Ayrshire Chamber wishes to acknowledge the support of the following companies as sponsors of our Platinum Partners programme.
The Chamber in Ayrshire represents businesses of all sizes and all sectors and is particularly effective in representing the voice of businesses at local, national and international level.
The Partnership aims to cement the relationship that companies have with Ayrshire Chamber, making sure they get the most out of membership and in turn contributing to the work of the Chamber, so supporting other business in Ayrshire.
Partnership members have access to a comprehensive package of benefits, while at the same time assist with the development of the Chamber movement.
If you would like to discuss the mutual benefits of becoming a Platinum Partner please contact our Membership Development Manager, ghays@ayrshire-chamber.org
To get in touch about events, please reach out to Danielle McPherson, Events Co-ordinator: dmcpherson@ayrshire-chamber.org
To keep up to date with all our upcoming events and to book, please visit www.ayrshire-chamber.org/events
If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please email kate@ayrshire-chamber.org
By the time this edition of the magazine is published I am sure we will be starting to see signs of Autumn with the turning of the leaves. I hope you managed a break over the Summer to recharge for the rest of the year ahead.
There has been so much activity happening at the Chamber since the last magazine. I am delighted to announce 3 new Platinum Partners, Track Civil Engineering; Ayrshire Magazine & Haus of Dentistry, there is special feature later on in the magazine.
We launched our Ayrshire Business Awards in May and received a record 121 applications which has resulted in 49 finalists across 16 categories. The standard of applications received was exceptional making it a hard task for the judges to identify finalists. The 6th October will see the winners announced and I hope you will join us for a night of celebrating Ayrshire business.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind you Ayrshire Business Week is from the 2nd – 6th October.
The launch of the Ayrshire Regional Economic Strategy will kick the week off. The Strategy is a ten-year plan, and the launch event will give businesses the opportunity to understand and engage with the Year 1 delivery plan. Initial focus will be to increase partnership working by simplifying offers and bring consistency across the region. To chart progress a set of priorities and themes have been identified but we need business engagement to support to deliver the Strategy’s strategic vision and ambitions.
The 4th October sees our ever popular Business to Business Exhibition return at The Park Hotel. This year we have introduced an additional event which will follow on from the Exhibition, a public sector focussed Meet the Buyer event. It is being organised in partnership with the 3 Local Authorities and Supplier Development Scotland. This
event links nicely to the Procurement theme of this edition and goes towards supporting Community Wealth Building principles to ensure we keep wealth as local as possible.
Lots to look forward to and I hope to catch up with as many of you as possible over the coming months.
CLAIRE BAIRD CEO of Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce
Dr Liz Cameron, Director & Chief Executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, received a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) medal from HRH King Charles at a ceremony in Windsor Castle.
The accolade is in recognition of Dr Cameron’s service to business, in particular, her contribution to the promotion of Scottish & UK businesses on the world stage. Dr Cameron has spearheaded new public/private partnerships with the Scottish Government which has onboarded over 1000 new businesses to the world of exporting and participating companies increasing turnover by up to £20 million.
Dr Cameron has led the expansion of trade relationships across the world which has included the signing of 50 country-to-country market agreements and the establishment of new Scottish Trade Offices, with the first
opening in Yantai, China in 2017, making it more accessible for Scottish & British companies to export to new markets. She has also galvanised the international Scottish business community further by creating a global network of Scottish Chamber Ambassadors, who enable faster access to markets using their in-market expertise and connections.
Dr Cameron represents the Scottish business community on several high-level Scottish & UK Government committees and groups. Most notably, she is the Scottish Business Representative on the UK Government’s Strategic Trade Advisory Group, shaping and informing the UK’s future trade policy and ongoing negotiations with current and prospective trade partners.
Commenting at Windsor Castle, Dr Liz Cameron, said:
“This is a tremendous accolade and I am deeply honoured and humbled to be awarded
a CBE and to have received it from HRH King Charles.
I am grateful to have the privilege of working with so many talented and outstanding businesses and leaders who continue to inspire and motivate me to do more for our business communities.
“I am so proud of how Scottish businesses and the Scottish Chambers of Commerce Network have continued to forge ahead.
“This award is a tribute to all businesses who, even in times of crisis, push the boundaries of innovation and trade, and continue to seize the opportunities.
“I will continue to champion Scottish and British businesses to the world and remain steadfastly committed to working in collaboration with civic society to accelerate our recovery, growth and future position in the global marketplace.”
CentreStage’s founder has been awarded an OBE as part of the King’s Birthday Honours.
Fiona McKenzie was announced as an OBE for services to the community in East Ayrshire. Fiona left her post as Principal Teacher of Music at Grange Academy in Kilmarnock in 2006 to found CentreStage and, since then the charity has developed to support people of all ages and circumstances to fulfil their potential through access to the arts.
Most recently, the organisation has completed the regeneration of the former Kilmarnock Academy,
creating the fully accessible CentreStage Village, where Private, Public and Third Sector organisations can collaborate and work together to provide services and opportunities, to over 3000 people every week.
Fiona said “Having lived and worked in Ayrshire all my life, I am so proud to be part of this community. There is much still to be done but this award recognises the efforts and commitment of so many colleagues and friends over so many years to enable people to fulfill their potential. I am so thankful to every one of them. “
Please contact Sarah Hope at CentreStage Communities for further details: sarah.hope@centrestagemt.org.uk
At the age of 46, Ayrshire businesswoman Maggie Holloway started to experience debilitating symptoms of peri menopause which eventually culminated in her selling her business and retiring at the age of 51. Maggie endured 8 years of horrendous symptoms including extreme dizziness, nausea, blurry eyes, joint pain, indigestion, acid reflux and anxiety.
Maggie explains, “Menopause is so much more than hot flushes. The effects of the hormonal changes are wide-ranging; they can be psychological as well as physical, and vary in severity from just being inconvenient, to completely life changing. For many women these symptoms can adversely affect their daily life, work, relationships and ongoing health, with a greater future risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, clinical depression and dementia. I am passionate about women’s health and believe that no woman should have to suffer unnecessarily. I want women to be
part of the decision-making process surrounding the treatment of their menopausal symptoms.”
Following further research, Maggie quickly realised there was a genuine lack of menopausal services available in Scotland. She therefore brought together an equally passionate team of medical and holistic professionals to form Menopause Health Matters, the first dedicated private menopause clinic in southwest Scotland.
“We take a great deal of care to ensure that the clinic environment is as relaxing as possible” explains Maggie, “Offering a warm, reassuring and calming experience from the moment you arrive.”
With a relaxing reception area, two consultation rooms, examination area and medical suite, Maggie has personally designed every area of the clinic to create a comfortable and ambient atmosphere to ensure clients feel as relaxed as possible.
Menopause Health Matters is located at 8 Miller Road, Ayr. You can browse all the services offered and book online via their website: www. menopausehealthmatters.co.uk
Local Ayrshire businesses and Chamber members, Launch Digital and Ashleigh Building recently worked together to design and develop a compelling new company website. Ashleigh, a local construction company recognised the need to revamp their online presence to stay competitive in the digital landscape and chose to work with the team at Launch on this project. Creative agency, Launch Digital, are renowned for their innovative designs, user-centric approach, and exceptional project management. The team have a fantastic track record with many long-standing clients and offer a variety of marketing services including branding, web design, graphic design, social media, and search marketing.
Ashleigh Building’s new website seamlessly blends modern aesthetics with functionality. The design team paid particular attention to user experience, ensuring that visitors could easily navigate the website, access vital information, and view the website across various devices, enhancing accessibility and engagement. The website was also built on a content management system, allowing Ashleigh Building's team to manage and update content effortlessly.
