B4 Issue 61 - Business As A Force For Good Edition by B4 Magazine

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B4 MAGAZINE ISSUE 61 FEBRUARY 2020

The Best of Both Reciprocate and NEXUS announce new partnership Page 40

From Waste to (Social) Wealth

CORONA VIRUS

How can businesses adapt to neutralise their environmental impact?

6 Page 36

Is your supply chain affected? Page 90

YEARS OF TWIN TOWN CHALLENGE

B4 catches up with Brendon Cross of STL Communications to talk about the Twin Town Challenge and the past 25 years of business success

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2020

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

T C E N N O C

B4 is More Than Networking

What does B4 mean to you? We’ve often wondered what makes B4 stand out from the crowd, and after many years we feel we might finally have the answer: B4 is more than networking.

Through our wide variety of events, from casual mingling in beautiful venues, to Masterclass sessions where you can gain new skills from other B4 members, to sit-down dinners in prestigious establishments where you can forge excellent relationships with some great characters in the B4 community, B4 has it all.

But that’s just the thing. We do have it all. We’re not just about events…

B4 is not just a networking group. We don’t ask you to stand up in front of 50 people and pitch yourself for 20 seconds, instead we work to develop business relationships that will last and bring you success and peace of mind for

many years to come.

We’re a high quality magazine, where your business is promoted and your knowledge and news is shared with other local businesses and the wider public. We’re a wide-reaching social media platform, where we celebrate our members, their successes, and the human side of business.

We’re digital, we know that technology is the future and we are putting all of our efforts into improving our current website to bring you real-time interaction with the wider B4 community. The B4 website enables you to promote your business to the B4 community and beyond with fantastic additional functionality coming soon.

We’re video producers and photographers, interviewing members from our growing community, creating inspiring and informative

promotional videos, and shining a light on the personalities in our community through high quality photos.

B4 is for business people who understand that success is achieved by nurturing long-lasting and trusted relationships. The B4 community encourages collaboration, reciprocation and a focus on the importance of integrity and honesty. We are proud of our B4 members, and they should be proud to be known as such.

And so, once again, B4 is more than networking: B4 is a thriving and connected business community where like-minded companies and individuals collaborate, learn, share and grow together.

But most importantly, underlying all that we do, are our values.

We hope you agree that B4 is definitely about #morethannetworking 2

#morethannetworking

B4 JOIN THE B4 COMMUNITY B4 is a membership organisation which provides you with a wide range of tools to help you to…

Increase your Profile Make great Connections Learn new Skills …and much More! B4 is for business people who understand that success is achieved by nurturing long-lasting and trusted relationships. The B4 community encourages authentic ethos, collaboration, reciprocation and a focus on the importance of integrity and honesty.

Read our “Join The Community” info brochure online at bit.ly/2mfSg1A

SUPPORTING THE OPINIONS OF THE OXFORDSHIRE BUSINESS COMMUNITY For more see www.oxvoice.co.uk

WELCOME TO ISSUE 61

THE TEAM

What a vibrant, feel-good issue this is…Business as a Force for Good and we’ve got so many fantastic examples of how businesses are doing great things for local charities, social enterprises and the world we live in. Our new NEXUS programme helps B4 Members form partnerships with charities, social enterprises and start-up businesses and it’s already yielding great results for all concerned. Our annual business event, BIO2020, which this year runs from 2nd to 4th June, is built on the foundations of responsible business and this issue, the great organisations which feature in it and the NEXUS partnership programme epitomise everything that we want to profile at BIO2020 – find out more on page 28 about this blockbuster event featuring over one hundred incredible speakers.

Richard Rosser Chief Executive & Editor

Colin Rosser Chairman

This issue of B4 is a first….Brendon Cross of STL Communications features on our cover for the third time. We couldn’t wish for someone better to grace the cover…Brendon launched the phenomenal Twin Town challenge back in 2014 and he recaps on the success of Twin Town, looks ahead to Twin Town 2020 and also introduces us to new STL Managing Director, Paul Ballinger. The Twin Town challenge has set the level for business engagement with charity and the impact on the beneficiary charity, SpecialEffect, has been astonishing. Many of us have been inspired by Brendon and his grit and determination to make this event spectacular and if you’ve not been inspired yet, you will having read his article. There is so much wonderful content in this issue of B4, it’s hard to highlight it all. Look out for Tony Hobbs of Chapman Robinson and Moore who asks if a good business is good for business; Finders Keepers reflect on their charitable work in 2019; Unipart’s Steve Wilson looks at how businesses are having to adapt to neutralise their environmental impact; Jayne Woodley, Chief Executive of Oxfordshire Community Foundation, explains how B4’s new initiative, NEXUS, will incorporate Reciprocate moving forward; Blenheim showcase their huge donation to The Archway Foundation; Adept Graphics explain the benefits of connecting with B4 and how the NEXUS programme has enabled them to partner with Abingdon & Witney College; Helen & Douglas House give loads of inspirational ideas to engage with them; we get a look behind the scenes at the very special, SpecialEffect, and learn more about the great work of Emmaus Oxford, Oxfordshire Youth, Quest for Learning, Cowley Road Carnival and Sobell House; CIS discover what happens to your IT equipment when you no longer need it with IT Schools Africa; Owen Mumford, one of the region’s largest employers, reflect on how they are a force for good; Helen Money finds out how food can be a force for good; Aston & James investigate how we can all be more environmentally friendly and, finally, Pembroke College highlight why they are a sustainable venue for your business. We also spotlight the great work that Oxford Bus Company are doing for Oxfordshire’s business community… but with a word of caution; Wellers help you protect your business ideas from being stolen; Carter Jonas look at a new opportunity for landowners and developers and Jo and Anthony Robinson of Indulgence Boutique Hospitality launch Hospitality Heroes. We also have three interesting and very different articles from Freeths: how Coronavirus (COVID-19) could affect your supply chain; a ‘Freethinking’ approach to separation; and a look back on an evening with Lord Digby Jones focusing on Oxford’s place in the global market. Enjoy B4 61

Keith Simpson Senior Designer

Lorna Waterfield Production Manager

Rob Scotcher Design & Photography

Ed Rosser NX

Richard Rosser Editor

MORE ABOUT B4 p02 p06 p08

B4 More Than Networking B4 Contents B4 Platinum, Gold, New & Renewing Members

p10 p12 p14 p19

B4 Events Calendar B4 Forthcoming Events B4 Community News NEXUS News

O X F O R D S H I R E

Sue Rosser Credit Control

Contents news 14 19 23 56 57 125

36 From Waste to (Social) Wealth from Unipart Expert Practices

B4 Member News NEXUS Partner News NEXUS Introduction Event Recap Cowley Road Carnival News Sobell House Hospice News Twin Town Challenge News

Unipart Expert Practices consider how businesses will need to adapt to neutralise their environmental impact.

lead

49 Creating a SpecialEffect from SpecialEffect 51 Helping the Formerly Homeless from Emmaus Oxford

24 T-Winning! B4 chats to Brendon Cross of STL Communications and the Twin Town Challenge about the past 25 years.

53 60 Years of Achievements from Oxfordshire Youth

39 Saving a Fine View from Blenheim Palace.

55 Learning Support from Quest for Learning

58 Ethical I.T. Recycling from CIS Ltd 60 Charity, Community and CSR from Owen Mumford

incorporating RECIPROCATE

63 Food as a Force for Good from Helen Money Nutrition

40 The Best of Both from Reciprocate & NEXUS

Learn about how NEXUS and Reciprocate are bringing charitable partnerships to the business community.

43 Combating Loneliness from Blenheim Palace 45 Investing in Oxfordshire from Adept Graphics

Business as a Force for Good

64 Be Socially and Environmentally Conscious from Aston & James

46 Four Ways to Help from Helen & Douglas House

66 A Sustainable Venue from Pembroke College

property

33 Good Business = Good For Business? from Chapman Robinson & Moore 34 Charity of the Year from Finders Keepers

68 The latest commercial properties from VSL & Partners 70 Conservation Covenants from Carter Jonas

B4 finance

technology

75 Does Your Payroll Comply? from Whitley Stimpson

104 Smart Homes and Supply Chains from Unipart Logistics

76 Protecting Business Ideas From Being Stolen from Wellers 78 Considering Profit Extraction from Charles Stanley

legal

106 Introducing RapidMooc from Saïd Business School

venues

90 Coronavirus - Is Your Supply Chain Affected? from Freeths Freeths take a look at whether the rapidly spreading virus will affect your supply chain. 93 Tales of the Unexpected from Gardner Leader

109 New Identity for 10th Anniversary from Oxford University Event Venues 110 Brand New Co-Working Space in Oxford from The Wheelhouse 112 Stylish Conference & Event Venue from Milton Hill House

94 Freethinking Approach to Separation from Freeths 97 Immigration Specialist to Support Oxford Market from Penningtons Manches Cooper

98 Oxford’s Place in the Global Market from Freeths

108

corp. lifestyle

services

114 Introducing Charlotte Gridley from Strangebrew

82 Oxfordshire’s Business Community, Take Note from Oxford Bus Company 86 SME Growth and Oxfordshire’s Economy from OxLEP Business 89 Do You Need a Hospitality Hero? from Hospitality Heroes Catering

hr & recruitment 101 Winning the War for Talent from A R Hine Associates

marketing 103 Own Your Brand Story in 2020 from Build Your Brand Story

118 The Kingham Wow! from B4 120 Taking on the Lost City from Not Just Travel 122 Spiced Roots from B4

meet the community 50 Colette Norbury of Oxfordshire Mind 100 Diane Wilkinson of Connecting to Excellence

Member Directory 126

Platinum & Gold Members PLATINUM

Everything for the Workplace

2020 P O W E R E D

B Y

2020

 BIO 

CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK

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B4 New & Renewing Members

GOLD

Bodleian Libraries U N I V E R S I T Y O F OX F O R D

Become a part of the B4 Community today. Call 01865 742211, or visit www.b4-business.com

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TICKETS  WWW.BUSINESSINOXFORD.COM 2ND - 4TH JUNE, 2020 AT JURYS INN OXFORD

SEE PAGE 28 FOR MORE

B4 Events Calendar MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

March 2020 2

18:00 – 20:00 B4 Classic Event Oxford Business Park Members only

18:00-20:00 NEXUS Introduction Event Jurys Inn Oxford

11:00 – 12:30 B4 Welcome Brunch New B4 Members Only B4 HQ

18:30 – 22:00 B4 Dinner Ticketed event Said Business School

12:00-13:30 B4 Masterclass with Dynamic Coach Members only B4 HQ

18:00 – 20:00 B4 Classic Event Hilton Garden Inn Abingdon Members only

12:00-13:30 B4 Masterclass with Charles Stanley Members only, B4 HQ

Coach

18:00 – 20:00 B4 Classic Event Dirty Bones Oxford Members only

Members only B4 HQ

April 2020 6

18:00-20:00 NEXUS Introduction Event Jurys Inn Oxford

15 11:00 – 12:30 Explore B4 Non Members Only B4 HQ

16:30 – 18:30 B4 Tours Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre (SCEEC)

18:00 – 20:00 B4 Classic Event Divinity School Members only

W H O WI L L YOU S UPPORT? SEE WWW.NEXUS.B4-BUSINESS.COM FOR INTRODUCTION EVENT INFORMATION

B4 MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

May 2020 4

12:00-13:30 B4 Masterclass with Dynamic Coach Members only, B4 HQ

11:00 – 12:30 B4 Welcome Brunch New B4 Members Only B4 HQ 18:00-20:00 NEXUS Introduction Event Jurys Inn Oxford

June 2020 1

08:00-16:30 Business In Oxford 2020 (BIO2020) Ticketed event - Jurys Inn Oxford

BIO

19:00 – 22:00 B4 Dinner Jurys Inn Oxford

11:00 – 12:30 Explore B4 Non Members Only B4 HQ

18:00 – 20:00 B4 Classic Event Bicester Hotel Golf & Spa Members only

July 2020 6

18:00 – 20:00 B4 Classic Event Courtyard by Marriott, Oxford City Centre Members only

11:00 – 12:30 B4 Welcome Brunch New B4 Members Only B4 HQ

22 18:00 – 20:00 B4 Classic Event Blenheim Palace Members only

BIO Business In Oxford Event

NX Events

B4 Masterclasses

B4 Classic Events

B4 Welcome / Explore Events

B4 Dinners

B4 Workshop

B4 Tours

NEXUS Events

B4 Forthcoming Events powered by

B4 Masterclasses are a great opportunity to learn and share expertise with B4 Members. There is a hidden wealth of knowledge within our community which deserves to be promoted. Hosted by B4 at our offices, Masterclasses run for 90 minutes and include networking, refreshments, presentation and Q&A.

B4 Masterclass with Nick Hughes, Dynamic Coach Date: Venue:

Tuesday 17th March 2020 @ 12:00pm - 1:30pm Tuesday 5th May 2020 @ 12:00pm - 1:30pm Thursday 3rd September 2020 @ 12:00pm - 1:30pm Thursday 5th November 2020 @ 12:00pm - 1:30pm B4 HQ, The Stables at The Moat, Northampton Rd, Weston-on-the-Green, Oxon, OX25 3QL

Masterclass with Nick Hughes: Disruption or stagnation – What is your plan?. Disruptors have been and will continue to be at the forefront of driving change in their market – in order to stay ahead of the game you need to embrace these disruptive sales tactics, but how do you know which will take you forward and which will just waste time, money and energy? This event will help you identify the ones to embrace and those to ignore, and how to embrace disruption so you can achieve the outcomes you want for your business. Target Audience Mid to Large SMEs

B4 Masterclass with Ian Brookes & Richard Elliott Date: Thursday 26th March 2020 @ 12:00pm - 1:30pm Venue: B4 HQ, The Stables at The Moat, Northampton Rd, Weston-on-the-Green, Oxon, OX25 3QL Masterclass with Ian Brookes & Richard Elliott from Charles Stanley: Lifestyle financial planning for your business. An informative discussion on our experiences advising business owners regarding their financial planning needs. We will look at Pension funding options, Business Protection for Key Personnel and Share Holder Protection. We will also explain why it’s important to have a personal cashflow forecast to sit alongside an owner’s business cashflow forecast. Target Audience SMEs, business owners, lawyers.

Please note • Masterclasses are free of charge for B4 Members, but please note there is a £30+VAT fee for non-attendance if you do not let us know at least 72 hours in advance. • Places are strictly limited to 12 guests.

Upcoming B4 Classic Events B4 Classic Event at Oxford Business Park Date: Thursday 5th March 2020 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm Venue: Oxford Business Park, Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2JT

B4 Classic Event at Hilton Garden Inn Abingdon Oxford Date: Thursday 19th March 2020 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm Venue: Hilton Garden Inn Abingdon Oxford, Marcham Road, Abingdon, OX14 1TZ

B4 Classic Event at Dirty Bones Date: Tuesday 31st March 2020 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm Venue: Dirty Bones, 304 The Westgate, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 1PG

W H O WI L L YOU S UPPORT? SEE WWW.NEXUS.B4-BUSINESS.COM FOR INTRODUCTION EVENT INFORMATION

B4 B4 Tour of Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre Date: Thursday 23rd April 2020 @ 4:30pm - 6:30pm Venue: SCEEC, Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre, Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire OX14 4TE

B4 Classic Event at The Divinity School Date: Monday 27th April 2020 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm Venue: The Divinity School,Bodleian Library, Broad St, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 3BG

B4 Classic Event at Bicester Hotel Golf & Spa Date: Thursday 25th June 2020 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm Venue: Bicester Hotel Golf & Spa, Chesterton, Bicester, Oxfordshire OX26 1TH

B4 Classic Event at Courtyard Oxford City Centre Date: Thursday 9th July 2020 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm Venue: Courtyard Oxford City Centre, 15 Paradise Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 1L

B4 Classic Event at Blenheim Palace Date: Wednesday 22nd July 2020 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm Venue: Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1PP

B4 Classic Event at TOAD Date: Wednesday 23rd September 2020 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm Venue: TOAD, The Oxford Artisan Distillery, Cheney Lane, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX3 7QJ

B4 Classic Event at Ashmolean Museum Date: Thursday 19th November 2020 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm Venue: Ashmolean Museum, Beaumont Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 2PH

Please note • Classic Events are free of charge but please note there is a £15+VAT fee for non-attendance if you do not let us know at least 72 hours in advance. • It is not appropriate to leave flyers, business cards on tables, or banners at the venue. Any found will be disposed of. • There will be photography at the event. If you wish to decline being photographed – please attach a red dot sticker to your badge at registration.

More events being confirmed soon! Register for all of the above at www.b4-business.com

Upcoming B4 Dinner Events B4 Dinner at Saïd Business School Date: Thursday 12th March 2020 @ 6:30pm - 10:00pm Venue: Park End St, Oxford OX1 1HP

B4 Dinner at Jurys Inn Date: Thursday 4th June 2020 @ 7:00pm - 10:00pm Venue: Godstow Rd, Oxford OX2 8AL

B4 Dinner at Blenheim Palace Date: Wednesday 28th October 2020 @ 6:30pm - 10:00pm Venue: Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1PP

Please note • The dress code for some of these events is “Black Tie”. Please check the individual event listing. • Platinum and Gold members members are entitled to a number of free tickets – Please get in touch with us to check your allocation. • Non-Platinum members, Non-Gold members and guest tickets are £150+VAT per head. • Places are limited so please so please book early to avoid disappointment. • There will be photography at the event. If you wish to decline being photographed – please attach a red dot sticker to your badge at registration.

More dinners being confirmed soon! Register for the above at www.b4-business.com

B4 COMMUNITY NEWS

for wheelchairs and buggies, there is an event for everyone, welcoming established runners and newbies alike. Run for fun, or bring a team and fundraise for your favourite charity. Great for a workplace challenge. All finishers receive a medal. Trophies for individual winners as well as teams. Entry fee for the run includes entry to the palace park grounds. For more information see: www.blenheim7k.co.uk

The MGroup Partnership - more ACCA success The MGroup Partnership are celebrating success as five members of the team recently passed their final ACCA exams to become qualified accountants. Since joining the firm, Ben Kinchin, Alice Nelson, Ollie Squire, Rob Chowne and Jordan Lyne have been working hard in their studies to obtain the professional qualification. It is a fantastic achievement as a firm to have such a high success rate and to watch them develop into valuable members of the team.

BH&O: more support for our community

www.themgroup.co.uk

Bicester Hotel and Spa

The lawyers and team at specialist family law firm Boardman Hawkins & Osborne LLP are taking part in the Great Legal Bake-off. This is a nationally organised event, raising much needed funds for free legal advice charities. BH&O believe that everyone in our society should have access to legal advice where possible, and the legal aid cuts from a few years ago have made this more and more difficult. As a result, legal advice charities are struggling in an environment of more cuts, against a background of greater demand. The team at BH&O recently took part in the Oxford Legal Walk, and this will be the second year they have taken part in the Great Legal Bake-off. Their event is taking place at their Abingdon based offices on Wednesday 12th February when they will be selling cakes and bakes for two local charities; Abingdon Citizens Advice and Flag DV (a legal advice charity operating across the Thames Valley offering advice to the victims of domestic abuse). Partner Ruth Hawkins confirms “This marks the firm’s strong commitment to supporting our local community, and to giving something back.”

Blenheim 7k 19th April 4 miles on wheels and 1 mile junior races Blenheim Palace provides the stunning setting for this family-friendly event, sponsored by Freeths Solicitors and the Oxford Business Park. You can run, jog or walk the spectacular route around the grounds and with a junior 1 mile event for under 15s and 4 miles

This April, Bicester Hotel and Spa will bring a high-end, sports performance gym to Oxfordshire. As well as a Performance Gym there will also be a 200m Swimming Lake, outdoor Grass Running Circuit and Assault Course. The Performance Gym will be equipped with premium Matrix equipment appealing to training enthusiasts, amateur sports people, professional athletes and teams looking for a facility which can be used for elite sports performance training. Unique to Oxfordshire, thisstate mof the art new facility will provide an inspiring space for people training for triathlons, Iron Man events, Powerlifting and Olympic Weightlifting to name a few. With the Assault Course offering a great area for team building and Tough Mudder practice. As well as swimming, the 200m Lake will be open to Paddle-boarding and other water sports. To celebrate the opening, Bicester Health Club is offering three months free to the first 100 new members to sign-up. www.bicesterhotelgolfandspa.com

www.bholegal.co.uk

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Tickets now on sale for the Cherwell Business Awards 2020 The CBA team is delighted to announce that the tickets are now on sale for the 9th Cherwell Business Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner, taking place on Friday 15th May 2020 at the stunning Heythrop Park, Enstone. The Awards span all business sizes and sectors, new and long-established, as well as recognising innovation and sustainability and with 9 award categories, there is something for everyone! Last year, more than 260 guests enjoyed a fantastic evening celebrating the hard work, success and entrepreneurship of business people within Cherwell district. During the evening guests enjoyed a drinks reception and 3-course dinner, with a band and photo-booth adding a real sense of fun and celebration to the night. This year, the event promises to be just as fabulous, so if you would like to be part of the 2020 celebrations, tickets can be purchased from Eventbrite at a cost of £85 per person. You can buy them individually, or full tables can be booked for 10/12 people. www.cherwellbusinessawards.co.uk

Groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction of the new Zeus building at Harwell Campus Local dignitaries, including David Johnston, OBE, MP for Wantage, and Vale of the White Horse Councillor Bethia Thomas, attended the groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction of the new Zeus building at Harwell Campus. Zeus is the first in a new collection of multi-occupier hybrid buildings. Having won the project through an Architect competition, Allies and Morrison has worked to create a welldesigned and efficient building that will sit both elegantly and sensitively in its natural environment. Providing high-quality yet functional space, the thoughtful design aims to retain the

cluster of trees on the plot. Named after one of the 14 experimental nuclear reactors (now decommissioned), built and located at Harwell in the 1950/1960s, Zeus is a speculative development for science, technology and engineering organisations. With the requirement for this type of hybrid space in the UK increasing Zeus has seen high levels of demand. Zeus will complete in September 2020, with Barnwood Construction appointed as the main contractor. www.harwellcampus.com

Getting Business People Walking and Talking Together Natural Netwalking is on a mission to #getbusinesspeoplewalking, enjoying the benefits of fresh air and exercise whilst doing business. It is known as the healthier way to Network. With a successful first year, testing the concept and gaining a positive reaction from the Oxfordshire business community, Natural Netwalking is set to expand. Companies, as well as, individuals are supporting this initiative with Mark Barclay, Hedges Law and MD2MD recently joining as members. www.naturalnetwalking.co.uk/ membership-sponsorship

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Natural Netwalking are now building a team of Netwalk Leaders and have created a win-win business model that enables Leaders to own a Netwalk within the brand and link together to offer more Netwalking Benefits for members. Interested? Join one of our monthly Netwalk Leaders Opportunity Webinars. www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/naturalnetwalking-21761743290 Enjoy a relaxed, healthy way of making connections. We look forward to seeing you on a Netwalk soon www.naturalnetwalking.co.uk

One of Oxfordshire’s Leading Family Wealth Lawyers has been appointed to the new Panel of Guardians Jane Maitland, a partner in Freeths Solicitors’ family wealth department, which is ranked as one of the UK’s Top Family Wealth Teams by The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners, has been appointed to the newly formed Panel of Guardians. The Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017 came into force on 31 July 2019 and created the role of ‘guardian’ for missing persons. Guardians are given authority to safeguard and manage a person’s assets after their disappearance or whilst they are in prison. The role provides similar powers to those of an attorney or deputy for a person lacking mental capacity. Previously, a missing person’s assets essentially became ownerless because financial institutions were unable to take instructions from family members. This was difficult for families because the missing person’s money became inaccessible for ongoing expenses, resulting in unpaid bills and property falling into disrepair.

Cherwell Business Award nomination for Executive Support Solutions Exec Support Solutions is proud to have been nominated in the ‘Micro Business Award’ for the Cherwell Business Awards this year.

www.freeths.co.uk

www.execsupportsolutions.com

My Sales Guru is proud to support Wooftastic Oxfordshire, which you can find on Facebook

Jane Maitland, said: “This appointment builds on the work that I have done on the Office of the Public Guardian’s panel of deputies looking after the finances of those who are mentally incapacitated and as an Independent Administrator of contested estates. The Guardianship (Missing Persons) Act 2017, which is informally known as Claudia’s Law, supports families in incredibly difficult circumstances by removing the worry about the every day financial affairs of their missing relative. As a member of the newly formed Panel, I will bring to the role over 30 years of experience in advising people on their family affairs.”

The business was also nominated in the same Business awards for 2019 but the feedback indicated the business was a little too young so here’s hoping 2020 will be the year for the win! Winners will be announced at the Awards ceremony held 15th May 2020 at the beautiful Heythrop Park in Enstone.

My Sales Guru is proud to support Wooftastic Oxfordshire

Whilst still a relatively new business to the Cherwell Valley region, Exec Support Solutions is making a biggerthan-micro impact amongst the business community. Founder and Director, Jennifer Williams, launched Exec Support Solutions in August 2018 after a successful corporate career as a Personal Assistant and since then the business has gone from strength-tostrength.

If a person disappears or is detained in prison, a guardian should be considered to preserve and manage their assets until they return or are found to have died or are declared presumed dead after they have been missing for 7 years. Jane’s appointment means she has been recognised as a court-approved guardian.

As an owner of 3 dogs, its not always easy to know which businesses are and are not dog friendly, which is why I am supporting the work of Wooftastic. In the UK, there are around 8.5 million dogs. People love to take their dogs with them, whether it’s on holiday or just to the local pub. Unfortunately, it not always easy to find out where people can take their dogs and be welcomed with open arms – a cuddle for the dog that is, not the owner! Wooftastic Oxfordshire post details of dog friendly venues in Oxfordshire.

These could be hotels, B and B’s, cottage rentals, pubs, cafes, tourist attractions, walks etc. If you like the idea, please share. If you’ve got any recommendations, you can contact Wooftastic Oxfordshire on Facebook via the message button.

New sponsorship opportunities for Oxford Bubble Rush If you are looking for a great way of getting your brand seen by thousands of people in Oxford to help a local charity, this could be the opportunity you are looking for.

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

To help, Oxfordshire based cyber security experts CQR have launched a new ‘Making Cyber Simple’ guide. The free introductory guide covers everything you need to know to start you on your cyber security journey. It includes practical tips and a jargon-free overview of the 9 core elements that can help protect your organisation against some of the most common cyberthreats.

file formats and storage types. What is digital archiving? This is the long-term preservation of analogue materials into digital data so that it remains accessible for people in the future. So from your old wedding video to corporate and historical archives, we can convert all your old media into digital files.

B4 Members can download a complimentary copy of the guide here: www.cqr.com/making-cyber-securitysimple-guide/ CQR’s experienced cyber security consultants have helped hundreds of organisations worldwide to manage their customer and employee data. Visit www. cqr.com to find out more. Helen & Douglas House, has just launched seven great sponsorship packages for their 2020 Bubble Rush event taking place on 7th June in Oxford which hopes to attract 1,500 participants. This great family fun run, now in its 3rd year, is a big favourite with Oxfordshire families. The sponsorship packages start at £200 for finish line treats, £350 for radios and first aid, £500 for water and three packages at £1,500 to sponsor the medals, t-shirts or bag drop which would carry your logo.

Future proofing your archives! Having successfully merged into a centre for conversion, digitising and archiving, Oxford Duplication can now take all old formats within audio, video, image and text and preserve them to modern digital

Examples of work: Family Video Tape Conversion, Cine Film Transfers, Book and Document Scanning, Slides and Negatives, Photographs and Albums, Microfilm and Microfiche, Optical Recognition Services, Broadcast Legacy Tapes, CD DVD USB Duplication, Audio Tapes and Restoration, Archival Scanning, Wide Format Scanning and much more… www.theduplicationcentre.co.uk

But be quick as the medal or t-shirts will be going to print in March. For more information on these great sponsorship opportunities, please contact Amy at: abottali@helenanddouglas.org.uk.

Blenheim Palace Offers Half Price Entry For Sustainable Travellers CQR Making Cyber Security Simple Cyber Security can be a challenging topic to master. It’s a fast-evolving area and despite becoming a hot topic in both our boardrooms and in the media, many organisations find it difficult to know where to get started. Your organisation is certain to hold some form of data but are you confident you have the necessary controls in place to protect it?

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Visitors to Britain’s greatest palace will save 50% off the admission if they travel to the Oxfordshire UNESCO World Heritage Site using sustainable transport. The offer, which is valid from 14th February to 31st March, is open to anyone who arrives either via public transport, by bike or in a fully electric vehicle*. The aim is to help raise awareness of Blenheim’s commitment to responsible tourism and environmental issues and to encourage visitors to consider greener alternative transport options. Woodstock and Bladon residents will be able to take advantage of this discount if they present their walking permits when purchasing tickets.

“Our aim is to be leading the way when it comes to green issues among the UK’s visitor attractions,” said Blenheim Palace CEO Dominic Hare. “We have seen a steady growth in visitors making use of public transport links, cycling or simply walking over recent years” *Hybrid vehicles will not be eligible and neither will be visitors arriving on foot as there is a risk this would wrongly encourage people to drive and then try to park in Woodstock and surrounding areas. Find our more at blenheimpalace.com/ gogreen

SME’s with legacy IT systems have been given a further year to comply with complex new digital tax rules HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) introduced the new Making Tax Digital (MTD) programme in April 2019. Since then, most self-employed people and business owners with a turnover above the £85,000 VAT threshold have been forced to file their returns online using specialised software. HMRC has introduced a new concession that will give some businesses more time before they have to file their first return. Those with complex or legacy IT systems now have until April or October 2020, depending on their filing deadline, to make their first submission.

John Skinner, senior manager at Whitley Stimpson says: “HMRC identified that a small number of businesses using particularly complex IT systems would face difficulties with the 2020 deadline putting those digital links in place. They have introduced a process to apply for additional time so that businesses are not penalised while making their best efforts to comply with all other MTD requirements.” www.whitleystimpson.co.uk

Afternoon Tea at Exeter College – back by popular demand! Exec Support Solutions is proud to have This Easter Exeter College will once again open its doors to the public for their now-legendary homemade afternoon teas. With booking opening for Mothers’ Day and Easter Sunday, tickets are expected to sell out fast! This is a rare and exclusive opportunity to take tea in Exeter’s Jacobean Dining Hall - once graced by JRR Tolkien, Philip Pullman and Roger Bannister - and

Unipart House to host charity community gallery for Oxfordshire Art Weeks Local artists are being invited to sell their work at Unipart House in Cowley to help raise money for Oxford Food Bank as part of Oxfordshire Art Weeks.

sample homemade scones and jam, sandwiches and petit fours created by their award-winning chefs.

