businesses across the East Midlands are accelerating into 2017, according to the latest data collated by East Midlands Chamber.

But they are still seeking assurances when it comes to negotiations over Brexit and there are concerns about inflationary pressures in 2017 and how they will impact on growth.

Both domestic and overseas markets were robust in the final quarter (Q4) of 2016 with 43% of firms reporting improved domestic performance and 40% reporting improved overseas sales.

Looking forward to this year, 40% of respondents to the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) for Q4 said they were seeing improved orders from domestic customers and 43% said they had seen no fall off.

When it comes to overseas sales, 37% said they had seen increased orders and 44% reported no decline.

The weaker pound following the vote to leave the EU is responsible for reducing the cost around the world of ‘Made in Britain’-branded goods but it is also making imports of raw materials more expensive, which is driving inflation. As a result, 50% of respondents said they expected to see price increases in coming months.

While 62% said they expected turnover to increase in the next 12 months, 50% said they anticipated profitability would increase.

Contrasting the Q3 dip in confidence, 23% of firms said they intend to increase investment in plant, machinery and equipment in Q4 and 25% intend to increase spending on training, up from 17% and 19% respectively.

Reflected in ONS employment figures from the end of 2016, businesses continued to expand in terms of employee numbers, with 29% increasing the size of their workforce and only 10% decreasing staff levels.

Looking forwards, 32% said they expected to increase their workforce in Q1 2017 and only 6% expected staff numbers to decrease.

But employers continue to report difficulties recruiting suitably skilled staff and still want assurances from Government over the future of their staff with EU-backgrounds.

The data collected in the quarterly surveys is used to create a State of the Economy Index (SEI) – an indicator of the direction-of-travel of the economy.

The SEI figure for Q4 was 293, 89 points higher than the Q3 figure (204) and the highest since Q2 2015.

Chris Hobson, the Chamber’s Director of Policy, said:-

“Despite the inevitable uncertainties that businesses have faced since the vote to the leave the EU, the economy in the East Midlands is robust.

“Domestic and overseas sales have grown strongly, particularly for our many manufacturers taking advantage of favourable exchange rates which make ‘Made in Britain’-branded goods less expensive overseas.

“However, the clear message from this survey is the likely impact, particularly in the manufacturing sector, of increasing levels of inflation and the inevitable difficulties this could cause from a planning and investment perspective.

“Slight increases were reported quarter-on-quarter in terms of recruitment intentions but accessing suitably-skilled staff continues to be a distinct difficulty for employers, with managerial/technical roles being the hardest to fill.

“It is apparent that clarity is still needed over what the main features of a successful UK economy outside of the EU are likely to be.

“Details and time-scales are lacking from Government regarding the types of trade deals the UK will negotiate and what Brexit will mean for those employing staff from EU countries, the uncertainty over which EU regulatory directives are likely to be kept and the dwindling amount of opportunities for those whose business models are largely-dependent on the sourcing of EU funding.

“In Q4, the Chamber, with support from many regional MPs, led a delegation of businesses to Westminster to highlight opportunities for a post-Brexit UK economy, along with current business concerns.

“We look forward to working with Government to make sure that the needs of business, which were compiled in a short report – Shaping a Great Future for the East Midlands: Leading a balanced and sustainable growth in a post-Brexit economy – are paramount during Brexit negotiations.”

Three senior promotions have been announced by WCEC Architects.

Nick Riley, former Design Director, has been promoted to Board Director, Mark Williams to Regional Director and David Skelton to Technical Director.

As part of the management changes, Chairman James Kemp, who has played an instrumental lead role in managing the company (based in Chesterfield) for more than twenty years, steps down from the Board.

Nick joined WCEC in 2014 bringing with him a wealth of experience and contacts in the Student Living arena and has delivered on his mission to break WCEC into this sector. He has been instrumental in securing a range of high profile projects and new clients, as well as becoming a keynote speaker at industry sector conferences in London and Europe.

Nick has fulfilled a strategic role in leading the New Business team and activity. Also, he has worked closely with the Board to help shape the long-term future direction of the practice.

Mark Williams has been at WCEC Architects since 2007 having worked on a wide variety of retail, mixed use and residential projects from feasibility to implementation, which has also included secondments, working within Blue Chip client offices.

More recently Mark has led the company’s Leeds office, developing strong working relationships within the West Yorkshire property and business community and positioning the practice in a wide range of new development opportunities.

