Another interesting point raised by the Local Government Association's report is that health and social care businesses are likely to grow in the next two to three years. This is a sector the Chamber is actively working with at the moment - we are planning to revitalise our Health and Social Care Group and are involved in a number of Council and NHS activities aiming to promote health and wellbeing in our workforce. It's also important to remember that the public sector employs a large number of people in our city and is not currently being affected as much by the economic climate as the private sector.

The main recommendation from the report is the need for devolution to sub-regions and this is something that the Chamber supports. We have excellent partnerships with local bodies, including Sheffield City Council, Creative Sheffield, Yorkshire Forward, and Government Office South Yorkshire, and we are best placed to represent the needs and concerns of local businesses.

Speaking to the media on behalf of our members is always a nerve-racking experience because it is important that I represent our members fairly and clearly - it's my role to state the case on behalf of our members. We're all bombarded with comments and views from the government and national media which often don't reflect the reality of Sheffield. That's where I come in - I find out the true picture from all our members and put that to the newspapers, TV and radio - as 'the voice of business' for Chamber members.