Welcome
With more than 8,000 businesses
in Havering it is important that the Council keeps in touch with business
people – this new email newsletter is just one of the ways we do that.
I hope you will enjoy
reading what’s happening in our local business community, will respond to the
consultations highlighted here and most importantly let us know what is
happening in your business so we can celebrate successes and share information.
We have a strong local economy in our Borough, something that has been achieved by businesses and the Council
working together. We want to build on the existing success and support the
creation of more local jobs for local people.
We are confident this can be
achieved by listening to the views of business people so do let us know what
you think.
Roger Ramsey
Leader of Havering Council
£3,000 for better broadband
Havering’s small businesses
can get up to £3,000 to help them improve their broadband connections.
Better broadband will give
businesses the chance to provide faster service and increased reliability.
Havering Council is encouraging business
owners to apply for the scheme, which is funded from the Government’s £150million “Super Connected Cities” programme.
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Employing Army Reservists
Havering businesses are being encouraged to support staff who wish to become Army Reservists, which also brings benefits for employers.
The new-style
army needs 30,000 reservists as part of its 112,000-strong force and is looking
to recruit staff from Havering firms to help achieve that objective.
Employers of
reservists receive financial support from the Ministry of Defence and benefit
from their staff being trained in a range of skills, which it is
estimated to be worth around £9,000 a year.
All members of
the Reserve Forces undergo rigorous training which develops key skills including
leadership, teamwork and organisation. These skills form the foundations of not
only an invaluable Reservist, but also an invaluable member of your workforce.
Download Your
guide to employing Reservists for some useful employer facts and
information on the Reserve Forces.
Mobilisation
can be a challenging time for both you and your Reservist employee. But it’s
worth remembering that financial
assistance is available to you as an employer, and that the experience
gained through deployment may benefit your organisation.
Find out more
here
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Can you help a young person be more employable?
Havering is working with Third Sector
organisations to implement a scheme that will make a tangible difference to the
lives of disadvantaged young people by improving their employability and
offering paid work placements for four months.
Romford YMCA has already agreed to
take part in the scheme.
Each
successful applicant is employed to work up to 28 hours per week over seven days,
plus one day for training; the hours could differ depending on the
circumstances of each young person, and could be adapted according to their
needs.
Businesses are
needed to offer work placements and training opportunities.
For more
details contact Nicola Houseago, Business Development Officer.
Safer Lorries Consultation
At present, heavy good vehicles (HGVs/lorries) are over represented in fatal
collisions involving cyclists and pedestrians. In 2013, HGVs were involved in
nine out of fourteen incidents leading to cyclist fatalities.
The Mayor of London has asked Transport for London (TfL) to look at ways to make lorries
safer. This will in turn help to address safety for cyclists and
pedestrians.
The consultation runs until Monday 22 September and more details are available here.
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Safer Urban Driver Training
Transport for London (TfL) has developed an accredited
Driver CPC course which promotes the safety and sharing of roads with
vulnerable road users in London with a particular focus on cyclists.
There are five dates planned for Romford during the autumn.
These workshops are aimed at all drivers of large goods vehicles (LGV) who operate in London. The Safe Urban Driving (SUD)
course focuses on safe professional driving.
Drivers will get seven hours of their compulsory
CPC training for free, these courses usually cost around £75 per session.
More information is here.
Courses for business with discounts too!
Looking to give your staff new skills to help your business?
Havering Adult College has launched its new prospectus
for 2014-2015 which includes lots of courses to celebrate its 50th
anniversary year.
Many courses are business related, providing cost-effective training for existing business owners, and their staff, as well as giving skills to would-be entrepreneurs.
Book a course before 31 August 2014 and get a 10 per cent discount on the course price.
Download the prospectus and check out which courses are the right ones for you.
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Now open in town
Havering is proving an attractive place for new businesses which bring with them jobs for local people.
Among those firms which have recently invested in Havering is El Mexicana which has opened a restaurant in The Liberty Shopping Centre, Romford offering a range of Mexican food.
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Shop local schemes launched
Around 170
local shops are taking part in Havering Council’s shop local campaign – 70 in
Collier Row and 100 in Elm Park.
Free re-useable bags, pens, notepads and a
pocket sized shop directory which includes a map and information about each
town will be available from participating retailers.
This is part of Havering Council's commitment to supporting businesses in the Borough.
Check here for more
information on Havering's town centres.
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Italian Market returns
The next Italian Market will
be in Corbets Tey Road, Upminster from 10am until 4pm on Sunday 31 August 2014.
This is part of a programme of events held in town centres to attract more shoppers to the area so local retailers can boost their trade.
Visitors can also enjoy the
street entertainers and browse the Italian food stalls as well as visiting local shops.
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More educational choices
Two new educational opportunities are available for young people from September.
The East
London University Technical College (Elutec) in Rainham (pictured left), for
14-19 year olds looking to specialise in engineering, design or manufacturing, opens for admissions in September 2014.
St
Edward’s Church of England School and Sixth Form College in
central Romford will offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) as part of its sixth form programme from September 2014.
Keep an eye open for these different qualifications on job applications from local young people and contact the relevant college if you want to know more.
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