The success of this project was built upon a foundation of clear communication between Launch Digital and Ashleigh Building, ensuring the new website aligned perfectly with Ashleigh’s brief and vision.
www.ashleighscotland.co.uk
www.launchscotland.com
Dr. Irfan Farooq is a distinguished figure in the field of corporate research and investigations, renowned for his expertise in corporate intelligence, due diligence, investigations, verifications, and intellectual property rights (IPR) matters. As the CEO of AAC GROUP - UAE and GCRI - UK, he has played a pivotal role in leading and revolutionizing the landscape of global corporate research and investigation services.
Having pursued his education at the prestigious Ecole Supérieure Robert de Sorbon® in France Dr. Farooq acquired a strong foundation in the principles of research and analysis. His educational background, coupled with his innate curiosity and dedication to uncovering the truth, laid the groundwork for his illustrious career.
Pvt Ltd - UK has emerged as a dominant force in the corporate intelligence industry. With a focus on providing cutting-edge solutions to complex business challenges, the company has become a trusted partner for numerous multinational corporations and law firms worldwide. His commitment to excellence and ethical practices has earned him widespread recognition and respect within the industry.
Beyond his professional achievements, Dr. Farooq is known for his dedication to fostering strong relationships with his clients and partners. His personable approach and genuine concern for their needs have earned him unwavering loyalty and trust.
Driven by the pursuit of truth and justice, Dr. Farooq's commitment to serving his clients and the global community remains unwavering. Through AAC GROUP - UAE and GCRI – UK & KIAZ Corporate Risk Management in Pakistan,
he continues to make a profound impact on the corporate world by upholding the highest standards of integrity, professionalism, and excellence in every endeavour.
Since 2016, Shirley Husband has been the creative force behind Holly Blue Creative, working as an independent copywriter, content creator and author for businesses across Scotland and beyond. She’s had the privilege of crafting engaging narratives for multinational companies, emerging brands, and sole traders eager to showcase their expertise and affirm their worth.
Her speciality lies in writing compelling website copy, blogs, in-depth case studies, and powerful business stories designed to attract loyal customers and investors. She can even transform your LinkedIn profile into an engaging platform that lets your brand shine.
With a firm grasp of SEO, Shirley ensures your content not only resonates but reaches the right audience too.
Opting for a freelancer can be a gamechanger for a growing business. You’ll receive cost-effective solutions without investing hours of your valuable time or bearing the burden of in-house hires. Shirley is flexible and tailors her writing to align with your needs, producing content that offers results. Her experience across various sectors means you'll gain insights that help you connect deeply with your audience.
Shirley has a genuine commitment to your business. As a gesture of this commitment, she offers a brief audit of your current content and provides fresh ideas for improvement. With Shirley, you're not just hiring a service, but
beginning a partnership based on expertise and understanding. Ready to elevate your brand story? Get in touch at shirleyhusband@ hollybluecreative.co.uk.
Belmont Property Auctions is thrilled to sponsor the Whitletts Vics Women’s Football Team. As a vibrant part of Whitletts Vics In The Community, this team shines in the Walking Football Scotland Over 40’s Women’s Premiership League. The rapidly growing sport of Walking Football, with its distinct rules, ensures that everyone, irrespective of skill, can enjoy the game. The ladies warmly invite you to join their training sessions every Monday and Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30pm at New Voluntary Park, Ayr.
Director Barry Kerr of Belmont Property Auctions said, “Richard and I are at the heart of Belmont’s commitment to a personal auction experience. While we’re based in Ayr, our services span across Scotland. With deep expertise in all property facets – be it
domestic, commercial or land – we’re here to guide. Whether buying or selling, you can rely on us for sincere and steadfast advice, leading to a hassle-free journey.
Every auction we conduct is tailored, catering to unique situations such as tenanted properties or specific viewing hours. We offer realistic valuations, without hidden fees, and ensure our clients are equipped with a
detailed market analysis. This approach not only maximises their profit but guarantees satisfaction.”
With a transparent, professional approach, Belmont Property Auctions promises peace of mind for both private and commercial clients. So, if selling is on your horizon, why not request a complimentary property appraisal with us today?
In June we launched our exciting new partnership with The HALO Enterprise and Innovation Centre in Kilmarnock, a partnership designed to allow our members access to the many benefits of the flexible workspace available on the #RockMe Trading floor.
People Puzzles, Pertemps, Bauer Media and Speed of Light Digital are the first Ayrshire Chamber members to have taken advantage of the Gold package on offer, which includes 24/7 access, storage, printer, super fast Wi-Fi, full access to the #RockMe Team and Partners as well as exclusive events.
We took the opportunity to of using the event space on the #RockMe Trading Floor to host our Maximise your Membership event in July. Those attending the event were welcomed in the #RockMe Café before being invited up for the presentation. Many took the opportunity to tour The Trading Floor at the end of the event.
Euan Stuart, HALO #RockMe Enterprise Manager, The Ayrshire Chamber has been a steadfast supporter of HALO since our initial conceptual plans. We’re keen to work with the Chamber on this new initiative to help the wider Ayrshire business community thrive.
We are a delighted recipient of the opportunity to launch People Puzzles within Scotland in partnership with Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce and in collaboration with HALO in Kilmarnock on the #RockMe trading floor. It enables us to establish and develop
relationships with multi agency and private sector organisations, a tremendous support as we introduce our unique part-time HR Director proposition to growth minded SME businesses across all sectors throughout Scotland. It's all about people.
Barry Lee, Director of Pertemps
Pertemps Director Designate Barry Lee has been delighted with the firms move into Halo Kilmarnock in June, citing an enhanced local office footprint within Ayrshire, allowing them to closer service the growing number of companies they recruit for across the Ayrshire region.
Barry commented:
We are delighted to partner with Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce and the Halo #RockMe trading floor. It provides a first class flexible workspace for us in the heart of Ayrshire, and the Halo ethos of collaboration and creating a thriving local economy is one which really resonates with Pertemps outlook.
Good news! We are recruiting for our second cohort of members to take advantage of the HALO Gold package, starting in December.
To find out more please contact Joan McMurdo, Business Development Officer via jmcmurdo@ayrshire-chamber.org or call 01292 678666
Opening in 2017, Nuline Medical is one of Scotland’s leading single-use medical suppliers. Colin Moore and John McKerchar founded the business after a combined 65 years of experience in the medical industry. With a team of 28 Ayrshire-based staff, and manufacturing, warehouse and cleanroom facilities all on-site, Nuline has experienced significant growth since its inception.
Adworks have been appointed as a premier website solutions partner for Spektrix having successfully undertaken the recent Gaiety Theatre website redesign and seamless API integration to accommodate their new cuttingedge box office system.
Businesses are constantly seeking innovative ways to simplify their operations and save valuable time. One solution that has proven to be immensely effective is website integration. By seamlessly connecting various aspects of your business into a cohesive system, website integration simplifies processes, saves administrative time, streamlines operations, and enhances productivity.
Popular website solutions such as Wordpress have cost effective event bookings plugin solutions or can be integration to third party solutions such as Eventbrite via an API, either way providing a seamless booking and event management system. This ensures a smooth experience for event organisers and attendees alike, while reducing the time spent on administration.
Many businesses find themselves in a challenging position where they are selling online but still manually managing invoicing and stock management separately. Website integration solutions can address these issues by integrating online store orders with popular accounting software (like Sage and Xero) and popular retail stock management systems. This results in automated invoicing and real-time stock level updates, reducing errors and freeing up valuable time.
Powerful solutions like HubSpot and Sales Force can be fully integrated into web forms to ensure that clients can efficiently manage leads, conversions, and customer interactions, all within the same cohesive platform.
