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Cairngorms Chamber of Commerce E-Newsletter Business Voice of the National Park

Issue Date: 14 March 2010

Business Events

1. Dates for your Diary

2. CCC Events Calendar

3. CNPA Meetings Calendar

4. Ward Forum – Badenoch & Strathspey

Business News

1. Chamber Business Lunch – 3 March 2010

2. Sick Note to Fit Note

3. PACE National Redundancy Helpline

4. Plan a Green 2010 – Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC – 24 March 2010

5. Deeside and Strathdon Accommodation Audit Update – Craigendarroch Hotel – 30 March 2010

6. Aviemore Trade Show 2010 - Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort - 25/27 April 2010

7. 2010 Rates Revaluation

8. Commonwealth Games Business Portal Roadshow - MacDonald Aviemore Highland Resort - 24 March 2010

9. Cairngorms Wildlife Recording Forum 2010 – Boat of Garten Community Hall – 17 April 2010

Chamber Members’ Benefits

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Business Events

1. Chamber Event Dates for your Diary:

7 April 2010 The Cairngorm Hotel, Aviemore

5 May 2010 Venue to be confirmed

2 June 2010 Venue to be confirmed

2. CCC Events Calendar – Business and Public Events

Business Events http://www.cairngormschamber.com/events/business.php

Public Events http://www.cairngormschamber.com/events/events.php

All Events http://www.cairngormschamber.com/events/local_events_and_business_meetings.php

3. CNPA Meetings Calendar

An interactive meetings calendar that lists almost all of the Park Authority meetings

http://www.cairngorms.co.uk/parkauthority/meetingcalendar/index.php?h=meetings

4. Ward Forum – Badenoch & Strathspey

http://www.highland.gov.uk/yourcouncil/yourward/ward21/

Comments or suggestions regarding the Ward Forum Meetings should be sent to the Badenoch and Strathspey Ward Manager, Sue Palmer sue.palmer@highland.gov.uk

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Business News

Look in the special notice area of the Chamber website for links to items of interest, including the latest VisitScotland update.

1. Chamber Business Lunch – 3 March 2010

Over lunch at the Cross in Kingussie Lloyd Cornfield, from Business Gateway in Grantown-on-Spey, and Chris Bremner, Cairngorms National Park Authority, grilled delegates to find out what they wanted in the way of support, courses and advice from a new environmental support scheme for businesses in the Park. Topics included renewables, energy conservation, waste, water use and environmental planning.

They provided useful information and the input from delegates will steer Business Gateway, CNPA and the Business Enterprise Partnership to providing relevant assistance to businesses operating within the Park.

Email Lloyd Cornfield, Chris Bremner or John Thorne if you’d like to add anything to the discussion.

Chris and Lloyd were certainly grilled more than the delicious organic Shetland salmon served by David and Katie Young. Our thanks for their kind hospitality and to the CNPA for sponsoring the event. Now, who ate the last chocolate brownie...?

2. Sick Note to Fit Note

On 6 April 2010 the sick note will change and become the fit note. Now when an employee falls ill or is injured, their doctor will be able to advise whether, with appropriate support from their employer, they could return to work while they recover. The aim of this change is twofold: it will help reduce the cost of sickness absence, as employees will be spending less time off work, but it will also help your employees, as evidence shows that going back to work can actually help recovery. In short, it’s about giving employers more flexibility to manage sickness absence in a way that benefits business and employees.

Detailed guidance for employers has been developed and is now available at www.dwp.gov.uk/fitnote

3. PACE National Redundancy Helpline

Are you an employer worried about making redundancies? Phone the PACE national redundancy helpline on 0808 100 1855 for free and impartial advice and support. Or visit the PACE website at www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/redundancy. PACE can help your business to: identify alternatives to redundancy; access local support services; secure positive media coverage; support employees with tailored programmes to help them access jobs and training; maintain and improve industrial relations.

4. Plan a Green 2010 – Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC – 24 March 2010 – 5.30pm – 9pm.

Food and drink businesses can reduce the impact of the rising cost of raw materials, energy, transport, water, packaging and waste disposal, through utilising low or no cost measures. This FREE workshop will discuss issues facing the food and drink sector signposting to support available, allowing you to prepare your business for change and to reduce the use and waste of resources to reap both the financial and environmental benefits, and give you advice and tools on how to begin implementing resource efficiency measures within your business through low or no cost means.

To register for this event please contact Rachel Philips at info@caledonianconcepts.co.uk or call 0845 838 2748. More information can be found here.

5. Deeside and Strathdon Accommodation Audit Update – Craigendarroch Hotel – 30 March 2919 – 11am – 1pm

Tourism Resources Company (TRC) has been active in the Royal Deeside and Strathdon area recently undertaking a number of tourism studies for Scottish Enterprise. These have reviewed the tourism infrastructure offering and needs in light of changing and challenging market conditions. The studies have included a tourism accommodation audit update, a review of the wider tourism product offering, and identification of potential opportunities in the tourism sector. We have now reached a point when we would like to ‘report back’ some of the findings and conclusions to you and other potentially interested parties. To this end SE are staging a presentation by Sandy Steven, Director of TRC, covering some of the key findings and opportunities in tourism accommodation and other sectors in Deeside and Strathdon.

