Stowmarket Breakfast meeting news for August 2010

Despite summer holidays we had 24 attendees this month including Stowmarket members Bridget Keevil (Travelstop), Bob Boxhall-Hunt (Expense Reduction Analysts), Jim Darrah (J-Jaz Services), Suzanne MacDonald-Carr (Action Coach), Shelli Moyes (MPM Computer Consultancy), Bob Scott (SMC International), Allan Scott (Newsletter Genie), Keely Taylor (KTSS), Laura Williams (Lloyds TSB) and Andrew Bingham (Independent Funeral Services).

Suffolk Chamber members present were Adrian Baldry (Priority Driver Training), Daryl Franklin (Woodward Markwell Insurance), Sue Hall (Maid2Clean), John Shaw and Simon Papworth (Business Link East), Rupert Tabley (MSDC Waste Management), Darren Guiheen (DL Design Associates) and Tom Ward (Oliver Legal).

Guests were David Baker (Charting Success), Paulin Goonan (P M Goonan Ltd), Jane Yeo (Necses Events) and Alison Withers (multimedia reputations).

This month we had a great breakfast courtesy of staff from the new Infuse Restaurant, Prentice Road, 01449 770401, infuserestaurant@yahoo.co.uk as well as a lot of news about initiatives in Stowmarket and Suffolk, details of which follow:

Business Link

John Shaw reported that despite the confused messages on the future of local business support organisations before the election Business Link would continue and the organisation had successfully bid for contracts that link to the UKTI and inward investment for the East of England.

In addition to its existing business support services, including advice for start-ups and its supplier brokerage services for businesses Business Link will now also be involved in the UKTI’s new international trade services to help Suffolk businesses to export, which include financial incentives to use the embassy staff in various locations as well as advice and market research.

There will also be initiatives to encourage inward investment for businesses to set up in the UK and ensure they have a good experience and support here.

A New Life for the Corn Exchange

The Corn Exchange, in Church Walk, was built in 1835 for the sum of £3000, reported Paulin Goonan, of P Goonan Ltd project management. Paulin is one of a number of volunteers working to turn the building into a resource for the whole of Stowmarket.

She told us that the building has been renamed the John Peel Centre for Creative Arts and the late presenter’s family was supporting the initiative. His widow, Sheila, is a member of the board driving the project.

The project has been divided into four phases, first of which is to spend £20,000 on modifications to ensure disable access and toilet facilities and to install a kitchen.

The next step will be to relocate the main entrance to between the windows.  After that there are hopes of building a mezzanine floor and installing studios before the final step of hopefully developing the building through to the Market Square.

Paulin reported that there would be employment opportunities during the development stage, which it was intended would use local workers.

However, she said, the first step would be to raise some money via sponsorship from local businesses and to recruit help with services. Anyone who would like to help should email Paulin. paulin_goonan@yahoo.com

 She said the group had been shortlisted for help from the Lottery Heritage Fund and had been given a 10-minute slot on a programme on ITV to present their case along with the other local shortlisted candidates.  Dates will be announced in due course.

The Chairman’s August updates

Peter Down had a number of updates for members, including:

A Memorial Day Rugby match between the Royal Anglians and the Suffolk Barbarians at the Rugby club, Chilton Fields, on Saturday, September 11.

The event will be part of a family fun day with side stands offering everything from Sumo wrestling to a coconut shy and will also include the first league game of the season between Stowmarket 1^st XV and Holt.  There will be a disco in the evening.

As part of its promotion and support for the Town Centre Partnership Peter announced members would shortly be receiving the first of a regular series of e-newsletters, which will be published quarterly giving updates on developments.

He distributed copies of the first draft of a new leaflet for the town’s traders to give to customers, describing how their purchases have benefited the town’s trade. The plan is to have the leaflet professionally printed once the wording has been finalised.

Peter’s Bees

Two Bees in the bonnet this month – a bonus for the holiday period.

The first message is “look over the fence” – a reference to John Shaw’s presentation emphasising trading overseas and the link to UKTI. Peter believes there is no reason why Stowmarket traders cannot be part of the drive to export goods and services.  Suffolk Chamber will be the venue for a delegation from Zeebrugge (Flanders) in October. The visit is being organised by the Haven Gateway Partnership and West Flanders Chamber. The two are also exploring the possibility of establishing representative offices in each other's areas.

Secondly, the Government has asked for suggestions for replacing the regional development agencies with Local Enterprise Partnerships and Suffolk Chamber is putting in a bid for One East Anglia.

 Bids so far have focused on Maritime Activities and another focuses on Cambridge and IT.  The feeling is that bids so far have ignored the central part of Suffolk, including Stowmarket, because of the feeling that “it’s only fields”.  Plainly this is a misconception that needs to be corrected and this is the thinking behind the Chamber's “One East Anglia” initiative, to which the Stowmarket Chamber has contributed.

That’s it for this month.  Next month’s meeting will be on Friday, September 17, at the Rugby Club as usual.