David Skelton, is an experienced and well-rounded architect with a wealth of experience across all sectors. He has successfully built up and maintained a number of long-standing repeat client relationships. David leads the company’s Quality and Environmental Management systems; ensuring ongoing certification to BSI ISO 9001 and 14001.

Ashley Turner, Chief Executive of WCEC Architects, said:-

“It is an exciting time for WCEC and a genuine pleasure to recognise the contributions of these three crucial team members, by promoting them accordingly. Their dedication has helped WCEC build on its reputation for both technical and design excellence, within both existing and new sector markets.”

Praising the achievements of James Kemp, Ashley added:-

“His contributions, successes and unequivocal dedication have all been equally significant. Whilst enjoying more well-earned leisure time, he will remain a trusted, respected and visible part of the team at WCEC as he fulfils an ongoing consultancy support role for the foreseeable future.”

BHP, Chesterfield Champions and Yorkshire’s largest independent firm of Chartered Accountants, has merged with Sheffield based gvt Chartered Accountants.

This follows the sad passing of Melanie Viner, gvt’s Key Relationship Partner, following a courageous battle with cancer.  Melanie joined gvt in 1991 and quickly established a strong reputation in the accountancy industry, becoming the firm’s Managing Partner.  Following her diagnosis, Melanie became passionate about securing gvt’s future for its staff and clients and agreed to the completion of the merger shortly before she passed away in November. Melanie’s business partner Mark Goodband has retired from the partnership and after a short hand over period, will pursue other opportunities.

gvt’s team will relocate to BHP’s headquarters over the coming weeks.  BHP now has more than 300 employees across five offices in Sheffield, Leeds, Cleckheaton, Chesterfield and York.

John Warner, Managing Partner at BHP says:-

“It was hugely important to Melanie that both gvt’s team and the firm’s client base would continue to thrive after her death.  gvt has always had a strong, well-established team and a reputation for offering a high standard of service to its clients, which fits with BHP’s culture and customer centric approach.  As a result, we were delighted to agree to this merger proposal.

“We’re now looking forward to welcoming our new colleagues into our business and continuing to provide gvt’s clients with the level of service and expertise that they have come to expect, which will form an important part of Melanie’s legacy. We would also like to wish Mark all the very best for the future.”

Ashgate Hospicecare is proud to have opened their ‘Harry Fisher Building’ following a period of crucial renovation works during the last few months.

Since opening its doors in 1988, the Hospice has helped thousands of patients and their families to spend precious moments together at such a critical time in their lives. However, two years ago, Ashgate was given the news that the older part of the building had significant structural weaknesses and was quickly and severely deteriorating. The survey, conducted in 2014, concluded that without intervention, the building would become uninhabitable.

Lucy Nickson, Chief Executive of Ashgate Hospicecare, said:-

“We decided to have the survey done due to the age of the building. Despite the shocking report coming back that the building was very quickly deteriorating, the potential to make good use of it could be seen, especially to turn what was being used as storage and other wasted space into areas that could be used for counselling and family support. The only big issue at the time was having the money to be able to carry out the work that was required.”

In 2015, after a series of fortuitous events and at such a crucial time, Ashgate Hospicecare was given the opportunity to give patients and their families the additional privacy and dignity they needed thanks to the unbelievably generous gift in the Will of the late Harry Fisher.

Lucy added:-

“Without the amazing gift from Harry Fisher, we would have been left with a building that was unfit for purpose and a complete lack of space for patient and family support services. Harry has left a truly amazing legacy to the people of North Derbyshire.”

Following a robust tender process, H A Briddon were chosen to complete the building work and as chance would have it, they had a connection with the late Harry Fisher of their own. Harry Briddon, who was responsible for the renovation, is a sailor at Ogston Sailing Club where Harry Fisher had been President of the club for over 30 years.

Ashgate House has been a significant part of Ashgate Hospicecare’s history and has been an iconic local landmark that has grown to mean so much to so many people. Seven months later, now the Harry Fisher Building, a sense of community is even more evident.

The hospice now offers more facilities for families including a new restaurant and dining room, which will create a relaxing and tranquil surrounding to benefit patients, staff and visitors, as well as facilities to provide fresh, hot meals. There is now new counselling and bereavement therapy rooms which will provide support within a purpose-built dedicated counselling area, including an art therapy room. These will all have an immediate positive impact on the number of people the hospice can support at any one time. A new alternative entrance has also been built, ensuring families returning for bereavement counselling and support will no longer have to enter the Hospice through the same doors as when visiting their loved ones and walk past patient bedrooms.

