My 2014 JCI target was to attend more events in other chambers, and that has certainly been possible at the start of this year with all the various chambers 2014 launch events.

Throughout January and February I attended 2014 launch nights in both Sheffield and Leeds, as well as a re-launch of JCI Rotherham which is back up and running for the first time since 2001! These events were a great chance to see what different chambers would be offering in the early parts of 2014, and so I could choose which events would be useful for me. JCI Rotherham is supported by the Chamber of Commerce, who had representatives at the launch night that I was able to chat with. From this I not only learned about future JCI events, but also business events offered by the Chamber of Commerce. My diary certainly filled up very quickly with all the useful courses on offer! The 3 launch nights also gave me a chance to meet members and potential members of other chambers in the region, as they all included an element of networking.

In February I was lucky enough to battle through treacherous weather conditions and make my way back to Leeds to attend a course on time management. This was run by Fiona Silvester, who as a national board member and business owner knows the importance of good time management. In the working day this skill is becoming more important and I took a lot of good tips from the course which I have since been able to implement, and they have certainly made my days run more smoothly!


Big Supper event in Leeds

Last week JCI Yorkshire held its first event of the year, The Big Supper, which was held at The Living Room in Leeds. The speaker for the evening was Nigel Jardine, an international coach and world record holder. He spoke about how to breakthrough barriers in order to reach targets, some of the tips he gave I will be able to put to good use over the coming months.

So far my new approach of visiting other chambers has allowed me to meet new people in the wider region, and also develop practical skills that can be put to good use in the work place. Over the next few months there are some great looking events coming up not only in Barnsley, but in other chambers too!

Ian Bragger
JCI Barnsley Finance and Social Director