The Unipart House community gallery runs from 19 to 21 May 2020 and is accepting applications to display art, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, textiles and photography. The deadline to apply is 31 March.

For more information, email conferences@exeter.ox.ac.uk

Artists chosen to display their work will do so for free, with 10 percent of any art sold donated to Oxford Food Bank, the nominated charity for Unipart Group in Cowley.

Tickets will be available to purchase from the Exeter College Porters Lodge from Monday 16th March for bookings on selected dates 22nd March-19th April.

Debs Astles, Unipart Group HR director - corporate responsibility, said: ‘We want to open up Oxfordshire Art Weeks to our employees and the wider community

to help raise money for our nominated charity Oxford Food Bank which saves £1m of food from landfill every year, redistributing it to 80 charities across Oxfordshire.’ To apply email artweek@unipart.com

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NEXUS Introduction Event focuses on the inspirational Twin Town phenomenon In the second of a series of five NEXUS introduction events at Jurys Inn, home of BIO2020, we welcomed an inspirational line up of speakers to give more than a few great reasons why supporting and collaborating with local charities, social enterprises and startup businesses can be so beneficial for everyone. There’s no better example of the business community and charity working together than the Twin Town events which have been running biannually since 2014. Created by Brendon Cross of STL and Nick Streeter of the beneficiary charity, SpecialEffect, Twin Town 2020 will see cumulative funds raised soar well beyond the £1 million mark. Guests at the event on Tuesday 4th February heard how Twin Town was created and has established itself in such a short space of time and how the benefits of Twin Town for SpecialEffect run far beyond the event itself.

Find out more about Brendon and Twin Town in the next edition of B4 out later this month. Brendon commented about the NEXUS event, “NEXUS is a brilliant example of great businesses coming together with excellent charitable causes and good opportunities to compare notes with likeminded people. Well done B4.”

Nick Streeter added, “Fantastic to have the opportunity to meet likeminded companies and charities at our debut B4/ NEXUS event and not only talk about the transformational benefits for the people SpecialEffect help, thanks to the Twin Town Challenge, but also learn more about the amazing partnerships and work across the business and charity sector in Oxfordshire.” The NEXUS introduction events are also an opportunity for charities, social enterprises and start-up businesses to promote themselves to potential supporters, an opportunity which B3’s (no relation to B4!) Kate Reid took to tell those in attendance more about the superb work that B3 is doing and how a supporter could benefit. Kate added, “Hearing about the Nexus partnerships already in place was a highlight. It was obvious how much value both sides placed on the collaboration, both gaining more than they anticipated, without too much pressure on either side.” We also heard from Leah Spasova of LifeSexperts who highlighted the growing issue of sexual abuse in the workplace and explained how a potential supporter could benefit from partnering with her organisation. Leah commented, “It is through partnerships that we can accomplish the brave and big goals we have and the Nexus program is a great platform that helps organisations and businesses to join forces and empower each other to reach new heights.” A glowing example of a NEXUS partnership in operation is that between Sobell House and YouHR. Ian Mundy of YouHR commented, “The NEXUS event helped You HR to bring to life the evolving partnership we have established with Sobell House and some of the great work we envisage taking place to support such a great charity over the next 12 months. Thank

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you B4 for providing the platform and opportunity for us to further our mission to give back to our local community.” Tim Wraith of Sobell House, who have been supporters of B4 for a number of years but can now benefit from the community without having to invest a penny, is equally engaged with NEXUS and YouHR, “It was great to be at the NEXUS introduction event at Jury’s Inn. Obviously I always like the opportunity to talk about the incredible work of Sobell House, but equally I loved hearing from everyone else. The NEXUS programme is such a positive initiative and a fantastic way to bring different partners together. Our partnership with

You HR is such a ‘win win’ for us and its brilliant to see it working for so many others.” If you would like to find out more about NEXUS, why not visit the website or come to one of our future NEXUS introduction events. See more below: www.nexus.b4-business.com

Future dtes for your diary Monday 9th March Wednesday 8th April Wednesday 13th May

WHO WILL YO U SUPPO RT ? INTRODUCTION EVENTS 9th March, 8th April & 13th May at JURYS INN OXFORD PLEASE REGISTER AT: HTTPS://B4NEXUS.EVENTBRITE.COM

If you would like to discuss NEXUS with the B4 team, please call us on 0 1 8 6 5 7 4 2 2 1 1 or email us at N E X U S@B4- BU SI NESS.C OM or for further information visit

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FOCUS on Giving Back to SpecialEffect We have launched our new fundraising initiative with SpecialEffect. We first came to hear about SpecialEffect in 2014 at business meeting. In the corner of the room was

and us to give back and help the charity. From now on, new customers quoting ‘SpecialEffect’ will pay exactly the same as they’d have paid anyway but the money that FOCUS donates from their policy will help SpecialEffect improve the lives of more disabled people.” The policies taken out can be for either personal or business insurance solutions, such as home and motor insurance, life insurance, commercial insurances, Directors & Officers liability, motor fleet, cyber insurance etc. To find out more about how FOCUS can provide you with bespoke insurance solutions and help SpecialEffect contact us on 01865 953 111.

The power of your body!

a banner about SpecialEffect. This got us talking about the charity and the Twin Town Challenge. Following this meeting FOCUS began supporting SpecialEffect in 2015 in the run up to the Twin Town Challenge 2016 event, which we became a main sponsor of as well as participating as a team in our dear old farmyard Porsche. Since then, we’ve expanded our support for SpecialEffect by taking part in events, sponsorship, donations, volunteers and provided insurance for Twin Town Challenge as well as becoming Twin Town Challenge participants in 2016, 2018 and again for the final time in 2020. 2020 sees us kicking off a new and innovative way of supporting SpecialEffect - by donating 20% of earnings from new insurance policies taken out by SpecialEffect friends, families, supports and connections. Quite simply, if you mention SpecialEffect when you call FOCUS for a new insurance policy, then it will have an immediate positive impact for the charity. Managing Director, Nick Jones, explains: “I wanted to find an alternative way of supporting SpecialEffect and this seemed like a great opportunity for our new clients (SpecialEffect supporters)

Two recent success stories have included a 26 year old that arrived in a wheelchair, with CFS and had been in it for 3 years. Following our programme, 11 weeks later, she was completely out of her wheelchair, and her Mother sent us a review informing us that the “wheelchair is now in the garage”.

The next, a poorly puppy. His stomach was super sensitive, he was waking us up 4-5 times a night. By scanning is body field, changing his diet, delivering the information into his cells through bio-imprinted remedies that his bodyfield needed to kick start its own super innate healing abilities, he stools changed, his fur coat started to show a sheen and even changed colour slightly, the white of his eyes became white – previously pink tinged, and that was just within 1 week! Never underestimate the power of your own body’s healing ability if you deliver the correct toolkit to help reenergise the system and deliver the information that it requires to the right places. www.breathe360.uk

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Raising your glass Premium British Honey and Infused Spirits brand, The British Honey Company (BHC), is raising a glass in honour of its forthcoming acquisition of the ongoing business of The London Distillery Company (LDC), known for its organic distillery drinks. The transaction, which is part of the BHC’s ambitious growth strategy, will be completed in early 2020. Launched in 2014, the BHC is famed for its award-winning fruit and honey infused spirits, marketed under the Keepr’s brand. Many of the Keepr’s spirits are infused with the BHC’s proprietary British Honey from its fully traceable apiaries. The impressive spirits range with seasonal lines spans eight gins, four vodkas, two rums, two bourbons and a whiskey which will be ready in 2022. First established in 1807 and reestablished in 2011, The London Distillery Company is an urban independent craft distilling business. The company produces world class spirits - including the multi-award winning Dodd’s Gin and Kew Organic Spirits, as well as being the producers of the first whiskeys from London for over a century - LV-1767 Rye Whiskey and the 109 Cask Single Malt. Michael Williams, Founder and Chief Executive of BHC, comments “The combined business will offer an enhanced range of products whilst expanding into a new customer base, which includes major supermarkets including Waitrose and leading quality stores such as Harvey Nichols and Fortnum and Mason. We are very excited to merge the businesses and build our expert team, as we seek new ways to expand our offering and and increase sales through additional channels here in the UK and around the world.” www.britishhoney.co.uk

■ Queen Elizabeth House

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Worcester College

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Beard specialise in complex construction projects from £200k to £20m We deliver all types of projects, including new builds, refurbishments, and design and builds We work across the education, arts and culture, commercial, religious, defence and health sectors We have four offices: Oxford, Swindon, Guildford, and Bristol We create an environment where everyone from site tradesmen to Beard director enjoys their work and gives it their best We strive to deliver all our projects promptly and faultlessly

Mansfield College

www.beardconstruction.co.uk Science Oxford Centre

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Leading Oxfordshire charities collaborate to deliver Youth in Mind We have launched our new fundraising initiative with SpecialEffect. “An amazing conference, so upbeat and positive. Even better than last year.” Oxfordshire Youth and Oxfordshire Mind collaborated to deliver Youth in Mind 2020, a mental health conference for anyone working with children and young people. The event brought together schools, public sector and third sector organisations all working to improve the mental health of children and young people. Over 400 delegates attended the event, which featured 60 exhibitor stalls, 16 workshops, a powerful performance from the Mandala Theatre Company, and much more. Oxfordshire Safeguarding Children’s Board commended Youth in Mind for its impact and for raising the important safeguarding issue of mental health and emotional wellbeing across sectors. Oxfordshire Youth is the leading youth organisation in Oxfordshire working for and with a network of over 150 youth organisations investing in young people in Oxfordshire. www.oxfordshireyouth.org

The Sobell House Golf Day Studley Wood Golf Club Friday June 5th Please do join us for the annual Sobell House Golf Day which is taking place on Friday June 5th. As always it will be at the wonderful Studley Wood Golf Club in the heart of the Oxfordshire countryside. It will be our eighth Golf Day and we have built up a fantastic reputation over the years. It’s a lovely course and we all receive fantastic hospitality from Ken Heathcote and his team.

A very big Thank You to our Headline Sponsors Oxford Gene Technology and Polythene UK. We have lots of other great sponsorship opportunities too. If you would like to take part or/and provide sponsorship to support Sobell House please contact Tim Wraith on Tim.wraith@sobellhospice.org www.sobellhouse.org

Oxford Homeless Movement Oxford Homeless Movement is a new partnership of people and organisations working together to ensure that nobody should have to sleep rough in Oxford. We aim to make a difference by enabling you to make difference –

Its £300 for a team of four which includes bacon/vegetarian rolls on arrival from 11.30am, 18 holes of Golf starting at 1.00 and dinner in the evening. We will have the usual competitions throughout the day along with our live auction.

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highlighting our city’s efforts to end the national scandal of rough sleeping and guiding volunteers, supporters and homeless people alike to the actions or services they’re looking for. Last Christmas we raised £150,000 to support homelessness charities and services. Our lived experience forum provides a platform for homeless people to have their say on how we end rough sleeping in Oxford. If you share our vision and values you can sign up to our rough sleeping charter and, if you can, make a commitment to help. Our most recent supporters include Somerville, University and Merton colleges – why not join them and hundreds more? Join us. To find out more, visit us at www. oxfordhomelessmovement.org.uk

B4 are proud to support Oxford Homeless Movement as part of NEXUS. Are you a business looking to support your local community, or a charity, social enterprise, or start-up looking for opportunities to help you grow? Let NEXUS help you. www.nexus.b4-business.com

T…WINNING Brendon Cross is the public face of STL, the energy behind the scenes and the driving force as the business builds on the twenty-five year-old foundations of its voice-based history and moves into IT based solutions. He’s also the founder of the phenomenal Twin Town charity event which this year will see cumulative funds raised for the wonderful SpecialEffect surge past £1 million. As STL enters a new and exciting period of growth, it’s also the perfect time for Brendon to introduce a new face to help the company really fly. Interview by Richard Rosser.

But rewind twenty-five years, I begin by asking Brendon how it all started.

business and is impatient and aspirational like I was, but I’ve told him to grow slowly.

“The business started in my bedroom when I lived in East Oxford, arguably at the wrong time when I had a new born son. The economic climate was challenging but I think in some ways it was a good time to start a business because you certainly had people’s attention. It was very difficult to borrow money from the bank so you started with everything you could scrape together and a credit card, the usual kind of things and you learn some lessons along the way.

“I’ve also learned that it’s all about people and not just delivering good service. I had a customer conversation with a long-standing customer recently who said, ‘the great thing about you is it always works. It just works. We never need to talk to you and I never need to call you’. I found myself thinking that was great, but not ideal…..we never get to prove ourselves, we rarely need to get our customers out of a hole, we sometimes don’t have that opportunity to cement a relationship or have any interaction. I suppose that’s where Twin Town now plays a key role in the business…it gives us face time with a huge number of our customers in a concentrated period of time which has a long term effect.” Some might say a special effect!

“The two biggest lessons I have learned in business are that the banks are fair weather friends who only want to give you an umbrella when it’s not raining …. you don’t see them for dust when it is. “The other, without being corny, is that profit is sanity and turnover is vanity. In the first seven years of STL we doubled the size of the business every year, but we made the same money every year. It could have been worse, we could have lost money, but we realised we were being busy fools…. why not go for 25% growth year on year and make more profit? And that’s what we have managed to and I’m now passing on those lessons to my twenty-five year old son, Jordan, who has just started his own

So did Brendon foresee a twenty-five years packed with growth back in 1995? “The vision on day one was to create a service company in what was the old communications world. We sold phone systems, we would cable a building, we did lines, we did calls, we probably did mobiles and way back then we’d stick it all on one bill which was pretty radical, because no one else was, and away we went.

“I sold the original business back in 2004 when I wasn’t looking to do so, but TalkTalk came along and offered us a decent price for the business which was great as I got to check a few boxes in my personal life. I’d started a business on wing and a prayer and all of a sudden, I had the funds and the cash to build the business properly. Since 2004, that’s what we have done with the right ticks in the right boxes in terms of ISO 9001 ISO13001 and, shortly to be announced, ISO27001 for Information Security.” In twenty-five years there have been plenty of highs and lows, but Brendon clearly draws immense pride from competing with bigger organisations with significantly deeper pockets. “We’ve always managed to compete with organisations that were supposedly bigger and stronger than we were and we’re still very fortunate to hold our own in a very competitive industry. We never count our chickens, but we’re very, very fortunate to count a number of F1 teams as our customers, so we’re delivering technology to a bleeding edge sector which allows us to be really good at delivering technology to leading edge sectors. “We were fortunate enough to deliver communications for the London 2012 Olympic Games, something that we weren’t able to shout about much at the time because BT were the main

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I’ve also learned that “ it’s all about people and not just delivering good service

”

Brendon Cross, STL

Communications sponsor for the Olympic Games and we had to go about our business quietly. There is no doubt whatsoever that David Cameron was very instrumental in creating a level playing field for us to compete and win that piece of business. We successfully delivered connectivity and voice communications in terms of handsets on desks and speech parts and everything to the main Olympic Stadium and to the backup which is a brilliant part of our heritage and our history.” At a recent B4 event, Brendon spoke passionately about the iconic Twin Town event alongside Nick Streeter, one of the key driving forces behind SpecialEffect which has grown remarkably since Brendon’s first meeting with Nick. So how did it all start? “I was lucky enough, eight years ago, to be invited to go and meet the guys at SpecialEffect. I went along for a coffee and ended up spending a day there and finishing in the pub with a beer…. I became completely captivated by everything the team did there, it was awesome! “SpecialEffect have been on a journey and it’s now an established charity that has grown from ‘Witney to Worldwide’, a phrase which is used internally within the charity. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my work there and we have been able to marry that work,

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to interweave and to integrate that with STL so SpecialEffect is in STL’s DNA and has been for a number of years. But through Twin Town, STL is also interweaved with Special Effect’s DNA, so it’s a great marry up.

I’ve always enjoyed “running my business,

I’ve always enjoyed what we’ve built at STL and what STL is all about, its DNA and what it stands for

”

Brendon Cross, STL

“Twin Town 2020 (this year’s event runs from 1st to 4th May) is certainly going to be the last in the current format, but we have other ideas about some things we might want to do to continue to give the charity an income stream. “To be able to create some headroom to be able to do that is quite important for me, especially if I can do that with an STL hat on and retain that connection between the two. What you’re doing at B4 with NEXUS is fabulous, it’s actually fantastic and we want to be a part of that, it’s key for STL to

be a part of Twin Town and initiatives like NEXUS.” Brendon reveals that the effects of Twin Town go far beyond the bi-annual events. “Listening to conversations between the charity’s Dr Mick Donegan, Nick Streeter and Tom Donegan, Twin Town has provided a significant boost to the charity in that it enabled it to take more space and allowed them to address more people by taking on more occupational therapists. I’d like to think our involvement also changed the outlook of the charity in how they went about expanding. In terms of the financial impact of Twin Town, it will have generated £1.25 million pounds by the end of Twin Town 2020 which will go directly to the charity. Although the event is every two years, Twin Town revenue has accounted for around 10% of the charity’s annual income. “The success of SpecialEffect is very much down to the personnel that drive it, but my immediate observation when I first went for that chat with Nick was that they needed to engage the local business community and that’s what Twin Town has done. I’d been involved with something similar on a trip to Budapest and Nick’s opening question to me - he’s a very clever guy Nick - was that if you did it again how would you do it differently. Within an hour we had mapped out Twin Town – we thought we’d raise about £30,000 for the first one but ended up raising

£130,000 in 2014 and the 2nd one in 2016 raised £350,000. We did a third one in 2018 and raised £375k and we might go to £400,000 on this one, which will be quite staggering. But the cash raised is just one element of it. “The secondary benefit or bounce is that because you’ve got seventy local businesses involved as teams, a number of them will engage with SpecialEffect as their charity of the year …. For some, SpecialEffect has become their charity of the year for multiple years, as with STL, and so the extended fundraising beyond Twin Town is huge. “Our primary objective, as Nick and I used to say, was to make some friends and see what happens….. the rest has been beyond our wildest dreams.” I explain to Brendon that what he and the hundreds of people supporting Twin Town have done has inspired the rest of us. It certainly inspired me to set up two fundraising bike rides, run three London Marathons and more and, ultimately, NEXUS was born out of the Twin Town example and interaction with the likes of Grant Hayward, Dominic Hare, Jayne Woodley, Mark Beard and many more. It just goes to show how Twin Town’s effect has reverberated around the local business community and set the benchmark for us all to follow and continue to set examples to inspire others. I put it to Brendon that for that reason alone, he must be very proud. “I’m so, so proud. It’s funny, I wrote the foreward for this year’s event a couple of days ago, which will almost certainly be the last one. In previous years I have written something witty. Then you start to name check a few of the people that didn’t make it to the first Twin Town. Ironically the first person to ever sign up for the event passed away before the cars left Oxford - Bob Marchbank’s widow Maureen now presents the trophy every year. Cally Robson was part and parcel of the launch of Twin Town and helped me to get it going. Sadly, Cally didn’t make the first event either. We lost Nick Walker of Focus, a team mate of long term ‘Twin Towner’ Nick Jones,

in 2016…..so I’ve gone from trying to be witty to being quite emotional and wiping away a tear or two for past friends. “Twin Town has got to a stage where it has got so big … it could be massive. SpecialEffect is synonymous with computer games and that’s an industry we have only just scratched the surface of. But if it became bigger, would it be more corporate and less random…and that’s part of the success and the charm of the event. Although it is slick – we will have seventy-five volunteers with us this year, that random element is key. I touched on the volunteers… when he was in office, a representative from David Cameron’s cabinet office was working with some volunteers and wanted my assistance getting them to make a difference. I think he thought it was quite complicated but I said it was quite straightforward.

STL make my life “easier......they are

responsive and get it done; A friendly cooperative approach to business Harwoods

”

I said if you take caring, compassionate people ask them to make a difference, then they probably will.” Away from Twin Town and back to business, Brendon explains how STL has changed and is gearing itself for the next phase of growth. “Today’s business now looks markedly different to the business that we started. In terms of service delivery, that’s never really changed. What we’ve really managed to do over the last few years is tilt the axis of the business, so we’re now very much an IT company having moved away from being a voice, capex business. “We recognised that we needed to move on, we

needed to be agile, and we needed to change so that vision and that service delivery has always been there, what’s not necessarily been there is the ability to scale a business in the way that STL now has an opportunity to be scaled. Before, whilst we did provide multiple communication services to a customer, I think having the right accreditations and skill sets and tools to deliver a full IT service to a customer opens up many doors for us and I know we now deliver a very reliable service to our customers across the region. Being able to take IT services into our customers, if we only sold IT services to 50% of our customers, we would be somewhere near to tripling the size of our business…… and that’s where Paul comes in. “Paul (Ballinger) and I have known each other for 30 years. We both came into the same industry at similar times and took different paths, crossed paths occasionally and had a proper conversation 18 months ago, which has resulted in Paul coming on board as my Managing Director to help us take the business forward.” Although I’ve personally known Paul for the best part of eighteen months, until now I hadn’t appreciated two things. First the plan for Paul to take on a more hands on role to allow Brendon to devote his time to strategy and (for the next six months certainly) Twin Town plans for May and the Twin Town ball later this year. Secondly, the bond between the two couldn’t be stronger. This is an excellent move for the team at STL and, equally importantly, STL’s twelve hundred plus customers who are getting a bullet proof duo to build on the unparalleled credibility and integrity of Brendon. It’s not quite Torvill and Dean, but it’s not far off. I ask Brendon how the relationship is working. “We work so closely together and we speak every day. Many of our customers have been with us for so long that there is a lot of history and it’s important for Paul to be able to run things past me. Although he’s the one co-ordinating the team on a day to day basis, my number is everywhere on the

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Customer Quotes “STL have been fantastic and helped us with every stage of moving to our new telephone system, and are always on hand to resolve any issues quickly and without fuss. Their friendly and knowledgeable team are a great support to us.” Blenheim Palace

website and I am still a go to contact for many of our customers and I get that, I want that. Nothing has changed to be honest, I’m still in the same office and I’ll be there most of the time, although I am spending a significant amount of time on Twin Town at the moment.

always been a safe pair of hands. We’re recognised such by our customers. Moving forward, Paul is also a safe pair of hands with a load of knowledge in the industry and is the perfect appointment to scale a business like ours and to make us even better than we are.

“My role in management meetings is to listen more than direct – I leave that to Paul – but it’s great when I’m asked for my advice….. I am genuinely touched when someone turns around and asks me a question. But ‘Bally’ is very much his own man, he is very strong and has skills that I don’t have and I think my softer skills complement his skills perfectly. “I’m genuinely excited. I don’t think I have ever been more excited. I’ve always enjoyed running my business, I’ve always enjoyed what we’ve built at STL and what STL is all about, its DNA and what it stands for. We’re very much a family with a corporate outlook in terms of how we deliver and how we compete with our bigger competitors.

“Whoever you appoint and however well you might think you know them, you need to try and spend time with that person. Get them to spend a month with you…if they’re serious about joining you and you’re serious about taking them on, why would either of you object to that? They need to get to know you better and you need to see if the fit is right, with you and the team. The chemistry has to be right otherwise what you have built to that point could start to have cracks in.

“There is huge opportunity for us to grow. We see that not just within our own customer base, we also talk to people every day that are keen to make sure that their IT support, their communications, their mobiles and everything connected comes through one supplier. In a world where people are trying to rationalise and trying to simplify and just try to try to make life easier, STL can play a huge part. We need a person like Paul to help us get to where we need to be.” Paul will assume his new title on 5th April and Brendon will assume the role of CEO and will focus on projects agreed on between them and potential M&A activity. Before turning to Paul for his take on the his role and the future of STL, which we will look at in more detail in the next edition of B4, I ask Brendon what advice he would give to anyone in his position looking to take someone on board to help their business get to that next, vital stage in their business’s life. “I’d start out by saying that, as a business, we’ve

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“As a final word, I have the advantage of knowing Paul for a long time and it was without doubt evident then that he was a hugely capable and competent guy. We were young sales guys then and we didn’t know what we didn’t know, but Paul was very driven and I think anybody that now knows Paul through STL would say is a very driven guy....he drives himself and he motivates the people around him to do the best at all times I know he’s the man to help me drive our next exciting chapter at STL.”

“STL provide us with our office internet and cloud-based telephone system. The service with STL is always great and we have a dedicated account manager who is always at the end of the phone if we need to discuss anything. We are currently moving premises and STL will be cabling up the new office, as well as providing a new high-speed leased line and telephony. Again, I have no doubt the process will be smooth and well managed by STL.” Alto Energy “STL make my life easier......they are responsive and get it done; A friendly co-operative approach to business.” Harwoods “Being in a remote location, we constantly struggled with our broadband provider and after many frustrating years made the move to an STL dedicated lease line. It’s been a breath of fresh air, not only are we saving money but we are dealing with a company that really seems to value its customers - no more dreaded call centres! Queries or concerns are dealt with quickly and efficiently by a team of friendly staff. We wish we’d found them years ago!” HorseQuest UK Ltd “We found STL Communications at a time when our company was going through big technology changes that we couldn’t keep up with. They came in with cool heads, extensive knowledge, amazing customer service, patience and kindness. Our business is now in a place to safely continue online, and STL remains our main contact for anything IT and communications related.” Annie Sloan Interiors Ltd

Facts & Figures Calls connected annually by STL – 20.1 million Minutes handled by STL Annually – 60.3 million  sales@stlcomms.com  0800 316 0123  www.stlcomms.com

Telephone numbers managed by STL – 69,287 27

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...Any business that “ ignores the needs of its

customers, employees, suppliers and community to maximise profits is taking a short-term view that will fail

”

Tony Hobbs, Chapman Robinson & Moore

IS A GOOD BUSINESS GOOD FOR BUSINESS? Written by: Tony Hobbs, Managing Director, Chapman Robinson & Moore

There is much talk these days about responsible business, and the need for greater corporate responsibility, perhaps more talk than action in many instances. The recent Davos summit was dominated by debates around saving the planet, fairer economics and better business reflecting this current mood. Last summer there was a move by several Davos regulars to remove the idea of shareholder primacy, and 200 business bosses put delivering value for shareholders last on their list of five factors for determining corporate purpose. The others on the list were customers, employees, suppliers and communities. So, where does this leave the already overwhelmed business owner? Can you run your business for the greater good and still have a good business for yourself? I believe that the answer to this is yes, and it does not necessarily mean that you sacrifice business efficiency.

above, any business that ignores the needs of its customers, employees, suppliers and community to maximise profits is taking a short-term view that will fail. If a business focuses on these factors then it is guaranteeing its medium to long term prospects, and therefore looking after its shareholders. So, what needs to change? Well if you already have a focused strategy and strong values for your business which are encapsulated within your business plan,

I believe passionately “that businesses need to accept responsibility to all stakeholders; customers, employees, suppliers, communities and shareholders Tony Hobbs, Chapman Robinson & Moore

”

The issue of casting aside shareholder primacy is an interesting one, given that UK law is based on this as a principal, although changed to an extent by the 2006 Companies Act.

probably little if anything. If you do not feel confident that this is the case then consider the following questions;

In my view, what is often happening is that these different aspects of business are being seen as opposite and opposing which I believe is wrong. I see that the primary aim of a business must be profitability, otherwise nothing else can happen given it will not survive. But taking the five factors given

• Do you have systems in place to ensure that you deliver products/services to your clients on time and fit for purpose? Do those systems also monitor customer satisfaction, and follow up on any issues raised? • Do you ensure that your team are fairly treated,

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properly motivated, and rewarded fully for their efforts? Have you schemes in place to protect key employees, and safeguard their future with you? • Do you have systems in place to ensure suppliers are treated fairly and paid on time, subject to them having delivered satisfactorily? • Does your business plan include your contribution into the local community, and is this properly resourced in your budgets in terms of time and money? • Do your business forecasts show the right level of profitability to sustain your plan, and make a return for the shareholders? If you cannot answer yes to all of the above then you need to revisit your strategy and business plan. I believe passionately that businesses need to accept responsibility to all stakeholders; customers, employees, suppliers, communities and shareholders. I do not think that ranking the stakeholders is necessarily helpful. A balanced business plan that delivers on all fronts will benefit all, and produce a profitable business in the long term. A good business certainly can be good for all.

 crm@crmoxford.co.uk  01865 379 272  www.crmoxford.co.uk

BUSINESS AS A FORCE FOR GOOD Our support of charities and events within our community used to be a bit haphazard. In 2009 we decided to set up a “Charity of the Year” initiative, to pool together the efforts of our eight offices and focus on making a big difference for one local charity. In order to get our people behind the idea we knew we had to involve them in selecting the charity. Over the years we have fundraised for Sobell House, B.O.B Air Ambulance, Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres, The British Heart Foundation and, most recently, Oxford Children’s Hospital. Written by: Victoria Lyall

budding bakers “ Our across our eight offices do like to hold bake sales, whether they sell to the public or to their sweettoothed colleagues!

”

As 2019 was our 10th anniversary of having a centralised charity partner, our aim was to raise £10,000 for the Children’s Hospital, based at the John Radcliffe. The charity funds the best medical equipment, research, training and facilities for both patients and staff. The hospital wards are very bright and happy spaces, built around the needs of children and their families, with indoor and outdoor play areas, sensory rooms and even a school on-site.

Activities We held several events throughout the year, and our people were superb in their enthusiasm, volunteering for the various events: • OX5 RUN: This event takes place around the beautiful grounds of Blenheim Palace and the glorious spring weather made the event really special. We had 37 people - and six dogs 34

walking or running the course. We were told this was the biggest corporate team the event has ever had and TeamFK raised £3,590. • Bake sales: Our budding bakers across our eight offices do like to hold bake sales, whether they sell to the public or to their sweet-toothed colleagues! We held bake sales throughout our offices in March, May and December and raised a total of £992.10. • Bucket collections: We manned bucket collections at supermarket foyers in May and November, raising a total of £300.64. We also heard some heart-warming stories from people who have had direct experience with the Children’s Hospital. • Quizzes: We had held a quiz night in 2018 and found it was a firm favourite. In May 2019 we had 13 teams taking part and we had secured a fantastic raffle, with prizes generously donated from our friends in Summertown, including Tesco,

Majestic Wine, Cannelle Medispa and many other retailers. Later in the year Rachel Thraves, Senior Property Manager in North Oxford, designed a quiz, which we completed individually and the winners were announced at the company Christmas party. Together, the quizzes raised £1,187.10. • Skydive: The more fearless team members signed up for the Great Horton Skydive and got support and donations from all their colleagues and friends and family. After a couple of false starts (the jump was postponed twice due to poor weather!) the team successfully completed their tandem skydives, raising an impressive £1,246.46. • Oxford Half: In October nine of our people ran the Oxford Half Marathon. Elsewhere along the course, 15 of our team members had volunteered at an aid station. They stood in the pouring rain in Marston from 7.30am to midday, handing out water and shouting words WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

It has really been “ wonderful to see how enthusiastic everyone has been about fundraising for the Children’s Hospital

”

of encouragement as the runners went by. We were proud and amazed at both groups’ stamina and fundraising prowess, with £1,295 raised for the Oxford Children’s Hospital. In spite of the persistent and sometimes very heavy rain, our runners completed the challenge with a smile on their faces, and only words of positivity were heard from our team of volunteers at the end! • Online Auction: By autumn we were approaching our target but felt we needed a final push. So our marketing team put together an auction which was hosted on our website. Local businesses and some of our local contacts kindly donate prizes to the auction, which was held in late November. We were able to gather some fabulous donations including spa days, a meal for 2 at a Michelin starred restaurant, room redecoration, signed books, a Christmas tree, a cookery course and even some signed F1 merchandise. The auction raised an amazing £2,014 WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Community fundraising Our fundraising will help to support projects like the cutting-edge bedside monitors which can travel with the child throughout the hospital, whether to or from intensive care, into theatre or between wards, meaning young patients would no longer need to be disconnected and reconnected to multiple machines as they do now.

to have such a diverse range of activities and events, which involved so many different team members. This enabled us to surpass our target and raise a total of £10,625.30 during 2019.”

