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Trade
mission secures major business opportunities for the North West
IN October 2004, eight companies from the North West participated in a trade mission to Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic. A number of opportunities identified have opened in exess of £5 million in business opportunities.
The mission was organised by COMIT (the Chambers on Merseyside International Trade Forum) in partnership with The International Trade Centre for Greater Merseyside and the Euro Info Centre North West.
John Hope, International Trade Manager at the International Trade Centre in Liverpool said that:- "For those wishing to establish bilateral trading and source components or services from overseas, this region of Europe is a natural. This has been highlighted by quality of contacts made and orders secured, which has been staggering. The three countries provide trade and investment opportunities across a region that has a combined population of 25 million. They are magnets for foreign investment, which has rapidly brought them into the modern commercial
world."
Out of the eight companies that undertook the mission, three have already evaluated results.
Global MSDS Ltd, based in Tarpoley, Cheshire, is expecting orders in the region of £10,000 to £100,000 over the next two years. St Helens based A&N Plant has appointed a distributor in the Czech Republic and Hungary and has secured orders in the region of £10,000, with future orders estimated in the region of £100,000.
Eurofocus Cumbria Ltd undertook the trade mission in order to assess the status of EU funding for SME support projects, and to identify collaborating organisations for submission of project bids. Eurofocus has confirmed that over £5 million worth of orders are in prospect as a result of the mission.
George McDonald, the representative from Eurofocus Cumbria Ltd, said:-
"The preparatory work, organisation and social support throughout the trip was excellent. We are envisaging these sales materialising as early as the first quarter of 2005 and sustained at least until the end of 2011."
The International Trade Centre for Greater Merseyside, based at No 1 Old Hall Street, Liverpool, specialises in the development of export opportunities within new and growing economies. Since its launch earlier this year it has become an accepted source of information and advice, attracting interest from across the North West.
Businesses wishing to find out more about future trade missions or exporting should contact the International Trade Centre for Greater Merseyside on 0845 450 4990 or visit
www.itc4gm.co.uk.
Stuffed
turkey or wild goose? Which will you be this Christmas?
THE
RSPB says "Instead of sitting around feeling like a
stuffed turkey over the festive season why not look at the wonderful
birds over-wintering on the Sefton coastline this Christmas?"
The charity is offering a way to loose
those extra Christmas pounds if you are feeling a bit more
energetic.
Chris Tynan, Project Officer, at the reserve in offering a
walk and introduction to birds on Wednesday 5 January at 10 am at
the car park next to the sand works on Marine Drive, Southport.
The walk will let you see the Ribble Estuary's more fowl
inhabitance.
The estuary is teeming with winter waders and wildfowl from
black-tailed godwits to teals and wigeons, as well as birds of prey
like merlins and peregrines, so do not forget you banoculars.
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Chris Tynan, Aren't birds
brilliant! Project Officer with the RSPB, will be on Southport Pier
from 11am every day from Tuesday to Thursday, (28 to 30 December),
that is s if the walk is not for you.
He will be showing people the wonderful birds that feed and
rest on the Ribble Estuary.
Chris
said:-
"More than 10,000 people have already come to see
the breathtaking bird-spectacle off Southport Pier over the last
eight months since the Aren't birds brilliant! project began.
The Sefton coast is an incredible place to see birds. The area forms
part of the East Atlantic Flyway, the migration route along which
thousands of birds pass every winter on their way to sunnier climes.
Many more species have arrived from the freezing north to spend the
winter feeding on the north-west coast and the Ribble Estuary is one
of the best places to see them. The bird spectacle is awe-inspiring
with shelducks, oystercatchers, knots, bar-tailed godwits and
redshanks flocking in their thousands. More than ¼ million birds
over-winter on the estuary, making it the single most important
river estuary for birds in the UK and the third largest wintering
bird site in the country."
For more information about these events and to book your place,
please call:- 0151 934 2967 or speak to Chris on 07793 902622.
The Aren't birds brilliant! project on Southport Pier is funded
using landfill tax credits from Ibstock Cory Environmental Trust and
in partnership with Sefton Borough Council.
Martin Mere helped to bring back wildlife
MARTIN MERE is being helped to bring back rare species that once flourished in the Lancashire Wetlands thanks to Ibstock Cory Environmental Trust (ICET) ICET is funding an exciting project at the Wildfoul & Wetland Trust that will take two years at a cost of £35,000. The projest will see the reintroduction of plants that were native to the area and if they flourish, they will provide homes for rare butterflies and birds.
Pat Wisniewski, Martin Mere centre manager, comments:- "We are seeking to reintroduce the biodiversity that was in these Lancashire Wetlands before World War II when the wetlands were drained to grow potatoes. Today many of these species are rare in Lancashire including the Marsh Stitchwort, the Devil's-bit-Scabious and the Black Poplar, home to tree sparrows."
Angela Haymonds, secretary of the Ibstock Cory Environmental Trust comments:-
"We are pleased to be supporting this environmental project that will bring back the natural habitat of these Lancashire Wetlands for nature enthusiasts to enjoy.
We welcome applications from other community groups in the area who feel their project would benefit local people but need some extra funds to get things off the ground. ICET wants to make people aware of funds available from the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS). The scheme offers money for projects that benefit communities living within 10 miles of a landfill site. The Trust has just designed a simple form and an explanatory application pack to make applying for the funds easy - so applicants do not bogged down with red tape."
This is the sixth project supported by ICET at Martin Mere, bringing the total amount of funding to £210,699 to date.
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