Connecting Cumbria
Faster broadband boosts businesses across Cumbria
Businesses across Cumbria are harnessing the power of faster, fibre-based broadband to boost sales, raise their online profile and work more efficiently.
More than 127,000 (approx. 94%) of homes and businesses across the county can now access superfast broadband speeds of above 30Mbps thanks to the work of the county council’s Connecting Cumbria programme, Openreach - the UK’s largest digital network provider, and other commercial network providers.
More than 75% of those properties have chosen to upgrade but there are still thousands of Cumbrians who may not realise that they are able to order faster broadband services.
Benefits of faster broadband include adopting remote working and online collaborations which support reduced travel and decarbonisation, remote access to services and products, an opportunity to sell products to a global market, free advertising via social media platforms and in Cumbria, where the tourism sector is crucial, business owners are better able to meet visitor expectations by being able to offer online booking, electronic payment and guarantee continued access to online services at holiday accommodation.
There is also endless opportunity for the development of online skills and access to education, entertainment, and employment.
Across Cumbria the push to build better broadband continues. Openreach, the UK’s largest digital network provider, has recently committed to build a full fibre network to more than 100,000 homes and business across the county in the coming months and years, with more than 12,000 premises already able to access this new technology.
To help Cumbrians in getting the most out of the new infrastructure, support is available to help businesses across Cumbria harness the benefits of digital technologies through Digital Tech Cumbria who offer free support to the value of £5,000 to improve productivity, profitability, and performance. There has never been a better time for businesses to find out if they can place an order to upgrade their service. To find out more, visit the Connecting Cumbria website, and the Winning Moves website.
Allerdale Borough Council invites quotations for the provision of a Shop Local marketing campaign which will encourage Allerdale businesses to embrace the opportunities digital channels offer to support their recovery and growth following on going changes to the Covid regulations.
Quotation Submission Deadline 12 noon, 3 January 2022
The project is for approximately three months. The intended commencement date is 10 January 2022 and will end on 14 March 2022. The campaign costs are funded by the Government's Welcome Back Fund.
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Coronavirus Omicron new measures
 The Prime Minister has announced a move to Plan B measures, as outlined in the Covid-19 Autumn/Winter Plan. Plan B measures have come into force while more data on vaccine efficacy is assessed. Moving to Plan B will help to slow the spread of the Omicron variant and reduce the chances of the NHS coming under unsustainable pressure, while buying time to deliver more boosters.
These measures are in addition to:
- A renewed push on testing, this includes testing before you meet others, socialise or go to crowded or enclosed places.
- A continued push on vaccines and boosters - being fully vaccinated is the best way for people to protect themselves against catching Covid-19.
- Continued messaging on ventilation - let in fresh air when meeting indoors.
Face coverings - stadiums and concerts
From 10 December, people must wear a face covering in most indoor settings including stadiums and concerts, unless exempt.
Face coverings - cinemas and theatres
From 10 December, people must wear a face covering in most indoor settings including cinemas and theatres, unless exempt.
Face coverings - places of worship
From 10 December, people must wear a face covering in most indoor settings including places of worship, unless exempt.
Work from home
From 13 December, employees should work from home, if they can.
Certification - night clubs
From 15 December, people will need to show their NHS COVID Pass in nightclubs and other venues where large crowds mix.
Certification - stadia
From 15 December, people will need to show your NHS COVID Pass in certain places where crowds gather, like large stadiums. See more guidance on our website.
The Health and Safety Executives latest advice on keeping workplaces safe will help you to continue to work safely during the pandemic. You must still control the risks and review and update your risk assessment. The following workplace controls remain unchanged:
 Covid-19 status checks. Business advice from the Information Commissioners Office (ICO)
Advice for nightclub businesses and organisers of large events
There is some very useful advice from the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) for organisations required to conduct COVID-19 status checks, making sure they comply with Data Protection legislation.
You should check government guidance to determine whether your organisation is required to conduct checks.
ICO advice
Download the government face covering poster
If you run a business whose customers are now required to wear face coverings you can download a poster to display in your premises from our Allerdale Business website.
Please download, print and display prominently in your premises.
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The Family Business Network North West Awards
The North West Family Business Awards are here to champion family businesses across the North West, recognising their achievements and celebrating their successes in style!
If you are a family business from Cumbria, Lancashire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester or Merseyside then the North West Family Business Awards are for you.
We look to celebrate family businesses of all shapes and sizes, from across all sectors and industries.
