The gradual ease of lockdown this week presented several interesting debates around the current COVID 19 situation and where are we now?
More employee’s returning to work, some children returning to school and many business owners considering how to make the workplace, the work experience and the wellbeing of their teams, with the possibility of a “new norm” looming, to the benefit of all.
I am reminded of the famous poster depicting Field Marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener, pointing and staring out claiming “Your country needs you”
More than ever the Mansfield and Ashfield business communities need each other, they need to support each other, and with a collaborative approach I feel we can fight our way to recovery. “Your community needs you”
This week I spoke on Mansfield 103.2 about some of the ways in which Mansfield & Ashfield 2020 continue to support our members and the wider business community.
During the whole of lock down we have worked hard to signpost people to the most relevant and up to date information available. Information that is constantly changing has to be delivered as accurately as we possible, so we strive to ensure that it is from a number of sources so we can give you what is needed.
To provide further local information we held our first video conference “Meet the Leader” event on Wednesday 3
rd June with Jason Zadrozny, who was ably supported by Carol Cooper Smith, Theresa Hodgkinson and Matthew Relf, answering questions around plans for improving the Ashfield locality.
We began our member led Q&A sessions on Thursday 4
th June, with Nicky Silver of Nicky Silver HR and Adam Wade of AW Safety Management professionally answering a variety of questions from the members in attendance.
The next session is 3.30pm on Wednesday 10th June, don’t miss the opportunity to ask those burning questions.
It is intended to continue these sessions, utilising the skills and knowledge of our membership as the Q&A session leads. This is not just about M&A 2020 however, it is about helping and supporting the whole business community, and as such we welcome anyone volunteering to run a session.
We do have a few more volunteers being lined up in the shape of John Morley of i-sourcer (Social Media), Rod Fuller of Action Coach (cashflow/planning), Chris Morledge of Edutrips (Digital Transformation) as well as further offers from Karl Spencer of Safety PAL and Joanne Wurpillot of Integra HR. Look out for further information on our website and in our newsletter.
Thursday 11
th and Tuesday 16
th June will see us begin a series of twice monthly JUST Networking events, which we hope to run up until end of December, supplementing the monthly Zoom networking event currently replacing our Portland College face to face breakfast meetings.
All are aimed at getting businesses re-engaged, discussing peer to peer their issues and solutions and forming old/new alliances to hasten our local economic recovery.
This week has also seen an escalation in the work being done by both Ashfield District Council & Mansfield District Council on the Towns and High Street fund bids.
M&A 2020 have also been working with the Mansfield & Ashfield Schools Advisory Group discussing how we can forge new, innovative and creative pathways from education to FE/HE and onwards to employment. Also, discussing how we can support the youth of the area who will be facing potentially more challenges than ever before in getting into work. We will keep members and the wider business community abreast of any significant developments.
One issue being discussed by Vision West Notts College is the potential of shared apprentices. If this is something you would like to hear more of then please get in touch.
This week also saw the opening of dialogue around the possibility of holding an online business/recruitment Fayre. We would welcome any interesting, innovative and creative ideas to assist in the building of a business case and to gauge the expression of interest in such an event. Again, please get in touch to let us know your thoughts.
[email protected]or
[email protected].
I would once again like to give praise to the army of volunteers who give up their own time to deliver food parcels and medication, call vulnerable people for a chat or are involved in numerous other acts of kindness. The local communities have shown fantastic empathy and support for each other which for me shows there will be resilience when coming out of lock down.
Finally, the #ppe4nhs PPE campaign is still open but obviously with more need for items in the workplace, has inevitably slowed. However, a big thank you to all who were part of the 105,000 items donated. A big shout out to Prime Print & Concept 360 for their massive contribution to the manufacture of CE marked visors and not forgetting any of the local businesses who have turned their hands to something different in order to help.
A fantastic effort from the Mansfield and Ashfield communities.
Have a great weekend.
