Is it really worth being a member of the Chamber?

Director of Fundraising for the Martlets Hospice, Robert Griffiths, talks candidly to Jill Woolf, MD of Chimera Communications.

JW:    Great to catch up with you, Robert. Today we’re talking about Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce, so how long has the Martlets been a member?

RG:    It must be about five or six years now. How about you?

JW:    I’m in my fourth year now and membership has certainly been beneficial to my business on a number of levels. Why did your organisation decide to join?

RG:    Well, although we’re a charity, we decided it’d be good for us to join as we run like a business to fund the care we provide and we need to generate the most substantial part of our income from the local community.

As a business, we have many local suppliers and we’re a major employer in Brighton & Hove. We have plenty to learn from local businesses and we’re lucky there’s a very strong business sector as well as a local healthcare sector, and that’s important to us. It’s certainly part of our overall policy to use local suppliers wherever we can and also to network with local companies as much as possible.

JW:    Has membership lived up to your expectations?

RG:    Most certainly. We’ve made a number of very good contacts in the Chamber and engaged suppliers, some regularly and some on an ad hoc basis. We might not have had access to them otherwise. Also it’s another opportunity to tell a different group of people about our organisation and our role within the community.

Chamber members have been very supportive; we’ve had a couple of events at the hospice, which meant members could see our facilities themselves. We’re very happy to be part of the Chamber.

JW:    How does your membership filter through to your staff?

RG:    Primarily it’s a relationship that sits within the Fundraising Department. Actually we’re similar to the Chamber in that we use volunteers to support both our fundraising and other hospice services. The Chamber has quite a large group of volunteers as part of its core way of working but did you know we have around 600 volunteers, who are all part of the local community, working across our hospice activities?

JW:    I had no idea and I’m sure others don’t either! So how does Chamber membership contribute to the Martlets and your clients?

RG:     We’re always interested to listen to others’ stories and share experiences, take knowledge and information and try to put it to good use for the organisation and those we help. For example, the business world increasingly uses social media to network and we need to stay in touch and adapt accordingly, so we’ve learnt a lot from members about how to use social media effectively, which has been very useful.

We’ve seen ups and downs in the economy and it’s good to get an insight into local businesses and how they’re faring as we develop the hospice.

JW:    As you mentioned, you’ve used the services and products of quite a few members. How do you feel Chamber membership contributes to your decisions to use them?

RG:    It’s good to take part and be seen to take part – people notice we take an interest in the local community, business or otherwise, and participation is an example of how to put this into practice. We’re always keen to learn from others and it’s incredibly useful to us that the Chamber facilitates introductions and identifies possible suppliers whom we might not realise offer the services or products we’re looking for.

JW:    As an Ambassador for the Chamber, I’m very happy to help in any way I’m able, for example copywriting or training. You’re one of the Vice-Presidents, which must involve considerable time and involvement. How else do you feel your organisation has contributed to the Chamber and its objectives in return?

RG:    There are a lot of small and medium size companies within the Chamber and we can sometimes bring to them a perspective as a larger employer as well as share experiences – it’s a two-way process, everyone can learn! We’ve also been able to contribute to discussions about social enterprise as our care agency – Martlets Care – was set up as a social enterprise both to provide good quality care services and to raise funds for the hospice.

JW:    What do you think are the main benefits of Chamber membership to you as a charitable organisation?

RG:     We’ve used a number of Chamber members to support our communications work. Any organisation can be inward-looking and we’ve found it’s good to get a fresh external view to help us tell our story to the community. This has helped with, for example, literature and promotional material for patients’ families etc.

I think the Chamber is very good at making networking work and helping to put people at ease. It can sometimes be quite daunting at first when you don’t know anyone but you do quickly get introduced to others, particularly those who might be useful contacts.

There’s a good cross-section in the Chamber and lots of members are starting or developing their businesses so they’ll be the next generation of business leaders in the city.

JW:    I also like the fact that we get a guest list before each event so we can see who might be useful contacts or potential suppliers. Are there any other types of businesses you’d like to see as members?

RG:    Yes, I think larger Brighton businesses should see what the Chamber offers. We should encourage more big businesses to join because they’d bring in another dimension from the business world as well as a different perspective on the city’s issues.

Plus, of course, the more members there are, the stronger will be the Chamber’s voice.

JW:    Talking of thinking big, how do you rate the larger events the Chamber puts on, like the Big Debate and the Summit?

RG:    I find them very thought-provoking and often entertaining. It’s particularly good to have one’s thoughts challenged and also I find them informative about the city. Brighton is so diverse, it’s good to catch up on what else is happening in the city as well as all the different business issues going on.

JW:    So would you say membership is money well spent?

RG:    It’s very good value, definitely. Like anything, the more you put in as a member, the more you get out of it. If there’s an opportunity there, make it work for you. The employed team at the Chamber is small – they’re very hard-working and passionate about what they do. So many members volunteer to help already and the more we can encourage that philosophy with others, the better.

JW:    It’s good to see Julia Chanteray and Sarah Springford frequently quoted in the local papers on behalf of the business community, isn’t it? In that way, the Chamber can lobby on behalf of members.

RG:    Absolutely. When the Chamber speaks, it represents the views of its members.  

JW:    Sometimes people think a Chamber of Commerce will mean lots of people in suits attending boring meetings! We know our Chamber isn’t like that but do you think having a Chamber of Commerce is as relevant today as it was in the past?

RG:    There’s a collective strength in terms of business and the number of people employed and money generated and spend in the city. It’s as relevant today as it was years ago.

However we do have to move with the times and reflect how the business world is changing. The Chamber needs to carry on communicating with members and debating the main issues, that’s vital. And although some of us might wear suits, we’re certainly not boring!

JW:    Robert, it’s been a pleasure as always. Thanks for your time.
RG:    Good to talk to you, Jill, particularly about the Chamber.

If you want to contribute to the Chamber blog, contact us on hannah@brightonchamber.co.uk