Welcome to the last Grapevine of 2024! This December edition is a fantastic collection of celebrations as we share so many great news stories and insights from our Member community. It’s fantastic to be able to end the year shouting about the wonderful achievements of so many Essex based businesses, especially considering the current uncertainties Read More

London Southend Airport is set to increase engagement with local travel agents by appointing its first Trade and Events Manager, starting January 2025.    Sarah Martin, currently Branch Manager at Hays Travel Southend, started her career with First Choice/Intatravel in 1996. Since then, she Read More

The festive season is often seen as a time to wind down, but for businesses, Christmas can present a unique opportunity to make strategic hires. While it may seem counterintuitive to expand your team during the holiday season, there are several compelling reasons why Christmas is an ideal time to bring Read More

Nicola Healy and Anjnee Gorecha have joined Ellisons’ Private Client team in Chelmsford due to client demand. Nicola, who joins as a Legal Director, has over 15 years of experience and specialises in estate and tax planning, including wills and trusts tailored for business owners, Lasting Powers Read More

Nearly 300 local businesses gathered at London Stansted’s latest Meet the Buyers event looking to secure contracts linked to the airport's £1.1 billion transformation project. Now in its 23rd year, the event brought together businesses Read More

Christmas is a time to celebrate for many people – but it can be a challenge for separated parents and their children. Deciding where your child will spend the Christmas period can be difficult, and you may need some support in coming to an agreement if this results in a dispute. It’s Read More

Forth Ports Limited, the UK’s third largest ports group, has appointed Stuart MacGregor as Chief Financial Officer and as a member of the Group’s main board. Stuart brings a wealth of expertise to the role, with a career spanning over 30 years in the international drinks and UK house building Read More

USP College has made investments in cutting-edge technology and resources to ensure students gain the skills they need for successful career progression. On Friday 29 November, USP College officially opened its highly anticipated Immersive Theatre, Read More

Essex law firm Birkett Long is delighted to announce Tim Field’s appointment as the new Head of Commercial. In this pivotal role, Tim will oversee the firm’s distinguished Intellectual Property, Education, Employment, Business, and Regulatory Teams, each vital to Birkett Long’s comprehensive Read More

TCTC’s Commercial Director, Jackie, explains how when the business took on the challenge of achieving B Corp accreditation, she plunged into peeling away the layers to expose the structure and functions of the business.  At the beginning of the process, it made us realise how many positive Read More

A conservation steering group has been set up to share knowledge and best practice about one of the UK’s rarest butterflies. Essex & Suffolk Water has joined Essex Wildlife Trust, Butterfly Conservation and other partners, for the benefit of the Heath Fritillary Butterfly, one of the UK’s Read More

The containership Elenoire, operated by the Mediterranean Shipping Company, has become the deepest draught vessel to call at a UK port with a draught of 17.1 metres. Arriving from the Tanjung Pelapas, Malaysia it reached the Port of Felixstowe under the Read More

On 29 October 2024 Pickering Group Limited completed the acquisition of 100% of the share capital of Mumford Engineering Limited. Scrutton Bland, part of the Sumer Group, acted as lead advisers to the Pickering Board during the transaction.  Mumford Read More

We are thrilled to announce that Zest Recycle has been named Best Resource Management Business of the Year at the prestigious Waste2Zero Awards 2024! This incredible achievement highlights our unwavering commitment to sustainable waste management, innovation, Read More

As global trade continues to grow in complexity, customs audits have become a critical component of maintaining compliance with international trade regulations. In the UK, businesses engaged in importing and exporting goods must be prepared to face a customs audit at any time. Understanding what these Read More

We look after the mental wellbeing of people in a 120-mile boundary from Braintree to Clacton and Maldon to Chelmsford, with the A120 road passing through. 120 minutes is the recommended time each week we should move and also the recommended time to spend outside in nature. 120 means a lot to us - so join us for the 120 Challenge! When is Read More

Business fraud is simply the intent or the act of misrepresentation – scammers lying about themselves or their actions and services – to cause a gain or loss. With limited resources and in tough economic conditions, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) tend to think more about innovation, growth and survival rather than due diligence, Read More

Train operator for the East of England, Greater Anglia, has scooped the Digital & Technology Idea of the Year award at the ideasUK conference for its innovative Live Alternative Route Map tool. The awards were hosted last month by ideasUK, and acknowledge Read More

This Christmas, Beckchoice, a UK-based freight forwarding company, hosted a festive art competition that brought a unique twist to the holiday season—combining creativity with the world of freight forwarding. Beckchoice invited students from a local primary school to take part in designing Christmas cards featuring various freight transport Read More

This year W & H Marriage & Sons proudly celebrate two centuries of milling quality flour in Chelmsford, Essex. Marriage’s was founded in Broomfield in 1824 by twin brothers William and Henry Marriage. Coming from a family of farmers and millers dating back to the early 1700s, they Read More

Colchester Institute was delighted to welcome Jonathon Cuthbertson, Essex County Council’s Head of Skills and Employability, to help launch the new 300m² Net Zero and Renewables Centre at the Colchester Campus.   The College’s £500k investment project, largely enabled by Read More

On Wednesday 11th of December 2024, Old Park Meadow hosted their annual Name a Star memorial event where families and friends came together to remember their loved ones. The event was well attended, and there was a lovely atmosphere as everyone decorated their stars and took time to stop and reflect. Through money raised from the sale of refreshments, Read More

BASICS Essex, an Essex-wide emergency medical charity is seeking local business support after joining as a member of the Essex Chambers of Commerce.   The charity, which consists of 25 volunteer clinicians, provides pre-hospital critical care across Read More

Increasing natural green infrastructure and restoring nature across the county is a key priority for Essex County Council. As part of the Council’s ongoing commitment towards protecting the future of our green spaces, the organisation continues to work in collaboration with the Essex Wildlife Trust Read More

Freeport East and Greencrowd Partnership LLP have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to foster sustainable innovation and support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to access capital for growth. This collaboration will leverage the Greencrowd Read More

Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) is spreading festive cheer across the UK while reminding everyone that Santa isn’t the only one flying this holiday season. Thanks to the generous support of partner Woodland Group, an international supply chain company, EHAAT’s festive message is travelling Read More

Roger Hirst, the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, is pleased to announce the reopening of the Community Safety Development Fund (CSDF). This fund aims to support local communities and voluntary and community safety groups in their efforts Read More

Local rail operator Trenitalia c2c is proud to be supporting Southend-based homeless charity, HARP, this festive season by hosting donation and fundraising events across the network. HARP Southend provides support to homeless people across the city, helping those affected by ensuring they have housing, Read More