Community fundraising also helped to fund the new Ronald McDonald Parents Accommodation, which will benefit parents of patients being looked after by the Oxford Children’s Hospital, Children’s Critical Care and Newborn Intensive Care at the John Radcliffe Hospital. “Paul Rushworth, Managing Director of Finders Keepers, said: “It has really been wonderful to see how enthusiastic everyone has been about fundraising for the Children’s Hospital. It was great

 victoria.Lyall@finderskeepers.co.uk  01865 311 011  www.finders.co.uk

FROM WASTE TO (SOCIAL) WEALTH Government figures estimate that five million tonnes of plastic are used each year in the UK, half of this is packaging, and just 45% of it is recycled. The impact of human activity on the environment will be the topic of the next decade and businesses will have to consider how they will adapt to neutralise their environmental impact. Written by: Steve Wilson, Managing Director, Unipart Expert Practices

Mark Carney, Special Envoy to the UN on Climate Change and Finance, warns “Companies and industries that are not moving towards zerocarbon emissions will be punished by investors and go bankrupt”. Businesses already use ‘social value’ reporting to push environmental narratives which are tied to measurable actions and results. However, it’s one thing to have the metrics and targets in place, but how will companies deliver the change that is needed?

How do you take out waste? One approach to business improvement is ‘Lean’. Lean originated from Japanese manufacturing and focuses on eliminating ‘waste’ from business

activities, serving to improve Safety, Quality, Cost or Lead time of processes. These wastes are traditionally the activities carried out by people, that consume resources (adding cost) and create no significant value for the customer. Typically, eight wastes are sought out for removal, these are: Transportation, Inventory, Motion, Waiting, Overproduction, Over-processing, Defects & untapped human Skills. The Unipart Group, an Oxfordshire headquartered company, has developed Lean thinking into a core part of its philosophy, ‘the Unipart Way’. Their approach is to empower and engage employees to drive continuous improvement across operations and customer supply chains. Unipart’s consultancy

Process 1 Goods in from suppliers

Process 2

business successfully uses this philosophy to help organisations across the world achieve change via ‘Lean transformation’ activities. This is no mean feat – traditionally a significant proportion of change programmes do not sustain their results for long. To overcome this, Unipart rely on a toolkit of techniques. The first of these techniques is to implement ‘Standard Work’ to ensure that all types of operations run in a safe, repeatable, reliable and capable way. This includes identifying and removing waste across all operations from supplier to customer (the ‘Value Stream’). Producing the Value Stream Map (VSM) is followed by the use of a combination of tools that closely examine processes to find bottlenecks and

Process 3

Analysis to determine resources consumed and waste and emissions produced across the production or service delivery value stream

Identification and removal of waste through problem solving and process trials

Energy Water Water Raw-materials RawRa w-ma ate teriial als Non-recyclables NonNon No n-re recy cy ycllab abl ble les les Emissions Emis Emi Em issi sion ion ons s

Product out to customers

0.15KWh energy reduction per unit produced 5.3l reduction perr uni unit produced 5 .3l 3l off water red ductiion pe p it p rod duced d 153g scrap metal unit 15 53g 3g iincrease nc cre eas ase e in in s c ap m cr ettal al rrecycled ecyc ec yclle yc led pe perr un u itt reduction Single Plastics 95% 95 % re red duct du cti tio ion in ion in S ingl in gle Us Use Pl Use Plas asti as tics ti cs NA

Fig 1.

Figure 1: Visualising the waste that a Value Stream Map could help identify for removal through process optimisation

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inefficiency and remove them – stripping out waste and potentially saving significant sums.

A greener Lean The environment has been weakly represented in Lean thinking, focusing more on the monetary cost of raw materials and efficiency of processes. Many organisations deploy Passive Environmental strategies through Dilute & Disperse or Reactive Environmental; ‘After the fact’ approaches where the energy and waste footprint may be off-set elsewhere or shipped overseas. With physical waste and resources consumed by organisations causing real environmental harm, it’s undoubtedly time for the full ‘cost’ of these activities to be considered. Legislation is also not far behind. The revised Environment Bill will seek to make firms producing packaging to take more responsibility for the materials they put on the market.

Green wastes: the Environmental Value Stream Map The future will require more preventive environmental approaches (reduce, reuse, recycle) and a new, greener Environmental Value Stream Mapping tool (EVSM) could help. Like the VSM, the EVSM can be applied to processes, products, and services. An EVSM model would also identify improvements to reduce the volume and toxicity of waste and materials, conserve and recover resources and energy, and avoid burning or burying them. A new EVSM model would identify seven new ‘Green Wastes’ (Figure 1): Energy, water, nonsustainable raw materials, non-recyclable rubbish, WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

fossil fuel consumption, emissions and biodiversity. The aim of green waste identification is to extract the maximum practical benefits from products and to generate the minimum amount of waste. An EVSM will illustrate not just the time and cost required for a process but also the daily environmental footprint. Industry 4.0 technologies; the Internet of Things, big data analytics, and cyber–physical systems will bring further advantages. Real time data collection, analysis and monitoring of the environmental efficiency of processes in real time will make it easy for businesses to forecast compliance with regulation and their own targets.

returned consumer electronics. As part of Sky’s Ocean Rescue initiative in 2019, the use of new innovative re-usable packaging has seen Unipart Logistics and Sky together removing more than 120 tonnes of single use plastic from their operations. So that just leaves one question - what environmental targets is your organisation setting in 2020, and how will they be delivered?

Unipart Logistics “ made a commitment to the elimination of single use plastics in their supply chain by the end of 2020

”

In practice Whilst there is still a way to go, change is happening. Unipart Logistics made a commitment to the elimination of single use plastics in their supply chain by the end of 2020. Several teams have worked closely with customers through 2019, making use of Lean tools such as the Value Stream Map, to remove plastic wherever possible. In one facility the reverse logistics team eliminated 95.5% of all single use plastics consumed in the repair of

 hello@unipart.com  01865 383 053  www.unipart.com

FUN, FOOD AND FASHION! Home to over 100 stores featuring the best of the British Highstreet and prestigious global brands. Just a 5-minute walk from the city.

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£9M PROJECT TO SAVE FINEST VIEW IN ENGLAND A massive civil engineering project to help save the ‘finest view in England’ is set to get under way at Blenheim Palace later this year. Written by: Roy Cox, Estates Director Photography by: Blenheim Palace

The multi-million pound project will see more than 300,000 cubic metres of silt – enough to fill Wembley Stadium - removed from the Oxfordshire UNESCO World Heritage Site’s iconic Queen Pool lake. Due to begin in April it’s believed to be one of the largest, and most complex operations, ever undertaken at a British stately home and is expected to take up to two years to complete. Dubbed the finest view in England by Winston Churchill’s father, the vista across the lake and over the Vanbrugh-designed Grand Bridge to the 18th century Baroque Palace is under serious threat of disappearing. Decades of silt have meant both the Queen Pool and main lake have become so shallow they are at risk of drying out completely. “The original water depth was over two metres; however today across more than 70% of the lake it is less than 30cms,” said Estates Director Roy Cox. “Unless this dredging goes ahead the lake will have effectively disappeared within the next five years and this stunning and historic landscape will have been lost forever. “In addition to its unique importance from a heritage perspective, the Queen Pool and the rest of the

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lake system is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and provides a vital habitat for a huge range of wildlife ranging from water voles and otters to bats and wading birds. “The dredging will also have a positive impact on the wider environment and improve wildlife habitats beyond the Estate,” he added.

“ The dredging will also

have a positive impact on the wider environment and improve wildlife habitats beyond the Estate Roy Cox, Estates Director - Blenheim

”

As well as restoring the lakes to their original 18th century condition, the works will also reveal areas of the Grand Bridge that have been underwater since they were flooded by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown. Submerged rooms within the bridge will become temporarily accessible again and many archaeological features – including the original layout of a canal system that pre-dated the bridge – may become visible for the first time in centuries.

“The dredging will allow us, for the first time in more than 200 years to properly investigate the mysterious rooms and open spaces which Vanbrugh created inside the bridge and try to discover what their intended uses actually were. “We will also be working with archaeologists to find out what artefacts and remains have been deposited in the silt over the centuries. “The plan is to provide access and interpretation for visitors so they will be able to have their own unique glimpse beneath the surface of this historic landscape,” he added. The dredging and repairs to the Grand Bridge are part of a seven-year programme of restoration at Blenheim that will also see major conservation work of the Palace.

 customerservice@blenheimpalace.com  01993 810 530  www.blenheimpalace.com

Blending the best of both for everyone In the Chinese New Year, 2020 is the year of rat and whilst the rat might perhaps not be everyone’s favourite little animal it is one whose determination might inspire many of us as we look to achieve our organisational goals for the new decade ahead. Written by: Jayne Woodley, Chief Executive, Oxfordshire Community Foundation

Grant Hayward

Jayne Woodley

So, with 2020 considered a great year for founding and evolving we have some exciting news to share about a new collaboration and partnership between Reciprocate and Nexus. Reciprocate is the responsible business group currently hosted by Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF). Reciprocate member companies have always believed that, by working together, sharing ideas and collaborating on projects, they could increase their support for the local community and improve the lives of people in Oxfordshire. NEXUS is a new programme designed by B4 (Oxfordshire’s leading business networking organisation) to provide opportunities for businesses to build meaningful connections with either a charity, social enterprise or start-up business, creating mutual benefits and enabling both to build their profile within the B4 network. OCF has always believed that collaboration will take us further than competition every time and wherever possible we should seek out opportunities to pool our resources, for our common good, rather than duplicate our efforts. We also know we will only ever achieve more if we focus and prioritise those efforts. Not least because the challenges we face in addressing deep-seated social problems are more often a lack of co-ordination between all our various efforts as organisations and individuals rather than being solely about insufficient funding or beyond the capacity of any one organisation.

Richard Rosser

Which is why together with the support of our members we believe the launch of NEXUS offers such a welcome and timely opportunity to blend the best ideas, experiences and people from Reciprocate with the signposting, events and masterclass muscle of B4. Therefore, over the past few months and since the launch of NEXUS in October 2019, we have been planning the evolution of Reciprocate by working together with NEXUS to: • shine a light on all the great stuff that is already happening • make it easy for others to take action in a more joined up and coordinated way

Going forward, NEXUS will now incorporate Reciprocate, providing signposting and practical advice on employee volunteering, work experience and charitable board appointments, enabling businesses, social enterprises and charities to improve their social impact by working together and sharing their experiences through masterclasses and events

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Tony Stratton

in corp oratin g RECI PROCATE

Mark Beard

L-R Back Row: Heather Carter, Robert Pinheiro, Mark Beard, Richard Rosser, Grant Hayward. L-R Front Row: Jayne Woodley, Kate Walker, Anne Davies

Whilst it is often difficult to leave our egos and organisations at the door, by optimising the three resources we all have at our disposal: - our TIME - our INFLUENCE - our CURRENCY we believe this will bring incremental benefit to both Reciprocate and NEXUS. We are extremely grateful to all those who have given so much of their time, influence and currency to support Reciprocate since its launch in 2016, not least all our members and thanks to our Chairs former High Sheriffs Tony Stratton and most recently Richard Venables. We are delighted too that Mark Beard has agreed to become a Patron of NEXUS going forward. Mark has been a long-term supporter of both Reciprocate and OCF, Mark is currently High Sheriff in Nomination for shrieval year commencing April 2022 following in the footsteps of Tony and Richard and we know he has our aims at heart. Our appreciation too to Grant Hayward who is also well known to

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businesses across both organisations and will remain proactively involved in the future development of NEXUS.

“ We are extremely grateful to all those who

Richard Venables

To hear more about this and find out how you can get involved please do join us at one of the monthly events NEXUS will be hosting at the Jurys Inn or at BIO2020. Let’s make 2020 a year in which we change the way we think, and all do more together.

Visit nexus.b4-business.com to find out more.

have given so much of their time, influence and currency to support Reciprocate since its launch in 2016

”

Jayne Woodley, CEO - Oxfordshire Community Foundation

By pooling our resources and blending the best of Reciprocate and NEXUS in this way, we see this evolution as having huge potential to really evidence that we are better together when we choose to collaborate rather than replicate.

Reciprocate is hosted by Oxfordshire Community Foundation

BLENHEIM STAFF HAND OVER GIANT CHEQUE TO LONELINESS CHARITY Written by: Megan Carter, Head of HR Photography by: Blenheim Palace

Staff at Blenheim Palace handed over a giant cheque for £15,885 to The Archway Foundation, an Oxfordshire loneliness charity, after a yearlong fundraising initiative. Each year the Oxfordshire UNESCO World Heritage Site adopts a charity as part of its commitment to support the community, increase employee engagement and benefit organisations that provide vital assistance to local people. The Archway Foundation was established in 1982 to help relieve some of the distress caused by loneliness; offering support, friendship and a listening ear. The charity is in touch with around 300 people in Oxford and Abingdon at any one time and has a team of 130 volunteers who help with a range of activities including home visits, driving people, hosting meetings and groups and running a callin café. To help raise money for The Archway Foundation, staff undertook an incredible 24hr cycling challenge, held social committee events, used collection tins and hosted a Blenheim Loneliness Walk.

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They also held two events at the Palace prompting donations and raising awareness of the charity and its cause.

workplace and in the wider community,” she added. The cheque was handed over to Archway’s Chairman Chris Taft.

“I am very proud of the effort and commitment of our staff to support such a worthwhile, effective and important local charity, said Megan Carter, Head of HR at Blenheim Palace.

“The money Blenheim has raised is astounding, contributing significantly to keeping services running which are essential to so many going through periods of loneliness throughout Oxfordshire and surrounding areas,” said Chris.

“ We are very grateful

to every member of the Blenheim team who contributed to this. They should feel immensely proud of their achievements Chris Taft, Chairman - Archway

”

“Loneliness is something that we can all experience. In addition to raising money for the charity, it has offered us the opportunity to learn more about the causes and effects of loneliness, and how we can do our bit to recognise warning signs both in the

“We are very grateful to every member of the Blenheim team who contributed to this. They should feel immensely proud of their achievements,” he added. For more information on the Archway Foundation go to www.archwayfoundation.org.uk

 customerservice@blenheimpalace.com  01993 810 530  www.blenheimpalace.com

DISCOVER THE VENUE FOR MEETINGS & EVENTS IN OXFORD

OXFORD TOWN HALL www.oxfordtownhall.co.uk | townhall@oxford.gov.uk | 01865 252195

ADEPT GRAPHICS INVEST IN OXFORDSHIRE The Oxfordshire business community is close-knit; we’re brought together in a big way by the B4 organisation and all of the Oxfordshire businesses that support it and each other.

Without one the other could not exist, this is true of B4 and its members, and of all our businesses in this community, along with our their clients, peers and competitors. Working with this understanding is what makes this community thrive, encouraging support and prosperity for all.

SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESS Adept Graphics understands this and has been a fixture in Oxfordshire since 2014 when our company launched to offer fleet branding, vehicle branding and office branding solutions. Since its inception, Adept Graphics has grown at a rapid pace and we’re thrilled to be in a position to give back to the community that has enabled us to grow over these years. Through NEXUS, developed by B4, Adept Graphics have been able to pay it forward to the community that has supported us, sponsoring Abingdon and Witney College for the NEXUS programme. Abingdon and Witney College has a campus in Oxfordshire offering an expansive curriculum for school leavers, undergraduates and professionals, part-time learners and apprenticeships, with courses on everything from mechanical engineering through to motor maintenance. In the NEXUS programme, through the Adept Graphics sponsorship, Abingdon and Witney College will get to enjoy the full benefits of B4 membership for one year, which has allowed Abingdon and Witney College to lock in as an exhibitor at BIO 2020, the prestigious annual Business in Oxfordshire event. Not only have Adept Graphics supported Abingdon and Witney College through the NEXUS programme, but we also have plans to work with some of their students later in the year, delivering talks on the art of vehicle signage, including workshops on graphics, material, fitting quality control, and more. Through these workshops, we hope to take on an apprentice who will join us in the team.

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

STANDING BEHIND A WORTHY CAUSE In the position to extend our aid further, Adept Graphics have not only sponsored Abingdon and Witney College through the NEXUS programme, but we have also taken on SpecialEffect as our chosen charity. Through this sponsorship, Adept Graphics will be van wrapping the SpecialEffect event van free of charge later this month. SpecialEffect bring fun and inclusion to the lives of people with physical disabilities through the medium of video games. Using technology to the organisation makes controller modifications, from joypads to eye-control, making gaming accessible for everyone to play to the best of their abilities. It is with great enthusiasm that Adept Graphics chose to support SpecialEffect. With an appreciation for video games, the team thoroughly believing in the great benefits that gaming can have to bring families and friends together, creating strong bonds and forming a profoundly positive impact on the confidence and rehabilitation of those with physical disabilities. By supporting one another through corporate social responsibility initiatives and the B4 community, Oxfordshire businesses can give the community as a whole a leg up. When one thrives, the rest can benefit and grow stronger. It is with this mentality that our Oxfordshire businesses prosper. Proud supporters of

 info@adeptgraphics.co.uk  01993 869 094  www.adeptgraphics.co.uk

4 ways to help your local children’s hospice Helen & Douglas House is a local charity who cares for local terminally ill children and their families living in Oxfordshire and the surrounding counties. They are there to walk alongside families on their difficult and exhausting journey, physically and emotionally, every step of the way.

2019 participants Anneliese Dodds MP and Mina Leal-Birch with Hazel Bedford from Helen & Douglas House and Chris Abbott from Oxford Castle and Prison

Helen & Douglas House help familiess at the hospice, at home and in hospital from diagnosis, during everyday family life, times of crisis and through to bereavement. Nathan is 8 years old and has Prader-Willis Syndrome, a severe life-shortening condition. He loves coming to Helen & Douglas House for respite care. ‘It’s the only place I will leave Nathan. The care he receives at Helen & Douglas House, both physically and mentally, is brilliant.’ Jenny Nathan’s Mum They need to raise £3.6m each year to help local children like Nathan and they cannot do this without your help.

Corporate Partnership packages Helen & Douglas House have lots of great corporate fundraising packages and opportunities for team building to choose from.

stronger relationships with corporate supporters on a long term basis to make a real difference.’ Amy Bottali, Corporate Partnership Manager at Helen & Douglas House. You can become a Corporate Patron with the bronze membership at £100pm, Silver at £250pm, Platinum at £500pm and Diamond patrons paying £1000pm. As a Corporate Patron of Helen & Douglas House, your company will benefit in a number of different ways including; access to volunteering opportunities, use of the charity’s logo on their website and team building days, depending on which level they join.

“ This was a great, quirky

fundraiser which has been great fun to be part of Daren Elsey

”

1. Become a Helen & Douglas House Corporate Patron Their Corporate Patron membership enables companies to support Helen & Douglas House on a long term and regular basis to make a real difference to the lives of local terminally ill children and their families. ‘We are really excited about creating this opportunity for local companies to become a Corporate Patron of our charity. This means we can form even 46

2. Jail and Bail Fundraiser Get locked up for a good cause and use your contacts to raise money for Helen & Douglas House in a day of entertaining activities. 10 supporters are arrested and charged with their crimes (entirely fictitious of course) at 9am and then placed in a cell in Oxford Castle and prison. Participants will only be released when bail of WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Barclays retail challenge

Nathan is 8 years old and has Prader-Willis Syndrome, a severe life-shortening condition. He loves coming to Helen & Douglas House for respite care

There are opportunities to sponsor our mass participation events including the Bubble Rush in June or our Frosty 5K in December in Oxford

£999 is reached using your connections to donate so you can get out of jail. ‘I decided to get involved because of the all the good work Helen & Douglas House do to help local families with terminally ill children. I’ve actually been around the hospice and when you get to see all they do to help local families, you can’t help but get involved and help this amaz-ing charity. This was a great, quirky fundraiser which has been great fun to be part of. ‘ Daren Elsey

3. Spy Hunt Teams of up to five employees will meet at an agreed location where they will be given a briefcase outlining what their mission is. Teams will need to use their skills and work together to get to different locations in a town where they will meet with undercover agents to receive further intelligence, gather clues from different locations and carry out code breaking challenges to receive cash rewards and win spy medals. The challenge will take up to 3 hours and approximately 10 different tasks/assignments for the teams to complete. The day will be run by experienced instructors so you can be sure that you WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

will have a fun and exciting day in a safe environment. This is a perfect team building day that not only brings your team together but also means your team will be making a difference to local terminally ill children and their families who are cared for by Helen & Douglas House.

Becoming a “ Corporate Patron will

allow all companies, no matter the number of employees or amount of time a company has to offer, to make a real difference Amy Bottali

”

4. Sponsor one of our Oxfordshire events There are opportunities to sponsor our mass participation events including the Bubble Rush in June or our Frosty 5K in December in Oxford. If you would like to support this great local charity, please contact Amy on abottali@ helenanddouglas.org.uk or call 01865 799150.

     

fundraising@helenanddouglas.org.uk +44 (0)1865 799 150 www.helenanddouglas.org.uk @HelenAndDouglas @HelenAndDouglasHouse Helen&DouglasHouse 47

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Arlo

Abbott Diabetes Three Peaks Challenge

Rob

Creating a SpecialEffect There’s delighted laughter coming from the Accessible Games Room at the headquarters of Charlbury-based charity SpecialEffect. A young girl with physical disabilities has suddenly realised that she doesn’t have to sit and watch all her friends have all the fun playing video games anymore, she can join in thanks to a custom controller that the charity has created for her.

George

iRepairTech Twin Town 2020

Meanwhile in a Bristol hospital, SpecialEffect therapists are working at the bedside of Steve, a man with a serious spinal injury, who can only speak and move his eyes. They’re working out the best way for him to use an eyecontrolled computer to give him back a degree of independence when it’s most needed. With it he could be able to message his family and friends, use the internet, operate doors, curtains and equipment around his house - including small but important functions like changing the channel on a TV.

staff - the impact of what they do is increasingly global. They’ve worked with Microsoft in the design of a games controller that has the potential to help people around the world to play. They’ve developed free software that lets people who only have eye movement the ability to play the hugely popular game Minecraft. And their Founder and CEO Dr Mick Donegan is regarded as a leading global expert in eye-gaze technology.

“You’ve broken your neck and you think your world’s going to end, but then SpecialEffect came along,” said Steve. “When these [accidents] happen, you don’t know what’s ahead. But they’ve totally changed my life for the better. Your world’s not over, it’s just beginning.” The therapists and technologists at SpecialEffect handle a diverse range of cutting-edge assistive technology projects that all have a direct and hugely positive impact on the people they help. The common theme is inclusion: they’re using technology to help as many people with physical disabilities as possible to join in, have fun and build a better quality of life. It’s a lifelong service provided by highly experienced specialists, and despite the relatively small size of the charity - they have less than 30 full and part-time WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

“It’s a great opportunity we have,” he adds. “We’re building expertise all the time, we’re getting more and more specialist teams together, and it’s really exciting to see what the charity is able to achieve for as many people as possible.” Crucially, there’s no charge for anyone they help. But much of what the charity of have achieved in their 13-year history wouldn’t have been possible without the wonderful support of the Oxfordshire business community. The Twin Town Challenge for example has provided hundreds of thousands in support of the charity and in return has provided the participants with invaluable opportunities for business networking and team building. In addition, the staff at businesses such as Shaw Gibbs, Oxford Products, Abbott Diabetes Care, STL, Owen Mumford, Shaw City, Focus Oxford Risk Management and the Urban Element have benefitted from close and genuine two-way Charity

Ceyda

of the Year partnerships. The teams there have enjoyed raising money in a wide variety of ways, including rough runs, firewalls, cycle rides, gaming marathons, skydives and bakeoffs. The importance of strong business connections for this local but global Oxfordshire charity can’t be underestimated. “We genuinely feel uplifted by the support of the Oxfordshire business community,” said SpecialEffect’s Fundraiser Nick Streeter. “They bring a real sense of family to the charity and the connections work on so many levels. There’s a huge amount we can do for each other and the wonderful spin-off is that each connection results in genuine personal and long-lasting corporate friendships.” You can find out more about the charity and how you can support their life-changing work at www.specialeffect.org.uk Connect with them on Twitter @SpecialEffect and on LinkedIn at specialeffect.

 info@specialeffect.org.uk  01608 810055  www.specialeffect.org.uk

COLETTE NORBURY Training Lead Oxfordshire Mind www.oxfordshiremind.org.uk

What is your role in the business? Lead the Workplace Training Provision. I deliver mental health courses and workshops to corporates and to small businesses and organisations. I Line Manage our brilliant Administrator, Lula.

What are your areas of expertise? Design and delivery of training which improves understanding of mental health and tools for Managers. Building relationships of trust with individuals and companies. Listening effectively to needs and goals. Improving culture within a range of sectors.

What do you enjoy about your work? Meeting so many people from diverse sectors and collaborating to achieve change. I love talking mental health whether it’s to 1 person or 100. It is so rewarding to see the light bulb moments when learning occurs. Delivering the training is great fun. The amazing feedback makes me happy!

What are your hobbies / interests? Being outdoors – running, climbing, walking or just watching the wildlife. I’m very curious so I enjoy learning – whether that be listening to wildlife podcasts or visiting historic or beautiful places. In the summer I like river swimming (or the sea if I can get there). Live music. Laughing or chilling with friends and family.

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? When I go for a run up the Ridgeway there is a place at the top with fabulous views. It is marked by a stone inscribed with the name Penelope Betjeman ‘who loved this place’. It’s a moving place to savour nature. Another favourite place is by the river in Abingdon – watching the people and the boats.

Who inspires you? Firstly, my parents. My family climbed Scafell Pike last year for my Dad’s 80th. Seeing my mum leap up rocks like a goat was truly inspiring. Since then my Dad has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s so I admire him even more. And anyone who overcomes trauma or adversity inspires and fascinates me.

Your Passion? I’m extremely passionate about mental health and keeping our workforce at work, enabling them to thrive.

“ Emmaus communities

are not hostels; they provide a home for as long as someone needs it. For many, this support and stability is like the family they don’t have

”

EMMAUS OXFORD

Emmaus supports formerly homeless people [known as Companions]by giving them a home, meaningful work in a social enterprise and an opportunity to get themselves back on their feet again. For many people who experience homelessness, one of the biggest obstacles they must overcome is a loss of self-esteem. Emmaus provides an opportunity to regain this, with a chance to make a real contribution to their community.

Written by: Eddie Blaze, CEO - Emmaus Oxford Photography by: Emmaus Oxford

Emmaus communities are not hostels; they provide a home for as long as someone needs it. For many, this support and stability is like the family they don’t have, providing a safe environment in which to settle and re-build their lives. Often this is an opportunity to overcome issues such as addiction, get support with mental health issues or rebuild relationships with estranged family. Social enterprise is central to the Emmaus model as it provides meaningful work for companions but also generates funding to maintain communities. Companions living in Emmaus communities are expected to sign off all benefits, with the exception of housing benefit, which is used to help to support the charity. The rest of the funding that is needed is generated through social enterprise and fundraising. Emmaus communities deliver a significant return on investment. Research shows that for every £1 invested in a community, there is an £11 social, environmental and economic return, with savings to the benefits bill, health services and a reduction in crime. The first Emmaus community was founded in Paris, in 1949, by Father Henri-Antoine Grouès, better known as Abbé Pierre. He was an MP, Catholic priest WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

and former member of the French Resistance who fought to provide homes for those who lived on the streets of Paris. Since the first community opened in the UK in 1991, Emmaus has grown quickly. There are now 29 communities spread across the UK, with a further five groups currently working to establish new communities. The UK is now the largest Emmaus movement outside of France. There are now more than 815 Emmaus companions living at communities stretching from Glasgow to Dover. Each one has at least one shop or social enterprise, with many running successful cafés, shops, gardening projects and removal companies. The idea to set up Emmaus Oxford began in the mid-1990s when Jean Williams, an Oxford resident, wrote a letter to the Oxford Times making this suggestion, and the interest generated from this led to a local campaign group being formed. This eventually culminated in the success of the project, with Jean as a founding trustee. In 1998, Emmaus Oxford became a registered charity, and in 2005 a local trust gifted some land, along with a successful planning application to build a residential unit for 24 formerly homeless people. In 2007, we partnered with a housing association

and in 2009 they completed the building work for us. We opened the doors for the first time to homeless people in March 2009 and added 4 more places in a semi-detached annex next door in 2012. Emmaus Oxford currently provides accommodation and support to 28 ex-homeless men and women, based out of two properties in Cowley in Oxford. Companions have their own room and are supported by a team of Support Workers and have access to a counsellor. Companions take part in a wide range of training and personal development courses provided both internally and externally. While our store makes a major contribution to our running costs we still need the support of our local community, if you would like to help or learn more about Emmaus Oxford visit our website.

 admin@emmausoxford.org  01865 402 073  https://emmaus.org.uk/oxford/

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Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill handing over a cheque for more than £9,000 to Oxfordshire Youth at Blenheim Palace

Over 60 years of achievements, and counting! Written by: Colin O’Neill, Oxfordshire Youth

Funding cuts and skyrocketing competition for grants are pressuring charities to look for alternative ways to ensure their sustainability. From trading in services to community events, fundraisers are straining their creativity to raise awareness and support for their cause. This has resulted in a very exciting change in the relationships between charities and their corporate partners. The focus has moved from providing financial help to discovering how the organisations can work together in a more meaningful way, where both sides benefit from each other’s expertise, resources and networks. The long-standing partnership between Oxfordshire Youth and Blenheim Palace, is a great example of such a relationship.

