MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Where did January disappear to? The first month of 2023 already gone, done and dusted! Probably like me, you find the cold and dark days of January and February the hardest of the year and of course, they are usually some of the most difficult for many businesses as well with business slackening off post Christmas. There is always Spring to look forward to and many positive things happening. In this newsletter, we have news of our first social event of the year, and our programme for the next six month, a new award scheme from the Rotary Club and lots of useful information about changes and developments that could benefit and impact your business. Have a read!

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Join us for a relaxed evening catching up on the local business news and developments that affect you and your business. An informal get together over a few drinks at the Kings Arms, Middle Street, Watton at 6pm on Thursday 22nd February. See you there!

We are pleased to support and promote the new ‘Business of the Month’ scheme run by Watton Rotary Club. Nominations can be made by anyone who has had good service or assistance from a local company, who has no connection with that business. The award, a trophy, will be presented at the Business premises or by the President at the Clubs Thursday meeting at Broom Hall Hotel. If you know of a suitably deserving company or individual within a business then please email your nomination to wattonrotarycomp@gmail.com.

A busy programme of events for you during the first six months of 2023 – it all looks like this:

• Business Talks – invited speakers, drinks and networking on the 12th April and the 14th June;

• Social Evenings – a chance to meet and network with other business in on 22nd Feb, the 29th March and the 24th May;

• The Annual Awards Dinner to recognise and celebrate long-standing business and community service 27th April;

• The Jobs Fair – following on from our successful event in 2022 we look to do even better in helping local businesses find new employees – all in early June.

• Plus all our monthly committee meetings and our AGM (16th March) at which Members are always welcome: 9th Feb; 16th March + AGM; 20th April; 18th May; and 15th June.

Watch out in the Newsletter for reminders and details of venues.

Residents in and around Watton are now benefiting from enhanced evening bus services operated by Konectbus and funded by money secured from the Department for Transport. The 11a service which operates between Dereham and Watton has an additional 22:00 journey and connects from the 21:20 service from Norwich. The extended evening services are a good start in improving transport links around Wayland but the Chamber wants to improve this still further. Such developments are a key part of our business strategy to make Watton an evening destination for digital video gamers as we develop capability and interest in our Digital and Creative Media Centre.

Most businesses and certainly all those who bank with Barclays will be aware of their planned closure on 3rd May. This is clearly a disappointing development, but perhaps not unexpected given the declining service that has been offer for some time now. However, there is more positive news on the horizon with the announcement by LINK (the UKs cash machine network operator) that on the basis of formal assessments they are recommending the establishment of nine new banking hubs, one of which will be in Watton. These hubs would see counter and ATM services run for the major banks and dedicated rooms where customers could visit community bankers from their own bank on a regular basis. Your Chamber will be lobbying to make sure the recommendation is turned into reality.

The Watton Neighbourhood Plan Pre-submission consultation is now live including a comment form at https://www.breckland.gov.uk/article/10411/Watton-Neighbourhood-Plan. The consultation started on 30th January and closes at 5pm on Tuesday 14th March. The Chamber has been fully engaged with developing the Plan in order to make sure that business and High Street interests have been well represented. The Plan includes measures to improve High Street traffic flow and customer footfall, a new business incubator and community facility including a cinema to attract people to Watton to improve daytime and evening trade, as well as looking to improve transport links. A comprehensive plan with activities that we in the Chamber will be active in pursuing on your behalf.

Those of you who follow the local news will have realised that we, the Chamber, the Wayland Partnership and Breckland Council were unsuccessful in our bid to secure Levelling-Up Funds for the Digital and Creative Media Centre. Disappointing though this is, it was not wholly unexpected. Kings Lynn and Gt Yarmouth initiatives did receive funding but we in Central Norfolk lost out on this occasion. But all is not lost, there are other sources of funds and investment and we will be working hard to secure these, as well as – if opportunity allows applying for the next round of Levelling-Up. It is not a case of if we get investment, but rather, when!

There is free digital business support available for small and medium sized businesses in Norfolk. Learn how to better use digital tools to identify business opportunities and help your business grow. Business owners and managers can apply for this free funding programme where you will be matched with a Digital advisor to get expert advice, including a complete digital audit and a report with findings and recommendations. You can also apply for a grant of up to £500 to help you implement a digital action plan. https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/business/grants-and-funding/go-digital

A date for your diary – the 16th March 2023 for the Chamber Annual General Meeting and review of the year. The AGM will be at 6.30 we will send you full details of venue and agenda nearer the time. Don’t miss it. 

The Directory is progressing well and will be published and delivered at Easter. We have limited advertising space available now, so if you would like to have your products and services promoted to the 11,000 residents of Wayland this Easter – the contact treasurer@waylandchamber.co.uk. 

You can find us:
On Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/waylandchamberuk/
On Twitter – https://twitter.com/WaylandChamber
On Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/WaylandChamberNorfolk/

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We want to keep the new website up to date with the very latest news and information that will be relevant to visitors and of use to the local community, so if you have a news story, or maybe want to share information about how your business has been coping in lockdown, then please send your information to us with any relevant images and we will add this to our website and promote through our social media.