Agenda item

Sevenoaks & District Chamber of Commerce

Chief Executive Officer Julie Phillips in attendance to answer questions on the work of the Sevenoaks & District Chamber of Commerce within the district.

Minutes:

The Chairman welcomed the Chief Executive, Julie Phillips, and the Chairman, Nick Brooker, from the Sevenoaks & District Chamber of Commerce who gave an overview of the activities of the Chamber within the district.

The Sevenoaks & District Chamber of Commerce was a non-profit membership organisation which offered support, guidance and networking opportunities for businesses. It primarily operated in Sevenoaks, Swanley and Westerham. Some of the services provided included workshops, webinars, and a LinkedIn group. The Chamber had an active social media presence in order to reach members.

The Chamber had made local connections, they included the Economic Development team at the Council, the Careers Enterprise Unit, the Town Councils of Sevenoaks, Swanley and Westerham as well as other Chambers.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chamber’s services were quickly moved online. Specific support to help businesses cope with the impact of Covid-19 included the signposting of funding available and guidance on the Job Retention Scheme. The Chamber had been lenient on renewal of memberships. Virtual coffee and chat sessions had taken place for the wellbeing of members. The Chamber had been in contact with all members to ensure they have support.

Going forward, the Chamber had planned to continue networking meetings online. Some of the network events would be more sector specific. The resilience programme would continue based on the needs of members.  

Members asked questions on the impact of Covid-19 on businesses within the district. They were advised that the extent of impact from Covid-19 depended on the type of business. Businesses in the hospitality industry had been financially impacted more than those that were business-to-business. The impacts of Covid-19 had created a greater sense of local community from members of the Chamber and the public seemed more interested in shopping locally. It was believed that the overall impact of Covid-19 would not be clear until the following year.

In response to queries, Members were advised that although Edenbridge had their own Chamber, members of the Edenbridge Chamber of Commerce were welcome to attend the Sevenoaks Chamber’s events. They had kept in touch to consider opportunities for collaboration.

Following queries, it was clarified that the Chamber had not been in contact with parish councils, however it was something they would consider in future to reach rural businesses.

Following queries on support for young people’s employment within the district, it was advised that the Chamber had run a work experience week to show young people what work was available within the district. A number of schools were members of the Chamber which helped connections with young people. There was a Next Generation group who were considering ways to introduce sixth form students to different work place scenarios.

Discussions were had on how the Council could support the Chamber going forward. The work the Council had been doing to support businesses was acknowledged. In particular, the quick distribution of grants to businesses was praised. The Council had run the Business Board meetings which had been taking place virtually once a month. This was an opportunity for businesses within the district to share their experiences. It was hoped that actions, where appropriate, would be taken following feedback received at the Business Board. It was suggested that the Council communicate to residents the importance of shopping local.

The Chairman thanked Julie Phillips and Nick Brooker for their attendance.

 

 

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