A long history Oxfordshire Youth started out as the Oxford Association of Boys Clubs in 1947and the partnership with Blenheim and the Spencer-Churchill family goes all the way back to those early days. The 10th Duke of Marlborough was President of the organisation in the 1960s, and Blenheim Palace hosted a number of events including a charity cricket match in 1968. The 11th Duke took over as President from his father in the early 1970s and continued in that role for the next 40 years. In the 1990s, the charity rebranded to the Oxfordshire Association of Young People, expanding the scope to cover all young people. In 2011, the 11th Duke stepped down from the role in favour of his daughter Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill, who remains as President and is still closely involved with the charity. And in 2013, the charity changed its name again, this time to just Oxfordshire Youth.

Charity cricketmatch programme from 1968

Benefits for all Today, Oxfordshire Youth supports over 100 youth organisations in Oxfordshire, reaching over 26,500 young people from all walks of life, genders, faiths, ethnicities and backgrounds. None of this would be possible without the support of organisations like Blenheim. Provision of facilities for meetings and events (most recently the annual celebration event for donors and beneficiaries), networking, development opportunities and sponsorship are just a few benefits of the relationship. The joint presence at events, like Oxfordshire Youth’s Youth Awards or Blenheim Palace’s Fireworks display, is invaluable.

We are delightd to “further underline our long-term commitment and support for such an important and worthwhile organisation

”

workforce through providing accredited leadership development activities for Blenheim’s apprentices.

A stronger relationship The end of 2019 saw Oxfordshire Youth becoming the official charity partner for Blenheim Palace. Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill said: “Blenheim and the Spencer-Churchill family has had a long and very close relationship with Oxfordshire Youth for almost its entire existence. “We are delighted to further underline our long-term commitment and support for such an important and worthwhile organisation, whose work today is, if anything, even more vital than ever.” “Blenheim has been a supporter of our work for over 60 years and we are very excited, and extremely grateful, they have agreed to further invest in children and young people in Oxfordshire by supporting Oxfordshire Youth as charity partner,” said Jodie Lloyd-Jones, CEO of Oxfordshire Youth. “We look forward to continuing our close relationship for many more years, enabling us to keep supporting young people to be the best they can be.”

Lady Henrietta Spencer-Churchill

What’s in it for the Palace? Blenheim has the wellbeing of the local community as one of its core values. It believes that its success is linked with the local community and wants to enhance the lives of local people. Oxfordshire Youth enables that by utilising its resources and staff in delivery of projects that fall in line with Blenheim’s values. For example, the charity is helping the Palace develop its young

 info@oxfordshireyouth.org  01865 767 899  www.oxfordshireyouth.org

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LEARNING SUPPORT

THE ROLE OF THE TRUSTEE IN AN EDUCATION CHARITY Written by: Siân Renwick, Executive Director and Roger Copleston, Chair of Trustees

Siân says: My first year in post has brought home to me just how vital our trustees are to the success of Quest for Learning. Being the Executive Director of a small charity sometimes means being a jack of all trades – I’m expected to have the answers on finance, HR, facilities management, IT, communications, statutory and legal matters, and more! So, it’s a huge relief to me to know that I’m backed up by a dedicated board of enthusiastic and committed trustees, who come from a wide range of professional backgrounds and have all kinds of skills and knowledge in areas that I’m less well-versed in.

goals, and planning our content more efficiently. • Designed a fresh new look for our website, focusing on user-experience and key messaging, and acted as project sponsor for its development. • Improved the robustness of operational financial processes by designing simple but effective templates for revenue forecasting etc. • Used their contacts to get us pro-bono access to expertise not currently represented on the Board, including HR and Recruitment support which has helped us to appoint a highly-experienced Fundraising Manager.

For me, the biggest benefit I get from working with my trustees is access to a trusted sounding board - I’ve had amazing conversations over the last year which have allowed me to explore challenging issues, and trustees have encouraged me to look deeper by asking probing and insightful questions. Being able to draw on trustees’ knowledge and experience is helping me to make the charity more efficient and sustainable, as well as to continue my own professional development as a leader and manager.

Roger says: I joined Quest for Learning in April

Although the role of trustees is primarily strategic, they also give us the benefit of their professional expertise through practical, hands-on support. For example, in recent months our fantastic team of trustees have: • Coached the Quest for Learning executive team on improving our online presence including understanding the social media landscape, identifying our target audience, setting realistic WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

2018 and became Chair of Trustees in July 2019. In my day job, I run a consultancy business which focuses on digital business transformation and complex change programmes for global Fortune 500 organisations, so being part of a small charity is a very different challenge!

“ I couldn’t do

my job without the support of our trustees.” Siân Renwick, Executive Director

quarterly, and we have a monthly finance sub-group. As Chair of Trustees, I also have a fortnightly meeting with the Executive Director to review strategic and operational issues. Being a trustee is a serious commitment, but it’s very rewarding. I’m able to use my professional skills to support the amazing work the Quest for Learning team do in helping disadvantaged primary school pupils with reading and maths and that’s a brilliant feeling!

FIND OUT MORE We’re always delighted to chat with anyone who might be interested in becoming a trustee, and we’d be particularly keen to hear from women and people from BAME backgrounds who are currently underrepresented on the Board. For an initial conversation and a copy of the role description, please email info@questforlearning.org.uk

For me, being a trustee essentially means being a critical friend to the charity. Our job is to make sure that Quest for Learning’s vision and strategy always drive our activities and operations by providing constructive challenge to the Executive Director, as well as to ensure that we’re meeting all our statutory and legal obligations as a charity. My role as Chair is to keep us all on track and to harness the enthusiasm and expertise of the other trustees. We’re lucky to have trustees whose expertise covers a wide range of sectors, including communications, marketing, corporate management, education, finance, and law. The Board meets

 info@questforlearning.org.uk  01235 313 713  www.questforlearning.org.uk

Earth Moves at Carnival 2020

Join the Business Park in Celebrating Mother Earth at Carnival

The Cowley Road Carnival is an Oxford icon, attracting up to 50,000 people every year, all drawn to the event’s unique atmosphere and the huge range of attractions and activities on offer, including dance, music and an irresistible array of street food from all over the globe. This year the theme is Mother Earth to celebrate the Natural World while also drawing attention to the global issue of climate change, and carnivalgoers can expect a gentler vibe with more acoustic melodic sets on the Manzil Gardens Music Stage. High volume beats can be found on ‘Electric Avenue’ further down the Cowley Road nearer the Plain. It will be the first Carnival for new director Clare O’Hara who has come to Oxford from Cambridge where she was Head of Development at the multiarts venue, the Cambridge Junction. Clare says: “With climate change so much in the public consciousness, Mother Earth is the perfect theme for 2020. The groups in the procession can interpret the theme as broadly as they like. There is a huge scope for the schools and other community groups to express love for the natural environment and focus on global and local environmental issues. We can’t wait to see their creative interpretations in the costumes and processional structures.” Around 700 people are expected to participate in the procession, which is the focal point of Carnival Day on 5 July, including pupils at Oxford Spires Academy who are working in a project supported by the Oxford Business Park. Their artwork will be exhibited in the Factory on the Oxford Business

Park prior to Carnival Day.

YEAR-ROUND WORK IN THE COMMUNITY Business sponsorship assists Cowley Road Works, the charity which organises the Carnival, to work with the community all year round. CRW has spearheaded projects with some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable people in the community.

“There are many ways of being part of this year’s Carnival in addition to supporting our workshop and training programmes. You could sponsor a zone with full branding for your organization, take a stall to market to the community, bring a team of volunteers to help on the day, or take part in the procession. It’s all great fun.”

Clare says: “Our year-round programme of work brings the community together, helps people to access opportunities and learn new skills.

Dan Williams: “We are delighted to be supporting our local community again as diamond sponsors of the Cowley Carnival. The Cowley Road links the business park to the City and the Carnival is the perfect way to celebrate this vibrant community, we can’t wait for the 5th July.”

“In 2020 our focus is on building bridges between communities facing division and narrowing the gap between pockets of disadvantage and privilege in our city. Carnival has the power to foster inclusion and engage those who face hardship in the most challenging areas.

Cowley Road Carnival is on 5 July 2020. If you would like to find out more about how to get involved please contact Clare on director@ cowleyroadworks.org to explore the possibilities. For more information on Cowley Road Works and the Carnival, please see below.

“We work with community, cultural and disability groups, schools and youth services and are currently working with women affected by FGM, young people with learning disabilities, children in the care system and child refugees in Oxford.”

JOIN IN “We are incredibly grateful to the Oxford Business Park for being so amazingly supportive and who are sponsoring us again for a second year. I urge other businesses to join them and pledge to help us do more work. “

 www.cowleyroadworks.co.uk  www.cowleyroadcarnival.co.uk

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

The Oxfordshire Business Community Supporting Sobell House Over the past three years there has been a big increase in the support Sobell House receives from the Oxfordshire business community. Here Tim Wraith, Corporate Partnerships Manager at Sobell House, talks about some of the highlights of the past few months and also the plans for 2020.

The Sobell House Golf Day Please do look out for the Sobell House Golf Day that is taking place on Friday June 5th, again at Studley Wood Golf Club. It’s a fantastic course and we always have a brilliant day. Again, the Headline Sponsors are Polythene UK and Oxford Gene Technology and they have supported this event since it first started. Fantastic kindness! The cost is £300 for a team of four which includes bacon roll and coffee on arrival, 18 holes of golf and dinner in the evening. And lots more too! We also have other great opportunities to sponsor aspects of the day and promote your business.If you would like to enter a team or provide sponsorship please do contact me.

Sobell House Winter Walk

As the Corporate Partnerships Manager here at Sobell House I love what I do connecting with the local business community. I love it because of the actual cause, how we support someone coming to the end of their life defines how we are as a society and the care at Sobell House is incredible. I love the job also because of its diversity, doing so many different things each day from filling a skip, attending a Black-Tie Dinner and so much in between! I have worked hard to forge great partnerships with local businesses and I have done this in many different ways.

Finally, in March we will be launching the new Sobell Business Club. I will be promoting this over the coming weeks so do look out for details. This new business club has been designed to attract businesses of all sizes and it will be a great positive way to support Sobell House, your local hospice.

A very big Thank You to all those local businesses who support Sobell House, I am incredibly grateful! Sobell House Golf Day.

Sobell House Business Lunch with talk from footballer Martin Keown

In 2019 we had a series of Sobell House Business Breakfasts which proved very popular. The first one was at the Cherwell Boathouse in February and our guest speaker was Adrian Cooper, CEO from Oxford Economics’. This was followed by our second Business Breakfast at Gee’s on the Banbury Road. There we had a fantastic talk by the journalist Alan Rusbridger. For our Business Breakfasts we look for great venues and very interesting and relevant speakers. Both events were fantastic.

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Photo by Plasticgoldfish.co.uk

In early December we had our first Sobell House Business Lunch at the Old Bank Hotel. Again, another wonderful local venue on the High Street in Oxford. We had a lovely lunch and were treated to a brilliant talk from the footballer Martin Keown who lives locally here in Oxford. It was a fantastic event and Martin really captured the room talking about his life in football both as a player and now as a journalist and pundit. A wonderful atmosphere and a lot of warmth towards Martin and Sobell House. In early January we had the Sobell House Winter Walk at the iconic Blenheim Palace. Over 600 people got togged up and enjoyed a wonderful walk around the grounds at Blenheim Palace whilst supporting the care here at Sobell House. This year the event was sponsored by Chris Lewis Fire & Security, Kare Plus Oxford and Ridge & Partners. A huge thank you to all three local businesses for their generosity.

Tim Wraith, Sobell House

 tim.wraith@sobellhospice.org  01865 857 066 / 07527 849 748  www.sobellhouse.org

Transforming Lives Through Ethical IT Recycling What happens to your IT equipment when your business no longer has a use for it? There is no question that technology is now a core element to daily life. Many people nowadays have more than one device, including phones, laptops, tablets and printers.

Sadly, it is a fact that most old IT equipment ends up in landfills; however, several companies will now break down the computers for the bare metal components for just a few pounds.

the equipment is no longer usable the schools are encouraged to send the old equipment back to the NGO in each country, who in turn will send it to a recycling company in South Africa.

Currently, there is a rising demand for better and faster technology as businesses want to stay ahead of their competition and to meet the requirements of modern life. The increasing demand, however, has also caused a significant rise in the rate that technology is being made redundant.

As an environmentally conscious IT company with an eye on the impact that old IT kit has on the planet, we have been searching for a better alternative to the traditional strip-and-crush approach to recycling.

CIS Ltd will be actively donating its time, resources and staff in working with IT Schools Africa. CIS would like to offer B4 members and Oxfordshire businesses alike a new ethical, cheap and environmentally friendly way to give their old IT kit a fantastic new lease of life.

One of the challenges faced by modern business is learning how to maximize the productive use of equipment before it is finally consigned to its fate and needs to be replaced or upgraded as it slows down operations. One factor that accelerates this situation is that PCs and Laptops are now commodity items with fierce competition on price. There are even fewer reasons to spend the time, effort and cost in overhauling and repurposing IT equipment to try to make it viable to use again. Modern cloud technologies make the ability to change to a new computer much more straightforward meaning that there are fewer obstacles to upgrading to a newer and faster system. In the past, usually, the staff would take old office computers home to use for less demanding tasks and to save money. Unfortunately, the generation that has grown up with computers are now much more sophisticated and choosey with the equipment that they keep at home, often these devices are needed to support the latest high-speed internet games and high definition videos.

CIS is pleased to announce that we have teamed up with the charity IT Schools Africa which was founded 15 years ago. IT Schools Africa specialise in providing technology to improve life opportunities for students and local communities in Africa and in the UK. They have collected over 95,000 PC’s and laptops giving access to IT to over 5 million children in Africa. Together we will be launching a scheme to ethically recycle old working PCs and laptops from businesses and other institutions in Oxfordshire and further afield. This process can involve securely wiping the machine if needed for GDPR compliance, refurbishing, upgrading and loading the machine with a suite of educational software before they are made available to schools and colleges in Africa. The whole process from start to finish is fully traceable so that organisations who donate can be confident that their old equipment is put to the best use, and so that they can know precisely where the equipment has ended up helping others. It is expected that most IT equipment from UK businesses can be given at least another 5 to 6 years of life in an African school. Finally, when

Please contact us for details of the scheme and to help the lives of school children in Africa with your donations of working PCs, Laptops, monitors and accessories. Don’t put that PC under the stairs or dump it in a junk room – call CIS and share the benefits of donating equipment to a fantastically worthy cause.

 solutions@cisltd.com  01367 700 555  www.cisltd.com

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The whole process â&#x20AC;&#x153;from start to finish is fully traceable so that organisations who donate can be confident that their old equipment is put to the best use

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BUSINESS AS A FORCE FOR GOOD – CHARITY, COMMUNITY AND CSR Ever since Owen Mumford began making medical devices, safety has always been at the heart of everything we do. We have long been recognised as pioneers in the design and manufacture of safe products, but we also understand our social and environmental responsibility is fundamental to our business. This has involved Owen Mumford partaking in many initiatives that support our local community as we recognise the importance of respecting not just the global environment but our local ones too. Written by: Jarl Severn

• Power down initiatives to reduce unnecessary energy usage • Fitting auto light sensors and replacing old light bulbs with LED

At Owen Mumford, we have ambitions to help lead the way in terms of sustainability; both as a business through innovative, sustainable manufacturing practices and in producing environmentally friendly medical devices. Owen Mumford is rightly proud of it standing as a responsible business and has already gone far in achieving its targets in this area including:

In addition to this Owen Mumford has participated in employee wellbeing initiatives and various charity fundraising activities.

• New Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations on UK sites • Solar arrays to reduce carbon emissions • Renewable energy sources for all our UK facilities • Zero waste going to landfill • Procuring recycled printer paper where possible • FSC approved packaging from sustainable source • Improving segregation of office waste for recycling and the removal of wastepaper bins

In October last year, Owen Mumford celebrated World Mental Health Day, marking an important moment for us as a business, as we proudly demonstrated our commitment to mental health awareness within the workplace. This is an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma and was first celebrated in 1992 as an initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organisation spanning

more than 150 countries worldwide.

workshops created “a The safe environment for

individuals so that they could share their own experiences, initiate conversations and helped to develop a greater understanding of mental health

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To support World Mental Health Day, workshops were held and information stations were established at our Woodstock and Chipping Norton sites run by

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“ At Owen Mumford, we have

ambitions to help lead the way in terms of sustainability; both as a business through innovative, sustainable manufacturing practices and in producing environmentally friendly medical devices

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the Human Resources department and the newly formed Wellness Committee with support from the Banbury Therapy Centre. The workshops created a safe environment for individuals so that they could share their own experiences, initiate conversations and helped to develop a greater understanding of mental health. Owen Mumford also participates in multiple fundraising events for charities that share a common goal of making a world of difference to a world of people. Inspired by the previous success of raising money for ASPIRE last year Owen Mumford rose to the challenge again. The aim was to swim the length of the English Channel over the course of 12 weeks; that means completing 1,408 lengths of a typical 25m pool. The

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ASPIRE Channel Swim was a great opportunity for associates to pull together and motivate each other raising funds for a great cause. The ASPIRE charity helps people with spinal cord injuries by funding wheelchairs, sports equipment, assistive technology and grants to help change lives. Further fundraising efforts included back in October whereby associates were treated to a fantastic cake and bake sale to raise funds for HELP for HEROES. This was our second cake and bake sale for HELP for HEROES, riding on the back of the previous year’s successful event, which raised funds for this worthy cause. Further fundraising efforts included raising thousands of pounds for the Macmillan coffee morning and also raising money for cancer research UK which Owen Mumford has now done for the past 12 years.

Owen Mumford is always looking for ways to give back and understands the importance of being a responsible employer to its associates and to its local community. Find out more, visit: owenmumford.com

   

info@owenmumford.com 01993 812 021 @OwenMumford www.owenmumford.com

Planning your exit route? We can help you plan your successful business exit The MGroup Corporate Finance Refreshingly different when its comes to business purchase and exit Business Accountancy & Tax | Personal Finance & Tax | Accounts Systems Implementation | Business Purchase & Exit

Oxford office Witney office Email

01865 552925 01993 776476 team@themgroup.co.uk

www.themgroup.co.uk

Cows are responsible for 18% of the world’s greenhouse gases

Is food a force for good for business? Written by: Helen Money

Money talks and businesses have the power to change the world. The most significant players in the food industry are the big producers and retailers and their decision making is instrumental to sustainability and global warming. The choice is surely simple; companies need to take responsibility and become a force for good. However the big players are mostly listed companies whose responsibility is to make money and provide the highest possible return for shareholders. Governments nudge but rarely get involved in forcing change within business. That just leaves the consumer. If demand for responsibly produced food increases then companies will eventually follow. But is making sustainable food choices good for our health? Ultimately for future generations yes as they will have a world to live in, but does it make our health better now? Let’s take a look at three of the most discussed areas of food and sustainability palm oil, cows and organic production. Palm oil is one of main causes of human deforestation and just under 40% of palm oil produced is used in the food industry. Palm oil contains 48% saturated fat, this compares to butter at 52%, olive oil at 14% and rapeseed oil at 6%. Saturated fat is an essential nutrient, however evidence shows that too much saturated fat is not good for heart health and also causes inflammation in the body. Instead we should focus on higher intakes of unsaturated fats which are present in greater quantities in olive and rapeseed oil. Palm oil is not good for sustainability or our health in too high quantities. Cows are responsible for 8% of the world’s

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greenhouse gases and the use of antibiotics in animal production is the key driver of antibiotic resistance in humans. From a health point some cuts of beef are high in saturated fat, the negatives of which we have discussed. But beef does have good stuff in it too, in particular zinc, vitamin B3, B6, B12 and iron. However beef is not the only source of these good nutrients, we can get these from other more sustainable food sources. VItamin B12 (essential for red blood cells) is only found in animal derived food so vegans need to supplement.

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The choice is surely simple; companies need to take responsibility and become a force for good

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Cows also produce milk which is the richest dietary source of calcium - essential to bone health and muscle contraction. Other good sources of calcium are fish with edible bones, green leafy vegetables, almonds and sesame, but you have to eat a lot of these to meet daily calcium requirements. So while cows are one of the biggest contributors to global warming their contribution to health is mixed. An important cornerstone of sustainability is crop biodiversity and the use of pesticides is thought to put this at risk as pesticides reduce bee populations. The question on whether organic food is better for our health is much debated but little researched. We

have surprisingly little evidence to make this decision on. Insights from observational studies suggest that organic diets reduce the risk of being overweight or obese. But the research is confused by confounding factors as people who follow organic diets have healthier diets that include more vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, beans and pulses. Cell research has shown that some organic fruits and vegetables have stronger biological activity and are more powerful in fighting cancer cells. But other than the phenolic activity organic vegetables are not thought to be more ‘nutritious’, but this is inconclusive. There is also research supporting a link between neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s and pesticides, but levels of exposure are those of crop workers rather than through consumption. Whilst the expert thinking on organic versus non-organic food is inconclusive there is certainly some evidence that organic food is better for health. Whilst not wholly convincing, on balance making sustainable food choices is good for our health. As consumers we can make choices that are good for us now, good for future generations and be part of the movement to make Business a force for good.

 helen@helenmoneynutrition.com  07961 394201  www.helenmoneynutrition.com

We should all strive to be more socially and environmentally Everything for the Workplace conscious in business... You may have heard quite a bit about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). It’s all about creating a sustainable, environmentally conscious business; one which takes appropriate steps to reduce your carbon footprint, as well as tackling waste, encouraging employee development and caring about the community you live and work in. Written by: Darren Aston

It’s not just a PR exercise. It’s about developing your business into one that is forward thinking and attractive to potential and current employees. • 67% of respondents prefer to work for socially inclined companies • ¾ of millennials would take a pay cut to work for a more socially responsible company • 32% have taken an average of 2 weeks off work as a result • Philanthropic companies are more likely to be trusted by consumers CSR is not a new concept. During the Industrial Revolution a number of corporations demonstrated their support to their employees and local community. Pioneers such as Cadbury’s built villages, parks and community centres away from the city slums to increase employee wellbeing and motivation. Today, global organisations such as Google, Xerox, BMW and Lego have an excellent reputation for looking after their staff, along with ethical business practices such as reducing energy consumption, refining production processes and encouraging volunteering within communities. Here at Aston and James, we’re full of ideas to help you enhance your current CSR practices too. Let us help you:

1. Be More Sustainable: How you can become a more environmentally friendly business • 72% of UK workers say an environmentally friendly office is important to them • 30% is the amount we aim to reduce single use plastics by the end of 2020 • 70% of your waste could be recycled by adopting better business processes

We endeavour to provide you with a range of products and services to help you become a more sustainable, environmentally friendly business. Through adopting a professional shredding service, recycling paper and toner cartridges and purchasing eco products such as recycled paper, your business can demonstrate commitment to helping the environment through business practices.

2. Be more Innovative: Encouraging the formation of new ideas is vital for any team, contributing to the success of your business • 79% of employees leave their job due to lack of appreciation • 3M Sq Ft% of flexible workspace is available in London today (2020) • Coworking is proven to increase innovation, collaboration and productivity Taking the time to listen to each and every viewpoint (however random!) will make each employee feel valued and sustain an excellent team. It’s essential to create a working environment that inspires brainstorming and collaboration. Our range of modern and stylish furniture along with our office planning service will help you create a workplace that everyone will love to come to each day. Designing breakout areas, fresh canteens or kitchens and meeting spaces will all contribute to workplace wellness, helping everyone reach their potential. We all work differently today. Creating hot desks, casual work areas, hubs and quiet spaces for informal chats is essential, especially in an open plan working environment.

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3. Be less Wasteful: Encouraging waste reduction to protect the environment & be more efficient • 80%of office paper is completely wasted • 1/3 of waste in developed countries comes from packaging alone • 4% of your turnover could be what disposing of waste is costing you Disposing of business waste is expensive, so it makes good business sense to reduce it wherever possible. Helping everyone at work become less wasteful needn’t be a chore. Simple tiny changes can have a big effect. From purchasing clearly labelled recycling bins to buying re-useable catering items such as cutlery, mugs and water bottles all help everyone to cut down on the amount of waste in terms of single use plastics. Why use plastic forks and spoons when you can use cutlery that can be used again and again? You could also look to buy items such as sugar, tea and coffee in bulk to cut down on packaging as well as delivery charges.

4. Be more Charitable: Get involved, give your time & help those most in need in the world • 58% say that work commitments prevent them from volunteering • 96% of volunteers believe that volunteering makes you far happier • 76% of millennials believe giving back to the community helps engagement and motivation WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

One key part of CSR is about encouraging engagement in the community. If your organisation doesn’t currently support any charities, why not start? Here at Aston & James we have chosen to support a variety of different charities and invite you to help us do so. • Recycle with SeeSaw: What do you do with your old cartridges? If you’re not currently involved in a collection or recycle scheme, why not consider Aston & James’s free ink and toner recycling service? You’ll not only be helping the environment but be raising funds for local charity SeeSaw to offer vital grief support for young people and their families in Oxfordshire. Find out more at https://www.aston-james.co.uk/supporting-see-saw • Donate your old coats: Our 100Coats appeal is now in its third year. Thanks to our customers generosity we’ve donated over 1000 coats to local homeless charities in Oxfordshire. Find out more at https://www.aston-james.co.uk/100coats • Keep Hearts Beating with our First Aid Range: We are working with Keeping Hearts Beating to raise money for the provision of defibrillators in our local community. With every purchase from our Health & Safety range, we donate a percentage to Keeping Hearts Beating to contribute to the purchase of vital lifesaving equipment For more information about any of our services please get in touch

Everything for the Workplace

 sales@aston-james.co.uk  01993 706 900  www.aston-james.co.uk

PEMBROKE COLLEGE: A SUSTAINABLE VENUE FOR YOUR EVENT As a working Oxford University College which is also available year-round for conferences and events, Pembroke recognizes the importance of committing to sustainable practices to reduce the damaging effect events can have on the environment. Written by: Ellen Brady

Photography by: Emir Hasham, Phil Sills, Ellen Brady, Quintin Lake

As a venue we don’t just focus on our stunning historic back-drops, state-of-the-art conference facilities & outstanding cuisine. We put responsible innovation at the heart of what we do, implementing initiatives to provide a better and greener experience for event organisers and their delegates - specifically focusing on sustainable procurement, recyclable materials, and the efficient management of energy and waste. In November 2019 we were absolutely delighted to receive a Special Commendation at the CN Academic Venue Awards for our work in this area as a catering service. What are some of the steps we take to be a better venue?

Think Green When Building Pembroke’s Rokos Quad opened in 2013 and has 96 bedrooms, a 170 seat auditorium, 3 meeting rooms, a Barista Café and an art gallery. It is linked to the historic College site by an elegant steel and glass bridge across the medieval South city wall. As part 66

of the environmentally-friendly design the College installed ground source heat pumps and a solar water system, the combined effect of which provides a 35% energy saving and 25% carbon emission saving. For this energy-efficient and sustainable approach to construction we were awarded the David Steel Sustainable Building Award. However we haven’t rested on our laurels – a recent programme invested £25k in LED lighting to reduce our energy use and costs even further.

Ditch Single-Use Plastic Approximately 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the ocean each year. In our campaign to reduce single-use plastic we use compostable disposable cups, paper straws, wooden teaspoons and plasticfree teabags (not many people know that the average teabag contains plastic!) We have now completely replaced all plastic bottled drinks with glass or cans, including canned water provided by the innovative company Canowater. Re-using is always one step better than buying new, even with recyclable containers, so we have water coolers and

fountains around the site for refilling bottles, and our on-site Café offers a discount for those who bring their own cup. To encourage this further, the College sourced its own Pemboke KeepCups - offered to all staff and students on arrival, and available as a delegate gift to conference clients. We also now do not provide plastic bottled toiletries in every guest room – however we do have stocks available at reception in case you forget your own.

Source Locally We try to maintain the smallest carbon footprint possible, particularly in catering. 95% of our meal elements are homemade onsite in our 5* hygiene rated kitchen - from the bread rolls at the start to the ice-cream at the end - and our menus are unique to Pembroke, devised seasonally by our Chefs using fresh ingredients from local suppliers. For example, we serve a mouthwatering gin-cured trout starter which comes from ChalkStream on the Test River in Hampshire. We also stock our own ‘Pembroke Ale’ from Chadlington Brewery, 22 miles away and our cooler water comes from Blenheim, 12 miles WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

“ Growing numbers of people are turning to

veganism in an attempt to reduce their impact upon the environment. We offer an entirely vegan banquet menu complemented with vegan wine

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away. We have reduced the number of suppliers we regularly use from 20 to 10 and the number of delivery days by 50%. Working on the principle that every little change should help, we are now talking to suppliers about their use of electric vehicles.

Embrace Veganism We find that delegates have increasingly extensive dietary requirements for ethical, cultural, religious or medical reasons, for which our kitchen brigade create tempting alternatives. Specifically, growing numbers of people are turning to veganism in an attempt to reduce their impact upon the environment. We offer an entirely vegan banquet menu complemented with vegan wine. Our investment in training in this area certainly paid off – two of our pastry chefs went on a vegan dessert course, learning how to make exceptionally delicious high end desserts using only vegan ingredients - the Lemon Meringue Cheesecake with Blueberry Sorbet and Lavender Shortbreads proved a particular hit (and we promise it’s all vegan!).

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Manage Waste Responsibly

Host Your Event Here

The average conference delegate produces 1.89 kg of waste per day, the majority of which goes to landfill. Multiply that by 120 delegates over 2-3 days, 40-50 times a year and that’s sobering. Our general waste is converted to energy in a process that meets the highest environmental standards and significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions, at a facility which generates enough electricity to power at least 56,000 homes.

Responding to the sustainability challenges we face in this industry is an ongoing journey, but we are dedicated to proactively adapting and working towards our sustainability goals. If you are looking to host a conference, day meeting, banquet dinner, drinks reception or group accommodation and our values align with your event vision, come and visit our beautiful site and chat through your requirements. Call or email our friendly and professional Events Team on the details below.

Our kitchen uses methods to reduce food waste such as exacting accuracy in portioning, which helps to prevent over-ordering and under-eating. All food waste is taken to an anaerobic digestion plant near Cassington, Oxfordshire, where it is used to generate electricity which powers over 4,000 homes, and to create fertiliser which is spread on local farmland and used to grow crops. Finally we recycle everything we can and re-use if at all possible.

PEMBROKE

COLLEGE OXFORD  conferences@pmb.ox.ac.uk  01865 276 400  www.pmb.ox.ac.uk 67

OXFORD BUSINESS PARK Oxford, OX4 2JZ TO LET 4,000 sq ft – 25,000 sq ft New contemporary refurbished offices with exposed services and a dedicated concierge service providing an inspiring working environment.

