As we prepare to enter March, the last month of winter, lighter evenings signal that Spring will soon be here. In this edition we bid farewell to February and take a moment to reflect on the incredible month we’ve had together. It maybe the shortest month of the year, but we’ve certainly managed to fit a lot in.
The past few weeks have been filled with exciting events, meaningful activities and noteworthy achievements that have shaped our community. Let’s take a moment to look back at a memorable month for the Chambers.
The Education Landscape – A Guide for Essex Employers
Earlier in the month, our LSIP team were thrilled to launch A Guide for Essex Employers - an extensive resource outlining the benefits and options for businesses to work with education providers and learners.
The Guide describes options for working with schools, colleges and universities, young people and older learners, and the benefits of doing for your business. You can also find out how technical education is changing to better meet your skills needs – including apprenticeships, T-Levels, Supported Internships and Higher Technical Qualifications.
Navigating the education system can be confusing but these simple to use materials have been designed for businesses to get involved in the education system across Essex. They help identify skills and recruitment needs and offer ideas about all the different opportunities businesses can get involved with local providers to help solve them.
Partners of the original national Employers Guide, Gatsby commented on the Essex Guide saying "This is truly excellent - and one of the best examples adaptions we have seen."
Download the Guide for FREE here.
Celebrating Business Success
Our CEO, Denise Rossiter, and Client Relationship Manager, Kim Paxman, attended the Rochford District Council Business Awards 2025 this month. Essex Chambers were proud to sponsor the Employer of the Year Award on the night.
A huge congratulations to all the winners and nominees! It was a fantastic evening celebrating the incredible talent and success of businesses in the area. It was particularly special to present the Employer of the Year Award to our Members Palmers Solicitors —a well-deserved recognition!
Denise and Kim had a wonderful time connecting with Rochford businesses and representatives from Essex County Council, including Deputy Leader Cllr Louise McKinlay.
Evenings like this are proof of how hard work and collaboration enhances our business community. Something truly worth celebrating.
An Evening with the Shrimpers
Denise and Kim also enjoyed a fantastic evening with Members at Roots Hall to watch Southend United take on Aldershot Town.
The Shrimpers put on a great performance to secure the victory, and the hospitality was outstanding. A highlight of the night was meeting the Player of the Match, James Golding.
A huge thank you to David Brereton- Joint Managing Director at Borough Ltd, Iain Palmer – Head of Revenue Protection & Security at c2c, Trevor Bassett – Managing Director at Secure Box Services Ltd, Mark Faraway – Senior Commercial Manager at the Port of Tilbury, Sonia Peirson – Estates Manager at DP World London Gateway, and Rylee Doe – Commercial Manager at Southend United, for such a memorable evening.
Director General of British Chambers of Commerce Visits Essex
On Wednesday, 19 February, Essex Chambers of Commerce CEO Denise Rossiter had the honour of welcoming Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, for a day of visiting member organisations across the county.
The pair travelled around the south of the county visiting esteemed businesses: Borough Ltd, Gerald McDonald & Co Ltd and Ziegler UK. Before attending a dinner in the evening with invited guests to discuss the Domestic Abuse Awareness in the Workplace Now (DAAWN) initiative.
Commenting after the visit, Denise said: “Thank you to Shevaun for taking the time to visit our county and for listening to the concerns of our member community. A big thank you to all the businesses and to everyone who contributed to making this visit a success.”
You can read a full run through of the day on our Latest News.
Behind the Scenes at Penguin Random House Networking
Penguin Random House, renowned for its literary excellence, has a vital distribution centre in Frating, Essex, ensuring every UK book passes through its doors. Recently, Essex our members had the exclusive opportunity to tour this impressive facility.
Nick Brown, Client Relationship Manager, welcomed attendees, emphasizing Penguin’s mission: “We make books for everyone because a book can change anyone.” Neil Springall, Distribution Operations Director, shared insights into the company’s history, including Penguin’s 90-year legacy and the development of the Frating site.
With 140 million books on-site and 85 million distributed annually, the centre is a logistical powerhouse. Attendees marvelled at the vast operation, from towering shelves to skilled forklift operators. The event also provided valuable networking opportunities over a delicious lunch.
A huge thank you to Penguin Random House for an insightful experience. You can read more about this event on our Latest News.
Lisa Collins – Celebrating 2 Years at the Chambers
A huge congratulations to our Operations Director, Lisa Collins, on celebrating two incredible years with the Essex Chambers!
Lisa joined us in 2023 as Executive Assistant to our CEO, Denise Rossiter, and in no time, became an indispensable part of our team. Her responsibilities are endless, yet her calm, can-do attitude keeps everything running smoothly for our Members—while also supporting Denise and the entire team.
In just two years, Lisa has overseen a major office move, is leading the implementation of a new online management system and so much more!
We truly don’t know what we’d do without her! Here’s to many more successful years ahead!
Dates for your Diaries
💻 March Virtual Networking - Wednesday 12 March - FREE for Members
📱 A Guide to Meta Business Suite for Facebook & Instagram Workshop - Thursday 13 March
🛫 Networking with the Radisson Blu Hotel & MAG London Stansted Airport - Tuesday 18 March
🧠 Neurodiversity in the Workplace Webinar - Thursday 20 March - FREE for Members
🚓 Conflict Management Workshop with Essex Police - Wednesday 26 March - FREE for Members
👨🍳 Networking with MasterChef's Anurag Aggarwal - Thursday 3 April
🖥️ April Virtual Networking – Wednesday 16 April – FREE for Members
🚛 Networking Tour with Ziegler UK – Wednesday 30 April
⛳ Chambers Annual Golf Day - Wednesday 25 June
🎪 Festival of Business - Wednesday 5 November
We hope you enjoy this edition with all its Member brilliant content. Would you like to be featured in Grapevine? Then get in touch today.