News
26 May 2011
OBE for Cornwall Business Partnership Chairman
Thelma Sorensen, Chairman of the Cornwall Business Partnership, on the occasion of attending the Investiture at Buckingham Palace , where she was presented with the OBE by Prince Charles. The honour was awarded in recognition of her services to economic regeneration in Cornwall. Thelma said that she was completely overwhelmed at being awarded the OBE and that it had been an absolute privilege to work with so many partners in Cornwall in the area of economic regeneration where her own personal ambition was to help create quality, well paid jobs for the working people in the County
14th October 2010
Congratulations to CBP member Michael Beadel on his recent academic achievement
South West lawyer recognised with top academic accolade
A lawyer working for South West legal firm Stephens Scown has been recognised by King's College London with a top academic accolade in construction law.
Michael Beadel, a partner in the Cornwall Commercial Property Team, has successfully completed the first year of his two year MSc in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution.
He has been awarded the Bickerdike Allen Prize, as the best performing student in his year following the summer examinations.
The course is run within the university by The Centre for Construction Law and Dispute Resolution, which is internationally renowned and attended by construction professionals around the world including architects, surveyors, project managers, civil engineers, solicitors and barristers.
The award is presented at the annual dinner of the Society of Construction Law at the National Liberal Club in London in the autumn.
Commenting on the award, Michael said: "I'm absolutely delighted to be recognised in this way. Having not sat exams for some time, this is a fantastic personal achievement and one of which I am immensely proud. I have specialised in property development over the last 25 years and have become more involved in construction contracts during the course of my work.
"I want to develop my expertise in this area and working with colleagues at Stephens Scown experienced in alternative dispute resolution and litigation, specialist planning and environmental law, it means we're able to offer a more comprehensive package to all our clients."
Michael acts for national, regional and local developers and specialises in the house building sector. He also works within the firm's Corporate Team handling business sales and acquisitions.
CBP Breakfast Briefing proved a popular and informative event
The CBP were delighted to host an extremely well attended Business Breakfast as part of the discussion begun by the Coalition Government which has invited representatives from local authorities and businesses to come together to consider how they may, together, form Local Enterprise Partnerships.
The great interest of the Business Community in this issue was demonstrated by the fact that the event was oversubscribed by an attendance of well over 80 delegates at the newly opened Pool Innovation Centre.
The proceedings began with a welcome from the CBP Chairman, Thelma Sorensen OBE who introduced Carleen Kelemen, Director of the Convergence Partnership Office as MC.
The presentations of Kevin Lavery, the Chief Executive of Cornwall Council and Richard Bayly, Deputy Regional Director for Economy, Growth and Regeneration for the Government Office of the South West, were well received and gave the delegates food for thought about the way forward.
An additional overview of the position of Cornwall Council was given by its Leader, Councillor Alec Robertson.
Contributions, in the form of what businesses in Cornwall consider as priorities for economic growth and what they would be looking for from an LEP, were delivered by a well informed panel consisting of Catherine Mead, Chairman Cornwall Agri Food Council and Director of Cornish Yarg, Mike Reynolds, Ports Operational Director A& P Falmouth, Martin Saint, General Manager of Cornwall Glass and Glazing Ltd and Simon Tregonning, Managing Director of Classic Cottages and Chairman of Visit Cornwall.
There was an understanding that, given our unique position in terms of the Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, followed by the Convergence Programme, Cornwall has a well recognised record of bringing the private and public sectors together to deliver meaningful change.
The message that came through very clearly from the event was that the Business Community in Cornwall has a very real appetite to be thoroughly involved in the development of a LEP for Cornwall.
Delegates were also mindful of the needs of the wider South West and the need to maintain good links with whatever LEPs are created in the Region to allow Cornwall to directly influence the national government on those issues that affect us all.
The CBP wishes to take this opportunity to thank all those at the Pool Innovation Centre and the Camborne, Pool, Redruth Regeneration Company for making that excellent facility available to us and for the administrative support that helped to ensure that the event was such a success. A special word of thanks in this context goes to Chantelle Roberts of CPR Regeneration.
Note: The proposal for a Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Economic Partnership has been drafted and will be submitted to the Coalition Government by the 6th September. It is anticipated that the Government will issue a White Paper shortly which will be followed in the Autumn by draft legislation.
CBP members David Handley, Pump International Ltd, Tim Light, King Harry Ferry and Alan Jordan, Cornwall Marine Network with, in the background, Shaun Galloway, Financial Director, Ginsters Ltd.
Delegates having an opportunity to network in the Atrium at the Pool Innovation Centre.
