A Message from our Chief Executive- Glasgow Chamber of Commerce: Preparing and responding to coronavirus (COVID-19)

18 March  2020

Due to the ongoing and increased uncertainty that Coronavirus is causing, we wanted to contact you regarding measures we have implemented in order to continue to support business and minimise the risk the virus poses to members and the Chamber team.

Our senior management and policy team is continually monitoring UK Government and Scottish Government guidance as well as utilising the wider chamber of commerce network to understand and respond to the evolving situation. We are discussing regularly and will publish updates on our website and digital channels.

The Chamber team are working from home and we remain fully accessible to discuss any concerns or issues which you may have. We can be contacted via our usual mobile telephone numbers and email addresses and our switchboard number is 0141 204 2121.

Chamber Operations

Your Chamber will continue to operate in line with Government advice. Latest business guidance can be found at UK Government, Scottish Government and British Chamber of Commerce Coronavirus Hub. In order to maintain continuity for you whilst protecting our staff we have enacted appropriate protocols including agile working.

International Trade & Certification

For members trading internationally our advice and trade certification services will continue to be fully operational. Any changes to this process will be documented on the Tradecert platform.

For any specific questions on International Trade & Certification please contact cathy.bryson@glasgowchamberofcommerce.com

Policy & Business Support

We are actively working with British Chambers of Commerce and key agencies to identify and communicate business support measures during these challenging times. We continue to make representations on behalf of members on specific issues and wider policy developments, to protect and promote economic activity and jobs.  Our existing policy forums and functions operate on a web-based platform, to ensure continuity and maintain member interaction. These forums will convene regularly during this period.

Should you require specific support and guidance or wish to participate in our policy forums, please contact our policy team at resiliencesupport@dramcommunications.com

Events & Training

In line with Government guidance this evening we are suspending upcoming in-person events and training. In order to support members, we are rolling out a programme of web-based events and training. Full details will be promoted on our website.

For any specific questions or comments relating to events and training please contact alan.busby@glasgowchamberofcommerce.com

Projects

We are actively working with our key partners to continue to engage and support both the Developing the Young Workforce Glasgow and Circular Glasgow agendas. If you require any specific support or information relating to either of these areas, please do not hesitate to contact the teams who will be happy to help.

The teams can be contacted at dyw@glasgowchamberofcommerce.com and circularglasgow@glasgowchamberofcommerce.com respectively.

We appreciate your support and on going engagement through this challenging time.

Yours sincerely

Stuart Patrick CBE, Chief Executive, Glasgow Chamber of Commerce