Member Article

NECC unveils year of celebration as it hits double century

A year of celebration was officially launched this week as the region’s largest business membership organisation unveiled plans for its 200th anniversary.

The North East Chamber of Commerce announced the plans at its AGM at the Ramside Hall Hotel in Durham to a room filled to capacity with nearly 300 of its members.

The milestone year will be marked by a series of events, exhibitions and even a world record attempt.

NECC president, David Laws, said: “For two centuries our members have stood shoulder to shoulder for the good of the region, developing ground-breaking innovations, and playing key roles in industrial and economic change. NECC has always been at the forefront of this.

“2015 is a landmark year for NECC and we want all of our members to be part of our 200th Anniversary celebrations. We want to stand alongside our businesses and showcase the field-leading work being pioneered here in our region.”

David, who is also chief executive of Newcastle International Airport, was voted in once again for his second year as NECC President with Esh Group’s Brian Manning and Nifco’s Mike Matthews as Vice Presidents.

Details of what NECC has in store for next year will be announced in the coming months, but the celebrations will include a gala dinner at a World Heritage site with very special guests, a touring exhibition of previously unseen items from the NECC Archives, a world record attempt at speed networking, corporate celebratory lunches, continued support of the North East Business and Exporters’ Awards and the NECC200 Anniversary logo projected onto iconic North East landmarks.

NECC chief executive, James Ramsbotham, said: “At NECC we are proud of our region, our members, of what we have achieved over the past 200 years and excited about what we will achieve in the future.

“We have evolved over 200 years and will continue to be there to support our members, whatever the economic climate.

“Our aim is to make 2015 a year to remember. If 2013 was about recovering from recession and 2014 is about building on that growth, we want everyone to make 2015 a year of celebration for North East business. Together we are making our region a success.”

The foundations of what would eventually become the modern NECC were laid in 1815 when the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce was formed shortly before the Battle of Waterloo. A group of businesses realised they were a stronger catalyst for change and progress if they banded together.

Prominent industrialists, entrepreneurs and business people have presided over the smooth running of what was later to expand into the Tyne and Wear Chamber and the Teesside Chamber.

These have included the Caribbean plantation owner John Graham-Clarke, industrialists including Sir Matthew White Ridley, H.W.F. Bolckow and Lord Joicey and Members of Parliament, notably Somerset A. Beaumont, Sir Charles Mark Palmer, Isaac Wilson and Walter Raine.

In 1995 these Chambers along with the Tynedale Chamber decided that a strong united regional voice was the way forward for regional businesses and formed the North East Chamber of Commerce.

NECC now represents around 4,000 businesses, which employ over a third of the region’s workforce. It has more large company members than any other business membership group in the region and is the SME champion, representing all companies across all industries and sectors.

The Chamber is also one of the largest independent training providers in the North East.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by North East Chamber of Commerce .