B4 issue 48

E D A

’s s re es hi in K ds us e E 24 or B in LIN xf g az OFF O din ag N & a M HIP O Le RS

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B4 MAGAZINE ISSUE 48 SEPTEMBER 2017

GARDNER LEADER Business minds come together to discuss employee wellbeing at their recent Round Table.

D’OVERBROECK’S

W W W . B 4 - B U S I N E S S . C O M

HELEN & DOUGLAS HOUSE

UNIPART

B U I L D I N G B R I D G E S B E T W E E N B U S I N E S S E S

JOIN US FOR THE

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CHRISTMAS

DINNER

AT THE DIVINITY SCHOOL MONDAY 4TH DECEMBER 6PM-11PM (165+VAT PER HEAD) VISIT WWW.B4-BUSINESS.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION OR CALL US ON 01865 742211

ts h g i l igh

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3 COURSE FINE DINING AND DRINKS STUNNING SETTING IN ONE OF OXFORD’S MOST HISTORIC BUILDINGS CEREMONY TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS OF THE 2017 LIVING IN OXFORD AWARDS

YULE HAVE A GREAT TIME!

“The Bodleian is delighted to be hosting the B4 Platinum Dinner on 4th December in the historic Divinity School , the grandest room in the original Old Bodleian. We look forward to welcoming guests to this truly special venue.”

- Kate del Nevo, Bodleian Libraries

“We are thrilled to be catering for the B4 Platinum Dinner on 4th December and it promises to be an excellent evening. Events in the Divinity school are always a special experience and we look forward to delighting the B4 members with our “Deliciously Different” festive dinner.”

- Sue Randall, Oxford Fine Dining

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B4 contributors COMPANIES TO LOOK OUT FOR IN THIS ISSUE

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www.b4-business.com Contacts If you want to contact B4 Magazine Telephone: 01865 742 211 info@b4-business.com Publisher B4 Magazine is published by Designs On Ltd, PO Box 388, Kidlington, OX5 9EH Chairman Colin Rosser colin@b4-business.com Editor Richard Rosser editorial@b4-business.com Art Editor Keith Simpson studio@hothdesign.co.uk Assistant Editor Lorna Dodson assistanteditor@b4-business.com B4 Events events@b4-business.com Editorial contributors Olivia Lane-Nott Claire Thompson Travel Editor David Gambier Photography/ Videography Rob Scotcher Studio Photography Studio8 Telephone: 01865 842525

welcome to B4 48 Welcome to the corporate and social responsibility edition of B4 which is full of a range of articles to capture your imagination.

As part of an ongoing process to engage their Heads of Department with the world outside of Blenheim Palace, I was invited by Sarah Morris, Head of HR, to present on developments in Oxfordshire and the opinion the business community has of Blenheim. Some interesting findings, I think you’ll agree and good to see Blenheim so keen to do everything it can to engage with the local community.

Also in the CSR section we have articles featuring Reciprocate, a fascinating event held by our new Platinum Members, YouHR, we feature Focus and their role in the community and also The MGroup, Helen & Douglas House and Bloodwise. Thanks to all for making this such an interesting section of the magazine.

B4 welcomes Grove Business Park, with fantastic new office accommodation and tenants queuing up, we say goodbye to Sami Cohen as outgoing Principal at d’Overboreck’s and meet Tim Ault of Alberon who’s interview is also featured on B4 TV.

 @B4Magazine

Meet the Writers

22. Blenheim Palace Written by Richard Rosser

James Dillon-Godfray gives B4 a long overdue update on developments at London Oxford Airport and Steven Sensecall talks about joining Carter Jonas having sold Kemp & Kemp.

Continuing in the world of property, Robin Swailes tells us ‘Standing Still’ is not an option in the world of property.

Health is and should be a priority for us all and in this issue we feature Tara Tripp Hearing Care, Workplace Wellbeing at Unipart and Aston & James ask if work is affecting your health.

Subscriptions For free Subscription, please contact: Telephone: 01865 742 211 info@b4-business.com

And with Christmas Parties already sneaking into B4, we help Beard celebrate 125 years, see the news for Owen Mumford’s International Business Award win, it’s been a great years for Conference Oxford (again see the news) and Corpus Christi celebrate their 500th year, or Quincentenary. There’s also an overview of the OBA winners.

Each business with an Oxfordshire, Berkshire or Buckinghamshire postcode is entitled to one free copy per issue.

For additional copies and for businesses outside of the three counties, there is an annual subscription charge of £25.

Looking forward, we have some great events to entertain our B4 members for the rest of this year and, into 2018, we already have eight of our twelve monthly events confirmed. So if you’re not yet a B4 member, come along to one of our forthcoming events (see www. b4-business.com for a comprehensive list) and start connecting with our growing network.

B4 really is good for business!

31. You HR Written by Naomi Alcantara

Enjoy B4 48 © 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.

Richard Rosser Editor

44. Grant Thornton Written by Alan Richardson

Sobell House is our 2018 Charity of the Year B4 Magazine is printed by

About B 4 Magazine B4 Magazine was established to provide Thames Valley businesses with a clear voice to raise their profile and to help businesses connect. Direct mailed to nine thousand business decision makers in once every two months, B4 is regarded a leading free distribution business publication in the region. B4 stands for Building Bridges Between Business and that is what B4 helps businesses to do, aided by our first class website at www.b4-business.com, monthly B4 Classic and Masterclass Events.

B4 is funded by paid for display advertising and editorial. Underpinning B4 is a membership of over 600 of the Thames Valley’s leading businesses.

56. Carter Jonas Written by Steven Sensecall

news

finance

12 B4 Members News 78 Blandy & Blandy News

43 Tax Efficient Methods for Profit Extraction: The numerous options to

extract profit from a business for director shareholders.

44 The Importance of the CFO: Grant

Thornton discusses the challenges and

opportunities facing CFOs today

lead 16

The Gardner Leader Roundtable: A recap of the event that brought people together to consider the business impact of an incapacitated employee.

spotlight 47 Stock picking simplified:

Stockopedia.com begins to expand with

Oxford Centre for Innovation.

csr 

22 Rising to Opportunity and Change: Recently B4’s Richard Rosser

surveyed the local business community about Blenheim Palace.

48 Beard: The Story So Far…:

Beard have been constructing and

refurbishing buildings for 125 years.

51 Track Record of Success:

Law firm Penningtons Manches continues to

go from strength to strength.

52 London Oxford Airport Update:

Commercial Services and Local Development

Present Exciting Opportunities



advice 76 The Key to Unlocking Team Performance: Unlock your team’s

potential with Oxonetix.

78 Clever Conversations for Better Teams: Alison Haill of Oxford Professional

Consulting talks about the benefits of

openness and conversation.

27 Reciprocate Group pledge

commitment to their Community: Businesses publish

inspiring pledges for charitable and community activities they will undertake over the coming year.



28 FOCUS in the Community:

FOCUS give back to those who do not

benefit from the privileges that we take for granted.



31 Chocolate Shoes: You HR talk

about the importance of giving over receiving.

 32 Sobell House: The latest news and

updates from Sobell House Hospice.

 36 How important is CSR?: A

core value for The MGroup is care for colleagues, clients and our local area.

 38 Turn Clutter into Treasure:

Help local terminally ill children by decluttering and donating.

education 75 Sami leads the way: Students, staff

and parents said farewell to Sami Cohen

Principal of d’Overbroeck’s

B4 contents property

tech

marketing

56 Steven Sensecall, Partner at Carter Jonas: The opportunity for two

Partnerships to build on an existing relationship.

81 Protecting Against Ransomware:

Complete I.T. provide you with the

information you need to keep your

businesses fully protected.

98 Take Better Photos!: House on the

Hill discusses some simple steps the amateur

photographer can take to improve their pic.

58 What is MEES?: Minimum Energy

Efficiency Standards: Threats and

Opportunities for Commercial Landlords.

82 Alberon: A Safe Pair of Hands:

Richard Rosser interviews Tim Ault, Managing

Director of Alberon.

100 Strangebrew Brand Alchemy: A

reassuringly inexpensive yet extremely potent

and highly intoxicating brew of Branding,

Identity and Graphic Design.

60 Standing still is not an option:

Oxford property businesses need to be

ambitious and flexible to be successful.

84 GDPR: CIS talks about what you need

to know about GDPR and the £20million question.

103 The Importance of Print: Minuteman

Press discuss how printed media is now more

important than ever.

62 VSL & Partners: The latest commercial

properties and news from VSL & Partners.

87

64 Soaring demand for space at Boston House: Tenants queue up for

new office accommodation at Boston House,

Grove Business Park.

Is your website supporting your growth plan?: Urban Element explains how your website can support the expansion of your business.

health venues

104 The Importance of Hearing Protection: Tara Tripp Hearing Care

discusses sounds that can damage sensitive

structures in the inner ear.

89 Quincentenary Times: Discover

Corpus Christi College; one of the oldest

constituent colleges in Oxford.

106 Workplace Wellbeing Programmes: Unipart Group explains

why Wellbeing programmes can keep your

business ahead of the curve.

91 Newbury Racecourse: Newbury

Racecourse discuss award-winning scheme

called Uniquely Newbury.

92 huwedmunds: A unique and

personalised venue-finding and

event-organising experience.

events 66 A celebration of Oxfordshire business: Winners of the Oxfordshire

Business Awards 2017 Announced.

95 Christmas in Narnia: Find out about

Newbury Racecourse and its stunning

Christmas offering.

96 Oxford Brookes Venues: Oxford

Brookes Conference Services have rebranded

themselves and are holding an event to

showcase their services

109 Is work affecting your health?:

Aston & James take a look at the stress and

anxiety linked with using your personal phone

for work matters.

corp. life 110 B4 Travel: Do price comparison websites

help or hinder price transparency?

67 Raymond Blanc Festival of Music 2017: Belmond Le Manoir to host the

Raymond Blanc Festival of Music this autumn.

112 8 Hours in Reykjavik: David Gambier

visits Iceland’s iconic capital city Reykjavik.

68 Recent B4 Events: Read our recap of

the most recent B4 Events.

114 The Bear & Ragged Staff: Read all

about this local favourite, steeped in history

and free of clichés.

70 That Event Company: The one that

will go above the call of duty to make sure

that your event is always a success.

116 Balancing Business with Birdies:

500 acres of glorious undulating heathland

and the county’s leading golf club; Frilford Heath.

73 Being an Attendee: Aston & James’ top

tips for getting the most out of the next

exhibition you attend.

119 First Class Service: Excel Dry Cleaners

provide a service second to none.

 CSR

B4 Club Member's 121

Contacts 126

BASE 33 Base 33 is delighted following a robust fundraising strategy we raised enough money to purchase our own 12 seater mini bus. Thanks for Urban Element for providing the Art work for the branding.

We can now reach out to young people in rural villages across West Oxfordshire where there is little or no youth work provision to: • help reduce isolation, loneliness and boredom by engaging young people in a range of social learning activities, improving health and well-being, mindfulness, increasing their self-confidence and self esteem; • work in partnership with local residents and other stakeholders; • provide young people with advice, guidance, and support specifically with social and emotional issues; • safeguard vulnerable young people; • develop supportive peer friendships and safe digital peer support networks; • enable young people to make positive contributions within their own communities; • contribute to a reduction in ASB, criminal activity, drug misuse, child sexual exploitation, abuse, bullying, cyber bullying. www.base33.org.uk

A Great Year For Conference Oxford happy customers return time and time again. Over the last year we have seen a marked increase in enquiries for all types of events’.

Mike Naworynsky, Chair of Conference Oxford said, ‘We are supporting businesses locally, nationally and internationally, helping clients to find their perfect venue by highlighting what the University and our Colleges have to offer. The level of repeat business is testament to the high level of service provided by our experienced team and the fact that this is a free service comes as a welcome surprise to our customers’.

Conference Oxford is celebrating a hugely successful year, having attracted almost 3000 enquiries from clients wishing to hold events at the University of Oxford. Conference Oxford represents 63 of the most stunning University and College venues in Oxford.

Marie O’Connor, Manager, commented, ‘Our venues provide outstanding facilities for every type of event – conferences, meetings, dinners, weddings, Christmas parties and represent fantastic value for money. We have had an extremely busy year and we are delighted to see so many of our

For your chance to experience the hospitality of a Conference Oxford venue, join them at St Antony’s College on Tuesday, 26th September for a B4 Classic Event or visit www.conference-oxford.com for more information on the service they offer.

Flat Light - Architectural Accents in Flat Form The flat light luminaires in various sizes and colours provide great design freedom. Mounted on ceilings or walls they achieve the desired atmosphere in corridors, stairwells, waiting areas and similar interiors. The decorative, indirect portion of light pleasantly brightens up ceilings and walls making luminaires appear to hover. The opal cover softly diffuses the light into the room. The indirect cover prevents dirt and insects from penetrating. The flat surface-mounted height of 100 mm makes these luminaires the ideal solution for stairwells and narrow corridors. www.wila.com Your partner for individual Lighting solutions

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B4 Network news Help local children at this year’s Oxford Half Marathon Challenges can come in a variety of guises.

There are the chosen challenges, like the Oxford Half Marathon, and there are the ones that life throws at you to deal with.

Many young people coming to Helen & Douglas House face challenges every single day of their short lives and need your support so that they can get the care they need.

Children like Finley, from Bicester, who has a lifeshortening condition and visits Helen & Douglas

House with his family for vital respite care.

If you want to take on a challenge that will help children and young adults face theirs, please sign up for the Oxford Half Marathon and run for Helen & Douglas House.

Go to www.hdh.org.uk to sign-up for your discounted place.

The charity relies on donations to provide the care that families like Finley’s need.

G-Smatt Chooses Oxford for new European HQ Highly successful South Korean company G-SMATT has chosen Oxford for its European HQ. Led by Dr Orhan Ertughrul, G-Smatt Europe is bringing the benefits of its unique, smart glass solution to the architectural/city planning audiences and the events industry.

Dr Ertughrul, said; “G-Smatt’s digital glass façade has had an amazing response in South Korea and we’re excited about new opportunities in the UK and wider European markest. Oxford is a vibrant business area and its excellent transport connections make it the ideal location.”

The official opening of the company’s offices at King Charles House, which contain two walls of the media active glass, was attended by Councillor Fooks, Lord Mayor of Oxford, who said; “We are pleased to welcome G-Smatt to Oxford and delighted they have chosen our city for their European headquarters. Oxford is keen to embrace the benefits of being a ‘smart’ city and we look forward to opportunities to work with G-Smatt as our plans progress.” www.g-smatteurope.com

Experience Oxfordshire Grow Partnership Network with 12 New Local Businesses Experience Oxfordshire continue to expand their partnership network with the addition of 12 new partners from across the county. They join the present range of accommodation providers, attractions, restaurants, tour companies and other tourism businesses that belong to Experience Oxfordshire’s partner network. The new businesses join existing partners such as Blenheim Palace, Stagecoach, Bicester Village and Macdonald Randolph Hotel, growing the partner network to a total of 150.

Complementing the existing restaurants and hotels in the network, The Perch, Artist Residence and The Manor Country House Hotel are new partners to join the organisation. Joining the Ashmolean Museum and Bodleian Libraries, remaining constituents of Oxford Universities Gardens, Libraries and Museums (GLAM): Botanic Garden, Pitt Rivers Museum, Museum of the History of Science and the Museum of Natural History are now also partners. Experience Oxfordshire’s arts and country house and gardens venues grow with the addition of Modern Art Oxford, Turrill Sculpture Garden and Bletchley Park. Lastly, Cotswold Guided Tours and Oxford Preservation Trust make up the remaining new partners.

Experience Oxfordshire Partnership Manager, Tamaryn Abbott, commented: “We are really excited to welcome these new partners to Experience Oxfordshire.

We have a growing partner network of top quality organisations, large and small

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and we look forward to engaging more closely with them and promoting their activities to both the local and international market.”

Partners of Experience Oxfordshire join at either Standard, Enhanced, Premium, Conference or Ambassador level, and are entitled to a variety of exclusive benefits including targeted marketing, press and PR coverage, networking and discounts, and industry insights. www.experienceoxfordshire.org

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Think Rhodes for Business...

For full information on exclusive use, meetings, seminars, team building and conferences please call 01865 282599 or email events@rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk

Rhodes House, Oxford, OX1 3RG

Telephone 01865 282 599 events@rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk www.rhodeshouseoxford.com

B4 Network news Commercial Director appointed at Phyllis Court Club Phyllis Court Clubs Secretary Graham Owen, is pleased to announce the appointment of Caroline O’Connor, Commercial Director. He confirms “this is an important new role in the history of the Club and especially created with the imminent building of ‘The Fitness Centre’.

The role will provide a strategic direction for the Club over the next 5 years and will manage Sales, Membership and Marketing functions.”

Caroline, who was selected after a rigorous interview process, brings 10 years’ commercial consultancy experience in Sales and Marketing, but has also 12 years’ earlier experience of working at Phyllis Court Club she is “very excited to be back at this significant time in the Club’s history”.

The Club has undertaken an active new membership programme to promote the new Fitness Centre that reached the 2017 members target at the end of

2016. It is anticipated that this will continue as The Fitness Centre will become operational in 2018, which could mean that the Club has to create a membership waiting list for new members.

Caroline is looking forward to growing the current business, looking after the nearly 3000 members and also attracting more corporate, conference, hotel and wedding business. She will also mount the right promotion for the Fitness Centre in Henley.

Graham Owen is delighted to welcome Caroline “as she understands the Club from her previous experience. I am looking forward to Caroline using her sales and marketing skills to enhance what we have to offer for current and new members, who will enjoy the benefits of the Club, particularly as we move into the next exciting chapter of Phyllis Court Club’s development”.

For further information about Phyllis Court Club please contact enquiries@phylliscourt.co.uk or call 01491 570500.

Changes in digital tax returns welcomed Whitley Stimpson.

The government’s decision to delay the rollout of a programme aimed at digitalising tax returns was welcomed by local accountancy practice

The original plan for Making Tax Digital from the tax authorities would have meant that the rollout of the plan would have caused a change from this year, including forcing the smallest businesses and sole traders to start quarterly VAT reporting from April this year. But now those below the £85,000 VAT threshold will now be exempt from quarterly reports until the government reassesses its plans.

There will also be a delay until April 2019 for businesses with a turnover above the VAT threshold, when they will be required to start keeping digital

VAT records. The full programme rollout will be delayed by “at least” two years to 2020.

Jonathan Walton, managing director of Whitley Stimpson Ltd said: “We welcome the delay because it gives more time for the tax authorities to test software and for businesses to adjust.”

For further information about digital tax returns please contact jonathanw@whitleystimpson.co.uk or call 01494 448122. www.whitleystimpson.co.uk

Owen Mumford wins International Business Award Owen Mumford has won International Business of the Year at the eighth Thames Valley 250 Awards.

The ceremony, which took place in Buckinghamshire honoured the achievements of six companies that featured in the top 250 ranking of leading privately-owned companies across the region. Jarl Severn, Managing Director said: “We are thrilled to win this award because it recognises Owen Mumford as a truly international business. Over the last decade, the company has significantly expanded its global presence with offices in the

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UK (Oxfordshire), USA, France, Germany, China, Malaysia and more recently, Mexico. In addition, the business continues to develop an extensive specialist distributor network which now spans five continents. As Managing Director, I am extremely proud of our achievements and hugely optimistic about Owen Mumford’s future on the international stage.”  info@owenmumford.com

 01993 812 021  OwenMumford  www.owenmumford.com

L-R: Miles Hewitt-Boorman, partner of sponsor Moore Stephens presents Jarl Severn, Managing Director with the Thames Valley 250 International Business Award.

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GARDNER LEADER

Round Table

As specialists in advising charities and others about the complexities and often contested areas of inheritance protection and probate law, the Gardner Leader LLP team used a roundtable event to bring people together to consider the impact of an individual’s incapacity of any sort (i.e., sudden accident, illness), on their business or charitable interests and in the event of death why a will might be contested.

Gardner Leader brought together a range of experts skilled at advising on inheritance protection, charity law, contested probate and commercial issues, together with experts from charities, business and financial advisors and accountants. Using a case study the following issues were addressed: • The significance of carefully drafted shareholders and partnership agreements that enable the will of the testator to be carried out, and the issues when they are not; • Incapacity or unexpected events causing difficulties in running a charity or business; • Tax planning; • Powers of Attorney including those specific to commercial interests; • Business continuity, including that of charities where the individual is/was a trustee; • The importance of making provision for anyone that might have a claim on an estate; and • Charitable legacies.

Written by: Fiona Curnow & Richard Rosser

Attendees

Alastair Goggins

Diane Yarrow

Penny Wright

PARTNER GARDNER LEADER LLP

PARTNER GARDNER LEADER LLP

PARTNER, GARDNER LEADER LLP

Alastair has considerable experience in trusts, probate and inheritance matters and advises in relation to disputed Wills, claims to remove Executors or Trustees, Breach of Trust cases and Inheritance Act claims.

He regularly acts for charities, executors, trustees and beneficiaries in claims found in the Court of Protection and the High Court.

He offers charities clarity of thought and is well versed in finding practical solutions to intractable problems. Alastair also has experience in advising other ‘not for profit’ organisations on all areas of litigation including independent schools. Alastair is a member of ACTAPS and was praised in Legal 500 (2016) as a “Leading Individual” for contentious trusts and probate and someone who leads the “forward-thinking” team and is singled out as “a sound tactician”.

Diane has considerable experience of a broad range of corporate and commercial matters, including commercial contracts, mergers and acquisitions, business start-ups, restructuring, shareholder arrangements and exit, banking and refinancing projects, compliance and risk management, company secretarial and joint ventures. Diane regularly advises ownermanaged businesses on structuring and succession, working with the Inheritance Protection team to ensure that corporate and individual documents dovetail to achieve a common objective. Diane is also experienced in advising third sector clients on commercial, structuring and governance matters and has worked with a number of national and multi-national not for profit organisations, including charities and sporting organisations. Outside work, Diane is a trustee of two charities and a volunteer board member for a not-forprofit organisation.

Penny qualified as a solicitor in 1999 and has wide-ranging experience of acting for individuals in relation to their Wills, estate planning, trusts, powers of attorney, probate and inheritance tax planning.

Penny’s charity law specialism includes setting up and registering new charities; advising on trustee responsibilities and governance issues; dealing with Charity Commission on regulatory matters; compliance with the Charities Act requirements; dealing with charity assets including permanent endowments; advising on mergers, reconstructions and winding up charities. Penny is a full member of the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP), the Charity Law Association, and the Law Society Private Client Section.

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B4 MAKING A WILL AND AN LPA THAT CAN BE REPLIED UPON The group discussed the various hurdles to making a will and Lasting Powers of Attorney. It was agreed that the statistics on people not having a will at all were surprising. Almost nine out of 10 under35s and two thirds of those aged between 35 and 54 are living without a will.The group agreed that apathy was one likely cause. The Gardner Leader team highlighted that as the case study under consideration demonstrated, having a second family might add to the complexities of dividing an estate and potentially lead to conflict after death if the Will is not correctly and appropriately drawn up. The group also discussed personal examples of seeing disputes over a Will, and how in one case the dispute was resolved in a more efficient manner because the Will had been drawn up well. This contrasted with examples of how a poorly drafted Will can lead to a complex issues to be resolved after death.

The group discussed recent media coverage of cases such as Ilott v The Blue Cross and others

which they felt could for some be misleading. An interesting point was made about the need to show a connection with the Testator, and that this applies to all beneficiaries, including charities: this was of particular note to the charities represented at the roundtable.

Lucie Fowler, Community Fundraiser for Alzheimer Society commented that “legacies play a significant role in enabling charities to safeguard their futures.

Awareness of the importance of appropriately drawn up wills is vital to the longevity of charities which rely on legacy income. Many charities have nominated will writers who offer discounts to people looking to create or update their wills such as Alzheimer’s Society Will to Remember Scheme.”

The impact of the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 and its requirements to make reasonable provision for family members was a significant area of discussion, highlighted by Gardner Leader Partner Alastair Goggins who said that is particularly important in light of modern family arrangements where people may have more than

lead

one family or partner. The group felt that although the case made clear that reasonable financial provision should be made, it left a great deal of ambiguity over what constitutes reasonable. The outcome of this was that taking advice early on both in the drafting of a Will, and if there are business interests, in the Commercial LPA was ever more important.

“When carrying out a “fact find” I always ask to see a copy of the client’s Will and Power of Attorney to see if this may have an impact on any financial planning. If there is no Will in place I suggest that a client consult their solicitor on this point.” Simon Claxton, Macbeths.

REVIEW AND UPDATE IF NECESSARY Diane Yarrow, Partner in Gardner Leader’s commercial team suggested that people review wills every 5 years to make sure they are still relevant and take account of any new tax issues, new family members or situations. She added that your adviser might be able to help you to do things more efficiently

photo © cristinabarton.co.uk

Simon Claxton

Kate Talbot

Paul Pointer

MANAGING DIRECTOR AT MACBETH FINANCIAL SERVICES LTD

CHARTERED FINANCIAL PLANNER AT SHORE FINANCIAL PLANNING

PARTNER AT PBA ACCOUNTANTS

Simon is an Independent Financial Adviser with 34 years’ experience who believes passionately that all financial services should be truly independent with the ability to provide ‘whole of market’ advice. Simon has worked at two major insurers and two large employee benefits firms, one of which involved helping to design and launch one of the first Self Invested Personal Pensions (SIPP) in the market. He also successfully built and sold an IFA practice in the 90s and so can relate well to owners operators who have the same ambition of building and protecting a business. Simon’s focus now is to run, promote and grow the financial services side of the business at Macbeth. They launched early in 2014 as they had identified a gap in the market for a well-established, comprehensive IFA offering in the region

Kate is a Chartered Financial Planner and Fellow of the Personal Finance Society.

For 16 years ago she has provided financial advice to high net worth clients initially with a large institution, before becoming the Principle of Shore Financial Planning’s Thames Valley Office, a Chartered firm providing independent financial advice.

“I work with all of my clients to make sure they have a plan that’s right for them, whatever their circumstances or their priorities. I am acutely aware that every client will have very individual financial goals and aspirations to grow and protect their wealth for the life they choose. Kate particularly enjoys working with complex pension and inheritance tax cases and has assisted clients attain HMRC pension protection. She provides advice to individuals regarding their own family wealth, as well as trustees, attorneys and deputies under the court of protection.

Paul as worked at PBA Accountants for over 20 years. He qualified as a Chartered Certified Accountant in 1996 and became a partner in 2003.

www.b4-business.com

Paul’s specialties are working with the construction industry, and manufacturing and engineering companies. He helps both start-ups and well established companies to grow and advises them on everything to do with tax and compliance.

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Attendees

or demonstrate how a legacy to charity may impact the inheritance tax burden to remaining beneficiaries.

That people can reduce the tax bill if 10% estate is left to charity generated much interest and discussion among the group.

Other examples of when a review was necessary include following a divorce. The Gardner Leader team talked about the impact of divorce and remarriage, and the key point was that when you divorce in the case of your Will it is treated as if the other person has died.

David Hill BUSINESS CONSULTANT AT BUSINESS DOCTORS Having spent more than twenty five years in the IT Hardware support industry, David now offers Business Support/Consulting services to SME’s with the Business Doctors Franchise. The core offering is helping businesses define and implement strategic plans to achieve growth.

Lucie Fowler described “at Alzheimer’s Society we recognise that life can change very quickly and so wills can and do become outdated. We promote sixbig reasons to make/update a will; serious illness, inheritance, relationship changes, family changes, buying a house and having children.

This list is not exhaustive but cover points in life which can drastically change the outcome of a will. Further, with a diagnosis of a health condition such as dementia it’s vital to ensure a will is updated should a person’s mental capacity change.“

THE IMPACT OF A HEALTH SCARE

Helen Milroy EXECUTIVE OFFICER AT NEWBURY AND DISTRICT CANCER CARE TRUST Helen is the Executive Officer, who runs the charity from the registered office at Deanwood Park Golf Club. Helen is responsible for the day to day smooth running of the charity and deals with the majority of the fundraising and in fact is our key contact for Gardner Leader’s Charity of the Year 2016/17. Helen left school and joined the RAF, completing 22 years’ service in the Air Traffic Control branch.

Following her military service, she joined Thames Valley Police as a Justice Administrator, working in the Administration of Criminal Justice in the Crown Court Team. Following the birth of Helen’s first child, she joined the Newbury & District Cancer Care Trust in 2007 as an Assistant Equipment Officer, working a few hours a week running the Equipment Store. Following her successful application, she became the Executive Officer of the Trust in 2008.

The case study allowed the group to imagine the impact of a health scare (or ultimately death). A number of attendees shared experience of instances where a sudden health scare impacted on a person’s willingness to make appropriate plans for the future by way of Will or LPA. It was highlighted that in the event of a Will or LPA being drawn up at such a time, a third party such as the GP or a Consultant will often be required to certify that the individual has capacity to make decisions and that they are not being forced into making such documents. The advice was that certification from a medical practitioner carries more weight than another person in such circumstances, often with LPAs in particular being drawn up towards the end of life rather than in advance. It was agreed that drawing up a Will and LPA before any illness was preferable.

Lucie Fowler added that it is “vital to acknowledge that health scares can happen at any point in life, with 40,000 under the age of 65 living with dementia in the UK, wills are not only essential when nearing retirement but require upkeep to ensure the wishes of the individual can be preserved.”

DIFFERENT TYPES OF LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY AND APPOINTING AN ATTORNEY

Lucie Fowler COMMUNITY FUNDRAISER FOR ALZHEIMER SOCIETY Lucie Fowler is Alzheimer’s Society Community Fundraiser for Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Lucie joined Alzheimer’s Society in 2015 as a Volunteering Officer and moved to the role of Community Fundraiser in the winter of 2016. She works with inspirational volunteers, local business and groups who are passionate about raising funds for Alzheimer’s Society. Lucie is a Dementia Friends Champion and aims to support local communities to raise awareness of dementia.

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Penny Wright, Partner in the Gardner Leader Inheritance Protection team outlined the different Powers of Attorney - commercial, personal and health and welfare in order that people have things in place should they become incapacitated and summarised their importance for people in business and for charities.

The group discussed the importance of choosing the right Attorney for each role, acknowledging that the person appointed for Health and Welfare and responsible for turning off your life support machine could be different – and in some circumstances should be different – to the person appointed Attorney for www.b4-business.com

B4 your business interests.

The need to choose someone with appropriate skills was highlighted, so that someone who has a business should choose someone with some knowledge or appropriate skills, and someone that will get on with others relevant stakeholders. One guest shared their own experiences which had highlighted the need for people to fully understand their obligations as an Attorney and that they need to be clear in what capacity they have been appointed.

BUSINESS INTERESTS Diane Yarrow, Commercial Partner from Gardner Leader LLP advised that for people with businesses it can be especially important to ensure appropriate provisions are contained in the Articles of Association and to review them regularly to ensure they reflect your intentions. It’s also important to think about creating separate Powers of Attorney for business and personal matters and assign responsibility of your business to someone that knows something about it.

The case study also demonstrated that ownermanagers have particularly complex matters to consider. Reliance on the quality and clarity of the Shareholders Agreement and provisions made with the bank in the case of a Director’s incapacity were identified as important. In instances where the incapacitated Director is the one with control of the finances and payroll of a business, this can be crucial to address in order that the business does not suffer as a result. The different approach taken by banks was acknowledged, with some banks making business critical payments and others requiring someone to be officially appointed as a Deputy by the Court of Protection before anything can be processed.

