e-bulletin - March 2008
Well it certainly seems strange to be sitting here in late March with the winter still upon us but Easter behind us. Fallout from the financial markets is continuing and for every positive pundit there appear to still be two ‘prophets of doom’.
I am pleased to report that Birmingham Forward is in good shape after the first quarter and I look forward to welcoming many of you to our AGM and The Deal of the Year event on Tuesday April 8th. This event goes from strength to strength and as well as being the members' launch of the 2008/09 Directory we will also have a number of other items of special news to impart on the evening.
Elsewhere in this e-bulletin you will find details of the four new directors who will join the Board with effect from the AGM. This year we had a superb field of candidates and the nominations committee had a difficult job in making the final selection. I would like to thank everyone who took the time to apply and welcome the new directors who I know I am going to enjoy working with.
Richard Brennan, CEO
News & Events
High Court Judge
Birmingham Forward continues with its campaign to bring a successful and sustained Administration Court to the city. With its partners, The Law Society, St Philips Chambers and No.5 Chambers, work is now being undertaken to ensure that the listing of cases for the Court in Birmingham from the Autumn is fully populated.
Following on from the decision to site a permanent Administrative Court in the city, it is now vital that Birmingham's legal community ensure its success by placing cases to be heard there. In the meantime, the project team, led by Birmingham Forward, will continue its lobbying of senior politicians and the judiciary to promote the arguments for further developing the regional justice system.
(pictured Lord Justice May)
BHX
Following the formal submission of the planning application to Solihull MBC for the runway extension, we are pleased to announce that we will be holding a joint briefing event at Birmingham International Airport in early spring.
Members will be updated on the current project plans and extension application and with an opprtuntity to ask the speakers those all important burning questions. We will be announcing the date for this event shortly.
New directors
We are pleased to announce that at the Birmingham Forward Board meeting held on 5th March it was unanimously decided to recommend the following candidates for election as Directors at the AGM to be held at The Birmingham Hippodrome on Tuesday 8th April at 5.30pm:
- Callum Girvan – Director of Marketing – Wesleyan Assurance Society
- Jackie Hendley – Tax Partner – KPMG
- Graham Nicoll – Associate Director – Barclays Wealth
- Lynn Richards-Cole – Associate Director – Perkins Slade Ltd
Forthcoming events
AGM & Deal of the Year Awards, Tuesday 8th April. The AGM this year will see three Board Directors seeking re-election, with the Council wishing to nominate four new candidates. The AGM will be immediately followed by the Deal of the Year Awards Ceremony and Champagne Reception. We are delighted that the event is being kindly sponsored by The Birmingham Post and Deloitte. Click here for further information and to book your place.
Join Roger Bootle UK Economic Adviser to Deloitte for a presentation on the outlook for the UK economy at our next Keynote Lunch to be held on Thursday 24th April. Tickets are available for this event which will provide an opportunity to hear from one of the UK’s most respected economists. Click here for further information and to book your place.
Recent events
Breakfast Connections welcomed guest speakers from the Birmingham Assay Office; Micheal Allchin, Chief Executive and Assay Master, and Dr Sally Baggott, Curator. They gave a fascinating insight into The Birmingham Assay Office as one of the hidden treasures of our city since its foundation over 230 years ago. They also showcased a small display of both historic and contemporary silver to demonstrate the city's pre-eminence in this field.
Recruitment of New Directors to MADE Board
MADE (Midlands Architecture & Designed Environment), the regional architecture centre in the West Midlands, is inviting applicants to join the Board of Directors in steering the strategic direction of the organisation.
MADE is currently working with partners to raise the quality of buildings, places and public spaces in the region, promoting place-making as an interdisciplinary and public process which is creative, innovative and culturally- informed. MADE works with professional and public constituencies, including young people and schools.
Applicants are sought with relevant current experience in: education and learning, community development, economics, finance, business development. For a full briefing pack please email sally@made.org.uk. Closing date for applications is Wednesday 9th April.
Simply Du Vin
Affiliate members Hotel du Vin are pleased to offer their new simple lunch menu. One wholly satisfying course, one well-deserved glass of house wine and one coffee in one easy-going hour for £10.95. This offer is available Mon - Sat lunchtimes. For bookings please call 0121 200 0600.
Elmhurst School for Dance and Official Re-opening Town Hall Birmingham
Elmhurst School for Dance is holding a fundraising event on 22nd April 2008 to enable the school to establish a permanent endowment to support students during their training. Elmhurst is the UK's oldest vocational dance school and offers the highest-quality training in ballet to students aged 11 to 19 years, as well as exceptional academic tuition.
The event starts at 10.30am with entertainment from Elmhurst School for Dance followed by the formal opening ceremony of the Town Hall. The Council House will host a champagne reception followed by a delicious three-course lunch with wines and coffee.
The ticket price is £120 per person, this includes all drinks, and tables of ten are also available. If you would like to attend please e-mail: s.fortesmayer@btinternet.com or tel: 07970 980160.
Little steps for a better future…
ACTION 50 - Do something for nothing - People will do something they really believe in for nothing. It's not for nothing you see. They've all got back much more than money. Try it sometime.
ACTION 52 - Recycle waste paper - There is no 'away' - that is a profound thought. Someone like Chris Martin should turn that line into an album title and before you know it, they'd have a huge hit on their hands and be able to fly away to the Bahamas. Paper sticks around, for thousands of years. Every year we need a forest the size of Wales to provide all of the paper we use in Britain.
Birmingham… did you know?
Five Ways, Birmingham’s well-known road junction at the end of Broad Street is actually the meeting point of six roads! The apparent anomaly is because one of them was once a private driveway leading to Edgbaston Hall and as such “didn’t count”.
Information courtesy of Ian Jelf who is a professionally-qualified 'Blue Badge' tourist Guide for the Heart of England, specialising in Birmingham tours.
New members
We would like to welcome the following new members who joined us in February.
Advanced Project Solutions is a leading provider of Specialist Health and Safety Services to the Construction and Commercial Property Sectors. APS services include Building Surveying, CDM Co-ordination,Asbestos Surveys and Management, Fire Risk Assessments,DDA audits.Cost and Project Management and online Property Management.
COLT Telecom is a leading provider of business communications services to major enterprises, SMEs and wholesale customers in the UK and across europe. Both directly and via reseller partners. COLT offers a varied portfolio of data, voice and managed services using its advanced fibre network and 18 European data centres.
Kinetic Communications makes a difference to an organisation with PR (public relations) - the discipline of building and protecting reputations. Many public relations consultancies will tell you they do this but it's the way that they do it which makes a difference because they clarify client expectations at the outset and stretch your budget farther by making it work harder.
Birmingham Forward, One Victoria Square, Birmingham, B1 1BD
Telephone: +44 (0)121 632 2200 Fax: +44 (0)121 632 2201
