Education & Skills Round-Up

It has been a busy few months! We have had four of our mock interview programmes taking place at Bedminster Down, St Mary Redcliff, City Academy Bristol and Merchants Academy. With over 25 BJC members volunteering, more than 75 students were given the opportunity to practice their interview skills. Many thanks must be given to my amazing education and skills team: Alex Wong, Rob Barnes and Sam Dalziel who ran the autumn programme and Ed Chapman, Claire Davies, Kate Shipton and Amy Bracey who will be running the winter programme Earlier this year we announced a new partnership with UWE, with the aim of connecting BJC members and their companies to the UWE work experience/mentoring scheme, opening new doors to students studying at the university. This year we have also started our Name of school application to obtain the Employability Charter Mark, awarded to institutes running education projects in Bristol. If achieved, it will provide the BJC and its members recognition for all of the countless hours spent on providing voluntary assistance to students in Bristol. Every effort over the next few months will be made so we can achieve such recognition. If anyone has any queries or is keen to get more involved with education projects, please do get in touch! Georgie Baxter, Chair of Education and Skills

Mozambique Business Breakfast

BJC joined forces with ACCCE and Alix Hughes from the Bristol City Council twinning ofce to host a business breakfast with the Mozambique High Commissioner (HoC). The event was extremely well received and attended by members from prominent Bristol businesses such as Barclays Bank, Genaco and UKTI, as well as John Hirst from Destination Bristol and the Lord Mayor, Cllr Choudhury. The HoC, Carlos dos Santos, presented the numerous trade and investment opportunities available in Mozambique, a country where the GDP has risen by at least 7% per annum over the last 3 years and is one of the fast growing economies in Africa. There was signicant interest in forging connections between Bristol and Mozambique. In particular, within the tourism industry and also in enabling the transfer of skills and knowledge required for business development. Marie Adeyemi, who organised the event, hopes that the relationships formed during the business breakfast will be a springboard towards enabling international trade and development between the two countries. Bristol is twinned with Biera in Mozambique. Marie Adeyemi

Date of mock interviews BJC contact Claire Davies Georgina Baxter Kate Shipton Amy Bracey

Winterbourne 6th March 2014 International Academy Bristol Grammar 18th March 2014 School

Bristol Junior Chamber

Charles Chami

Dates for your Diary

BJC 65TH ANNUAL DINNER

MEMBERSHIP LATEST
Total 132 members New members 46 since April 2013 51% Male, 49% Female Membership numbers continue to ourish with enquiries coming in from an ever increasing mix of sectors, professions and industries as people learn about the exciting opportunities afforded to members from friends, colleagues and the wonders of social media. Over the past few months we have welcomed members to boost representation of sectors such as marketing, PR, events management, healthcare, project management and charities to sit alongside the members from the legal, nance, surveying and banking sectors within Bristol and the surrounding areas. Rob Barnes, Membership Secretary
Bristol Junior Chamber

Members Interview
When did you join BJC? October 2013 Why did you join? Fairly even split between socialising, networking and general curiosity. I returned to Bristol following eight years in London and was keen to meet new people and expand my connections here. I also saw joining as an opportunity to better understand how Bristol works and also have some fun at the same time! What areas of The BJC interest you most? Aside from the fun side of meeting good people and attending the social events, I am really interested in how BJC gets you access to City leaders in a way that would have been impossible in London. It makes you feel much closer to how the city is run and makes you think about how you can get more involved in areas that are of interest. What is your day job? I am an Independent Financial Advisor at Glamis IFA. I work with retail clients to advise on all areas of personal nance. Specically: Savings & investment, Pensions & Retirement Planning, Mortgages and Insurance.

Date: Saturday 22 March Venue: Bristol Marriott Royal Info: For booking details contact Savita Custead savita@bnhc.org.uk
APRIL MEMBERS MEETING BJC AGM

Date: Tuesday 1st April, from 18:00 for 18:30 start Venue: Merchants Hall, The Promenade, Clifton, Bristol
BJC TRIP TO PARLIAMENT

Date: Monday 7th April, All day Info: The event is now fully booked. For further details please contact Steve Smith
MAY MEMBERS MEETING

Date: Tuesday 6th May, 18:00-19:45 Venue: Clarke Willmott Ofces, 1 Georges Square, Bath Street, BS1 6BA Info: Details to be revealed at the AGM
HANNOVER EXCHANGE

Date: 2326 May 2014 Info: For further details please contact Karl Brown

Design and Print by Ardent www.ardentcommunications.co.uk 0117 923 9784

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BJC Bugle
Issue Twenty Spring 2014