It was acknowledged that where finance is concerned, and where succession planning is relevant, there is potential for conflict as well as the need for the individual to have complete faith that the Attorney will act in the best interests of them and the business. Businesses with more than one shareholder can find themselves in difficulty where one leaves everything in their Will to a spouse/child but either that child does not want to carry the business on, another shareholder does not want to work with them or when the Articles of Association dictate the share passes automatically to remaining shareholders. These are the type of considerations that a good adviser will consider, as well as the importance of perhaps considering some sort of insurance against your death or illness and what will happen to any pension provision. If the spouse/ child does inherit but would like to sell to remaining partners, complexities also arise when it may not be something the remaining partners wish to do, or can afford to do without some planning. All these issues highlighted the need to discuss wishes with all relevant parties.

“Appropriate life and critical illness cover for all shareholders will give them all the ability to buy out their respective beneficiaries should the worst happen. This is akin to having a Business Will and www.b4-business.com

prevents potentially expensive borrowing to raise the appropriate capital to buy out the shares. Businesses should also always explore the options of having a key person cover to protect the business too. This will help prop up the business and deliver working capital to the business account in the event an individual who is key to the success of that business dies or becomes seriously ill. The capital can be used for any reason including replacement of the loss of the key person’s expertise by way of paying recruitment costs and covering potential loss of business profits.”

Simon Claxton, Macbeths.

IMPACT ON CHARITIES The group discussed the impact of incapacity of a Trustee on a charity. Diane Yarrow advised that charities operate in such a way that in such cases the Attorney does not take over the role of the Trustee and that charities usually have in place arrangements

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it is “vital to acknowledge that health scares can happen at any point in life, with 40,000 under the age of 65 living with dementia in the UK, wills are not only essential when nearing retirement but require upkeep to ensure the wishes of the individual can be preserved

”

Lucie Fowler, Community Fundraiser - Alzheimer Society

to appoint a replacement Trustee. Penny Wright highlighted issues that could affect commercial businesses were less likely to impact charities as the Charity Commission’s requirements that there be at least three Trustees gives more stability than a business with one owner-manager.

THE IMPACT OF DEMENTIA With the growing number of people affected by dementia, this was seen as a key area for people in the roundtable discussion. Diane Yarrow outlined the importance of appointing the right Attorneys and when and how they take over the decision making process for someone with dementia. Typically this was a subjective decision with the hope that the carefully chosen Attorneys always have the best interests of the individual concerned in mind so that they are merely supporting them to make their own decisions wherever possible, and only stepping in to take over at the appropriate point.

Only where there was some dispute would the Court be required to pass judgment on when this might be – and that these court costs may well be covered by medical insurance. The distinction was made between merely bad decisions made by someone with capacity and decisions made by someone who

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lacks capacity. It was agreed that there was often a fine line between the two but that it is important not to assume that just because someone makes a bad decision they lack capacity. Lucie Fowler of Alzheimer’s Society added that “equally, just because a person has a diagnosis of dementia it does not mean that they automatically are unable to make sound decisions. Clients should be treated on a case by case basis. As the progression of dementia can be different for each individual as is its affect upon mental capacity so this poses an interesting question on how to support a person wishing to update their will as their dementia advances.”

NOT A LOT LEFT OVER It was suggested that if people break their assets into digestible chunks they might then realise there is not a lot left over for people to argue about. For example, someone that elects to leave their house to their spouse and share of a business to the other shareholders – via a pre-arranged agreement in the Articles of Association, then the remaining assets could be surprisingly little.

OUTLINE OF ISSUES RELEVANT TO CHARTIES AND OWNER MANAGED BUSINESSES The case study and discussion enabled the group to consider how the intentions of the testator were difficult to put into practice and caused unnecessary conflict.

The testator wanted her son to inherit her share of the business, but this could not happen as the Articles of Association dictated the shares automatically pass to the other shareholders. In cases such as this, because the son has effectively missed out on an intended inheritance, Alastair Goggins highlighted that he may well make a claim against the estate on the basis of not having reasonable financial provision. He may well be frustrated that his mother left so much money to charity. For charities in particular that rely on legacy giving as a main source of income, this can mean they are left uncertain about funds. It highlights how important it is for charities to suggest legacy givers discuss their wishes with potential beneficiaries and to ensure that everyone is provided for adequately. This is one way where charities and solicitors can work together to ensure that the intentions of the Testator are upheld after their death and to reduce the chance of dispute.

   

info@gardner-leader.co.uk 01635 508 080 www.gardner-leader.co.uk @GardnerLeader

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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY Feature 22.

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Blenheim Palace Reciprocate Focus Risk Management Ltd YouHR Sobell House The MGroup Helen & Douglas House

Blenheim Palace

Rising to Opportunity and Challenge B4’s Richard Rosser was invited to present to Blenheim Palace Heads of Department in August

by Head of HR, Sarah Morris and recently appointed Chief Executive, Dominic Hare. The team were keen to find out about developments in Oxfordshire, the hopes and fears of the business community and, in particular, how Blenheim Palace could work with the local community in terms of business opportunities, transportation and more...

Written by: B4 Magazine Photography by: Rob Scotcher

With thanks also to Alison Haill of Oxford Professional Consulting for her assistance in developing the presentation.

As one of the country’s leading attractions, Blenheim Palace has to be increasingly proactive if it is to see and take advantage of opportunities, mitigate and overcome challenges, manage expectations and maintain its standing in the local business community and in the country, because forthcoming changes in Oxfordshire’s infrastructure, in county planning and through Brexit - some planned and some yet to be negotiated - will have an impact that cannot be avoided.

To some, Oxfordshire is a ticking time bomb with high and rising costs of living, poor transport infrastructure and a lack of housing. But there is no doubt that developments in Oxfordshire planned for the next twenty years and beyond will provide all businesses in Oxfordshire with significant opportunities that will inspire them to rise to the challenges we are experiencing now.

As a local resident living just three miles from the Palace gates, thinking about

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the presentation personally, I would only tell my hosts what they already knew… that Blenheim is great for the local economy with a wide range of events and a great place to go with the family for a walk or picnic, not to mention sledging down the banks of the lake when the snow falls!

But that wouldn’t have been much use. Giving the presentation more thought I decided to ask the B4 community what they thought and sent a five minute questionnaire which provided some great insight and invaluable suggestions, as confirmed by Dominic. “It was really useful and insightful to get an informed external perspective on what we are doing. It is too easy to believe your own press and see things your own way – sometimes the cold shower of reality is needed! Richard delivers great insight and is uniquely well placed to gather and relay external views. “ Sarah Morris added, “How we engage with the Business community now and in the future is an important element of our strategy and it has been beneficial to the Management Team to gain an understanding of how we are perceived– good and bad!“

www.b4-business.com

B4

The presentation was delivered in four parts: 1. Key facts about Oxfordshire 2. Survey overview – who responded?

3. Questions about developments in Oxfordshire 4. Questions specific to opinion about Blenheim Palace

1. Key Facts About Oxfordshire 1. OXFORDSHIRE POPULATION Estimated Population mid-2015: 677,800 change from 2014 to 2015: +5,300 Source: Oxfordshire County Council Website 2. EMPLOYMENT RATE 78% employment rate in Oxfordshire (October 2014 to September 2015) 74% England (Source: Annual Population Survey) Total Jobs: 399,000 (2013) Source: ONS Jobs Density dataset 3. OXFORDSHIRE’S GROWTH PLANS TO 2031 85,000 new jobs 100,000 new houses £6.6 billion additional GVA £2.5 billion private sector investment £815m of highways improvements and £500m of rail investment delivered An additional 1,000 apprenticeships for young people in priority growth sectors 4. OXFORD – A FAST GROWING CITY • 6th fastest employment growth of all cities • 2nd fastest private sector job growth – 17.8% • £6.8 billion contribution to national economy • Concentration of KIBS (Knowledges Intensive Business Services) – 67% • Job density 1.17 compared to 0.86 South East 5. OXFORD – KEY AREAS OF FOCUS • Transport and infrastructure investment • First mile and last mile projects in Oxford • Linking clusters and world leading research and innovation • Housing delivery aligned to infrastructure and growth

2. Survey Overview – Who Responded?

Total Replies: 37 (Business Owners 25, Employees 12)

Job Titles

Managing Directors Directors Marketing Head of Venue Services Production Manager Director of Corporate Affairs Founder / Creative Director Company Sectors Digital / Advertising / Marketing Property Office and Workplace Supplies Logistics University Business Advice / Professional Services Publishing / Networking

www.b4-business.com

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Total Number of Employees Over 8,750 Total Turnover of Companies responding Over £803 million

3. Questions about developments in Oxfordshire Q1: What significant developments are happening or proposed in Oxfordshire which you are aware of? (e.g. Westgate opening, new business parks, major city or town redevelopments, transport initiatives etc.) NB The majority of the responses here have been collated with the help and support of Oxford City Council and VSL & Partners.

1. The Oxford Local Plan It will shape how Oxford develops. It will set out how we want our City to look and feel; it will guide new developments to the right locations whilst protecting and improving the environment and people’s quality of life; it will deliver the new homes, businesses, jobs, shops, and infrastructure needed to support the growth of Oxford over the next 20 years to 2036. It will be used in determining planning applications and to guide investment decisions across the City. We want make sure that Oxford continues to be a successful and attractive city; the kind of place people enjoy living in, working in and visiting.

2. Cherwell District Council – Oxford’s Unmet Housing Need On 26 September 2016, the Oxfordshire Growth Board (a joint committee) agreed an apportionment of Oxford’s unmet housing need to the Oxfordshire districts, including 4,400 homes to Cherwell (2011-2031).

It proposes development on seven sites in a corridor extending north from Oxford along the A44 to Yarnton and Begbroke, with a small development proposed for the southern edge of Woodstock. These areas were chosen following an assessment that considered a total of 147 potential sites.

Plans are subject to a period of public consultation which we are now in and which has been extended to 5pm on Tuesday 10 October 2017. This is to allow more time for comments to be received in view of the public interest in the proposals.

3. West Oxfordshire District Council’s ‘Main Modifications’ to Local Plan – submitted March 2017 4. Oxford Station Development 5. UK’s First Eco Town in Bicester Up to 6,000 sustainable new homes: 6. Greater Didcot Garden Town 7. Eynsham Eco Town 8. Barton Park Oxford – 885 new homes 9. Oxfordshire LEP’s Strategic Economic Plan 10. The Creativity, Culture, Heritage and Tourism Investment Plan for Oxfordshire 11. National Infrastructure Commission plan Tasked with maximising the potential of the Cambridge – Milton Keynes – Oxford corridor 12. Westgate – opening in October 2017 13. Expanded Bicester Village – opening in October 2017 14. Oxpens Development 15. Oxford Science Village 16. Oxfordshire’s ‘Local Transport Strategy 4’ which was adopted in 2015 17. Oxford University’s ambitions to develop Osney Mead 18. Future potential for development at Begbroke Science Park Q2: Which of these or other developments are you excited about and why?

Westgate & Bicester developments: - Bring back more of a vibrant atmosphere to the city - Bring more people into the centre of Oxford - Will provide more interesting shops and event space

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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

B4

- Oxford has been lacking a ‘destination shopping area’ LEP funding: - Will stimulate the local economy Harwell / Milton Science Parks: - Relevant to a growing economy - Business opportunities Q3: Which of these developments are you concerned about and why?

Residential developments: - Many are warranted with good local infrastructure, but many are not and will put enormous pressure on local amenities/ traffic - Lack of schools, roads, sports etc. Roads will become more and more clogged Westgate development: - Reduced car parking spaces will result in more congestion elsewhere - Expensive chain stores will make it even harder for smaller independent shops in the area to stay afloat

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as part of an Oxfordshire experience.

- Get more involved with the community. Make themselves more of a hub for events.

- Increase the variety of events to include covered outdoor entertainment to avoid issues with weather etc.

- Perhaps run more, smaller scale, events such as Gigs, fine dining, networking etc.

- Engage with local businesses by going to networking events.

- Support the smaller businesses in the extremely local area by supplying a common shared space for them to work from - Look at the charging structure, link with other Oxfordshire attractions.

- Continue to develop its multi-faceted attractions.

- Be modern whilst leveraging its history and culture Q5: What recommendations would you suggest to help Blenheim Palace overcome any of the challenges that you have highlighted?

Northern Gateway: - Traffic and congestion

- Offers to the local community to make them feel part of the bigger picture, not just about the visitors who come and visit - Focus group discussions - Try to improve traffic issues for major events - Continue to develop close working relationship with the relevant business communities in information, promotions, initiatives

Q4: How would you rate the following challenges to your business where 1 is no concern and 10 is massive concern?

Q6: If you were in charge at Blenheim Palace, what changes or improvements would you initiate with regards to current activity?

7 Cost of living in Oxfordshire Access to skilled labour 6 Transport network 7 Supply network 5 Competition 6 Brexit 6

- Have a reduced price for one-off visits - Better catering at business events - Better traffic flow system to avoid bottleneck at the gate - Increasing variety of events to include smaller; more focused but higher value events (jazz festivals; conferences on social issues etc.)

- Engage with local businesses at their level

3. Questions specific to opinion about Blenheim Palace

Q7: If you were in charge at Blenheim Palace, what new event or initiative would you make a priority?

Q1: How important a role does Blenheim Palace play in the local economy (where 1 is not important and 10 is vitally important)

- Business Leaders Dinner or Lunch monthly - Host business networking events such as Business In Oxford - Technology exhibition outside the palace in linked temporary structures providing the UK version of Comdex - Build a community centre and start inviting the small businesses there to work for free - Get community leaders to put on events like gigs, cultural events, drama.

Much like the surrounding villages have, only better!

- Kids events / Camps

Average score: 6 Q2: What benefits does Blenheim Palace bring to Oxfordshire?

- Tourism / visitors - Popular events for visitors - Great venue for event organisers - Prestigious meeting venue - Increase average visitor stay time −- More traffic (in a good sense) to the local villages Q3: What challenges does Blenheim Palace present to Oxfordshire?

- Traffic in Woodstock - Group travel is more likely to bypass Oxford city - using less expensive hotels outside the city and visiting Blenheim and Bicester, rather than taking the time to drive in to explore Oxford and other attractions - How to integrate its tourism into the local economy rather than being only focused on its own venue Q4: What recommendations would you suggest to help Blenheim Palace add more benefits to Oxfordshire?

- Access to host smaller business events - Work more closely with other local attractions to jointly promote Blenheim

www.b4-business.com

Q8: With respect to the local economy and community, Blenheim Palace...

• Only contributes 4 vote • Contributes more than it creates challenges 25 votes • Contributes and creates challenges equally 4 vote • Causes more challenges than it contributes 4 vote • Only creates challenges 0 votes

     

operations@blenheimpalace.com 01993 810 530 www.blenheimpalace.com @BlenheimPalace @BlenheimPalace @blenheimpalace

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INVITATION

TO A CHARITY EVENING OF INSPIRATION AND BUSINESS NETWORKING You HR Consultancy and Colmer Winchester are delighted to invite B4 Members to their first ever business event

Network with hundreds of other Oxfordshire businesses, be Entertained with suprises throughout the evening, and dig deep at our Charity Auction.

Guest Speakers include Darryl Eales of Oxford United FC and the inspirational Hussain Manawer

THURSDAY 21ST SEPTEMBER 2017 - 17.30-20.00 Fugro House, Hithercroft Road, Wallingford, OX10 9RB

TICKETS £15

inspirationandnetworking@eventbrite.co.uk Tickets include mouth watering canapés and Oxfordshire brewed drinks courtesy of our wonderful hospitality clients

For more event information, or just to find out more, lets get social

Event sponsored by:

Fr SP e E fir e G CI st o A to 10 ody L O bu B4 B F a F y a me g fo ER tic m r ! ke be th t! rs e

100% of the ticket price and all funds raised will be donated to our amazing charity partners

B4

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Reciprocate businesses pledge commitment to their community Companies have shared their passion for their local area by publishing inspiring pledges for charitable and community activities they will undertake over the coming year. The businesses are all members of responsible business group Reciprocate, hosted by Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF).

Written by: Richard Venables, Director at VSL and Partners, and Reciprocate Chair

Allen Associates staff support people who have overcome addiction at The Ley Community

The pledges reveal that businesses are committed to an impressive variety of community activities, such as promoting work opportunities for young or vulnerable people; raising funds or sharing time and skills with charities; giving away free products or services; and adopting ethical business practices. The pledges have been shared by some of the county’s biggest corporate names, including Unipart, Oxford Bus Company, Bicester Village, Blenheim Palace, VSL and Beard Construction.

For example, 22 companies have created dedicated employee volunteering programmes, usually giving staff paid time off to share their effort or professional skills with local charities. OCF has been supporting these employers by piloting a new brokerage service that matches employees with charities that need volunteers. Other companies are offering to share professional skills via a series of free workshops for charities known as Reciprocate Encounters, which are organised by Bicester-based accountancy firm Clark Howes.

Six Reciprocate companies are proactively recruiting employees who have overcome life obstacles, such as homelessness or a history of offending, giving them a chance to rebuild their lives. Kate Allen, Managing Director of local recruitment firm and Reciprocate member Allen Associates, comments in her pledge: “We have been working with employers across Oxfordshire for nearly 20 years and I can honestly say that the most talented people often come from the most unexpected places. Having an open mind and an open door can have a tremendously positive impact on business, and I would love to see more employers and recruiters commit to our vision of making open and inclusive recruitment a reality for everyone.”

www.b4-business.com

Richard Venables, Reciprocate Chair

Oxford Bus Company’s ‘Library Bus’ project

Several Oxford-based companies are pledging to specifically address the increasingly visible homelessness problem in the city. Letting agents College and County and law firm Royds Withy King are offering advice and support to charities tackling deprivation. Robert Pinheiro of Royds Withy King says: “We believe everyone should have a door to a place where they belong and can feel safe. We are hoping staff will warmly embrace our pledge by

“ith employers across

We have been working

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Oxfordshire for nearly 20 years and I can honestly say that the most talented people often come from the most unexpected places. Having an open mind and an open door can have a tremendously positive impact on business

harnessing the public-spirited approach that I believe is already present within the business community.

VSL places a strong focus on helping the community via its directors’ involvement with various local charities and boards, including the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Oxford Strategic Partnership, Oxford Sports and Physical Activity, Access Sport Oxford and Experience Oxfordshire; and through Reciprocate, I aim to get more local companies contributing their time and talents in this way.

Other pledges include offering top-quality work experience placements to school students from deprived backgrounds; partnering with a particular charity over the long term; running a company grantmaking foundation; sitting on charity trustee boards; sponsoring community events; using premises to generate green energy; and offering up all sorts of free resources, from venues and parking to cooking ingredients.

To see the full pledges from all of the Reciprocate members, please visit: www.reciprocateox.org/our-members

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Kate Allen, Managing Director - Allen Associates

providing meaningful work experience and interview practice, as well as sharing experiences and learning from those who have not had the same good fortune and privileged start in life.”

My own company, VSL and Partners, is just as committed to being a proactive member of the community in which we operate. I personally am dedicated to mobilising the network of local companies to give more back to Oxfordshire,

 reciprocate@oxfordshire.org  01865 798 666  www.reciprocateox.org Reciprocate is hosted by Oxfordshire Community Foundation

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FOCUS in the Community Our ethos at FOCUS has always been to work hard – and play hard. This extends from our business world into the local community with the aim of giving back to those who do not benefit from the privileges that we sometimes take for granted.

Written by: Nick Jones, Managing Director - FOCUS Oxford Risk Management Ltd

“

SpecialEffect means a lot to me because I’ve seen what they do first hand. Technology has the power to do some amazing things, especially when it’s used to change the lives of those less fortunate.

”

Nick Jones - FOCUS

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www.b4-business.com

B4

2009, I decided “toInget involved in raising money for Helen and Douglas House; throughout that year I entered various events from Duathlons, triathlons, Great North Run and the London Marathon raising in excess of £4,000.

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Nick Jones - FOCUS

Since FOCUS began back in 1990, we have taken our responsibility to the community very seriously and supported a number of local causes.

Although FOCUS now operates as two separate companies – FOCUS Oxford Risk Management and FOCUS Oxford LLP, the idea of “giving back” remains part of our key values.

who are struggling through illness.

In 2016, FOCUS became involved as a main sponsor of – and took part in – Twin Town Challenge 2016 (www. twintown16.co.uk/), raising funds for SpecialEffect (www.specialeffect.org.uk).

Today, this involvement may be led by the management, but the commitment spreads throughout the companies, with many of our staff members getting involved with the various events and fundraising initiatives we’ve held over the years.

I first found out about this amazing event during a business meeting . In the corner of the room was a banner about SpecialEffect. This got us talking about the charity and the Twin Town Challenge. I’m a keen motor enthusiast, so I was already excited about the prospect of the event and after hearing about the work SpecialEffect do, I was intrigued.

Not only does this mean that the charities we’ve supported benefit from the funds raised, but as a business, we have a team of committed staff members that enjoy working together and giving back.

After the meeting, I wanted to learn more, so I arranged a visit to SpecialEffect to see them in action.

It was when I saw the StarGaze project that I realised I needed to get more involved with the charity.

From our own successful completion of The Three Peaks Challenge, in the year 2000, we organised and took part in the FOCUS Business Challenge, with over 25 teams from local businesses taking on the task of climbing Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon within 24 hours. This event raised over £30,000 which was used to re-build the playground at the Hugh Ellis Paediatric Assessment Centre in Oxford.

When Twin Town 2016 came about, FOCUS had recently celebrated our 25th anniversary, so we wanted to do something special to mark the occasion, and what better opportunity than the Twin Town Challenge.

Following on from this, FOCUS became a Corporate Partner with Helen & Douglas House and this has seen us get involved with a number of different events and projects. These have included regular collections of unwanted clothes and items within the office, the hosting of a business bake-off event as well as participation in organised events such as The Monster Race, the Oxford Rainbow Run and the festive Santa Run. From a personal point of view, I had my own inspiration for getting involved. Children’s hospices were very new when my sister was diagnosed with cancer. She was only 4 years old when first diagnosed and the care she received was based in hospital and at home. Care of this sort just was not available. She sadly lost her fight against this dreadful and indiscriminate disease and died when she was six years old.

In 2009, I decided to get involved in raising money for Helen and Douglas House; throughout that year I entered various events from Duathlons, triathlons, Great North Run and the London Marathon raising in excess of £4,000.

This further encouraged me to take part in the 2016 London Marathon, running for Helen & Douglas House. The training didn’t go as well as I had hoped (meaning I did very little, not a good idea!!) and was probably reflected in my time of 5hr 30mins. I even got passed by a man dressed as a Lighthouse! However, I completed the 26.2 miles and raised over £8,000 for the HDH charity.

Helen and Douglas House is such a wonderful and happy place providing young children and teenagers a fantastic environment to stay and be with others

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SpecialEffect means a lot to me because I’ve seen what they do first hand. Technology has the power to do some amazing things, especially when it’s used to change the lives of those less fortunate. I want to continue supporting the charity so they can carry on doing such valuable work.

For Twin Town 2016, the Never Lose FOCUS team managed to complete the challenge – just – in a 1983 Porsche 944. We had some interesting times with a radiator issue, but being part of this fantastic event was just incredible.

TTC16 raised more than £300,000 which will enable SpecialEffect to help more people with physical disabilities to put fun and inclusion back into their lives by helping them to play video games.

We’re committed to supporting Special Effect as a sponsor and participant in Twin Town Challenge 2018 (www.twintown.org.uk) and have already secured our £500 vehicle – with a fully functioning radiator and even air conditioning - and are looking forward to seeing everyone on the start line.

In addition to these two key relationships, FOCUS supports national fundraising events throughout the year, such as the Macmillan Coffee Morning, Wear it Pink Day and Jeans for Genes – all of which bring our team together for the greater good.

 nick.jones@focusorm.co.uk  01865 295 295  www.focusorm.co.uk

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PROPERTY

INTELLIGENCE 2017 Oxfordshire’s No.1 Property Event Wednesday 11th October | 6pm to 8pm St Hugh’s College, Oxford

This year’s speakers: • Oxford in Context: Cllr Bob Price, Oxford City Council • Futureproof Your Investment: Ying Tan, The Buy to Let Business • Insights and Market Updates: Frank Webster, Finders Keepers

Find out more and book your space at finders.co.uk/event

B4

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“

When you become a giving business, your people become more positive and in turn, more productive because witnessing the effect that actions have on someone other than yourselves widens your reach and makes it a shared success

”

CHOCOLATE SHOES You HR are a Human Resources (HR) and Organisational Development Consultancy who believe that business is “all about the people”. A down to earth group of people experts with nearly 70 years of senior HR experience between them.

Written by: Naomi Alcantara

Events that happen during childhood are so profoundly memorable. I bet you remember riding a bike for the first time, swimming without armbands and the first taste of heartbreak. But do you remember the first time you felt the joy of giving? I must have been about 5, with a basin haircut and gap between my teeth. It was the day before mums’ birthday, and I was given £5 which I spent on some garish shoe shaped chocolates.

They didn’t last until her birthday; I gave them to mum the moment we walked through the door and despite the fact they were full of marzipan, she was over the moon! The reason it stands out in my memory is because her reaction made me so happy. I had learnt that it wasn’t just fun to receive stuff but to give it too.

Fast track a few (!) years and the notion of giving freely seems to whittle away as you become an adult, particularly in our working lives. As a people consultancy, we often see the effects of working within an inwardly focused environment, and the negative effect this has on the workforce. Social media is proof of this, with 2 billion of us currently on Facebook, 700 million on Instagram and 300 million on twitter, posting our own successes, triumphs and selfies creating a false ideal, when we all know life and business isn’t always positive. Mental health concerns are on the rise too, so surely, it’s time to ask why this is happening and change our inward focus.

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The You HR team are advocates of giving. Every aspect of our work has a charity element attached to it, and we believe that when we shift our mindset to “giving”, the benefits to both parties are abundant. We are experts in people, and by influencing behaviours we can alter outcomes. When you become a giving business, your people become more positive and in turn, more productive because witnessing the effect that actions have on someone other than yourselves widens your reach and makes it a shared success.

Research shows that charitable activity “reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and increases serotonin levels” so it should be on the priority list for every business who doesn’t currently engage in charitable work.

Our charity partner, Community Albums, align perfectly with our own vision and values. They aim to give people a voice through music and media, we aim to hear peoples’ voices through the practice of Human Resources, believing that business is “all about the people”. It’s amazing to see what our fundraising has enabled and it’s also a lot of fun in the process.

From races to networking events and cake sales. It’s had a positive influence on the work of Community Albums and had a positive effect on the You HR team: improving our physical health, providing a better work / life balance and increased motivation. Win, win!!

Our Workplace Wellbeing service Line can help you redress the balance within your business. We help

our clients to find a cause that aligns, to give time, support or expertise. How enriching is it when we see the happiness reflected in the people around us, not just in the mirror? Get in touch to see how we can work with you to change your business mindset, follow our charity antics on social media, come and watch us at one of our fundraising events or join us at our charity networking event on September 21st (5.30 – 8pm) – details are on the next page. Remind yourself of that incredible feeling of giving, and while you’re at it, go and buy some chocolate shoes.

We would love to chat about how we can help you and your business realise its full potential. Get in touch with our Business Development guru Naomi Alcantara using the contact details below.

    

naomi@youhr.co.uk 07809 901 397 /youhrconsultancy /youHRconsult /youhr

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The New Sobell Clinic and Garden Annex

At Sobell House we care for people at the end of their lives and support their families, friends and carers. This is something we have been doing now for over 40 years. Every day, our staff care for around 150 people in the Hospice, the Community and in the local hospitals. Our staff accompany patients and their families on perhaps the most difficult journey they will ever make. We focus on quality of life, respecting each person’s dignity and uniqueness. Our aim is to support people in living as well and as fully as possible in the time they have left.

To support the care taking place here we are delighted to announce that building work will start in October on the new Sobell Clinic and Garden Annex. This new development, which we expect to be completed in January 2019, will enable us to offer the very best possible care to everyone in our community, for generations to come. We will extend our existing building on the Churchill Hospital site by 11,000Sq Ft in order to accommodate the necessary improvements and build the new Sobell Clinic and Garden Annex. With an estimated total cost of £4.3million, of which £3.8m is already in place, we are now looking to raise the final £500,000.

The Sobell Clinic will provide an outpatient service

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The nature of hospice “care is changing. As medical techniques develop people are living longer and we have seen a huge increase in patients with complex needs – patients that require great skill and dedication from those who care for them.

This pressure will only increase over the next generations and so it is vital to use as clinicians that we have the right tools and environment available to help us in our work.

”

Dr Tim Harrison, Clincal Lead, Sobell House

for people who have a terminal illness and need specific specialist care. Many people express the wish to stay at home for longer and by attending the Sobell Clinic, patients will be able to see a nurse or a doctor, obtain different therapy treatments including acupuncture, massage, reflexology and access vital information on their specific situation from the social work team with advice on matters such as will writing, funeral planning and accessing benefits. The Clinic will also house the specialist lymphoedema service providing vital care to this particular patient group.

The Garden Annex will create a new space to meeting the changing needs of our patient. This new inpatient space will create a six bed unit specifically designed to care for frailer patients and those who have a high risk of falls and confusions. We will be using high-tech solutions that balance people’s privacy and safety with their need for companionship and quick access to nursing staff.

“The nature of hospice care is changing. As medical techniques develop people are living longer and we have seen a huge increase in patients with complex needs – patients that require great skill and dedication from those who care for them. This pressure will only increase over the next generations and so it is vital to use as clinicians that we have

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news

the right tools and environment available to help us in our work” Dr Tim Harrison, Clinical Lead, Sobell House Patients being cared for in the Garden Annex will find their time at Sobell House to be less disturbed and more comfortable. We will be using design and colour to create a calm environment and allow for easy navigation.

As well as the actual building we are creating a beautiful and safe outdoor space for patients and

their relatives. Being able to go outside has always been a feature of Sobell House. With our frailer patients in mind, we have also designed a new garden space that will offer highly valued tranquil, safe and reflective areas for patients and visitors.

Design features will include easy to access seating, extra wide paths, a water feature and sensory plants providing a richness of scent, colour and texture.

By designing it this way the garden will perform a multitude of functions for those using it.

At Sobell House our strap line is Caring today,

tomorrow….and in the future. Over the next five years, we want to use our core expertise to change practice and enhance end of life care throughout Oxfordshire. We want to directly care for more people with specialist needs. Our vision is for high quality end of life care to be available to everyone who needs it within our catchment area, whether they are at home, in a hospital or in the hospice.

We can only do this with the support of our local community which very much includes the business community of Oxfordshire. A huge thank you to all our committed supporters, we are incredibly grateful.

 tim.wraith@sobellhospice.org  01865 857 066  www.sobellhouse.org

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Airport Transfers

Business Travel

Executive Saloons

Luxury Saloons

Tours & Conferences

Luxury Group Travel

Special Occasions

VIP service as standard

Get a free upgrade to First Class Service now!

01865 736 800

info@FindlayCS.com

news Charity of the Year Partnerships One great way to support Sobell House is to choose us as your Charity of the Year. This is a wonderful opportunity to motivate and inspire your colleagues, customers and suppliers to raise money to support the care taking place here at Sobell House and have fun in the process! Together we can then develop an exciting and mutually beneficial partnership and make it a year to remember!

By nominating us as your Charity of the Year, you can: • Boost staff morale by working together to achieve something special – everyone can get involved • Get active by running, cycling, swimming and so much more for Sobell House • Enhance your company’s ethos and values in a proactive and fun way • Create positive PR to help build your brand and company profile across your organisation and in the local community • Volunteer for Sobell either in the hospice or in one of our shops • Open new media opportunities through Sobell House press and publicity connections and materials • Display Sobell House on your website as well as having visibility on our website to demonstrate your commitment to the community and engage your clients. With around 8,000 visits to our website every month, you can be sure that we will help to drive more traffic to your website too • Fulfil your Corporate Responsibility (CSR) requirement with minimum impact on your company’s time and resources Having a Charity of the Year is an exciting prospect for both the business and Sobell House. It allows two organisations to come together to achieve great things for the cause and shows a commitment and dedication throughout. Sobell House has an excellent reputation within the local community and is very much seen as providing vital local services to local people.

