Tag Archive for: Merton Chamber of Commerce

Merton Best Business Awards: Applications Open

The Merton Best Business Awards have officially launched with new award categories celebrating the business heroes of the pandemic.

The 2021 Merton Best Business Awards launched yesterday at Wimbledon BookFest, as Merton’s business owners gathered to reflect on their experiences of the past 18 months.

Diana Sterck, CEO of Merton Chamber of Commerce and the organiser of the MBBAs, announced a new set of award categories that will shine a light on the organisations, teams and individuals who have survived, revived and thrived against the unique challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Newly created awards include:

  • ‘Team Spirit’: to recognise how people have pulled together to propel their business forward;
  • ‘Leader of the Year’ and ‘Star of the Year’: to recognise those who showed guidance, strength and leadership to their colleagues despite difficult circumstances
  • ‘Arts & Culture’ award: for organisations in the creative arts industry, many of which were unable to operate for many months
  • ‘Best for Innovation and Customer Focus’: for businesses that have put their customers first throughout
  • ‘Retail Award’: for independent retailers who were able to react and adapt to survive

Members of the public will have a chance to vote for their favourite hospitality business, but this year they will also be asked to nominate their Local Business Hero – a business that has gone above and beyond during the pandemic, despite the circumstances.

Love Wimbledon will be sponsoring the ‘In The Face of Adversity’ award category.

Diana Sterck, CEO of Merton Chamber of Commerce, said:

“These new award categories will demonstrate the incredible resourcefulness and resilience of Merton’s businesses in the face of unprecedented challenge. Applying for an MBBA is the ideal way to show the world just how proud you are of your company and your team, and we encourage everyone to take part so that we can celebrate together. I can’t wait to hear the stories of how Merton’s businesses have survived, revived and thrived this year.”

Applications are open now and we encourage businesses in Wimbledon Town Centre to apply here before the application deadline on 29th October.

Merton Best Business Awards Launch

Join Merton Chamber of Commerce and Merton’s business community at Wimbledon BookFest for the official launch of the 2021 Merton Best Business Awards.

Thursday 16th September, 3.30pm – 5pm on Wimbledon Common.

 

This year’s free launch event is the perfect opportunity to meet the award sponsors and past winners, network with other business owners and find out how to apply for this year’s awards.  The theme of this year’s awards is ‘Survive, Revive and Thrive’, to recognise the courage and resilience of Merton’s business community through these challenging times.

New categories will shine a light on the resilience, ingenuity and courage of Merton’s business community – with awards for entrepreneurship, team spirit, climate action and leadership in the face of adversity. Love Wimbledon will be sponsoring the ‘In the Face of Adversity Award’.

There will also be a public vote for Merton’s Business Hero and Best Hospitality Business of the Year – with a focus on how these businesses have adapted during the pandemic.

Join this afternoon of reflection, inspiration and reconnection as businesses share stories of the past year and look ahead to the future in Merton.

The event is FREE, but please register your attendance by emailing us on events@mertonchamber.co.uk

Merton Best Business Awards are Back

Merton Chamber of Commerce have announced that the Merton Best Business Awards (MBBAs) are back for 2021.

After a year like no other, the 2021 MBBAs are back to recognise and celebrate Merton’s incredible business community. A new set of award categories has been designed to reflect the journey that businesses have been on: to recognise flexibility and resilience, and to celebrate their achievements against the odds.

The Covid-19 pandemic meant that many businesses faced ongoing challenges throughout 2020, and despite the cancellation of the Merton Best Business Awards last year, Merton Chamber of Commerce believe that there is a great deal to reflect upon and to celebrate in 2021. Businesses in Merton – and the people in our community – have shown incredible resilience over the past 18 months, constantly adapting to survive this particular storm. The 2021 Merton Best Business Awards will seek to recognise that.

Government guidance permitting, the 2021 Merton Best Business Awards will launch in September as part of Bookfest on Wimbledon Common. The outdoor location and extended space will allow for the involvement of sponsors, past award winners and Merton businesses, for an evening of reflection and inspiration, as they share stories of the past year and consider what comes next.

Diana Sterck, CEO of Merton Chamber of Commerce, commented:

“Over the past 8 years, the Merton Best Business Awards have become a key event in the business calendar. I’m delighted that we are able to bring them back for 2021, so that we can give our business community a moment to reflect after a very tough year. If you’ve never entered the awards before, now is the perfect time to do so – there will be a new set of award categories, and we’re making the application process as simple as possible so that everyone can be involved. We’ve come through so much together – let’s celebrate that.”

Applications for the new award categories will open later in the year but businesses can register their interest now by emailing awards@mertonchamber.co.uk.

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Kickstart Scheme and Peer Networks

Kickstart Scheme

Employers can now receive full funding to support job placements for young people, within your business. The new Government Kickstart scheme aims to support new jobs for young people on Universal Credit, who are at risk of long term unemployment. Placements will be 6 months long and will be fully-funded for 25 hours a week.

If you have less than 30 job placements available then contact Merton Chamber (info@mertonchamber.co.uk or apply online), who act as a Gateway organisation to group employer requests together and submit your application.

