Press Release

Using Our Greatest Asset...

After a six month battle with cancer, Richard Brennan – the former Chief Executive of membership and lobbying organisation Birmingham Forward – passed away on the morning of the 19th July with his wife and daughters by his bedside.

Why You Should Invest in Your City

By Richard Brennan, Chief Executive of Birmingham Forward

It’s an often heard adage that community matters. What many fail to recognise is that this echoes just as strongly in the world of business.  Engaging with your local business community can pay dividends, much in the same way as a local neighbourhood watch keeps burglars at bay and brings a community together.

The Science of a Good Deal

By Sue Lewis: Partner at Eversheds and Chairman of Birmingham Forward

With early signs that the deals market may be improving, I thought that now might be a good opportunity to look at the dynamics of exactly what goes into making a deal happen. As is often the case, especially with more material mergers and acquisitions (M&A), some of the details often go unnoticed, despite their relative importance.

It's Not Just the Figures That Keep a Business Ticking

Organisations and businesses eligible to vote for or against establishing a business improvement district (BID) in the area surrounding Colmore Row have given a resounding YES to the proposal. Ballot results released by independent election scrutineers, Electoral Reform Services, reveal that 87.3% of all those who voted were in favour of the BID progressing. For the BID to be successful a majority by rateable value was also required. This was achieved with 90.1 % of the total value of those who voted. (£45,205,250.00)

A decision as to the future of the Colmore Business District gets closer this week as all eligible voters in the BID area receive their ballot papers. Following a build up period in which the objectives for the BID have been developed and consultation with eligible firms and property owners has taken place the ballot papers will be distributed this week. Eligible voters will have until 5.00pm on February 27th to cast their vote.

Members of both Birmingham Forward, the organisation representing professional service firms in the city and Birmingham Future, the body made up of young professionals, have been asked to take part in an e- survey on transport. With the decision to trial road charging in Manchester about to be announced, Forward and Future asked members if they thought it inevitable or necessary to introduce road charging in Birmingham in the future.

PwC played host to the launch of the Prospectus for the Colmore Business District BID last night. Representatives of the firms eligible to vote in the BID ballot which will be held during January and February 2009, heard from Sue Lewis of Eversheds, BID Champion Gary Cardin from Drivers Jonas and Jonathan Cheetham and Jenny Inglis of Birmingham City Centre Partnership. Clive Dutton, Director of Planning and Regeneration at Birmingham City Council was also in attendance to further demonstrate the City's support of the BID.