Finders Keepers This year we are delighted that the well-known and highly respected local property letting business Finders Keepers has chosen Sobell House as their Charity of the Year. Throughout their network of eight offices in Oxfordshire they are all actively fundraising to raise as much money as possible to support the care taking place here at Sobell House.

“We’re delighted to support Sobell House as our charity of the year in 2017. Many of our team members have a personal connection with the hospice so it’s great that we are raising funds for this local charity. So far we’ve run, cycled and had

a bake sale and we have more activities planned for the remainder of this year to try to raise as much as we can to help with the expansion of the Sobell House site.” Victoria Lyall, Marketing Manager

A huge thank you to the following for choosing Sobell House as their Charity of the Year for 2017/18

North Oxford Garage

Heyford Hill Superstore

Abingdon

Oxford & Abingdon

Would you like to know more?

We have so many fantastic opportunities for the business community to engage with Sobell House. These are really exciting times at Sobell House with building work just about to start and lots of business community engagement. We were also finalists at the Oxfordshire Business Awards in June which acknowledged the positive impact Sobell House has within the local community.

Please do contact me if you would like to know more, I would love to chat.

Tim.wraith@sobellhospice.org 01865 857066 07527 849748

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HOW IMPORTANT IS CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CSR) AT THE MGROUP? The cynical may argue that getting involved in CSR and local community activities is driven by commercial reasons. In fact, we’ve always been keen to play our part as one of our core values from Partners across the business is care for colleagues, clients and our local area. We’re proud of the work we do, and it’s fun.

Written by: Su Copeland

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www.b4-business.com

B4 We get involved in CSR through a need to ‘give back’. Sometimes it comes through a personal reason, sometimes out of a commercial relationship that has been established. What we’ve found is that it’s important that the heart is in the right place.

We’ve a long-standing commitment in particular to a couple of inspirational local charities: SeeSaw (support for bereaved children) and SpecialEffect (adding fun to the lives of young disabled people).

We really feel close to the charities and that we can make a real difference as every penny counts and is appreciated.

‘It’s fantastic to be supported by The MGroup as part of The Twin Town challenge but CSR support goes much further than donations with the MGroup; being valued friends and helping to spread awareness of SpecialEffect.’ Nick Streeter fundraiser at SpecialEffect and well-known to many of us locally.

many years and during that time we have developed a close and warm working partnership. MGroup staff have been keen to take part in various challenge events and have donated many thousands of pounds

“

It’s fantastic to be supported by The MGroup as part of The Twin Town challenge but CSR support goes much further than donations with the MGroup.

”

Nick Streeter - Fundraiser at Special Effect

Special Effect

towards our work. Peter Smith, has been influential in brainstorming new ideas and as a result has helped us to set up a countywide ‘Corporate Friends of SeeSaw Networking Group’. This now meets regularly to focus on helping businesses think ‘outside of the box’ and develop ways of working more diversely with us.”

Peter Smith and Steve Basham have recently become ambassadors for SpecialEffect. Steve, a Senior

You can donate to SeeSaw here www.seesaw.org.uk/Getting-involved

Accounts Executive at The MGroup, explains more.

“I first became aware of SpecialEffect whilst working for The MGroup back in 2013 and it didn’t take long to see what an incredible charity it is. I was blown away by the enthusiasm of the team and couldn’t wait to support such a great cause. It’s a huge honour to be an ambassador for this truly amazing charity.”

Whether racing old bangers to France, abseiling, running the Oxford Half-Marathon each year, dragonboat racing, fire-walking – there is always someone happy to take part and lots of sponsors in The MGroup …ready to meet a personal challenge and have a good laugh!

Partner Peter Smith adds “From the moment you come into contact with the charity you realise how positive and inspirational everyone involved is. It is amazing to see how all the wonderful work they do changes so many lives. Taking part in the Twin Town 16 event enabled us to fully appreciate how highly valued this charity is. I’m honoured to be an ambassador for SpecialEffect.”

You can donate to SpecialEffect here www.specialeffect.org.uk/get-involved/donate

See Saw Peter Smith is also an ambassador for SeeSaw and Jane Elliott, who is SeeSaw’s fundraiser, also believes that the commitment and fundraising creativity at The MGroup shows more than just a passing interest in making a difference.

“SeeSaw has been supported by The MGroup for www.b4-business.com

Whether racing old “bangers to France, abseiling, running the Oxford Half-Marathon each year, dragon-boat racing, fire-walking – there is always someone happy to take part and lots of sponsors in The MGroup … ready to meet a personal challenge and have a good laugh!

”

It’s had, and continues to have, a positive impact on staff morale and therefore retention, who’s not

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going to find it encouraging that Partners are happy to dress up as Ninja Turtles?

And there is a further knock-on effect that it helps with attracting new staff and new clients who share our values.

Sometimes even when the commercial relationship may seem to take the lead, there is always an underlying intention to actively support local communities and interest groups.

MGroup 200 We been supporting Oxford United over many years.

Geoff Lane is a lifelong supporter of Oxford United Football Club and Steve Basham is a retired player.

We now work so closely with the team at OUFC that we have co-branded our sponsorship of the 200Club Lounge.

You might know we also have several keen golfers at The MGroup and our Partners Richard Clayton and Peter Smith work closely with a number of great clubs to help support the local business community: Studley Wood, Drayton Park and North Oxford Golf Clubs.

WOBA And talking of the local business community, we continue to sponsor the West Oxfordshire ‘Employer of the Year’ Business Award because of our belief in supporting local talent and the importance of looking after colleagues. As part of the judging committee, Peter Smith invests many hours visiting, evaluating and supporting nominees.

So, if we come jangling our sponsorship charities bowls in your direction, know that it is because we’ve taken care to make sure it’s for a good cause and that we’re having fun doing our bit.

 d.green@themgroup.co.uk  01865 552925  www.themgroup.co.uk

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Ollie, who died age 7, loved coming to stay at Helen House



Turn clutter into treasure to help local terminally ill children It is amazing how we organise our work lives and juggle many projects and tasks, but sometimes at home the build-up of clutter means not only are our cupboards, garages, wardrobes and rooms full of things we don’t really want or need, but our minds feel cluttered, and this often generates a feeling of being overwhelmed.

When you need headspace to be effective at work, and enjoy your time outside of work, this is really not a good situation.

Written by: Lin Crowley

Declutter and donate Helen & Douglas House, your local children’s and young adult’s hospice, is throwing out a challenge to businesses across Oxfordshire this autumn to donate bags of items to be sold at their Helen & Douglas House charity shops.

One bag of donations could be worth £30!

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The charity needs to raise over £5 million every year to provide care and support to local families at the hospice, in the community and at home. They are reliant on the goodwill of individuals, groups, schools, colleges and businesses to raise this money.

You can turn unwanted clutter in your home and wardrobe into treasure by donating it to a Helen & Douglas House. The money raised will help caring for local terminally ill children and young adults like Ollie.

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“

English textile designer William Morris once said; ‘Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.’ If he had been around these days he might also have added ‘And don’t forget to declutter and donate to Helen & Douglas House!

”

love and support we received from Helen “& The Douglas House over the years and especially

towards the end means so much to us as a family.

Please declutter and donate, as the charity needs you to help families like us.

Marie, Ollie’s mum

What you can do to help • Order a FREE Helen & Douglas House purpose-made, donation bin to put in your reception area, or in your office.

• Ask each of your employees to donate a minimum of one bag of items.

• Have fun and get departments to compete against each other to see who can donate the most bags.

• Post your photos and decluttering ideas on social media #HDHDeclutterChallenge and Helen & Douglas House will like and share them.

Did you know For most of us 80% of the clothes in our wardrobes we will never, or hardly ever, wear.

Shocking but apparently true!

How many items have you in your attic, cupboards or garage that you haven’t used or looked at for months or years? Many people don’t consider that their unwanted items may be someone else’s treasure and that by giving items they no longer want to a Helen & Douglas House charity shop, will not only prevent huge waste and prevent topping up tips and landfill sites, but can actually help local terminally ill children and young adults.

Helen & Douglas House has shops across Oxfordshire and surrounding counties selling things at great

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prices like clothes, bric-a-brac, furniture, new items, books and furniture. The charity offers free furniture collection for good quality furniture which will be sold at one of its furniture shops at Didcot, Rosehill and Headington. Everything sold generates money to make sure Helen & Douglas House can look after these young people and their families at the most devastating of times.

Declutter Tips

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• Just tackling one drawer or cupboard, or area of a room at a time makes clearing out seem so much less daunting. The first step is the biggest.

How to take part in the Declutter Challenge • Contact E: fundraising@helenanddouglas.org.uk T: 01865 799150 to find out more.

• Go to www.hdh.org.uk to download posters.

• Hang your clothes with the hangers in the reverse direction. Wear a garment and return it to your wardrobe with the hanger facing the opposite direction. After a few weeks or months you will see clearly which clothes you are choosing to wear and feel great in. Do you need the rest?

• Order your FREE donation bin, donation bags and arrange for Helen & Douglas House to collect your donations at the end of the challenge by calling 01865 796772 or emailing warehouse@helenanddouglas.org.uk

• Get organised in your home by choosing 12 things you love and putting them somewhere so you can use and enjoy them and choose 12 other items to donate.

• Put one thing aside every day during October to donate to Helen & Douglas House. You will end up donating 31 items to help young people and their families, and you will have helped de-clutter your home.

• Get the children involved and have fun at the same time. Ask them to clear out their toys, clothes or books, tell a story or share a memory about each item then donate them to your nearest shop, so that terminally ill children can be looked after at the hospice.

     

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

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Tri again

in 2018

Hundreds have already signed up to Tri again at Blenheim Palace 2018!

Held at the stunning Oxfordshire UNESCO World Heritage site, you’ll swim in the pristine lake, cycle through the leafy grounds, and run past the historic palace itself. With its sprint and super sprint distances, this is the perfect challenge for those dipping a toe into the world of triathlons. Every penny raised will fund vital blood cancer research.

2-3 June 2018

To find out more visit: bloodwise.org.uk/blenheim Email: triathlons@bloodwise.org.uk

This was the first time that our group of friends had taken part in a triathlon and it was an incredibly uplifting experience – we enjoyed it so much that we want to do it all over again next year. There’s still plenty of room for improvement though, and we’ll be aiming for a new personal best!”

Janice led her team ‘The Wimbledon First Timers’ raising nearly £4,500 to beat blood cancer.

Registered charity 216032 (England & Wales) SC037529 (Scotland).

Company limited by guarantee 738089 (registered in England & Wales)

CHRISTMAS MENU - 3 Courses £24.50 Private dining room available

For full Christmas menu details visit www.pintshop.co.uk 27-29 George Street, Oxford, OX1 2AU @pintshop

01865 251194

@pint _ shop

oxford@pintshop.co.uk @ m e at b r e a d b e e r

B4

finance

Tax efficient methods for profit extraction

When it comes to extracting profit from a business, there are numerous options for directorshareholders, and many can be overlooked. It’s important, therefore, to understand the options and find the best route according to circumstances and desired outcome.

Written by: Christy Kennedy, Shaw Gibbs

Dividends Dividends are often used, in combination with remuneration, to obtain the most tax efficient extraction of profits when the business is carried on through a company. For many years it has been attractive to pay a small salary that is topped up with dividend payments. This enables, tax efficient use of the personal allowance, providing corporation tax deduction for the company but no payment of National Insurance contributions (NICs). So, a salary of £8,164 in 2017/18 is within the primary NICs threshold while providing a qualifying year entitlement to the state pension.

When the new tax regime for dividends was introduced in April 2016, many director-shareholders found that the tax bill on their dividends was higher than before. So does this change the strategy of combining low salary with dividends?

The Dividend Allowance of £5,000 does not change the amount of income that is brought into the income tax computation. Instead, it charges the first £5,000 of dividend income at 0% tax - the dividend nil rate. So what does this mean?

• First, the payment of a low salary below the personal allowance will allow some dividends to escape tax as they are still covered by the personal allowance.

• Second, the £5,000 allowance will effectively reduce the available basic rate band for the rest of the dividend.

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The practical effect of the new regime is that a strategy of low salary and the balance of income requirements taken as dividends will still be a tax efficient route for profit extraction for many directorshareholders. This is likely to be the case even when the Allowance reduces to £2,000 in April 2018.

Interest

Research & Development Since 1 April 2015 the R&D tax credits for SMEs has increased from 225% to 230%. However there can be no R&D uplift on dividends, only on salary. Therefore extracting a salary (as opposed to a dividend) potentially becomes a lot more tax efficient.

If a director-shareholder has made loans to the company, interest could be charged. There are two separate tax breaks which can apply to savings income. One is the Savings Allowance, which is £1,000 for basic rate taxpayers and £500 for higher rate taxpayers – this allows interest to be received up to these amounts at 0% tax.

Next steps?

The other is the 0% starting band – a 0% starting rate of tax on savings income, which can now potentially be applied to £5,000 of savings income. This rate is not available if ‘taxable non-saving income,’ such as earnings, pensions, trading profits and property income, exceed the starting rate limit. Dividends, however, are not included in the ‘taxable non-savings income’ and so are taxed after savings income.

At Shaw Gibbs, we are well equipped to guide our clients through every step of their journey to ensure they are making the most of the tax breaks. For advice or assistance in considering options please contact- Sarah Gardener below.

First, it is essential to for director-shareholders to reassess the efficiency of their current income extraction methods, followed by an assessment of alternative methods. While it is evident that the tax system allows substantial savings with appropriate planning, sufficient care is required.

Pensions Pension contributions can be a tax efficient way of extracting income from a company, as long as the director-shareholder has not used their annual pension allowance. It is especially effective when the owner is either close to retirement or has no urgent need for cash. This option now has increased flexibility with the ability to draw from a pension after the age of 55.

 sarah.gardener@shawgibbs.com  01865 292 200  www.shawgibbs.com 43

Why the role of the CFO is more important than ever Alan Richardson, Partner at Grant Thornton discusses the challenges and opportunities facing CFOs today.

The outlook for the UK’s economy is uncertain.

Fluctuating energy prices due to surging demand and supply disruptions, along with Brexit, and on-going environmental issues, all mean that today CFOs face more challenges than ever.

But it isn’t just the wider economy that is causing these challenges. As businesses evolve, the scope of the CFO’s role is expanding. CFOs now have to balance competing demands on their expertise, priorities and time, while often playing a transformational role in driving strategy for their business. These expanded responsibilities are creating a tension between the CFO’s financial and strategic roles.

We recently held a roundtable event in the Thames Valley, during which attendees discussed what it takes to be a successful CFO. As a result of the discussions, a CFO Scorecard was developed,

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outlining four key responsibilities currently held by the CFO:

executives face in adopting efficient solutions in these four areas.

1. Operational efficiency in an increasingly

transparent world – including management, tax

and statutory financial reporting.

2. Business protection activities – safeguarding

the assets and financial integrity of an

organisation.

3. Value creation across an organisation – either

directly or by enabling improvement of business performance.

4. Stakeholder Management by the Finance

Function and the leaders within it.

Those CFOs surveyed said they now spend over one-third of their time as strategic advisers. This was supported by the fact that strategic planning ranks third as a priority for the finance department, outranked only by increasing cash flow and reducing costs.

In addition, our recent CFO Survey looked at how more than 400 senior financial executives see both the current state and the future of their business in the areas of risk, technology, investment and strategy, as well as identifying the challenges these

However, investing in strategic planning is a tradeoff that can reflect either a cost or an opportunity.

For instance, many CFOs are now getting involved with operating metrics which is a step beyond the financial metrics they have traditionally used.

Today’s CFOs are expected to work in collaboration, by serving as the integration hub for key business processes. They must be a catalyst for change and act as a consultant or trusted business advisor in

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B4

finance

Alan Richardson, Partner at Grant Thornton

Today’s CFOs are “expected to work in

collaboration, by serving as the integration hub for key business processes. They must be a catalyst for change and act as a consultant or trusted business advisor in helping to create sustainable growth

”

helping to create sustainable growth.

“

CFOs in today’s volatile global economy and dynamic business environment have heavy demands on their time and resources as their traditional roles evolve to address these changes.

Successfully navigating these challenges means staying on the front lines of risk management, data strategy, emerging technologies and investment strategy to drive the business forward effectively

”

www.b4-business.com

Increasingly CFOs will have to deliver on a wide range of fronts: driving a more competitive finance function, establishing ever more robust risk management strategies and supporting their businesses to develop effective strategies for growth while remaining cost competitive.

The tension that the CFO is experiencing between priorities inside and outside of the finance function increases the need to streamline processes through technology, which, in turn, promotes more integration between finance, risk, treasury and operations. They must now consider and prioritise the core versus non-core finance activities. By leveraging shared services for non-core processes, whilst using technology and data analytics for core activities they are able to focus limited resources on delivering the highest value for the business.

CFOs in today’s volatile global economy and dynamic business environment have heavy demands on their time and resources as their traditional roles evolve to address these changes. Successfully navigating these challenges means staying on the front lines of risk management, data strategy, emerging technologies and investment strategy to drive the business forward effectively.

 alan.a.richardson@uk.gt.com  01189 559 135  www.grantthornton.co.uk

45

Will you wait for the future to happen, or take a hand in shaping it?

Economic growth in the Thames Valley continues to outpace the rest of the UK but in an unpredictable environment how can this be maintained? We are committed to working with entrepreneurs and businesses to develop a shared agenda for economic prosperity.

B4

Stock picking simplified

spotlight

Stockopedia.com is an online service who empower investors to beat the stock markets.

Following a consistent flow of positive exposure in mainstream media such as the Financial Times and Daily Telegraph, Stockopedia is increasingly becoming the ‘go to’ product for ‘DIY investors’ who are looking to gain more from their hard-earned savings.

Written by: Jo Willett

Edward Page Croft, co-founder and CEO of Stockopedia.com, set up the investment business nearly five years ago, with former Oxford University friend Dave Brickell. Ed’s background as a broker co-running $2bn of private client assets for Goldman Sachs and Brickell’s investment roles for Candover, Morgan Stanley and CSFB, led to them identifying a gap in the market for Stockopedia.

Behind Stockopedia is a talented team of 20 individuals split between Oxford, UK and Bangalore, India who work on its continuous development, resulting in a stylish product with cutting-edge features. The software enables users to discover trading and investment ideas, to analyse company financial health, improve their decision-making processes and to track their portfolio against the market. Stockopedia’s goal is to help investors discover inefficiencies in the market more easily by providing them with superior quantitative tools and first class data.

Stockopedia decided to set-up their business in Oxford as they found it an appealing base to cultivate an attractive working environment. They searched for a flexible solution with competitive rates and required good links to London. They discovered

www.b4-business.com

that Oxford Centre for Innovation (OCFI), managed

by Oxford Innovation, provides all that they were looking for and more.

“The centre offers very flexible terms and is ideal for a business our size that is looking to grow. We have already expanded within OCFI and moved offices twice. We benefit from being surrounded by like-minded people from other start-ups and university spin-outs.”

Edward Page Croft, Stockopedia.com

Co-founder

and

CEO,

Oxford Innovation reaches a special milestone

Driving innovation since 1987 Oxford Innovation has roots in the first commercial spin-out from Oxford University - Oxford Instruments PLC. Founded in 1959 by Martin and Audrey Wood, their experience of developing a spin-out company revealed the challenges faced by entrepreneurs and inspired them to set up The Oxford Trust, a charity which continues to support enterprises and through which Oxford Innovation was born in 1987.

Over the past 30 years, they have supported over 10,000 SMEs to become sustainable businesses, creating high value jobs, innovative products and services and as a result, enhanced local economies.

To find out more visit www.oxin.co.uk

This year marks an important year for Oxford Innovation as they celebrate 30 years of supporting ambitious entrepreneurs.

They have an outstanding track record of success in incubating and accelerating high growth SMEs through their network of 23 Innovation Centres, the provision of specialist coaching services and funding through their well-established investor networks.

   

30thanniversary@oxin.co.uk 01865 261 489 www.oxin.co.uk @oxinnovation

47

William Gladstone becomes PM

1892

Edward Beard left school aged 14 to work with his father. His father goes back to GWR the same year and Edward takes over as a painter, decorator and jobbing builder – and ends up building houses!

2009 Business had a new name E.W. Beard – Art Decorating, Paperhanger and Sign Writer and a new address on Cromby Street, Swindon.

Geoffrey Edward Beard born

First detached house built by Beard

1898

1906

Beard moved to Victoria Road, where they stayed for 89 years!

Edward buys his first car.

1934

Guildford office opened, now located at Stonemasons Court, Brookwood.

Corpus Christi Auditorium Project completed.

1905

1909

E W Beard became a limited company

Queen Victoria celebrates her Diamond Jubilee – a feat not repeated until 2012 by Queen Elizabeth

Einstein’s Theory of Relativity is born

Average house price £260 – Equivalent today to £28,524.

Average wage was £60 (£6,658)

Average car cost £210 (equivalent today £22,554.

Average wage £62 (£6,658)

30

1999

Mark Beard takes over from his father, Alan, as Managing Director

1990s

Offices in Cirencester and Newbury were closed as too close to Swindon with modern transport links.

1993

Introduction of speed limits and driving tests in the UK

1987

Beard had four offices, Swindon, Cirencester, Oxford and Newbury. They took on building contracts up to £2.5m

Office opened in Newbury

Geoffrey Beard’s sons Alan (right) and Colin take over the business

c1939 First recorded contract was for the Corporation of Oxford – believed to be the caretakers house extension to Headington School First day of work for Alan Beard

Outbreak of WWII

1970s Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap opens

Office opened in Oxford

Decimalisation. Britain joins the EEC. Average house cost £10,361* (today £97,431.60). Average wage* was £3,020 (£18,995.45).

1949

1965 1952 1964

Geoffrey Beard becomes Managing Director

Forth Road Bridge opened

Fire at Swindon’s Victoria Road office – it took two hours to put out the blaze which started when a lorry carrying propane gas crashed into a steel beam holding up the roof of the paint store below.

Established in 1892, we have been constructing and refurbishing buildings for 125 years.

As well as helping many Oxfordshire business’ expand or improve their properties we have proudly restored some of the city’s most iconic landmarks. We look forward to influencing the city’s built environment over the next 125 years.

Lady Margaret Hall

Worcester College, Sultan Nazrin Shah lecture theatre completed

Sheldonian Theatre

2011

Beard win four Oxford Preservation Trust Awards:.

2017 Clevedon Pier wins Historic Angel Award

Christ Church Meadow Building SS Great Britain Brunel Visitors Centre project started

Oxford Examination Schools Winner of RIBA South Award and BCIA Building Project of the Year for Bishop Edward King Chapel at Ripon College.

2012

2013

RIBA Award winning ICT and Music Centre built for Pangbourne College – achieving BREEAM Excellent

2016

RIBA Award winner for Davenies School

2014

Winner of the West of England Business of the Year Award and the Construction Firm of the Year at the South West Property Awards

Company turnover exceeds £100m for the first time

BIM extension at Oxford Office RoSPA Gold Award

Bristol Office open in temporary rented accommodation at Westbury on Trym.

£100m 2015

David Sershall appointed as new Managing Director. Mark Beard becomes Executive Chairman

Alan Beard celebrates 65 years of work

125 Years The Story So Far...

Your family’s wealth is important to you.

Let’s keep it in the family.

As your family grows, the focus of your wealth changes. From setting up family trusts, preparing for the unexpected or securing the prosperity of future generations, choosing how to preserve and grow your family’s wealth is an important decision. At Cazenove Capital we focus on what matters to you and your family, understanding your goals, making them our own and creating a wealth plan that is as individual as you are. Your future, our focus.

The value of your investments and the income received from them can fall as well as rise.

You may not get back the amount you invested.

Please contact Tom Allen on 01865 811 360 or tom.allen@cazenovecapital.com cazenovecapital.com

Issued by Cazenove Capital, which is part of the Schroders Group and is a trading name of Schroder & Co. Limited.

Registered office at 31 Gresham Street, London EC2V 7QA. Registered number 2280926 England. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. For your security, communications may be recorded and monitored. H17033.

B4

spotlight

TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS CONTINUES FOR PENNINGTONS MANCHES

The Oxford office of law firm Penningtons Manches continues to go from strength to strength. The last 12 months have seen its specialist teams complete a string of successful deals, welcome prominent new recruits and launch exciting new initiatives.

Based in Oxford Business Park, the office has strong links with Oxford University and its related commercial spin-offs, which have helped establish its reputation as a leading provider of legal services to the technology sector, particularly amongst life sciences businesses. The life sciences team was recently awarded the Corporate INTL Global Award for Life Sciences Law Firm of the Year for the fifth year in a row.

The firm is a founding sponsor of a new Oxford network called TechTonic, which aims to address the lack of support for entrepreneurial women in the technology sector. The brainchild of partner Nicola McConville, it seeks to bridge the gap between the academic and business communities. At this year’s Venturefest Oxford, the latest in a series of annual events for innovators, investors and entrepreneurs, TechTonic hosted a half-day conference on the impact of gender on entrepreneurship.

The corporate team at Penningtons Manches has had continued success, completing several significant deals. Partner James Went led a team acting for the shareholders of Oxford University artificial intelligence spin-out Wrapidity on its sale to Meltwater, a global media intelligence company. His colleague Will Axtell advised Timico Technology Group, a leading managed cloud service provider, on securing an investment of over £50 million, while partner David Tighe acted for the shareholders of the UK business of the Worldnet group of companies, which provides logistics services, on the sale of the UK and Paris www.b4-business.com

businesses to the owners of Worldnet in the US.

which offers detailed sector analysis.

This has been an equally busy time for the real estate team which has recorded its best financial performance ever over the last 12 months.

Richard Smith has led teams of experts who have acted on the acquisition of one of the largest commercial office buildings in Oxford, advised an active regional developer on a number of student accommodation and care home developments in and around Oxford, bought and sold some of the most prestigious residential properties in Oxford, worked in partnership with several Oxford colleges and higher education institutions on new campus developments and estate management transactions, and worked in-house with one of the county’s most well-known retail outlets.

The firm puts an emphasis on building strong ties with the community. It sponsors Oxford-based Creation Theatre’s programme of highly innovative productions, including the recent telling of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, staged in Oxford University’s new Mathematical Institute. Ahead of the opening performance partner Chris Shelley, who advises many tech companies, chaired a panel discussion on the growth of the data-driven society.

Alongside corporate and real estate advice, Penningtons Manches is highly regarded for its expertise in commercial, employment, immigration, litigation, private client and family law. The nationally acclaimed family team acts in some of the leading cases in England and Wales and is acknowledged for its solution-based, bespoke service.

Last year saw the arrival of new partner Alison Talbot, a specialist in the not for profit sector. She and her team act for charities and social enterprise clients on a broad spectrum of issues including compliance, mergers, restructuring, governance, and charity disputes work. They have recently published a thought-provoking research report on charity legacies

The firm’s presence in the Thames Valley is further strengthened by its office in Reading. Moreover, a strong team-based approach ensures that each of its office locations – other sites include London, Guildford and Cambridge – provide access to the entire breadth of its expertise. This means that specialist services offered by niche teams such as clinical negligence, personal injury and the India and North America groups can also be delivered to clients in Oxford.

 info@penningtons.co.uk  +44(0)1865 722 106  www.penningtons.co.uk

51

LONDON OXFORD AIRPORT UPDATE Commercial Services and Local Development Present Exciting Opportunities.

Over the past ten years, B4 has tracked the changes at what was formerly known as Oxford Airport, with its previously inconspicuous ‘passenger terminal’, through to commercial flights with a number of different partners, a name change and significant on site development including a fantastic, modern passenger terminal. James Dillon-Godfray is Head of Business Development at London Oxford Airport and James spoke to B4’s Richard Rosser to explain what’s on the horizon.

Now in his second stint at the airport, James has certainly witnessed some changes and some challenging times over the years. Arguably the airport’s Achilles heel has been the difficulty in finding a suitable partner to conquer the holy grail of setting up a viable commercial routes, as James explains. “We had our fingers burned several years ago with the unsuccessful Minoan Airlines route to Edinburgh, amongst others, so we’re a lot more wary of anyone knocking on the door now. Back then we were keen to explore, I wouldn’t say naïve, but keen to put the airport on the map and perhaps we could have been more demanding of our partners before we gave them the green light.

funds are vital if you’re going to market a new service from an airport which isn’t on everyone’s radar. That includes being on the GDS ticketing distribution system which plugs into the likes of Expedia and all of the other online portals. If you have visibility there then it’s far easier to sell tickets and market the routes. You also have to have a code share relationship in place, for example if you were going to have flights to Amsterdam you would have to have a relationship with KLM to ensure bags checked into Oxford would be transferred to KLM for onward flights from Amsterdam. These are the sorts of prerequisite tick boxes which we need to run through before we give the green light now and they’re not easy boxes to tick.

Viable Commercial Routes

“All previous partners lacked in all of these areas and they also simply didn’t have sufficient funds from the outset to spend on marketing and raising awareness that their services even existed. From my experience I would say you’d need at least £1,000 per week to invest in marketing a new route, at both

“We found out the hard way that a credible partner would have to have a robust business model and a realistic timeframe to get them up and running.

Most of all, they would need deep pockets! Adequate

52

ends of that route. Not only that but you need to sustain that level of spend for a considerable period of time until the load factors have reached a steady rate of at least 50-60%. Word of mouth will kick in eventually to ensure the route is sustainable.

“Taking all of this into consideration, it’s no wonder our shareholders are so risk averse now. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and we would do things differently if we were to go back in time, but that’s the past now and we now just need to be more prepared for the future.”

James explains how the airport receives regular approaches from, some may say, ‘green’ operators who identify that Oxford has an excellent catchment area with little competition within an hour, high economic output and one of the wealthiest regions outside of London. Not only that, but the runway isn’t long enough to alert the likes of Ryanair or EasyJet when a route is successful because their planes are too big. Oxford’s runway is similar to London City

www.b4-business.com

B4

spotlight

“

There is a market here to be served for about five or six routes for about half a million passengers per year.

That’s over one thousand passengers on some days on routes primarily consisting of business routes, including Edinburgh at the top of the list and then Amsterdam because of the connectivity with the rest of the world.

James Dillon-Godfray

”

Airport, so it’s perfect for operators like Flybe who have Bombardier Dash-8 Q400’s.

James continues. “Whilst we have been exploring the opportunities for viable commercial routes here over the past decade, several other parties have been doing their own work and analysis of the potential services from Oxford and they are all pretty much saying the same thing….that there is a market here to be served for about five or six routes for about half a million passengers per year.

That’s over one thousand passengers on some days on routes primarily consisting of business routes, including Edinburgh at the top of the list and then Amsterdam because of the connectivity with the rest of the world.

Then there’s Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow and some of the niche opportunities such as ski destinations in the winter and Mediterranean destinations in the summer, plus islands such as Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.

www.b4-business.com

“Our attitude now is that we are very cautious about any non-branded approach. If we had the likes of an Eastern Airways or Flybe that have been long established and recognised as a branded airline in the UK, then we would be much more comfortable with them trying something here.

“However, the challenge with those kinds of operators is that there are very few of them that have any spare capacity. In the good old days they might have had two or three spare airplanes hanging around for emergencies to provide backup. These days the airlines run very lean, so if they have any spare capacity, top of the list is to add capacity to a well proven established route first and foremost rather than enter into a trial and error exercise in an untried market. And we have to accept that.