Daniel Knox MD of Adworks said “If your business is currently grappling with multiple processes that consume valuable administrative time, website integration might be the perfect solution for you. Whether it's streamlining e-commerce operations, integrating sales, accounting and CRM systems, the benefits of website integration are undeniable.”
thegaiety.co.uk
advertisingworks.co.uk
Being ISO certified, Nuline has always recognised the importance of data security within the business. The company managed all IT internally, but as the business grew, this became increasingly challenging. Data had to be backed up on a weekly basis initially, but this recently became a daily task and as a result, the process became much more manual. This took valuable time away from higher-priority responsibilities within the team.
In January, Office Manager, Dannika Drain, came across Innovec's flyer and was impressed by the local IT company's direct approach and decided to reach out to Iain Wham, Innovec's Managing Director.
Following an initial discussion, the Innovec team visited Nuline the following week to assess their specific needs, within a few days, Nuline became an Innovec customer. The transition has already made a considerable difference.
Dannika emphasised this, stating:
“I have seen a huge improvement in our productivity. As an ISO-certified business, our data security is vital and managing this began to take its toll on the team, with people being dragged away from other tasks to ensure our USB was backed up. However, since using Innovec it's not even something I think too much about as I know it's being managed by people who know what they are doing. We are excited to work together with Innovec going forward.”
Innovec works with over 200 businesses across Ayrshire, with a focus on providing local, growing businesses with reliable IT support. As an ownermanaged business, Innovec understands the business challenges of IT and aims to offer a proactive service to allow businesses like Nuline to do what they are good at.
While recent years have been turbulent for many businesses, one Ayrshire business has thrived and rapidly expanded, offering vital services to public sector clients in their hour of need.
The expansion of Regency Facilities Management has been nothing short of spectacular, with turnover increasing five-fold in only four years and expansion shows no sign of slowing as Regency continues to make successful inroads in public sector contracts.
The successful transformation of the Regency business from contract cleaner to
facilities management service is undoubtedly a result of success in public sector contracts. Regency’s public sector client base exploded in recent years with new public sector contracts and clients from local Ayrshire councils and schools construction firms, to Scotland-wide contracts supporting Police Scotland.
Regency’s core services of contract cleaning, decontamination, bio-recovery, and fire and flood restoration have been in increasing demand due to Covid, but additions to their facilities management portfolio has seen the firm move into new areas like property maintenance, removals, painting and joinery
services, providing a one-stop shop for an ever-expanding range of FM services.
As a result of Regency’s public sector successes, employment in the company is expanding rapidly. The company employs over 130 multi-discipline and trade staff in 2023, compared to around 30 mostly cleaning staff as recently as 2017. The increase in staffing and contracts drove a need for new premises, seeing Regency move to the Bravo Freight Terminal at Prestwick Airport, providing modern administration and warehousing facilities with increased capacity for more happy customers and contracts.
The second quarter of 2023 is proving to be a busy one for our International Trade team. The team have so far processed over £110 million worth of goods traveling to and from countries such as Italy, Mexico, Oman and many others.
Our International Trade team are happy to help in any way they can, as well as process a number of different documents including Certificates of Origin, EUR1’s, Arab Certificates, Egyptian Documents, Verification of Trade Documents, Import and Export Declarations, Letters of Credit and ATA Carnets.
Our International Trade Services are available to members and non-members. A discount is available to Ayrshire Chamber members. T&Cs apply.
If you are interested in finding out more about our wide range of International Trade services, please email our team via ecert@ayrshire-chamber.org or visit www.ayrshire-chamber.org/international
We also run a number of regular International Trade events to provide you, your business and your staff with the invaluable information to export and import with ease.
Through the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, we are a member of the renowned ‘International Chambers of Commerce’ which represents 40 million companies across 100 countries.
A range of International Trade Missions are available across the globe in 2023.
Platinum Partnership offers organisations an exclusive opportunity to demonstrate commitment to both Ayrshire Chamber and the wider business community, all whilst building brand identity and exposure.
We are proud to welcome three new Platinum Partners into the helm - Ayrshire Magazine, HAUS of Dentistry and Track Civil Engineering Solutions Ltd. All three new Partners add an enhanced level of expertise to our already excellent cohort of Platinum Partners.
Ayrshire Magazine
Ayrshire Magazine, established in September 2014, is one of the foremost community-driven, lifestyle magazines in Scotland. The magazine prides itself on a unique mix of content from exclusive celebrity interviews to local success stories and thought-provoking articles. www.ayrshiremagazine.com
HAUS of Dentistry
HAUS of Dentistry offer a range of exceptional Dental Care and Facial Aesthetics, utilising state of the art equipment to ensure the highest quality treatment - all housed within their purpose-built clinic located in Prestwick. www.hausofdentistry.com
Track Civil Engineering Solutions Ltd
Track Engineering Solutions have over 50 years’ experience in the rail, civil and construction sectors. Their team of highly knowledgeable tradespeople boast a wide range of unique skillsets, including auxiliary works, stonemasonry and track drainage. www.trackcivileng.uk
Altin Staka, Managing Director of Track Civil Engineering Solutions Ltd, “We feel the Ayrshire Chamber will expose our brand more to the industry, but also give us the opportunity to networking with various bodies from East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and South Ayrshire.”
Representation and lobbying are two of the most important services that Ayrshire Chamber offers Ayrshire business.
On your behalf, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC) actively campaigns and represents our members’ views on a range of Scottish Government regulations. This lobbying update focuses on the Non-Domestic Rates policy.
Through the New Deal for Business, the SCC network have been successful in including Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) as a policy issue with a focus on making sure it is competitive for business and to keep all policy reforms under review.
The SCC were also able to secure an extension to the deadline for lodging NDR appeal proposals from 31st July 2023 to 31st August 2023, or four months from the date on which the valuation notice was issued,
whichever is later.
Scottish Chambers of Commerce also raised the proposal that consideration should be given to a one-off cost of doing business grant for retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, in recognition of the disparity with England on retail, hospitality and leisure relief, and to help these sectors in Scotland.
Details on the Non-Domestic Rates can be found here www.gov.scot/policies/localgovernment/non-domestic-rates
Leadership mentoring relationships can be one where a mentee is keen to progress within an organisation and wants to connect with a mentor who can help them to develop their leadership skills.
Broadly speaking, the key difference is that a manager will focus on planning, organising and co-ordinating resources to complete tasks and deliver results. In contrast, a leader will inspire, motivate, and influence those around them, driving people to achieve their goals and objectives whilst working towards the bigger picture.
Very often people are promoted to the level of manager due to technical competency not necessarily because of leadership skills and as we can see from the above definition, the skills required of a leader are very different to those of a manager. This doesn’t mean that a manager can’t nurture and develop leadership skills. So, let’s look at how mentoring can help to do this.
As a leader it is important to have an awareness of others and how you impact them. It is often difficult to get honest feedback about this, so this is one area that a mentor can provide valuable input and help to work on developing greater self-awareness.
Having a limited network can limit career development opportunities. Mentoring can help both mentees and mentors to develop their network and hence their potential to increase their visibility, to get advice and widen their perspective.
The ability to be a good communicator is another vitally important skill of a great leader. The mentoring relationship provides a space for both mentor and mentee to develop effective communication, listening and questioning skills.
Connect Me mentoring from Ayrshire Chamber has over 50 experienced, knowledgeable mentors ready to help you develop and grow.
If you are ready to take the next step and start your mentoring journey, please reach out to Lisa Stewart via lstewart@ayrshirechamber.org or call 01292 678666
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At this year’s Regional Energy Efficiency Awards, held on 23rd June in Glasgow, the Energy Agency were delighted to win the award for Vulnerable Customer Support Organisation of the Year.
Energy Agency manages the Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Schemes on behalf of 3 local authorities in South West Scotland, installing solid wall insulation in targeted fuel poor communities with hard to treat homes.
By using a targeted approach, they identify and support customers who may otherwise fall through the gaps, potentially missing out on valuable energy saving home improvements. Providing additional support to vulnerable households, every customer journey is carefully managed, enabling home owners and tenants to navigate both the application process and
disruptive works.