The 2022 North West Family Business Awards will be held on Friday 13th May at the Rum Warehouse, Titanic Hotel, Liverpool.
We encourage all family businesses to apply and help us to share and celebrate their success stories.
- Applications Open : Midnight 3rd December 2021
- Application Form Closing Date : Midnight 7th February 2022
- Judging Day : 24th February 2022
- Finalists Announced : 28th February 2022
- Judges Visits : March / April 2022
- NWFBA 2022 Ceremony : 13th May 2022
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Allerdale Borough Council in the running to scoop national award from environmental charity
The authority’s efforts to make environmental improvements for local residents has seen it shortlisted in this year’s Keep Britain Tidy Awards.
There are ten award categories, each with three shortlisted contenders, and the council has beaten off stiff competition from across the country to become a finalist in the Initiative of the Year Award 2022 category for its #OperationRespect campaign.
The #OperationRespect campaign has seen a number of key partners work together to tackle fly-tipping in the area and educate local residents on the issue. These partners have included the council’s waste and street scene contractors AWS and Tivoli Services, Cumbria Police, the Environment Agency, Cumbria Fire and Rescue, Cumbria County Council’s community team, and local housing associations.
In recent months the campaign has seen community clean-ups, multi-agency enforcement activity, and a communications campaign highlighting some of the key issues associated with fly-tipping such as the need to ensure residents use registered waste carriers to dispose of any waste.
The Keep Britain Tidy Awards will be presented at the charity’s annual Network Conference at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole hotel on Thursday, February 10th, 2022.
Click the link for more information on the work of the Keep Britain Tidy Charity
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 HSE advice if you have staff working from home
Add your business for FREE to the Allerdale Business Directory
 Lake District grants scheme - help cut carbon
With 2021 coming to an end, many of you will may be thinking about your New Years resolutions. If you haven’t thought of one already, then maybe your goal in 2022 could be to start your greener business journey!
The Lake District Foundation have set up a scheme to deliver 86 tonnes of CO2 savings, by funding low carbon projects in the Lake District. Organisations have, so far, used the funding to support a variety of projects including: Solar PV, heat pumps, biomass boilers, insulation, LED lighting and energy efficient appliances
Low Carbon Lake District Grant Scheme has already processed two rounds with the most recent one being in October. The second round successfully had 35 registrations, but they are hoping to top this in the next round. The next round will likely open in Spring 2022. It’s best to starting planning as soon as possible as they will need to be well thought out.
To help get you started, a has been a great tool for applicants as they start to think about how energy use translates into CO2 emissions. Find out more about the scheme.
If you want to apply for the grant in the next round, sign up to the Lake District Foundation mailing list to be notified when the next round opens.
Statement of Gambling Policy 2022-25
Statement of Gambling Policy 2022-25
Following consultation with a wide range of organisations, the three year review of the Statement of Gambling Policy is now complete and the new policy approved by Council on 8 December 2021.
The publication date of the new policy is 20 December 2021 and it will be effective from 31 January 2022 for a further 3 years”
For further details please visit our website at Statement of Gambling Policy
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A message from Cumbria Business Growth Hub
Did you have a lightbulb moment over lockdown and are you ready to start your own business?
Cumbria Business Growth hub can help you make those all-important first steps. Just get in touch to see how they can help.
- Call them on: 0844 257 84 50
- Email them on: info@cumbriagrowthhub.co.uk
See all the support available and some great local case studies on their webpage: Business Start Up
Messages from Cumbria Tourism
Boosters for over 18s
With more than 40% of workers in the tourism and hospitality sectors being under 30, businesses are being asked to encourage their staff to get a booster shot to greatly improve their resistance to the Omicron variant. So why not book online here.
Visitor Survey Results Unveiled
Take a look at the Cumbria Tourism latest Visitor Survey results, now available, to help you target and plan your marketing for 2022.
The survey was carried out in late summer/autumn and is a vital part of Cumbria Tourism’s research into consumers’ evolving travel habits. It contains valuable information about trends and changes in what our visitors both expect and need from their next holiday - revealing where they come from, who they are with, why they come and what they do while they are here.
You can make use of the results to help shape your own products, services and marketing going forward into the New Year. If you're a CT member you can access a summary of the Visitor Survey on their Media Library. If you need assistance setting up a login for the Media Library, please contact Rob Cowley on: rcowley@cumbriatourism.org
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is seeking to assess the impact of the move to Plan B and the Omicron variant on the Tourism and Hospitality Sectors.