“We are currently in conversation with a number of airlines who could be ready to go, but until such time as we are comfortable they could sustain underwriting a route for a good six months at least,

with a really strong marketing plan, we simply won’t entertain it. We’re not in a position to subsidise routes either because our revenue streams don’t allow us to do so. We make money from passenger handling fees and selling fuel, with the lion’s share of a successful route’s revenues going to the airline, so they need to shoulder the costs almost in full.

We don’t make money until they make money, it’s as simple as that.

Light at the end of the tunnel “Given that we’ve had a bad run of routes, it’s vital that the next one is squeaky clean and is sustainable.

But there’s a new market niche emerging which might mean that a successful route isn’t as far off as we might have once thought. Single engine aircraft (Cessna Caravans in the main) with 9 to 11 seats have never been permitted to be used for public transport in Europe, even though they are routinely used in places like Canada, North America, Africa and Australasia.

53

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B4

spotlight

We’ve talked in “ B4 before about the

comparisons with the train but look at a train trip to Newcastle….at least £300 return on the train plus the fivehour journey and two changes. Do it by light plane and it’s cheaper (say £150) and much quicker!

”

James Dillon-Godfray

“They have just been approved for use in Europe and there is now a growing group of operators looking for new opportunities to use these aircraft.

Running costs per seat are less than twin engine planes which opens the very real possibility of use in the commercial market, which is great news…. after some 20 years of lobbying!”

James is clearly excited at the prospect of routes opening up into places like northern France, Newcastle, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds for day trips, business or leisure, the possibilities are endless.

“You’ve got racing, hunting, fishing and shooting trips to places like Deauville where you can easily do a day trip from Oxford and be back in time for dinner!

The costs aren’t prohibitive either, so if you can get 8 people, or ideally up to 10 people together, the cost of a trip is actually cheaper, as a private whole plane charter, than some of the airline flights that are available.

“So it’s a niche market which hasn’t been established yet which is just about to kick off and by September new operators like Waves in Guernsey will be up and running with their brand new Caravans, and others are following. For us this is great because until now we have relied on light jets to fly into somewhere like Paris, but the difference in cost between a light jet to Paris and a Caravan is something like £4,000 and £2,000….that’s quite a saving! Divide that by 10 and that’s £200 per head, which starts to sound reasonable. Once we have these types based here then we can start shouting to the local business community about corporate hospitality, corporate reward days, golf trips, horse racing trips, rugby and of course business trips, you name it!”

This would be the tip of the iceberg and James sees significantly more opportunities in terms of routes.

“We can look at Jersey and Guernsey again and say second home owners in Cornwall and Newquay, indeed northern France. I am convinced there are scheduled routes to be gained by starting this way

www.b4-business.com

and it’s a perfect solution for us and the operators, lower risk too of course.

“We’ve talked in B4 before about the comparisons with the train but look at a train trip to Newcastle…. at least £300 return on the train plus the five-hour journey and two changes. Do it by light plane and it’s cheaper (say £150) and much quicker! “

Local Development “We’re excited to see, after 10 years in planning, the new Oxford Technology Park getting closer after finally getting planning permission. This could be a £60 million development right on our doorstep, combined with a new 80 to 120 bedroom hotel, plus improved road infrastructure. Having that sort of development within walking distance plugs into the airport extremely well and again ties in neatly with commercial services.

significant. More so than ever before I see our full potential. It gives us more confidence than I have ever had that there’s greater justification for hosting commercial airline services in the future.

“I would hope that within a decade the airport recognises that potential, because without it we don’t survive solely on the aviation traffic we have.

What keeps the airport going is the property portfolio we have on site and our tenants, not the flying activity, but that can be turned on its head with the introduction of commercial services because with commercial services you get additional revenues from retail opportunities and parking etc…. For a lot of airports, like Luton for example, 75% of their revenue comes from car parking and retail, so that’s a whole different business model and one we are ready to embrace.”

“We also have two companies that want larger office space on the airfield and we’re looking at building two new hangers on site. This, combined with the Technology Park, will help us to be at the centre of a technology and aviation hub which will be great for our profile.

“There’s also the proposed housing development between Begbroke and Yarnton which will help with the business development in the area. I also see some of the motor sports companies tapping into this development which all adds to the incredible potential to make Kidlington a dynamic and attractive area for businesses to feed off each other.

“Oxford Parkway has been great for the airport and there’s also a proposed Western Line development which will further enhance the area. All of these proposed developments will help us to focus on the prospect of London Oxford Airport being an aviation hub of real value to the region. With the business parks growing around us, our role is more

   

info@londonoxfordairport.com 01865 290 600 / 710 www.oxfordairport.co.uk @oxfordairportuk

55

Land at Crab Hill, Wantage

Steven Sensecall Partner, Planning and Development, Carter Jonas Earlier this year my business partner, Chris Wilmshurst, and I sold Kemp & Kemp to Carter Jonas. I had been at Kemp & Kemp for 35 years and Chris and I had been partners together in the business for over 25 years.

Written by: Steven Sensecall Photography by: Aurelian Langlais (portraits)

Kemp & Kemp’s heritage (the firm was established in 1954) and my own personal attachment to the business, together with our strong and loyal client base, many of whom have become friends, meant that entrusting Kemp & Kemp to another firm was always going to be a daunting prospect.

However, with the team now happily settled at Carter Jonas’ Mayfield House office and successfully working alongside our new colleagues, we are confident that Carter Jonas’ values and approach provide the right structure and environment in which we will continue to flourish.

The acquisition however was not about numbers; it was really about people and client service. The decision was an opportunity for two Partnerships to build on an existing relationship that spanned many years. The synergy between the two firms was obvious with both taking pride in providing a partner-led, joined up, multi-disciplinary approach to planning and development, with the aim of realising the full potential of our clients’ property assets, and we did not have to wait long to see evidence of how our collaborative approach can achieve success for our clients.

At a national level, the addition of Kemp & Kemp increases the size of Carter Jonas’ Planning and Development division to over 100 people, making it one of the largest in the UK. Additionally, at a regional level, Carter Jonas is now the largest independent property consultancy practice in Oxfordshire working across planning and development, commercial, rural and residential sectors.

In late May, St. Modwen signed a development agreement to take forward the delivery of the masterplan and infrastructure for a 227 acre site at Crab Hill on the edge of Wantage. Outline planning permission had been granted in July 2015 by the Vale of the White Horse District Council for up to 1,500 homes, a new primary school, neighbourhood centre including a restaurant and local retail

56

www.b4-business.com

B4

property

(L to R) Chris Wilmshurst, James Bainbridge, Steven Sensecall.

accommodation, sports pitches, employment space and community amenities set around a central park.

Carter Jonas, Kemp & Kemp and Lands Improvement Holdings had been appointed in 2012 to obtain planning permission for the scheme. The agreement between the landowner and St Modwen is a key milestone in the development of the project and it was an extremely positive achievement for all involved.

For the landowners, this is the next chapter in a journey that started many years ago. For my new colleague, James Bainbridge, Head of the Planning and Development Division at Carter Jonas, and I, it is all the more exciting as our teams will now be working together under the same roof to support the delivery of the next stage of the development project.

The new and enlarged Carter Jonas Planning & Development Team is currently advising on a number of other large scale strategic development opportunities across Oxfordshire and further afield – Carter Jonas’ acquisition of Kemp & Kemp has added over 12,000 plots to the portfolio of sites that the team is promoting. These sites include a draft allocation for around a 1,000 new homes at the Harwell Campus; a scheme for over 500 homes in Shrewsbury for Lands Improvement Holdings; plans for over 3,000 new homes for the defenceInfrastructure Organisation (DIO) at Dalton Barracks in Abingdon; a site for over 1,000 new homes and associated services and facilities

www.b4-business.com

at Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk for the Berkeley Group; around 3,500 new homes, new schools and infrastructure at Culham in South Oxfordshire District Council for CEG; and around 1,450 homes on two sites in West Oxfordshire, both of which are included in the draft Local Plan. In July this year, we also secured a resolution to grant planning permission from the Vale of White Horse Council for a mixed use development scheme including 950 new dwellings for three landowners at North Abingdon on former Green Belt land.

Harwell Campus Partnership.

Going forward, we will be looking to build on our successes in strategic housing land promotion, commercial development and the science and technology sector and to strengthen further our position in the market.

The decision was an “opportunity for two

Partnerships to build on an existing relationship that spanned many years

”

In addition to its work in strategic land promotion, Kemp & Kemp had a proven track record in commercial and institutional consultancy and development: in the three years leading up to the acquisition, Kemp & Kemp had advised on and secured planning permissions for close to a million square feet of new commercial space and science and technology related development for clients such as Müller UK, the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, Lands Improvement Holdings and the

 steven.sensecall@carterjonas.co.uk  01865 297 705  www.carterjonas.co.uk

57

MINIMUM ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS: THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMERCIAL LANDLORDS Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, or MEES are due to commence 1st April 2018. Commercial landlords and managers of buildings affected by the new legislation need to ensure that their properties are energy efficient, sustainable and meet the MEES set out by the government.

Written by: Kerry Sheahan Photography by: Dan Tsantilis (headshots)

58

www.b4-business.com

B4

What is MEES? Before a commercial building is marketed, it requires an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). An EPC is the assessment of how energy efficient the property is and it runs on a scale of A to G. The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards are set by the government and apply to commercially let properties. The aims of the regulations are to: • Improve the energy efficiency of the most inefficient properties – those rated either ‘F’ or ‘G’ • Work towards achieving the UK’s legislative targets – reducing CO2 emissions from all buildings to ‘close to zero’ by 2050 • Encourage landlords to carry out improvements, who may be reluctant due to the ‘split incentive’ – where the landlord foots the bill for improvements that benefit the tenant • Help tenants save on their bills, as energy inefficient buildings waste money From 1st April 2018, a landlord cannot renew a lease or grant a new tenancy in England or Wales unless the property has a minimum Energy Performance Certificate rating of ‘E’. This will expand to apply to all existing leases by 1st April 2023.

There are several exemptions, for example: if your tenancy period is less than 6 months, if energy efficient improvements will devalue your property by more than 5%, or if the improvements do not pay for themselves after seven years. Exemptions however are only valid for 5 years, and cannot be transferred to a new landlord.

What threats will the MEES regulations bring to commercial landlords?

The most significant threat to commercial landlords is financial penalty. Any eligible building that fails to meet the minimum ‘E’ rating is illegal to let. This could leave landlords with a vacant building and a substantial loss of income.

Depending on the amount of work needed, to bring the property up to a standard that meet MEES, this www.b4-business.com

could also be costly. Commercial landlords are advised to assess their properties and act on any works required sooner rather than later in order to avoid being hit with a hefty fine for failing to comply.

MEES regulations are enforced by Local Weights and Measures Authorities (LMWAs) – who have the power to impose financial penalties based on the property’s market value. Depending on the infringement and the period of non-compliance, the penalties are: • For those in breach of the regulations for up to 3 months – 10% of the property’s rateable value, with penalty ranges from £5,000-£50,000 • For those in breach of the regulations for more than 3 months – 20% of the property’s rateable value, with penalty ranges from £10,000£150,000

What opportunities could MEES bring to commercial landlords?

For forward thinking landlords, there is potential to increase the rental and asset value of their property by making it more energy efficient.

It is likely that the threshold for energy efficiency standards may rise in the future, presenting an opportunity for landlords to future-proof their assets against further changes. Doing this now enhances their own sustainability credentials and saves money in the long term. According to one report by the Association for the Conservation of Energy, shops that reduce their energy costs by 20% can benefit from the equivalent of a 5% increase in sales.

MEES also encourages landlords to cooperate with tenants to enter ‘green leases’ – where the cost and management of energy efficient improvements are shared by both parties. The benefits of ‘green leases’ include: • Sharing of the cost of necessary energy efficiency improvements through utility bills and service charges • Enhanced access provisions for both landlord and tenants, as a result of carrying out energy efficient upgrades

property

• Restrictions on alterations which would adversely impact energy ratings

Next steps for commercial landlords • • • •

Identify properties that may be affected Make sure all EPCs are up-to-date Review leases Check MEES regulations to see if any exemptions apply

If you require guidance or more information on the MEES regulations, Kempton Carr Croft act and advise on all areas of commercial property. Its agency team works with landlords and property managers to sell, lease & acquire commercial buildings, sites and investments across the Thames Valley. Its building surveyors can provide a schedule of works required to ensure buildings rated F & G are upgraded to meet the MEES, then manage any resulting building works on your behalf.

Get in touch with Mitchell Brooks or Peter Ciesielski at Kempton Carr Croft who will work with you to help you decide on the best course of action for your portfolio.

Mitchell Brooks | Head of Agency Mitchell.brooks@kemptoncarr.co.uk / 07818117021 Peter Ciesielski | Head of Contract Administration and Dilapidations Peter.ciesielski@kemptoncarr.co.uk / 07921 861249

KEMPTON CARR CROFT P R O P E R T Y C O N S U LTA N T S

 enquiries@kemptoncarr.co.uk  01628 771 221  www.kemptoncarr.co.uk



@KemptonCarr

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Robin Swailes - North Oxford Property Services

STANDING STILL IS NOT AN OPTION SAYS OXFORD PROPERTY EXPERT The property market is arguably one of the most challenging sectors to operate in. Bound by ever-changing legalisation, planning restraints and the economic and political landscape, businesses working in this area need to be ambitious and flexible to be successful.

Written by: Knights 1759 Photography by: Rob Scotcher

As one of the leading letting agents in Oxford, North Oxford Property Services (NOPS) knows all too well how challenging the market can be and cites trusted relationships with clients and suppliers and adapting quickly to market conditions as one of the ways to maintain the delivery of high-quality services.

The family-run firm has been established for 26 years and currently employs 23 people, as well as an additional 6 in Robin Swailes Design and Development, its sister company.

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With plans to grow the team and expand into the short-let and holiday market, we spoke to Robin Swailes, managing director, about the company’s success in the city and to learn more about the firm’s next stage of business growth.

Building trusted relationships “As a family-run SME we rely heavily on outsourcing of work so we can give our clients the best possible service. With around 800 properties to manage for a growing student and professional population, we rely on our suppliers like Knights 1759 to give us trusted advice and value for money,” explained Robin.

“I’ve worked for NOPS for 16 years. The business has grown five times the size that it was and we’re looking to triple in size again in 10 years. With changes in tax regulations, data protection law and the recent ban on letting agent fees, we must respond quickly to changes in legalisation to stay ahead. This is something that wouldn’t be possible without the team at Knights 1759.”

Responding to market changes NOPS worked with Knights 1759 to offer a highquality residential development which have been converted from former office space. With

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property

“ Working with a business like Knights 1759 gave us the confidence to deliver the £14.5 million project which has helped to revive disused office space into much-needed housing stock. Having access to the expertise of such a robust professional services business ensures that we are up to speed on new legislation and as a result have had the resources and ability to respond quickly to the opportunities available.

Robin Swailes - North Oxford Property Services

limited stock in the city, taking advantage of the government’s strategy to help increase housing supply through office to residential conversions required a specialist legal team that could manage such a complex transaction.

“The team at Knights 1759 was invaluable during a major transaction to help us deliver a long-term strategy to market a building, formally used for commercial purposes, into a block of 56 residential apartments.

“Working with a business like Knights 1759 gave us the confidence to deliver the £14.5 million project which has helped to revive disused office space into much-needed housing stock. Having access to the expertise of such a robust professional services business ensures that we are up to speed on new legislation and as a result have had the resources and ability to respond quickly to the opportunities available.”

Driving inward investment This multi-million pound development not only gave the property market in the city a boost but has helped to drive inward investment into Oxford.

Modern developments like this are sought-after in a city like Oxford which is steeped in history and has a large supply of listed buildings. Landlords from London or overseas are reluctant to invest in buildings which may require additional ongoing maintenance budgets.

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”

“As well as handling the day-to-day management of our property portfolio and tenants, we pride ourselves on acting as consultants to potential landlords or current clients. We know the property market and have a dedicated property and investment team which advise on yields, growth and the best locations to purchase property.

“Our sister company, Robin Swailes Design and Development has a dedicated team of experienced architects who can help clients which are completely renovating properties. The rental market is competitive and tenants expect high-quality apartments or homes. Landlords don’t have to miss out on opportunities just because the building requires additional investment to secure tenancy.

“Because we offer more than a high street agency, we actively help to drive inward investment into the city and the recent Swailes Suites in Hythe Bridge Street is testament to this and I’m pleased to have worked with Knights 1759 to help secure this opportunity for the city.”

new apartments specifically for this sector and are planning to build another 20 in two years to add to our portfolio.

“The support from the Oxford team at Knights 1759 has been invaluable. Not least because of their expertise in the property market, they’ve also advised us on employment law contracts – which is vital for a growing team, the new data protection laws and a large number of our property contracts and are helping us to take advantage of new legislation too.

“We’ve had to diversify in response to market conditions; this is something that wouldn’t have been possible without the support from Knights 1759.”

Find out more about North Oxford Property Services at: www.nops.co.uk and Robin Swailes Design and Development at www.robinswailes.com.

Learn more about Knights.

Diversifying in the property market Determined not to stand still, Robin is already developing NOPS portfolio to include short lets and holiday accommodation.

“Executive lets are becoming increasingly popular, a trend which is growing world-wide. People want greater choice of informal lettings rather than hotels to mirror flexible working options and accommodate greater work-life balance. We’ve already built 14

   

jane.reeve@knights1759.co.uk 01865 811 700 www.knights1759.co.uk @Knights1759

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KEMP HOUSE Chawley Park, Cumnor, Oxford TO LET 2,873 – 9,223 sq ft High quality air conditioned offices in attractive environment well served by local amenities in the village of Cumnor. Three miles from Oxford City Centre.

LINACRE HOUSE Jordan Hill Business Park, Oxford TO LET 18,898 sq ft High quality offices in excellent ring road location to the north of Oxford, a 5 minute walk from Oxford Parkway and 73 on site car parking spaces

TRADE CITY OXFORD Sandy Lane West, Oxford TO LET 3,715 – 25,883 sq ft Brand new trade and industrial units, 200 yards from Oxford Ring Road. Features include: 7.3m eaves (min), level access loading and electric loading doors.

BUILDING ONE Wyndyke Furlong, Abingdon Business Park TO LET 28,600 sq ft Headquarters Offices with full height glazed façade providing unparalleled levels of natural light, creating an outstanding working environment.

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

news The opening of the Westgate Centre will transform the retail scene in Oxford Here Richard Venables, director at VSL & Partners, examines the state of the market and looks ahead to the impact the new development will have.

The opening of the Westgate Centre will mark a seismic change in the Oxford retail landscape.

More than 100 new stores, 25 restaurants and cafes and a boutique cinema will take up 800,000 sq ft of space – double what was there before. Overall it will occupy a third of the retail space available in the city.

It is the make-up of those retailers which is interesting as it emphasises the continued shift in the city centre to the leisure and service sector.

This has been happening for some time in Cornmarket Street with most of the available space taken by the leisure sector with new food offerings, while the service sector continues to strengthen, for example with NatWest moving into part of the ex HMV unit.

Anyone walking around Oxford this summer cannot have failed to notice the hordes of tourists and foreign students. The city is congested due to its geography.

Westgate, with its fresh, wide open spaces is much needed and will create a more enjoyable experience for everyone.

Another traditional hurdle in the city – access – has also been addressed.

Westgate will provide 1,000 parking spaces while the new train station at Oxford Parkway will also be able to take the strain of additional visitors with its Park and Ride facility. The owners of the Westgate will also be making a big PR push to encourage visitors and create a user friendly environment from arrival at Park and Ride onwards. In the future Oxford station itself is proposed for major works including the incorporation of a new bus terminal but this is likely to take some time to come.

We recently completed two key retail lettings. The first of 835 sq ft was at 4 Cornmarket Street which has been let to the West Cornwall Pasty Company, at a rent of £106,000 a year.

We predict that retailing in Oxford will continue to move towards the leisure market. There is still strong demand for more restaurants and cafes and whilst this demand continues operators will continue to seek representation. Consumers also hark for more independent retailers. Oxford has previously suffered from a lack of retail and the relocation of some operators to Westgate will allow more opportunity for independents to find new locations. High rental prices may detract some but secondary positions are likely to still offer favorable opportunities.

The second was a 600 sq ft retail unit in Golden Cross leading into the Covered Market which was taken by i-glasses Ltd at £52,000 a year. Both are prime examples of the move away from traditional retailing in the city centre towards the leisure and service sector.

These are exciting times and I believe the new Westgate Centre will see Oxford blossom as a multi-faceted shopping destination for locals, visitors and students alike. The first 6 months are going to be critical to prove Oxford can compete with Cheltenham, Reading and Milton Keynes as a retail destination.

London Road, Headington

9E Nuffield Trade Park, Abingdon

Milford House, Summertown

850 sq ft retail unit Let to Air Ambulance Trust

5,355 sq ft & yard Let to Trinity Fire & Security

5,875 sq ft offices Let to Oxbotica Ltd

Summertown Pavilion

South Parade/Middle Way

Site B, Langford Locks, Kidlington

1,625 sq ft offices Let to Swanee River Ltd

Summertown Retail Investment Sold to private individual

Sold to Glenmore Holdings Ltd

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Refurbishment spells soaring demand for space at Boston House Tenants are queuing up for newly refurbished serviced office accommodation at Boston House, Grove Business Park Written by: Claire Thompson Papa Romeo Public Relations Ltd

Since the relaunch of Boston House Business Centre in May, six companies employing a total of 24 staff have signed deals with all but one now operating out of the newly refurbished premises.

Park and the low pressure on facilities, along with the flexibility to use the shared facilities (e.g. meeting rooms) as we need them.”

They include engineering parts specialist Evoke Supplies; Toy company Trend UK; airline training firm Aviatas; Dave Beach Building Services and new start-up, Impact New Business.

Peter Mols, general manager of Boston House Business Centre, said: “This shows that top quality office accommodation is a big draw for new and existing companies and we are delighted with the reaction to our relaunch.

But the biggest mover has been pharmaceutical consultancy business S-cubed which has moved 16 staff from Milton Park into two new offices.

“There is still plenty of space available and we look forward to welcoming more promising start-ups and expanding businesses.”

Mark Lipscombe managing director, S-cubed Limited explains: “We felt that the recently refurbished facilities on offer at Boston house were ideal for our needs. We can see what Peter and the team want to achieve at the centre and felt that we would like to be part of this community.

A total of 115 desks are now available across 26 offices with take-up rising nine per cent since the relaunch in May.

“We also value the easy access to Grove Business 64

The centre provides high quality, secure, contemporary work space with superfast 1gb broadband, outstanding customer service, free parking, 24/7 access and attractive communal areas.

Businesses interested in finding out more and to arrange a visit, should contact Boston House reception on 01235 772992 or visit www. grovebusinesspark.com where an animated fly through video, the Future of the Park can be seen.

     

enquiries@grovebusinesspark.com 01235 772 992 www.grovebusinesspark.com GroveBizPark GroveBusinessPark /company/10979963

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property

We felt that the “ recently refurbished

facilities on offer at Boston house were ideal for our needs. We can see what Peter and the team want to achieve at the centre and felt that we would like to be part of this community

”

The centre “provides high

quality, secure, contemporary work space with superfast 1gb broadband, outstanding customer service, free parking, 24/7 access and attractive communal areas

”

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news Winners of the Oxfordshire Business Awards Announced - A celebration of Oxfordshire business

The 23rd Oxfordshire Business Awards took place on Friday 16 June at The King’s Centre Oxford.

A full house of over 500 guests comprising winners, finalists, sponsors along with other guests from the Oxfordshire business community were entertained by the thoroughly entertaining Gyles Brandreth.

The Hawkins Group walked away the winner of The Darke & Taylor Business of the Year Award as well as winning The NatWest Large Business Award and The Shaw Gibbs Young Business Person of the Year Award.

“We are absolutely overwhelmed by this and we will continue our success thanks to the Oxfordshire Business Awards.”

Mike Hawkins, Managing Director, Hawkins Group Other winners included Jonathan Tibbetts from the Tibbetts Group who won The Shaw Gibbs Business Person of the Year Award, Adestra who won The Hays Employer of the Year Award and Ue Coffee Roasters, winner of The Knights Small Business

Award.

or just attend the Dinner!

“This is awesome for all of our employees. The award is great kudos for us when we look to hire the best talent in Oxfordshire.”

“Great venue, great atmosphere, great speaker!”

Helen Bowyer, Head of HR, Adestra A full list of winners can be found at: www.oxfordshirebusinessawards.co.uk/winners2017.

Paul Lowe the Awards Chairman praised the quality of winners and finalists as being of the highest calibre, with Judges commenting that the quality of entrants for the 2017 Awards as being higher than in previous years.

“You and your businesses should feel justifiably proud of what you have achieved - you are all winners.”

“Fab night - great to see so many companies coming together in recognition of their work.”

To find out more about the Oxfordshire Business Awards either to enter or to join the Committee as a sponsor, please contact Jane Reeve, OBA Secretary on jane.reeve@knights1759.co.uk or call 01865 811218.

Paul Lowe, Chairman, Oxfordshire Business Awards The OBA Sponsors Committee have received some great feedback following the event and would like to share that with anyone looking to enter, sponsor

 jane.reeve@knights1759.co.uk  +44 (0)1865 811218  www.oxfordshirebusinessawards.co.uk

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“The judging process was more personal than other awards - I liked that the judges contacted the finalists personally to give the news for example.”

The 2018 Oxfordshire Business Awards will launch on Thursday 7 December.

 oxbizawards

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events

The Raymond Blanc Festival of Music 2017 Photography: Chris Gloag (Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra) & Push Music Management (Jack Savoretti)

This autumn, Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons will host the much anticipated Raymond Blanc Festival of Music, which takes place in the intimate setting of the neighbouring 12th century St Mary’s Church.

For more than 25 years, The Raymond Blanc Festival of Music has remained an unmissable event that blends top-tier gastronomy with musical extravagance. This year, Belmond Le Manoir will play host to two internationally acclaimed acts, former poet-turned-acoustic singer, Jack Savoretti on Tuesday 3rd October 2017, and one of the leading orchestras in the UK, Oxford Philharmonic on Wednesday 4th October 2017. The Raymond Blanc Festival of Music has become firmly established as one of the autumn’s social and musical highlights.

We have welcomed many of the most established artists from the world of opera, classical music and jazz. Past performers have included Jamie Cullum, Bryn Terfel, Russell Watson, Katherine Jenkins OBE and Courtney Pine to name a few.

Jack Savoretti

Of Italian and English descent, Jack Savoretti’s top ten album “Written in the Scars” made him a star with a sell-out worldwide tour to follow. Since reemerging on the UK live scene in 2015, Jack has been selling out venues and captivating audiences across the country. Jack continues to cement his reputation as one of the UK’s standout male singer/ songwriters with performances on Graham Norton, Strictly Come Dancing and The One Show. Having sold an astonishing 50,000 tickets in the past year across the UK, the rest of 2017 has plenty more in-store as Jack has been invited by John Legend as a special guest to open his UK and European arena tour in late 2017. This is a unique opportunity to hear him perform in the most intimate setting. www.b4-business.com

Oxford Philharmonic

Orchestra

In the short space of 19 years, the Oxford Philharmonic has established itself as a major national and international orchestra. A key factor in that remarkable success has been the charismatic personality of Founder and Music Director Marios Papadopoulos, who has not only attracted some of the country’s finest musicians but also secured

The Performances

Tuesday 3rd october – Jack Savoretti Wednesday 4th october – Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra

The Programme

6:45pm Reception with Champagne Laurent-Perrier and canapés at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons

7:30pm Torch lit walk to St. Mary’s Church for the evening’s musical performance

8:00pm Performance commences

9:15pm Return for a celebration dinner created by Raymond Blanc, Gary Jones and Benoit Blin, with selected wines from our extensive cellar

11:45pm Carriages from them a level of commitment that would be the envy of many other longer established ensembles.

As a result, the principal players of the Oxford Philharmonic have become a tight-knit family of like-minded musicians, enjoying an exceptional degree of rapport. For The Raymond Blanc Festival

of Music there could be nothing more fitting than one of Raymond’s favourite pieces, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Guest artists last season included Maxim Vengerov, Martha Argerich, Janine Jansen, Alison Balsom and Vladimir Ashkenazy.

For such a prestigious occasion, you will be welcomed with a Champagne Laurent-Perrier reception, served with the most delicate canapés. The 2017 festival performances will take place in the intimate setting of St Mary’s Church, followed by a celebration dinner at Belmond Le Manoir with selected wines to savour.

Experience the very best in music and cuisine at this once in a lifetime event.

If you are wishing to stay overnight, Belmond Le Manoir has a choice of 32 elegant bedrooms and suites offering the highest standard of comfort and luxury. Each room is individually designed and many have their own private garden terrace.

Tickets are priced at £395.00 per person for the Jack Savoretti evening and £295.00 per person for the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra evening. For further details and reservations, please telephone 01844 277200, email events.mqs@belmond.com or visit belmond.com/lemanoir.

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manoir.mqs@belmond.com +44 (0)1844 278 881 www.belmond.com @lemanoir @lemanoirauxquatsaisons @belmondlemanoir

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JUNE JULY B4 CLASSIC EVENTS

Holiday Inn, Newbury Racecourse and Hawkwell House Hotel play host to B4 members B4 Members were treated to three events this summer starting with Speed Networking at The Holiday Inn in Oxford, followed by two excellent Platinum Dinners at Hawkwell House Hotel and Newbury Racecourse.

Three great events for B4 members and their guests to enjoy and lots more to look forward to this and next year. We’re re-doubling our efforts with regards to B4 events as your feedback is telling us ‘we want more’.

The three events featured here gave our members three very different experiences. From expert art dealer, Aidan Meller’s, excellent talk at Hawkwell House Hotel on the art world of today including multi million pound investments and plans for a plethora of museums around the world, to ace tipster Colin

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Brown’s great insight into the world of racing before the fun started at Newbury and the fast paced speed networking at The Holiday Inn, there literally was something for everyone to enjoy.

Please do get in touch with our key contacts at all venues to find out how you can benefit from their superb hospitality. Thank you to Jo Radford at The Holiday Inn, Keeley Dennyschene at Hawkwell House Hotel and Tracy Skinner at Newbury Racecourse for all of your support in hosting these events.

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events

Companies in Attendance

Moving forwards, if you’re contemplating B4 membership then we really do have some treats in store for you. We’re back at Rhodes House in September for what is now our curtain raiser event post the summer holidays. An enjoyable drinks plays a part in most B4 events, none more so at the impressive Bombay Sapphire Distillery on 30th August and for those of you who enjoyed cocktail making at Business in Oxford, we’re visiting the home of The Cocktail Service on 20th September at The Globe in Oxford. Thanks once again to our great friends at Conference Oxford who have arranged a B4 event at St Antony’s College on 26th September, another chance for B4 members to see inside one of our beautiful Oxford University colleges.

If you’d like to join our Platinum Members for dinner, we have three great dates to look forward to at Pembroke College, Randolph Hotel and the Divinity School in December.

Looking ahead to 2018, we already have six confirmed dates, four confirmed venues with dates to be confirmed and just two more venues to find so our members will have one B4 event a month to put in their diaries.

All in all, a busy time for us and some great connection opportunities for you. So please do join us.

For more enquiries about B4, please visit the B4 website at www.b4-business.com or call the team on 01865 742211.