Bristol Junior Chamber

BJC Bristol Bordeaux Exchange

From the President

Its been a privilege to serve members and our city over the past year and I am delighted with what we as an organisation have achieved. My aims this past year were to champion Bristol on the international stage, provide new and interesting opportunities to members, whether that be debating with city leaders, project managing, or just by getting involved in good, fun networking events at interesting venues. We now have more members than ever, 132 at the last count, up from 100 a year ago. Our membership now covers all the major business sectors from property to tourism, trainee lawyers to directors, 23 to 39 year olds. We have enjoyed record breaking attendance gures and more than doubled our social media presence. Weve own the Bristol and Bath ag in China and Bordeaux, hosted the High Commissioner of Mozambique, a delegation from Oman and our long standing friends from Hannover. Weve held high level round table debates with the Bank of England, the Local Enterprise Partnership, the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Mayoral team; welcomed inspiring speakers such as World War Two Dambuster Johnny Johnson, UKTI and Destination Bristol; visited the airport, Engine Shed and National Composite Centre; organised an investment seminar informing members what to do with their money and supported the South Bristol Link Road and Lord Mayor. As important, we have extended our networks and made new friends. I must pay special tribute to our dedicated Council of Management and other volunteers who have driven the BJC forward over the last twelve months, to what I believe to be the best shape its been in for a long time. Our shared enthusiasm, excellent team work and championing of Bristol has been recognised in so many quarters. Ive had a fantastically fun year and learnt so much. I wish Karl the very best for his year as 66th President, I will continue to support him as Immediate Past President. I look forward to seeing you all at our future events. With Warm Regards Tom tom.selway@jbp.co.uk

On an autumnal October weekend a group of BJC members visited Bordeaux; Frances second city has been twinned with Bristol since 1947 and this trip (organised by Andrew Venner) was an opportunity to build new relationships between our respective cities. On Friday we visited the Node and the Darwin project, which cultivate small and medium businesses with a focus on the digital economy. We heard how Bordeaux is differentiating itself from Paris to attract talent to the city. We travelled to Chateau du Vieux Plantier on Saturday morning, where Pierre Pauvif, a member of the Bordeaux Junior Chamber, gave us a fascinating insight into the inner workings of his familys vineyard. We were fortunate to have arrived on the last day of the grape harvest, witnessing the culmination of months of hard work. We were treated to an authentic Bordelaise meal prepared by Pierres family; we felt honoured to be treated as part of the family and a smorgasbord of local cuisine was accompanied by a selection of their speciality Cotes de Bourg wine. We returned with many new friends and we look forward to welcoming the Bordeaux Junior Chamber to Bristol in 2014. Ed Chapman

BJC Hannover Visit: 23 26 May 2014

Most of you will be aware that Bristol is twinned with Hannover. The BJC has a longstanding exchange programme with the Hannover Junior Chamber. Last year members of the Hannover Junior Chamber visited us in Bristol. This year Vice President Karl Brown (President from April) will lead a group from the BJC to Hannover. The visit to Hannover this year will have special signicance as there will be a number of events in Hannover to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the British crown passing to the House of Hannover. In addition to the special events being held the BJC group will be part of a wider group of visitors from Bristol which will include members from the 39 Club ( this is a group formed by ex BJC members over the age of 40 and includes former President Sue Atkinson) and also members from the Bristol Hannover Council. The trip will be a great opportunity to develop fantastic social and business links in Hannover. If you are interested in attending please email Vice President Karl Brown.

And a taster of whats to come from the Vice President

I feel very privileged to be Vice President of the BJC and soon to be President. I am passionate that the BJC and its members be seen as game-changers who contribute to 21st century Bristol thriving in a very competitive world. I have compiled a programme of very exciting speakers for my year and the speakers and the topics they will discuss will enhance the skill sets of the membership. The other main ethos of my year will, however, be to continue the main tradition of the BJC which is giving back to Bristol. Being game-changers in Bristol is not just about economic success but also about improving the lives of wider society in Bristol. I very much look forward to working with you all from April onwards. Karl Brown

www.bristoljuniorchamber.co.uk

Members Dinner
On Friday 18th October over 50 BJC members enjoyed a very special BJC Members Dinner at The Mansion House, with The Rt. Hon Lord Mayor of Bristol, Councillor Faruk Choudhury and inspirational speech from Nick Hounseld of The Wave project.

Presidents Dinner Success!

The Presidents Dinner series is focussed on giving BJC members an insight into the people behind the ofce of various city and city region leaders. The Chatham House Rules private dinners, limited to a maximum of twenty guests a time, allow city leaders to speak openly, frankly and honestly about what really goes on in the leadership of Bristol and greater Bristol. Our rst Presidents Dinner - held at new restaurant Steak of the Art - welcomed Zoe Sear (Head of Mayoral Partnership and Initiatives, Bristol City Council) and Paul Wilson (Chief Executive Ofcer, Local Enterprise Partnership), who gave a colourful insight into the new Mayoral system, the role of elected councillors and local businesses and the desire to build Bristols national and international standing - providing guests with a fascinating insight into the strategic approach being taken in Bristol.