Tourism Alliance has put together a survey to help (DCMS) build a case for government intervention.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry Financial Impact Survey
CT appreciate this is a busy time for members, so they are very grateful for you taking the time to complete this survey - something that should only take 5 minutes. Please be assured that all information is completely anonymous. If you could complete the survey as soon as possible that would help current assessment and lobbying activities. The official closing date is 10th January 2022. Complete the survey.
VisitBritain survey
VisitBritain has launched a new grant scheme for inbound tour operators and DMCs. Payments of between £20,000 and £40,000 will be awarded to support sales and marketing activities delivered through an in-market tour operator. Click here to learn more about the criteria for participating businesses and the activities included.
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Messages from Cumbria Chamber
Have you had a stand-out member of staff that has been excelling in their role and is ready for more responsibility? Or maybe you’re expanding the team and taking on new team leader roles?
It’s so important to set your team up for success, which is why Cumbria Chamber regularly run a ‘New Managers Bootcamp’ training session that arms new and existing managers with the skills and the fundamentals of good management, including enhancing productivity, building relationships and managing poor performance.
The ‘New Managers Bootcamp’ will help delegates make a success of their new role. So why not consider enrolling new or existing managers on the three-session training course starting Thursday, 13th January? More details here.
Don’t forget HR Essentials for Managers 2-session course starting on 17th and 24th March is a valuable add on for managers of any experience level. These 2 sessions provide the skills, knowledge and confidence to tackle common staff issues. The training is aimed at anyone who manages staff including business owners, managers, supervisors and HR teams and will give you the practical guidance and the confidence to address staff issues in your organisation. Find out more here.
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A message from Cumbria LEP
Local Skills Report
You will be aware of the significant challenges that businesses are currently facing in getting the people that they need for their workforce, due to a combination of the impacts of COVID-19 and EU Exit. The LEP is therefore working with a wide range of partners to update the Local Skills Report and develop the Labour Supply Action Plan, which collectively look to address Cumbria’s skills and labour issues.
Jo Lappin, Chief Executive would therefore be delighted if you could join her and guest speakers on Monday 10 January 2022 at 2.00pm-3.30pm to share your thoughts on the key issues and how you feel that these can be best addressed. Presentations will be provided on each of the documents to kickstart the conversation.
An agenda and papers will be forwarded in advance. Register here.
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 Recruitment support
Business Allerdale
Did you know we have a jobs page? If you have any vacancies or apprenticeships in the Allerdale area, you can upload them to our website. Fill out the short form along with a job description FOR FREE – To take the opportunity to promote your vacancies, simply add your vacancies on the website.
We have an events and training calendar showcasing upcoming events, ranging from digital and social media support, HR support, import and export advice, and much more. You can also add your own events and training courses. Keep an eye on this page for any courses which may help with recruitment or upskilling your staff. Click to go to our website and see upcoming events.
We're recruiting
Would you like to come and work with the Allerdale team? We're recruiting for a number of posts in Programme and Projects (4), Governance (2) and Communications & Marketing (2 - which could see you writing these newsletters.)
Click on the link below for more details of all the positions.
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 Apprenticeships at Cumbria County Council
Fantastic apprenticeship opportunities now available throughout Cumbria!
Apply now to start in March 2022. Don't miss out - apply today! Cumbria Apprenticeships
Parking in Keswick proposals
 Cumbria County Council is inviting residents, businesses and local road users to feedback their views on a number of proposed parking restrictions in Keswick.
Teams have been carrying out a review of the parking restrictions and associated regulations in Keswick and the surrounding area in an effort to improve safety for all road users, as well as traffic movement within the area.
Many of the proposals are designed to prevent obstructive parking that in some cases has led to bus services being cancelled. Proposals also include making permanent the temporary one-way system on St John’s Street and the change of restrictions in Grange from seasonal to continual.
Comments are invited on the proposals before Monday 3 January 2022.
A message from University of Cumbria
New LinkedIn page for the University's Institute for Business, Industry and Leadership (IBIL)
IBIL is the home of the University of Cumbria's School of Business, School of Justice and the Project Academy.
This new LinkedIn page will be focused on the business community and aims to share information about programmes, events, news and open the conversation between the University and the business community. Click here to connect with us for news and updates.
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 The all new Maryport Regeneration Newsletter
As many of you will know, Maryport was successful in bidding for around £14m of funds for investment into our great town. Much work has been going on behind the scenes with the regeneration teams, groups and partners along with Maryport community groups and businesses.