HOLIDAY INN OXFORD Jo Radford, Sales Manager  jo.radford@hioxford.co.uk  07736 746 099  www.holidayinn.com/oxford HAWKWELL HOUSE Keeley Dennyschene, Sales Manager  sales@hawkwellhouse.co.uk  01865 749 988  www.hawkwellhouse.co.uk NEWBURY RACECOURSE Tracy Skinner, Head of Sales  skinner@newburyracecourse.co.uk  01635 36940  www.newburyracecourse.co.uk

Abbotts Office Solutions ADS Advertising & Design (Oxford) Ltd Aidan Meller Alberon Allen Associates BBOWT Bicester Vision Blenheim Palace Business Doctors Carter Jonas CIS Ltd Connecting to Excellence e-volveHR Finders Keepers Grant Thornton UK LLP Headington Carriers Helen & Douglas House Henry Stone Hilton Holiday Inn Oxford Hunter, Thomas & Co. Indulge Media UK Ltd James Cowper Kreston LightBright Communications Newbury Racecourse OMC Global & Simply Chauffeur OXC Oxford Duplication Centre Oxford Fine Dining Oxford Professional Consulting Paul Avins Prime Energy Fitness Rhodes House Sandler Training Simply Chauffuer Tara Tripp Hearing Care That Event Company The Mgroup Two One Services You HR

Forthcoming B4 Events

B4 Classic Event at Rhodes House Sep 7 @ 6:00pm - 8:00pm B4 Classic Event with The Cocktail Service at The Globe : Sep 20 @ 5:00pm - 7:00pm B4 Classic Event at St Antony’s College: Sep 26 @ 6:00pm 8:00pm Platinum Dinner at Pembroke College : Sep 27 @ 7:00pm 11:00pm Platinum Dinner at Macdonald Randolph Hotel : Oct 12 @ 7:00pm - 11:00pm Christmas Dinner at The Divinity School: Dec 4 @ 6:00pm - 11:00pm

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THAT event company You only get one chance with any event and THAT event company go above the call of duty to make sure that your event is always a success.

Written by: James Walton

The Ethos here is a simple one: Smile - Make sure everyone walks away from the event with a smile. That means you, your guests, the venue and even the technical team.

knowing the event has gone perfectly, from conception, visualisation and execution?

If we have achieved “smiles” it means we have asked all the right questions, decoded all the build and technical requirements and worked tirelessly with you, your venue and your guests to make sure that we delivered on what had been promised. This is the perfect outcome for the perfect event.

In the events industry we all know everything is in a constant state of flux, so even the best drawn plans have to be “adjustable” we are firm believers in planning for as many outcomes as possible. You can ask every relevant question but you can’t foresee every curve ball. Having the flexibility to not just successfully plan but to being able to react smoothly and professionally is something that can only be

So how do we make sure we all walk away smiling

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PLANNING

learned through experience onsite with great kit and a great team. At THAT event company, we can offer just that.

STAFF Having the right technical team, producers and labourers on your event is very important, which is why we only work with a team that has a happy can-do attitude, which are very capable at supporting your technical needs whilst being considerate of aesthetics and making sure they run to your schedule. By having the right team on board, it

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guarantees you not only a successful event but a less stressful one – We offer a team that wants to be onsite helping you to create that perfect event.

By having the right “team on board, it

guarantees you not only a successful event but a less stressful one – We offer a team that wants to be onsite helping you to create that perfect event.

EQUIPMENT

”

Although we stock high calibre equipment it is only effective if you work with a company that listens to your every need, understands the content that you

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are looking to show and fully understands what your event is about including why you are doing the event. We take a very long time to consider all of the options that are available on the market place and buy specific equipment so we can scale up and manage events of many sizes and with many needs.

We can offer you and your clients everything from a single cable, projector or microphone up to awards ceremonies, glitzy dinners and conferences. We can be your one stop shop for all of your technical requirements for all of your events or specialised meetings.

events

If you are having an event and need event support, technical help or professional equipment hire let us know, we are here to help you every step of the way.

For more information please contact James, Adam or Tom in the office to discuss your requirements.

CONSISTENCY It’s as simple as that, you will always know what you are getting. This is why we are recommended in the most prestigious venues around Oxfordshire.

THAT event company or TEC Oxford is a supplier of Audio, visual, lighting and structures. We support events & venues of all sizes from small intimate meeting rooms through to large temporary AV installations for conferences & AGM’s.

     

create@that-event.com 01844 215 857 www.that-event.com TEC_oxford TEC_oxford tec_oxford

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Conference@OxfordSaïd

• • • • •

Two unique locations Accessible central England locations Excellent transport links Variety of meeting and seminar rooms Ideal for teambuilding and summer events

To find out more visit: sbs.oxford.edu/conference Email conference@sbs.ox.ac.uk Telephone 01865 288846

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events

Being an attendee Top tips for getting the most out of the next exhibition you attend.

Written by: Darren Aston

In work circles, summer tends to be the season for exhibitions, so rather than going along to the next one in the calendar and figuring out all the dos and don’ts for yourself, read over our tips for being a happy attendee and enjoy the exhibition as it was intended to be.

Planning There are two parts to this tip. Firstly plan how you’re going to get there. Figuring out public transport in an unfamiliar location can be stressful so plan your journey before and make sure you arrive in plenty of time. Killing ten minutes with a cup of coffee is far preferable to stressing over which bus to catch.

Secondly, plan your day. Research the exhibitors before you go, figure out who you want to see and if it’s a large show pre book appointments with the people you really want to see so you don’t waste time waiting in queues.

Another good tip is try to arrive in time for the keynote speech. Generally event organisers will

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have spent s decent portion of their budget in a speaker who will set a positive and lively tone, so it is worth catching them if you can. Their inspirational anecdotes will help get you in the right mood for the day.

Be comfortable

nature of a large exhibition means you can’t retain everything, plus you can go through them in your own when you’re back at your desk.

Secondly, pick up freebies! Exhibitors really don’t want to cart half empty boxes to giveaways back home with them so do them a favour and stock up, they will thank you for it!

Most exhibitions will involve much tramping up and down the same aisles – your Fitbit will love you, but your feet may not if you’re wearing unsuitable footwear. This is most definitely a day for flatties and a light jacket you can roll up and store in your bag.

Walking and talking all day long can be an exhausting business. Keep your energy levels up by planning breaks to eat and stay hydrated. It’s just not appropriate to yawn when stopping to chat to an exhibitor...

Takeaways Firstly try and make notes to take back to the office.

No matter how good your memory is, the exhausting

Everything for the Workplace

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

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B4

education

SAMI LEADS THE WAY At the end of June, students, staff and parents said farewell to Sami Cohen who had been Principal of d’Overbroeck’s for 21 years and a teacher at the school for several years before that.

Written by: Sarah Jex

A number of events were held to mark Sami’s departure and included speeches, guest books and messages sent in by past students - all of which paid tribute to the numerous achievements for which Sami will be remembered. The school’s impressive new Sixth Form at 333 Banbury Road is just one testament to Sami’s many achievements at d’Overbroeck’s.

When Sami Cohen first taught at d’Overbroeck’s in 1979 it was a relatively small college with a growing reputation for tutoring students through one or more A levels. Today it is a very different place and its standing as a leading independent school in Oxford is in large part due to Sami’s vision. In particular, Sami was eager for the school to grow downwards and to be Oxford’s only fully coeducational independent school from age 11. The opening of the Years 7-11 section of the school in 2005 was a major milestone in d’Overbroeck’s history.

Sami built on the work of the previous Principal, James Noel, to create a school with a very special ethos in which staff and students work together in a happy and positive environment to make learning interesting and enjoyable. It has been described (by The Good Schools Guide) as a school full of “full of energy and laughter”, and as a place where students achieve at a very high level not just in exams but in many other areas such as drama, music and sports.

It remains a very distinctive and forward looking school; first name terms for students and staff being just one example of the breaking down of barriers

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and sense of common goals taking precedence over hierarchy which help students to thrive here.

A former d’Overbroeck’s student, remembering when he came to visit the school for the first time says, “I walked out of Sami’s office, turned around to my parents and said, ‘this is where I want to go’...

Probably for the first time, someone understood how to engage with me properly and gave me the feeling that my talents would be fostered while at the same time I would be sufficiently challenged”.

“ I could not have

wished to leave the school in better hands Sami Cohen

”

The new Principal, Emma-Kate Henry, is heartily endorsed by Sami. “I could not have wished to leave the school in better hands“, he says. “Both by virtue of her personality and of the experience that she has had so far, I am entirely confident that she will have a real empathy for the ethos and values at d’Overbroeck’s, while at the same time bringing her own fresh energy and vision to the task of leading the school in what promises to be a very exciting new phase in its development.”

Those who were lucky enough to be taken on a tour of the 333 site by Sami as building work progressed, could not fail to have seen how excited he was to see this project, which he had worked for so long to bring about, finally come to fruition. In recognition of his love of music and the performing arts, the Hall at 333 will be named after him but it would be fair to say that the entire school will continue to resonate with Sami’s enthusiasm and passion for education for many years to come.

Another wrote to Sami on his retirement saying, “I remember sitting in your office talking about where I wanted to be in the future (I’m a doctor now) and feeling that you actually cared…”

And a current Sixth Former says, “I remember in Year 7, being completely shocked when Sami greeted me by name. I had only been at d’Overbroeck’s for a short time and really thought he wouldn’t have a clue who I was.” One of Sami’s many strengths was knowing who everyone was, staff and students alike, and creating an environment where they could develop and grow as individuals.

   

Senior Registrar, Lynne Berry lynne.berry@doverbroecks.com 01865 688 600 www.doverbroecks.com

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The Key to Unlocking Team Performance When Top Business Coach Paul Avins suffered a near fatal Asthma attack almost 3 years ago, resulting in his heart stopping for four and a half minutes, it was an amazing Oxfordshire paramedic team that came to his rescue and changed the course of his business forever.

Written by: Nicky Reynolds

“If it hadn’t been for that highly skilled and professional ambulance crew I would not be alive today” said Paul “as less than 5% of people survive ‘at home’ cardiac events that serious.”

But this event was the catalyst that took Paul in a different direction with his career and a decision to focus on helping his coaching clients build high performing teams.

“I realised I needed to shift from the business being all about me to about building my own team and tools all under a new independent brand.”

Paul chose to create a new brand that captured his love of living and working in Oxfordshire for the last 14 years and his belief that once you understand

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the different type of people on your team, you can unlock more of their potential.

So, Oxonetix was born with a mission to help companies around the world to Tap into the Talents of their People to boost Performance, Productivity and Profitability.

In fact, the direct and indirect cost to businesses of having the wrong people in the company and team who are not aligned with their talents and “flow” can be staggering. Flow is often defined as being in “the zone” or that area between anxiety and boredom. It’s when everything you do seems easy and effortless and you get a lot achieved quickly.

Wolverhampton Business School recently found that

absenteeism is costing the UK economy a staggering £32 billion a year, and is higher when people feel “stressed” or undervalued, isolated, and not part of a team.

Oxford Economics released a report a few years back on the costs of staff turnover saying that while firms understood that losing staff is a key risk to success, the financial cost of staff turnover has received little if any attention. They worked out the loss of an employee earning £25,000 a year or more carries an average financial impact on a business of £30,614 but can be significantly high in sectors like the legal profession and accountancy.

In fact, 46% of employees even stated that “a lack of transparent leadership communication” is driving

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advice

3 Great Resources, One Great Opportunity to Save £200!

Talent Dynamics is the worlds No1 Business Development Pathway for Accelerating Trust and Flow in Individuals, Teams and Companies. By taking your profile it’s the first step to gaining a far better understanding about your own Talents and how to be in Flow more often so that you can achieve far greater results without the need to work harder.

them to seek new employment – Source Deloitte Development

to name a few.” said newest member of the Oxonetix team Nicky Reynolds (Supporter Profile)

So this is a real problem for UK Companies and Oxfordshire based businesses where there are high levels of employment and expensive living costs. So how does Oxonetix plan on helping address these key challenges?

“What’s great is that the Model we have created for unlocking a teams performance works across any industry as it’s all about the people. We always say to clients that the Profile is the first 10% of the value, it’s when you apply it across all areas of the business that you see trust grow, communication improve, staff turnover reduce, ownership and accountability increase and productivity and performance skyrocket.”

“Well, we started by identifying a proven tool to help us work with Teams to accelerate Trust and Transparency. When we looked into Talent Dynamics everything just clicked” said Lesley Dearing, Operation Manager (Trader Profile.)

“We became a customer first, using the profiling tool ourselves as we were sceptical, but the results were immediate, positive and profound. Our profile reports and debrief really helped us understand each other’s talents and how best to use them within the company to deliver the most value.”

Shortly after seeing significant results with Paul’s Coaching clients and his own team he decided to become a Global Partner for Talent Dynamics. Today after less than 24 months Oxonetix are the No1 Global Partner in the World with clients across the UK and Internationally.

“We’ve been blessed to work with some amazing teams from a wide range of industries including Construction, Retail, Accountancy, Garden Design, IT Services, Security, Software, Manufacturing, Care Homes, Hairdressing, Property, Motor Industry, Opticians, Recruitment, Healthcare and Publishing

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In todays demanding and fast moving digitally driven economy where a team can be local or global, insourced or outsourced, where the ‘giging economy’ means teams more than ever come in all shapes and sizes we still need to learn to work together with different people.

It will also help you to understand Who you need around you to build a High Performing Team that Trust you and each other. This is an Exclusive B4 offer and is limited to just 25 people and includes a personal debrief plus a Free 3hr Workshop.

To claim your Talent Dynamic Pack Call 01869 278 900 or visit: www.Oxonetix.com/B4

The best companies understand that their people are their key asset so they recruit, reward and retain the best people they can find. Oxonetix is here to turn those talented people into high performing teams that can grow a business or perhaps if needed save a life.

 team@oxonetix.com  01869 278900  https://oxonetix.com

PRICE £247 B4 Members £47

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CLEVER CONVERSATIONS FOR BETTER TEAMS Alison Haill believes the best way to build a successful business is through strong relationships built through good conversations. It’s common sense, isn’t it? Then why don’t our teams show us consistently high levels of trust, motivation and wish to collaborate? Why aren’t we flooded with orders and adoration from all our customers?

Written by: Richard Rosser Photography by: Jackie Cross

Animated and passionate as ever, Alison is an executive business coach with a huge amount of experience transforming teams and leaders into more articulate, confident and effective versions of themselves. Here she explains why the work of Judith E Glaser on Conversational Intelligence (C-IQ®) is so exciting.

“Because we can now scan people’s brains and see what’s actually happening, we can see the real-time physical difference it makes when we are in different conversations. This seems to me an excellent way of convincing us all that we should watch what we say! Not that we should be scared of speaking the truth but rather so we can focus on creating better types of conversations in our business and personal relationships. The reason is not just to make people feel good – of course that IS important - but it makes business sense too because we can now prove that feeling good is linked to innovation.”

New discoveries, practical ideas Alison Haill has worked with B4 for more than a year now. Over this time she has also been studying the ideas of Judith Glaser “to discover how we can use the findings of neuroscience in really practical ways to improve leadership and the workplace. Judith has done the legwork, testing her ideas and models with corporations and individual teams, and come up with solid models, advice and great strategies which work, and which I can now pass on to my clients so that they can benefit too.”

Alison introduced the B4 team to DISC profiling (see B4 Issue 46) which was an eye-opener for us. We found it invaluable to realise how different we all

are, how different our preferences are and more of our strengths: it has made us more aware, and better at teamwork. Now Alison is introducing the C-IQ Conversational Dashboard which takes us further.

The Dashboard describes behaviour in conversations, as in a car dashboard where the needle moves from zero upwards. So, in a conversation you may start out being a Resistor or Skeptic, or as Co-Creator, depending on the subject under discussion. And your position may change during the conversation too, depending on how trust is built, what is said and how it is expressed.” The question then arises, how can we move people away from a Resistor or Skeptic position? How can we start to co-create better, new ideas?

Introducing change “How often have you tried to make changes in your team or implement something new and met with resistance? If you haven’t, I’d question that because we’ve all encountered resistance at some stage with our teams. It’s natural – most of us don’t like change. But we need to find a motivating catalyst …. after all, a room full of Resistors will get you nowhere!

“A team meeting is a great breeding ground for ideas, innovation and change.

It’s an opportunity to inspire and create ideas together.” But for an environment to be conducive to new ideas and brainstorming, trust is essential.

Going back to when we were at school, some of us would refrain from putting our hands up for fear of ridicule if we said the wrong thing, or gave an unexpected answer. In an adult working environment, it’s no different - there has to be trust

“

How often have you tried to make changes in your team or implement something new and met with resistance?

If you haven’t, I’d question that because we’ve all encountered resistance at some stage with our teams. It’s natural – most of us don’t like change. But we need to find a motivating catalyst …. after all, a room full of Resistors will get you nowhere!

Alison Haill

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that we won’t be laughed at or picked on. Everyone has to feel able to make suggestions, even ones that may seem odd or even mad at the time.

Easier said than done. “This is where knowing how to build trust is fundamental to business success. If it is there, we can feel appreciated by our peers, and we don’t need so much courage to suggest something outside the box. It makes us feel our thoughts can safely be expressed and will be heard.”

Will I sound ridiculous?

“The pre-frontal cortex is the most sophisticated, most recent part of the brain and it’s where high trust lights up in the brain in an fMRI scan, as neuroscience findings show. When this happens, hormones are released in your body, the positive hormones of oxytocin and dopamine, that make you feel good and appreciated. You’re able to be much more collaborative, much more sharing when you are functioning in the trust part of the brain, more creative. And that’s what we want in good teamwork.

“On the opposite side of the scale, if you’re ridiculed or put down for saying something that sounds whacky or stupid, cortisol rushes through your system and that’s the hormone that is associated with stress, the flight-fight reaction.

Of course, this is obviously a very simplistic description of a complex process!

So I am sharing the Conversational Dashboard here because it encapsulates these processes in a very clear way so we can see the neuroscience behind our conversations and how we react to them.”

Are they like me?

Alison talks about the speed of the brain and our reactions, what we call gut reaction and instinct. “It takes us something like 0.7 of a second for our brain to decide if someone is like me or not like me, which then influences whether I’m pre-disposed to like them or not. Of course, this could prove to be a poor evaluation but that initial decision can impact on the trust building process, if you let it.

“We can get around poor initial decisions by using ice breakers, easy activities which get people talking, help them feel comfortable and open to knowing each other better. That’s the function of ice-breakers at the start of a workshop.

Handshakes and small talk plays a role too, where we use easy subjects for conversation, like the weather or the frustration of the roadworks every summer.

This starts to build shared experiences and primes the brain for trust building.”

It’s no different if you talk to someone else on the phone when trying to reach your customer. Making a note of their name, asking how they are, making a point of saying their name when the conversation is over - it all helps. And as you get good at it, it doesn’t seem forced or contrived.

Don’t just listen, share The point too is that listening is as important as speaking - you’ll see it is a key element on the Dashboard. When you listen, take on board, and refer back to what you took on board at a later date to show you have listened, it shows you care and that you thought the information important. You don’t know how much or how little, but this will contribute in some way to the relationship and your reputation.

So, how much time do you spend listening? It’s crucial to create a culture and environment where everyone feels they are heard. If not, you could be stifling an innovative idea, a hidden skill or a simple solution that others have overlooked.

And how much information do you share? “What we haven’t known, but is now shown by neuroscience, is that when we are feel appreciated or respected – say, by information being shared rather than withheld - the trust centres in our brain light up. And it can be very quick. That’s when the positive hormones flow into the pre-frontal cortex and the other positive activities happen: the collaborative thinking, ability to be creative, more innovative, ready to take risks in sharing unprepared thoughts in a co-creating flow with others.”

Conversely, a careless put-down of “You don’t need to know that” can be much more destructive business-wise than we might realise.

C-IQ and Productivity No company will be successful with a ‘just average’ team, let alone one that is workshy. That’s where clever conversations come into play. Using these ideas from C-IQ, a conscious CEO will manage their team more effectively, so the team is inspired to have pride and involvement in the company’s success. This comes back to the idea of co-creating. If you share a problem with the team and a team member comes up with the solution, that person and the whole team feel a sense of ownership for the solution and want to make it work.

That’s going to give much better results in terms of the solution itself, as well as their teamwork and productivity.

At B4 we’ve been implementing these ideas with Alison and using her coaching to good effect over the last six months. We’ve already seen results in team motivation and involvement so I’m keen to implement more from C-IQ now that Alison can share the information.

We’re by no means the finished article, but we’ve learned a lot and her advice certainly pays off. Why not get in touch with Alison to find out how your business could benefit?

Small talk plays a big role Small talk conversations may seem empty or disingenuous to some, but you never know what you might hit on and then it’s a foundation for you to build on the next time you meet.

The impression you make on a customer’s PA can be as important as the impression you make on a new customer. We’ve all had the long walk to an office with a colleague of the person you are going to meet. Do you make small talk or walk in silence? The small talk has a purpose: it gives you the opportunity

www.b4-business.com

Contact Alison Haill

 alison.haill@opcOxford.com  01865 436 791  www.opcoxford.com

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news Blandy & Blandy LLP Team Hosts Mock Hearing for Barton Willmore Blandy & Blandy LLP’s Planning & Environmental Law team recently hosted a mock planning hearing for up to 18 guests from Barton Willmore.

The team acted out a real case relating to an ambitious proposal within the town centre which

had been refused.

Those attending praised partner Simon Dimmick, in his role as inspector, and described the event as ‘realistic’, ‘though provoking’, ‘really helpful’, ‘engaging’ and fantastic, with Blandy & Blandy

labelled as ‘fantastic hosts’. Following the success of the event, a second one is being planned.

Blandy & Blandy is ranked among the UK’s top planning law firms and highly recommended in both Chambers UK Guide and The Legal 500.

Award-Winning Property Team Advises on High Profile Thames Valley Lettings Blandy & Blandy LLP’s leading Commercial Property team enjoyed a busy and successful first half of 2017, culminating in being named ‘Property Law Firm of the Year’ at the Thames Valley Property Awards in May. According to Chambers UK Guide, the team is ‘experienced in the full spectrum of commercial property concerns’, ‘well versed in complex asset management work’ and has ‘particular experience of property acquisitions and disposals’ alongside its extensive experience in advising clients on development land and property finance matters.

The team continues to advise on high value commercial lettings, often involving sought after properties, acting for both landlords and tenants.

Notable recent lettings include the lease of part of a new build office in central London, with an annual rent of more than £500,000, and a lease of an office in the outskirts of London, involving a second six figure sum. The team recently acted on the first pre-let of Reading’s landmark Thames Tower.

Completion has now taken place, with the tenant client entering into a 10 year lease of the eleventh floor, at an initial reserved rent also above £500,000 per annum. The team continues to advise clients in

relation to lettings of premises at leading business and industrial parks across the Thames Valley and beyond, including Green Park, Thames Valley Park and Suttons Business Park in Reading and Mulberry Business Park in Wokingham.

Law Firm to Host Employment Law Seminar Blandy & Blandy LLP will be hosting its annual Employment Law Seminar at Reading’s Green Park Conference Centre on 12 October.

This free event, ‘How to Stay Legally Compliant but

Sufficiently Agile in Challenging Times’, will appeal to business owners, directors, HR professionals and managers who may, at some time, have to manage employment issues in the workplace. 100% of last year’s attendees rated the event as ‘good’ or

‘excellent’ and 95% said they would recommend it to others.

Please contact amanda.sarson@blandy.co.uk for more information and to register.

Four Promotions at Blandy & Blandy LLP Chris Wilson trained at the firm and advises clients on a wide range of corporate and commercial matters.

He said: “I’m pleased to become an associate at Blandy & Blandy and look forward to building upon the successes of both the corporate and commercial team and the firm.”

Jessica Irwin

Jessica added: “I am delighted that my commitment and value to the firm is being recognised with this promotion and look forward to continuing to contribute to its success.”

Law firm Blandy & Blandy LLP, which has offices in Reading and Henley-on-Thames, has announced four promotions, with Victoria Charlesson, Gemma Smith and Chris Wilson becoming associate solicitors and Jessica Irwin a senior associate solicitor.

Chairman and partner Brenda Long congratulated the four: “It is always a pleasure to see our solicitors progressing within the firm, reflecting their profiles in the Thames Valley business community and their

 law@blandy.co.uk

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 +44 (0)118 951 6800  www.blandy.co.uk

Victoria Charlesson, Chris Wilson and Gemma Smith

contribution to the firm. Indeed, three of those promoted trained at Blandy & Blandy, highlighting our longer term vision and ongoing commitment to investing in and developing our staff.”

 BlandyBlandyLLP  blandy-&-blandy-llp

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tech

WHAT STEPS CAN I TAKE TO PROTECT MY BUSINESS AGAINST RANSOMWARE? You will no doubt have seen on the news recently a number of large scale cyberattacks using Ransomware to encrypt computers and data. This will I’m sure lead you to have concerns around the security of your own IT systems. At Complete I.T. we want to try and provide you with the information you need to keep your businesses fully protected.

Written by: Complete I.T.

There are many ways that Malware can find its way into a network, these include • An infected email attachment or link: double clicking the attachment will infect the machine you are on with Ransomware, equally clicking a link can have the same affect, therefore user education is vital to reduce the likelihood of this happening • A Brute Force attack: this is where a hacker will keep attempting (guessing) a username and password to gain access to IT systems, so a strong password policy is vital to stop these types of attacks • Visiting websites which have been infected with a Ransomware payload: this is then downloaded to your machine, therefore a web-filtering type service is important to reduce this as the source of any infection

How do I prevent against Ransomware?

There are really 2 ways to keep yourself safe and secure and protected from Ransomware • The first is Good Security Hygiene • The second is educating your users to be vigilant and know what to look out for

Good Security Hygiene Complete I.T. recommend the following security is in place to help prevent against Ransomware 1. Ensure your Antivirus software is up to date on all of your machines. www.b4-business.com

2. Ensure that your machine has all of the latest Windows Updates Installed 3. Ensure that you have a ‘complex’ password in place (i.e. 10 characters with a mix of upper and lowercase letter and numbers) 4. Ensure you have an account lock out policy in place (i.e. if you put the wrong password in 5 times or more, the account will be locked out) - speak to your technical consultant if you are unsure 5. Ensure you have a good quality firewall in place 6. Where possible remove administration rights from users, this will stop them running executable files such as Crypto locker 7. Use a web site filtering product to protect against visiting and downloading viruses from the internet 8. User Education Protect against Ransomware by educating your teams

Support providers or someone in IT first. Ensuring that you have an effective Business Continuity or backup solution in place that works and is easily and quickly restorable is critical. Whilst this has always been important, the rise of Ransomware means that this is more important than ever - please speak to us if you have any concerns surrounding the backup of your data.

If you do have any questions or concerns on any of the above then please contact Complete I.T. to book a meeting on 01628 552 860 or email enquiries@ complete-it.co.uk Complete I.T. are an IT Support Provider focusing on the SME market, we believe being local to our clients and able to get to them quickly and easily at critical times is key. As a consultative business, we work closely with our clients to ensure they meet their business goals whilst building an open and honest relationship with all team members.

• You need to educate your users not to open emails and attachments that don’t look genuine • You need to educate your users on being vigilant and keeping an eye out for suspicious activity In the unfortunate event that you are hit by Ransomware, the likelihood is that you will need to recover your IT systems from backup. The most important thing to do if you think you have been affected by Ransomware is to make sure you do not reboot your machine without speaking to your IT

 enquiries@complete-it.co.uk  01628 522 860  www.complete-it.co.uk

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10 years ago you would create a “ website, upload it and it would be fine.

These days, you need to build and develop in such a way that you don’t introduce vulnerabilities which can be taken advantage of.

Tim Ault - Alberon

”

ALBERON

Our clients are more like partners. The systems we build are vitally important to them as they allow them to grow and to achieve their business objectives.

Written by: Richard Rosser Photography by: Rob Scotcher

Richard - Tim and Alberon thank you for joining B4. Perhaps we could start with some background about Alberon.

Tim - Of course. We are a team of 18 based here in St Clements, just a mile from Oxford City Centre.

We are software developers and build bespoke software systems and websites. We also do hosting and support. Most of our work is for Oxfordshire based companies but we also have clients in the surrounding counties and some in London.

It all started with me doing some freelance software and web work and we’re essentially still doing the same kind of work, there are just more of us! I’m pleased it’s not just me anymore!

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Richard - Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re a teacher by trade aren’t you?

Tim - Not these days! But you’re right, I spent quite a few years teaching and had two careers running in parallel. I worked in some large banks as a developer (called an analyst programmer in those days) and also taught classics, which was my degree, English language abroad and finally taught IT most recently.

Richard - I presume with a predominantly younger workforce you feel like the teacher in charge still don’t you?!

Tim - I try not to be too much of a teacher but, no, it’s fed into lots of things I think. It’s a nice question Richard. I’m very keen on developing young people

and giving younger people the opportunity to grow and develop their careers and their skills. I think as a business we definitely have a ‘no blame culture’ as we accept that people do make mistakes and you can learn from your mistakes.

We’re also very committed to trying to help young people that are still at school with opportunities like work experience. Only last week we had two youngsters here and their work experience went fantastically well, so we’re certainly very committed.

Richard - Could you give some examples of the clients you have worked for, their sectors and the sort of projects you have worked on.

Tim - That’s a hard question to answer because www.b4-business.com

B4

there as so many different things that we do. We build bespoke software so every system we write is different from the previous system. We write systems because people ask us to whether it’s to model a business process or to become more efficient. In some cases people ask us to build a software system such as a web based portal which allows them to deliver a product or service to their clients. Or it could be a piece of software in which they want to own the IP, and which they want to go on and sell to others. So all sorts of work which we’ve done for many organisations, for both universities, university departments, businesses, charities and so on.

Richard - You’re saying its a buoyant time for Alberon. Are you looking to expand and recruit more?

Tim - We’ve just appointed someone this morning, we’re pleased to say. He’s actually a member of staff who actually used to work here, went away and has come back. I heard he’d come back so I’m really pleased about that.

Over the years we’ve grown steadily and sensibly.

It’s always been my plan that the business should grow gradually and we’ve done that organically, delivering good work, looking after our clients and getting a reputation for being good at what we do and good people to work with. The business has gradually grown and as we approach a team of 20 our plan is to have a team of 30 by 2020. Steady, manageable growth.

Richard - So if anyone reading this is wondering how Alberon might be able to help them, if I put www.b4-business.com

tech

myself in their position, there might be hesitation in embarking on a large project, given the potential complexities. How do you help your clients or potential clients overcome this fear and work with them on the project?

years ago when you would create a website, upload it and it would be fine. But not these days. You need to build and develop software in such a way that you don’t introduce vulnerabilities which can be taken advantage of.

Tim – Our clients are more like partners. What we build is vitally important to them as the systems allow them to operate more efficiently, help them to grow and do this knowing we will help them to get from A to B.

Security is a priority for us. We have a robust and secure hosting platform for web sites and software.

Our hosting has several layers of scanner to guard against unwanted intrusions. Equally importantly, our scanners alert us if a hacker does get through so we can deal with any problems without delay.

Richard – We’ve fallen foul in the past of not choosing the right web developer and it is a big step and an important step for any company. Alberon’s reputation and standing are without question, but what do you do to instill that trust and confidence in your clients?

Richard - GDPR is something that a lot of us have heard about but might not know too much about.

Help!

Tim – Most companies aren’t ready for it and need to take advice and we can certainly help.

Tim - Well I hope we’ve got a good reputation out there for looking after our clients and we certainly do our best to do just that. We’ve got tried and tested ways of running projects and collaborating with our clients which help us to achieve the best results possible.

We’re also here to support our clients once the system has been built to ensure they get the best possible value from the system going forward.

Richard - Security is obviously an increasingly worrying issue for all of us. How do you help protect your clients?

   

hello@alberon.co.uk 01865 794 009 www.alberon.co.uk AlberonOxford

Tim - The world certainly has changed from 10 83

GDPR and the €20 million Question: Here’s what you need to know If you handle customer data from within the EU then you have less than a year to comply with its new directive. Failure to do so could put you out of business, says Gareth Johnson If you work in any kind of business that handles customer data then you ought to have heard about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by now, the European Union’s new directive designed to protect EU citizens from privacy and data breaches. If not then you certainly ought to be considering the impact it could have upon you and your business in less than a year.

