British Chambers of Commerce

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is the national representative body of 52 Accredited Chambers of Commerce across the UK. The Chambers represent 75,000 businesses in all sectors, ranging from small start-ups to multinational companies.[1] Its office is in central London on Petty France, near the Ministry of Justice.

British Chambers of Commerce
AbbreviationBCC
Formation1860 (1860)
Legal statusNot-for-profit organisation
PurposeChambers of commerce in the UK, and UK business
Location
Region served
Worldwide
Membership
75,000
Director-General
Adam Marshall
Websitebritishchambers.org.uk

Director General

Dr Adam Marshall has been Director General of the BCC since October 2016. He regularly appears in the British media to provide the views of business and he is often called to provide evidence to Parliamentary Committees when issues relating to the economy are being discussed.[2][3] Previously, he served as the Head of Policy and took over as acting DG when his predecessor, John Longworth, was suspended from the role for breaching the group's official position of neutrality during the 2016 EU referendum.[4] Other former Director Generals include David Frost.

Chamber Awards

The Chamber Awards were launched by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) in 2004 to recognise and celebrate business excellence through the successes and achievements of its accredited Chambers of Commerce and their members. As part of recognising the significant contribution a person under 30 can make to the success of a business, the Chamber created a new category and announced the first 'Young person in Business' award winner in November 2014, Oliver Bryssau of Origin Broadband.[5]

Annual Conference

The BCC Annual Conference is a yearly one-day event that is usually held in the heart of Westminster. It is regarded as one of the most high profile non-party political conferences and attracts a large number of senior politicians and business leaders. Previous speakers have included the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Leader of the Opposition.[6] It also attracts speakers from overseas, including the then German Finance Minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, in 2016.

Foreign Secretary William Hague speaking at the British Chambers of Commerce in London, 14 March 2013

Quarterly Economic Survey

The organisation runs a quarterly economic survey (QES) that is the largest and most representative independent business survey of its kind in the UK.[7] The survey has been in existence since 1989 and the results are widely reported in the national media.[8]

Business and education

The BCC regularly runs campaigns to highlight issues of concern for businesses. A recent example is a campaign called ‘Bridging the Gap’, that was a call to action to help businesses find the talent they need, and boost the career prospects of young people. The campaign aimed to increase collaboration between education providers and businesses, support young people to gain exposure to business and influence government education and skills policy to ensure young people develop the skills, experience and attitude to make a successful transition into work.[9]

This campaign was carried out through the Young Chambers, who provided a range of effective ways to connect businesses and schools, tapping into the knowledge, skills and experience of local firms[10]

List of accredited Chambers of Commerce in the UK

North East
  • North East England Chamber of Commerce

South East
  • Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce
  • London Chamber of Commerce and Industry
  • Hampshire Chamber of Commerce
  • Sussex Chamber of Commerce
  • Surrey Chambers of Commerce
  • Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce
  • Milton Keynes Chamber of Commerce
  • Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce
  • Channel Chamber of Commerce

South West
  • Business West Chambers of Commerce
  • Somerset Chamber of Commerce & Industry Ltd
  • Dorset Chamber of Commerce & Industry
  • Cornwall Chamber of Commerce

North West
  • St Helens Chamber
  • North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce
  • Liverpool Chamber of Commerce & Industry
  • Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce
  • Cumbria Chamber of Commerce & Industry
  • East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce & Industry
  • Wirral Chamber of Commerce
  • West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce
  • South Cheshire Chamber of Commerce

West Midlands
  • Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce
  • Shropshire Chamber of Commerce
  • North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry
  • Herefordshire & Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce
  • Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce
  • Black Country Chamber of Commerce

East Midlands
  • East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire)
  • Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce
  • Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce

East of England
  • Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce
  • Suffolk Chamber of Commerce
  • Norfolk Chamber of Commerce
  • Essex Chamber of Commerce
  • Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry
  • Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Yorkshire and the Humber
  • Sheffield Chamber of Commerce
  • Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce
  • Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce
  • Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce
  • Doncaster Chamber of Commerce & Enterprise
  • West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce (Formed in March 2014 with the merger of Bradford Chamber and Leeds, York & North Yorkshire Chamber)

Wales
  • South Wales Chamber of Commerce
  • West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce

Northern Ireland
  • Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce

Scotland
  • Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce
  • Fife Chamber of Commerce & Enterprise
  • Glasgow Chamber of Commerce
  • Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce
  • Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce
  • Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce
  • Inverness Chamber of Commerce
  • Perthshire Chamber of Commerce

See also

References
  1. "About Us - British Chamber of Commerce". www.britishchambers.org.uk.
  2. "Brexit: Stop 'chasing rainbows' say firms". 28 March 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  3. "Export support for small businesses examined - News from Parliament". UK Parliament. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  4. "Business group boss suspended in EU row". 5 March 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  5. "Chamber Awards". Chamber Awards. 26 June 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  6. "BCC Annual Conference 2017". British Chambers of Commerce. British Chambers of Commerce. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  7. British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey Archived 7 June 2014 at the Wayback Machine BCC. 2014. Retrieved on 16 June 2014.
  8. "UK growth 'ground to a halt' amid Brexit uncertainty". Sky News. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
  9. "Bridging the gap between education and business". Business and Education. British Chambers of Commerce. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  10. "Young Chamber". Business and Education. British Chambers of Commerce. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
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