The Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce is the voice of Island Business and was established on the Isle of Wight by Island businesses in 1910 and is now considered to be one of the most progressive Chambers of Commerce in the UK.
The Chamber exists to support Island businesses to start up, develop and grow for the benefit of the Isle of Wight and its economy.
In recent years the Island’s Chamber has seen a number of changes leading to closer working relations with key strategic partners on the Island including and in particular the Local Authority, the Local Strategic Partnership, the Economic Partnership and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).
The development in particular of the Eco Island strategy fits very much in line with the Chambers own views on sustainable economic and environmental development for the Isle of Wight and it very much supports the ‘key priorities’ that are currently being developed which are:
We would further add that sharing in increased wealth creation is also very important for the Islands community. This is where the IW Chamber can support the IW Council and partners to assist and deliver added value to the Isle of Wight and its economy and the Eco-island development plans.
The support that the Chamber provides is reinforced by the current work and activity of the Chamber which is the umbrella organisation under which we deliver a range of projects and activities.
The Chamber through its business network provides a clear ‘voice’ for all sectors of Island business to influence and provides for a robust framework to shape and grow the islands business base for the benefit of the Island’s wider economy.
The Chamber also works with and alongside many Island Partners to make a difference to the Isle of Wight none more so than its work with the IW Primary Health Care Trust through its work as the Health Business Partnership. Together we are collaborating to provide occupational health advice and guidance for Island businesses to support the health and wellbeing of their work force. A healthy workforce will assist the business make healthy profits which provides for positive benefit to the economy.
We further work with schools and educational establishments through the IW Education Business Partnership which has successfully developed the concept of ‘Young Chamber’ this supports work with 11 to 19 year old students to make sense at an early stage of the world of work whilst also providing a strong student voice to assist in shaping their local communities. This is a unique concept that has now developed to other areas around the UK.
The Chamber through the Isle of Wight Lottery is also unique within the UK as it is only one of only three such Lotteries in the country, creating employment opportunities on the Isle of Wight by generating a loan fund, which can support the start-up, development and growth of local small and medium-sized businesses wishing to create jobs.
All of our activities support and enhance the exciting plans for the Eco-island vision which we very much support and endorse to become
"a world renowned Eco-Island, with a thriving economy and a real sense of pride, where residents and visitors enjoy healthy lives, feel safe and are treated with respect".
And which is
"renowned as the best place to live, work, visit and invest. It will be the ultimate Eco Island; with an established thriving economy, good quality jobs, highly skilled workforce, and a quality of life that is the envy of the world".
The benefits that the IW Chamber is already adding through its existing efforts are: highlighting the importance of the Island business community to all Isle of Wight stakeholders both on and off the island; contributing to a thriving business community through our robust business network and our business sector support initiatives; assisting with increased jobs and employability opportunities; providing positive influence on key decision makers for and on behalf of the Islands business community; providing ongoing support for the Isle of Wight as a first class tourism destination and by linking all of this with all the positive work of our partner organisations assisting in achieving better standards of living through a growing economy for all.
Kevin Smith ,Chief Executive
Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce Tourism & Industry.
The CCTI has a website with more information about its role and work, the website can be found here. www.iwchamber.co.uk