13A & 14A STATION FIELD Kidlington, OX5 1JD TO LET 3,927 sq ft – 8,529 sq ft Warehouse/Trade units fully refurbished. Station Field is an established commercial location offering a mix of trade and industrial users.

1-5 WITAN PARK, AVENUE TWO Station Lane, Witney, OX28 4YT TO LET 4,915sq ft – 72,173 sq ft Extensively refurbished and ready for occupation, located on the popular Station Lane commercial/trade estate. Units available individually or combined..

14 FENCHURCH COURT Bobby Fryer Close, Oxford, OX4 6ZN TO LET 2,593 sq ft Refurbished 50/50 building with main road frontage, close to Oxford Ring Road, Mini Factory and Oxford Retail Park.

unrivalled local and regional expertise Richard Venables rvenables@vslandp.com Tom Barton tbarton@vslandp.com Duncan May dmay@vslandp.com

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2019 was a record year for Oxfordshire industrial stock levels says VSL INTEL report 50,000

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The VSL INTEL commercial property report shows that 2019 was a year of industrial speculative development for Oxfordshire with the largest supply of new speculative stock coming to the market in history. A total of 375,000 sq ft of industrial speculative stock is recorded which has led to an increase in supply by 64% to 1,360,000 sq ft, up from 828,000 sq ft in 2018. Conversely, the supply of office space has remained static and there is little speculative development coming forward in the next year so existing refurbished stock will continue to support the market. The 2019 VSL INTEL figures show a confusing picture as take up for office and industrial space dropped, although rents kept climbing. The uncertainty of Brexit is partly to blame for the dampening of take up figures but this was tempered by a buoyant feeling in the market due to the number of successful spin-out companies starting and flourishing in Oxford. Transactions across the office and industrial market have fallen significantly since the highest levels recorded 2 years ago. A total of 28 office transactions were recorded compared to 52 in 2017, while 35 industrial transactions took place compared with 49 in 2017. VSL Director Tom Barton explains: “Further speculative industrial supply is forecast for 2020 and we predict 2020 will be a new record for stock delivered to the market, providing a further 700,000 sq ft. This will dwarf the level of stock delivered in 2019 and reflects investor and developer confidence in the Oxfordshire market.

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“The delivery of new stock will be focused almost entirely around the towns of Bicester (230,000 sq ft), Didcot (310,000 sq ft) and Witney (164,000 sq ft) where land has been released via a well planned local authority planning framework.”

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Richard Venables, Director at VSL explains: “The domination of demand experienced in recent years from the science and technology sector has waned slightly this year. This sector still accounts for 63% (70% in 2018) of office take up but has sunk to only 26% (64% in 2018) of the industrial market.

from 5,000 sq ft and above.

“Our records don’t take into account the smaller lettings and there is a strong feeling that spinout activity continues to be positive with OSI plc ready to fund the intellectual property emanating from the universities.

The 2019 report features an interview with Peter Wilder, Head of Property for Oxford 600,000 £15.00 Sciences Innovation plc (OSI) about their ambitions and his forecasts for the future property needs for the spin out companies.

“We believe that this market will bounce back in 2020 as the upsurge in start-up companies recorded in recent years mature with 2nd and 3rd round funding leading to new property requirements.”

In 2019 VSL was named as Oxfordshire’s most active agent and dealmaker of the 400,000 £15.00 year for the 11th year by Estates Gazette Interactive (EGi). VSL transacted 14 offices deals equating to 56% of total take up and 19 industrial deals equating to300,000 60% of £15.00 the total market take up in 2019.

The VSL Intel annual report provides an analysis of the office and industrial market focusing on central Oxford and the A34 ‘Innovation Knowledge Corridor’ for offices from 3,000 sq ft and above and industrial

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A new opportunity for landowners and developers? Carter Jonas considers conservation covenants The agricultural community is preparing for the biggest shake-up to face the sector in 40 years. The long-awaited Agriculture Bill has been brought before parliament, as well as the Environment Bill that sets out how the government will build on the 25 Year Environment Plan. Written by: Mark Charter, Partner, Carter Jonas Oxford

Farmers will now be paid subsidies based on their care of the environment, a shift announced previously as the UK leaves the EU and its agricultural policy. Against this backdrop, many in the industry are looking for alternative ways in which they can support their business. The Environment Bill could provide opportunities around natural capital and environmental standards. One aspect of the Bill is the proposed introduction of legislation for conservation covenants. These are private and voluntary agreements between a landowner and a responsible body, such as a conservation charity, allowing for positive or restrictive obligations to fulfil a conservation objective. These covenants are attached to the land itself so, should the land change

hands, the covenant continues to bind future landowners. The intention is for the parties to be free to negotiate terms to suit their specific circumstances and requirements, including the length of time that the agreement applies. Currently, the only parties permitted to enforce covenants are the adjacent landowner, or landowners, and the National Trust, but there are proposals for this to be amended and the remit extended to charities and possibly registered for-profit bodies. The benefit of using such covenants are threefold. It will provide a long-term and robust mechanism for ensuring biodiversity net gain during development, a requirement under the National Planning Policy Framework. It is expected

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that developers would be able to deploy such a covenant as a means of facilitating development by securing compensatory habitat creation elsewhere. The use of a conservation covenant could help enable a developer to facilitate the required environmental improvements to natural capital; the landowner would be paid to implement a change on their land, to leave the environment in a measurably better state, whilst a responsible body would be paid to accept, monitor and enforce the covenant. In this case, the covenant would stipulate future land use protocols or management systems and the land would not need to be owned by the responsible body. This would be one way for a developer to secure the required biodiversity net gain, and landowners may find that another route would allow them more flexibility in terms and duration. Secondly, an alternative and more philanthropic use might see such covenants being created by existing landowners or benefactors looking to create lasting legacies. A conservation covenant could be devised to secure an environmental benefit to natural capital that accords with their own beliefs and objectives, such as enduring organic status or the creation of habitats to encourage biological diversity. As the land is passed through generations or bought and sold, the limitations on the way the land is used and employed will remain. Finally, it is also possible that corporate polluting organisations could seek to achieve their environmental objectives and off-set their carbon

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or other emissions by entering these covenants. The concept is not without its drawbacks. Concerns have been raised regarding the ongoing funding and maintenance required to comply with covenants in the future, and who should be responsible. Landowners will need to consider the long-term impact of such covenants whilst responsible bodies will have to ensure that they have the management skills and resources to oversee and enforce them. Those considering offering biodiversity offsetting should also look carefully into whether the shortterm increase in income is enough to counterbalance any loss of potential value moving forward.

will now “beFarmers paid subsidies

based on their care of the environment, a shift announced previously as the UK leaves the EU and its agricultural policy Mark Charter - Carter Jonas

”

The requirement to offset biodiversity losses is likely to become a routine requirement when a habitat or natural resource is adversely impacted by development. Carter Jonas, with a rural team who manages over a million acres of land throughout the UK, and a planning and development team advising on 23,000 acres of development land, is well-placed to provide proactive advice to enable developers and landowners to work together to mutual benefit.

If you would like to discuss this subject or any of your property requirements, please contact Carter Jonas.

 Mark.Charter@carterjonas.co.uk  01865 404 406  www.carterjonas.co.uk

Please get in touch for information or to arrange a visit to Springfield Meadows

Build your dream home at Springfield Meadows, Southmoor

Plots available

Springfield Meadows is a green and leafy site for just 25 houses across 7.7 acres, situated off Bullockspits Lane, Southmoor – a selection of modern, attractive 3, 4 and 5 bedroom Custom-Build Eco-Homes to be constructed in accordance with ‘One Planet Living’ principles, building carbon neutral, low energy homes from sustainable construction materials, promoting natural and wildflower habitats within the large green spaces on site. It has been so successful that we now only have a few plots remaining, so don’t miss out. If you would like to know more, then please contact us and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have. Plots from £395,000 to £550,000 - Turn-Key Custom Built Homes from £775,000 to £1,186,000.

PLOT 12

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Here at Wallers Estate Agents we believe in doing things a bit differently. It’s about selling and letting properties, but having fun whilst we’re at it! That’s why we keep things friendly and personal, as well as professional… which means getting the job done for our clients in a way that they can feel relaxed and reassured throughout the process. Mortgage Advisor Tara Reid (Peppermint Mortgage Services), Negotiator Am Hughes, Managing Director Rowan Waller…. And Cookie the Office Dog!

Come in and meet the team, have a coffee, and better still have a cuddle

FOR SALE

with Cookie the office dog – and let’s get you moving the Wallers’ Way! If you have any questions about the market in 2020,

Sutton Wick £895,000 A Five Bedroom Barn Conversion in a small hamlet just south of Abingdon

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Cowley: Seven Bedrooms, £3,800pcm

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then please get in touch with Rowan and the team.

Wallers Estate Agents Ltd. t. 01865 435175 m. 07982 632733 e. move@wallersestateagents.com w. wallersestateagents.com

C L E V E R H E AD L IN E More words to try and explain the clever headline re u t c i p y k Quir ness i s u b a y probabl a m o r f r o metaph ry?? a r b i l e r u pict

an d e ne zine. e w a y g d a n M A r B4 few o f ad are a to e e e r Her , feel f ie h s p e t o S no m e h use t Don`t forget to make the logo really big!?

imageworks.co.uk

Tell people we do this stuff for Oxfordshire`s leading companies and institutions: * Corporate design * Web and digital * Video and animation

Whitley Stimpson Payroll Team

Does your payroll comply with pension re-enrolment legislation? Operating a payroll can be both time consuming and complicated, and the introduction of Pensions Auto-enrolment has increased the burden on employers, heightening the potential risk of penalties for non-compliance or late submissions.

The Pensions act of 2012 introduced new legislation that made it compulsory for all employers to implement a company pension scheme irrespective of the size of their business. Since then, all companies must offer their staff the opportunity to re-enroll into the scheme every three years.

the rules but sometimes law-abiding businesses that have made entirely innocent errors or accidentally missed deadlines are at risk of action from the regulators.

Whitley Stimpson, one of the largest independent accountancy practices in the area, with offices in Banbury, Bicester, High Wycombe and Witney, has a dedicated payroll team supporting clients in dealing with all the everyday issues associated with employing staff, including Pensions. It offers a confidential, cost-effective solution to meet individual business requirements, whatever the size or complexity of your business, or simply provides support when needed.

improvement here but working with clients to improve their whole approach and this includes compliance with pension auto-enrolment

“ Our focus is not just on aiming for continuous ”

Tracy Gill, payroll expert - Whitley Stimpson

Earlier this year the Pensions Regulator announced a new wave of short-notice mandatory inspections targeting employers that they believe are ignoring their automatic pension enrolment duties. The inspections started in the summer and are ongoing, with failure to comply a criminal offence. The message from the regulator is clear: break the law, and you’re very likely to get caught.

“Re-enrolment comes with complex rules, for example - the re-enrolment date must fall in the three months either side of the first anniversary of an employee’s staging date. That’s the date their workplace pensions started. And whatever the outcome, employers must then submit an online declaration of compliance form to confirm to the regulator that they have met their re-enrolment responsibilities.”

Tracy Gill heads up Whitley Stimpson’s payroll team of five and explains: “Inevitably there will always be a small number of rogue businesses that seek to flout

The Whitley Stimpson payroll team has enjoyed tremendous growth over the last few years, with an average of 10% year-on-year increase in the

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number of new clients. The team was named as a finalist in two Reward Strategy Awards categories this year for the Service Provider Team Award and The Next Generation Award. Tracy concludes: “The aim for 2020 is to actively market a newly streamlined accountancy payroll service and to look to recruit even more people to support this growth and maintain our excellent work on behalf of our clients. Our focus is not just on aiming for continuous improvement here but working with clients to improve their whole approach and this includes compliance with pension autoenrolment.” To speak to Tracy Gill, or one of Whitley Stimpson’s payroll experts, please call 01295 270200 or visit www.whitleystimpson.co.uk.

CHARTER ED ACCOUNTANTS AND BUS I NES S A D V I SOR S

 tracyg@whitleystimpson.co.uk  01295 270 200  www.whitleystimpson.co.uk

Protecting Business Ideas from Being Stolen Wellers has helped countless entrepreneurs build and sell their businesses from its offices in Oxford, Banbury, Thame, and London. Here, one of its partners, Stuart Crook, shares his advice on keeping business ideas safe from ‘thieves’ and details why it is always better to be proactive and plan ahead. Written by: Stuart Crook, Partner - Wellers

In a world of connectivity when everyone seemingly has an online presence, it is no surprise that ideas often get stolen, even by accident – after all, few ideas are truly new ones. That doesn’t mean that businesses should accept that innovative ideas are destined to be poached by someone else. To avoid this, it is important that steps are taken to protect business ideas and product concepts. However, if an idea is stolen, there are actions that need be taken to rectify the situation and ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Prevention not Cure It is much easier to protect an idea by securing the thinking before it can be stolen. Playing catch up after the event is much harder than setting plans in motion when things are operating smoothly. Patents are the best way to ensure that ideas aren’t pilfered, however they are expensive to acquire, and the process can take years. If patents aren’t the best route, the good news is there are still other options.

Non-compete Agreement (NCA) Usually part of an employment contract, a non76

compete clause prevents former employees from starting in a similar profession or trade that might rival or hamper the original employer. Sometimes this is for a set duration, or it can be open-ended.

Non-disclosure Agreement (NDA) NDAs can be used for an array of different purposes. Usually they are signed by a third party working with an organisation, whether that’s an external marketing agency, packaging business, or graphic designers. It means that they are bound by confidentiality and restricted from talking, in this case, about the idea with anyone else externally. It is wise to be wary of an expiry date, similar to a non-compete clause, as not setting one may be preferable.

Work-for-hire Agreement If a business has many people working on an idea or concept, particularly if they are contributing on a freelance basis, it must make sure to have it in writing that any and all improvements are their property. This ensures that any advancements are owned by the business rather than an external advisor.

My Idea was Stolen – What do I do now? We have already discussed why prevention is better than cure, but it doesn’t always happen that way and sometimes the safety nets are forgotten because the pursuit of making the idea a reality is the sole focus. This opens up the opportunity for the idea to be stolen in the process, but that doesn’t spell the end of the business and there are some key things to remember here. Do not confront the person or people involved. Like with anything that can go wrong in life, it is better to wait a couple of hours, or even a few days, before responding. This ensures a level head is engaged so that the situation can be resolved in a constructive manner that will likely yield a more positive result. After waiting a few hours, contact the person to discuss the issue directly. It is at this point where it may be discovered that it was unintentional and a misunderstanding, in which case the matter can be rectified quickly and without further upset. If not, then the situation may require legal action to be resolved. If this route is necessary, it needs to be acknowledged that getting lawyers involved is not only a costly exercise, but it

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is also a big distraction for business owners as it will soak up their precious time, energy, and attention. Therefore, settling things without the need of a solicitor is usually the preferred method. Once a dispute has been settled, there are three important things to consider that will ensure the same thing doesn’t happen again – learn from the experience, keep your idea, and move on.

Learn from it Now is the time to put plans in place to prevent ideas being stolen in the future. Although it is exciting to develop new processes and concepts, and it is easy to share the excitement with others, sometimes it is better to keep your cards close to your chest – or only share them with those you implicitly trust.

Conclusion Patents are the “ best way to ensure that ideas aren’t pilfered, however they are expensive to acquire, and the process can take years. If patents aren’t the best route, the good news is there are still other options.

”

Having a business idea stolen is unethical and underhand, but it can also leave you feeling deflated. However, it does mean that somebody thought your idea was so good that they had to take it for themselves. The key is to prevent ideas from being stolen before they enter any public domain or forum. That’s why there are laws in place to protect businesses and entrepreneurs. If the worst does happen though, it is important to remember that there is still a way forward and it doesn’t have to spell the end of your vision. For more information and insight into how to asses and implement your business idea visit the Wellers website

Stuart Crook, Partner - Wellers

Keep Going Don’t let one knock-down prevent further business ideas from manifesting. It can be a frustrating and disheartening process having an idea stolen, but that doesn’t mean it should stop you in your tracks. The only thing that was stolen was the idea itself, not the strategy behind it or the way the concept was going to be brought to market. WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Move On The final option is just to leave it. If the process has left you feeling uninspired about the idea or less passionate about your initial vision, you can just walk away. You can start a new project or find a different market to operate within.

 Stuart.Crook@wellersaccountants.co.uk  0333 241 6000  www.wellersaccountants.co.uk 77

“

What do you enjoy about your work? Managing people and having the freedom to be able to come up with new ideas for our clients and professional contacts

”

Ria Shepheard (Office Manager) - Charles Stanley

How profit extraction requires careful consideration by owner shareholders of SMEs Written by: Ian Brookes, Financial Planner, Charles Stanley Wealth Managers

If you are an owner / shareholder of an SME (small and medium-sized enterprises) there could be a good argument in favour of making pension contributions in addition to or instead of drawing a dividend. You will be familiar with the strategy of drawing a low salary of around £8,000 pa and paying additional income as dividends, however if you are in the financial position where you don’t need some or all of the income for day to day living costs extracting some business profits via pension contributions should be strongly considered. Pension contributions can be even more tax efficient than both salary and dividends. This is because an employer Pension Contribution is not subject to Employers and Employee NI and is usually treated as an allowable deduction for Corporation Tax. “I have also advised on scenarios where the SME owner has been able to pay employer contributions in excess of the £40,000 annual allowance, using WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Photography by: Charlie Clift

part or all of their unused carried forward annual allowance from the last 3 tax years.”

Investment involves risk. Investors may get back less than invested.

Modern pensions allow the fund value to be accessed flexibly with up to 25% of the pension fund value available tax free from age 55, under current rules. There is no immediate requirement to draw any taxable income from the fund and it could be left to grow until the individual is a basic rather than higher rate income tax payer in the future. Finally, a word of caution, taking drawdown income, in addition to the tax free lump sum, will trigger the Money Purchase Annual Allowance (MPAA), restricting future savings to a maximum of £4,000 per tax year currently.

Charles Stanley & Co. Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Charles Stanley is not a tax adviser. This information is based on our understanding of current HMRC legislation. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may be subject to change in the future.

If you are interested in exploring business profit extraction or any other area of financial advice please contact Ian Brookes. ian.brookes@charles-stanley.co.uk | 01865 987 485 | www.charles-stanley.co.uk/oxford-office

 ian.brookes@charles-stanley.co.uk  01865 987 485  www.charles-stanley.co.uk/oxford-office

THE RIGHT SUPPORT FOR YOUR BUSINESS CLIENT SUPPORT AUDIT ACCOUNTANCY CHARITIES COMPANY SECRETARIAL CONSULTANCY FINANCIAL PLANNING FORENSIC ACCOUNTING MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTS PAYROLL TAXATION TRUSTS OXFORD 30 St. Giles, Oxford OX1 3LE tel. 01865 559900 email. information@wenntownsend.co.uk CIRENCESTER 5 Gosditch Street, Cirencester GL7 2AG tel. 01285 659778 email. partners@wenntownsend.net ABINGDON 10 Broad Street, Abingdon OX14 3LH tel. 01235 548700 email. abingdon@wenntownsend.co.uk

www.wenntownsend.co.uk

OXFORDSHIRE’S BUSINESS COMMUNITY TAKE NOTE As operator of a comprehensive network of services in the city, in addition to express coach services to Heathrow and Gatwick airports, Oxford Bus Company’s role in keeping the people of Oxford moving for nearly 140 years can easily be underestimated. B4 met with Managing Director, Phil Southall, to discover that business specific services are becoming an increasingly established element of the company’s impressive portfolio, but they need more support.

In addition to the city and airport services, readers will be familiar with the BROOKESbus service which Oxford Bus Company (OBC) operates in partnership with Oxford Brookes University, not to mention the popular park&ride service which connects five car parks to the city centre. But less is known of four services which are designed to support Oxfordshire’s business community, as Phil explains. “We are really keen to promote our services which support business and highlight how the business community can engage. There are four key solutions as follows: a new Airline service which can cater for business groups; the business support services that our sister company, City Sightseeing, can provide; the science transit shuttle from Oxford to Harwell; and finally, the Pick Me Up service which really needs the support of business to help it continue to operate..

Airline – Heathrow and Gatwick Airport services “We have just invested £3.3 million in eleven new state of the art coaches. We’re providing a prestigious and luxurious service with all the creature comforts on like Sat Nav (which tells you how long it’s going to take you to get to the airport); luxury seating where you can actually pull your seat out if you want a bit of space between you and the person next to you; we’ve got standard services like Wi-Fi, USB ports for device charging and we’ve also put tables in for customers’ laptops and cups of coffee. “So we’ve taken a lot of the improvements from the city buses onto the new airport coaches. The feedback has been excellent and we have obviously gone to the next level to try and provide something exceptional and a luxury experience.

“We are also starting a new high quality coach hourly Airline service from 29th March and whilst it doesn’t come to Oxford directly, it will benefit Oxfordshire businesses. The Wycombe Airline will run from High Wycombe bus station to High Wycombe train station, then to the Handy Cross Park and Ride facility, down to Maidenhead and into Heathrow. So if you’re trying to get to Heathrow from places like Banbury or towns and villages that are on the Chiltern rail line, you have a “RailAir” service from High Wycombe train station to Heathrow which cuts out Oxford and London completely, thus alleviating some of the transport strain in the city centre. In addition, customers who live in the south of the county might want to drive to Handy Cross and park their car there and catch the Airline. This will help those customers who get on / off the bus at Lewknor but have nowhere to park, which is why Handy Cross Park and Ride is such an attractive option.

Oxfordshire area. “Time-wise we can get from most places in Oxford to Heathrow within an hour, and to Gatwick within two hours, congestion permitting. It’s comparable with rail because by the time you’ve got to the station and then changed trains at Reading or London, going direct to either airport in the timeframes mentioned is quite powerful. People often miss that key link to the airport is already there. Obviously it runs every thirty minutes to Heathrow all year round and is enhanced to every twenty minutes at the busiest times, and to Gatwick it’s hourly, so it’s a very comprehensive service.”

“We also have a new facility for groups on the Airline website so we can handle requests for groups to Oxford. We can help you to co-ordinate group movements from both Heathrow and Gatwick and the chances are we can also improve on price. If you have people in a group coming in dribs and drabs in one direction, they can come on any coach that we operate and if they want to go back as a group, we can help with that and vice versa. “Similarly schools have movements to and from the airports, especially the international language schools. We’re trying to encourage them to book with us rather than book expensive taxis and other transfers. We’re encouraging them to talk to us and have the flexibility of having group travel in both directions or just in one direction. Please do talk to us as we can provide bespoke solutions to suit the needs of the business community to ensure that the Airline is the service of choice to get to Heathrow and Gatwick from Oxford and the wider

City Sightseeing

City Sightseeing – Business Support services “We took City Sightseeing over at the back end of 2017. As a company we are very much engrained in the tourism market having been founding Ambassadors of Experience Oxfordshire and the recently launched Oxford Pass.

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The Airline fleet has been upgraded with 11 new coaches

“A lot of City Sightseeing customers know the brand from its global visibility and expect us to provide additional tourism services in Oxford. We have already developed the business so that we now offer a bureau de change at the train station and we tried later tours at the back end of last summer which were successful on certain days of the week but not others – mainly at the weekends when people were dwelling longer.

Thames Travel – servicing Oxfordshire’s southern based Business Parks “Thames Travel has been part of our portfolio of companies since 2011 and the strategy has been to work with business parks in south Oxfordshire including Harwell, Milton Park and Culham to support their transport provision. Over time the aim is to

“Customers have also asked us to provide more walking tours. Traditionally we had one walking tour which went from High Street, past the Radcliffe Camera down to Broad Street. This allowed customers to get off the bus and see some of the more spectacular sights of Oxford on foot. We are now looking to add very short walking tours starting from St Aldates through Christ Church and up to the High Street so passengers can then choose to do one or more walking tours or add it on to the bus tour, giving our customers more options. “These services are also available to the business community - they run all year round so if you’re organising a conference or event in Oxford and you want to do something a bit different and get your group outside the conference venue, we can provide a bespoke service to add an extra dimension for you. We can then add in the walking tour elements and focus on the fit and healthy aspect of doing something active in conjunction with the City Sightseeing tour…..it’s a great way to see some of the beautiful sights in Oxford that you might not otherwise see. “So if you’re coming to Oxford, why wouldn’t you want to see some of it in a short, sharp burst in your lunch hour or whenever your itinerary allows. If you go to the City Sightseeing or Oxford Bus Company websites there will be links to help you plan your tours on foot or on the bus – we will be pleased to assist.”

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The new Thames Travel Science Transit Shuttle service.

work with these business parks to build the overall network both within the Science Vale and to and from Oxford and the eastern area of Oxford. But that is going to require an element of pooling together of all of our resources….Thames Travel taking some commercial risks and the business parks doing the same by investing services available to everyone, not just their employees for environmental reasons and financial reasons. “It’s taken some time to get to where we are now with Harwell. The Science Transit Shuttle used to be

run by another provider and the University perceived that with the money they had available at the time, this was the only option open to them. The service was operated on a closed-door basis meaning it wasn’t available to the general public and you had to get a special permit either from a business at Harwell or the University to travel on that service which, of course, held back its commercial development. It was also run by small sixteen-seater mini buses, so what quite often happened was the service was full and people were being left behind. Overall, a bad experience. “When that contract ended, the University came to us and asked if there was a better way of operating the service. They were more established than when the original service began and asked if there was a partnership opportunity to work with us to improve the service to Harwell and also the service that went from Wytham and into Oxford through the University area and up to the John Radcliffe. We said ‘yes’ because some of the demand that they were satisfying in Oxford could be transferred to the Pick Me Up service. So anyone going to the Churchill, the JR or the Big Data Institute could use that service which was subsidised by Oxford University where they gave everyone four free rides and then we offered a discounted rate which helped to build up patronage. “They then needed less in terms of investment for the Science Transit shuttle so we were able to halve the cost of that service for them and we’ve doubled the patronage since July 2019 up until January 2020, a great success. There have been some teething issues, mainly in terms of running times in the early stages, but since 5th January, everything has been running very smoothly and with the headlines of halving cost and doubling patronage, we can look at this as a massive success.

www.that-event.com innova�ve, eﬀec�ve and professional

One of our PickMeUp vehicles, ready to pick up customers.

“The key message here is that if your business is procuring its own transport and it’s costing more than you think it should, please contact me direct and we can convene what work we need to do to get that moving. The Connector brand is now evolving as a connector between the southern business parks and we want to expand the Connector brand as much as possible. With the housing growth in Didcot we have plans to expand that network further over the next six to twelve months and provide more people with connectivity from the science parks in south Oxfordshire to each other, to Oxford and to the east of Oxford. So please talk to us if this is of interest.”

Pick Me Up service “This came about because there was lots of frustration in the business community and the city council, in fact everybody really about services outside the city centre. Whilst the services from Oxford into the city centre are established and everyone thinks they are great, frequent and reliable, if you’re a bit more remote like the Science Park and Oxford Business Park, you’re not on the main bus network and the orbital (area around the ring road) connectivity isn’t established. If you look at the numbers, on any given day in the City Centre, 55% of people on a weekday have got there by bus of some sort. This increases to 65% at the weekend because of tourism, but by stark contrast 90% of people drive to the Eastern Arc, so that’s why we have got this problem, only adding to congestion. “As the business parks have expanded and the number of parking places that have been allowed have been restricted by planning conditions, it’s created this issue where business parks are saying to potential occupiers that although it’s a great place to be, it’s a great environment and a great place to work in, you can’t have the car parking you want. This is a massive turn off to potential tenants and existing tenants are also struggling to recruit the people they need because they feel they need to drive. Whilst we are trying to encourage people not to drive, the alternatives aren’t always there.

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“We spoke to the business parks in combination with the county council, city council and Oxfordshire LEP and we explored the possibility of a fixed bus route which ran from Redbridge to Thornhill every ten minutes. It was going to take 12 buses and cost £1.8 million, but the business community wasn’t interested and said it was still going to take too long and wouldn’t service the residential areas. We had to think more innovatively so we came up with a demand responsive transport solution (Pick Me Up) but we needed the support of the business community to implement it successfully. “We were prepared to take some commercial risk but we needed the businesses to back us. Oxford Science Park did and gave us a three-year commitment with some Section 106 funds it had available, which was excellent. We also engaged with TripAdvisor and Oxford University, and they have also been very good in buying bundles of free tickets. We are also hopeful of working with Oxford Business Park and have recently managed to get some Section 106 money released to look at doing some travel planning a service with them. “Other than that, there are plenty of larger players in the Eastern Arc who should be supporting the service and we did say when we launched that we would need this support, but it hasn’t been as forthcoming as we would have hoped. We have until June to prove this service has a long-term future and given the notice periods required, we really need to come to a conclusion by March.

Connecting Oxford proposals are coming forward which are aimed to give buses more priority so that they can circulate more freely. The average speed of the Pick Me Up service is 9 miles an hour at peak times and that’s the barrier because it means you can’t get around as quickly as we would like and therefore can’t serve as many people as we need. “The service needs Connecting Oxford to help it, but if the Workplace Parking Levy is going to raise funds to invest in public transport, we need a bridge. If people think the parking levy can help, this isn’t coming in until late 2021 or 2022, so we need something to keep Pick Me Up running in the meantime. I would argue the responsibility to keep the service going rests with the City, County and the business community…it needs to understand that this service can be of massive benefit to it. “A few years ago I spoke at Business in Oxford and the message to the business community was that we can help to provide solutions for ever increasing staffing, transport and congestion problems. We are trying to help the business community but we can’t do this without more engagement. Without OBC’s solutions, which can’t be guaranteed without support, the existing issues of attracting and retaining staff and traffic congestion will continue to prove more and more challenging to businesses and, ultimately, business growth will be stifled.”

“We are holding an event at Oxford Business Park on 27th February between 12pm and 2pm, so any interested businesses that want to attend can come along and find out more. Register your interest by calling 01865 785405 or emailing Lesley. Pacey@oxfordbus.co.uk and we will provide joining instructions. “The bottom line to businesses at this event is that if they don’t back this service it won’t exist beyond June of this year, just at the time that the

 info@oxfordbus.co.uk  01865 785 400  www.oxfordbus.co.uk

SME growth is vital for Oxfordshire’s economy Rod Macrae has been hearing about the business journey to achieving significant growth and why Oxfordshire is a great place to scale up a business. Written by: Rod Macrae Richard Byard of OxLEP

Oxfordshire has a world class university and research facilities as well as established worldleading science underpinning its business base and providing access to research, talent and data that can help address some of the major challenges facing Oxfordshire, the UK and indeed the globe. Many of the emerging transformative technologies that will shape this century have a home in Oxfordshire, such as the clean energy cluster spanning Harwell & Culham or world class life science capabilities centred around the Old Road Campus. SMEs can play a vital role in turning world class research into commercial opportunity and help address some of the challenges identified in the Local Industrial Strategy. For example, Tokamak Energy has grown rapidly from its origins in 2009 to a team of over 60 seeking to develop efficient and affordable clean fusion power. The strategy makes the case for small and medium sized businesses with significant growth potential: breakthrough and scale up businesses at the cutting edge of technological opportunity These scale-up businesses, many of them still at the early stages of development at present, could be major contributors to the future of Oxfordshire.

