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Shevaun Haviland CBE Visits Lincolnshire to Discuss Key Business Challenges

We were delighted to welcome Shevaun Haviland CBE, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, to Lincolnshire for a two-day programme designed to showcase the fantastic businesses, sectors, people and opportunities across Lincolnshire and Rutland. The visit was carefully curated to give Shevaun and the British Chambers of Commerce team a genuine insight into the breadth and diversity of our regional economy, while giving local employers, Chamber members and stakeholders a direct platform to share their experiences, challenges and ambitions.

It was also a chance to demonstrate what makes Lincolnshire stand out – from innovative and ambitious companies and a thriving international trading community, to our world-class visitor attractions, heritage, food and hospitality sectors. The programme began at Fairman Knight, where Founder Julian Knight welcomed Shevaun and shared insight into the company’s work, alongside the exciting developments and innovations underway. A tour of the business offered a first-hand look at the ambition, investment and entrepreneurial spirit driving growth in the county.

From Fairman Knight, the group moved into a fresh produce roundtable, bringing together representatives from across the sector. The discussion underlined Lincolnshire’s position as a leading fresh produce region for the UK, giving Shevaun an insight into the scale, expertise and importance of the sector to the national food supply chain, as well as the challenges facing producers.

The group then travelled to The William Cecil, where Paul Brown from Woodford Group led a hospitality roundtable. Conversations focused on the continued cost pressures facing the sector, the introduction of a tourism tax and, importantly, the resilience businesses continue to demonstrate despite the challenges they are navigating. These themes built on conversations from earlier in the day around rising electricity costs and National Insurance, with Shevaun confirming that the issues raised would help inform her feedback to Government ahead of the October Budget.

The first day concluded with a drinks reception, kindly hosted by Andrew Long from White Hart, bringing together Chamber members, Patrons and stakeholders for the chance to meet Shevaun and the British Chambers of Commerce team and continue the conversations from earlier in the day.

Day two began with our International Trade Talks Breakfast, hosted at the International Bomber Command Centre, putting a spotlight on the strength of international trade across the Chamber network and the resources available to companies looking to develop overseas markets.

More than 40% of Chamber members are exporters, demonstrating the important role the Chamber network plays in connecting companies with international markets. The event also highlighted the reach of the wider British Chambers of Commerce network, with 70 British Chambers internationally, creating valuable connections and access to knowledge around the world. The breakfast brought together local companies and organisations supporting international trade, allowing attendees to share experiences and gain practical insight into the opportunities and challenges involved in trading overseas.

A special thank you goes to our speakers Iwona Lebiedowicz from PAB Languages, Chris Barton CMG from the Department for Business and Trade, Gail Braybrook, Team Leader at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and Jade Littlewood, Export Finance Manager, for contributing to the International Trade Talks Breakfast.

Their expertise offered valuable perspectives on international trade, the assistance available to exporters and the challenges that can arise when entering overseas markets, demonstrating the depth of knowledge within the Chamber network.

Following the breakfast, the British Chambers of Commerce team explored more of what makes Lincolnshire a distinctive place to live, work and visit, with a tour of the International Bomber Command Centre and Lincoln Cathedral.

As a Chamber, we are incredibly proud of our region, and it was important to share not only the strength of our economy but also the history and heritage that help define Lincolnshire. The tour offered an insight into two of the county’s significant visitor attractions and the contribution the visitor economy makes to the region.

The two-day programme concluded with a Skills Gap roundtable, bringing together employers and education providers to reflect on themes that had emerged throughout the visit.

The discussion focused on the challenges facing young people and employers, the skills gaps being experienced in the workplace and how education and industry can work more closely together to prepare the future workforce. A key theme was the willingness of employers to play a greater role in developing young people’s skills. However, cost pressures and wider financial challenges are limiting what some companies can provide. Bringing education and industry together offered a valuable opportunity to explore how greater collaboration can help address these challenges and ensure young people develop the skills employers need.

Héloïse Evans, Commercial Director of Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce, said:

“It was a real pleasure to welcome Shevaun Haviland CBE and the British Chambers of Commerce team to our region, to hear directly from our business community about the opportunities and challenges facing the county.

The two days provided a fantastic opportunity to showcase the strength, diversity and contribution of Lincolnshire and Rutland, from our manufacturing and hospitality sectors to innovative global businesses that are continuing to develop here.

It was particularly valuable to give businesses the opportunity to speak directly with Shevaun about the issues affecting them, including skills, recruitment, energy costs and taxation, and to ensure these experiences and priorities are heard on the national stage.

The visit also gave us the opportunity to showcase the wider strengths of our region, including our position as a leading fresh produce area, our defence hertiage that make Lincolnshire so distinctive.

It was delightful to host such an engaging and positive programme of conversations and I very much look forward to building on the discussions and relationships created over the two days. “

Courtney Harrison, Premium Events Officer at Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce, said:

“It was great to welcome Shevaun and the British Chambers of Commerce team to Lincoln and have the opportunity to showcase the fantastic array of businesses we have across our region.

The two days felt like a real celebration of Lincolnshire, bringing together businesses, stakeholders and Chamber members and giving us the chance to shout about just how much our county has to offer.

I’m also pleased that the important points raised during our roundtable discussions will be taken forward by Shevaun into conversations with Government, helping to ensure the voice of Lincolnshire businesses is heard at a national level.”

The value of bringing members, stakeholders and speakers together was reflected in feedback from those who took part. Members highlighted the “good range of speakers”, the chance to network with visitors and speakers and the quality of the venue. Other feedback included the value of “networking, meeting people within the industry” and gaining “good insight into the workings of local government and a focused route through them. ”

Across two days, the visit demonstrated the breadth of Lincolnshire and Rutland – from a leading fresh produce sector and innovative companies to international trade, hospitality, education, heritage and tourism.

Most importantly, it gave local employers a direct voice with the Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce. The experiences and issues raised during the roundtables will help inform the wider national business conversation, ensuring that the priorities of Lincolnshire and Rutland remain firmly on the agenda.

We look forward to building on these conversations and continuing to champion the voice of businesses across Lincolnshire and Rutland, strengthening connections locally, nationally and internationally and advocating for the conditions needed for businesses to grow and thrive.