Peer Networks

A national peer-to-peer networking programme for SME leaders that want to grow and develop their organisation for future success. Delivered locally by Merton Chamber of Commerce in association with Business Clan, the programme creates diverse cohort groups of individuals to collaboratively work through common business issues.

Eligibility: A London based business who employs five or more, and has a turnover of over £100,000 and has been trading for more than one year.

Interested in being part of a dynamic peer network? Contact diana@mertonchamber.co.uk for more information.

Peer Networks is a national programme delivered locally by Merton Chamber and Business Clan on behalf of the London Business Hub.

Online Training:
Display Screen Equipment Awareness Course

Working from home?  Is your PC or laptop set up correctly?  This course is aimed at users of display screen equipment (DSE).  

DSE is a term that covers a wide range of equipment. If it is not set up correctly, users are at increased risk from certain disorders. As an employer, you share the responsibility to keep people safe at work. That means undergoing relevant training and ensuring that rules are followed.

These courses are aimed at users of display screen equipment (DSE) and those responsible for assessing display screen equipment. A ‘user’, is anyone who regularly uses display screen equipment for a significant part of their normal work. In practice, if you use display screen equipment continuously for more than one hour a day, then you’re a ‘user’. So what do we mean by display screen equipment? The first thing most people think of is a computer monitor. But that’s not the only thing it refers to Display screen equipment could also mean laptops, tablet PCs, televisions, smartphones, CNC control pads, portable diagnostic screens or equipment containing cathode ray tubes, or CRTs. The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations contain special directives covering DSE safety.

Both employers and employee-users have responsibilities under the legislation. These courses fulfill your statutory training obligations and covers among other things, the correct way to set up and use your display screen equipment safely. Reducing the risk of work related conditions.

This course can be undertaken at any time and any place.

 

Merton Chamber of Commerce launched a suite of affordable online training to support employers in meeting their legal duties.

  • All courses are certified and are completed online.
  • Certificates will be issued upon completion.
  • Additional courses available upon request.
  • Course price: £35

Click here to book or contact info@mertonchamber.co.uk if you want more information.

Online Training:
Mental Health Awareness Course

This course, held by Merton Chamber of Commerce will provide practical advice on supporting those with mental health conditions.

What is the difference between mental health and mental illness? This course covers the symptoms of a number of the most common mental illnesses so you will know what to look out for or what to expect if you are working with someone with one of these conditions.

As well as providing some practical advice on how you can work effectively with those affected by these conditions.

This course can be taken at any time and any place.

 

Merton Chamber of Commerce launched a suite of affordable online training to support employers in meeting their legal duties.

  • All courses are certified and are completed online.
  • Certificates will be issued upon completion.
  • Additional courses available upon request.
  • Course price: £25

Click here to book or contact info@mertonchamber.co.uk if you want more information.

Merton Best Business Awards Cancelled

 

On 22nd May 2020 the Merton Chamber Board of Directors, in consultation with Award sponsors, made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Awards. The Awards will return in March 2021 to celebrate everything that is good about business in Merton.

 

Diana Sterck, CEO of Merton Chamber of Commerce, explains the decision

“Cancelling the Awards this year is a big disappointment to us and our sponsors and I know for all potential business applicants. The decision was not taken likely and we have held off making it for as long as we could. We launched the Awards two days before we went into Lockdown in March 2020 and were always hopeful that the country would recover much more quickly from the COVID-19 pandemic than has been the case. We want the Awards to be relevant, timely and appropriate for all business sectors and, because of the pandemic and the challenges faced by many sectors, we have made the decision that our energies need to go into supporting business as we come out of Lockdown and into recovery”.

 

The Merton Best Business Awards is Merton Chamber of Commerce’s flagship event. It will return in 2021 to celebrate the amazing achievements of local businesses.

 

To find out more about Award winners and sponsors please visit www.mertonbestbusiness.co.uk

 

How You Can Help to Support Local Charities and Change Lives

Merton Giving, a charitable partnership between Merton Chamber of Commerce and Merton Voluntary Services Council and supported by Merton Council, is celebrating its first birthday. Since its launch, the business community has responded incredibly to help local causes with cash donations to the Merton Giving Fund and/or non-monetary in-kind support totaling in excess of £60,000.  To continue its work, Merton Giving Week is back for 2019.  In its second year the week marks a dedicated focus on fundraising to help grow the Merton Giving Fund to provide financial support to charities working locally.

 

“CSR is increasingly important for businesses and we like to encourage businesses in Wimbledon to give to their local community, encouraging their staff to develop a meaningful relationship with local charities. Merton Giving provides a structure for this and Love Wimbledon is proud to support this initiative”.

– Helen Clark Bell, CEO, Love Wimbledon 

 

Businesses, community groups and residents across the borough are invited to join in and do whatever takes their fancy during Merton Giving Week, 2nd to 8th December 2019, to raise money to help grow the Merton Giving Fund.

 

For more information about how you can take part visit Merton Chamber of Commerce.