Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce named best in UK

Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce has been named the best in UK.

The accolade came at the Chamber Business Awards 2017 in London, one of the showpiece events in the business calendar, highlighting the role of business in delivering growth and prosperity for the UK and local communities.

The Greater Manchester team impressed judges with the chamber’s membership growth of 11 per cent over the last three years, through support for local firms and those further afield, by working with other chambers in the region to share best practice and offering a wider range of member services.

The judges were also impressed by the Chamber’s work in the area of skills development, including brokering over 1000 apprenticeships, and having helped secure over £9 million in funding for skills and employment programmes.

The Greater Manchester Chamber  – the biggest in the UK since the merger in 2004 of the Manchester, North Manchester, Stockport and Wigan chambers – has 4,800 members spanning every size and sector of business in Greater Manchester.

Its focus over the last few years has been around how it can deliver top class service and products to member companies so they can grow and develop their businesses, helping the local economy by having more local people employed and attracting new investment.

“To be recognised and acknowledged as being the best at what you do is always a great achievement,” said marketing and campaigns director Chris Fletcher, “and to be awarded Chamber of the Year 2017/18  – independently judged to be the best in the UK from the national network of 52 accredited chambers –  is an outstanding result that reflects not just on the great staff at the Chamber but also on our fantastic members, partners and everyone connected with what we do.

“To have been able to accept the award on the evening with colleagues meant a great deal and we will be making sure that our members share in this success by taking full advantage of our award winning services so that they get even more value from their membership of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.

“This isn’t about any one individual or business but is a genuine team effort  – from a brand new business that has just joined right though to our outstanding team of staff. Everyone has had their part to play and it’s not just a great accolade for the Chamber but for the city as well.”

Greater Manchester Chamber wasn’t the only local winner at the awards, now in their 14th year. Member company Manchester and Cheshire Construction won the Commitment to People Development award and fellow chamber member Stockport Homes won the Excellence in Customer Service award.