SUPPORTING GROWTH SMES Preparation is key for all businesses, but especially 86

those starting out on a growth journey – getting the basics in place so the business has the greatest chance of success – to scale and grow. OxLEP has recently launched eScalate, aimed at supporting and nurturing SMEs with high growth potential: companies which expect to scale-up in the near future or have found they are already facing the challenges of high growth – which can often happen at pace. One of the biggest obstacles is accessing the right sort of finance at the correct time, which can be complex and confusing with early stage and seed capital especially difficult. The eScalate programme offers support to enable businesses to be better placed to attract investment. The programme is providing access to vital resources and effectively connecting companies to the local eco-system.

We are putting in the “ groundwork and learning a lot from this stage. Our plan is to pivot to larger scale production when we launch into much larger markets and face greater demand

”

Dr. Kashif Siddiq

As Richard Byard from OxLEP Business explains: “Businesses, regardless of their size, often face similar challenges when it comes to managing significant growth. Our aim is to provide a range of services that help businesses grow in a sustainable way, for example through leadership & management support, access to finance, skills and training support or to help access to networks and peer groups.”

START-UP TO SCALE-UP Kashif Siddiq has been managing director of Oxford RF Solutions for less than 6 months, but already knows what being an entrepreneur is all WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

HELP AVAILABLE FROM THE ESCALATE PROGRAMME OxLEP’s Growth Hub and the eScalate programme supports businesses that have scale-up potential. If your business is working towards increasing market share, revenues, staff or has struggled with access to finance or needs investment readiness support, we can help through 1:1 support including: • Identifying suitable types of investment • Access to finance advice and guidance • Investment readiness support including pitch practice coaching • Business planning for finance • Market/competitor analysis focusing on becoming investment ready • Accessing networks • Introductions to suitable finance/ grant providers • Grants of between £1k – £25k for eligible businesses Dr. Kashif Siddiq

about: risk and ambition. His company expects to secure a place as technology provider to some of the cutting-edge industries of the next few decades. The new business will be producing technology to increase the efficiency of radio frequency transmissions, making them more robust. The innovation brings tangible benefits for satellite transmissions, autonomous vehicles and in the test and measurement industry. All three have firm roots here in Oxfordshire. “At the moment we are working at a relatively small scale” Dr. Siddiq explained. “We are putting in the groundwork and learning a lot from this stage. Our plan is to pivot to larger scale production when we launch into much larger markets and face greater demand.” Their major area for growth is expected to come from a novel RF systems application for autonomous vehicles. Oxfordshire is home to the world’s leading AV company, Oxbotica, which is at the heart of a thriving AV cluster.

GROWTH HUB SUPPORT “Being close to other innovative businesses is a clear advantage to a business such as ours” says Kashif. “We’ve had support from OxLEP Business from the beginning, most importantly in developing our business plan. If we are to capitalise on the opportunities we know exist, we must be investment ready.”

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Now established, Oxford RF Solutions will be creating jobs and securing their position over the course of the next year.

For more information call: 01865 897181 or email: business@oxfordshirelep.com www.oxfordshirelep.com/escalate

“The people we have met understand what it takes to make a business work and have at times given us a reality check. That’s been very useful. We’ve also benefitted from lots of signposting, introductions to useful networks and some excellent people. We feel part of something which feels like a community.” Along with hundreds of other entrepreneurs, Dr. Siddiq is focused on his own company‘s future, but is also making a contribution to Oxfordshire’s economy. OxLEP believes the economy can double Gross Value Added to £46 billion each year by 2040, making it one of the most important contributors to the UK’s prosperity and a world class centre for innovation. “We have the fastest growth rate in scale ups nationally, we have world class research, world class academia, vibrant communities and some truly inspiring businesses at the cutting edge of future opportunities – its our job at OxLEP to harness the collective strength of these and maximise the opportunity our businesses, our communities and for UK PLC” says Byard.

   

enquiries@oxfordshirebusinesssupport.co.uk 01865 897 181 www.oxfordshirebusinesssupport.co.uk @OxLEPBusiness 87

DO YOU NEED A HOSPITALITY HERO? Well established, Oxfordshire based catering company, Indulgence Boutique Hospitality, have just formed a new consultancy, Hospitality Heroes, working with established operations and new to market businesses, bringing a focus on food and drink, driving forward innovation, profitability and excellence. Hospitality Heroes Founders, Jo and Anthony, are both highly creative serial entrepreneurs complementing each other with their own unique flair and style. Over the years they have successfully created, launched managed, procured and sold multiple brands, outlets, and concepts. They are experts in all aspects of the retail on trade, events venue hospitality, restaurants, and hotels. Anthony and Jo’s experiences enable them to have a diverse understanding of all areas of the hospitality industry and are now working with a wide variety of businesses in the region. Anthony is currently developing a new range of ready meals with an established local brand and also working with a well-established Midlands based Wedding Venue, to modernise their rather outdated food offering. Anthony says, ‘We have so much experience in so many areas of hospitality, it feels right that we share our knowledge to support other businesses. Ultimately we are either helping established businesses who might be looking for more profitability or market share and supporting newer businesses save money by leaning on us for advice to save them from the pitfalls of running food related operations.’ So you know who to call if you need a Hero in your food business.

 anthony@hospitalityheroes.co.uk  01295 235 423  www.hospitalityheroes.co.uk

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CORONAVIRUS – IS YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN AFFECTED? It will not have escaped the attention of most readers that the world’s largest manufacturing territory is currently undergoing an outbreak of a virulent and deadly virus. At the time of writing, significant parts of China are on lockdown, with the Chinese government extending the Lunar New Year holiday, quarantine measures being put in place in at least twelve major cities, and many businesses temporarily shutting down operations (and, in the case of international businesses, evacuating employees). The impact on the global economy is starting to be felt, with slumps in the NASDAQ and FTSE100, as well as in the value of shares of technology businesses such as Apple, which are heavily reliant on China as a manufacturing centre. Written by: Rebecca Howlett and Jessica Brickley, Freeths LLP

The likelihood is that businesses throughout the world will see some disruption to supply chains as a result of the coronavirus and the measures being put in place to attempt to contain its spread. So how can businesses leverage their contracts in order to minimise the impact on their business and the risks that may arise as a result? The main contractual mechanism that is available to businesses in relation to events outside of their control is the force majeure clause. This provides a business with protection in the event that it is unable to perform its contractual

obligations as a result of an event outside of its control. A supplier will therefore want to be able to rely on the force majeure clause if they are unable to supply products due to a problem further up their supply chain. A customer, on the other hand, will want to ensure that the force majeure clause is sufficiently narrow that a supplier will not be able to rely on it to avoid liability for problems in the supply chain. However, the scope of a force majeure clause will depend very much on the exact wording of the clause; there is no standard definition of the words “force majeure”. Businesses should,

accordingly, be looking carefully at the wording of their force majeure provisions to see exactly how much protection they provide. Below is a short summary of the key elements of a force majeure clause that can determine their usefulness in this type of situation:

TRIGGERING EVENTS A clause should define what a “force majeure” event actually is. This might be an exhaustive list, so that only those events specifically listed will count for the purposes of force majeure. Whether the coronavirus outbreak falls into such

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a list will depend on whether it is covered by any of the items in the list. For instance, some force majeure clauses include “epidemic or pandemic” or something similar. Of course, it may be a matter for debate as to whether the coronavirus outbreak has at this stage reached the level of an epidemic. Alternatively, a “force majeure” event may be defined by referring to “causes outside the control of a party, including” followed by a list, in which case the list is only illustrative, and other events may also be included in the definition if they are outside the control of a party. The coronavirus outbreak would almost certainly be considered to be outside the control of a party and therefore constitute a force majeure event, on a definition in these terms.

Businesses that “ are experiencing, or anticipate, disruption within their supply chain as a result of the coronavirus outbreak should be looking at their contracts now.

”

CAUSING THE CONTRACT BREACH However, even if the coronavirus outbreak is a force majeure event, in order to rely on a force majeure clause, the event must not only cause the contractual breach, but it must be the only cause of the contractual breach. The 2019 case Classic Maritime Inc v Limbungan Makmur SDN BHD considered the situation where Limbungan was contractually obliged to supply Classic

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Maritime with iron ore cargo, but was unable to do so. Limbungan claimed that this was due to the shutdown of the supplying mine due to a burst dam, but the court found that, in the circumstances, Limbungan would not have been able to provide the cargo anyway, and so the burst dam did not in reality cause their breach. It must be clear that, if the force majeure event had not happened, the contract would not have been breached. How this applies to a specific contract will depend very much on the words used in the force majeure clause.

Rebecca Howlett

EFFECT The effect of a force majeure clause also depends on what remedies have been set out in the clause. A force majeure clause will almost always suspend the affected party’s obligations and remove their liability for any breach caused by the force majeure event. However, the parties may also agree to include the right for the non-affected party to terminate the agreement if the force majeure event continues for a certain period of time, giving that party the ability to move to an alternative supplier. Finally, the parties may agree a specific obligation for the affected party to take all possible steps to mitigate the effect of the force majeure event; although the court may imply this anyway, so it is safest to assume that this applies in any event. Businesses that are experiencing, or anticipate, disruption within their supply chain as a result of the coronavirus outbreak should be looking at their contracts now, in order to identify whether they can benefit from a force majeure clause, or indeed whether they are at risk from their suppliers attempting to rely on such a clause. If you need advice on your specific circumstances or would like an expert eye cast over your own contracts, contact our Commercial team for assistance.

Jessica Brickley

 rebecca.howlett@freeths.co.uk  0845 166 6338  Jessica.Brickley@freeths.co.uk  0845 404 4153  www.freeths.co.uk

Shipla Khanum

Tales of the Unexpected Laura McDonagh

Although companies are considering their business succession planning more than ever, data from the National Association of Corporate Directors shows 37% of companies are still leaving it to chance. This is because they have not formalised their continuity plans in case of a sudden CEO departure. Written by: Shipla Khanum & Laura McDonagh, Solicitors at Gardner Leader

Through strategic succession planning, learn how your business can stay at the helm. What follows is a real life case study that highlights the importance of considering succession planning. Last year, a business owner unexpectedly suffered a serious illness that left them in a persistent vegetative state. They were the sole director and shareholder of their business, employed several people, and were negotiating a contract for its sale. Being a sole director, there was no one with the authority to continue negotiating the sale contract, or access the business accounts to pay rent or salaries. In this situation, an order to appoint a deputy was required and an application to the Court of Protection was made. A deputy is a person appointed by the Court to make decisions on behalf of a person who has lost capacity. The Court took several months to complete the application, during which time the business was vulnerable, and the sale could not progress. With some forward planning, you could avoid this happening to your business. Where you are running a business with one or more individuals you should consider having in place a shareholders’ agreement or partnership agreement. This could cover an option for the existing partners or shareholders to buy your interest in the business should you lose capacity or die. A sole director/shareholder should review the company’s constitution and consider implementing provisions that allow your personal representatives to appoint a director so that day-to-day duties can continue if you were to pass away. In addition, you should consider putting in place a

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Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA). An LPA is a legal document through which you authorise a trusted person to make certain business decisions on your behalf if you lose your capacity. This document can ensure the continuity of your business in the event that you lose mental or physical capacity, either permanently or temporarily. It is important to note that the LPA will not prevent you from taking back control of your business as soon as you have

...Your Will can “ grant others positive authority to carry on the business after your death, if this is your intention

”

regained capacity. In our example above, if they put an LPA in place to appoint someone to manage their business and financial affairs, an order to appoint a deputy would not have been necessary. If you are a sole trader and you die without making a Will, then the people appointed to administer your estate will not have any power to continue running your business, other than for a short while to preserve the assets for sale. It is therefore important to consider what you would like to happen to your business in the event of your death, especially if you would like someone to continue running it. Your Will can grant others positive authority to carry on the business after your death, if this is your intention.

Whilst selling your business may be your retirement plan, you should always ensure that you have in place the following: • written documentation for key relationships for example with your customers, suppliers and employees; • all intellectual property is owned by the business and not by you personally; • well maintained premises and equipment; • accessible records and information systems; • up to date regulatory consents; • a Lasting Power of Attorney; and • a Will. Gardner Leader can assist you with business succession planning along with other considerations such as tax saving measures that may apply. Shipla Khanum Solicitor – Corporate Commercial T: 01628 502442 E: s.khanum@gardner-leader.co.uk Laura McDonagh Solicitor – Inheritance Protection T: 01628 502440 E: l.mcdonagh@gardner-leader.co.uk

 01628 671 636  www.gardner-leader.co.uk

A FREETHINKING APPROACH TO SEPARATION Written by: The Family Team, Freeths Solicitors

This does not include the separation rates for those aged over 16, who are living with a partner, that have never married, which now accounts for 10% of our population.

“On a separation our clients’ needs are more than just legal” With over 50 years’ legal experience within our team, we understand that on a separation our clients’ needs are more than just legal. In particular, divorce and separation have a day-to-day emotional impact on them. This can make the process and practical steps more difficult.

With the start of a new decade, for many it is a time to reflect on their life and changes they want to make for the future.

The widespread traditional model where historically only legal advice is provided by lawyers is too narrow and needs to change. It is important that no one feels they have to deal with the emotional burden on their own and that clients are fully supported through the separation process both legally and emotionally.

For some, these reflections will lead them to conclude they have reached the end of their relationship.

As part of our unique client centred approach, we work with other advisers, and this includes helping our clients to arrange separation counselling sessions as part of our commitment to support them through what may be a difficult time.

The media coverage of ‘divorce day’ at the start of January is full of drama and hype every year, but it is true that separations affect many families.

This means that our clients have support every step of the way, not just the legal guidance, but also the emotional support.

The latest information from the Office of National Statistics show that 42% of marriages end in divorce, with half of these taking place within the first 10 years.

These counsellors are able to provide the support and tools needed to help clients get through the emotional impact of divorce and separation. This in turn makes the legal process and steps we need to discuss with clients easier to focus on.

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During any separation, “ we specialise in guiding you

through all of the areas that need to be resolved for your family, including financial settlements and arrangements for children. Every family is different and it is important for you to receive the advice you need to get your life back on track.

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Rachel Oakes, Partner at Freeths Oxford

During Autumn 2019 we expanded our support to include providing a free initial consultation for new clients with one of our recommended separation counsellors. Due to its success we are pleased to be extending it until the end of February 2020 so that even more clients can benefit from it.

“More than just divorce” As family lawyers we deal with more than just divorce itself. During any separation, we specialise in guiding you through all of the areas that need to be resolved for your family, including financial settlements and arrangements for children. Every family is different and it is important for you to receive the advice you need to get your life back on track. We also help during relationships by trying to prevent problems later with early legal advice. We are very experienced in dealing with wealth preservation by the preparation of agreements for cohabiting couples and pre-nuptial and post-nuptial agreements. These types of agreement are becoming much more popular as the case law shows them increasingly being followed in any future separation. Many argue that having this type of document in place supports a relationship and helps to prevent separation by removing sources of potential future conflict.

reduce exposure to costs. If you do need to go to court, we will ensure you have an excellent team on your side. If you or someone you know would appreciate more information about any of the above, please contact a member of the family team below.

In addition to this we help clients with a whole range of further family law advice, including taking a child abroad, surrogacy law, fertility law and donor conception, school appeals and child maintenance and appeals. The days of fully litigated court proceedings regardless of the circumstances are rightly coming to an end. We will always consider alternative dispute resolution options and the use of mediation, collaborative law, lawyer led negotiation or arbitration to resolve difficulties without court proceedings. These options can

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 rachael.oakes@freeths.co.uk  01865 781 181  www.freeths.co.uk

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PENNINGTONS MANCHES COOPER HIRES IMMIGRATION SPECIALIST TO SUPPORT OXFORD MARKET The highly ranked immigration practice at top 50 law firm Penningtons Manches Cooper has appointed Kelly Tomkinson as a senior associate to support increasing demand for its services in Oxford and the wider region.

With more than 20 years’ experience as an international immigration lawyer, Kelly joins from the Warwickshire firm of Wright Hassell LLP and will be based in the firm’s office at Oxford Business Park. Kelly specialises in advising both corporate and private clients on all aspects of immigration law, including sponsor licensing, Tier 2 and 4 applications, family based applications, British Citizenship, domestic workers, and applications under the EU settlement scheme.

We are delighted to welcome Kelly to our “ team. Her wide-ranging international experience and background as a dual British and US citizen who has lived in the UK, USA and the Philippines is a perfect fit for our multi-national team of immigration lawyers

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among other matters. We also work closely with our corporate, commercial, dispute resolution and employment practice groups for both international and UK-based clients across a range of industry sectors so Kelly’s expertise is going to be invaluable to the wider team.”

ABOUT PENNINGTONS MANCHES COOPERS Penningtons Manches Cooper is a leading UK and international law firm which provides high quality legal advice tailored to both businesses and individuals. We address the specific objectives of each client through our flair and technical expertise and offer a personal service founded on a strong team ethic. Today, we have UK offices in the City of London, Basingstoke, Birmingham, Cambridge, Guildford, Oxford and Reading while our growing overseas network stretches from Asia to America through our presence in Singapore, Piraeus, Paris, Madrid, Sao Paulo and San Francisco. With 141 partners and over 850 people in total, our main areas of practice are dispute resolution, corporate and commercial, real estate, private client and family.

Pat Saini, Head of Immigration Practice

Commenting on Kelly’s appointment, Pat Saini, head of Penningtons Manches Cooper’s immigration practice, said: “We are delighted to welcome Kelly to our team. Her wide-ranging international experience and background as a dual British and US citizen who has lived in the UK, USA and the Philippines is a perfect fit for our multi-national team of immigration lawyers.” She added: “The Oxford office has a particular focus on the technology, education and healthcare sectors, regularly handling the immigration aspects of spinouts,

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O X F O R D S H I R E

 kelly.tomkinson@penningtonslaw.com  01865 813 708  www.penningtonslaw.com

OXFORD’S PLACE IN THE GLOBAL MARKET An evening with Lord Digby Jones Business leaders representing leading global companies based in Oxfordshire recently attended an evening dinner with Lord Digby Jones at the prestigious Divinity School within the Bodleian Library. The event was hosted by leading law firm, Freeths Solicitors and Accountancy and Business Advisory firm, James Cowper Kreston. Written by: Sian Hewitt, Freeths Solicitors Photography by: Freeths Solicitors

Left to right are: Simon King, Lord Digby Jones, Leon Arnold, Sue Staunton

With over 60 guests in attendance representing industries ranging from bio-tech, education to property and construction that all contribute to the widespread Oxfordshire business landscape and the UK economy. The evening opened with networking in the beautiful surroundings of the Divinity School allowing guests to take the opportunity to catch up with their business peers while others took the opportunity to make new introductions before taking their seats. The business theme for the evening was Oxford’s Place in the Global Market, which was to be led by the keynote speaker, Lord Digby Jones. Lord Digby Jones is no stranger to the principles of business and how the UK, Europe and Global economies operate. He has served as Director General of CBI and the Minister of State for Trade and Investment. Prior to this, Lord Digby Jones spent twenty years at law firm Edge & Ellison, where he reached senior partner level. He received his knighthood

in 2005 for his services to business, making him the right keynote speaker to lead the discussion among the business leaders in the room. On building up to the topic of Oxford’s Place in the Global Market, Lord Digby Jones began discussing something everyone is familiar with in Oxford, which was of course the amazing colleges it has to offer. He continued to take his guests on a trip down memory lane by regaling stories of his initial interview with Trinity College when applying to the University of Oxford as an undergraduate, which he then went on to explain it did not go according to plan. It was some many years later that Lord Digby Jones attended Trinity College as a guest and was asked by a fellow of Trinity why he never considered attending Oxford as an undergraduate. Lord Digby Jones humoured the guests in the room by saying he didn’t have the heart to tell the fellow what happened at his interview all those years ago.

He continued with his talk on Oxford’s Place in the Global Market, which included his views on Brexit, trade deals, UK population increase, and the public sector in respect of doing more for businesses. Throughout his talk he made clear how important Oxford businesses are to the local and national society, and how they are a vital component to keeping the economy moving. He also touched on other subjects such as technology and the differences it makes for modern businesses, the negative and positive communities it can create and how we have lost a lot of human interaction with one another due to the disruption of mobile phone technology, in particular society’s interaction with social media. Education in Oxfordshire was also on the agenda discussing ways to get the younger generation into businesses and how to keep them there. The talk also covered topics such as innovation in today’s current market, how do you keep on top of the pile and where do we go from here? The talk ended with an extremely interesting and extensive Q&A session in which

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As always the “ room was interested and entertained as he talked about not only his past connections to the city but also its place in the British economy. Looking into the future he discussed Oxford’s opportunities and challenges, acknowledging that we are well placed to continue to thrive. Leon Arnold, Head of Corporate at Freeths

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Guests exchanged their “views on the future for Oxford, proving that our City will continue to excel despite uncertain times ahead

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Sue Staunton, Partner at James Cowper Kreston

all the guests got involved in and got to ask their burning questions to Lord Digby Jones. Leon Arnold, Head of Corporate at Freeths, said “It was great to see Lord Digby, who was my first ever boss in 1997. As always the room was interested and entertained as he talked about not only his past connections to the city but also its place in the British economy. Looking into the future he discussed Oxford’s opportunities and challenges, acknowledging that we are well placed to continue to thrive. There were lots of questions and a lively debate, I suspect we could have gone on to the small hours had I not reluctantly let Lord Digby finish. The feedback from the evening was great with people enjoying both the third party perspective of such a qualified speaker and also the opportunity to exchange view in such a marvellous setting.

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Thanks must go to him, James Cowper Kreston and the attendees, many of Oxford’s premier businesses and some genuinely world class companies amongst them. Thanks also to Oxford Fine Dining for some exceptional food.” Sue Staunton, Partner and Head of Technology at James Cowper Kreston, said “We were delighted to host an exceptional event with Freeths, attracting a variety of prestigious companies from across Oxfordshire. Our key note speaker, Lord Digby Jones was engaging in providing his insight into a range of issues affecting the British economy now and in the future with a focus on Oxfordshire’s place in the global market. Located in the spectacular Divinity School (the oldest part of the University of Oxford) guests exchanged their views on the future for Oxford, proving that our City will continue to excel despite uncertain times ahead. We would like to thank everyone who attended, the venue and catering team and Lord Digby Jones for helping us achieve such an

interesting event.” As the evening drew to a close the business leaders in the room continued the discussions among themselves. The evening then ended with a lot of positive thoughts and praises from the attendees for another interesting and enlightening evening from Freeths and James Cowper Kreston.

 leon.arnold@freeths.co.uk  0845 166 6330  www.freeths.co.uk

DIANE WILKINSON MD Connecting to Excellence connectingtoexcellence.com

What is your role in the business? I am the founder and driving force of the business that specialises in teams.

What are your areas of expertise? I am a Team and Executive Coach – give me 10 or 100 people in a room and I am able orchestrate a fun, enthusiastic and interactive team development day.

What do you enjoy about your work? I get most satisfaction when I support clients who are keen to explore the tricky aspects of their business and maybe their team’s way of working, to see how they can get better results. When that happens I can enjoy a glass of wine in the evening!

Where were you born? Port Elizabeth, South Africa

What are your hobbies / interests? I love the outdoors – sailing, skiing, swimming in the sea, even trapezing on catamaran or seeing the view from the top of a Munro (mountains in Scotland that are over 3,000 feet) and going for a run with my ‘Westie’ Rex in University Parks in the morning. I love gardening and adore my 100ft plus Ginkgo tree in my garden.

DIANE WILKINSON PROFILE ?

Do you have a favourite sports team? I love watching rugby – Johnny Wilkinson (no relation) is my hero and I had the pleasure of meeting him. So strange as it may sound, I was cheering on England versus SA in the recent World Cup Final!

Where is your favourite place(s) in Oxfordshire and why? Walking in the Chiltern Hills with Rex and my partner Chris – he and I love being in nature and free of technology!

Who inspires you? Nelson Mandela because he was able to show how to get on the side of your enemies by putting on the colours of his enemy, in this case the rugby jersey of South Africa’s white captain, Francois Pienaar, in the 1995 World Cup.

What do you like about Oxfordshire? It’s flat and I can cycle fast into the City Centre. I campaigned to the council when my children (Laura, Nicholas and Christopher) were in primary school to create a cycle track down the Woodstock Road and some my friends now refer to it as ‘The Diane Wilkinson Cycle Path’.

connecting

excellence

TEAM FACILITATION & EXECUTIVE COACHING

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Are you winning the War for Talent? Are you using the right weapons? It’s not just about ££ We visited AR Hine Associates’ Alan Hine at his bright and airy office in Bicester this month where he talked with passion about how he saw the current employment market. Written by: B4 Phoptography by: Rob Scotcher

Just over a decade ago, the salary would have topped a list of factors most important when considering a job move. However, in today’s environment I am seeing a much wider variety of options with factors such as work/life balance and training and development becoming equally important. This reflects the environment in which I now work and employers have to adapt their recruitment and retention strategies accordingly. Being able to identify a remuneration package that conveys the value of an individual is critical in not only securing new talent, but also in being able to retain employees. Once such factor is training and development. WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Candidates working in fast changing environments such as IT and marketing have to respond to the way technology is altering their industries, the new job roles being created and the ongoing need for

I see a number of “candidates in these

sectors looking closely at the level of training and development content on offer by future employers

”

revised skill sets. As a result, I see a number of candidates in these sectors looking closely at the level of training and development content on offer by future employers. For others, the adventure and challenge of a new role can be just as important, with candidates requiring detailed information on how flexible their careers

will be. But no one would say that their salary didn’t matter – it does, but is now a constituent element of a candidate’s decision rather than the whole. For many candidates it provides an initial benchmark to spark interest. But in isolation, it no longer carries the same degree of importance. Candidates need to understand more of the role being offered and how it will contribute to their career opportunities in the future.” For advice on winning the war based on 30+ years’ recruitment experience contact Alan...

arha AR Hine Associates

“There has been much talk of wages in recent months particularly in the election campaign but as the candidates I talk to will tell you, it’s not all about the money when seeking out future opportunities. I work with candidates from a variety of sectors. While each group will have its own idiosyncrasies pertinent to industry or location, one thing I am seeing across the board is a changing emphasis on what candidates consider motivators when looking for a new job.

   

alan@alanhine.co.uk 01869 690260 / 07971 224752 www.alanhine.co.uk @alan_hine

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6 REASONS TO STEP UP AND OWN YOUR BRAND STORY IN 2020 Written by: Lucy Eckley, director of Build Your Brand Story and founder of Oxford Independent Consultants Meetups

It seems like everyone is talking about business storytelling at the moment. But what exactly is a brand story and why do you need one? A compelling brand story tells people who you are, why your business exists, how you work with clients and what makes you different.

As trust in faceless organisations declines, there’s never been a more important time to embrace and share your story.

Building your unique brand story: 1. Helps potential clients get to know, like and trust you It’s no secret that people do business with people. Your potential clients are going to work closely with you, hopefully for many years. They want to know something about the human faces behind your business before they buy from you. Your story makes this connection by shining a spotlight on your founders and leaders, team members, suppliers and clients. 2. Shows what your business stands for “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Simon Sinek’s words are now almost immortal. Your clients and employees want to see your passion and your purpose. Your brand story is a great way to share your values and commitment to responsible business. 3. Demonstrates how you can help your clients Your back story - your expertise, experience and qualifications – can show why you’re best placed to serve your ideal clients. Adding testimonials from clients who fit your ideal client profile builds your credibility.

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4. Helps you stand out from your competitors You don’t want to blend in and be just another business in your industry. Sharing your story makes you memorable. Don’t be tempted to follow your competitors too closely. Make the decision to be you, to stand out and be different. 5. Gives you a unique voice Once you’re clear on your business personality, you can find a consistent voice that sounds like you and fits your brand. That means no jargon or business speak, just everyday language that will make sense to your audience. 6. Provides consistent messages It’s not about finding a one-off story to use in your PR activity. Your brand story gives you a communications framework that feeds into all your marketing, PR and social media activity so you know exactly what to say every time you speak and write about your business.

known as the go-to expert in your field and to charge what you’re worth. Creating your story requires a bit of effort but the results are well worth it! It will change the way you approach your communications and content forever.

Lucy’s story Lucy has more than 20 years’ strategic communications experience. After building her career in-house, she set up her independent consulting business in 2010. Lucy has since worked on employee communication projects with high-profile brands and global businesses. Today she combines consulting work with helping independent consultants to build their unique brand story, so they can attract their ideal clients and become known as the go-to expert in their industry.

Making your story work for you Once you’ve created your story, you’ll use it every day. You can use your whole story to write your website and share it piece by piece on social media. You can even distill it down to a 30-second intro for networking events. Your brand story will give your clients a compelling reason to work with you. It helps you to become

   

lucy@buildyourbrandstory.com www.buildyourbrandstory.com lucyeckley Lucy Eckley

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Why smart homes are the next technology supply chain challenge Will you be ready for the next generation of supply, service and technological needs? Written by: Katy Farrington, Marketing Manager, Unipart Group

According to the research and analytics group YouGov, “almost a quarter of Britons now own one or more smart home devices”. The figures refer to smart speakers, thermostats, lighting and security (although they exclude smart meters). Market data analysts Statista predict that the global smart home market will be worth $53 billion (£41 billion) by 2022. The growing prevalence and connectivity of smart devices – from TVs and white goods to connected vehicles and home healthcare products – means that our world is becoming increasingly connected via digital data generation and transmission. Billions of pounds are being invested in this field, from the technology and automotive industries to the NHS Digital Transformation plan. All this presents a number of challenges to the complex supply chains in many sectors as they are adapting to managing large amounts of data to gain valuable insights from smart devices. Find out how you can prepare for developments in this fast-developing, high-value sector.

Big questions for consumers and suppliers ‘Interoperability’ and sharing between devices could mean consumers end up having to choose which brand they subscribe to rather than which appliance they want. Having a ‘Samsung home’ or a ‘Amazon home’ (for example) could become a matter of convenience. The question to ask is: is this what consumers really want? Elsewhere in the retail and technology markets, there is a world of choice: why be tied in to an all-encompassing contract if you can avoid it? Recently, flexible mobile contracts have become increasingly popular, while some offer the option to give extra minutes to friends or family. It’s even possible to share battery power with other phones via wireless recharging. Developments like these

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put limiting consumer flexibility at odds with the rest of the technology industry.

and fix issues themselves without needing to call an engineer or schedule a visit. That will mean a need for reliable, self-diagnosing functionality.

