As charitable organisations within the Chamber of Commerce membership, our team recognises the unique support and services charities may need from us to help them in the current climate of the credit crunch.

To this end, we are enhancing our membership package for charitable organisations which will provide real value for money and an opportunity for them to better engage with our membership, and also with other charities within the Merseyside region.

New services available as part of this enhanced membership package include:

1.One free week of editorial in the Chamber e-newsletter per year
The opportunity to feature editorial in a charity news section in the bi-monthly Chamber magazine
2.Access to our Chamber Legal, HR, Health and Safety and Risk Insurance services.
3.Access to Liverpool Tenders for procurement needs
4.Invitation to a Quarterly Networking event for Charities
5.Free places at a Chamber Members’ Meeting
6.A feature and web link on the ‘Chamber Charities’ page on the Chamber website with links to the company websiteÂ
7.Nominated Charity of the Year

For further information please contact the membership department at membership@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

The Merseyside Young Professionals Annual Ball will take place at 7.00pm on Friday 3rd October, at Liverpool’s BT Convention Centre. The theme this year is Venetian Masquerade, and promises to be a night to remember.

This year’s ball is in aid of Zoe’s Place, a hospice based in Liverpool and London which provides palliative respite and terminal care for children up to the age of 5 years, with complex and life-limiting illnesses.

Tickets are £49.50 each or £495 for 10. To support the fantastic work of Zoe’s place, and with the added bonus of a spectacular night out, contact Karen_Fletcher@bankofscotland.co.uk for tickets, or visit www.myp.org.uk for more information.

The International Trade Centre at Liverpool Chamber of Commerce can help support businesses in Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton St Helens and Wirral to go global. In addition to its team of market specialists it now has the funding to help local businesses research and visit potential new markets, as well as preparing them to trade internationally.

The Trade Overseas grant can support eligible small and medium size Merseyside enterprises at a rate of 35% up to a total of £10,000 to facilitate international business activities, and can also part-fund a whole range of costs including translation and interpretation, economy flights and in-country travel, and the shipping of exhibition equipment.

In the past the Trade Overseas grant has helped a number of businesses to gain access to international markets they might not otherwise have been able to access. Aqua Running Ltd is one such business. After receiving funding from Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, Aqua Running were able to pursue a campaign to market their complete training system to Dubai Sports City, a contract which could be worth around £4 billion.

Former Liverpool midfielder Terry Nelson, Aqua Running’s founder, said “Without the help from Liverpool Chamber of Commerce we couldn’t have gone to Dubai to hold the meetings with Dubai Sports City. The funding was a great help in getting us on the way to secure a contract.”

For more information, or to apply for the grant, contact Alison Fisher at Alison.Fisher@liverpoolchamber.org.uk