In partnership with the Local Authorities of South Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, Dumfries & Galloway and NHS Ayrshire & Arran, Energy Agency were also Highly Commended in the category for Large Scale Project of the Year.
Accepting the award Liz Marquis of the Energy Agency said “It is wonderful to receive recognition for these worthwhile schemes. We are working hard with our partners to reduce fuel poverty in local communities, support our customers and improve the health and quality of life for those in cold homes.”
“Finding new ways of tackling fuel poverty is an issue that we’re actively engaged in, and one that delivers real benefits to householders. Relatively simple measures, such as wall insulation on hard to treat houses, help to deliver warm, dry, energy efficient homes that can deliver savings of hundreds of pounds a year in running costs.”
www.energyagency.org.uk
North Ayrshire Council aims to maximise the use of its land and assets and explore new opportunities for securing best value. The objective is to safeguard and enhance local services and assets for the benefit of local businesses and communities.
With the current economic challenges, the provision of low-cost opportunities for businesses to promote their brand, services and products to customers has become even more important.
A range of advertising and sponsorship initiatives have been made available to provide promotional opportunities for local businesses, that are cost-effective, help overcome current business challenges and create increased market share and sustainable potential.
Opportunities include Advertising on Roundabouts that provide the advantage of adverts being available all year round that are not constrained by varying time factors. Councillor Tony Gurney, Cabinet Member for Place at North Ayrshire Council, said: “The high demand and participation of local businesses
in advertising and sponsorship opportunities has been clearly demonstrated. We will always aim to provide affordable opportunities that will be of benefit to business.”
www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk/business/ sponsorship-and-advertising/sponsorshipand-advertising.aspx
MON 2ND OCT
Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce is delighted to announce our full programme of Business Week events.
Mark your calendars for an incredible week of networking, growth, and celebration.
From 2nd - 6th October, Ayrshire Business Week is set to provide businesses and organisations with a week packed with engaging events, from the very popular B2B Exhibition to the Ayrshire Business Awards Dinner and the launch of the Regional Economic Strategy.
Business Week Launch Event
In conjunction with East, North and South Ayrshire Council. Featuring the launch of Ayrshire Regional Economic Strategy
Time: 09:30 – 12:00
Venue: TBC
Grow Ayrshire Together B2B Speed
Networking
Time: 08:30 – 09:30
WED 4TH OCT FREE
Venue: The Park Hotel, Kilmarnock, KA1 1UR
Grow Ayrshire B2B Exhibition
Time: 09:30 – 12:00
Venue: The Park Hotel, Kilmarnock, KA1 1UR
£120.00 inc. VAT (Members)
£150.00 inc. VAT (Non-Members)
Workshop Session delivered by HR Director People Puzzles
Time: 10:00 – 11:00
Venue: The Park Hotel, Kilmarnock, KA1 1UR
Grow Ayrshire Together B2B
Networking Lunch
Time: 12:15 – 13:45
Venue: The Park Hotel, Kilmarnock, KA1 1UR
£15.00 inc. VAT (Members)
£20.00 inc. VAT (Non-Members)
B2B stand holders get 2 free tickets to the Networking Lunch.
Ayrshire Meet the Buyer Event
Time: 14:00 – 17:00
Venue: The Park Hotel, Kilmarnock, KA1 1UR
FREE FREE FREE
Developing the Young Workforce
Ayrshire - Skills Conference
Time: 09:30 – 12:00
TUE 3RD OCT FREE
Venue: Ayrshire College, Kilmarnock Campus
Exploring the Power of AI for Business delivered by Utopia
Computers
Time: 10:00 – 11:00
Venue: Ayrshire Chamber Boardroom
Members Update with Bank of England Agent for Scotland
THU 5TH OCT FREE FREE
Time: 12:00 – 14:00
Venue: Ayrshire Chamber Boardroom
Guest speaker: Iain Duff, B.O.E. Agent for Scotland
FRI 6TH OCT
Ayrshire Business Awards
Dinner 2023
Celebrate all things Ayrshire business with our Finalists, Award Winners and Sponsors this Business Week.
Time: 18:30 – midnight
Venue: Ayr Racecourse
Principal Sponsor: Business Gateway Ayrshire
Host: Ben Hanlin
£95.00 inc. VAT (Members)
£105.00 inc. VAT (Non-Members)
Further details and full Ayrshire Business Week 2023 events programme available online. Please visit www.bit.ly/AyrshireBusinessWeek2023
We would be delighted to have you in attendance this Ayrshire Business Week.
Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce are delighted to reveal the shortlisted finalists for the Ayrshire Business Awards 2023 with over 40 businesses making it to the final! The countdown is now on until the winners of each category are announced at our awards dinner ceremony on Friday 6th October at Ayr Racecourse.
ACTIVE TRAVEL AT WORK AWARD:
sponsored by Ayrshire Roads Alliance
Energy Agency
Enlighten Training
APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR AWARD:
sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
Arran Community & Voluntary Service
- Ellie Bonner
GE Caledonian Ltd - Hannah Jennings
Spirit Aerosystems - Callum Gaw
AYRSHIRE’S GROWTH BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD (0-10 EMPLOYEES):
sponsored by Woodward Inc.
CJM Project Financial Management Ltd
Cogeo Planning & Environmental Services Ltd
Monarch Financial Services Ltd
AYRSHIRE’S GROWTH BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD (11-50 EMPLOYEES):
sponsored by Business Gateway
A & L Mechanical Installations Ltd
Cadence BPO
KO-NEKT (Childcare) CIC
AYRSHIRE’S GROWTH BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD (51 EMPLOYEES OR MORE):
sponsored by University of the West of Scotland
James Frew Ltd
Regency Facilities Management
CHARITY OF THE YEAR AWARD: sponsored by Regency Facilities Management
Aoife's Sensory Bus
Ayrshire Hospice
Cash for Kids
COMMUNITY AWARD:
sponsored by Hub South West
Beith Community Development Trust
Flamingo Exterior Cleaning
Newmilns Snow & Sports Complex
Shire Housing Association Ltd
COMMUNITY WEALTH BUILDING AWARD: sponsored by Ayrshire’s Growth Deal
Elizabeth Wallace Bridal
The Book Nook
Utopia Computers
DEVELOPING AYRSHIRE’S YOUNG WORKFORCE AWARD: sponsored by Ashleigh (Scotland) Ltd
Collins Aerospace
GE Caledonian Ltd
James Frew Ltd
Woodward Inc
DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY: sponsored by HALO
Craufurdland Ltd
Moir Environmental Ltd
W & J Knox Ltd
ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD: sponsored by William Duncan Accountants
Ailsa Reliability Solutions Ltd
– Jamie Burns
HRM Homecare Services Ltd
- Lynn Laughland
M & M Theatrical Productions
- Christopher Mitchell
GOING GLOBAL – INTERNATIONAL TRADE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR: sponsored by Neogen
Kays Scotland
Lochlea Distillery
Renewable Oil Services
HOSPITALITY BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD:
sponsored by People Puzzles
Auchrannie Resort
RAD Hotel Group
SimpsInns
Trump Turnberry
START-UP BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD: sponsored by
A&L Mechanical Installations
Monarch Financial Services Ltd
Pro Paints
ReUse Golf Balls
TOURISM AWARD: sponsored by Stagecoach
Ayr Gaiety Partnership
(The Gaiety Theatre)
Galloway and Southern Ayrshire
UNESCO Biosphere
Trump Turnberry
WORKPLACE HEALTH AND WELLBEING AWARD: sponsored by Lighthouse IT Networks
Buzzworks Holdings
HRM Homecare Services Ltd.