It may well be that a better move for brands is to focus on offering greater flexibility. Locking customers in could open the door for smaller contenders offering better service, as has happened in the utilities industry. In addition, cornering a market means that firms have many more customers to satisfy; here again, big electricity, gas and water companies are an example of the need for a robust customer service offering if provider choice is limited. Whichever way the wind blows, supply chain operations will need to be ready. They will be reliant on having the right infrastructure and technical capability to cope with wider-ranging demand.

2. Diagnostic data will become a more complex arena. Smart homes could produce a high volume of data. Will it be clear which product’s data shows the origin of a fault? It needs to be quick and easy for consumers and engineers to identify problems, instead of battling through high volumes of irrelevant reporting. There’s also the question of who owns which data. Is it the consumer or the service provider? If there are different providers, could this create an impediment to analysis and repair?

It may well be that a “ better move for brands

3. Supply chain infrastructure will need to adapt from centralised and connected organisation of repairs to parts supply for multiple items. There could be significant changes and expense involved.

is to focus on offering greater flexibility. Locking customers in could open the door for smaller contenders offering better service

”

‘Who you gonna call?’ The implications for service If products in the home are connected, will one centralised service provider need to assist with all types of devices? Similarly, if one brand is responsible for all the devices in one home, it might need to service a wider product range than ever before. There are a number of potential issues:

There are other examples of ways in which the infrastructure for a connected home is not ready yet. Many homes – and regions – do not benefit from adequate broadband, but this would become a necessity. Another change would be the need for collaboration, potentially between competitors. Many companies simply don’t operate in this way, so new home technologies could result in a change to established ways of working. A role for ‘interlocutors’ – go-between service providers who work across products, services and brands – could feature heavily. This is a necessity that will need to be met by larger firms, not just independents who depend on being ‘a jack of all trades’.

1. In some respects, a consumer’s dependency on outside support is a customer service failure. Manufacturers instead need to prepare for selfservice capabilities that allow consumers to identify

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Implications for health devices It’s suggested that smart devices could save the NHS millions of pounds, especially where care for older people is concerned. Wearable technology to prevent and assess the risk of falls is already in use, while devices such as ‘assistive furniture’ could prevent inactivity. Both problems are major causes of hospital admissions. In addition, NHS introduction of Skype video calls has removed thousands of avoidable hospital trips. This is one of the ways the NHS has saved £1.3 million by providing quicker access to care. Smart homes already connect a wide range of devices, but this could include more than just entertainment. ‘Life critical’ equipment could also become part of the equation. Such developments would intensify demands on the supply chain. Diagnostic and reported data would have to be reliable, as would the speed of delivery. Citizens Advice report that one in four people in the UK has had a next-day or nominated delivery arrive late. Late delivery could have a huge impact for patients ordering smart diabetic testing equipment or a heart monitor – not least from the stress of waiting for an undelivered product. Additional challenges come in the form of resourcing and organisation of service delivery: would a specialist be needed for healthcare products or could the service team for other devices cover healthcare too? There are plenty of decisions to be made to identify the right prescription for this part of the smart home supply chain.

Meeting the challenge At Unipart, we are constantly looking to the future, identifying new developments that will impact our industry, and evolving our offerings to meet our customers’ needs. We already provide engineer logistics support, fast delivery and diagnostics support (including machine learning and predictive failures), as well as returns and refurbishment of equipment, in very short timescales to keep the supply chain moving. With an ever-increasing range of device capabilities on offer to consumers, smart homes represent a massive leap in their domestic, entertainment and healthcare experience. They are another clear indication of the importance of consumers and customer service in today’s supply chains. As the pace of change marches on, technology will enable them further still and your logistics operations will need to keep up. Smart homes are one thing, but how intelligent is your supply chain? Unipart Logistics has helped engineer the supply chain for many of the world’s leading industrial companies. To find out how Unipart Logistics could help you, contact Katy Farrington: katy. farrington@unipart.com Read more articles like this one on our Supply Chain Insights blog at Unipart.com/logistics/insights

 katy.farrington@unipart.com  07920 586 592  www.unipartlogistics.com

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Introducing the AwardWinning In-House Technology: RapidMooc from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford We recently won the Best In-House Technology award at the annual Academic Venue Awards, hosted in London, for our RapidMooc video platform solution. Word & Photography by: Saïd Business School

The One-Touch Video Recording Studio Service allows anybody to record an educational or promotional video without any on-site technical support or without the need for later editing. The role of video in education has increased exponentially in the last few years. This system allows us to produce high quality videos to support courses and other events without the necessity of external media specialists. The Studio was implemented using a new technology integration provided by RapidMooc, establishing effective support policies with the AV support team. The studio is set up in such a way that it can be used autonomously. The process for recording a video consists of three simple steps: 1. Turn on system and lights

As part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability and reducing the need for physical show arounds with clients, we have recently completed a virtual tour for the Park End Street main venue. The Thatcher Business Education Centre (TBEC) was completed last year so we are delighted the portfolio is now complete. The virtual platform allows prospective clients, as well returning clients to view our facilities, floor plans, individual rooms and layout styles as well as links to download the conference and hospitality brochures and room capacities. The unique ‘doll’s house’ feature demonstrates the true sense of the scale of the space and how each area is linked with communal areas, restaurants and meeting rooms. Studies show users spend three times longer on websites with virtual tours, giving us the opportunity to stand out from our competitors. The virtual tours are available to view via our website.

2. Connect laptop with presentation to serve as a background 3. Record video by pushing a single button. The presenter can see themselves in front of their presentation as video is being recorded, giving them an accurate presentation of the final product. The presenter can also use the built-in autocue/ teleprompter. The recorded video is copied to a USB key to be shared via Vimeo, YouTube or other internal systems. The video can be edited later but this is not necessary in most cases. The system was deployed in early 2019 and has subsequently been used to produce over 200 videos. This represents close to £100,000 in savings compared to using an external video production provider. In reality, it enabled us to produce videos that would not otherwise be possible due to budgeting restrictions. It also freed up internal AV support from recording and editing videos.

Our award-winning facilities also include a dedicated audio-visual (AV) production team, fluent with state-of-the-art in-house presentation systems. All lecture theatres feature user-friendly touch panel controls allowing dualscreen projection of media along with radio microphones and interactive podiums. By prior arrangement, our production team will video-record your event or live-stream via multiple lecture theatres. The Oxford HIVE (Hub for International Virtual Education) is one of the UK’s first immersive virtual meeting and presentation experiences, seamlessly connecting people across the world in a virtual learning experience. For more information on all our services please do contact us below:

The conference team recently used the technology to produce videos regarding health and safety information, which can be sent to the event organiser prior to the event as well as playing on-screen upon arrival for all delegates. The videos are bite-sized and easy to digest rather than wordheavy PDF instruction guides. We are looking to provide more how to guides in the future as well. RapidMooc is available to hire as part of our conference package so please do get in touch if you would like further information.

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 conference@sbs.ox.ac.uk  01865 288 846  www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/about-us/venue-hire WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

WHY USE RAPIDMOOC? Rapidmooc has been used to create successful videos for a variety of purposes including • Mini lectures presenting academic content • Short summaries of academic papers • Pitches for elective lectures • Staff training and induction videos • Presentations of student projects • Video CVs summary

The technology contains the following highlights: • Easy to use, no technical skills required, no postproduction needed • Real time chroma key recording monitored live on a large TV screen: what you see is what you get. • Video background captured from your own device using a simple HDMI cable or Apple Airplay • Customizable teleprompter (text size, speed) including a text editor • Auto generated closed captions for accessibility • Integrated tools for video post-production • Videos can be exported to USB Key, YouTube, and Vimeo

Our virtual classroom can be utilised for the following types of events: • In-house training • Public lectures to a global audience • Presentations to boards and committees • Team meetings

Benefits include: • Engaging and interactive for the participants • Increase engagement and interaction with attendees over traditional webinar methods • Reduce cost of travel, accommodation and carbon footprint • Connectivity across the world

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E K A M ! E S I O N E M SO For small charities that change young lives. Globalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Make Some Noise supports small charities across the UK that change the lives of children and young people living with illness, disability or lack of opportunity. We fund vital equipment and life-changing services so that families have somewhere to turn when they're going through difficult times.

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OUEV launches new website and visual identity to mark tenth anniversary Elegant and clean, with a simplified colour palette, the new logo and brand is representative of the full venue portfolio and OUEV’s growing emphasis on managing venues and events sustainably.

located on Oxford High Street - a favourite with customers needing a large space in the city centre. Since then OUEV are pleased to have expanded its portfolio to five venues, each differing in style and capacity. The historic listed Sheldonian Theatre, Examination Schools and St Luke’s Chapel, are complimented by the contemporary Osler House and Language Centre offering purposebuilt and unique spaces.

OUEV manages five University venues that attract almost 600 events each year. The versatile venue portfolio can host a range of occasions for 20 to 650 delegates, from corporate conferences, business meetings, gala dinners, drinks receptions, networking sessions to team away days and much more.

Therefore it was important that the new visual identity reflected both the widening range of venues and the diverse events they attract. Neutral, modern and welcoming, the colour theme flows through the newly launched website, complimented by bright photography.

The OUEV venues work with trusted, local partners to ensure everything is in hand – from their own awardwinning caterers, to audio-visual and equipment hire.

OUEV understands how important sustainability is in the venue and events industry, and is proud to be the first University venues to receive gold and silver awards from Green Tourism.

Established back in 2010, OUEV was perhaps best known for its first venue, the Examination Schools,

Sustainable catering and addressing food waste is a key focus. OUEV’s award-winning caterers

As Oxford University Event Venues continues to attract an ever-increasing variety of events to its five venues, it felt like the right time to freshen up its look.

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“ Our new identity

celebrates our 10th birthday and all we have achieved since 2010

”

Vickie Dimelow, Senior Events Venues & Marketing Manager

use only three local suppliers, Aldens, Roots and Mayfield, to source their seasonal menus and plantbased concepts, and have teamed up with OLIO to redistribute any leftover food within the local community. “This is a really exciting time for OUEV,” says Vickie Dimelow, Senior Event Venues and Marketing Manager. “Our new identity celebrates our 10th birthday and all we have achieved since 2010. It also marks the start of the next decade in our evolution, providing exceptional event venue management services to Oxfordshire businesses and beyond.” Follow the tenth year celebrations on social media at @OxUniVenues

 venueenquiries@admin.ox.ac.uk  01865 276 905  www.venues.ox.ac.uk 109

THE WHEELHOUSE OPENS ITS 2nd CO-WORKING SPACE IN OXFORD MAKE IT YOUR NEW OFFICE!

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The Wheelhouse has opened a second venue in Oxford following the success of The Wheelhouse Angel Court. The Wheelhouse Loft provides 24/7 office space for teams and individuals. Newly redesigned and with breath-taking panoramic views over Oxford, The Wheelhouse Loft provides the inspirational setting for your business. It is fitted out to the highest specification with expansive desks, ergonomic chairs, bookable meeting rooms, fabulous break-out areas, fully equipped kitchen and dining bar. And with flexible one-month contracts for freelancers and small businesses so we can flex to your needs. Harry Turner, Managing Director of The Wheelhouse said “We aim to create a friendly, flourishing space for you to drive your business forward. The Wheelhouse Loft is absolutely stunning – I think it’s the best place to work in Oxford! We invite anyone interested to pop in and check out the space for themselves”. To come for a viewing email or call us. Or for more information please see the website here www.thewheelhouses.com

THE WHEELHOUSE - LOCAL FRIENDLY CO-WORKING

 hello@thewheelhouses.com  01865 920 999  www.thewheelhouses.com

“ The Wheelhouse Loft

is absolutely stunning – I think it’s the best place to work in Oxford!” Harry Turner, Managing Director

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MILTON HILL HOUSE OXFORD A stylish conference and event venue in Oxfordshire Surrounded by 22 acres of tranquil parkland just 13 miles from Oxford, Milton Hill House effortlessly blends a graceful Georgian manor house with modern facilities. You’ll feel the history the moment you arrive at the house previous residents include King William III, Peter the Great, and Sir Mortimer Singer of the Singer sewing machine family. Our conference venue offers 20 flexible and contemporary event spaces and an experienced and professional events team. The venue is ideal for meetings, training and conferences for up to 170 guests, whilst the sweeping drive, landscaped Italian gardens and beautiful vistas make a beautiful setting for weddings and special occasions up to 144 guests for a civil ceremony & 200 guests in an evening reception.

Our restaurant and bar serves seasonal food in relaxed surroundings and we offer a range of leisure facilities indoor and out, along with 120 comfortable guest bedrooms upstairs..

Eat & Drink Our Garden Restaurant serves a delicious great British breakfast with both hot & cold buffet on offer, whilst delicious seasonally inspired dishes can be found on our lunch & dinner menus. The Manor House Bar is the perfect place to relax and unwind at the end of the day and offers a selection of wines, beers and cocktail, alongside a menu of comforting pub classics.

Special Events Our Afternoon Tea menu is perfect for that special someone. Whether it’s a birthday treat, a surprise baby shower or a catch up with friends this is the perfect way to spend your afternoon from only £19.50 per person. Available between 14:00 -17:00 daily.

Getting Here Distance from Oxford City Centre: 13.3 miles Distance from M4 Motorway: 12 miles Complimentary Parking: 150 spaces Nearest Train Station: Didcot Parkway

Our restaurant and bar serves seasonal food in relaxed “ surroundings and we offer a range of leisure facilities indoor and out, along with 120 comfortable guest bedrooms upstairs. ” 112

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House “BarTheisManor the perfect place to relax and unwind at the end of the day and offers a selection of wines, beers and cocktail, alongside a menu of comforting pub classics

”

Whether it’s “ a birthday treat, a surprise baby shower or a catch up with friends this is the perfect way to spend your afternoon.

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Special Offers & Promotional Codes Let us host your special event with a 3-course private dinner for £35.00 per person! Getting married within the next 12 weeks? Special package for only £4299.00 Book your Christmas Party before 28th February and get 10% off the package price!

 milton.enquiries@thevenuescollection.co.uk  01235 825 717  www.miltonoxfordshire.co.uk WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

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INTRODUCING

CHARLOTTE

GRIDLEY Driven to create the most breathtakingly beautiful photorealistic portraits in oils, this gifted and incredibly talented young artist’s work will be on display for all to experience and enjoy in her first exhibition at the prestigious Iona House Gallery in Woodstock, Oxfordshire from 28th March until 10th May. Phil Strachan of Strangebrew introduces us to yet another of his far from bland and highly talented friends – on this occasion, the 21 year old daughter of ex Rally Driver and Motivational/Keynote Speaker Penny Mallory who featured in the last issue of B4.

Charlotte Gridley is one of the UK’s most gifted young photorealistic Wildlife and Animal Portrait artists, painting for individuals, galleries and interior designers using fine brushes and smooth surface panels to create hyper realistic paintings. She specialises in oil paintings of animals, working either from favourite photographs supplied by the owners in the case of pets or as is most often the case with respect to wildlife, photographs taken by herself. When Penny first introduced me to Charlotte’s work, I was absolutely blown away by the attention to detail and her ability to capture each and every strand of hair and glint in the eye and unique personality of every subject with her highly detailed style of painting. Charlotte’s art journey began at the age of 12 when she was offered an Art Scholarship during secondary education. Since then she has been fortunate enough to be commissioned to undertake many portraits which have greatly expanded her portfolio. Charlotte, You must be very pleased that your work will soon be on show in such a well established and highly respected Oxfordshire Gallery with a reputation for showcasing high quality affordable art. Yes Phil. I am absolutely thrilled to have been chosen to exhibit my work at the Iona House Gallery in Woodstock. I am so excited because this will be my first gallery exhibition and this article will give everyone some idea of what to expect if they decide to visit it. 114

That is true Charlotte, the accompanying photographs do go some way to showing the high level of detail and quality of your work but as I myself know from experience, they really do have to be seen in the flesh to be fully appreciated. Seeing really is believing!

“

What I am trying to do is to capture and convey the individual personality and character of my subjects and this is especially important when I am commissioned to paint and almost bring to life a treasured family pet

”

For this article, I have deliberately selected and shown here a broad cross section of my work covering pets, wildlife and still life but most of my work involves animals, either beloved family pets or wildlife of all types as is increasingly the case. Why have you chosen animals as your subjects. Charlotte, what is the fascination? I love animals, Phil – and I always have done, to the point that I have been vegetarian since I was 8. What I like to do is to paint and capture animals in a WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

human context. That is my passion and that is why my portraits take the form of head and shoulders shots with plain backgrounds. What I am trying to do is to capture and convey the individual personality and character of my subjects and this is especially important when I am commissioned to paint and almost bring to life a treasured family pet, a beloved and faithful companion. It has to be right. The good news is that animals are easier to work with than people!

As I understand it, you then went on to study art at University

Tell me a bit more about your journey to date

So, how long have you actually been painting full-time and what was your first Wildlife Portrait?

I started drawing animals at a very early age – I was only eight or nine. But it was at secondary school, when I was encouraged so much by a couple of teachers who saw my potential and encouraged me to paint rather than to just do pencil drawings, that I realised that this was what I wanted to do. I was lucky enough to be similarly encouraged at home and I was painting animals in particular, initially using acrylic paints. I got my first Pet Portrait commission when I was about 14 – to paint my friend’s dog and then others followed from other friends and neighbours as word spread.

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Yes I did. I studied fine art at Leeds University but I soon found out that it was not for me and I was not for it! They did not like my style and I did not like what they were trying to make me do. So I made the brave decision, in the interest of my art, to drop out of University and to continue with my own style and to work more on Wildlife Portraits.

I have been painting full-time for just under a year and my first Wildlife Portrait was the Ram as featured in this article. Among other paintings, the Ram, along with the Leopard, the Highland Cattle and the Tiger shown here will be on display and will be for sale in my exhibition at The Iona House Gallery in Woodstock. Tell me about your process – For example, how would someone commission you to do a portrait of their pet?

Ideally, I meet my Clients face to face and in order to create a highly detailed piece, I work directly from chosen photographs supplied by my Clients. The quality of the photograph is key for me to create an accurate likeness and I am always happy to receive a range of images and advise on which one to use. All images must be high resolution pictures of the head and chest taken from the pet’s head height and they must be sharp and in focus. The better the image quality is, the better the final painting will be and there is no need to worry about the background as I usually replace it with a plain background. Once the photograph to be used and the required size of the portrait is determined, a price is agreed for the commission and I request 50% of the agreed fee as deposit. Charlotte, how long does a commission normally take from start to finish? How long is a piece of string? It varies considerably depending on the size of the portrait being commissioned and the complexity of the detail in the subject. I work on one project at a time and, as a guide, it can be anything from 5 days to 4 or 5 weeks and I work full days for 5 days a week. 115

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Director Tara Tripp says

“We were delighted to be one of only a handful of Lyric accredited centres in the country and the impact it has had is incredible. Patients that have been fitted have reported sound quality like never before with the added benefit of it being completely invisible”.

Tripp Hearing are pleased to offer free 30 day trials, so that you can be assessed and fitted to see (or hear) for yourself what all the fuss is about. If you have a hearing loss but have always decided to ‘make do’, as opposed to wear a hearing aid, Lyric is for you.

• 100 % invisible • Clear, natural sound • No daily hassles • No batteries to change

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For more information and to book an appointment call the Oxford clinic on: 01865 671 500 or Witney clinic on: 01993 222 888 | www.tripphearing.co.uk

I understand – the complexity and level of detail of some of your creations is quite incredible. How do you get the final portraits to your Clients? Once the commissioned portrait is completed, I send a photograph of it before delivery in case anything needs to be tweaked. Once I know my client is happy, I send my final Invoice for the remaining balance plus the delivery charge and once this is paid, their portrait will be despatched immediately. Some Clients prefer to save the delivery charge by arranging to collect their portrait themselves and I welcome this. I do love to meet the people I have created art for and to see their reactions when they see the final result. Going forward, I believe that you want to focus more on Wildlife Portraits. How do you see this developing? To date, my Wildlife Portraits are the result of photographs I have taken on visits to zoos (however, being an animal lover, I am not a fan of zoos), wildlife parks or the countryside but in future, I have other plans. In my ideal world, I would like to spend 2 or 3 months each year going on safaris and going WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

to other exotic locations to photograph all types of wildlife in their natural environment and then come home and spend the rest of the year committing their images to canvas for others to enjoy. That is my dream!

10th May. Having seen your work first-hand I can thoroughly recommend B4 Members and readers to view and appreciate your work and your skills and talent for themselves. Thank you, Phil. I just want people to enjoy my art as much as I enjoy creating it.

love to meet “theI dopeople I have

created art for and to see their reactions when they see the final result.

ANYONE WISHING TO DISCUSS A POSSIBLE COMMISSION WITH CHARLOTTE OR GALLERY EXHIBITION OF HER WORK CAN CONTACT HER DIRECTLY ON 07884 066573 WWW.CHARLOTTEGRIDLEY.COM

”

Thank you Charlotte. I hope that your dreams really do come true but in the meantime, I wish you the very best and every success for your first gallery Exhibition of your work at the Iona House Gallery between 28th March and

 phil@strangebrew.co.uk  07770 753 975  www.thinkbrandnotbland.co.uk 117

THE KINGHAM

WOW!

The Kingham Plough has a fantastic reputation for excellent food and hospitality made famous by chef patron and Great British Menu winner, Emily Watkins. Now under the ownership of experienced hospitality operators, Matt and Katie Beamish, B4’s Richard Rosser found that Emily’s legacy was in safe hands with a wonderful night’s stay and sumptuous meal. Written by: Richard Rosser

Having now moved to Dorset to begin new ventures, it was important to Emily to sell the lease of The Plough to individuals who held the same values that she did. Having recently been awarded a prestigious Good Food Award for Gastro Pubs 2020 and also recognised by the Good Food Awards in the Gastro Pub category in 2019, Emily has clearly chosen well. Matt Beamish acknowledged that as it wasn’t in any way broke, there was little to fix. “We weren’t planning to change a great deal to the format that has made this such a popular destination spot, but hope we have injected our own energy and personalities into the business to create a real community hub for locals whilst offering visitors from further afield a restorative escape.” That’s exactly what we experienced on a busy Friday night in January. We couldn’t have wanted for more as we were shown to our beautiful room overlooking

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the green, literally dropped our bags and headed to the restaurant for a long awaited drink and a knockout meal. Having worked with the likes of Raymond Blanc, Jamie Oliver and Fergus Henderson, and for hotels across the country, Matt and Katie Beamish have completed a thorough, but sensitive refurbishment of this 17th century Cotswold pub’s communal spaces, and plan to update its six guest rooms this year. New Head Chef, Jonny Pons, formerly of Slaughters Country Inn, Ellenborough Park Hotel and The Feathered Nest, continues the pub’s legacy of championing local artisan products and sourcing the very best fresh, local, seasonal ingredients for both the new, all-day bar menu and à la carte menu. Without doubt one of the finest meals you could wish for, all accompanied by a fine bottle of Finca Manzanos Rioja.

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Sustainability and “ transparency of where products come from is really important to the Beamish’s and is made possible by their support of local producers and suppliers, which in turn creates connections within the local community.

”

The menu was as jam-packed as the restaurant with flavourful modern British dishes with Mediterranean influences alongside pub classics. Jonny, and his sous chef, Ash Farand, and the rest of the kitchen team, make everything in-house, aside from the Sourdough, made by Marks Cotswold Bakery, just down the road. The kids’ menu features mini burgers, fish & chips and seasonal pasta dishes. Vegetarian dishes form part of the à la carte menu and glutenfree and vegan options are always available. Behind the oak-panelled bar, a list of expertly crafted seasonal cocktails (which we may have enjoyed after dinner!), a well-kept selection of craft ales and traditional local beers by Hook Norton Brewery with regularly changing guest ales. On the carefully curated wine list, there is a selection of sixteen wines by the glass and sixty-one by the bottle. The Plough’s gin collection includes its house pour, WoodBros Gin, distilled in Oxford by brothers Ed and Charlie.

Atelier in London. Matt, Katie and their well-trained team of friendly, efficient staff welcome everyone, including dogs, who are well catered for with treats and water bowls. Two dog-friendly bedrooms are also available for overnight stays. Each of The Plough’s six comfortable and spacious guestrooms, all en-suite, include five Super-King and one King-size bed. Twin beds are available in two of the bedrooms. All rooms are sympathetically decorated to suit the rural setting and come with luxurious touches such as mohair throws, glossy magazines, free WIFI, digital radio, tea and coffee-making facilities, fresh milk and homemade treats.

We couldn’t have “wanted for more as we were shown to our beautiful room overlooking the green

To complement food and hospitality of the highest level, Matt and Katie have also ensured that it is savoured in stylish surroundings. Original features and contemporary comforts rub shoulders with flair across the newly refurbed communal spaces, with cosy nooks to kick back and relax in with drinks by the open fire in the winter or the sun-drenched terrace in spring and summer.

All en-suite bathrooms have baths with showers, (two with freestanding rolltop baths) and come with a range of locally made Bramley bath products.

There’s a well-balanced mix of comfortable country chic and contemporary fixtures and fittings, country antique furniture covered in stylish upholstery, quirky vintage finds sourced locally, and on the walls, original photographs, sketches and prints by renowned 20th century artists (all for sale). The redesign of the bar was undertaken by Katie’s brother, George Harding, previously of Benchmark, who now owns Object

Kingham itself is a picturesque village within the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Nestled in the Evenlode Valley in Oxfordshire, the village lies on the B4450 between Stow-onthe-Wold and Chipping Norton. Chipping Norton is five miles from Kingham and is also close to Soho Farmhouse, Daylesford Farm Shop and Spa, Moreton-in-Marsh, Stow-on-the-Wold, Upper and

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”

Lower Slaughters, Bourton-on-the-Water, Burford, Chipping Campden, Woodstock, Oxford, Stratfordupon-Avon, Cheltenham Kingham Station lies a mile from the village centre. GWR Trains from London Paddington, take 1.5 hours Sustainability and transparency of where products come from is really important to the Beamish’s and is made possible by their support of local producers and suppliers, which in turn creates connections within the local community. Hosting local events is key to the involvement of Kingham village and the surrounding areas for The Plough. Each year, a May Day Farmers market is held which invites local producers to sell and promote their wares. This event along with others supported by the pub raises money for Kingham Primary School and other local Charities. Thank you to Matt, Kate and their hugely impressive team for a truly memorable experience…we will be back. Thanks also to Bridget Stott for arranging.

 book@thekinghamplough.co.uk  01608 658 327  www.thekinghamplough.co.uk

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TEAM NOT JUST TRAVEL TAKE ON THE LOST CITY 50 members of Not Just Travel took on a 5 day challenge trek to the Lost City in Colombia, we set out to raise as much money as possible for Mind and made lifelong memories as we did so. Written by: Sian Pages

Team Tiger!

Day 1

Day 2

Alarms set for 4:15 am, we were all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as we handed over our luggage to store at our hotel for the next 5 days with only our essentials in our trekking backpack.

We awoke at 4:30 am ready to face day 2. Our boots still wet from the night before, we crossed a small river straight after camp and stopped at a local Kogi village to get an understanding of their way of life in their small communities.

We were split into 3 jeeps, backpacks strapped to the top, and headed off for a 2 and half hour drive into the jungle to the base where we began our first day of trekking! We faced 14km of hiking, with the majority being an uphill battle of uneven terrain. After a midday lunch stop, mudslides galore appeared around the corner. At first a fun highlight that had everyone sliding all over the place, it soon became an ongoing battle as the night drew in and the light became minimal from our head torches or flashes of lightning. After a hearty meal and a quick cold-water shower, we bunked down for the night – bedbug spray at the ready! 120

Once at the entrance, we “ were invited to take part in a

ritual with our Wiwa guide, welcoming us to leave our negative thoughts behind and cleanse ourselves before we explored the once-forgotten City. Only an estimated 10% of this site has been ‘discovered’.

After crossing a bridge with some great ‘I’m a celebrity’ style photos, we had a quick pit stop before facing our hardest conquest of the day – an uphill battle with the promise of watermelon at the top! Taking a moment away from the fact you were climbing on your hands and knee’s, there were amazing photo opportunities with mountains lining the landscape for miles, and a serene calmness that made you forget every ache and pain your body was feeling. Following the riverbed allowed us to have quick cooling stops to soak our hats in water to keep us refreshed and cool. We then reached Teyuna Paraiso Camp, which as its name says, was paradise to us. Set beside the river, it provided an oasis to swim out in and sit around while catching the last of the sun. We set our clothes out to dry and battled the prehistoric sized spiders to have a welcome cold shower and grab some dinner.

”

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Bedbug spray at the ready!

The Lost City!

Team Scorpian!

Day 3 The day we had all been waiting for – The Lost City! The only thing that separated us was a waist-high river crossing, and 1,200 steps – although we were advised it may be a few more… Once at the entrance, we were invited to take part in a ritual with our Wiwa guide, welcoming us to leave our negative thoughts behind and cleanse ourselves before we explored the once-forgotten City. Only an estimated 10% of this site has been ‘discovered’. We took time out to take in the spectacular views and reflect on ourselves personally, it really was a life-changing experience and the ritual beforehand allowed you to focus on your surroundings even more.

Day 4 Today we faced our nemesis from day 1, except this time we got to see it in the daylight! A completely WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

different experience left us shocked at the sheer drops we had narrowly missed in the darkness of day 1. Known locally as vista hermosa, we sat down and admired the views and enjoyed our first leisure time. Sitting slightly above the clouds, we filled the afternoon with games of Uno and card tricks, allowing us to catch the sunsets that aren’t to be missed! A final wrap up of wounded feet and aching knees, before a chorus of our ‘Jungle Playlist’ we settled into our bunk beds for one final night, a feeling we had grown to love.

It was the trip of a lifetime, and we raised a lot of much needed funds for MIND.

READY TO GO? If this trip has excited you, why not do it yourself? Are you ready to book your next adventure? Get in touch with your Personal Travel Consultant today.

