The Autumn 2024 edition of our Portsmouth Business Leaders Forum took place last Wednesday 6th November.
We had a packed agenda. New Shaping Partners; Portsmouth Water and Millstream Productions, who have actually been with us since before the Spring PBLF, finally got to introduce themselves on stage. They’ve both been very active in the partnership and we count ourselves lucky to have them on board.
CEO Dave Humphries gave an update on current Shaping programmes and projects. A new event to note is the Prostate Cancer PSA test event we are putting on in partnership with the Graham Fulford Charitable Trust on Tuesday 19th November. Further details can be found here, or by email to info@shapingportsmouth.co.uk
Marc Lintern and Jane Howe from our partner; The University of Portsmouth, took to the stage to talk us through both how the University can aid and support businesses, more information on which can be found here, and their Careers Readiness Experience Days (CRED) taking place from the 10th to 13th February 2025. They also highlighted the difficulty students face in remaining in their city of study after graduation. The UOP careers team needs volunteers for practice interviews on these dates and as well as readying students for the process of getting a job the CRED days are a chance for businesses to meet potential hires. Volunteers will also get lunch so if you’re interested in getting involved, please contact jane.howe@port.ac.uk.
Our new Armed Forces Community Leads, Kate Mizon and Andy Moss gave us a great run-through of their vision for the revamped Armed Forces Community programme. We’re lucky to have such passionate people driving the programme to new levels. Kate and Andy demonstrated precisely how the name change from Armed Forces Covenant to Armed Forces Community will be realised in wider actions which will positively impact Portsmouth’s ex-service personnel and now significantly their families and dependents, who are as much a part of the Armed Forces Community, whilst showing us the key role the Covenant still must play. They also focused on dispelling the common perceptions of what a veteran looks like to the wider community, some of the very different journeys vets can take after leaving the services and the benefits to a business of employing veterans.
Ian Millen at Veterans Outreach Support (VOS) also joined us with an impassioned piece on how we can support ex-service personnel in their careers and a focus on how VOS provides support through welfare, mental health wellbeing and creating and national networks of support.
It was great to see six Shaping Partners signing up to the Armed Forces Covenant during the event and many attendees took time out to mention to our team how much they’d learned from the launch presentation. A big thanks to everyone involved but especially Kate and Andy.
If your business is interested in signing up to the Armed Forces Covenant or want more information on our AFC programme please visit our website or contact info@shapingportsmouth.co.uk
Veteran’s Outreach Support can be found at vosuk.org
After a lively Networking Break we were joined by Phil Carr from Forseti Training, who provides emergency training and equipment from their Fareham base. Phil presented his new Guardian Response Incident Packs (GRIP Kits). These are born out of a need to provide kits to deal with incidents that result in trauma bleeds, that standard first aid kits aren’t equipped to deal with. This is in preparation for the Martyn’s Law Bill likely to become law in the early part of next year. 7 kits are already due to be distributed in key locations across the city.
PBLF closed with an update from Portsmouth City Council.
Jane Lamer (Head of Economic Development and Skills) took us through some current metrics regarding the city’s economic health, aspirations and Portsmouth’s aim of a Carbon Neutral City by 2030.
Cllr Steve Pitt (Council Leader) focused on an update on the success of the City’s new Business Enterprise Centres with the opening of the City Buildings Centre and its anchor tenant Citrus Facilities Management, who are the latest edition to Shaping’s Patronship. Steve highlighted the collaborative business ecosystems the centres are creating and has high hopes for them going forward. He also reminded us that Christmas in Portsmouth officially starts on November 21st with the switching on of the Christmas Lights.
Lastly, we welcome Natalie Brahma-Pearl (PCC CEO), who reflected on her first 13 months in the job. The complexities of the Tipner West project in terms of the ecological challenges and the way Tipner fits into the wider sea wall defence scheme. Natalie also reminded us that our local authority is in an increasingly unique situation, where, despite challenges in budgeting, they are not in a position that a section 114 is looming, as so many councils currently are.
A big thanks to everyone who attended, presented and to our hosts: Lakeside at their fantastic Auditorium. The Auditorium is one of the best event spaces you’ll find in Portsmouth and can hold 90 people in cabaret style seating (with further spill over theatre seating if you need it) or 250 in full theatre seating, with an up to date high quality AV suit and a lovely breakout area for networking and refreshments. The team there are brilliant and would be happy to help you book your event. More info can be found here.
In closing Shaping Portsmouth would like to echo PCC’s closing remarks regarding a appeal for Charity Board Trustees. The city is in desperate need Trustees. If any business has someone (perhaps an aspiring company board member) who would be willing to give a small amount of their time four times a year then please let us know. More information about trustee recruitment can be found here.
The shaping team really enjoyed this round of the PBLF and a big thanks again to everyone who attended. Please join us for our next event, The Shaping Portsmouth Annual Conference, taking place on Friday 17th Jan at Portsmouth Guildhall. Tickets and info are available here.