If you are interested in attending this one-off free event please contact Iain Macfarlane at TRC before 5.00pm Thursday 25th March 2010.

6. Aviemore Trade Show 2010 25/27 April 2010 Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort

There is funding available towards travel costs to the show. Buyers coming from the Highlands and Islands should take a look at http://www.hi-arts.co.uk/Crafts/go-and-see-visits.htm as they may qualify for assistance.

Those outwith H&I might be worth contacting their local Business Gateway for advice, as funding may also be available in other regions.

For more details on the show contact info@aviemoretradeshow.co.uk or visit www.aviemoretradeshow.co.uk

7. 2010 Rates Revaluation

New rateable values will come into effect on 1 April 2010 as part of a statutory five year cycle of revaluations. Draft proposed values for properties in Scotland are now available on the Scottish Assessors Association website www.saa.gov.uk and can be checked by using the rateable value search facility. The Scottish Government has announced its rates relief packages and rates poundage which, together with your rateable value, will allow you to estimate your rates payable for financial year 2010/11.

Further information is available on the Scottish Government website www.scotland.gov.uk/revaluation

8. Commonwealth Games Business Portal Roadshow - 24 March 2010, 12 Noon - 2.00pm – MacDonald Aviemore Highland Resort - FREE

Delivering the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games will require the procurement of goods, works and services of all types and value from an enormous range of companies. The Commonwealth Games Business Portal is a free service for both buyers and suppliers of goods, services and infrastructure related to the Games. The Portal provides businesses of all sizes with the opportunity to find out about and compete for Games related contracts.

BusinessClub Scotland is working in partnership with the business organisations, including SCDI, to officially launch the Portal in the Highlands on Wednesday 24 March at the Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort (Peregrine Suite), joined by David Brown, Procurement Manager of Glasgow 2014 Ltd, who will discuss the economic opportunities the Games will bring to Scotland.

Places are limited and restricted to one per organisation. To book please email events@businessclubscotland.co.uk giving name/position/company/email address. As events are being held around Scotland, please specify the Aviemore event when booking.

Should any guests require accommodation at the Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort there is a special rate of £50 B&B, please contact Debbie Moir on debbie.moir@macdonald-hotels.co.uk to arrange.

9. Cairngorms Wildlife Recording Forum 2010 – 17 April 2010 – Boat of Garten Community Hall - FREE

You are invited to attend the first ever Cairngorms Wildlife Recording Forum which is taking place on Saturday 17th April at the Boat of Garten Community Hall.

Attached is a programme and booking form. The event is free to attend but booking required for catering purposes. Please state any dietary requests.

It should be a very enjoyable day with a great mix of varied presentations and a chance for everyone to meet up hopefully stimulating increased wildlife recording throughout the National Park. Please return the attached flyer as soon as possible and no later than the end of March.

If you know would like any further information please contact Dr Annie Robinson, NESBReC Project Officer (Part-time - Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday), North East Scotland Biological Records Centre (NESBReC)

Tel: 01224 273633 email: Annie.Robinson@aberdeenshire.gov.uk web: http://www.nesbrec.org.uk

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Chamber Members’ Benefits

If you need any help, a login or password, contact admin1@cairngormschamber.com or call 01479 780 539.

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Please pass our e-newsletter on to your employees and business colleagues.

If you would like to be added to our circulation, please e-mail info@cairngormschamber.com

Comments and input to our E-newsletter is always welcome, simply email the Chamber office on admin1@cairngormschamber.com by the 12th or 28th of the month.

T: 01479 780539 E: admin1@cairngormschamber.com W: www.cairngormschamber.com

Registered in Scotland: 187466 V.A.T. Registration No: 895 3146 91 Admin Office: Office 1, Inverdruie House, Inverdruie, Aviemore PH22 1QH Registered Office: Inverdruie House, Inverdruie, Aviemore PH22 1QH

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Cairngorms Chamber of Commerce Ltd

Cairngorm Hotel, Aviemore

Business Event Booking Form

Date: Wednesday, 7 April 2010

Lunch: 12pm for 12.30pm

Cost: £8.23 members, £11.75 non-members

Venue: Cairngorm Hotel, Aviemore

Payment should be made in advance of the lunch.

Cancellations must be advised no later than close of business Friday, 2 April 2010, as the Chamber will be charged for any non-attendees and will reclaim the cost from the delegate.

Please reserve place(s) as outlined below:

Price: £8.23 per place for CCC, CC, CH, DMO members, £11.75 for non-members.

Includes VAT at 17.5%.

Payment made by:

(Please advise whether you have paid by cheque, BACS, or PayPal)

Number of Places for lunch:

Name(s):

Name of Business:

E-mail Address:

Any special dietary requirements (e.g. vegetarian, gluten free):

Lunch can be paid either by Debit or Credit Card, Pay Pal, BACS, Cheque or Cash

CCC Lunch – Member £8.23 including VAT