Area Focus: North Warks
NFU Mutual in Atherstone
Left to right: Amy Croshaw, Wendy Deeming, Kim Thomas, Sarah Nolan, Laura Gillard (Account Manager), Sami Hewings, Rhydian Harris (Sales Advisor), Becky Hall (Account Manager), Kathryn Oliphant, Jess Warren and Emily Henton.
Founded in 1910 by a small group of farmers in Stratford upon Avon, NFU Mutual now operates a trusted network of over 300 offices nationwide, providing specialist insurance, backed up by award winning service – being named ‘Best Insurance Services Provider 2014’ by Which? the consumer champion. The local office, based on Long Street in Atherstone, is run by a 12-strong team of qualified advisers who work with businesses across Warwickshire to provide tailored insurance cover, health and safety advice through subsidiary NFU Mutual Risk Management Services, as well as financial planning services.
Larger commercial customers can also benefit from a central team of sector specialists in commercial underwriting and claims handling. This wealth of expertise, together with a personal local service enables NFU Mutual to fully understand its customers and the issues they face to deliver considered business solutions. NFU Mutual in Atherstone joined Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce in November last year and the organisation is sponsoring the British Chamber of Commerce National Small Business of the Year Award for the second year running.
Commenting on the support and benefits that becoming a Chamber member can bring, Laura Gillard, Account Manager at NFU Mutual in Atherstone said: “Personal, local service is at the heart of NFU Mutual and we’re delighted to be an active part of this thriving regional business community. “We’re looking forward to getting more involved with our local Chamber to help develop our own business and meet like minded business professionals. “Our reputation is built on putting our members first – a goal we share wholeheartedly with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.”
Putting election candidates on the spot Paul Carvell, chair of the North Warwickshire branch of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce. It’s been a very busy but very enjoyable few weeks with the Chamber – and that’s going to remain the case now that the General Election is over. In this area, we’ve held two events with Parliamentary candidates to give businesses the opportunity to put their point of view across to prospective MPs and also to ask how they would support business should they be elected. We held the first with the candidates for Nuneaton in our offices at Stewart Fletcher Barrett and, as chair of the Chamber branch, I took on the role of ‘David Dimbleby’ in order to make sure order was maintained throughout!
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It was, in actual fact, a very good debate between the three attending candidates – Marcus Jones (Conservative), Victoria Fowler (Labour) and Keith Kondakor (Green) – and while they didn’t agree on everything (as you’d expect) it was all very considered. Several subjects were raised and discussed including skills, transport and improving Nuneaton town centre and I have no doubt that it helped all three candidates gauge the views of business ahead of the election at the same time as setting out their own agenda. After that, we held a similar event in the North Warwickshire constituency at The Belfry with Mike O’Brien (Labour), Craig Tracey (Conservative) and William Cash (UKIP). I was away at the time so, unfortunately, couldn’t assume the role as chair of the event again but our
Chamber president Peter Burns stepped in and fed back that it was another excellent debate. Following the result of the election, I’d like to congratulate Marcus Jones and Craig Tracey on their election as the MPs for this area. Over the past five years, Marcus has been in regular contact with our branch. He has attended meetings and has also hosted us in Westminster when we have travelled to London to discuss key issues. We would like to develop that same kind of relationship with Craig in order to ensure the voice of business is heard right across the north of Warwickshire. It’s vital that we can raise issues that are affecting businesses in our area and that our MPs are in a position to take those messages down to Westminster in order to bring about change.
www.cw-chamber.co.uk