BMS Chistmas Party 15 December at the Oriental Club

 

Dear  Jean-Francois Dor,

You are invited to attend the 2025 BMS Christmas Party coming up very soon on 15 December 2025.

For more information, please see below.

Please note that the BMS Annual Dinner, originally scheduled for 21 November, is now scdheduled for  January 2026 (date to be confirmed).

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Invitation to the BMS Christmas Party 2025

Members and friends are invited to join us for drinks in the run up to Christmas.

Please join us for our 2025 Christmas Celebrations at the Oriental Club. Founded in 1824 by the 1st Duke of Wellington, the Club is home to those with an affinity and affection for the East . You are most welcome to attend with friends and guests, in particular those interested in joining BMS. 

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Date: Monday 15 December 2025

Time: 6:00pm to 9:00pm

Venue: The Library, Oriental Club, 11 Stratford Place, London W1C 1ES

Nearest Tube Station: Bond Street

Dresscode: Business attire or cocktail. No jeans or trainers.

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Cost

    (covers drinks and canapes)

BMS members  £48pp
Non members   £58pp
Students            £28pp

BOOKING AND PAYMENT

Please reserve your place(s) online as soon as possible using the online booking system. To book your place click on the "Book Now" button below.

Book now

Please note that, when booking at BMS Member's rates, it is necessary to be logged in to your User Account.

If you have not yet registered your User Account as a member, then you may do so here:

Create your account

If you are not yet a member of BMS and wish to join, then it is very easy to do by clicking here:
Go to the Membership page

If you have any queries, please contact Mei Sim Lai OBE DL as soon as possible by email at:

Meisimlai@yahoo.co.uk   or  Mobile/WhatsApp 07903 153 793.

From market stall to international brand: The Spice Kitchen journey 🌶️

 How does a simple idea become a global success?

Joining me next on the 'In Conversation' hot seat is Sanjay Aggarwal, Co-Founder and CEO of Spice Kitchen. We'll be discussing how a Christmas Day conversation sparked an international brand now stocked in over 600 UK retailers and exporting to the US.

What you’ll learn:

✅ Practical tips for entering new markets – trade shows, branding, digital platforms
✅ How Spice Kitchen leveraged DBT support to expand internationally
✅ Actionable insights to help UK businesses grow with confidence

📅 Date: Wednesday 3 December
🕒 Duration: 1 hour
📍 Online - Free to attend

Don’t miss this chance to hear Sanjay’s journey from local market stalls to global shelves, and learn how you could follow in his footsteps.

👉 Reserve your spot now

Raj Theper

UK Export Academy Adviser - Department for Business and Trade

Create content that converts overseas

 Your UK content won't land the same way in Canada, Croatia & China, and that's the opportunity. The brands that scale fastest abroad don't shout louder; they sound local.

Join us on Wednesday 26 November, 10:00 - 11:00 for a free, live webinar: Top tips on content creation for an international audience.

What you'll learn:

• How to identify the preferences of different regional audiences to lift engagement and sales
• Techniques for creating tailored content that resonates across markets and builds brand loyalty
• The best tools and platforms to streamline personalised content creation and distribution across borders  

👉 Ready to make your conten travel further? Book your place now, spaces are limited.

This webinar is part of: Strategic Horizons in Export: Running over the course of a year, SHE is a bespoke webinar series for women entrepreneurs and leaders of small businesses in the digital economy, where you'll learn how to scale your digital business globally from leading experts.

We hope to see you online on 26 November.

Department for Business and Trade

UK Export Academy Team

2025 UK Malaysian Film Festival: Flower in the Pocket (2007) for our 3rd film screening

The Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS)

 The Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS) is a UK government-backed initiative launched by the British Business Bank in July 2024 to provide smaller businesses with improved access to finance for investment and growth. It functions as the successor to the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) and allows businesses to apply for term loans, overdrafts, and other finance types through accredited lenders. A key feature is the 70% government-backed guarantee to the lender, encouraging them to offer better terms to borrowers by reducing their risk. Businesses can access funding through GGS-accredited lenders until March 31, 2026, with loan amounts typically up to £2 million, though the final decision rests with the lender after standard credit checks.  

How the Scheme Works

Apply to a Lender: 
Small businesses should approach a GGS-accredited lender, such as HSBC, Lloyds Bank, or Barclays. 
Assessment: 
The lender assesses the business's application, conducting standard credit and fraud checks. 
Lender Decision: 
If the lender can offer a commercial facility on better terms without the GGS guarantee, they will do so. If not, and the business is eligible, the lender may use the GGS to provide the finance. 
Benefit to Business: 
The GGS helps improve the terms of the loan, including potentially more favourable interest rates and repayment periods. 