Our second Presidents Dinner - held in the Kings Suite at the Marriott Royal Hotel - welcomed Sue Mounstevens (Police and Crime Commissioner) and Nick Gargan (Chief Constable) who spoke about policing and policing priorities and how their ofces work. They spoke frankly about challenges within the constabulary and community, about their relationships with the Government (including the Home Secretary and Prime Minister) and about their plans for the future. Given the Chatham House Rules nature of the dinners, the BJC is unable to report on any of the detailed conversations that took place and we would therefore encourage members to attend future dinners to get the opportunity to meet city leaders in these insightful nontraditional formats. Darren Jones, Chair of Policy and Inuence

BJC Investment Forum Whats it all about?

The BJC Investment Forum meet roughly every 2 months, primarily to discuss how best to manage our holdings in various companies but also to teach non-investment professionals about investing in general. Having joined BJC in September last year, this is something that interested me as it gives me an opportunity to learn about investing which is something I previously knew nothing about. This is not only useful on a personal level but benecial to my work. Headed up by investment professional Oliver Brown, RC Brown Investment Management, and typically hosted at Jones Lang LaSalle thanks to Ben St. Quintin. Each meeting well typically vote on which shares to buy/sell, discuss the current state of the market in the UK and abroad, share insight into prominent investment professionals, receive presentations on different investment vehicles and one of my personal favourites, eat pizza! These meetings also provide an excellent forum to catch up with BJC members with regular attendance from a variety of professions, not just those working in the world of nance. In the most recent meeting we had a re-cap of 2013 presented by Oliver, a presentation on Bitcoins by Zifa Sadriyeva and a look at the career of the prominent investor Terry Smith presented by Michael Holder. For anyone whos interested in attending the next forum on 17th March, Im sure that Oliver will be pleased to provide details. Leon Musmann

www.bristoljuniorchamber.co.uk

Bristol Beer Factory Tour

BJC Investment Seminar
Over 40 members attended the inaugural Investment Seminar. After a platter of food and something to drink, members were given three talks. Firstly the topics covered were investing and asset classes, followed by a personal wealth overview and nally a more detailed look at pension investment. Members enjoyed informative, relevant and at times humorous presentations from our three speakers; Mike Wilson, Editor of IFA Magazine; BJC Member Charles Chami, Independent Financial Adviser at Glamis IFA and BJC Member Claire Davies, Specialist Adviser at Coutts. Each presentation was followed by a Q&A where members posed some challenging and thoughtful questions for the presenters who were ably assisted by fellow members who worked in the investment industries, law and accountancy. This is likely to be the rst in a series of seminars that will include areas such as property and law, which will be delivered by members and aimed at members. I would like to thank those members who helped me organise the event and especially Claire and Charles who provided us with exceptional presentations and took time out of their busy schedules. I would also like to thank Mike Wilson of IFA magazine for giving up his time to come and speak to members. Michael Holder, Chair of Business and Enterprise On a dark Thursday night in December, warming up to Christmas festivities, a group of BJC members and fortunate guests made their way through the backstreets of Bedminster. Led unknowingly through a garage yard they were greeted by a mysterious silhouette, who turned out to be a rather friendly and knowledgeable brewer from the Bristol Beer Factory. Ushered in, they were greeted with pint glasses (a promising start) and a few nibbles, before being led into the main brewing area. Surrounded by a multitude of large stainless steel vessels, Archimedean screws and conveyor belts, the tour began. This was an interesting and informative insight into the history of brewing in Bristol, the current premises, and the connection with other businesses such as the adjacent bakery. The brewer went on to discuss the success and very recent expansion of the Bristol Beer Factory business, alongside a step-by-step explanation of the brewing process including a few sneaky tips for the home brewers amongst us. The tour was lubricated with frequent samples of a number of their top class offerings including; Nova, Seven, Milk Stout and Southville Hop. The party left a little merrier than on arrival, a beer glass and sample bottle in hand and a lot more knowledgeable about what goes into that enjoyable Bristol-made pint on the bar. Gareth Mason, Chair of Heritage and Culture

Christmas Dinner
Over 70 BJC Members attended a delicious 3 course Christmas Dinner at Hotel Du Vin at the start of December. Thanks to Mark Langmead for organising such a memorable and festive evening for the BJC to celebrate the start of the festive season.

Top 5 things to consider in retirement planning

1. Pension Income Requirement  Consider minimum amount to cover essentials, how much extra do you want for your lifestyle needs? 2. How much do I need to save? You will need to consider several factors including:  investment growth  admin charges  ination Review your objectives regularly as your circumstances change and when you receive annual projections from your provider. 3. How much can I afford to save?  Prioritise your objectives  Pension contributions cannot be accessed until age 55!  You can increase contributions later but you will lose the benet of investment growth over time 4. Available Pensions.  Occupational Best place to start! Ensure you understand the scheme documents and benets  Personal Many schemes from basic Stakeholder schemes to complex Self Invested Personal Pensions.  Considerations; investment choice and performance, providers nancial strength and charges. 5. Tax relief benets.  Contributions tax relievable within HMRC limits  Employer schemes funded from gross salary so full tax relief received at marginal rate  Personal schemes claim back tax at basic rate. Higher and Additional Tax Payers must complete a tax return for full relief. Claire Davies, Specialist Advice, Coutts

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