Welcome to Southampton Chamber

After a couple of challenging years, we are more committed than ever to ensuring that you get the best from the Chamber of Commerce.

As a team, we are keen to ensure that we are accessible to you and that we keep you regularly informed of the various initiatives that we are working towards, on your behalf.

Below is an outline of our priorities, project leads and details on how to contact us. We would love to get your thoughts or indeed input into these projects:

• Are they delivering what you need?
• Would you like to offer your expertise to these groups?
• Are there any other issues that you feel we should be working towards on your behalf?

Our vision and purpose is to support our members to grow and prosper. Please feel free to reach out to share your views on what we can do to support our members in Southampton.

Special Projects

Led by Gary Whittle, Commercial Director at Meachers Global Logistics and Lakbir Singh, COO at UK Elite Sports Group and Head of Projects for the India Business group.

Our special project team will be here to support and inform you on all key events and initiatives happening in and around the Southampton area that we feel will support our members. We will ensure that we have a voice at the table and your thoughts and views are conveyed, for example, Solent Freeport, Southampton City of Culture Bid.

Additionally, we will be signposting our members to the business opportunities that are available to them via these special projects.

Sustainability and Efficiency

Led by Gareth Miller, Managing Director at Carswell Gould

Sustainability is certainly at the forefront of most of our minds, albeit many of us don’t know where to start or how to fund transitioning our business to a cleaner and greener place. We have set up this project group to help support you in navigating your way round this huge topic. Our aim is to support you to be a cleaner, greener, and more efficient business.

People

Led by Paul Cox, CEO and Principle of Eastleigh College

This project team will be at the forefront of the Skills, Retention and Wellbeing agenda in the Southampton area. Supporting our members with advice and guidance on up-skilling, skills funding, support in retaining top talent in our region and signposting the class wellbeing in the workplace.

Procurement and Growth

Led by Peter Taylor, Senior Partner at Paris Smith, President of Hampshire Chamber of Commerce and Graham Barnetson, Chief Finance Officer at Red Funnel

Procurement is not a dark art, and our procurement and growth team will demystify this for our members. Our aim is to promote local businesses to achieve local tenders. This will be achieved via actively lobbying large organisations to back local suppliers; supporting our members in the skill of submitting tender documents and curating a Southampton Chamber of Commerce procurement portal.

Membership and Engagement

Led by Nella Pang, Director at Omega RE and Richard Milner, Global Clients & Industries PwC

We are committed to truly engaging with our members. Both Nella and Richard will be working with you to understand what your needs are of the leadership team moving forwards. Additionally, we will be far more effective in showcasing and sharing progress across the various initiatives led by the team. Please help us to amplify our voice –by telling your business associates; the more businesses we have backing our region, the larger our voice.

To contact us regarding any of the above topics, please email lisa.hall@hampshirechamber.co.uk (subject heading Soton Chamber: *TOPIC*)