Here’s why: Failure to comply with the GDPR could see you being fined four percent of your annual revenue or €20 million, depending on which is greater.

Sounds a bit extreme and only something big businesses need to worry about?

Think again.

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The GDPR comes into force on May 25, 2018 and affects any company wanting to do business within the EU or with member states. This would also include US firms handling the data of European citizens. So, that’s any company handling personal data or data that would identify a person. This might be your name, an email address, bank details, perhaps a photo or even a computer IP address.

Oh and anything that counts as personal data under the Data Protection Act also qualifies as data under the GDPR. If you’re starting to scratch your head at this news, you’re not alone.

Your next problem is identifying a breach if and when it occurs. That’s no mean feat by the way. Some businesses know they may not be able to do this in a

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Need strategic guidance and advice around the GDPR and how it affects your business?

CIS offers a full set of services encompassing all aspects of the GDPR. This includes a GDPR Compliance Gap Assessment Tool and full suite of security services including Firewalling and Unified Threat Management, Endpoint Protection, Multi Factor Authentication Services, plus Cloud Hosting and Remote Access Control. We also partner with a CREST approved external security company for testing of Internet-facing IP addresses and URLs. Once we’ve assessed current processes and policies and established whether they are compliant with the GDPR, we advise on putting changes into practise through either assisted or fully-managed implementation services. For those who need it we also offer a Data Protection Officer as a Service (DPOaaS) to support you through establishing these and if any breach should occur.

For further information please visit: www.cisltd.com Email: Gareth.Johnson@cisltd.com

timely manner and the smart ones may already have the right network security monitoring solutions in place. But just what does a network breach mean for you in terms of the GDPR? Anything that is likely to ‘result in a risk for the rights and freedoms of individuals’ must be reported to customers and the data protection authority within 72 hours of first becoming aware of any breach. In the UK this is the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Of course, it’s also very likely that some firms will not know the true scale or implications of such a breach in the early stages. Even so, you must ensure that you have contacted the relevant party within the allotted timeframe, outlining the nature of the problem, the people affected and what measures you are taking to address this.

Of course there are numerous challenges to implementing all this and being assisted by a strategic partner with fully compliant data officers will help you turn the approaching legislation into something of an opportunity to improve the data protection processes you already have in place. At the same time, better understanding of the customer data you hold should present other benefits for you as you begin to tailor new products and services.

Under the terms of the GDPR you’ll also need to have a dedicated Data Protection Officer (DPO) in

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place if your organisation is a public authority (except for courts acting in their judicial capacity), carries out large scale systematic monitoring of individuals, or large scale processing of special categories of data or data relating to criminal convictions and offences.

Failure to comply “ with the GDPR could

see you being fined four percent of your annual revenue or €20 million, depending on which is greater.

Sounds a bit extreme and only something big businesses need to worry about? Think again.

specific data sets are held and who is responsible for them if necessary? What about Subject Access Requests (SARs)? Are you equipped to deal with individuals who want to see the information you hold about them? If the answer is ‘no’ and things seem a little cloudy, then you could be in trouble.

By putting the right processes in place and working with a strategic partner, rather than risking a huge fine, the journey to GDPR compliance could well be a valuable one for your business as you unlock data silos, better understand what you hold and ultimately improve security processes for both you and your customers.

”

Unfortunately, GDPR compliance doesn’t happen overnight, so it’s vital processes are put in place now. This means getting to grips with the data you hold and understanding just what will be affected by the new legislation. Could you quickly find where

 Gareth.Johnson@cisltd.com  01367 700 555  www.cisltd.com

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Meeting Rooms Whether you’re looking for Edwardian charm or a more modern atmosphere, the conference and meeting facilities at Howbery Business Park, Wallingford, are an inspiring location.

Conference Space

For more information on our meeting, conference facilities and catering packages, please visit the conference section at: howberypark.com or call 01491 822411

Business Park of the Year WINNER

B4

tech

Is your website supporting your growth plan?

Where does digital fit in to your business strategy?

Your website needs to keep pace with changes to your business to ensure success. Natasha and Jon Ellard of Urban Element explain how your website can support the expansion of your business.

Written by: Luke Micallef

Photography by:Jacqueline Cross Photography

Whether your website is the catalyst for the growth of your business or not, it’s essential that it remains in line with your offline presence.

This doesn’t mean reinventing the wheel – incremental updates can ensure your website remains an asset during times of change.

Keeping track of this information wherever it appears online can be complex. Online directories may list your business without your input, making it even harder to manage. Online services such as Brightlocal can help with this.

Make a good first impression

Protect your brand and ensure it’s used consistently

Research has proven that online searches form an integral part of customers’ decision making, whether it’s a B2C or B2B transaction. Your website is your shop window and may be the first touchpoint prospective customers have with your business.

This means it’s essential that your website offers an experience that matches your offline offer. Failure to do so can damage trust in your business and can undermine your offline sales activity.

As your business grows, your brand becomes an increasingly valuable asset. But if it’s used inconsistently it can confuse customers or even damage trust. Also bear in mind that brand extends beyond use of colours and logos. The voice and tone of your content should be consistent across all your interactions with clients. From your sales pitches to your about us page to your tweets - your content should be on brand.

Ensure your digital presence supports your growth

It’s a good idea to ensure that all your staff have a shared understanding of your brand, its values and how it should be conveyed. Codifying this in a style guide or brand guidelines document ensures that your online and offline efforts are aligned.

As your business grows and thrives, there are elements of your digital presence that must change in step to support and drive growth. The following 4 steps are the basics that any business should be aware of, but they only scratch the surface of how digital can support business growth.

Keep contact information and locations up to date Expansion, acquisitions and growth can often lead to changes in location or the addition of new premises or staff. Failure to keep key contact information up to date can result in lost sales and damage to your reputation. This can also have a negative impact on your search engine rankings. As such it’s important to make this part of your growth plan. www.b4-business.com

Assess the value of your digital presence One of the benefits of digital marketing is that it provides you with a huge amount of valuable data. Platforms such as Google Analytics let you see how well your digital assets are performing.

Getting these tools set up correctly means you can assess the impact of your digital efforts and give each interaction a value. This can inform your strategy and allow you to channel your efforts most efficiently.

B4 READER OFFER Urban Element is pleased to offer B4 readers a free 60 minute initial consultation. As a full service agency we can help your business with SEO services, branding, design, website development and ongoing maintenance. Contact Natasha and Jon to discuss how we can help.

Reflect your products and services accurately Even if your sales process is typically offline, your website must reflect your offer accurately. Online research forms a big part of most customer journeys and failing to provide up-to-date information can result in lost sales. This is a particular concern if your competitors are on top of things digitally. A simple solution is to ensure that website updates are part of the same workflow as changes to brochures and sales documentation.

     

info@urbanelement.com +44 (0)1993 776 999 www.urbanelement.com urbanelementweb urbanelementweb urban-element

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Growing your business has never been easier Effective web based sales and marketing software for small business Imagine a sales and marketing system that actually made your life easier. All of your customer details in one place, an easy way to communicate to your whole customer base.

Build strong relationships with all of your customers, find out what they like, keep them coming back for more, time and time again.

Take a 14 day free trial of InTouch today, visit:

www.intouchcrm.com

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venues

“

These ancient environs are both impressive and welcoming making Corpus one of the best suited for small conferences, corporate events, lectures, theatrical productions, drinks receptions and academic dinners.

”

QUINCENTENARY TIMES Founded in 1517 and currently celebrating its 500th birthday, Corpus Christi College is one of the oldest constituent colleges in the ‘City of Dreaming Spires.’ Its impressive and ancient buildings are some of the most beautiful in Oxford, its welcoming terraces and sturdy walls overlooking vast gardens and distant meadows towards the River Isis.

Written by: Niamh Tuite Photography by: Nicholas Read

The college, situated on Merton Street between Merton College and Oriel College, is one of the smallest in Oxford by student population, having around 230 undergraduates and 120 graduates.

It is academic by Oxford standards, averaging in the top half of the university’s informal ranking system, the Norrington Table.

Corpus Christi has top-of-the range, modern conference facilities married with breath-taking antique dining halls, ancient and modern bedroom accommodation and is the only College that possesses a solid stone quadrangle in the University of Oxford.

These ancient environs are both impressive and welcoming making Corpus one of the best suited for small conferences, corporate events, lectures, theatrical productions, drinks receptions and academic dinners. Being located just a few metres from the city’s High Street – with its superb public transport links - means Corpus is also one of the most easily accessible colleges in Oxford.

The MBI Al Jaber Auditorium Building is one of the most impressive lecture theatre spaces in this city.

The Auditorium itself is built into the bastion of the ancient Oxford City walls and the architecture of this space both preserves and accentuates original features such as the arrow-slots and embrasures of the bastion. This unique buildings design incorporates a number of large windows which brings fantastic natural light into the room, a real boon as many of the lecture theatres in Oxford have been built www.b4-business.com

below ground. The building conveniently has two small seminar rooms that serve as ‘break-out’ rooms.

The Auditorium has a capacity for 135 delegates in theatre style, or up to 40 boardroom-style and its fully-retractable seating rows means that the space is ideal for theatrical productions, dance and musical displays, group activities, meetings in the round or cabaret-style events.

The nearby Fraenkel, Seminar and Morelli Rooms can be hired as break-out spaces or alternative workshop spaces. All have top of the range AV facilities within the rooms. The atmospheric Rainolds Room, with its rich wood-panelled walls and historical portraits from Corpus’ illustrious past, is a wonderful location for small, intimate meetings of up to 45 persons. It is also ideal for refreshment breaks and pre-dinner drinks receptions and is one of our most popular locations.

The stunning rooftop Handa Terrace, located above the Auditorium, boasts some of the most beautiful views of Oxford. The modern, walled upper deck area overlooks Christchurch gardens – and affords the best viewing spot for the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ tree, where Alice encountered The Cheshire Cat. These breath-taking views from Corpus stretch across Merton Field, Christchurch Meadow and onwards to the river.

The gardens of Corpus are well-established, with an untamed and fresh feeling, tended to by the famous long-serving College Gardener with his eccentric flair for wild and fruitful things.

Along with excellent conference facilities, Corpus can offer the newly remodelled Oldham Building, which has 61 stunning rooms of which 39 are ensuite, 6 kitchenettes and boasts further fantastic views of Oxford. The building is just minutes from the Examination Schools and the High Street. Corpus also has to offer the modern Lampl Building, beside the train station, which comprises 45 ensuite rooms and nine communal kitchens plus the popular Liddell Building site on Iffley Road. Along with these modern and atmospheric bedrooms across the city centre Corpus can offer historical bedrooms around the main College quads.

Corpus welcomes residential corporate and academic conferences, theatrical events and accommodationonly enquiries during the Easter vacation in March/ April and the summer vacation in July, August and September.

For all enquiries please contact the Conference Office below.

 conferences@ccc.ox.ac.uk  01865 276 700  www.ccc.ox.ac.uk 89

where business and excellence meet

Nestling in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside, Culham Conference Centre offers all businesses, large or small, a very warm welcome. Our dedication to our customers experience, in our purpose built, fully equipped facility allow us to provide our customers with a focussed, professional service in a relaxed environment. We are proud to be an integral part of the Culham Science Centre; a world-renowned centre of science and innovation, and the home of UKAEA.

September

Day Delegate Offer NOW WITH A HEALTHY TWIST our all-inclusive day delegate packages represent superb value for money and allow us to take some of the hassle out of arranging your meeting or event.

Full Day 8hrs • Tea, coffee and tropical cut fruit platter or warm Danish pastry upon arrival • Mid-morning tea, coffee and energy ball or luxury biscuits • Working lunch delivered to your meeting room or hot lunch in the main restaurant • Afternoon tea, coffee and home-made fruit smoothie or baked cookies • Hire of Main Meeting Room • Syndicate room *

• • • • • • •

HD Projector and retractable screen FREE Wifi TV / DVD on request Name cards Flipchart and pens FREE on-site secure parking Unlimited bottled water

*Available to bookings of 12 or more delegates. NOTE: There is a minimum charge of 6 delegates in Cleo, Tosca, Compass and Dite rooms, 12 delegates for Zeta and Phoenix and 60 delegates for John Adams Lecture Theatre

call: 01235 466 885 email: info@culhamconferencecentre.co.uk visit: www.culhamconferencecentre.co.uk Culham Conference Centre

@CulhamConfCtr

JUST

£25.00

+VAT

per delegate

Culham Conference Centre Culham Science Centre Abingdon Oxfordshire OX14 3DB

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venues

“

we will certainly be using our Uniquely Newbury programme in the months and years ahead to unearth and then polish this tremendous talent at Newbury Racecourse Tracy Skinner

”

UNIQUELY NEWBURY AT NEWBURY RACECOURSE Newbury Racecourse is in the third year of running an award-winning scheme called Uniquely Newbury.

Ultimately, Uniquely Newbury is a customer service culture programme, which is helping its employees to be recognised for their service excellence. First and foremost, it gives the team an opportunity to create a consistent approach to customer service across the business, but it also rewards our staff, recognises their hard work and provides a structured platform for them to create personal goals and generate ideas to improve our overall service.

Written by: Cheryl Marner Photography by: Mark Seymour

At Newbury Racecourse, customer service is of utmost importance and Uniquely Newbury offers our staff a platform to ensure that guests have the best possible experience at our venue.

Whether it’s a luxurious meal at The Hennessy restaurant, a day at the races, a wedding or a corporate event, we want to make sure that every customer goes away with positive memories of Newbury Racecourse and has been able to get the most out of our growing facilities.

Since the scheme’s launch in 2015, the racecourse has held two annual Uniquely Newbury summits and a number of workshops to communicate the aims of the programme both to full and part-time staff and to third party contractors who are part of the team on racedays and at larger events. These aims are: • To ensure that the Uniquely Newbury service culture is at the centre of everything the team do • To create a one team approach • To inspire teams to develop customer service skills • To empower the entire team to be involved in the process Uniquely Newbury enables the venue to continue delivering outstanding customer service whilst also supporting, encouraging and engaging with staff. The

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programme has been particularly successful across all departments with several staff receiving awards for their customer service excellence.

Tracy Skinner, Head of Sales at Newbury Racecourse, said: “I am proud to be part of a business that not only looks for talent in the unlikeliest of places but also puts initiatives in place to nurture the knowledge, skills and confidence of that talent. So far, we have seen a high level of achievements from our employees who are in the early stages of their careers and we will certainly be using our Uniquely Newbury programme in the months and years ahead to unearth and then polish this tremendous talent.

At Newbury Racecourse, we believe the standard we walk past is the standard you are prepared to accept, so we always want to make sure that our customer service values are the highest they can possibly be.”

in providing high quality events in such beautiful surroundings.

How do you find the Uniquely Newbury initiative useful?

Uniquely Newbury is a fantastic way of bringing the whole business together. We can refresh our knowledge on our customer service standards, highlight areas for improvement and share ideas of how we will go about this. It is also a great opportunity for us to recognise individual achievements. I am proud to be part of a business that rewards and acknowledges results that everyone works so hard to accomplish.

We speak with Natalie Curtis, Conference and Events Executive at Newbury Racecourse:

How long have you worked at Newbury Racecourse?

I joined in June 2016. I was drawn to Newbury Racecourse due to its reputation as one of the best racecourses in the country as well as its stature

 hospitality@newburyracecourse.co.uk  01635 40015  www.newburyracecourse.co.uk

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huwedmunds ASSOCIATES

MEETING REQUIREMENTS huwedmunds Associates is sort of new and sort of isn’t. Huw Edmunds has lived in Oxford ever since he came here in 1989 as a budding undergraduate. “Applying to do medicine, but becoming an event organiser is a bit of a transformation, I admit”, he says, “but you follow your heart and do what you enjoy and do best. The medical route didn’t seem like so much fun...!”

Edited by: Barry Webb Photography by: Jake Morley (www.jakemorley.co.uk)

Following 15 years organising global events for large pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, Novartis and GSK, Huw took a highprofile position in Oxford University, but now has come the time for a change with the launch of huwedmunds Associates.

“I realised that remaining in one static venue was more than restrictive and that with the current economic climate and continuing interest in Oxford, that there was a space for someone who knows his way around the block, not tied to a particular venue and able to offer a range of event solutions to clients fitting their objectives and budget.

It is all about what represents best value for money and ROI for clients. The impact an event can have in terms of motivation and company performance can be very significant.

There is no point in having an event in the first place, if it is not planned and executed properly.

Client disasters we have recently come across include having a company ‘away day’ organised at the company’s own venue (not very inspirational!); delegates being misdirected to the wrong venue (not very productive!); speakers being accidentally locked in meeting rooms (not ideal, perhaps!) and presentations arriving in so many different formats that a series of computers/cables and adaptors needed to be constantly changed throughout the event (not very slick!). Others include, poster boards being the wrong orientation for the scientific posters (very annoying unless you like reading sideways) and an evening function where guests were taken to the wrong restaurant, located an hour’s drive in totally the wrong direction. My favourite error of all time is so terrible that it cannot be put into print, but I assure you it was very bad!

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All these things can be avoided – you just need to have seen all the terrible mistakes that can be made and pre-empt them – assume nothing! We have seen most blunders, but even we are surprised what can happen when things aren’t thought through. Clients need to be reassured that things will run smoothly and if the unforeseen does occur, it can be dealt with professionally by experienced and resourceful staff. Leaving the organisational success of your company event to a junior, or inexperienced person overlooks the dangers that can arise.

We are here to take the hassle out of the process, maximise the effectiveness of the event and achieve your goals.

We are a one-stop shop, able to handle a wide range of services to cater for your meeting needs and clients that I have worked with already know I am there for them 24hrs a day and have their best interests at heart - there can be no other way.

• Venue selection • Conferences • Day meetings • Group hotel bookings • Strategic meeting management • Congresses • Product Launches • International meetings and travel • Staff reward schemes • Gala dinners • Stand design • Exhibition stands • Audiovisual support and staffing From the initial choosing of the venue, to controlling budgets and working alongside and getting the best out of people on site, event organisation has always fascinated me.

I actually enjoy encountering problems, as it is

then that the client sees what they have paid for in the way that sudden issues are handled effectively and discretely. Things that spring out-of-the-blue can seem insurmountable.”

At present, the company comprises five associates with over 100 years’ domestic and international conference and meeting experience between them - venue-sourcing, conference-planning, delegate management and on-site management.

Things are looking healthy for huwedmunds Associates with recent meetings in Oxford, London and Paris. The company is also attending an international meeting summit in Dubai later this month and expanding its client base and range of services. “I originally come from an incentive background, so it makes sense to include this in our offering to clients.

The number of companies that recognise the need to engage and reward their staff for performance is on the increase again. There are a range of different models that can be used to activate, incentivise, recognise and reward staff – you don’t have to be a big player to do this, just one that realises your staff are one of your major assets. We tailor programmes to fit budgets and objectives to really create a buzz. Particularly in Oxford, but everywhere else too, retention of key staff is a key issue and should rightfully be high up on companies’ agendas.

If having read this article you would like some advice, help or assistance with anything related to events or staff recognition, please do drop me a line - we would love to hear from you - I am sure that I have worked with a lot of you and would so appreciate the contact.

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We tailor “ programmes to fit budgets and objectives to really create a buzz

”

 huw@huwedmunds.com  07931 377 227  www.huwedmunds.com

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venues

Christmas party trends In recent years, there has been increasing demand for more immersive festive experiences. A uniquely themed party provides guests with a memorable night, connecting with the event rather than just turning up for the food and drink. The storytelling element of a themed experience adds another layer to the usual corporate Christmas party, with tailored entertainment and unusual decorations.

Written by: Cheryl Marner Photography by: Mark Seymour

In response to this growing trend, Newbury Racecourse has developed a magical theme for its Christmas party packages in 2017. Christmas in Narnia will immerse revellers in a magical winter wonderland, where they can enjoy the Racecourse’s award-winning catering alongside a range of Narnia-themed entertainers.

Ticket holders will enter the event through the wardrobe at Newbury Racecourse. Inside, the enchanting world of Narnia will see guests treated to a cocktail reception, a delicious three course meal, a DJ and dancefloor and, of course, a taste of Turkish Delight with teas and coffees.

The venue’s shared Christmas party offering will take place on Friday 15 December and Saturday 16 December whilst other dates throughout the month are available for exclusive Narnia themed Christmas parties.

Newbury Racecourse’s accessible location, within easy reach from Reading, Oxford, Basingstoke and Wokingham, means that this will be a popular party venue for local areas. Tickets are priced at £59.95 per person.

Tracy Skinner, Head of Sales at Newbury Racecourse, said: “We are excited for this year’s Christmas party season and cannot wait for guests to experience our new Narnia theme. Whether it’s at our shared event or an exclusive party, attendees are guaranteed to have a great night in our very own winter wonderland. 2017 has already been very busy and successful for the Newbury Racecourse team so we are looking forward to ending the year on a high with these festivities”.

To find out more about Newbury Racecourse and its Christmas offering visit www.newburyracecourse.co.uk

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 hospitality@newburyracecourse.co.uk  01635 40015  www.newburyracecourse.co.uk

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If you haven’t heard of Oxford Brookes Venues that’s because we’ve just launched!

Oxford Brookes Conference Services have rebranded themselves as Oxford Brookes Venues and are holding an event to showcase their services.

Written and Photography by: Rhys Griffiths

Once known as Oxford Brookes Conference Services, the change in identity was inspired by the fact that the name did not communicate what we did very well. Oxford Brookes Venues has existed in Oxford Brookes University in some form for over 20 years, this has changed as the University and services have grown over time.

“Oxford Brookes Venues are dedicated to ensuring all our customers have a successful event by providing the ideal venue experience”. This is Oxford Brookes Venues vision, which we didn’t feel was communicated well with the old name.

Along with the identity, Oxford Brookes Venues now have an exciting new website which has been 96

designed to better communicate what we do and improve our customers’ journey.

As a university Oxford Brookes has a range of spaces designed for teaching and collaborating. Though space is primarily made use of for educational purposes, when the spaces aren’t being used they are able to be enjoyed by customers of Oxford Brookes Venues for a range of purposes.

The choices of venue space include meeting rooms, classroom, lecture theatres, celebration space as well as accommodation. We are able to offer year round en suite accommodation for visitors at Scott House, during the summer when students are no longer at university additional

accommodation becomes available. A feature of Oxford Brookes Venues is that venue space can often be used outside of business hours and during weekends giving the benefit of greater availability and flexibility.

Oxford Brookes is consolidating, refurbishing and transforming old spaces to create modern space for teaching and learning. An example of this is the new Clerici building and former main hall which will see new teaching rooms, social learning spaces, a collaborative lecture theatre and our own dedicated meeting room space, giving us even more availability. Refurb is due to be completed

by September 2017 with our dedicated space available for bookings from November 2017. www.b4-business.com

B4

Alongside the rebrand, we are also celebrating the revamp of The Terrace, the main celebration space based in the Headington Campus. The Terrace is a beautiful and unique venue in Oxford and is Oxford Brookes Venues’ largest function space based in the award-winning John Henry Brookes Building. The Terrace is light and airy, thanks to its glass walls, and provides a range of catering options. The Terrace is also home to V4N3SSA our vintage Citroën van able to be used as a bar, she makes a great showpiece. The Terrace can be used during evenings for groups between 100 – 400 people with layout options depending on group sizes.

Oxford Brookes Venues Launch event!

Oxford Brookes Venues will be holding an event to celebrate the relaunch and showcase the newly revamped function space The Terrace and its services.

Becky Rossiter, Venues Operations Manager at Oxford Brookes says: “The Terrace is a brilliant venue, able to accommodate large groups in a spacious environment. We find that a lot of people are just not aware that this space exists and people don’t expect the university to have this space open to the public; you can come in for lunch during semester time. With demand for such space outside the city centre but still within the ring road, we’re confident this event will raise people’s awareness of this space” www.b4-business.com

venues

Those who attend The Terrace event will get to sample our catering menu and the Oxford Brookes Venue experience. Sue Holmes, Director of Estates & Facilities, will also be speaking about Oxford Brookes Venues before providing networking opportunities for our guests and key members of Oxford Brookes.

only one of the UK’s top modern universities’ but is also a fantastic venue”

“ The Terrace is a

The Terrace can also be used for catered Christmas parties for groups over 100 which we are now taking bookings for. Those who book before 10th October will get a free glass of Prosecco for each guest

beautiful and unique venue in Oxford and is Oxford Brookes Venues’ largest function space based in the awardwinning John Henry Brookes Building

”

Christmas Parties!

For further details about the event or to book your ticket, visit the Eventbrite page www.obv.eventbrite.co.uk For more information about Oxford Brookes Venues, contact us below.

The event is scheduled for Thursday 5th October and will be open to members of the public who register through the Eventbrite page. Guests will have an opportunity to sample The Terrace catering menu and check out V4N3SSA our Citroen van bar.

Becky Rossiter says “With the new identity and launch event we’re hoping to increase people awareness of who Oxford Brookes Venues are and what we can offer our customers. These changes will let people know that Oxford Brookes is not

 venues@brookes.ac.uk  01865 488400  www.brookesvenues.co.uk

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HOUSE ON THE HILL

How to improve your holiday snaps!

Over the last 8 years working for B4 I’ve seen plenty of our Editor Richard Rosser’s attempts at holiday photography. Richard, like a lot of us, is not bad at photography. Many of us know some basics about lining up a shot and getting a good background in here, but perhaps looking at some basic professional practices could lead to some more impressive snaps for everyone and a much lovelier way of remembering your family holidays!

Written by: Rob Scotcher

Oxford is a city famous all over the world and tourists flock here with cameras big and small. One thing you tend to notice is the huge diversity of cameras which brings us to our first issue:

Equipment The right camera is important, but make sure you don’t fixate on this too much. Don’t be fooled by boasts of a high megapixel count, just research cameras that fit your budget and score well in buyer and shop reviews.

For holiday snaps/general photography use I can recommend many cameras, but to keep things short I’d recommend a Canon 750D DSLR every time. We actually shot a lot of photography for the magazine between 2012-2015 with an older version of this camera. It’s super versatile, light, relatively cheap and has a range of options for beginners and advanced users. If this option is a bit out of your budget, search eBay for a like-new condition Canon 600D (much cheaper and similar to the new 750D).

For those of you that would like something a little smaller, compact digital cameras have come a long way (although can still be a bit hit and miss in some cases). I’d recommend a Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II, not the cheapest of cameras but still a fantastic piece of kit, especially if you want video capability from your camera.

Again, if too expensive try the much cheaper Canon PowerShot SX610 or the Sony HX60.

photo is better than 10 half-decent ones. Having the foresight to see good photo opportunities on the horizon is key, as this will give you time to frame your subject and think about foreground and background.

Quick lesson One good way to practice photography is to shoot in a very uninspiring area. How can you capture a boring area creatively and produce interesting photos? Start by thinking about details, the nuances of your surroundings. How do the elements interact with objects in your space?

Can you see any natural patterns or an interesting focus point?

Translating Have you found yourself looking at a beautiful sunset, grabbed your camera and been disappointed with the results? It’s not often a beautiful sunset can translate into a photo. I’ve lost count the amount of times I’ve wished I could take photos with my eyes. To capture that sunset (or any moment in time), think not just about what you can see, but what you also feel. Translate the beauty of the sunset by showing its warmth, how other subjects interact with the sunset and how the quickly changing light alters your surroundings.

Photos are about sharing your experience with someone else and revisiting memories. So the more you shoot whilst focusing on what you feel, the better the photo will be.

Composing a shot Franticly spamming the shutter button while swinging the camera around at every opportunity will leave you, most of the time, with poor shots. Good photography is best captured with thought, patience and composure. Taking the time to get one amazing

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 01865 742211  studio@hothdesign.co.uk  www.hothdesign.co.uk

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Phil Strachan of Business and Brand Alchemists Strangebrew shares with Richard Rosser how clients of all shapes and sizes can benefit from investing in his special brew of ‘London quality at Glasgow prices.’

Having spent 12 years on the consultancy-side in London working almost exclusively with multinationals and premium global household name brands, Phil Strachan brings a wealth of experience and expertise to any project he works on. Add to this the fact that prior to that he spent 14 years on the client-side in the marketing departments of major blue chip multinationals running premium brands such as Nescafe and you can begin to grasp the value he can add to any business or brand he works with.

“At one point trading as QED (Quite Extraordinary Design), my business partners and I employed 22 people and we were based in the converted Clergy House of St Michaels Church in London EC2. The Church itself had become the London Architectural Salvage Company which was one of London’s largest and longest established architectural antiques and salvage businesses. They were fantastic premises to run an Identity and Design business from but combined with 22 people to pay each month, our overheads and operating costs were quite high.”

Nowadays, trading as Strangebrew, Phil offers his special blend of client-side and consultancy-side experience and expertise from a low overhead base in Berkshire, meaning that businesses and brands of all shapes and sizes from one person start-ups to long established businesses and brands can benefit from an injection of what he calls Business and Brand Alchemy.

London quality at Glasgow prices Having previously spent many years refreshing, revitalising, re-energising and relaunching major brands such as Alpen, Foster’s Lager and Pontin’s Holiday camps to name but a few, more recent projects Phil has delivered have been much more varied. These have included the repositioning and relaunching of Aylesbury College, the creation of a Motivational Speaker brand for a sports and TV personality, and brand identities for a Martial Arts and Personal Trainer, an Accounting Practice and a Training Consultancy.

“My overall aim is to deliver real value, what I call London quality at Glasgow prices, and that means business and brand identities that really work rather than just nice logos which all too often don’t. There is

an inordinate amount of money wasted on an awful lot of very ordinary work, design for design’s sake, when what is required is an investment in something that truly captures and communicates the essence of a business or brand. Branding, Identity and Design, interlaced with creativity and innovation, are all part of a business or brand connecting, communicating and engaging with its target audience but in order to achieve this effectively, you firstly have to know exactly who the target market is, what the business or brand needs to be seen to stand for and what its competitive advantage is. It is all about adding value.”

Necessity is the mother of re-invention So why then do we see so many businesses and brands relaunching and being as you say refreshed?

“It may well just be that they did not get it right in the first place, but while the objective is obviously to build successful brands that will be sustainable and stand the test of time, the simple fact is that key business environment factors such as market conditions, economic climates and competitors are constantly changing. In such instances, necessity really is the mother of re-invention, requiring Businesses and Brands to respond in order to continue to prosper by re-inventing, re-branding, refreshing, revitalising and relaunching themselves as appropriate. Events like new competitors coming into a market can prompt such action but the aim has to be to always stay ahead of the curve. This means being creative rather than reactive in order to remain in control in your designated market/sector and making sure that you are building a strong and valuable brand rather than an ineffectual and effectively worthless bland. It is all about leading from the front and staying ahead.

communicate their “why” to their selected target markets but the truth is that all too many businesses and brands out there are operating with blind faith, relying far too much on hope and with too little clarity in terms of what they really have to offer and how they need to position and present themselves. All too often they don’t really know their USP or their potential to build sustainable competitive advantage That’s precisely why I put particular emphasis on making sure that I fully understand the business and/or brand of any new client, their objectives and aspirations, their competitors, their strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats because it is only by distilling the essence of a business or brand that I can identify how best to free its spirit by helping them to think brand – not bland.

There are many businesses and brands out there that could really benefit from taking a good long hard look at themselves right now and it’s a great time for getting back to basics. They should make it their New Year’s resolution to re-evaluate the strength of their competitive situation and identify any action required refreshing their presentation or rebranding, relaunching or revitalising their businesses. In today’s recessionary market conditions, only the strong will survive and this can be a very cost effective way and a very sound investment in order to ensure that they emerge from these difficult times strongly positioned and with a secure future ahead of them.”