Radio Lingua Ltd
- Coffee Break Languages
Arena HR and BTO Solicitors LLP are delighted to announce a new initiative for the benefit of Arena HR Premium clients, providing them with access to BTO Solicitors LLP’s employment law specialists.
From 1st September 2023, all new Premium Arena HR clients faced with an Employment Tribunal claim will benefit from access to additional support provided by BTO’s team. They will also have the benefit of insurance to cover the costs of defending claims and any ensuing awards or settlements.
This is a new service being provided by Arena HR as part of their growth and sustainability strategy.
Full-service law firm Thorntons formally opened its new Glasgow office this summer, which is its first permanent home in the city following a long history of working with clients in the West.
Thorntons has announced several strategic hires in Glasgow including commercial real estate partners Paul Haniford and Jayne Macfarlane, and dispute resolution partner Stephanie Carr, who is an accredited insolvency specialist.
They join the firm’s existing highly experienced team which include partner Liam McMonagle, a leading IP, media and technology specialist, Aimee Gibbons, who specialises in commercial property, Pamela Muir who specialises in insolvency and restructuring and Gurjit Pall, immigration lawyer.
Laura Rennie, Arena HR MD, stated: “This is a service that I have always wanted to provide to our bigger clients who normally have separate insurance in place. I have worked with Laura Salmond, an accredited employment law specialist at BTO, for a number of years now. I’m honoured that she trusts the quality of the HR advice and support that we provide Arena HR clients to the extent that BTO is willing to work with us on our larger client projects and services”.
Laura Salmond stated, “I am delighted to be working with Laura and Arena HR, one of our many valued HR contacts, on this initiative and look forward to providing expert employment law advice to clients of Arena HR who find themselves facing Employment Tribunal proceedings”
The business has invested £400,000 in the open plan layout and its environmentally friendly design features solar panels and maximises natural light. Despite having operated across the West of Scotland for a number of years the new office has allowed the team to expand its services across the region and for Ayrshire it will allow the firm to expand its growing teams.
Stephanie Carr, said: “I am delighted to be working with such a progressive firm with great people and great clients. Initially, we
plan to focus on expanding our specialist business law advice to clients operating across Ayrshire’s most prominent sectors including commercial real estate, technology, housing associations and of course rural affairs, while also connecting with and supporting businesses across the wider West of Scotland region.
“As a full-service firm, we can also support individuals and families and our teams will be accessible to clients who need advice.”
The Supplier Development Programme (SDP) is a partnership of Local Authorities, the Scottish Government and other public bodies working together to bring your business support in all aspects of tendering. By assisting businesses to become tender-ready for public procurement through our events and training, we improve their prospects when competing throughout Scotland, where there is an annual public sector spend of £14.5 billion, and improve all-around efficiency, sustainability, and market potential. Once registered, small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in Scotland can access all this support for free.
As SDP members, all three Ayrshire Councils regularly host in-person and online events to engage with suppliers, discuss live and upcoming contract opportunities and how to work with the Councils, as well as helping suppliers improve their tendering skills.
As part of Ayrshire Business Week 2023,
the Supplier Development Programme, East Ayrshire Council, North Ayrshire Council, and South Ayrshire Council will host a pan-Ayrshire
‘Meet the Buyer’ event on 4 October 2023 at The Park Hotel in Kilmarnock. Ayrshire businesses will be able to meet procurement teams from all three Ayrshire Councils, alongside other public and private sector buying organisations, such as SPT, PfH, Ayrshire Growth Deal and Community Wealth Building team. Suppliers can join breakout sessions, such as the ‘How to Improve your Tendering’ session by the Supplier Development Programme and a session on the Ayrshire Growth Deal and Community Wealth Building.
www.sdpscotland.co.uk/events/ ayrshire-meet-the-buyer-east-north-southcouncils-1551
NHS Ayrshire & Arran is a leading member of the Ayrshire Community Wealth Building (CWB) Commission. Our Anchor/CWB Programme aims to enhance local wealth, reducing poverty and inequality through:
• investment and local spend;
• creation of fair and meaningful employment;
• designing and managing our buildings, land and assets to maximise local and community benefits; and
• reducing our environmental impact.
For more information on NHS Ayrshire & Arran Anchor/CWB programme visit: www.nhsaaa.net/services-a-z/ community-wealth-building/
NHS Ayrshire & Arran procures goods, service and works and aims to take a balanced approach to procurement, ensuring our processes consider social, environmental and economic impacts, along with price and quality.
Recirculation of our spend in the local economy helps to retain wealth in Ayrshire, providing local jobs, apprenticeships, incomes for local people and supporting community wellbeing.
In 2021 / 2022, 10.73 per cent of our total spend was to local companies. This equates to £11,060,409 spent locally in Ayrshire and Arran with 191 suppliers.
Zoe Fance, Head of Procurement says: “We are committed to increasing our local spend through reviewing our procurement data; increasing understanding of the local supplier base; engaging with suppliers; and improving supplier knowledge of NHS procurement processes and opportunities.”
All public sector contracts over £50,000 are published on Public Contracts Scotland (PCS): www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk. Suppliers must register on this free of charge public website to view these opportunities and set up automatic alerts when contract opportunities are published.
For more information on NHS Ayrshire & Arran procurement visit: www.nhsaaa.net/ services-a-z/procurement.
We look forward to meeting and engaging with local Ayrshire suppliers during Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce Business Week 2023.
Contractors, partners and communities joined Vattenfall this June in celebrating the inauguration of South Kyle Wind Farm, the 50 turbine renewable energy development east of Dalmellington.
Vattenfall’s CEO Anna Borg hosted the official ceremony, with hundreds of local people attending the community fun-day celebrations later that month.
Construction commenced at South Kyle in 2020, with Vattenfall pioneering a new locally-focussed approach to procure locally where feasible and deliver added value through
local initiatives and schools activities. This saw the project spend around £44million with local businesses, a 67% local workforce and engagement with more than 500 local youngsters.
Now, an independent, peer-reviewed study of the impact of this approach has found that for every £1 spent by the project over £9 in local social and economic value was delivered. Plus, the wind farm’s community benefit fund – worth around £38million over South Kyle’s lifetime – will now deliver funding for
We are delighted to announce our new partnership with Ayrshire Safety Group (ASG) - a fully independent health and safety group managed by their Group Executive Committee and led by Chairman, Paul Young.
Claire Baird, Ayrshire Chamber CEO, “The team and I are pleased to be able to welcome another key partnership to further strengthen support for Ayrshire Chamber members.
“ASG have offered 50% off their joining fees, exclusive to members of Ayrshire Chamber. I would encourage any of our members who are interested in joining the
group to get in touch with the team to make use of this fantastic offer.”
ASG are ambitious about promoting best practice health and safety standards across a wide range of sectors. Their members are afforded valuable CPD opportunities to further progress their industry knowledge. Each month, guest speakers cover a variety of topics followed by discussion and reflection from Ayrshire Safety Group members - most notably, their annual legal updates from a Health and Safety Executive Inspector.
Paul Young CMIOSH, Chairman of Ayrshire Safety Group said of the partnership, “We are delighted to be partnering with
projects across the area with a clear focus on community wealth building.
Carol Kane, Regional Liaison for Vattenfall in south west Scotland said:
“South Kyle has demonstrated that with a locally focussed approach onshore wind investments can deliver significant economic benefits to local economies and communities, and we look forward to building on this with Vattenfall’s pipeline projects in the south west including the proposed wind farms at Quantans Hill and South Kyle II Wind Farm.”
www.vattenfall.co.uk/southkyle
the Ayrshire Chamber, gaining the group exposure to potential new members and a chance to liaise with other Ayrshire based organisations.”
Details of ASG’s upcoming meetings, and how to become an ASG member, are available on Ayrshire Safety Group’s brand-new website. Their September meeting will cover the use of defibrillators and basic life support.
