CHAMBER CHIEF WAITS ON GOVERNMENT ACTION
EAST Midlands Chamber has hosted its first annual black tie dinner for more than two years.
Some 350 guests enjoyed the chance to get together and socialise again at
Colwick Hall, Nottingham.
Eileen Richards, owner of ER Recruitment, spoke about her business career and journey to become this year’s chamber president.
Decision-making and resilience were key themes in her speech, as she explained how she took the plunge to resign from a senior position in a national corporate firm to set up her own business. Highlighting the role of the chamber in the region’s business community, she said its frontline team handled more than 280 enquiries every week, while its international trade team processes nine export documents every working hour. Reflecting on life after Covid-19 she said: “Well, of course many of the biggest challenges we face will be mitigated or exacerbated by the decisionmaking of our political leaders. How will they manage the end of furlough and the infection rate as winter approaches? Will the Levelling Up White Paper lead to a more equitable resource settlement in our region? “When will a clear decision come on HS2? What does net zero mean for our members?”
The black-tie gala also included a speech by General Sir Timothy Granville-Chapman, a former vicechief of Defence Staff of the British Armed Forces.
The evening raised £1,130 to be split between the president’s three chosen charities – Chesterfield Samaritans, Help the Homeless Leicester and Nottinghamshire Hospice.