Prosper Autumn, Black Country Chamber of Commerce magazine

WELCOME
We’ve living through unprecedented times of upheaval and change,
but moments like these give us the opportunity to reflect, review
and respond accordingly, says Sarah Moorhouse, the new
CEO of the Black Country Chamber,
With challenge comes opportunity – and we
must all be ready to embrace that
I am delighted to welcome you to this
autumn issue of Prosper, my first as the
Black Country Chamber of Commerce
CEO.
The word ‘unprecedented’ has been
overused to describe our current times, but
it is also understandable at the moment as
many of the events we’ve recently
experienced usually occur infrequently, if
not generationally.
It has been unrelenting for business.
Brexit and the pandemic still cast a shadow
over many of us, and although
governments in the UK are supposed to
change every four or five years, in the last
six alone we’ve had four prime ministers,
each with a new administration and set of
priorities.
Last month we witnessed another of
these political resets while also coping with
the sad death of HM Queen Elizabeth II, a
passionate public servant and supporter of
Chambers of Commerce and enterprise.
However, such moments of transition
present us with the opportunity to reflect,
review and respond though.
For this Chamber, with its rich, centuryspanning
heritage, now is the time to take
great leaps forward towards a sustainable
future as I take custodianship of the helm
of our great organisation, renowned for
being the Black Country’s most popular
and vociferous champion.
And I’m excited for our future. I join a
team of highly professional and
knowledgeable individuals who, through
their hard work, passion, perceptiveness
and dedication, strive each day to help our
members grow and prosper.
The challenge ahead is a huge one, but
it is an exciting one.
Over the coming months I hope to meet
with as many of you as possible, and that
together we can place the region’s business
needs high on the new government’s
priority list.
It is rare for a single organisation to
generate as much goodwill and positivity,
but the Chamber does. We have done so
since the 1860s and remain the partner of
choice with our four pillars of lobbying,
campaigning, support services important
to our members.
The guidance and signposting the
Chamber provides alongside its hyperlocal,
tailored help and national reach
supports countless businesses respond to
their own challenges and helps them to
learn and innovate while showcasing the
best the region has to offer
There are exciting times on the horizon.
Working with partners, we will be
engaging with businesses to ensure that
you have skills you need for now and the
future.
The Local Skills Improvement Plan (see
page 22) is set to be a game-changing shift
to rebalance the skills agenda and our
involvement with other initiatives will
hopefully have a lasting legacy.
Meanwhile, our ‘This is the Black
Country’ campaign continues, and I hope
you will be able to join us in November for
its flagship event, the second Black Country
Business Economic Conference, which will
feature speakers from the world of business
and beyond discussing the local economy
and actions needed to ensure it remains
competitive and relevant in a fast-changing
world (see page 34).
Moving forward, I see the Chamber’s role
as inspiring our members to achieve
success, supporting them along the way
and encouraging them to be bold. All of us
in business today need to think differently
and challenge ourselves, and that is what
the Chamber will do under my stewardship.
As an organisation, this is the moment
for transformational change and I’m proud
and honoured to be able to serve you, our
members.
PROSPER AUTUMN 2022
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