Key Features and Eligibility

Successor to RLS: 
The GGS replaces the Recovery Loan Scheme as the government's flagship support scheme for SMEs. 
Government Guarantee: 
The British Business Bank guarantees up to 70% of the loan value to the lender, which encourages them to take on more lending. 
Loan Purpose: 
The finance can be used for any legitimate business purpose, including managing cash flow, working capital, and other investments. 
Loan Amounts: 
Funding is available for facilities up to £2 million for most businesses in the UK. 
Duration: 
Applications for the scheme are open until March 31, 2026. 

Who Should Apply?

Small businesses in the UK seeking finance to invest and grow. 
Businesses of various sizes may be eligible, with eligibility assessed on a case-by-case basis by the lender. 

Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS) - British Business Bank

About the scheme. The Growth Guarantee Scheme is the successor to the Recovery Loan Scheme. It is designed to support access to fi...

British Business Bank

About the Growth Guarantee Scheme | British Business Bank

Open for applications. The Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS) is available for businesses through a number of British Business Bank acc...

British Business Bank

Growth Guarantee Scheme | Loans | Lloyds Bank Business

The Growth Guarantee Scheme (GGS) went live on 1st July and is the successor to The Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS). Growth Guarantee S...

Lloyds Ba

Saturday 18 October to celebrate Deepavali with a special lunch

 Do join us on Saturday 18 October to celebrate Deepavali with a special lunch, details below.

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DEEPAVALI CELEBRATION LUNCH

A lunch is being organised by BMS, hosted jointly with the RISE Global UK and the British Tamil Chamber of Commerce (BTCC), to celebrate Deepavali.

The RISE Global – is a social and business network for 80 million Tamils worldwide.

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS

Deepavali, or Diwali, means a "row of lights", symbolising light over dark and good over evil.

Date: Saturday 18 October, 2025

Time: 12:00pm to 4:00pm

Venue: Crystal Wembley, 1 Poppin Business Centre, South Way, Wembley HA9 0HB

Nearest station: Wembley Park (14 minute walk)

Parking: available on site.

Dress Code:  Traditional Indian or Smart Casual

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ENTERTAINMENT

Indian dances, Songs and Musical Recitals.

PROGRAMME

Lighting up Deepavali 2025: Professor Kanes K Rajah - Deputy Chair BMS & President RISE UK.

Deepavali Greetings:
Ms Mei Sim Lai DL OBE - Chair BMS
Mr Amutha Chelien - CEO RISE UK/Europe
Mr Rajkumar - President, British Tamil Chamber of Commerce
Tharmanantha Balu & Champa Gurnani - Organising Committee.

SPECIAL DEEPAVALI MESSAGES

Malaysian High Commissioner to United Kingdom, His Excellency Dato' Zakri Jaafar.
Worshipful Mayor of Brent, Cllr Ryan Hack
Dr Kamala Arunasalam - President, CANE UK.

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Download the Event Flyer Page 1 Here

JPG (480 KB)

Download

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Download the Event Flyer Page 2 (with Menu) Here

JPG (466 KB)

Download

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COST 

BMS Members: £45 pp
Members of RISE UK and BTCC: £45 pp
BMS Student Members: £30 pp
Non members: £55 pp
Children from age 6 years upwards: £30 pp

BOOKING AND PAYMENT

Please reserve your place(s) as soon as possible as places are limited.

Any update on the event may be viewed, and Bookings made using the online booking system, by visiting the Event Page:
Event Page - Click Here
or use the QR Code below.

Please note that, when booking at BMS Member's rates, it is necessary to be logged in to your User Account. Note that this includes BMS Student Members. To log in, look for the "Log in" button at the top right or bottom of the Event Page.

If you have not yet registered your User Account as a member, then you may do so here:
Create your account

Special Dietary requirements - Download the Flyer Page 2 to view the menu. This is a Halal menu but please advise if you have any special dietary requirements - this can be done when booking online.

If you are unable to book online, or have any queries, please contact BMS at 
events@thebritishmalaysiansociety.com

Join as a Member of BMS

Anyone wishing to join BMS as a member can do so by visiting the "Join us" page or by clicking on the "Join now" button below :
Join Now

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