Devon & Plymouth Chamber of Commerce has been commended as the ‘go to support point’ for the region’s companies by the leading national organisation for business.
British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has renewed the Chamber’s national accreditation after a lengthy and robust assessment process by the UK’s biggest business network.
It means Devon & Plymouth Chamber is the only nationally accredited Chamber in the county, judged on the high quality standard and range of services delivered to businesses.
The assessment recognised:
- Devon & Plymouth is a well-run Chamber, with a cohesive team dedicated to serving member businesses in the region.
- It has been resilient and innovative during the Covid-19 pandemic, managing to increase membership despite the obvious challenges – demonstrating the strength of service offered.
- The Chamber has exceptional strategic relationships with local authorities meaning it has become the ‘go to support point’ for businesses.
The re-accreditation comes after the Chamber innovated in the way it supports members through the unprecedented challenges of lockdown. This included dedicated one-to-one support, helping more than 400 young people into work via the Kickstart scheme, free interactive webinars on digital business skills and hosting a series of high value, practical online and hybrid events.
Stuart Elford, CEO of Devon & Plymouth Chamber, said: “The result of this rigorous assessment process crowns a remarkable period for our Chamber, where our team has produced innovation after innovation in the face of the most difficult business environment of living memory.
“I could not be more proud of how the Chamber team has supported members, connected them, helped them be resilient and even deliver growth in the most challenging of times.
“We have plans to grow our offer with our strategic priorities of People, Planet and Purpose supporting the South West’s unique Blue Green economy in 2022 and beyond. We can’t wait to welcome members new and old to our impressive upcoming series of events and help them connect, grow and succeed.”
Liz Willingham, Chair of the UK Accreditation Board at British Chambers of Commerce, said: “I am delighted to confirm Devon & Plymouth Chamber of Commerce has been re-accredited and as a result I can confirm it will continue to be part of the BCC Accredited Chamber Network.
“We recognise that the Chamber has to invest in the accreditation process. This investment helps ensure the quality represented by the BCC Accredited brand continues to be upheld.”