Day 5 Our final morning was bittersweet, we enjoyed our final Colombian coffee taking in the last of the sunrise views. We made it to the bottom with plenty of time to spare and took time to relax in the river giving our tired legs a soak and bask in the sun.

 sian.pages@notjusttravel.com  07738 050 864  www.sianpages.notjusttravel.com

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SPICED ROOTS All too infrequently you have a culinary experience which makes a mark, which excites the taste buds and which gives you confidence that service and product are still held in the highest regard….but then being a rare occurrence is the reason these experiences are so special. B4’s Richard Rosser reviewed Spiced Roots, a simply magical restaurant run by a very talented, very charming and very passionate team which is quite rightly gaining national recognition. Written by: Richard Rosser

For once in my life I was early, too early for the packed Spiced Roots to accommodate us….just by sticking our heads in the door, we could tell we were going to experience something special. The atmosphere was buzzing and as we closed the door to go and have a drink a few doors away, we had already been hooked by this wonderful restaurant which has won the accolade of ‘Best Caribbean Restaurant’ in the country. So fast forward thirty minutes and we took our seats greeted with the broadest smile by the engaging Suffice who handed us the menus….’Banks!!! you serve Banks!!’ This made my night. The food was superb, the service faultless, the atmosphere incredible and the whole experience of Spiced Roots was second to none. But Banks and I go back a long way, Barbados’ number one beer now available at Spiced Roots in Cowley Road…I was in Caribbean heaven. Maurice took our orders and continued to engage us throughout the evening, as did owner Jamo and curator of the restaurant’s specialist Rum Bar, Jordan which, sadly, never got a look in once I knew Banks was on the menu! However, it would be remiss of me not to quote Jordan so that you can get a feeling 122

of just how much passion has gone into the Rum Bar. “The History of the Caribbean is reflected in its people, traditions, rums and cocktails. Here at Spiced Roots we endeavour to share that rich history with you. Each drink has its own story and has been

The History of the “ Caribbean is reflected in its

people, traditions, rums and cocktails. Here at Spiced Roots we endeavour to share that rich history with you

”

chosen to compliment the flavours from our food menu. Quality is of paramount importance to us so we use fresh fruit juices and make all our own tinctures and syrups in house. This menu was created with a few simple aims in mind: To revive old classics; create new ones and pay tribute to the drinking traditions across the West Indies. We have also added an exclusively New World, wine list to

pair with our dishes and our new world cuisine.” Why not try a Rum tasting & cocktail class? Classes are held every Saturday from 3 to 5pm for groups of 6 and more. Check out the website for more details and contact the restaurant for other corporate bonding and outside catering opportunities. The food is quite simply out of this world. The website explains that Ital is a type of food from the Rastafarian Movement and means food that is natural, pure and of the earth. Long before veganism took hold as a universal food trend, Rastafari - one of the most internationally recognised cultural movements stemming from the Caribbean, already understood the importance of clean eating, just under a different name. This is reflected in the menu with a large presence of vegan (or Ital) dishes to choose from. The food is of a very high quality, using fresh ingredients. The cooking techniques are authentic and very patient which is synonymous with good Caribbean home cooking…. meats and stews are marinated for 24 hours and the chicken perfectly smoked. Dishes and drinks are influenced by, not only Jamaican, but Trinidadian, Bajan and many more West Indian cultures.

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O L

R I

P E

We couldn’t have enjoyed the evening more, a ten out of ten experience across the board with a genuine feeling that we had been transported to the Caribbean for a couple of hours on a wet and windy Friday night in Oxford. One fear I always have for an independent restaurant is that they will do what they can to win custom, which often means cutting prices to beat the competition. That’s an ultimately flawed approach….the number of restaurant casualties

The food is quite simply “ out of this world. The website

explains that Ital is a type of food from the Rastafarian Movement and means food that is natural, pure and of the earth

”

proves that. So that’s why you have to take your hat off to Jamo and his team for acknowledging their true value by charging a rate commensurate with their excellent product….because without doubt the food and experience are worth every penny. One of THE outstanding culinary experiences in Oxfordshire….make sure you get there, but don’t be early and definitely don’t be late! Thank you to the team at Spiced Roots for making us so welcome and to Hazel for arranging.

We were privileged to enjoy the following: STARTERS: Curried Crab Meat and Herb Dumplings in Coconut Curry Sauce Jerk Chicken Spring Rolls

MAINS: Curry Goat Roti – Succulent Boneless Pieces of Goat Meat cooked in our Caribbean Curry and Herbs Whole Roasted Snapper, stuffed with Okra, Potato and Vegetables

DESSERT: Rum cake ‘n ice cream, vegan banana bread n baked pineapple with avocado ice cream ‘n chocolate cake

 family@spicedroots.com  01865 249 888  https://spicedroots.com

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news More places released for the final Twin Town Challenge Organisers of the Twin Town Challenge have released 20 more places due to demand for additional teams. With almost 100 cars already set to be on the starting grid, interest in the event continues to gain momentum and the extra 20 places will enable even more teams to take part.

The fourth and final Twin Town Challenge will take the total fundraising to over £1 million for Charlbury based charity SpecialEffect. The event takes place from 1-4 May when cars costing less than £500 travel to Witney’s twin town of Le Touquet.

The Twin Town Challenge is organised by Brendon Cross, MD of Witney based STL Communications and Hexagon Business Centres and a SpecialEffect Vice President. Brendon said: “Interest in taking part in this, the final ever Twin Town Challenge, has been staggering, and we are delighted to be able to release 20 more places so that everyone who wants to come along can do so. The more cars that participate, the more likely it is that we will hit our fundraising target for SpecialEffect of over £1m. This is the last ever Twin Town Challenge and so we have a fabulous programme of events planned in and around Le Touquet including a day at Abbeville circuit as well as the now infamous street party with live bands in the middle of Le Touquet.”

Leaving from Blenheim Palace, the cars will cross the channel and head to Le Touquet to compete for points as they undertake fun challenges in northern France. The highlight of the event is a street party with a live band in the centre of town when the Twin Towners are joined by the residents of Le Touquet for a night of partying. The event will finish back at Blenheim Palace on Monday 4th May.

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All the costs of the event will be covered by sponsorship, which means that every pound paid by the teams in entry fees as well as the fundraising by the teams, goes straight to the charity. Teams are already starting to plan their car decoration and fancy dress based on the theme of ‘Battle of the Bands’. Brendon adds, “We’re looking forward to seeing people dressed as Abba, Village People, Spice Girls and Queen driving around France in London

taxis and stretched limos as well as more ordinary vehicles.” The event will raise money for Charlbury based SpecialEffect who put the fun and inclusion back into the lives of those with physical disabilities using technology ranging from modified joy-pads to eyecontrol.

The Twin Town Challenge 2020 is taking place from 1 - 4 May 2020. Businesses or individuals wanting to enter can reserve their place on the starting grid at www.twintown.org.uk

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Contacts Directory

Platinum Member

Gold Member

ADVICE.......................................................................................................126 BUSINESS SERVICES..............................................................................127 CONFERENCE, EVENTS & VENUES..................................................128 EDUCATION........................................................................................128 FINANCE....................................................................................................128 HEALTH & LEISURE...............................................................................128

ADVICE

Critchleys 01865 261 100 OXON www.critchleys.co.uk

James Cowper Kreston G 01189 590 261 OXON www.jamescowperkreston.co.uk Andy Cowie B Marketing & Business Development Director

Wellers P Debbie Austin Partner 0333 241 6000 OXON www.wellersaccountants.co.uk

Grant Thornton UK LLP P 01865 799 899 OXON www.grant-thornton.co.uk Wendy Hart Managing Partner Jim Rogers Assurance Partner 01189 559 114 BERKS Chapman, Robinson PBC & Moore Accountants Tony Hobbs Managing Director 01865 379 272 OXON www.crmoxford.co.uk The MGroup Partnership G Ian Walker Business Development and Corporate Finance 01865 552 925 OXON www.theMgroup.co.uk Whitley Stimpson Ltd G 01494 448 122 BUCKS www.whitleystimpson.co.uk Jonathan Walton Director Stuart Haigh Director 01869 252 151 OXON

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Auditel 01865 582 888 OXON www.auditel.co.uk

B4 Connector

Ridgefield Consulting 01865 245 511 OXON www.ridgefieldconsulting.co.uk MODUS Accountants 01993 225 030 OXON www.modus-accountants.co.uk

BUSINESS ADVICE

FC Webster Consulting BC Frank Webster Director uk.linkedin.com/in/ frank-webster-1735238 4P Business Development 0333 335 0431 OXON www.4pbusinessdevelopment.co.uk

Endeavour Consulting 07711 825 005 OXON www.endeavour-consulting.co.uk Collaborent BC Grant Hayward Founder & Director 01865 881 047 OXON www.collaborent.co.uk Mark Carrington 07939 642 169 www.jmarkcarrington.co.uk Vistage International C (UK) Ltd Peter Collins Group Chairman 01489 770 200 www.vistage.co.uk

Exec Support Solutions 07951 006 741 OXON www.execsupportsolutions.com

ANPR Consulting C Helen Joy Director 07434 962 871 www.anprconsulting.co.uk

Lola Chapman 01865 765 529 OXON www.lolachapman.co.uk

Highfield Business Associates Martin Gubb mgubb@btinternet.com

Sam Bishop Coaching 07791 791 235 OXON www.sambishopcoaching.com CMC Partners 01844 319 286 OXON www.cmc-partners.co.uk

NEXUS

HR..................................................................................................................128 IT & TELECOMMUNICATIONS............................................................129 MANUFACTURING................................................................................129 MARKETING & DESIGN..........................................................................129 PROPERTY & BUILDING.........................................................................130 R&R..........................................................................................................130

Explosive Learning C Solutions Cath Convery Learning Lead 01235 861 805 OXON www.explosivelearningsolutions.com

Richardsons Accountants 01844 261 155 OXON www.richardsons-group.co.uk

Connecting to Excellence 01865 430 470 OXON www.dianewilkinson.co.uk

B4 Board

Oxford Professional C Consulting Alison Haill Founder & Owner 01865 436 791 OXON www.oxfordprofessionalconsulting.com

ACCOUNTING Wenn Townsend P Tony Haines Partner 01865 559 900 OXON www.wenntownsend.co.uk

OSEP CIC N www.osep.org.uk V 07956 544943 www.vstrategy.co.uk Dynamic Coach 01865 362800 www.dynamiccoach.co.uk

My Sales Guru 07717 823377 www.mysalesguru.co.uk The Entrepreneurs Mentor 01865 593933 www.entrepreneursmentor.co.uk

LEGAL Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP P Richard Smith Partner 01865 722 106 OXON www.penningtonslaw.com Freeths LLP P 01865 781 000 OXON www.freeths.co.uk Sarah Foster C Managing Partner Mark Emery C Partner Rebecca Howlett C Commercial & IP Partner Stuart Elliston CB Principal Manager, Business Development Isabel Protheroe N Legal Assistant

Gardner Leader LLP G Derek Rogers Managing Partner 01635 508 080 BERKS www.gardner-leader.co.uk Blake Morgan LLP G Penny Rinta-Suksi Commercial Partner 01865 248 607 OXON www.blakemorgan.co.uk Boardman, Hawkins & Osborne LLP 07867 334 231 OXON www.bholegal.co.uk Lewis Silkin 0207 0748 494 OXON www.lewissilkin.com WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

B4 Moorcrofts LLP 01628 4700004 www.moorcrofts.com Addis Law C Sally Addis Director 01865 339 457 OXON www.addislaw.co.uk Lawbox Group Limited 01865 952 711 OXON www.lawboxgroup.com Julian Taylor Solicitors 01869 351 833 OXON www.juliantaylorhr.com Flag DV N 0800 731 0055 www.flagdv.org.uk

BUSINESS SERVICES ARCHIVE & STORAGE Oxford Duplication Centre CB Cheryl-Lee Foulsham Business Manager 01865 457 000 OXON www.theduplicationcentre.co.uk

BUSINESS SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT Aston & James Office PCB Supplies Ltd Darren Aston Director 01993 706 900 OXON www.aston-james.co.uk CRS Document Solutions 01235 555 531 OXON www.copyrightsystems.co.uk The Red Corner 01865 887 555 OXON www.theredcorner.co.uk

CHARITIES Sobell House CB N Tim Wraith Corporate Partnerships Manager 01865 857 067 OXON www.sobellhouse.org Helen & Douglas House C Lucy Walker Community Fundraising Manager 01865 799 150 OXON www.helenanddouglas.org.uk

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Oxfordshire Community Foundation B Jayne Woodley CEO 01865 798 666 OXON www.oxfordshire.org Headway Oxfordshire C Jamie Miller CEO 01865 326 263 OXON www.headway-oxford.org.uk

Lorna Waterfield B Production Manager

IT Schools Africa N 01242 228 800 www.itschoolsafrica.org

NX PBN Edward Rosser Founder 01865 742 211 OXON www.nxmagazine.com

Homeless Oxfordshire N 01865 304 622 OXON www.homelessoxfordshire.uk

BBOWT 01865 775 476 OXON www.bbowt.org.uk

Autism Family Support Oxfordshire 01844 338 696 OXON www.afso.org.uk

Oxford Hospitals Charity 01865 743 444 OXON ouh.nhs.uk Oxfordshire Youth N 01865 767 899 OXON www.oxfordshireyouth.org SOFEA N 01235 510 774 OXON www.sofea.uk.com

Natural Netwalking 01491 833 222 OXON www.oxfordbusinessnetwork.co.uk

Oxford Food Bank N 01865 236 420 OXON www.oxfordfoodbank.org

TRANSPORT

Oxford CleanTech Ltd Jose Gouveia Managing Director 01865 596 105 OXON www.oxfordct.co.uk

Aspire Oxford N 01865 204 450 OXON www.aspireoxfordshire.org

Oxford Bus Company PB Phil Southall Managing Director 01865 785 400 OXON ww.oxfordbus.co.uk

G Findlay Chauffeurs G Claire Hickson Managing Director 0845 644 7099 OXON www.findlaycs.com

LOCAL GOVERNMENT Oxford City Council P Dan Hodge Principal Regeneration & Economic Development Officer www.oxford.gov.uk

Business Beats Cancer N 0300 123 4452 OXON www.cancerresearchuk.org/ business-beats-cancer

Oxfordshire County Council P www.oxfordshire.gov.uk

Emmaus Oxford N 01865 402 073 OXON www.emmaus.org.uk

OxfordshireLEP P 01865 261 433 OXON www.oxfordshirelep.com Nigel Tipple Chief Executive

OceanMind N 01235 567 999 OXON www.oceanmind.global Oxford Homeless Movement N www.oxfordhomelessmovement.org.uk

Richard Byard Director of Business Development Sebastian Johnson B Head of Innovation & Inward Investment Rob Panting CN Communications Manager

Oxfordshire Mind N 01865 247 788 OXON www.oxfordshiremind.org.uk

NETWORKING GROUPS SeeSaw N 01865 744 768 OXON www.seesaw.org.uk

Business Buzz C Katrina Sargent Co-Founder & Regional Lead 0844 358 5800 OXON www.business-buzz.org

Make Some Noise N 0345 606 0990 www.makesomenoise.com

CLEANING SERVICES

Quest For Learning N 01235 313 713 OXON www.questforlearning.org.uk

Oxford United in the Community 07736 843 093 OXON www.oufc.co.uk

SpecialEffect N 01608 810 055 OXON www.specialeffect.org.uk

London Oxford Airport 01865 290 710 OXON www.londonoxfordairport.com Royal Cars 01865 415 183 OXON www.royal-cars.com Stagecoach Bus 01865 405 511 OXON www.stagecoachbus.com DB Executive Travel 07850 100 859 OXON www.dbweddingcars.net Hilltop Chauffeurs 01865 595 262 OXON www.hilltopchauffeurs.co.uk

TRAVEL City Sightseeing P Jane Marshall Transport Manager 01865 790 522 OXON www.citysightseeingoxford.com

B4 PBN Richard Rosser CEO 01865 742 211 OXON www.b4-business.com 127

Contacts Not Just Travel C Sian Pages Franchisee 0800 530 0621 OXON www.notjusttravel.com

CONFERENCE EVENTS & VENUES CATERING SERVICES Passion For Food G Nicola Parke 01296 651 755 OXON www.passion-for-food.co.uk Indulgence Boutique Hospitality 01295 690 888 OXON www.indulging.co.uk

CONFERENCE VENUES Blenheim Palace P Hospitality 01993 813 874 OXON www.blenheimpalace.com /hospitality Dominic Hare B Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Duncan C Head of Marketing Rhodes House P Isabelle Barber Business Development Manager 01865 282 599 OXON www.rhodeshouseoxford.com Bombay Sapphire Distillery Amy Dobson G Sales and Marketing Manager 01256 890 090 BERKS distillery.bombaysapphire.com Venue Services, Bodleian Library G 01865 277 224 OXON www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk Alice Ogilvie C Head of Venue Services Kate Del Nevo C Facilities & Events Officer Saïd Business School G Martin Garside Conference Manager 01865 422 757 OXON www.sbs.oxford.edu/conferencing Horticulture House 0333 003 3550 OXON www.horticulturehouse.co.uk

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Howbery Business Park 01491 822 305 OXON www.howberypark.com Pembroke College 01865 276 484 OXON www.pmb.ox.ac.uk/Conferences Events @ Ashmolean 01865 610 406 OXON www.ashmolean.org /venue-hire

Activate Learning P Bernard Grenville-Jones Group Executive Director 0800 612 6008 www.activatelearning.ac.uk Oxford Brookes University, Business School Giles Orr Head of CPD 01865 485 858 OXON www.brookes.ac.uk/business

Wendy Ball B Head of Events Marie Giraud CN Events Sales and Communications Manager Conference Oxford C Marie O’Connor Head 01865 287 378 OXON www.conference-oxford.com Exeter College 01865 279 600 OXON www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/conferences Oxford Town Hall 01865 252 195 OXON www.oxfordtownhall.co.uk Bicester Hotel Golf & Spa 02392 361 426 www.bicesterhotelgolfandspa.com

EQUIPMENT HIRE

FINANCE FINANCIAL ADVICE Proficio Solutions Limited Michael Pawley GC Director 07795 180 795 www.proficiosolutions.co.uk TBAT Innovation 01332 819 740 www.tbat.co.uk

EVENT PLANNING

Flexible Funding 01235 424 464 www.flexiblefunding.finance

INSURANCE Business in Oxford 2020 P 01865 742 211 OXON www.businessinoxford.com Cowley Road Carnival 07816 681 704 OXON ww.cowleyroadworks.org

Spencer Insurance C Jo Spencer Owner 01235 868 535 www.spencerinsurance.co.uk

EVENT RESOURCES Boys and Girls Promotions 01865 595 707 OXON www.boysandgirlspromotions.co.uk

Abingdon and Witney College 01235 216 394 www.abingdon-witney.ac.uk

Charles Stanley 020 7149 6315 www.charles-stanley.co.uk

EVENTS

HEALTH & LEISURE HEALTH CARE Tara Tripp Hearing Care G Vincent Tripp Practice Manager 01865 910 202 OXON www.tripphearing.co.uk

Cherwell College 01862 242 670 www.cherwell-college.co.uk

That Event Company 01844 215 857 OXON www.that-event.com

Tina Rosser Event Solutions 07824 154 642 OXON

Metro Bank Oxford C Grant Shergold Local Business Manager 07855 097 403 wwww.metrobankonline.co.uk

EDUCATION

BANKING NatWest C Howard Feather Business Growth Enabler 01865 305 175 OXON www.natwest.com

FUNERAL HOMES

Sandra Homewood Funerals 01869 208 000 OXON www.homewoodfunerals.co.uk

WELLBEING Helen Money Nutrition Helen Money GC Owner 01865 339 672 OXON www.helenmoneynutrition.com

HR HR CONSULTANTS You HR PBC Jonna Mundy Owner 07703 719 464 www.youhrconsultancy.co.uk Meraki HR 01280 848 415 www.merakihr.com Edelweiss HR 01367 860310 www.edelweisshr.co.uk

RECRUITMENT Sue Rees Associates Ltd 01865 292 141 OXON www.suerees.co.uk A R Hine Associates C Alan Hine Owner 01865 339 313 OXON www.alanhine.co.uk Thompson & Terry Recruitment 01235 797 177 OXON www.thompsonandterry.co.uk

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B4 Better People Ltd 01491 836 632 OXON www.betterpeopleltd.co.uk Keastone 0121 582 1500 OXON www.keastone.co.uk

WEB IT & TELECOMMS TELECOMMUNICATIONS STL Communications Ltd P Nina Lees Head of Marketing 01993 777 113 OXON www.stlcomms.com 45G 01865 686 172 OXON www.45g.co.uk

IT SERVICES Computing Information P Systems (CIS) Ltd Neill Lawson-Smith B Managing Director 01367 700 555 OXON www.cisltd.com Storm Internet G Salim Benadel Founder and Director 0800 817 4727 www.storminternet.co.uk CQR Consulting G Simon Glover Operations Manager 01865 987 182 www.cqr.com Databasix 07777 610 900 OXON www.dbxuk.com Bongo IT C Andrew Elder Marketing Director 01865 988 217 OXON www.bongoit.co.uk IMEurope Ltd 01993 866 166 OXON www.imeurope.co.uk claireLOGIC 01865 989144 OXON www.clairelogic.net

WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT Alberon C Tim Ault Managing Director 01865 263 220 OXON www.alberon.co.uk XIST2 01993 835 117 OXON www.xist2.com

MANUFACTURING Unipart PB Frank Nigriello Director of Corporate Affairs 01865 383 339 OXON www.unipart.com Owen Mumford P 01993 812 021 OXON www.owenmumford.com Jarl Severn B Director Gavin Jones B Group Finance Director G-Smatt Europe GB Orhan Ertughrul Executive Vice President 01865 688 228 OXON www.g-smatteurope.com

MARKETING & DESIGN

FRAMING Isis Creative Framing G John Brooks Owner 01865 203 420 OXON www.isiscreative.co.uk

MARKETING Brand Asylum C Andrew Hancock Creative Director 01235 606 091 OXON www.brandasylum.co.uk Ellard Outloud 07812 587 224 OXON www.ellardoutloud.co.uk Heart of Business C Jackie Jarvis Owner 07801 293 022 OXON OJI Marketing 07463 994 834 OXON www.ojimarketing.co.uk

B4 Magazine PB Richard Rosser Managing Director 01865 742 211 OXON www.b4-business.com

PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY Studio8 P Clark Wiseman Managing Director 01865 842 525 OXON www.studio-8.co.uk Oxford House Ltd CN Frederick Jewson DOP 7817 395 660 OXON www.frederickjewson.co.uk Digital Gold HQ 01235 819 187 OXON www.digitalgoldhq.com

PRINTING Carbon Colour G Nigel Allen Managing Director 01235 438 938 OXON www.carbon.co.uk MRD Digital Print 01865 715 181 OXON www.mrddigitalprint.com

PUBLIC RELATIONS Juicy Designs 01367 820 929 www.juicy-designs.com

Build Your Brand Story 07850 198 681 OXON www.buildyourbrandstory.com

SEEBLUE 07500 291 400 OXON www.see-blue.co.uk

Papa Romeo PR BC Claire Thompson Managing Director 07811 339 577 OXON www.paparomeopr.com

ADVERTISING MEDIA/DIGITAL MARKETING Global G Leigh Armstrong Area Business Director, Oxfordshire 0333 200 2000 www.global.com

Spacecraft Consulting C Olivia Lane-Nott Director 07968 081 128 OXON www.spacecraftconsulting.com

Imageworks 01865 865 656 OXON www.imageworks.co.uk

Big Foot Communications C Emma Gascoigne Communications Consultant 07968 081 128 OXON www.linkedin.com/company /big-foot-communications

CORPORATE IDENTITY Recognition Express P Andy Olejnik Managing Director 01295 257 611 OXON www.re-oxfordshire.co.uk Strangebrew PBC Phil Strachan Director 07770 753 975 BERKS www.thinkbrandnotbland.co.uk Brand New Dawn 01865 400 640 OXON www.brandnewdawn.com

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

Adept Graphics 01993 869 094 OXON www.adeptgraphics.co.uk

Indulge Media C Paul Wood Managing Director 01865 686 093 OXON www.indulgemedia.com Torpedo Group Limited 01865 733 710 OXON www.torpedogroup.com

Coconut PR 01491 821 630 www.coconutpr.com Target 01242 633 100 www.targetgroup.co.uk

Urban Element 01993 776 999 OXON www.urbanelement.com

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Contacts MARKET RESEARCH

Lambert Smith Hampton G Simon Butler Associate Director 01865 587 713 OXON www.lsh.co.uk

Nielsen 01865 742 742 OXON www.nielsen.com

Marriotts Chartered Surveyors 01865 316 311 OXON www.marriottsoxford.co.uk

PROPERTY & BUILDING ARCHITECTURE

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SERVICES

Adrian James Architects 01865 203 267 OXON www.adrianjames.com

Bracknell Enterprise & Innovation Hub Shelley Furey G Centre Manager 01344 388 000 BERKS www.bracknell-hub.co.uk

BUSINESS PARKS & OFFICE SPACE Oxford Innovation PB Jo Stevens Managing Director 01865 811 191 OXON www.oxin.co.uk Arlington (Oxford Business Park) Daniel Williams Development Director 0118 370 3065 www.arlington.com Begbroke Science Park 01865 283 700 OXON www.begbroke.ox.ac.uk Harwell Campus 01235 250 091 OXON www.harwellcampus.com Oxford Technology Park 01865 883 364 OXON www.oxfordtechnologypark.comm Harwell Innovation Centre 01235 838 538 OXON wwww.harwell-ic.co.uk The Wheelhouses 01865 920 999 OXON www.thewheelhouses.com

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY AGENTS VSL and Partners PBC Richard Venables Director 01865 848 488 OXON www.vslandp.com Carter Jonas G Scott Harkness Partner 01865 511 444 OXON www.carterjonas.co.uk

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Mantle 0333 00 66 330 OXON www.mantle.co.uk

ESTATE AGENTS Wallers Estate Agents 01865 435 175 OXON www.wallersestateagents.com Oxford Property Consulting 01865 553 956 OXON www.oxfordpropertyconsulting.co.uk

LETTING AGENTS

Solid Structures 01608 690 858 OXON www.solid-structures.com Mulholland Landscape Consultants C David Mulholland Director 07734 253 579 OXON www.mulhollandconsultants.co.uk

PROPERTY SERVICES Darke & Taylor Ltd G Simon Newton Managing Director 01865 290 000 OXON www.darkeandtaylor.co.uk JT Interiors 01993 700 515 OXON www.jtiuk.com Headington Carriers 01993 811276 www.headingtoncarriers.co.uk

R&R

Jurys Inn Oxford 0203 564 5225 OXON www.jurysinns.com/hotels/oxford Marriott Courtyard Oxford City Centre 01865 306 900 OXON www.marriott.co.uk/hotels

Righton Group Limited 01865 311 696 OXON www.rightonstay.co.uk

Hilton Garden Inn Abingdon 01235 553 456 OXON www.oxfordabingdonhotel.com

Oxford Property Consulting 01865 553 956 OXON www.oxfordpropertyconsulting.co.uk

Milton Hill House 01235 831 474 OXON www.miltonoxfordshire.co.uk

PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANTS

Hawkwell House 01865 749 988 OXON www.hawkwellhouse.co.uk

Beard Construction 01865 860 046 OXON www.beardconstruction.co.uk Ridge and Partners LLP 01993 815 101 OXON www.ridge.co.uk

Sam Strange Magic G Sam Strange Owner 01865 742 211 OXON www.samstrangemagic.co.uk Oxford Castle & Prison 01865 260 666 OXON www.oxfordcastleandprison.co.uk Pegasus Theatre N 01865 812 160 OXON www.pegasustheatre.org.uk

FOOD & DRINK SUPPLIES Neve’s Bees 07891 633 356 OXON www.nevesbees.co.uk TOAD 01865 767 918 OXON www.spiritoftoad.com The Wonky Food Company 07596 488 518 OXON www.wonkyfoodco.com

ACCOMMODATION

Finders Keepers 01865 302347 OXON www.finders.co.uk

COEL P Dan Brown Director 01865 986 822 OXON www.coel.uk.com

ENTERTAINMENT

Conifers Guest House 01865 763 055 OXON www.conifersguesthouse.co.uk Mercure Oxford Eastgate Hotel 01865 248 332 OXON www.accorhotels.com

Chadlington Brewery 07967 210 151 OXON www.chadlingtonbrewery.com Horsebox Coffee Co 01993 880 597 OXON www.horseboxcoffeeco.com The British Honey Company Limited 07967 210 151 OXON www.britishhoney.com

RESTAURANTS Victors Oxford 01865 689 064 www.victors.co.uk Pizza Pilgrims C Gavin Smith Operations Director 01865 808 030 OXON www.pizzapilgrims.co.uk Tap Social 01865 236 330 OXON www.tapsocialmovement.com Ashmolean Rooftop Restaurant 01865 553 823 OXON www.benugo.com/restaurants/ rooftop-restaurant

WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM

B4 PARTNERS ON THE

The Cherwell Boathouse 01865 552 746 OXON www.cherwellboathouse.co.uk Brasserie Blanc 01865 510 999 OXON www. brasserieblanc.com The Black Horse 01844 219 050 OXON www.blackhorsethame.com

Magazine Design

Official HR Partner

SHOPPING Westgate Shopping Centre 01865 263 600 OXON www.westgateoxford.co.uk Official Cloud Partner

Wild & Fine G Hannah Rogan Owner www.wildandfine.co.uk Neveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bees C Julie Macken Deputy Queen Bee https://nevesbees.co.uk

HILL

Official Stationery Partner

ÂŠ Designs-on Ltd and B4 Magazine. Whilst every attempt has been made to ensure that the content of this publication is accurate and correct in every way, the publishers cannot be held responsible or liable for any inaccuracies or errors within the publication. Information reproduced from this publication is permitted with the express permission of the publisher and the advertiser, where relevant. All information is correct at time of going to press.

2020

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driving economic growth

B4 Issue 61 - Business As A Force For Good Edition

Articles inside

Twin Town Challenge News

Spiced Roots

Taking on the Lost City

Smart Homes and Supply Chains

The Kingham Wow

Introducing Charlotte Gridley

Winning the War for Talent

New Identity for 10th Anniversary

Diane Wilkinson

O xford’s Place in the Global Market

Freethinking Approach to Separation

Immigration Specialist to Support O xford Market

SME Growth and Oxfordshire’s Economy

T ales of the Unexpected

Do You Need a Hospitality Hero?

Oxfordshire’s Business Community, Take Note

Protecting Business Ideas From Being Stolen

Considering Profit Extraction

The latest commercial properties from VSL & Partners

Does Your Payroll Comply?

A Sustainable V enue

Food as a Force for Good

Be Socially and Environmentally Conscious

Charity , Community and CSR

Ethical I.T . Recycling

Sobell House Hospice News

Cowley Road Carnival News

L earning Support

6 0 Years of Achievements

Colette Norbury

Helping the Formerly Homeless

Creating a SpecialEffect

Investing in O xfordshire

Combating Loneliness

Four W ays to Help

Charity of the Year

T-Winning

B4 Member News

The Best of Both

Saving a Fine View

NEXUS Introduction Event Recap

From Waste to (Social) Wealth