Burnham-on-Sea Chamber of Trade & Commerce is one of the largest Town Chambers in Somerset

Dozens of businesses have come together to promote Burnham-on-Sea to locals and visitors, to help guide the economic development of the town and to enjoy regular opportunities for networking and learning.

The Chamber believes that aspects of its work affect every business, however large or small, in the Burnham-on-Sea area. Your business is warmly invited to join us.

Covid-19 funding help for businesses:

If your company has been affected and you are facing cash flow difficulties, Government is putting the following in place to ensure British businesses can survive this crisis:

• Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – Government will pay 80% wages (up to the £2,5000 per month) for the employees that would have been laid off due to the coronavirus pandemic. The system, currently being run by HMRC will be extended to October 2020. Please check HMRC website for more details

• Self-Employed Income Support Scheme – Government provides a grant to self-employed individuals and partnerships worth 80% (up to £2,500 per month) of their profits (based on average profits from their tax returns in 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19. Please check Self-employment Income Support Scheme for more details.
• Bounce Back Loans provide support to small and medium enterprises (SMEs): Coronavirus Bounce Back Loan

• All retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England will receive a 100% business rates holiday for the next 12 months. Sedgemoor District Council will automatically apply those reliefs to your account. Contact Revenues Team on 0300 303 7788 if you want to find out more.
• 100% business rates holiday has been extended to nurseries and early years education providers.
• Support for larger firms through the COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility – Under the new Covid-19 Corporate Financing Facility, the Bank of England will buy short term debt from larger companies. The scheme will be available to all businesses from 23rd March 2020. More information how to access the scheme will be released shortly.
• Planning rules have been relaxed so pubs and restaurants can operate as hot food takeaways during the coronavirus outbreak. The measures will apply to hot food and drinks and will be time-limited. Please read  Food delivery and takeaway guidance [644.31KB] for more details.
• Businesses with less than 250 staff are being reimbursed the cost of Statutory Sick Pay for employees that have contracted coronavirus or have been told to self-isolate. Government will reimburse the cost from first day of the absence for up to 2 weeks. For more information please follow this link: COVID-19: guidance for employees, employers and businesses.
• Time to Pay helpline is open for businesses that are struggling to meet HMRC obligations. Phone 0800 0159 559 to discuss available options.
• The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) supports small and medium-sized businesses, with an annual turnover of up to £45 million, to access loans, overdrafts, invoice finance and asset finance of up to £5 million for up to 6 years. There are 40 accredited lenders providing finance, details can be found here https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/ourpartners/coronavirus-business-interruption-loan-scheme-cbils-2/current-accredited-lenders-and-partners/.
• The Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) will support large businesses, with an annual turnover of between £45 million and £500 million, to access loans of up to £25 million. Details can be found here: https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/ourpartners/coronavirus-business-interruption-loan-schemes/clbils/clbils-for-businesses-and-advisors/.
• Future Fund to help innovative companies, read more here Future Fund
• VAT and Income Tax Self-Assessment payments are being deferred.
• A number of private lenders are also making funds available to small businesses impacted by COVID-19, including £2 billion from Lloyds Banking Group and £5 billion from NatWest.

A free listing in the online Burnham business guide here on Burnham-On-Sea.com. Categorised by business type, members will have their name, address, phone number, email and website displayed. The Chamber’s aim is for this to become the primary online business directory and source for links to all the town’s business websites. The business guide will be updated after the end of each month to reflect new joiners. The sooner you join, the sooner your business will be included! Promotion of the shopping offer to visitors and locals through distribution of the Burnham-on-Sea Shoppers Guide. Co-ordinating marketing and promotional initiatives with Burnham Town Team amongst members, including running events and competitions to bring shoppers into the town, e.g. Christmas Light switch on event and shop window competitions. Relentlessly lobbying local government for improvements to the town’s infrastructure and facilities, and responding to consultations. The Chamber won the battle against Sedgemoor’s proposal to introduce all year round parking charges on the Esplanade, and is working to support the financial funding initiatives for the town centre.. Regular contact through regular newsletters and general meetings. Affiliation to the Somerset Chamber of Commerce www.somerset-chamber.co.uk. Chamber members receive a discount on subscription to both organisations and the Somerset Chamber extends its intra-member discount schemes on many services to members of affiliated Chambers, such as Burnham-on-Sea. And of course, maintaining and extending the Christmas Lights display. The Committee works hard to secure grants from various tiers of local government meet the costs of the display but otherwise the cost falls to the Chamber. All members receive a membership badge for their premises and an electronic membership badge for websites is available upon request. Read our constitution. Also see our Privacy Policy. The bigger our membership, the larger the voice of business in Burnham-on-Sea. We look forward to welcoming you as a member.

• Chairman: Simon Curtis
• Vice Chairman: Mark Newman
• Treasurer: Deryk Monaghan  
• Secretary: Kay Haines
• Committee: Matt Scott, Geoff Lewis, Donna Berry, Nick Hebborn