Fife Chamber CEO Update June 2023

I continue to be impressed by the weather in Scotland with three unprecedented weeks of sunshine. I do hope it continues and everyone can look forward to the summer holidays with smiles on their faces.

We have taken a small breather after the Fife Business Awards and are now planning events for the remainder of the year. Please keep your eyes open for forthcoming events, including behind-the-scenes, socials and seminars.

Last week we hosted a very successful and sunny golf event up at the Fairmont Hotel in St Andrews which had eighty happy golfers teeing off at the Torrance Course overlooking the beautiful coastline of Fife. We are now considering whether we look at hosting another event in the Autumn and have sent out a feedback survey with this in mind.

The International Trade Pathway series continues to assist Fife Businesses with their exporting journey. This programme of workshops and training is delivered under the InvestFife brand - Fife Economic Development, Fife Chamber of Commerce, Business Gateway and SDI with the aim of supporting businesses in Fife.

Jeff Lockhart at St Andrews Management Centre expertly delivered the ‘Rules of Origin/Trading’ with the EU workshop this month, which was well attended by Fife Chamber members and Fife businesses exporting.

The next training workshop ‘Customs Procedures and Documentation’ is on 8^th August, this is a full-day, in-person event at St Andrews Management training room in Cupar.

Please do get in touch if you require more information. Details are on the website.

On the 23^rd May I attended an Open University workshop in Edinburgh to discuss the current Short Course and Microcredential opportunities that OU have in all areas. The Open University is looking to connect further with Business and if you require assistance in this regard I am more than happy to introduce you to their team.

On the 31^st May we hosted a round Table charity event at Fife Gingerbread which was attended by 22 member charities across Fife. The plans are now in place to look at future meetings which will benefit these organisations and should you wish to engage with these charities then please do get in touch for more details.

We are looking forward to the next Fife Social which is taking place at Landscape Bros in Kirkcaldy on the 22nd of June. Look out for more information on our website.

Our partners at DYW continue to be busy with their recent well-attended and successful Food and Drink Fayre at the Adam Smith College in Kirkcaldy on the 10^th June.

I take this opportunity to welcome a few new members to the Chamber this month and look forward to meeting with you at future events.

I am aware that trading is still tough across Fife and the UK and costs are still rising. I have a Bank of England Panel meeting next week and will hopefully gain knowledge of what the future holds.

The other ongoing challenge remains - the recruitment and retention of good people. We continue to engage with all the educational institutions to understand how we can assist with these challenges, and we hope to be in a position to continue to offer our Members opportunities when these arrive.

Stephen Percy-Robb

CEO, Fife Chamber of Commerce