To find out more about the exclusive 50% discount Ayrshire Safety Group offer, please contact Joan McMurdo via jmcmurdo@ayrshire-chamber.org or call 01292 678666
www.ayrshiresafetygroup.com
Fundamentally it’s about risk and making informed choices about what’s important to you.
Every decision you make involves some element of uncertainty. That’s why we offer independent advice, recommending practical solutions instead of pushing products.
We will never compromise in our mission to do things properly and get the details of your policy right the first time. As trusted advisors who love building long-term relationships, our goal is to make a positive difference to the lives of our customers.
Stewart Temperature Solutions is delighted to have received an incredible 50 five-star reviews on Google, showcasing their excellence in air conditioning, refrigeration, ventilation, and air source heat pump installations and repairs. This achievement wouldn’t have been possible without their exceptional team’s dedication and expertise.
Stewart Temperature Solutions want to express their heartfelt gratitude to their wonderful customers for placing their trust in them. Customer support and positive feedback inspire Stewart Temperature Solutions to continuously strive for excellence in every project they undertake. Stewart Temperature Solutions understand the importance of comfortable environments, energy efficiency, and reliable systems,
and are committed to providing top-notch solutions tailored to customer needs.
At Stewart Temperature Solutions, we take pride in our commitment to quality, professionalism, and customer satisfaction. Each review is a testament to the team’s hard work and the trust customers place in them. Stewart Temperature Solutions look forward to
continuing to serve their customers, exceed expectations, and create comfortable spaces that enhance your lifestyle and business operations.
Stewart Temperature Solutions thank all their customers. They are excited to continue this journey, and are always here to address any heating, cooling, and ventilation needs.
As the crisp Ayrshire breeze brings in Autumn, mark the season change by taking stock of your business’s digital marketing. With Christmas approaching (apologies for bringing it up already), there are loads of ways to proactively prepare your digital for the holidays.
From an agency considering all this as we speak for clients, here are some tips to optimise your Autumnal digital marketing in time for Winter:
Conduct an Autumn Audit: Evaluate everything you’re doing right now on all your channels (social media; website; paid ads, email marketing, etc). What’s getting engagement?
What’s not? Importantly, what performed well and what didn’t last Wintertime? Dig into the data and gauge how you can best coordinate across your top-performing assets.
Optimise for Mobile: In the colder months, people will be cranking up their screen time sitting indoors. Ensure your website’s mobile-friendly and optimised for a seamless experience across all devices. Test it on Google’s ‘Mobile-Friendly Test’.
Plan Holiday Content: Brainstorm unique ideas for winter campaigns and develop a schedule for launching and promoting offers on your site and socials. Use keywordtool.io to check what winter-related terms users are searching for. Create new website pages to
target these and include the keywords in metatags; headers; and on-page content.
Leverage Local SEO: Capitalise on local strategies to target customers within your vicinity. If you haven’t already, create and verify a free Google My Business listing. Fill it all out with accurate and up-to-date info about your company and what you sell. You can add images and offers here too.
By planning your digital marketing now, you can hit the frozen ground running as everything gets more hectic.
Summer is coming to an end (did it really begin?) and our young people are returning to school, starting college, university, an apprenticeship or whatever path they have chosen. The recent #NoWrongPath activity is one of my favourites each year and is such an important message for young people, particularly if they have received exam results that perhaps will require them to change the path they were hoping to follow. Thank you to everyone that took part in this and shared their stories over our social media campaign, it really does have a significant impact on our young people.
Over the summer there has been continued activity on not only the DYW Ayrshire
Innovative School Projects, but also the launch of two Innovative Community Projects at Trindlemoss Day Opportunities Centre in Irvine. I was fortunate to be able to attend the official launch of ‘Baristamoss’ and ‘Glam Hideaway’, two fantastic projects which will support young adults with learning disabilities in learning the skills and gaining experience to assist them in entering into work. It was a lovely event and a wonderful opportunity to meet with these young people and see the very real difference that projects such as these make to their lives.
The DYW Ayrshire team has also been supporting employers in renewing their commitment to the Young
Persons Guarantee, please contact the team if you wish to renew, or have not yet signed up to this initiative. The employers of Ayrshire have much to offer to young people and the YPG is an important way for us to ensure you are able to engage in a way that suits your business.
Thank you, Lorna Gibson, Chair, DYW Ayrshire
DYW Ayrshire held our first ever School Coordinator Development Day in May 2023 where we were joined by 25 DYW School Coordinators at the Fenwick Hotel. This event allowed teachers to share best practice and hear from organisations/employers about what support they can give them going forward.
We were delighted to welcome guest speakers for coming along to a highly informative and insightful day: with thanks to Scottish Government, VoiceAbility, Fuel Change, Young Enterprise Scotland, Social Enterprise Academy, Skills Development Scotland, Hub South West, Spirit Aerospace, Woodward, Chevron and Ryanair for speaking to our coordinators.
We were delighted to receive positive feedback from all who attended and look forward to arranging our 2024 conference.
At Booth Welsh, we are proud to be a Young Person Guarantee employer. We understand the importance of growing talent within our organisation and are committed to providing opportunities for our younger workforce to thrive.
Over the years, our apprenticeship scheme has evolved. We have
successfully trained over 90 apprentices across various disciplines, from trade to modern and graduate-level apprenticeships.
Through participation in Workplace Innovation programmes and the Fuel Change sustainability challenge, we have engaged 90% of our younger workforce in exploring practical solutions that can help reduce our carbon emissions and be implemented as innovative business practices. These initiatives allow the team to learn about strategic decision-making, gain more diverse skills and be further empowered to develop their own career path.
We were thrilled to have been shortlisted for two
Net Zero apprenticeship awards, which highlight our commitment to upskilling and leveraging the talent of our younger workforce. Our young people bring fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to the table, which are crucial in our journey towards achieving net zero and addressing the challenges facing modern businesses. We look forward to working with our partners to continue building the workforce of tomorrow.
Special recognition in this quarterly edition goes out to all the employers who have renewed their pledge since our last issue:
Ailsa Reliability Solutions Limited
Robert Burns Birthplace Museum
MKM Building Supplies (Kilmarnock) Ltd.
Jamie Paton Heating & Plumbing Ltd.
Shire Housing
The Waterfront at Coyle Water Fishery
Ryanair (PAML)
Prestwick Golf Club
Craigengillan Estates
CCL (North) Ltd
Sense Scotland
Ayrshire Credit Union
South Ayrshire Council
Thistle Help
Auchrannie Resort
Saxen Security
Wallace McDowall
Cyclestation
Taylor & Henderson
Visit Arran Training First
J & D Pierce Contracts Ltd
Activon
We would like to welcome our new YPG employers:
Pro Lawn Ltd
Watermiser
If you’d like to get involved, contact Wilson Barrie: wbarrie@ayrshire-chamber.org
A visit by the P6 class from St. Mary’s Primary School, Largs, to the remains of Haylie Neolithic chambered cairn near Douglas Park, has helped to further inspire their Learning for Sustainability project, facilitated the extension of the class’ outdoor learning curriculum, and contributed to supporting the future conservation of this nationally important, and legally protected monument.
Students meet local scientists and learn about contamination through hands-on science experiments
Led by staff from Archaeology Scotland (AS), who are supporting a project at the site under one of their flagship schemes, Adopt-a-Monument, which aims to help local communities engage with and conserve their local heritage, the class spent the morning exploring the remains of the chambered cairn, learning all about the site, the different types of conservation issues it is currently at risk from, and what we could do about these. After lunch, with facilities generously provided by Douglas Park Bowling Club, the class gathered in a circle to handle two Neolithic stone hand axes, very kindly loaned to us for the afternoon by Largs Museum. Both artefacts were found in Largs, one found approximately 50m from Haylie - a real tangible and special moment for everyone!