Contact Phil Strachan below if you would like to arrange an initial no cost, no strings attached meeting to discuss how an injection of Business and Brand Alchemy from Strangebrew could be of benefit to your Business or Brand.

It is important for businesses to periodically stand back, take a long hard look at themselves and assess how they and their brands are positioned because even if they themselves are not changing, the odds are that their competitors are and so are the needs of their customers and consumers. The problem is that they are often too close to their businesses to be able to see this for themselves”.

Faith, hope and too little clarity

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

“Businesses and brands need to know and

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“ My overall aim is to

deliver real value, what I call London quality at Glasgow prices, and that means business and brand identities that really work rather than just nice logos which all too often don’t Phil Strachan

”

POTENT AND INTOXICATING, BUT REASSURINGLY INEXPENSIVE Written by: Phil Strachan

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How Print media is more important than ever Written by: Minuteman Press

Print products have an undeniable tactile appeal: beautifully textured materials containing velvety matte or high-gloss graphics and photos offer a comfortable friend and a direct reading & viewing experience. Print material is entirely portable, adapts well to all of the consumers and user needs, and requires no extra tools to access. In addition, printformat items are still given more precedent over digital media, being given an intrinsic artistic/creative value – even the simplest canvas flyer may be placed onto bookshelves and/or coffee tables, and their value may even increase over time. As advertising material, print has also proved itself supremely diverse in every day to day facet, with everything from small and personal business cards right up to towering billboard statements are established and are unique promotional tools to grab your customer.

exceptionally well, and have not been knocked been knocked down with the advent of the digital age. As such, Minuteman encourages its customers to employ both tactics when beginning a new campaign or marketing a new opening,

For local business, it is also important to understand that print sends public messages which are conventional, well-understood and feel relative to their location. Such media offers a deeper, and more personal interaction and can be instantly de constructable in its message. Importantly, research consistently reports that printed pieces carry a sense of credibility and trust which is often lacking in comparative online text sources. The saturation of digital media, along with the constant sense of distrust from online sources, coupled with an innate understanding of ink to paper, means print, if anything, has more reputation for being an honest marketing method than ever before.

A leaflet or menu through the letterbox will always have more impact than an email. It is real and memorable, whereas an online advert can often seem much more ephemeral and easily ignored by your potential clientele. Digital marketing is still an extremely important tool in the marketing arsenal, but print is as strong as it ever has been and continues to bring our customers success.

From the above that there are a number of basic and essential functions which printed items perform www.b4-business.com

In business, the impact of everyday print media can sometimes be overlooked. Company letterheads and personalised, business-identity cards with printed logos have the opportunity to create a vital first impression, and every recipient will naturally assume these items reflect an underlying corporate ethos and identity.

Good quality work here by graphic designers and professional printers can thus be used to signal, care, quality and consummate professionalism.

single digital printer and a small inventory of finishing equipment, over the years, Minuteman press has evolved into one of Oxford’s most reliable local printers and now produces almost every type of printing available including store signage, marketing materials, books and uniforms.

The biggest contribution to Minuteman’s success is its accessibility for both individual customers and large businesses. Working on every job that comes through the door; big or small, has led to a solid customer loyalty in spite of being a part of a highly competitive industry. Minuteman is a company that believes in customer satisfaction and its mission is to always produce the highest quality materials, assuring their customers success.

Minuteman also helps in every step of the printing process, from start to finish. With an in house design team that design the materials and consult in marketing for small businesses and start up companies, Minuteman is able to provide every facility required to allow local businesses to succeed in their marketing and advertising.

How minuteman press is Leading the printing Trade in Oxford Hidden away in the heart of Oxford, stands one of Oxford’s busiest printers. Every day Minuteman Press are taking leaflets, books and stationary off the press and onto the finishing desks to get packed and get ready for collection. Starting from a small room with a

 oxford@minutemanpress.co.uk  01865 247 010  www.oxford.minutemanpress.co.uk

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THE IMPORTANCE OF HEARING PROTECTION Hearing empowers us and helps us lead our everyday lives without limitations. It enables us to socialize, work and communicate. It also helps us to stay connected to the outside world and it keeps us safe by warning us of potential danger. A telephone ringing, a restless baby or the blare of a fire alarm is just a few examples of important signals that we need to be able to hear.

Written by: Vincent Tripp

Every day, we experience sound in our environment, such as the sounds from television and radio, household appliances, and traffic.

Normally, these sounds are at safe levels that don’t damage our hearing. But sounds can be harmful when they are too loud, even for a brief time, or when they are both loud and long-lasting.

These sounds can damage sensitive structures in the inner ear and cause noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

NIHL can be immediate or it can take a long time to be noticeable. It can be temporary or permanent, and it can affect one ear or both ears. Even if you can’t tell that you are damaging your hearing, you could have trouble hearing in the future, such as not being able to understand other people when they talk, especially on the phone or in a noisy room.

Regardless of how it might affect you, one thing is certain: noise-induced hearing loss is something you can prevent using hearing protection for yourself and your employees.

Why is noise an issue in the workplace?

Most workplaces expose us to noise. The louder the noise, the more damage it can cause. Noise and vibration can cause long-term damage to our senses.

Hearing and touch can be severely affected by exposure to excess levels of noise and vibration.

Anyone can be exposed to excessive noise levels.

Those working in noisy workplaces, factories, foundries, working with power tools, plant and machinery, and in noisy environments such as road works, airports and construction sites are among those most at risk.

If people are having difficulty hearing what others say, or have to shout to be understood at a distance of one metre, noise levels are likely to be damaging.

Legal duties and obligations around noise The Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (the Noise Regulations) came into force for all industry 104

sectors in Great Britain on 6 April 2006 (except for the music and entertainment sectors where they came into force on 6 April 2008).

The aim of the Noise Regulations is to ensure that workers’ hearing is protected from excessive noise at their place of work, which could cause them to lose their hearing and/or to suffer from tinnitus (permanent ringing in the ears).

These regulations require employers to take action if daily or weekly exposure to noise is at or in excess of certain Exposure Action Levels.

What are Exposure Action Levels?

An action level is basically a noise exposure level at which employers are required to take certain steps to reduce the harmful effects of noise on hearing. There are two main action levels for continuous Noise: • The lower exposure action value is a daily or weekly average noise exposure level of 80 dB, at which the employer has to provide information and training and make hearing protection available.

• The upper exposure action value is set at a daily or weekly average noise exposure of 85 dB, above which the employer is required to take reasonably practicable measures to reduce noise exposure, such as engineering controls or other technical measures. The use of hearing protection is also mandatory if the noise cannot be controlled by these measures, or while these measures are being planned or carried out.

whether or not they are at or above the action values and to identify problem areas or procedures. This will allow controls to be prioritised. A competent person should carry out Noise Assessments.

Employers must first try and eliminate or reduce exposure to noise by means other than hearing protection.

Methods of reducing noise in working environments often require more than one solution, as noise will be produced from a number of sources.

Until methods to reduce noise levels using engineering or procedural controls have been identified, the employer should provide hearing protection as a first step. This will allow investigation of the suitability of other controls.

Hearing protection There are a variety of different types of hearing protection available, from over-the-ear to bespoke custom made. Custom hearing protection can have interchangeable noise filters so they can be used in a variety of situations.

If you would like any further information on hearing protection, please get in touch with a member of our team

• Finally there is an exposure limit value of 87 dB, above which no worker can be exposed (taking hearing protection into account).

• To get an idea of how loud certain sounds are, take a look at the chart below;

Assessing and controlling noise risks Employers should assess noise levels to find out

 enquiries@tripphearing.co.uk  01865 910 202  www.tripphearing.co.uk www.b4-business.com

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Deborah Astles, Corportae Responsibility and HR Director at Unipart Group

We have seen a “ tangible impact from this activity with a year on year increase in employee engagement levels and reduced absence, making an estimated saving of £330,000

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health

Workplace Wellbeing Programmes A hot topic at the moment for businesses is the need to have Workplace Wellbeing Programmes. This is not just because it’s the right thing to do; it can also help improve the productivity of your business. We spoke to Deborah Astles, Corporate Responsibility and HR Director at Unipart Group, who presented at Business in Oxford, to explain more about Unipart’s approach to employee wellbeing and why she believes that Wellbeing programmes can keep your business ahead of the curve Written by: B4 Photography by: Rob Scotcher

A happy, healthy workforce is a productive workforce -- that’s the time honoured adage that is backed up by an increasing amount of international research. Most companies recognise that employee wellness and engagement is not an ‘optional extra’ but a mainstay of gaining competitive advantage. In other words, employees do well by being well.

Unipart Group is a leading manufacturing, logistics and consultancy organisation with sites around the world. As you can imagine it’s challenging to have a ‘one size fits all’ approach to wellbeing which could be seen to be ‘imposed by head office’. Instead, we have harnessed the enthusiasm and local knowledge of site champions and empowered them to set local priorities and tailor the programme to meet the specific needs on their sites.

Our wellbeing programme, Unipart Workwell, fits with our company culture and encourages and supports employees and line managers to take personal responsibility for their health and wellbeing. We recognise how each life stage brings challenges for employees, such as parenting and caring responsibilities. As a result, we’ve created flexible, tailored and supportive wellbeing services for our people.

The programme to date has engaged around a third of all our employees in wellbeing events, including gym and fitness sessions and health checks, expert presentations about heart health and cancer risks, workshops on managing stress and ‘stop smoking’ www.b4-business.com

clinics. We have rolled out mental health awareness training, starting with a pilot for over 100 HR professionals and managers, and created Unipart Cares, an Employee Assistance programme delivered

by Validium, a specialist provider in wellbeing advice.

We are also focusing on mental health. This is a growing concern for UK employee wellbeing. Since the 1990s, it has been associated as a leading cause of illness in the UK, with more than 15 million absence days attributed to stress, anxiety and depression.

We have seen a tangible impact from this activity with a year on year increase in employee engagement levels and reduced absence, making an estimated saving of £330,000. As a result of the success of our programme, we won the Bupa Wellbeing at Work category at Business in the Community’s Responsible Business Awards in 2016.

It also accounts for a significant percentage of presenteeism. The Centre for Mental Health calculated that presenteeism from mental ill health alone costs the UK economy £15.1 billion per annum, while absenteeism costs £8.4 billion.

Unipart Workwell also works hand in hand with health and safety helping to strengthen our reputation as one of the safest companies in the world to work.

This has helped us to win an award for outstanding achievement in health and safety at the International Safety Awards for being the only organisation in the world to have achieved the British Safety Council’s Sword and Globe of Honour awards for five consecutive years.

Oxfordshire’s business community is diverse, with a wide range of different industries. It is increasingly important that local companies share best practice in this area to ensure that our people can perform as productively as possible. That’s one of the reasons we have set up the Oxfordshire Workplace Wellbeing Network. Our group shares best practice, organises events and works with local authorities to provide access to free resources and expertise.

Within the Wellbeing Network, we continue to improve our programme to increase the support that we provide for our employees around these hidden vulnerabilities.

If you would like more information about Unipart Group or Unipart Workwell, visit www.unipart.com.

 01865 778 966  www.unipart.com

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Is work affecting your health?

Are you constantly checking your phone for work messages? Are you one of the growing number of people that take their phone to bed at night? Do you check your phone before brushing your teeth in the morning?

Written by: Darren Aston

If you answer yes to any of these questions you are not alone and it could be affecting your health.

A recent study revealed that dealing with work related tasks on our smartphones out of work time is responsible for growing levels of anxiety in workers, with over 400,000 people reporting work related stress every year. Greater access to information and the ability to work from anywhere is supposed to help our lives, not make them worse but it seems more and more of us have lost the ability to switch off, creating an “always available” culture amongst workers.

Research amongst 50,000 employees worldwide revealed that 50% of people feel they are expected to work faster and hit deadlines sooner as a result of this new connectedness, while nearly half believe their employers now expect them to be available anytime, anywhere.

Ask yourself this: when you receive an email do you ever feel pressured to take action immediately? If you answer “no” to this, you are one of the lucky 4% who never feel this because the rest of us do! The problem is worse in men and those under 35, who

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feel the greatest urgency to respond immediately.

So for many, checking our emails at home as well as at work is creating an underlying state of constant anxiety and pressure than can affect our health.

So how do we get round this? Experts say it’s about being disciplined about switching off. So whether you are getting ready to hit the beach, reading that bedtime story or just relaxing in front of the TV, switch off your phone, set up those “out of office” email alerts, and definitely don’t take your phone to bed with you.

Switching off • 48% of workers reply to emails within 15 minutes on average • 71% of men and 58% of women have their work email on their personal smartphones • Almost 50% of people check their work phones on weekends and evenings • 25% of people check work emails while on holiday • Only 4% of people say they never feel pressured to take action to emails immediately • 80% of people check their smartphones within 15 mins of waking up

Taking Control • Break the cycle of checking your emails by being disciplined • Decide the times during which you will check your phone and stick to them • Reduce the time you check your phone gradually if going cold turkey is too stressful • Get used to switching off your work phone at weekends and during the night • Never take your phone to bed leave it on silent in another room • Think positive thoughts when you wake up, not “I wonder what is on my email”

Everything for the Workplace

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

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Welcome to The B4 Travel Section. Please get in touch with your feedback, articles suggestions, hot travel topics and top tips!

Written by: David Gambier B4 Travel Editor

Thanks again to those of you who have taken time to feed-back ideas for places to cover in our “48 hours in…” slot. After Madrid and New York, in this edition we are heading off to Iceland’s iconic capital, Reykjavik. In the next edition following on from a suggestion received from one of our readers, I’ll be looking at Cape Town ! Yes, seriously – this is certainly a viable option for an amazing weekend away – departing London on Friday

DO PRICE COMPARISON WEBSITES HELP OR HINDER PRICE TRANSPARENCY ?

It wasn’t too many years ago that if you wanted to compare prices for a particular holiday, you went to a good travel agent, got hold of the different tour operators’ brochures, opened them at the correct pages, checked that you were looking for the same hotel, and you would be able to see for yourself who was offering you the lowest price for the same holiday.

Obviously, times have changed. Airlines, hotels and tour operators now almost all use ‘fluid pricing’ models, and base their advertising campaigns around ‘from £…’ prices, which can often bear little or no relation to the price that you end up paying for the arrangements that you want.

As we are told many times in the TV advert slots, the way to cut through the complexities of hotels having numerous prices for the same room is to rely on the cleverness of the price comparison websites to do the hard work for you. No more checking brochures for yourself, or visiting numerous websites and noting down the prices that you see before deciding who will get your business. You simply go to a price comparison website – for the sake of argument, let’s select Trivago as they do more advertising than anyone else – you put in your date, how long you want to stay and the name of your preferred hotel, and low-and-behold, you are presented with a list showing the names of numerous companies who all appear to be offering you the same hotel for the dates that you want, and you are then encouraged – obviously - to select the one that is cheapest. Why on earth would you do anything else ? Why pay more for exactly the same thing than you actually need to ?

It all sounds like a huge move forward from the old days of sitting amongst a pile of brochures and laboriously checking for yourself. However, and it is an extremely large, however, just how much can you rely on the information that you see, and how often, if at all, do you genuinely go back and doublecheck that the prices you are seeing on the price comparison sites are really those that are being offered on the tour operator’s website ?

prices being offered if you visited the operator’s actual site for yourself. The same survey also showed that nearly all the operators of the price comparison sites were being paid a significant commission on the bookings that they generated from the provision of their so-say unbiased advice.

Human nature and our reliance on technological solutions for everything being what they are, if you are shown a list of offers purporting to have been drawn independently from lots of suppliers, you will convince yourself that you are being presented with accurate information, when logic should guide you to be potentially a little more skeptical. Interestingly, lots of surveys have shown that when presented with 3 price options, rather than going for the cheapest, the majority of people select the one in the middle, as this is normally perceived as being the ‘best’ deal over all.

If your suspicions about the true independence of these comparison sites haven’t been awaken yet, the next time you see the Trivago advert on the TV, use the freeze-frame function when you get the screen-shot of the list of the cheapest prices.

Count up just how many times some, or all, of the following names appear within the top five – Expedia, Ebookers, HomeAway, Hotels.com, Orbitz, Travelocity, or Venere.

Everything points to Trivago doing a great job providing you with fantastic choice, showing you the best prices. What you may not find quite so easily is anything that indicates that Ebookers and the rest are all brand names of Expedia – so in reality you are being presented with a list where normally 3 of the 5 brands you see listed are actually simply the same business. Oh yes, and guess what other brand name is also owned by the Expedia Group ?

Surprise, surprise…Trivago!

Perhaps those old-fashioned days of paper brochures weren’t so bad, after all.

 david-g@greatexperiencetravel.co.uk  01993 627 814  www.greatexperiencetravel.co.uk

A recent EU survey reported that, across Europe, more than two-thirds of the prices presented on price comparison sites weren’t actually the valid

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night, arriving Saturday morning with no jetlag, and back on Sunday night’s flight and into the office for Monday morning. Obviously, if you can spend more time in this great city, or as the starting point for exploring South Africa, you’ll be richly-rewarded, but if 48 hours is all you have, 48 hours is what I will fill for you – and I can promise, you wont be disappointed.

As for the news piece in the next edition, I’ll be focusing on what many observers are referring to as the PPI of the travel business – namely the scandal of false personal injury claims being submitted by clients claiming to have suffered from severe bouts of food poisoning at all-inclusive hotels. Claims have increased by more than 450% over the last 18 months, prompted in part by the activities of

corp. lifestyle

claims management companies, who are going as far as sending representatives to trawl the resorts, especially on Mallorca, to encourage people to make claims.

Some claims are being made for alleged incidents of food-poisoning going back 5 years ! However, the industry is fighting back with TUI recently being awarded £20000 in costs, and Thomas Cook being awarded £3000 in a separate incident. I’ll look at what’s causing the claims and the wider implications for all travellers, as more and more hotels are cancelling their contracts with British tour operators, or are refusing reservations from clients in the UK. If you want to see more about my background in the travel industry, then take a look at the About Us section of our website, www.greatexperiencetravel.co.uk.

B4 MEMBER ZONE B4 members tell us about there travel favourites, where, why and what they loved

Paddy Gregan

Partner, Business Services at Brookstreet des Roches Favourite holiday destination now: I came across the Body Holiday Le Sport in St Lucia rather by accident but it is the most amazing luxury hotel spa and sporting holiday where you can do as much or as little as you like. The highlight for me was early morning fitness classes run by Colin Jackson!

Favourite childhood holiday memory and why: Travelling to the Lake District and entering a land of mountains and lakes which affected all my brothers and sisters and sparked a lifelong love affair with the outdoors and especially Cumbria.

Jane Marshall

Favourite meal you’ve eaten on your travels: My son lives and works in Vietnam and we visited 49 Bat Dan Street in Hanoi which is a small pho shop selling traditional Vietnamese noodle soup.

It’s only open for breakfast and we had to queue with the locals for 20 minutes before we got our small seat at bench tables. It was just amazing and so authentic.

list: I’ve been lucky enough to travel to lots of places but I think that Australia and South America remain unexplored as does mainland China. Where to begin?

Favourite item to take with you on your travel: My iPhone but more specifically my music and a pair of good headphones. No matter where you are or what you’re doing there’s always some music that can match or improve your mood. I am also able to disable my emails!

Favourite view on my travels: The first sight of Milford Sound in New Zealand when flying over the mountains from Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand is like Scotland on steroids and coming over the mountains to see this fjord was stunning.

Favourite places you’ve still got on your bucket

City Sightseeing stopping off at so many off beat towns &villages, with memories I’ll never forget. I think this must have been what got my interest in travel started.

Favourite holiday destination now: It has to be Barbados. I was very fortunate to have family living there whilst I was a teenager, I fell in love with it and have tried to get back there as often as possible ever since.

Favourite childhood holiday memory and why: At the age of 10 being driven to Greece by the Father, Mum and my Brother were there as well,

Favourite meal you’ve eaten on your travels: Buying a huge portion of Prawns in Coffs Harbour , New South Wales, driving further up the coast and having a picnic overlooking the beach.

Favourite hotel experience: Probably my all-time favourite was a tiny hotel in Grenada, Andalusia, in a side street with loads of bars and restaurants overlooking the Alhambra, absolutely breath taking.

Favourite places you’ve still got on your bucket list: I don’t know where to start… But Tahiti, or Hawaiian Islands are certainly high on my list.

Favourite item to take with you on your travels: Apart from a dark jumper or scarf I can stick over my head to block everything out on a flight! I always take a large white mug and a supply of decent coffee, so that I can have a cup in my room first thing.

48 HOURS IN...

Based on personal experience, we are interested in readers’ advice and suggestions as to what to do in 48 hours in a particular location. For this edition of B4, we check out what to do with 48 hours in… REYKJAVIK.

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One of Iceland’s most “ iconic places to visit is the

Blue Lagoon – an immense complex of naturally heated spa pools

”

48 Hours in…

Reykjavik Having been in the travel business for as long as I have been – it will be 36 years in November -, I’ve seen lots of destinations go in and out of style. At the moment, and, if it’s not a contradiction in terms when talking about places that are ‘hot’, definitely coming top of lots of people’s lists would be Reykjavik, Iceland’s iconic capital city. There are many good reasons why it thoroughly deserves this status. It’s a perfect short-break destination, and what makes it even more attractive is that you can have completely different experiences dependent on the time of year that you travel.

Written by: David Gambier

In terms of getting to Iceland, there are some well-priced flight options with the so-called ‘no-frills’ airlines, although they often have the disadvantage of late evening arrivals, and very early departures, which can mean that any saving that you thought you were making are quickly eaten up by more expensive transfer arrangements. We tend to use the Icelandair flights from Heathrow. The timings are ‘civilised’, and the pricing, when booked with some accommodation, usually competitive. The Airport itself is at Keflavik, some 50kms, or up to 90 minutes transfer time from Reykjavik itself. There are various shuttle options which make the journey quicker, but we always recommend people allow at least 60 minutes for the transfer, plus the required 2 hours check-in.

leather-soled shoes they would wear through walking across the country from place to place, so, after a ‘4-shoer’ from the Airport, you arrive into Reykjavik itself.

However, providing you are doing the journey in from the Airport in some level of day-light (more or which later), this is many people’s first experience of seeing Iceland’s unique landscape at close quarters. From the predominantly grey stony colouring with a sparse covering of grass to the frequent sights of plumes of steam rising from distant chimneys, you are left in no doubt about the island’s volcanic character. In fact, the landscape is so rugged and paths so rough that the ‘old Norse’ inhabitants used to measure their distances in ‘shoes’ – or how many

So, what to do with 48 hours in Reykjavik ? The answer is that you are spoilt for choice. If you are travelling in our winter months from November to March, when Iceland spends much of the time in the dark, this is a great time to go ‘hunting the Northern Lights’. There are lots of different tour options for doing this from a basic coach trip at around £55-£60 per person to a longer 4x4 adventure which can cost up to £200 per person. We always book our clients their Northern Lights trip on their first night in the city. All the companies operate in a generally similar

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Reykjavik’s principle city landmarks are the area immediately around its harbour – which becomes extremely lively especially on Saturday nights, when the Icelanders love to go out and party -, ‘Storgatte’, the capital’s Main Street with lots of colourful shops, houses and restaurants which leads up to the architectural wonder that is the ‘Hallgrimskirkja’ – the city’s enormous cathedral. Not only is the church worth a visit in its own right, especially if you can find a time when there is an organ recital or choir concert, but also because Leifur Eiriksson Square in which is it situated gives you the best panoramic view of the city and its surroundings.

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corp. lifestyle

Reykjavik’s principle city landmarks are the area immediately around its harbour – which becomes extremely lively especially on Saturday nights, when the Icelanders love to go out and party

”

fashion which will involve them calling your hotel in the early evening to confirm whether or not your trip will go ahead. They will normally only depart if there is a better than 50-50 chance of seeing the Lights at some stage. If the weather conditions aren’t looking good for seeing the Lights, then they will cancel the trip for that night, but participants are immediately rebooked for the next night – hence the importance of booking for the first night. If you can’t get out on either of your two nights, then you’ll receive a refund.

The parallel experience in the summer months, when conversely, the country enjoys up to 20 hours of daylight, is booking a whale-watching trip. Again, this is a trip that we book for the first morning of your stay in the city. The converted trawlers that take you out on the whale-watching trips leave early – it’s best to avoid having a big breakfast, as even in the best summer weather, the sea can be quite rough once out of port -, and, as with the Northern Lights, if you don’t see whales or dolphins on your first trip, you’ll be given a chance of a second trip out that day or the next.

Another of the popular trips that most people build into their Iceland visits is the so-called Golden Circle Tour. This takes you out into the country to see the site of the original Norse Parliament, which also sits on the meeting point of the tectonic plates separating Europe from America, so the scenery is ruggedly spectacular.

From there, you head on to the Gullfoss Waterfalls.

Dependent on the time of year of your visit, these can either be a wall of ice, or a thundering wall of water cascading over the rocks. You’ll then head off to the Geyser Park, where jets of steaming hot water spurt out of the ground with startling regularity. There are signs up everywhere warning you that the water is at boiling point, so don’t put your hands in it. However, you can pretty much guarantee that someone on the trip will return to the coach with their hand wrapped in a handkerchief or tissue, because they couldn’t resist the temptation just to stick a finger into one of the pools – it can’t be that hot surely…Having been

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one of these reckless souls who didn’t believe the signs, I can assure you that the water is extremely, extremely hot, and it does hurt a lot !

One of Iceland’s most iconic places to visit is the Blue Lagoon – an immense complex of naturally heated spa pools, where you can relax in the health-giving waters and rub the famous silica-mud into your skin.

This is sometimes added on as an extra to the Golden Circle Tour, or as a half-day trip in its own right. There are regular buses back from the Lagoon, so you can adjust the length of your stay according to your other commitments, but it is a must-see location for every visitor to Iceland, and deservedly so.

For many of our clients, the first day of their visit to Reykjavik is taken up with either the Golden Circle, or whale-watching. On their second day, they either spend time exploring the city, its shops, museums and art galleries for themselves, having a half-day at the Blue Lagoon, or a short birdwatching boat trip, trying to catch sight of Iceland’s famous puffin colonies. However, others go off on another full-day trip that takes them in different directions – both of which show off Iceland’s unique topography.

For those looking for above-ground experiences, a driving trip out to Landamannalaugar and Mount Hekla gives visitors a chance to see incredible mountains and volcanoes, whereas a trip out to the Kokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon gives you a chance to see glaciers, and sail amongst the icebergs. For those with a particularly adventurous spirit, you can explore Borgarfjordur and the Ice caves, or take on one of the ‘Iceland from Below’ tours, where you can go exploring the lavas-tubes and underground craters caved out by a combination of volcanic and glacial activity. And, for the very adventurous, you can even go scuba-diving in Lake Silfra, where you can dive* into the crystal clear – but icy-cold - waters above the point where Europe and America meet. (NB: You need to hold an openwater PADI, or other matching qualification already for this trip, as well as recognising the restrictions on

scuba-diving prior to flying, so maybe a trip better left for a longer than 48 hour visit.)

In the evenings, especially at weekends, Reykjavik goes party-crazy. In the midst of the winter months, the city’s party culture gets people out and about, whereas in the summer months, you are celebrating in the sunshine, and ‘all-night’ parties are commonplace, as it never really gets dark enough to know when the night has come to an end, and the next day has started. A popular last evening activity during the week for visitors to Reykjavik is a trip to the Saga Brewery – producers of great beer, based around using the freshest and clearest of mountain waters.

There’s so much to commend a trip to Reykjavik, whatever the time of year. Yes, admittedly, eating out and drinking is not cheap, but the food ranges from typical farmers’ fare ideal for a winter climate, to the most elegant of meals prepared by Iceland’s outstanding chefs, who make use of the abundant supply of wonderful local ingredients, especially the finest of sea-food…A note of warning, Icelanders have a great sense of humour and love trying to talk visitors into sampling their local ‘specialities’ of fermented whale or shark-meat. Beware – this is strictly for the gullible, and best avoided ! If you did want to try something out of the ordinary, then restaurants do serve puffin – a taste rather like salty, fishy pigeon -, but when there are so many other great things on the menu, why bother ?

In next month’s B4, we’ll be moving from the north of the Northern Hemisphere to the south of the Southern Hemisphere, looking at what you can go with 48 hours in…Cape Town !

 david-g@greatexperiencetravel.co.uk  01993 627 814  www.greatexperiencetravel.co.uk

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The Bear & Ragged Staff Come and admire the original frieze from Cumnor Place which sits above the roaring log fire in the Old Pub, packed with people enjoying both the expansive Sunday lunches and the 6-Nations Rugby. The Bear & Ragged Staff is, in short, a true Country Inn in the original sense, where people from all walks of life come together to eat, to drink, and to sleep.

The bedrooms reflect this sense of character. ‘The Landlord’s Wing’ above the Old Pub features a circular staircase of dark rich mahogany and takes you up to a self-contained suite. Fittingly, the bed is super king-sized (with apologies to Elizabeth I – they don’t do super queen-sized!), with soft cotton sheets, and a duvet so plump it practically begs to be snuggled up in.

The room is full of thoughtful homely touches, from the glass-stoppered bottle of milk in the fridge, to the

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over-sized tea cups & saucers and a ‘proper’ kettle – none of that travel kettle and small mealymouthed mug business here!

The rooms have been amazingly popular since the first four were refurbished and opened in 2011 (having previously served as accommodation for a succession of landlords and pub staff), with a further five added in 2014, taking the total up to nine. Going by the 95% year-round occupancy rate, these have been exceedingly well-received by visitors to Oxfordshire, attracted by the convenient location (10 minutes to Oxford centre by bus with none of the parking ‘rage’), excellent restaurant (with an imaginative wine list), and a unique character forged by 450 years of history. There are ghostly rumours that some of these characters still exist around the place, but understandably so, as The Bear & Ragged Staff isn’t somewhere you’d want to leave in a hurry...

What’s on the menu The Bear & Ragged Staff serves great modern British cuisine with a classic twist. Typical menu dishes comprise starters such as chicken ballotine served with caramelised onion chutney and toasted sourdough, and orzo pasta with peas, mint, pine nut and herb pesto, and shaved pecorino. For a delectable main course, why not plump for pan-fried duck breast with sweet potato Dauphinoise, broccoli and cherry jus? There is also a selection of fantastic antipasti and charcuterie boards designed for sharing.

The seafood board comes highly recommended indeed. Visitors with a sweet tooth will not be disappointed with the selection of desserts either, with popular classics such as Eton Mess and Summer Pudding Terrine with Clotted Cream Ice Cream.

There is a varied wine list with something to suit

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“ I would describe The

Bear as an eclectic harmony of Modern and Classic influences set in a unique 16th Century Coaching Inn Jeremy du Plessis, Landlord

”

It’s fair to say that The Bear & Ragged Staff is steeped in history. From the 450 year old bedrooms, you can look out onto open fields where Cumnor Place once stood, home to Robert Dudley, consort of Queen Elizabeth I – it was here that his wife ‘suspiciously’ died, the ensuing scandal preventing the Queen from marrying Dudley, and so history weaved its rich tapestry…

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: ROB SCOTCHER

all tastes and pair with any sort of dish, from Vino Spumante Prosecco to Gevrey Chambertin Patriarche.

New faces Jeremy du Plessis has an enviable track record when it comes to food and hospitality. His career has comprised time spent at Michelin-starred establishments, along with world-renowned hotels such as The Savoy Group and The Old Course Hotel in St Andrews. When it came to finding the perfect head chef, Jeremy searched for two years before offering the role to Flavien Chollet, a young Frenchman with a mature head on his shoulders.