29th July 2010
Cornwall Business Partnership Business Breakfast - The CBP Contribution To The Coalition Government Proposal For Local Enterprise Partnerships Debate
Venue Pool Innovation Centre 8:00am - 10:00am
PROGRAMME
0745 Registration
0800 Breakfast
0825 Welcome by Master of Ceremonies,
Carleen Kelemen, Vice Chairman, Devon and Cornwall Institute of Directors
0830 Introduction by Thelma Sorensen OBE, Chairman, Cornwall Business Partnership
0835 The Coalition Government Landscape for Business by Richard Bayly, GOSW
0850 The latest position on LEPs (Cornwall Council)
by Kevin Lavery, Chief Executive, Cornwall Council
0910 Q&A session -
Panel - Councillor Alec Robertson, Leader, Cornwall Council
Catherine Mead, Chairman, Cornwall Agri-Food Council, Director
Mike Reynolds, A&P Falmouth, Port Operations Director
Martin Saint, General Manager, Cornwall Glass and Glazing
Simon Tregonning, Chairman, Visit Cornwall Partnership
0950 Summary & Next Steps, Carleen Kelemen
1000 Close
7th July 2010
The CBP has a place at the PM's table
During his recent visit to Cornwall, the Prime Minister met with civic and business leaders from across the county to discuss the future for Cornwall. Chairman, Thelma Sorensen OBE attended on behalf of the CBP. Two other members of the CBP were also in attendance, Lorrie Eathorne-Gibbons, Chairman of the Cornwall region of the Federation of Small Businesses and Carleen Kelemen, Director of the Convergence Partnership Office and Vice-Chairman, Devon and Cornwall, of the Institute of Directors. Thelma, who had the privilege of sitting next to the Prime Minister on the day, said she had felt that the Prime Minister had been very much in the listening mode and had taken on board the concerns and ambitions for Cornwall which had been expressed by those present.
16th May 2010
Pool Innovation Centre
As you can see from the picture, the Pool Innovation Centre (PIC) is now completed. This extremely exciting ERDF Convergence and South West RDA project is, to quote its web-site, “a high quality office building incorporating state of the art ICT and environmental technologies. It is designed to encourage interaction between businesses with a large atrium at its core for formal meetings and conference facilities”.
PIC will be managed by the University of Plymouth in association with Tamar Science Park. It offers new and growing businesses serviced and supported physical accommodation of between 25-90 m2 generally for a fixed three-year period. For those who do not yet have the need for physical premises, the PIC will offer virtual concierge services, handling mail, electronic communications and telephone services for people with home offices or those who operate remotely.
PIC provides a very high benchmark in terms of the quality of building which will be delivered in the Camborne, Pool and Redruth area and will be the first of three such centres in Cornwall with Innovation Centres at Tremough and Treliske to follow. See further information here: http://www.cprregeneration.co.uk/what-we-do/business-development/omega.htm
12th April 2010
Cornwall Business Partnership meets with Head of Economic Development at Cornwall Council and acting Chief Executive Office of Cornwall Development Company.
Sandra Rothwell, Head of Economic Development at Cornwall Council addressed the April meeting of the Cornwall Business Partnership (CBP). Sandra gave an update on the current work being undertaken by her team.
Colin Jarvis, Acting CEO of Cornwall Development Company, (CDC) explained the changes that were continuing apace at the company. He also reported on the integration of the Camborne, Pool and Redruth, (CPR) Regeneration team into the CDC on 1 April 2010.
31st March 2010
Chairman attends the official opening of the Augusta-Westland Operational Training Centre at Newquay Cornwall Airport.
From left to right: Cllr Patrick Lambshead, John Ponsonby (Senior Vice President – Training, AgustaWestland), Al Titterington (Newquay Airport), Carleen Kelemen (Convergence Partnership Office), Cllr Carolyn Rule, Cllr John Fitter (Newquay Town Mayor), Theo Leijser (South West RDA),Graham Cole (Managing Director, AgustaWestland), John Larke (Cornwall Council), Thelma Sorenson (Cornwall Business Partnership)
This new venture will see a staff of 30 highly skilled pilots and technicians employed to provide specialist training such as search and rescue techniques and policing skills for up to 50 pilots per year. This initiative, worth more than £1 million, has received considerable funding from ERDF, the European Regional Development Fund of the Convergence Programme.
The CBP sees this as an excellent example of the sort of business which will deliver the well paid, highly skilled jobs we want to see developed in Cornwall. It also highlights the commercial benefits which can be attracted to such a superb facility as Newquay Cornwall Airport.