Chat from the Chair – You said, we did
Member Feedback & AGM Actions
Back in May, we had our AGM. As always, our AGM was not stuffy, and we took the time to have a quiz to recognise the achievements of the last year, and we asked you what you wanted to see in the next year. Most people were very happy with what we do and the way we do it. That is always great to hear. There were a few suggestions and ideas that members present gave us. We thought we would list them here and let you know which ones we have taken on board and what the plan is with them.
We did
| You said | We did |
| It would be good to recognise those that speak at breakfast and coffee in 30/60 second introductions to have a round of applause. | We love this idea, and we put it into action straight away. We have been doing it at breakfast and coffee. We hope you find the new addition encouraging. |
| Can we develop Chamber Chat to engage members more? | After the AGM, we set up a new group on WhatsApp as Facebook seemed to be a space where people were not always on. The engagement since then has been so much higher. People have shared good news, asked for help and supported one another. If you are a member and have not signed up from the link Keely sent, then please contact [email protected] or speak to a committee member at one of the networking events, and we will sign you up. |
| Can we, as members, have a way to invite people that makes it really appealing? | We give our ‘Free Coffee Vouchers for your first meeting’ at our exhibitions as a way to encourage people to meet us and see how lovely we are. We are going to widen this so that Members can invite guests for their first coffee morning to attend for free. Sarah will distribute existing vouchers at the next coffee morning so that members have these to invite people along. All of this widens our network with the more visitors we have. |
There are some things that we discussed as a committee that we won’t be taking forward at this time. It doesn’t mean we won’t forever, but at this time, with our changes in the committee, we don’t have the capacity.
We didn’t do
| You said | We didn’t do |
| Can we have a networking lunch? | Lunch is great but takes more organising. We felt that there are other networking events that do lunch and we are at capacity with our current networking events. |
| Can we have an informal social event? | Again, another lovely idea, but there are some informal social events linked to the Chamber that we felt it was better to signpost. We also don’t have the capacity to organise more events at this time. We recommend the Netwalk organised by Jo Moss and Alan Ridealgh on Friday lunchtimes. We also recommend the social events at the Humber Doucy Tap Room. They also run quiz nights which can be a great way to get to know people. Maybe some of you could form a Stow Chamber Quiz team for it. Let Keely or Anji know if you are interested in that. |
| Can we have a later start for breakfasts, e.g. 7.45 am? | We understand this. If you travel further, starting at 7.15 can feel early. We reviewed it and felt, at the moment, to stick to this time as it means we are all finished by 9 am, and people can get off to appointments and work without eating too much into the day. |
Breakfast Change
I want to take this opportunity to thank our VA, Naomi Daglish, who did a great job of helping us rearrange our breakfast venue. We heard at short notice that The Mix was closing Cabbages & Kings Café, who do our breakfasts, due to sudden staffing issues. We have loved being there, so this was a shame. Naomi responded professionally and researched new venues, liaised with options and landed us a great breakfast at The Angel at Needham Community Centre. My thanks to the committee for their professional response in reviewing Naomi’s options and working with one accord. A great team.
Our thanks to Marc at The Angel for being so accommodating and for his lovely breakfast. The feedback from attendees was great. It is likely that we will not be back at The Mix for at least 3 months whilst they decide on their next steps. We are considering our venues for the next 3 months and will update you soon.
For the Future
I’m always happy to receive any suggestions for what members want to see the Chamber doing in the future. Please send your ideas (and your wish lists) to [email protected]
Dates for your diary:
Please check the website in case of any last-minute changes.
| Coffee Morning | Breakfast Networking |
| Green Wolf Cafe Green Road, Bury St. Edmunds IP30 9RG |
Feast Cafe at The Food Museum Iliffe Way, Stowmarket IP14 1SL |
| Friday, 7 August 2026 | Friday, 21 August 2026 |
| 10:00 am to 12:00 pm | 7:15 am to 9:00 am |
For more information, contact Keely Taylor by email: [email protected].