We’ve got plenty to update you on and keep you informed as the projects develop. Therefore, we are delighted to tell you that we have just released our first Maryport Regeneration e-newsletter, which you can receive straight to your inbox, just sign up to receive all the latest info.
This is your ‘one-stop shop’ for all things happening within the planned projects in and around Maryport.
Messages from the Federation of Small Businesses
Debt recovery advice
Steps to take when a client doesn’t pay
- Invoice as normal - The process for debt recovery should begin with you invoicing your clients as normal. You and your clients should have already agreed on payment terms, so, ideally, at this point, you should wait for confirmation that you’ve received payment. Read the guide on how to write an invoice to make sure your invoices contain all the relevant information to speed up the payment process.
- Chase - If it turns out that you haven’t been paid by a client when you were expecting, then you should begin the process of chasing up the invoice. Send additional emails or make phone calls to politely remind the client that they need to pay for the work you’ve completed for them, otherwise the situation will continue to escalate.
- Credit hold - One way to prompt a client to pay is to stop doing any work for them until they have paid their outstanding debt to you. This is sometimes referred to as a credit hold or administrative hold, whereby work on an account stops due to a lack of funding.
- Final notice - The final notice is the last piece of correspondence you’re likely to send the client before legal proceedings begin. This highlights to them that they have until a certain deadline, which you can decide, to settle any debts with you, before you begin pursuing legal action against them to claim the money you’re owed.
- Legal action –
- Small claims court - The small claims court will allow both sides (you and your client) to mediate and reach a conclusion.
- Debt collection - The other legal option is to enlist the help of debt collection specialists such as FSB Debt Recovery, a dedicated services for Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) members.
Free Guide: How to get started with sustainability
As governments and businesses across the globe work towards carbon neutrality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, FSB are supporting small business owners and the self-employed to understand how they can play their part.
Download the free guide and find out how you can start your journey to net zero. It's packed with practical advice and tips to help you reduce your carbon footprint and make a difference for tomorrow.
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Join our Allerdale Business Community Facebook Group
Keep up to date with the latest news, and join a network local business people. Simply click on the image to join and engage.
Good News Story
McMenon Engineering Services makes pioneering advancements
Venturi flow meters are used extensively in the measurement of gas and other low viscosity fluids, such as hot water, solvents and fuels, and are a proven technology due to their ease of use and robustness. A team of flow and temperature measurement experts at Workington-based McMenon Engineering Services have now adapted the existing technology to improve the accuracy of measurement readings of high viscosity fluids, for example bitumen, glycerin and syrup, to be used across more sectors, including drilling, heavy fuel oil and even food and drink.
McMenon’s chief operations officer, Shiby Bernard added: “Working with NEL, we have tested the High Viscosity Venturi to a high standard and we are so proud of the results and excited to bring such advanced technology to the wider public. “This product is another example of McMenon’s commitment and drive to develop ground-breaking technology which is safer and more efficient than other alternatives on the market.”
See the full story from the News & Star: McMenon engineering.
Visit their website here: Investing in innovation & the next generation
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Upcoming events
Cumbria Tourism
Lakes Hospitality Trade Show - 9th and 10th March 2022
The Lakes Hospitality Association (LHA) Trade Show is a celebration of the hospitality industry. It is a hub for both local and national companies to showcase the cutting edge developments and products in the industry, not just for the Lake District but the country as a whole.
The show is the focal point for the region’s hospitality industry. Providing a unique opportunity to showcase products, develop new customer relationships, and continue to grow existing relationships. In preparation for the year to come, a major pre-season networking platform. Find out more
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FSB
Lancashire and Cumbria - Women in Business
Thursday, 13 January 2022 13:00-14:30
Get your new year off to a flying start, with the opportunity to make some new contacts
Hosted by Jane Binnion of The Growing Club CIC, this event is part of our Women in Business series in Lancashire & Cumbria, focusing on supporting female entrepreneurship. Book Here
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Digital Tech Cumbria
WEBINAR – Using LinkedIn to attract new business - Tuesday 11th January 2022, 10am Book Here
WEBINAR – An overview of alternative social media channels - Tuesday 18th January 2022, 10am Book Here
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And finally...
As this is the last Business Newsletter of the year, we'd like to take the opportunity to wish you all a very Merry and safe Christmas time.
We look forward to seeing you again in the New Year 2022.
Best Wishes to all.
To see full details of our services over the Christmas and New Year period, click on the link: Allerdale council services.
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Funded by the Welcome Back Fund - funded by ERDF |
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