Follow-up activities based around Haylie are planned, all of which will contribute to the class receiving their Heritage Hero Awards: a wider achievement award designed and managed by Archaeology Scotland for history, heritage, and archaeology projects.
The day was enjoyed by all, and some children have already taken their families to the cairn, with a much greater interest in it as a result of the deeper knowledge they now have.
Our huge thanks to St. Mary’s Primary P6 class, and their teachers, to DYW for facilitating communication with the school, to Jennifer Strachan the AS Adopt Student Placement for her work in developing the session, to Richard Topping and Largs Museum, and finally, to Douglas Park Bowling Club.
Helena Gray from Archaeology Scotland
The Curiosity Cube, a retrofitted shipping container transformed into a mobile science lab, toured Ayrshire from 23rd to 27th May 2023. 46 Merck Irvine employee sparked curiosity in over 500 students. With the support of the Ayrshire Chamber & DYW, the Curiosity Cube visited Ayr Academy, Loudoun Academy and Auchenharvie Academy. It also stopped at the Merck Irvine Site for a family day with employees.
During the Curiosity Cube visit, students had the opportunity to interact with local STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) experts to learn all about surface, food & beverage as well as environmental contamination. As one S2 student at Auchenharvie Academy shared, “I like the microscope experiment and how you can look at contamination. I definitely recommend the Curiosity Cube to any school or student interested. I enjoyed the learning activity outside the classroom.”
Mr. Marwick, a teacher at Auchenharvie Academy, shared, “It has been so lovely to see all the pupils fully motivated, engaged and enjoying the experience at the Curiosity Cube. I have got a few pupils who struggle to remain concentrated in class but at the Curiosity Cube, the motivation levels are through the roof, so thank you.”
Kelly Foster, Merck Irvine Site Director, joined a Curiosity Cube school visit and added, “The Curiosity Cube gives our employees an opportunity to give back to their communities and sometimes, the school where they studied. This is our way of ensuring that young people in our communities understand more about science – to SPARK the interest in them early. This way, we can encourage kids who might have thought otherwise about pursuing a career in science.”
William Duncan Accountants were delighted to work with DYW Ayrshire to invite local pupils into their Head Office in Ayr on Wednesday 7 June 2023. The team were pleased to welcome 18 pupils and representatives from South Ayrshire Schools Prestwick Academy, Belmont Academy and Marr College for their first ever Careers Open Day. The taster event was a chance for pupils to find out more about William Duncan Accountants as a firm and what they do. Pupils were also given the chance to learn more about what they would need to do in order to have a career in accountancy as a school-leaver or at graduate level.
The pupils were able to talk directly to current trainees and recently qualified team members about the realities of working and studying in an accountancy practice. The programme also included some interview hints and top tips to success and those attending impressed by showing off their knowledge during a round of Accounting Lingo Bingo!
The William Duncan team members involved completely stepped out of their day-to-day roles and comfort zones to help support the event and thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the pupils on the day. They were delighted to receive lots of positive feedback following event so much so they hope to repeat it again in the future. Thanks must go to the education team at Ayrshire Chamber for supporting the event and for helping to showcase William Duncan as a first-choice destination for those interested in pursuing a future career in accountancy.
Emma Sloan, Client Relations and Development ManagerOur Work Experience team, within our host organisation Ayrshire Chamber, have started their annual canvass mailing process to source placements for Academic Session 2023 – 2024 for North and South Ayrshire secondary schools.
If you are an employer who is looking to:
· Recruit a young person
· Keen to give back to your local community
· Seek an opportunity to make a young person aware of your business’s routes or pathways
· Create a pipeline of future talent Invest in your future workforce
The Work Experience Programme could be the right fit for your business. We regularly hear that skills is one of the main issues facing businesses. The skills and qualities that a young person develops whilst on a placement make a real difference and support them on their career journey.
As well as being able to host a young person on a week-long placement, some secondary schools are now adapting towards a flexible approach to work placements.
If you would like to find out more about the work placement programme then get in touch with our Work Experience team workplacement@ ayrshire-chamber.org
Robert Burns Academy and the Barony Campus had the pleasure of launching our Skills Academy in March where pupils had the opportunity to showcase their work through the DYW Innovative Projects. Pupils welcomed the local Provost to officially open the Skills Academy along with other members of the local authority and businesses, DYW and those involved in coordinating projects to see some presentations, listen to some live music, participate in some interactive activities and enjoy produce from the groups.
The Barony Campus innovative projects include the “Bean and Gone” Barista group. A barista was present in both Auchinleck and Cumnock Academies and has continued into the new
Robert Burns Academy. Pupils delivered a short presentation about what they do in the class with support from Ayrshire College and served guests with some delicious hot drinks. The group have launched a small business within the school and hope to expand this with our new cohort next year. Ayrshire College are also involved in the delivery of our Bike Maintenance project; “Barony Bespoke Bicycles” where pupils learn how to repair and maintain bikes.
“Barony Buttons”, a fashion and textiles project, and “All Fired Up”, a pottery project paying tribute to local history, were also launched. These are presented via the fantastic Art department and pieces have been produced at sold at school events with an aim to
Opportunities in Irvine connects people with learning disabilities to new ways to be active within their own lives and their communities. A variety of activity is underway to link people with chances to develop skills that will help them in their journey towards work or other vocational activity. This reflects the profound under-representation of people with learning disabilities in employment, as highlighted in recent work by the Fraser of Allander Institute, despite their right to
and wishes for these kinds of opportunities. As part of its response to this, Trindlemoss Day Opportunities was lucky enough to receive wonderful support from Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Ayrshire and guidance from Walter Smith MBE to purchase a barista machine, with the intention of training people in its use, and giving them the chance to use those skills on site and in catering at external events. This work has been branded under the name ‘Baristamoss’ and has already successfully delivered
continue to grow.
The Supported Learning Centre operate our horticulture project called “The Robert Burns Market Gardens”. The centre have done an amazing job developing this project and growing plants to sell throughout the year, using the plants to make secondary products and organising events that involve the whole school as well as the local community. The event was a huge success which could not have run without the fantastic support from those involved in projects as well as DYW Ayrshire and Ayrshire College and we look forward to continuing to build this relationship and developing new ones with local industries.
Caitlin McIlvanney, Teacher of Biology & DYW Coordinator, Robert Burns Academycoffee making services at events across North Ayrshire, including at Lockhart Academy. In addition, Trindlemoss has set up the ‘Glam Hideaway’: a dedicated room on site where people can gain new skills around topics such as hair and nail care, again with a view to building employable
skills. Both initiatives were formally launched with the support of Sheriff Iona McDonald, Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran, and North Ayrshire Provost Anthea Dickson, on the 9th of June. These new vocational opportunities sit alongside a growing variety of arts-based activity and community collaborations at Trindlemoss, including a poetry and art exhibition in the Harbour Arts Centre throughout September. All this work shares a common aim, with regard to making the gifts and skills of people with learning disabilities evident and accessible to communities, in the interests of fostering greater inclusion for all. For more information, please contact:
Linda McClymont, Manager, Trindlemoss Day Opportunities
We were delighted to support #NoWrongPath for the 7th year to provide inspiration and reassurance to young people receiving their exam results. The campaign took place on Tuesday 8th August 2023, Scottish Exams Results Day. Our education team, colleagues at Ayrshire Chamber and friends at QTS were amongst hundreds of employees who shared their story to celebrate the day. We would like to extend our congratulations to the 145,000 learners across Scotland on their achievements and wish them the best of luck on their next steps.
Established in 1963 as Ayrshire Office Services supplying office stationery and furniture, the company has grown and evolved over the years into a full business service provider. A change of name in 1997 to Active Office, due to the growth of business throughout Central Scotland, also saw the company acquire businesses in Glasgow and Falkirk.