Chesterfield Champions WCEC Architects is ending the year by welcoming the go-ahead of the second phase of a £700m urban regeneration project they have designed in Salford.

WCEC Architects is one of largest architects’ practices based in the East Midlands and Yorkshire region and ranked in Building Magazine’s Top 50 UK Architects. The organisation, based in Sheepbridge, will be working on a mix of around 2,500 homes alongside offices, shops, restaurants and a hotel and see the go-ahead as further endorsement of the quality of their design work.

Ian Lowson, Regional Director at WCEC, said he was “delighted” at the latest go-ahead. HE said:-

“Our team has worked tirelessly to maintain the high standard of design they achieved on phase one, which is currently being realised on site.

“We are immensely proud as a practice to be part of Middlewood’s continuing story.”

The scheme adds to WCEC’s portfolio which locally includes works at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane Stadium, St James Retail Park on the site of the former Norton College, the transformation of former post office in the heart of Chesterfield’s historic market place into luxury apartments and other residential schemes on Matilda Street in Sheffield city centre and works at Kelham Island.

WCEC, based in Sheepbridge, Chesterfield has marked 40 successful years in designing innovative and sustainable building solutions.

With growth and diversification over the last few years, it is confident it is well-placed to respond to any changing market conditions.

Current and recently completed projects include major residential developments at Royal Wharf in London and Old Oak in Ealing, the Bond Street retail and leisure development in Chelmsford, multiple retail accounts and a growing student accommodation portfolio.

Companies keen to widen their digital reach and impact are to benefit from a £7.2million funding package, through the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership and its partners.

The D2N2 Digital Business Growth Programme, set to launch next month (January 2017) and run for three years, is due to help around 850 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the D2N2 LEP area over that period, to make better use of digital connectivity to expand their businesses.

D2N2 – the private sector-led partnership which promotes economic and jobs’ growth across Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire – wants to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) involved in a wide range of commercial sectors to make better use of their current digital and online marketing techniques, or develop new ones, to improve their business performance and productivity.

A £3.6m investment will come from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) portion of D2N2’s larger €250million allocation of European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF); which is EU funding to spent over six years (up to 2020) on projects which help SMEs be more competitive and expand their operations.

Matched funding of £3.6m for the programme will come from Nottinghamshire County, Nottingham City, Derbyshire County, Derby City and Rushcliffe Borough councils; Nottingham’s Creative Quarter Company and East Midlands Chamber. Some of the partners will also deliver the programme for businesses.

Activities will include:

• A small grant scheme aimed at supporting businesses in exploiting their existing technology solutions or with the introduction of new systems and software to assist with the implementation of new digital resources, in order to improve business performance and productivity.

• Raising companies’ awareness of new digital technology products and services; which could help them be more competitive and productive, and grow.

• Free workshops and seminars (similar to pictured) designed to showcase how new and emerging technologies are transforming business operations through focusing on big data, digital marketing, e-commerce, ‘The Internet of Things’, cloud computing and on ensuring cyber security. At least 48 seminars will be delivered across the D2N2 LEP area over the project’s lifespan.

• 340 free business workshops to be run on practical steps around website development, e-marketing, systems integration and other ICT matters.

• Digital Conference events to be held in November 2017 and April 2019, for 300 to 500 visitors each, which will include high profile speakers, Q&A panel sessions, and demonstration events where visitors can try out technology and talk to experts.

• A one-to-one digital skills and advice service for companies looking to put into action the direction they’ve decided to take with ICT. This will include up to ten days of onsite expert support for businesses implementing their development plan. At least 350 businesses will be supported.

Peter Richardson, Chair of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said:-

“Few business sectors can do without a digital presence and marketing strategy but many smaller firms find establishing one a daunting prospect.

“Through this significant investment in the D2N2 Digital Business Growth Programme, the D2N2 LEP and its partners will aim to address businesses’ needs.”

Councillor Diana Meale, Chair of the Economic Development Committee at Nottinghamshire County Council, added:-

“Through the ongoing Better Broadband for Nottinghamshire and Digital Derbyshire programmes, we’re putting digital infrastructure in place which is amongst the best in the UK. But if the area is going to drive home the full economic benefits of having better broadband, we need to support businesses to explore and introduce new and emerging ICT products and services.

“The D2N2 Digital Growth programme, which we are proud to be delivering in partnership with the East Midlands Chamber, gives businesses new commercial opportunities to boost their competitiveness and productivity; helping to drive economic growth across the D2N2 area.”