Our next meeting will be held on the 15th of March at Westminster from 4pm-6pm. This meeting is being hosted and Chaired my MP George Kerevan and Director of Policy for the APPG on Fair Business Banking, Heather Buchanan.

George Kerevan MP and his team have been working hard in the back ground (i.e not splashed all over the news) to try and raise issues like IRHP Redress Scheme and so called 'Business Support Units (GRG, HBOS Reading) with Government, with the regulator and with the banks involved. This meeting will be of particular interest to those affected by these issues but, as always and as SME Alliance grows, we always need a bigger boat! Officially the room we have in Westminster holds 90 people but there is a bit of standing room.

Therefore, necessarily this is a members only meeting and not open to the general public, with the exception that George has asked me to invite a few victims of HBOS Reading - some are already members. This is a great opportunity for members to hear what work is being done and also to engage directly with George and other MPs (hopefully). Heather has said George Kerevan is very keen to make sure our members feel they are being listened to - (Nick will say more about this nearer the time).

Because of the numbers issue it is really important members a) contact Sophie at [email protected] to confirm they want to attend and b) anyone getting confirmation of a seat, does actually turn up because we may well be in a position where we can't accommodate everyone who wants to attend - although we will try, It would be a real shame to have empty seats and disappointed members.

The meeting will run from 4pm until 6pm. We will be meeting at a seperate venue after the meeting but details will be confirmed by the end of the week to those who have confirmed they wish to attend.

Sophie will send more info and an agenda next week but in the first instance please e-mail her letting us know you want to attend. A one liner will do - 

" Dear Sophie, I would like to attend the SME Alliance meeting on 15th March at Westminster. Kind regards, Joe Bloggs".

You will get confirmation within 48 hours (excluding Saturday and Sunday). This is on a first come first served basis.

Really looking forward to seeing as many members as possible.

* Sadly many of the links in the program deactivated upon upload.

We're delighted to include Rustem Guardian, our very first sponsors back in 2014, to our summer event. Come and meet
Gareth Jones who has some very interesting and refreshing views on how SMEs should tackle their problems with banks.

If you feel the IRHP Review scheme has failed your business, come and meet Simon Bishop of Bolt Burdon at our Summer networking event. Simon will also be supplying information regarding LPA Receivers.

This will be of particular interest to SMEs who have been victims of RBS GRG.