Bradford Chamber of Commerce President on Covid impact

When I became president of Bradford Chamber in July 2019, I was focussed on providing additional support and guidance to other micro and SME business owners. At our annual dinner at the Midland Hotel that November, I spoke to 200 guests about what I saw as a confident, diverse and evolving Bradford. Less than three months later, we encountered one of the biggest global challenges of our lifetime.

Now, 12 months into living and working through the Covid-19 pandemic, we may be bruised, but the business confidence we felt in 2019 provided a foundation to help us evolve at pace in ways we couldn’t have imagined. Many manufacturers pivoted operations and moved swiftly from products which suddenly weren’t needed to those there was huge demand for such as PPE, hand sanitisers and disinfectants. And it was our district which saw the manufacture and launch of new innovations such as ultra clean air systems for healthcare, businesses and schools. At the Chamber we worked in partnership with manufacturers to assist safe business continuity which involved arranging lateral flow kits for testing teams onsite, before the national scheme was announced.

Businesses have taken a hit on sales and orders and those trading internationally with Brexit uncertainties have faced a double-whammy of challenges. At the same time as facing declining finances, businesses had to invest to continue trading, from updating and purchasing IT equipment for homeworking to installing Covid-secure working conditions.

The retail, leisure and hospitality sector has been inspirational in its evolution. Investments in outdoor seating areas, digital menus, online staff training and an incredible movement of food donations to NHS workers, school meals to children at home and families in need, all demonstrating the selflessness of Bradford’s businesses in adversity.

The Chamber has offered advice on funding and grants and our business toolkit and Covid updates have made advice accessible throughout the pandemic. We’ve seen an increase in communication between members while digital learning and networking means business owners and teams from all sectors can join our online networking, seminars, training and meetings. Looking ahead, many members are planning a future with blended face-to-face and digital working. While home working is not for every business or individual, it is certainly more recognised for the benefits it can bring.

Understandably there are concerns about the impact on our city centres and high streets of fewer people in offices. But the progression of food-to-go offerings, takeaways and food delivery by retailers and venues of all sizes shows again how new ways of working are creating a shift from simply surviving to prospering. Our latest Chamber Quarterly Economic Survey shows some businesses are preparing for recovery and making plans involving recruitment and investment.

I feel I’ve travelled a decade since I was appointed President in 2019 - as a business owner and a representative of our district’s business community. But what the pandemic has demonstrated is just how agile and collaborative we as a district are. I believe we are still a confident, diverse Bradford, and we’ve proven like never before, that we are an evolving Bradford.