Message from Murray Foster, Chair of Southend Business Partnership

Firstly make sure you have this date in your diaries, Thursday 13 February 2025, for our next Briefing event which will return to the Cliffs Pavilion Maritime venue. The theme will be around “wellbeing in the workplace” with the following presenting organisations:

Hays UK (Recruitment) - speaker Jane Donnelly, Managing Director, East of England will explore the challenges of today's job market and discover how Employee Assistance Programs, mental health support and flexible work patterns can benefit both employees and employers.

Southend-on-Sea City Council Public Health Improvement - speaker Denise Wenn, Health Improvement Practitioner, will be informing businesses about the benefits of a healthy workforce and will direct them to information and resources that are available, including Southend’s free workplace health offer.

Able Futures Ingeus - speaker Debbie Burns, Business Manager, will be focusing on delivering the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service to SME employers.

book now! 

You may recall that in our last newsletter we provided an update on our December meeting of our Executive body. The focuses for our next meeting in March, which is being held at Metal in Chalkwell Park, will include devolution, rail transport, ICT and the new City Vision, which will have been recently launched by the time of the meeting.

Recent events locally include London Southend Airport having announced an upcoming further new route to Newquay in Cornwall. Also new retailers have opened or are planning to open within Victoria Shopping Centre and there are further prospects being explored within Royals Shopping Centre. Here’s hoping for further positive news to come throughout 2025, across the breadth of our city! Indeed, it was interesting to hear from our Chancellor’s “Kickstart economic growth” speech a decades long overdue government commitment to taking forward the Lower Thames Crossing through exploring the opportunities of it being privately funded.  

However, we must record our sadness at the passing of Howard Briggs, a former Leader, Mayor and Alderman of Southend-on-Sea City Council. He gave decades of service leaving a lasting legacy, particularly concerning the creation of the Southend Community Fund, which provides financial support to charities and voluntary groups in our city. Our condolences to Howard’s family, friends and colleagues.

In signing off, please encourage others to sign up for our free monthly newsletters which provides a wealth of information, such as below.

Southend Business Partnership Briefing 

Thursday 13 February 7.30am to 10.30am 

Maritime Room, Cliffs Pavilion, Station Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0 7RA

The theme will be around “wellbeing in the workplace” with the presenting organisations mentioned in the Chair's intro.

• 7.30am - Registration will begin.
• 7.30am to 8.30am Networking, light breakfast, and marketplace.
• 8.30am - The business briefing keynote speakers will start.
• 10.00am Continue networking and visiting the marketplace.
• 10.30am Close

Book your place. 

Discover the Power of Apprenticeships for Your Business

Friday 14 February 8am to 12pm 

Maritime Room, Cliffs Pavilion, Station Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, SS0 7RA

Join Southend-on-Sea City Council, SEATS and The Greater Essex Careers Hub during National Apprenticeship Week to explore how apprenticeships can transform your workforce.

Our free event is designed for business owners and HR decision-makers, providing actionable insights.

Whether you're looking to introduce apprenticeships or maximise their impact, this is your opportunity to gain expert advice, hear real success stories, and debunk common myths.

Book your place

Introduction to public sector tendering 

An engaging workshop designed to demystify public sector tendering.

Biz-on-Sea Network and Launchpad Southend are pleased to invite local businesses and charities along to a four-part series of bidding and tendering for contracts, delivered by BIZphit.

The first event will be Tuesday 25 February from 10am to 12pm.

Spaces are limited so secure your place here 

South Essex Business Expo

13 March 10am to 3pm

The Brentwood Centre. Doddinghurst Rd, Brentwood CM15 9NN

Networking Essex are really pleased to announce a partnership between all the South Essex Councils: Brentwood, Rochford, Southend-on-Sea, Basildon, Thurrock, Castle Point and Essex County Council along with Essex Wildlife Trust, fsb, Colbea, Global, DS Group and Networking Essex. We hope to achieve the biggest business expo in South Essex at The Brentwood Centre with 200 stands and 1000 visitors.

Book your place

Made Smarter Adoption East of England Launching April 2025

The £1.2m grant scheme made available through an agreement with the Department for Business & Trade will support SMEs’ adoption of Industrial Digital Technologies (IDT) through impartial advice and guidance, a digital readiness roadmap, and leadership and management development programmes to upskill the workforce.

Find out more

Tradesperson parking permit

This permit type is available to those delivering a variety of services who may need to carry out jobs and need to park at different locations across the city.

It offers the flexibility to park in:

• residential permit parking bays
• various Council-managed car parks
• on-street pay-by-phone/pay-and-display bays across the city

This permit is valid during the working day from Monday to Saturday (between 8am to 6pm only), allowing tradespersons to conveniently park while providing services.

Find out more

Fast track your sustainable product Startup 

Applications close 7 March 2025

Why apply?

The accelerator begins on 28 April 2025 and offers:

• £20,000 in grants and credits
• Expert coaching and mentorship to refine your business strategy
• Amazon point of contact to boost your presence on Amazon
• Three in-person weeks in the key European sustainability hubs of London and    Amsterdam
• Pitching and networking opportunities with top VCs and sustainability leaders

Find out more

Essex County Fire & Rescue Service Business Engagement Team

Created to support business and building owners, the team focuses on educating local businesses and responsible persons about fire safety legal requirements. With each team member bringing a high level of expertise, the team’s mission is clear: to make Essex safer.

The team will be completing further business safe and well visits, which will include follow up visits around Fire Risk Assessments. They will also be completing work around False Alarm calls and will be attending a variety of events across the County.

Interested in finding out more and getting advice for your business or public building?

Contact ECFRS’s Business Engagement Team: alison.loades@essex-fire.gov.uk

essex-fire.gov.uk/business

Welcome to the UK’s 2025 International Women’s Day event

Friday 7 March 10am to 2pm

South Essex College, Southend SS1 1ND

This event is an opportunity to come together to celebrate the achievements of women, inspire each other, and build connections within our community. It will feature:
• Special guest speakers: inspiring talks from people who are making a difference in their fields.
• Networking opportunities: connect with local organisations from South Essex and learn about the services they offer.
• Entertainment: enjoy performances and activities designed to celebrate the spirit of the day.
• Light lunch: a delicious lunch will be provided during the event.

Book here.

Hats off to Indirock

Hats off to Indirock in the Victoria Shopping Centre, which, at less than three years old, has been named 'Best Independent Operator' in this year's Revo Awards. Recognising excellence in the UK retail sector, the Revo Awards are like the Oscars for shopping centres! On top of that, Indirock's founder, Emily Vermont, has been highlighted as one of this year's top female entrepreneurs in Small Business Britain's f:entrepreneur #iAlso100 campaign. More can be found on the Revo win here, and f:entrepreneur here. 

Construction networking

Tuesday 4 February 4.30pm to 6.30pm

NEW VENUE: Black Box Brewery, 18-19 Aviation Way, Rochford, SS2 6UN 

Calling all businesses in or associated with the construction industry, come along to this new Southend Construction networking event.

The group will meet monthly with a view to exchanging information, developing professional and social contacts, and supporting each other in pursuit of opportunities for collaboration and new business.

Book your place