Well known for the supply of Office Stationery - Active Office have been long established in the IT and Document Solutions industry providing IT Support to hundreds of businesses throughout Ayrshire. In addition,
we are fully accredited in the supply and support of ERP business software from Sage and Pegasus.
With the changing business landscape due to Covid such as working from home and the digitisation of businesses, the Active Office Technology division has continued to evolve, introducing document management software solutions, VoIP telephony and heat free environmentally friendly printers.
Further development of the business saw significant investment into our Print and Promotional Goods division with new equipment allowing us to provide a full suite of printed and branded products.
Introducing our fastest growing division, Active Office Workwear, we can supply all your workwear and PPE requirements with our own in-house embroidery team. A new service currently being introduced to clients is PPE vending machines located on client’s premises allowing the management and supply of PPE such as gloves, ear and eye protection and high vis garments.
We may have started out selling paperclips, staples, and envelopes but we have progressed far from stationery over our 60 years.
www.activeoffice.co.uk
Gailes Golf:Leisure, has appointed Scott Garrett as the new PGA Head professional to lead the coaching and golfing programmes.
Garrett is a fully qualified PGA professional who brings a wealth of experience to the new role. He was recognised by Golf World Magazine as one of the Top 100 British coaches.
“Throughout my career I’ve been very fortunate to have access to the best coaches, and I’m fortunate to be able to pass on those skills to the next generation of golfers,” said Garrett, looking forward to the latest chapter in his career.
“I believe the best coaching should be at the start of your golfing journey, especially when it comes to juniors because they're [hopefully] going to play for the rest of their lives.
It is that passion and commitment Garrett will bring to some of the coaching programmes at Gailes Golf:Leisure, such as the established ‘Juniors do Golf’ and dedicated Ladies’ coaching programmes on offer. Garrett and the PGA team will also be available for one-to-one lessons at the Gailes Golf:Leisure Academy that includes state-of-the-art technology in the teaching studio and the only Toptracer Range in Ayrshire.
“We are delighted to welcome Scott to the
team at Gailes Golf:Leisure. We have the very best facilities here and we look forward to working with Scott as be brings new ideas to the golf coaching programmes here at The Gailes,” said SimpsInns’ owner Malcolm Simpson.
For more information on PGA coaching and golf development programmes at Gailes Golf:Leisure, visit www.gaileshotel.com/golf/ pga-coaching
William Duncan Accountants, a part of the Dains Group of Companies, are delighted to announce the promotions of Gary Ferguson and David Young to the prestigious position of partner. As partners, Gary Ferguson and David Young will assume pivotal roles in shaping the future of William Duncan Accountants, driving its continued success.
Gary, who has been an integral part of the firm's progress, trained and qualified with the business. With more than 23 years of experience, he has developed expertise
in non-audit compliance and digital development. As a partner, Gary will continue to lead by example, offering innovative solutions and forging strong bonds with the diverse client base of William Duncan.
Gary stated, "I am delighted to now be a partner within the business and look forward to contributing towards its continued success".
David, a valuable addition to the team from a prominent Big 4 Firm, provides clients with invaluable guidance. As a Partner, David will utilise his expertise to drive excellence in client service and guide the business
n Are you or any of your staff experiencing difficulties with: Mental and emotional wellbeing, Physical health and pain, Overwhelming circumstances
n Are you worried about staff attendance / absence and the impact on your business?
n Is health making it difficult for you / your staff member(s) to attend work?
n Do you wish that you could provide support but are worried about the cost?
towards new opportunities for growth. David commented,
"These are exciting times at William Duncan and having recently joined forces with Dains Accountants we anticipate continued growth and digital innovation".
Robert Fergusson, Managing Partner stated,
"We are excited to announce the promotions of Gary Ferguson and David Young to the position of partner. Both Gary and David consistently demonstrate exceptional performance, delivering outstanding results for our clients.
n We can help. The Ayrshire Growth Deal has invested in support for local business, providing rapid access to qualified and experienced NHS Case Managers. This service is fully funded with no charge to individuals or business.
n We provide holistic health and wellbeing support, including access to appropriate treatments including physiotherapy and counselling, to support individuals remain in / return to work
To find out more, please call us on 0808 196 3919 or you can make a secure referral for support at www.ayrshire.salus.co.uk
The Board of Directors is delighted to welcome the following companies as recently joined members of Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry:
9CC GROUP (THE)
Auchinleck
Stephen McCarron
A C CURRIE LTD
Troon
Alex Currie
A1 IRONMONGERY LTD
Ayr
David Maxwell
ALL HANDS ON EARTH LTD
Largs
Reece Ewart
ALPACAS OF SCOTLAND EXPERIENCE
Drongan
Angela Mitchell
ARMOUR HOME IMPROVEMENTS
Ayr
John McCulloch
AUTOMOTIVE SCOTLAND LTD
Ayr
Chris McMahon
AVOXTR
Prestwick
Ronnie McLaren
AYRSHIRE MAGAZINE
Ayr
Grant Jamieson
AYRSHIRE PRECISION ENGINEERING LTD
Low Coylton
Chris Hepburn
AYRSHIRE SAFETY GROUP
Prestwick
Paul Young
BEAM SUNTORY UK
Glasgow
Adam Bowie
BLOWIN' FREE
Kilmarnock
Elaine Borland
CHRISTIANS AGAINST POVERTY
Irvine
Alan McLaren
CLEARSIGHT STRATEGIES LTD
Dundonald
David Christian
COAST PLUMBING SUPPLIES LTD
Kilwinning
Craig Devlin
COFFEE BREAK LANGUAGES
Ayr
Catriona Pendleton
COGEO PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES LTD
Irvine
Dave Anderson
FLAUNT AND FLOURISH
Girvan
Victoria Rose
FRANCIS HEALTH & WELLBEING HAIR
LOSS SPECIALIST
Galston
Amanda Jess
FRIENDS OF THE BROADWAY PRESTWICK
Prestwick
Guy Walker
GLOCAL CORPORATE RESEARCH & INVESTIGATIONS
Kilmarnock
Ifran Farooq
HAUS OF DENTISTRY
Prestwick
Adam Morgan
HHE ENERGY LTD
Kilwinning
Jamie Paton
INFINITE RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS LTD
Kilmarnock
Stewart Dickson
J PATON PLUMBING & HEATING LTD
Kilwinning
Jamie Paton
KILMARNOCK HEARING CARE LTD
Kilmarnock
Sean Walls
KILTS 4 U LTD
Prestwick
Iain Carlton
LOCHHILL DAIRY CO
New Cumnock
Brain Young
LPC DESIGN & PRINT
Largs
Scott McGregor
MENOPAUSE HEALTH MATTERS LTD
Ayr
Maggie Holloway
PERTEMPS
Glasgow
Barry Lee
RECOGNITION EXPRESS WEST SCOTLAND
Ayr
Graeme McQuaker
SALES GEEK
Bishopton
Peter Barclay SCOTTFIT LTD
Prestwick
Struan Eyres
SRP ACCOUNTING AND ADVISORY LIMITED
Kimaurs
Scott Partyka
THE LAST MINUTE BARMAID LTD
Ayr
Jacqueline McCulloch
THISTLE BUSINESS SERVICES
Kilwinning
Carolyn Fogarty
THORNTONS LAW LLP
Dundee
Stephanie Carr
TRACK CIVIL ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS
LTD
Kilmarnock
Altin Staka
WHITE VELVET EVENTS
Troon
Ann MacGillivray
WS RECRUITMENT LTD
Ayr
Tamila Hulchii
We want to recruit more members to strengthen your business network and create more business opportunities for you. We are asking you to help by referring companies you know to us. When they join, we’ll reward you with a choice of special offers to help your business. Call the membership team on 01292 678666 or visit the referral page on our website - www.ayrshire-chamber. org/member-benefits-services/ referral-scheme.