Having previously worked at Hartwell House, an elegant English Heritage country house with four AA red stars and a restaurant that holds three AA rosettes, Flavien was ready for his first head chef role

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and had the perfect experience to work alongside Jeremy at the Bear & Ragged Staff. Flavien has previously worked at three other AA-rosette-awarded establishments and is sure to help build the already outstanding reputation Jeremy and his team have built over the years.

Immediately struck by Flavien’s calm demeanour and his impressive background, Jeremy was pleased to unite the front-of-house and kitchen team on a shared ethos.

Also joining the team is Lubos Stevcik, taking on the position of Deputy General Manager and Jeremy’s right-hand man. Lubos was previously at The Bell at Hampton Poyle and Lords of The Manor, Upper Slaughter.

The strong new team prides itself on offering an unrivalled product: nine beautiful bedrooms, top-

notch food and excellent service. The menu is presented in a wholly honest and unpretentious manner. By Jeremy’s own admittance, the Bear & Ragged Staff is not trying to be trendy or super sophisticated, opting instead to focus on producing great dishes that reflect Flavien’s passion for provenance and Lubos’ meticulous and hard-working nature, using only the freshest local produce that is available seasonally. It’s obviously a concept that resonates with the people of Oxfordshire, as the team here has a loyal local following – along with plenty of critical recognition, including a coveted AA rosette.

 enquiries@bearandraggedstaff.com  01865 862 329  www. bearandraggedstaff.com

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All work and no play can “make for a long day. So,

teaming up your event with a pre-or post round of golf offers a great way to break the ice, team build or relax after work.

”

Balance Business with Birdies Located in the south of Oxford on 500 acres of glorious undulating heathland is the county’s leading golf club; Frilford Heath.

Recently a venue for the 2017 Open qualifying, Frilford Heath offers players the choice of three championship golf courses to tee off from – Red, Green and Blue - which help to make it one of the leading golf venues in the south.

The original Red Course was laid out in 1908 by five times Open champion JH Taylor and measured 721 yards less than today’s 7015 on its par 72.

An authentic championship challenge from the Black Tees, it offers a traditional heathland golfing experience with pushed-up greens that run fast

and true alongside fairways that demand accurate driving if golfers are to score well. In 2013, it once again hosted the English Amateur, and has hosted the European Tour 1st Stage Qualifying since 2011.

The classical Green Course may be the shortest, at just over 6,000 yards, but its par 69 is no pushover, from the outset it offers its only par five as its opening hole, and birdie opportunities from there on are few and far between. The affectionately known “short 9” of holes 5 to 13 have even after 85 years retained their original layout that includes two exacting Par

3’s, a true testament to their designer J H Turner!

The Blue Course was designed by Simon Gidman and opened in 1994 with a par 72 scorecard measuring over 6700 yards from the Black Tees.

The subtle greens are more undulating than on the two older courses, and offer a number of interesting and challenging flag positions as tested by the PGA Europro Tour who host a televised event each June and for five days every spring when the Blue and the Red Course becomes the home of the PGA Europro Tour Qualifying School.

“ For those who aren’t

familiar with golf our experienced team offers group coaching and group clinics are also available on corporate and society days

”

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Frilford Heath is passionate about conservation in the area and its efforts where recently recognised with an Outstanding Environmental Project award at the Golf Environment Awards for its work in repopulating the Fen species. Neglected for many years, Frilford Heat’s efforts have seen the return of a number of fen indicator species including bog pimpernel, which is only found at a handful of sites in Oxfordshire.

In partnership with Natural England, and with the help of Abingdon Green Gym volunteers, the greenkeeping team have worked to enhance this nationally important habitat for the future of the SSSI.

Russell Stebbings, Frilford Heath’s General Manager, says: “Our three-authentic championship standard golf courses ensure your visit will not be cramped or rushed and we’re always happy to offer an experience tailored to suit your needs.

Alongside golf, Frilford Heath is a first class meeting and conference venue.

For those who aren’t familiar with golf our experienced team offers group coaching and group clinics are also available on corporate and society days. It’s the perfect way to have a bit of a fun learning something new.

The dedicated events team at Frilford Heath understand that planning a meeting, conference or event can be difficult and time consuming so we have worked hard to provide a corporate service that takes any stress out of the process. Frilford Heath offers corporate clients the ability to mix business with birdies.

All work and no play can make for a long day. So, teaming up your event with a pre-or post round of golf offers a great way to break the ice, team build or relax after work.

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“We also have our team of qualified PGA professionals on hand to help on all corporate and society days, to provide a smooth and enjoyable experience for all. From giving top advice to hiring trolleys and buggies, we ensure you have everything you need to get the most out of your day.”

Frilford Heath’s conference and meeting rooms offer everything required for a successful day. The Skelton Room is ideal for conferences or larger meetings hosting up to 75 guests in a bright environment with stunning views of the course. The Skelton room has a wide range of facilities including WIFI, audio visual equipment and 60” plasma screen.

For more intimate meetings, the Board Room is ideal for gatherings of up to 20 people and hosts a

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number facilities including WIFI, a 42” LCD screen and views across the course.

Meetings rooms can be hired for either half a day or a full day, with a number of packages to suit your needs. To ensure guests are kept happy throughout the event Frilford Heath offers a full catering service from tea and coffee to a fine dining experience.

Guests are also welcome to enjoy drinks in the clubhouse, overlooking the green, following their round of golf. The experienced team will work closely with every event organiser to ensure the best package is provided.

 info@frilfordheath.co.uk  01865 390 864  www.frilfordheath.co.uk

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WH MOBILE VA L E T I N G W W W.W H VA L E T I N G . C O . U K T: 01865 378904 / 07979 480886 E: waynehedgeruk@aol.com

PUTTING OUR KNOWLEDGE TO WORK ■ ■ ■

OUTDOOR CLEANING • Cleaning Only £3 per m2 • Cleaning & Re-Sanding £3.50 per m2 • Cleaning & Sealing £6 per m2 • Cleaning, Re-Sanding & Sealing £6.50 per m2 Contact us now for all your patio and driveway cleaning solutions. Our vast experience and passion for our job will leave you with a spotless patio or driveway.

Our efficient, professional work ethic extends to our car valeting service in Oxford.

■ ■

Developing people Access to talent Consultancy World-class research Conferencing facilities

business.services@brookes.ac.uk 01865 484204

brookes.ac.uk/ business-and-employers

Providing practical solutions to today’s business problems.

INVISIBLE HEARING AIDS WAX REMOVAL HEARING ASSESSMENT HEARPLAN

Supporting the regions businesses, and their owners, through the provision of expert accountancy, taxation and business advice

WE HELP YOU TO HEAR THE BEAUTY OF LIFE OUR NEW GENERATION OF HEARING TECHNOLOGY HELPS YOU FIND A HEARING AID THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU

01865 861166 • jamescowperkreston.co.uk info@jamescowperkreston.co.uk

We have offices in: Oxford • Reading • Newbury Henley-on-Thames • London • Southampton James Cowper Kreston is a member of Kreston International, the global network of independent accountants and business advisers. Registered to carry on audit work in the UK and Ireland and regulated for a range of investments business activities by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Email: enquiries@tripphearing.co.uk Tel: 01865 910 202 Web: www.tripphearing.co.uk CLINICS NOW AVAILABLE IN OXFORD ABINGDON CHIPPING NORTON GORING

B4

spotlight

EXCEL DRY CLEANERS – FIRST CLASS SERVICE We’ve been using Excel for years. Previous owner, John Warburton, was always engaging and courteous, providing a service second to none. And now Rachel Boyes, who took over the business eight years ago has taken over from where John left off having joined the business in Summertown twenty two years ago.

Written by: Richard Rosser

Rachel is a hard worker in a physically demanding business. The end product may well be perfectly ironed shirts, reinvigorated curtains or a revitalised dress, but the truth is that the process is as it has always been…..hard work in very hot conditions.

Rachel is someone who, from personal experience, clearly cares about the service she provides her clients. She’s a hard worker, artisan like, demanding the best of herself and her dedicated team. “It’s a physically demanding job and it’s not for everyone.

My team are wonderful and I simply couldn’t do it without them. All of the team have been trained on the job and I have even been asked before to go in and train other staff at client premises where they installed some new laundry equipment and they wanted me to go and do the training for them. I’m more than happy to go out and train housekeepers www.b4-business.com

and clients with requirements that I can help with.

up some excellent accounts and certainly helps the business to grow.”

With clients ranging from students to young professionals, local hotels to uniforms for some of the leading businesses in the county, it’s not difficult to see why so many people put their trust in Excel.

“I sometimes wonder where they all come from. We have people bringing in 16 shirts at a time, curtains, suits, wedding dresses, you name it we clean it!

“We’ve built up an excellent reputation as we have been here so long. There are lots of familiar faces coming in to the shop every day and it’s really nice to see so many loyal customers coming back, time and again.”

Excel has attracted some fabulous corporate clients, including the likes of Blenheim Palace and leading Oxfordshire hotels, adds Rachel. “It’s great to pick

Dry Cleaners of Oxford Ltd

 info@exceldrycleanersofoxford.co.uk  01865 511 773  www.exceldrycleanersofoxford.co.uk

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The B4 Members Club Welcome to the B4 Member’s Club. In this section you’ll find some exclusive content for B4 Members.

Contents: 122. Meet The B4 Members 123. B4 Testimonials 124. B4 Members Events 125. B4 Events

Meet the B4 Members B4 is proud to welcome the following new members to the network.

Grove Business Park BUSINESS SECTOR : BUSINESS PARKS Grove Business Park is a 32-acre mixed use business park in Wantage. The Park is home to over 85 businesses, employing over 300 people, ranging from start-ups to SMEs and multi-national organisations.

Newly refurbished serviced office accommodation is available at Grove Business Park’s Boston House.

Tel: 01235 772 992 www.grovebusinesspark.com

Pint Shop BUSINESS SECTOR : R & R

Pint Shop based right in the centre of the City on George Street, is all about creating a place that embraces eating and drinking in equal measures. A place where you feel equally at home having a few beers, a light lunch or a full-blown feast.

With a large downstairs dining room, including various private dining options there is certainly more to Pint Shop that meets the eye.

Tel: 01865 251 194 www.pintshop.co.uk

Horticultural Trades Association BUSINESS SECTOR : ENVIRONMENT In a nutshell, we’re all about supporting UK garden businesses. We’re proud to count 1,500 garden retailers, growers, manufacturers and landscapers in our members. Here’s how we help our members.

Tel: 0333 003 3550 hta.org.uk

The Career Boutique

OMC Global

Forge Engineering Design Solutions

BUSINESS SECTOR : RECRUITMENT

BUSINESS SECTOR : BUSINESS SERVICES

BUSINESS SECTOR : PROPERTY

We offer a bespoke service for exceptional companies seeking inspirational individuals and for professional highflyers seeking career ascendancy within flourishing organisations.

OMC Global is a family run business that started in 2007, with over 10 years experience OMC Global has become one of the number one trusted transport service providers in Oxford and surrounding areas, with a large spectrum of clients from the both the private and corporate sector.

Forge Engineering Design Solutions Ltd is a multidisciplinary consultancy that has the skills, expertise, imagination and enthusiasm to take your project from its conception, through the planning phase to the construction phase and completion.

Tel: 0845 520 4010 www.thecareerboutique.com

Tel: 01865 377 775 omc.uk.com

Tel: 01865 362 780 www.f-eds.co.uk

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B4 Testimonials  What our members have to say about the B4 Network

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

"B4 offers unrivalled opportunities to discuss business with representatives you might not otherwise discover in relaxed surroundings."

Phil Southall | Managing Director | Oxford Bus Company

“It’s great working with Richard and the B4 team as they have a refreshingly creative approach to business marketing and they make it fun. They have the widest corporate network in Oxfordshire and have helped put our venue on the map.”

Alice Ogilvie | Head of Venue Services | Bodleian Libraries

“We have been delighted with the events that B4 host and have found that they have provided us with a great platform for our own business development – so thanks again and looking forward to working with you during the rest of 2017.”

"We have hugely benefitted from our partnership with B4, they have managed to raise our profile in the local area and are a pleasure to work with."

Amy Dobson | Sales & Marketing Manager | Bombay Sapphire Distillery

"B4 has helped Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons connect with our local business community very effectively as well as build some excellent new relationships along the way."

"Since working with B4 our presence in Oxfordshire has seen a marked increase. This has helped us to expand our target audience, raising our profile with local businesses in and around Oxfordshire."

Peter Osborne | Marketing | Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons

Richard Marsh | CEO | CIS

"Quite simply, without B4 we wouldn’t have met, worked and partnered with some of the people we now act for."

"B4 has provided us with an excellent platform to promote the responsible business agenda to Oxfordshire companies."

Tony Haines | Partner | Wenn Townsend

Frank Nigriello | Director of Corporate Affairs | Unipart Group

“B4 has raised our business profile through excellent editorial and opportunities to showcase our food and services at B4 Classic events.”

"In a very diverse and fast-moving business community, B4 is one of the most important communication channels for sharing the information that builds relationships and drives success for local businesses. I am delighted that my firm is associated with B4."

Sue Staunton | Partner | James Cowper Kreston

"B4 have clearly taken the time to understand what we are trying to do as a business and have given us great support in getting our message across."

Derek Rodgers | Managing Partner | Gardner Leader

"The team at B4 seem to know everyone in Oxfordshire! They never fail to put you in contact with someone useful. Their events are interesting and engaging, and the publication is packed full of relevant stories. But it is the individual service that really makes the difference to building our local network. Richard even facilitated the introduction to my rescue cat, Poppy!"

Sue Randall | Managing Director | Oxford Fine Dining

David Birch | People Advisory Services | Partner Ernst & Young LLP

Elaine McKechnie | Head of Marketing | Oxford Innovation

“B4 provides high quality networking events which enable us to engage with the local business community. the calibre of attendees at these events is excellent.”

Kay Miles | Senior Event Marketing Manager | University of Oxford

www.b4-business.com

“A great business magazine, super new website, lots of networking and events – all make B4 brilliant for business.”

Mark Charter | Partner | Carter Jonas

“We have been working with richard and the team at B4 for the past ten years. B4 has undoubtedly helped us to develop our business beyond our region, a truly trusted partner.”

James White | Prospect Conversion Champion | InTouch CRM

"As one of the leading independent schools in Oxford with a strong interest in our role in the community, B4 has provided an important link for us with the business leaders in the area."

Peter Talbot | Bursar | d’Overbroeck’s

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B4 Members Events  Upcoming B4 Members Events and Courses WHO

WHEN

WHERE

WHAT

Blenheim Palace

Sep 7 @ 6.00pm

Orangery Restaurant, Blenheim Palace, Oxford Rd, Woodstock, OX20 1PS

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Ball: Enjoy a delicious three-course dinner, drinks, dancing and an auction in aid of Maggie’s, a local charity providing support to people with cancer and their loved ones. Black tie. Tickets: £99.

Horticultural Trades Association

Sep 14 @ 3.00pm

Horticulture House, Manor Court, Chilton, Didcot, OX11 0RN

Horticulture House Afternoon Tea & Tour: We are hosting open days, to showcase our new meeting and conference rooms, on the following dates. If you would like to attend please get in touch.

To book: bookings@hta.org.uk

Freeths

Sep 14 @ 8.00am

Freeths Solicitors, 5000 Oxford Business Park, Oxford, OX4 2BH

Women in Property - Leading Ladies Breakfast: Thames Valley branch of the Association of Women in Property: Leading Ladies Breakfast with speaker Estelle Bailey, the CEO of BBOWT, who will speak about her career and the amazing work being done by our local wildlife trust.

Contact lesley.pollock@freeths.co.uk for further details.

You HR

Sep 21 @ 5:30pm 8:00pm

You HR Consultancy @ Fugro House, Hithercroft Road, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 9RB

A Charity Evening of Inspiration and Business Networking: Come along to our inspiring Charity event bringing business communities together with motivational talks, speed networking and many exciting extras! The evening is in aid of our amazing charity partner Community Albums and we want to help contribute towards their work, giving communities a voice through music and media.

To book: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-charity-evening-ofinspiration-and-business-networking-tickets-34277757696

Helen & Douglas House

Oct 8 @ 9.30am

Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3AF

The Oxford Half Marathon 2017: Why not use your good health and running experience to help children and young adults with life-shortening conditions? Take on a half marathon for Helen & Douglas House and enjoy running amongst the dreaming spires and the beautiful architecture of this historic city!

For more information about any of the above events, please visit www.b4-business.com/members-events 124

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B4 Events  Upcoming B4 Classic Events and Masterclasses.

WHO

WHEN

WHERE

B4 Classic Event at Rhodes House

Sep 7 @ 6:00pm 8:00pm

Rhodes House, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RG

WHAT We are delighted to welcome you back to Rhodes House following the successful events held in the previous 5 years. Join other B4 Ambassadors, Members and their guests at this stunning venue, home of the Rhodes Scholars. www.b4-business.com/b4-events/

B4 Classic Event with The Cocktail Service at The Globe

Sep 20 @ 5:00pm 7:00pm

The Globe, 76 St Clement’s, Oxford, OX4 1AH

Join B4 and The Cocktail Service for a relaxed evening of cocktail making and networking at The Globe in Oxford. The Cocktail Service was established in 2009 and have quickly expanded to become one of the UK’s leading drinks agencies. www.b4-business.com/b4-events/

B4 Classic Event at St Antony’s College

Sep 26 @ 6:00pm 8:00pm

St Antony’s College, 62 Woodstock Road Oxford, OX2 6JF

B4 and Conference Oxford are pleased to announce a networking opportunity in the stunning surrounds of St Anthony’s College, University of Oxford. The Event will include casual networking with Champagne and canapes, speeches by representatives from B4, St Antony’s College and Conference Oxford and tours of the College. www.b4-business.com/b4-events/

Platinum Dinner at Pembroke College

Sep 27 @ 7:00pm 11:00pm

Pembroke College, St. Aldates, Oxford, OX1 1DW

Event includes: Champagne Reception; Three-course dinner; Sommelier selected wines; Coffee and Petits Fours; Guest speaker.

To book tickets at £150+VAT per head please call 01865 742211 or visit the website below. www.b4-business.com/b4-events/

Platinum Dinner at Macdonald Randolph Hotel

Oct 12 @ 7:00pm 11:00pm

Macdonald Randolph Hotel, Beaumont St, Oxford, OX1 2LN

Event includes: Champagne Reception; Three-course dinner; Sommelier selected wines; Coffee and Petits Fours; Guest speaker.

To book tickets at £150+VAT per head please call 01865 742211 or visit the website below. www.b4-business.com/b4-events/

Christmas Dinner at The Divinity School

Dec 4 @ 6:00pm 11:00pm

The Divinity School, Bodleian Library, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3BG

The university’s oldest teaching and examination room, dating from the 1500s, a masterpiece of English gothic architecture.

Public access is limited so this will be a wonderful opportunity to see inside this fantastic building. To book tickets at £165+VAT per head please call 01865 742211 or visit the website below. www.b4-business.com/b4-events/

To register for any of the above events, please visit www.b4-business.com www.b4-business.com

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

ADVICE ACCOUNTING Wenn Townsend P Tony Haines Partner 01865 559 900 OXON www.wenntownsend.co.uk Grant Thornton UK LLP P Wendy Hart Managing Partner 01865 799 899 OXON www.grant-thornton.co.uk Grant Thornton UK LLP P Jim Rogers Assurance Partner 01189 559 114 BERKS www.grant-thornton.co.uk The MGroup P Richard Clayton Partner 01865 552 925 OXON www.themgroup.co.uk Wellers P Debbie Austin Partner 01865 723 131 OXON www.wellersaccountants.co.uk James Cowper Kreston P Andy Cowie Marketing & Business Development Director 01189 590 261 OXON www.jamescowperkreston.co.uk Whitley Stimpson Ltd G Jonathan Walton Director 01494 448 122 BUCKS www.whitleystimpson.co.uk Whitley Stimpson Ltd G Stuart Haigh Director 01869 252 151 OXON www.whitleystimpson.co.uk Shaw Gibbs G Peter O’Connell Partner 01865 292 200 OXON www.shawgibbs.com Wilson Partners A Allan Ian Wilson Managing Director 01628 770 770 BERKS www.wilson-partners.co.uk

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Gracechurch Wealth Management LLP A Richard Lawrance Independent Financial Adviser 01908 209 220 BUCKS www.gracechurchwm.com Seymour Taylor A Simon Turner Managing Director 01494 552 125 BUCKS www.stca.co.uk Auditel 01865 774 387 OXON www.auditel.co.uk Richardsons Accountants 01844 261 155 OXON www.richardsons-group.co.uk Rees Russell 01993 702 418 OXON www.reesrussell.co.uk Russell Whitlock Accountancy 01865 481 625 OXON www.rw-accountancy.co.uk Clark Howes 0808 271 3099 OXON www.clarkhowes.com Camerons Accountancy 01865 882 621 OXON www.camerons-uk.com Chapman, Robinson & Moore 01865 379 272 OXON www.crmoxford.co.uk

BUSINESS ADVICE Oxford Professional P Consulting Alison Haill Executive Coach 01865 436 791 OXON www.oxfordprofessionalconsulting.com Haiku Consulting G Joy Le Fevre 07885 066163 OXON www.haiku.consulting Business Doctors 0845 219 7077 OXON www.businessdoctors.co.uk Diane Wilkinson & Associates Ltd. 01865 430 470 OXON www.dianewilkinson.co.uk

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

Strategic Mentors 01993 771 728 OXON www.strategicmentors.co.uk Ernst & Young 01189 281 100 BERKS www.ey.com/UK/en/home Hilltop Consultancy 01844 237 450 BUCKS www.hilltopconsultancy.co.uk Sandler Training 01608 611 211 OXON www.oxford.sandler.com Active Education and Training Ltd 01865 594 325 OXON www.oxfordactive.co.uk Explosive Learning Solutions 01235 861 805 OXON www.explosivelearningsolutions.com Endeavour Consulting 07711 825 005 OXON www.endeavour-consulting.co.uk Neil Urquhart - Business manager 01295 780 928 OXON Leading Edge Coaching 01488 638 119 OXON www.leadingedgecoaching.co.uk Two One Services 07730 927 888 OXON www.facebook.com/twooneservices The Career Boutique 0845 520 4010 OXON www.thecareerboutique.com

Gardner Leader LLP G Derek Rogers Managing Partner 01635 508 080 BERKS www.gardner-leader.co.uk BrookStreet Des Roches LLP Paddy Gregan G Partner 01235 836 655 OXON www.bsdr.com Blake Morgan LLP A Stephen Schneider Senior Associate 01865 248 607 OXON www.blakemorgan.co.uk Turpin & Miller LLP A Emily Boardman Partner 01865 770 111 OXON www.turpinmiller.co.uk Penningtons Manches LLP Richard Smith A Partner 01865 722 106 OXON www.penningtons.co.uk Lewis Silkin 0207 0748 494 OXON www.lewissilkin.com David Parry Employment Law 01993 848 247 OXON www.parryemploymentlaw.com Blandy & Blandy 0118 951 6800 BERKS www.blandy.co.uk

BUSINESS SERVICES LEGAL Knights P David Beech Chief Executive Officer 01865 811 700 OXON www.knights1759.co.uk Hedges Law P Nicola Poole Managing Director 01491 839 839 OXON www.hedgeslaw.co.uk Freeths LLP G Sarah Foster Managing Partner 01865 781 000 OXON www.freeths.co.uk

ARCHIVE & STORAGE The Oxford Duplication Centre Cheryl-Lee Foulsham A Managing Director 01865 457 000 OXON www.theduplicationcentre.co.uk

BUSINESS SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT Aston & James Office Supplies Ltd P Darren Aston Director 01993 706 900 OXON www.aston-james.co.uk

www.b4-business.com

B4 contacts Abbotts Office Solutions 01844 268 368 OXON www.abbotts-office.com

MD2MD 01865 600 800 OXON www.md2md.co.uk

CHARITIES

SECURITY

Sobell House P Tim Wraith Corporate Partnerships Manager 01865 857 067 OXON www.sobellhouse.org

Executive Alarms Ltd A John Keown Director 01865 435 435 OXON www.executive-systems.co.uk

Helen & Douglas House A Lucy Walker Community Fundraising Manager 01865 799 150 OXON www.helenanddouglas.org.uk

Security Exchange 01491 683 710 BERKS www.securityexchange24.com

Oxfordshire Community Foundation A Jayne Woodley Chief Executive 01865 798 666 OXON www.oxfordshire.org Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust 01865 775 476 OXON www.bbowt.org.uk Bloodwise 020 7504 2231 OXON www.bloodwise.org.uk UCARE 01865 767 777 OXON www.ucare-oxford.org.uk

CLEANING SERVICES Excel Dry Cleaners G 01865 511 773 OXON www.exceldrycleanersofoxford.co.uk WH Mobile Valeting 07979 480 886 OXON www.whvaleting.com

MOTOR North Oxford Garage 01865 319 003 OXON www.oxfordbmw.co.uk

LOCAL GOVERNMENT OxfordshireLEP P Richard Byard Director of Business Development 01865 261 433 OXON www.oxfordshirelep.com Reciprocate G Tony Stratton Chairman 01865 798666 http://reciprocateox.org

NETWORKING GROUPS B4 Magazine P Richard Rosser Editor 01865 742 211 OXON www.b4-business.com

www.b4-business.com

TRANSPORT Chiltern Railways P 020 7333 3113 OXON www.chilternrailways.co.uk Headington Carriers P Peter Barrett Managing Director 01993 811276 OXON www.headingtoncarriers.co.uk OMC Global & Simply Chauffeur G Harry Oliver Sales Manager 01865 377 775 OXON www.omc.uk.com

CONFERENCE VENUES Rhodes House P Isabelle Barber Business Development Manager 01865 282 599 OXON www.rhodeshouseoxford.com Westwood Country Hotel P Kat Groves General Manager 01865 735408 www.westwoodhotel.co.uk Bombay Sapphire Distillery G Amy Dobson Sales and Marketing Manager 01256 890 090 BERKS distillery.bombaysapphire.com Oxford Brookes Venues G Becky Rossiter Conference Sales and Marketing Manager 01865 484 612 OXON www.brookes.ac.uk Stoke Park G Nick Downie Head of Communications 01753 717 171 BUCKS www.stokepark.com Blenheim Palace Hospitality B 01993 813 874 OXON www.blenheimpalace.com/hospitality

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

Pembroke College A Ellen Brady Head of Events 01865 276 484 OXON www.pmb.ox.ac.uk/Conferences

London Oxford Airport 01865 290 710 OXON www.londonoxfordairport.com

Hartwell House Hotel A Matthew Johnson General Manager 01296 747 444 BUCKS www.hartwell-house.com

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

CONFERENCE, EVENTS & VENUES CATERING SERVICES Oxford Fine Dining P Sue Randall Managing Director 01865 728 240 OXON www.oxfordfinedining.co.uk Complete Catering G Jon Kay Managing Director 01235 820 840 OXON www.completecatering.co.uk The Cocktail Service 01865 251 431 OXON www.thecocktailservice.co.uk

Venue Services, Bodleian Library A Alice Ogilvie Head of Venue Services 01865 277 224 OXON www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Sheldon Grange 07949 266 418 OXON www.sheldongrange.com Culham Conference Centre 01235 466 494 OXON www.culhamconferencecentre.co.uk Conference Oxford 01865 287 378 OXON www.conference-oxford.com Exeter College 01865 279 600 OXON www.exeter.ox.ac.uk/conferences Malmaison 01865 268 400 OXON www.malmaison-oxford.com The King’s Centre 01865 297 400 OXON www.kingscentre.co.uk Swift Venue Finders 01491 824 634 OXON www.swiftvenuefinders.co.uk Horticultural Trades Association 0333 003 3550 OXON www.hta.org.uk

EQUIPMENT HIRE Oxford Event Hire A Kieran Lynch Owner 01865 760 158 OXON www.oxfordeventhire.co.uk That Event Company P James Walton Managing Director 01844 215 857 OXON www.that-event.com LNP Sound 01865 238 701 OXON www.lnpsound.com

EVENT PLANNING

The Examination Schools Kay Hogg A Events Manager 01865 276 905 OXON www.examschools.ox.ac.uk

Tina Rosser Event Solutions 07470 343226 OXON

Howbery Business Park A Donna Bowles Estate Manager 01491 822 305 OXON www.howberypark.com

Business in Oxford 2017 P 01865 742 211 OXON www.businessinoxford.com

Egrove Park A Martin Garside Conference Manager 01865 422 757 OXON www.sbs.oxford.edu/conferencing Ashmolean Museum 01865 288 364 OXON www.ashmus.ox.ac.uk

EVENTS

Oxfordshire Business Awards OXON www.oxfordshirebusinessawards.co.uk West Oxfordshire Business Awards 01993 220 690 OXON www.woba.org.uk

EDUCATION Abingdon & Witney College 01235 216 394 OXON www.abingdon-witney.ac.uk

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Corpus Christi College 01865 276 708 OXON www.ccc.ox.ac.uk Oxford International Study Centre 01865 201 009 OXON www.oxintstudycentre.com Lotus Tutors 0203 752 6743 OXON www.lotustutors.com

FINANCE ADVICE Focus P Phil Casey Partner 01865 813 315 OXON www.focusllp.co.uk Ridgefield Consulting 01865 364 350 OXON www.ridgefieldconsulting.co.uk Oxford Capital Partners 01865 860 760 OXON www.oxcp.com Finance.work 01869 354 041 OXON www.finance.work

HEALTH & LEISURE FITNESS TLA Fitness A Tom Alden Founder 07554 400 401 OXON www.tlafitness.com Prime Energy Fitness Ltd Barry Grinham 01869 352 000 OXON www.primeenergy.org Cherwell Boathouse Punting 01865 552 746 OXON www.cherwellboathouse.co.uk

GOLF Frilford Heath Golf Club P Alistair Booth Director 01865 390 864 OXON www.frilfordheath.co.uk Kirtlington Golf Club A Gary Quainton Golf and Pro Shop Manager 01869 351 133 OXON www.kirtlingtongolfclub.com

Oxford Rowing Club 01865 242 576 OXON www.oxfordrowingclub.org.uk Milton Keynes Festival of Running www.mkrun.co.ukk Headington Road Runners hrr.org.uk/h5m

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

Complete IT S James Gibson Account Manager 01865 593012 www.complete-it.co.uk

Light Bright Communications 07811 180 388 GLOC www.lightbrightcommunications.co.uk

Simeio A Ollie McGovern Founder 07795 235 995 OXON www.simeio.co.uk

FOCUS Oxford Risk Management Ltd P Nick Jones Partner 01865 813 307 OXON www.focusorm.co.uk

Clinic95 P Maria Hardman Business Manager 01865 241 661 OXON www.clinic95.com

e-volveHR 0800 634 5240 OXON www.e-volvehr.co.uk

HSBC 0845 850 174 OXON www.hsbc.com NatWest 01865 305 175 OXON www.natwest.com

MORTGAGE ADVICE Focus P Nick Walker Partner 01865 295 295 OXON www.focusllp.co.uk

Gold Star Recruitment 01993 225 075 OXON www.goldstarrecruit.co.uk Allen Associates 01865 335 600 OXON www.allen-associates.co.uk

Diamond House Dental Practice 01865 559 521 OXON www.diamondhouse.co.uk

Nicola Gardiner Executive Search 07900 912 941 OXON www.nicolagardiner.com

Clinic on the Green 01869 351 345 OXON www.cliniconthegreen.com

Thompson & Terry Recruitment 01235 797 177 OXON www.thompsonandterry.co.uk

SPORT Oxford University Rugby Football Club Tim Stevens Club Administrator 01865 432 000 OXON www.ourfc.org Bike Oxford 07808 161 394 OXON www.bikeoxford.co.uk Oxford United Football Club 01865 337 500 OXON www.oufc.co.uk

Computing Information Systems (CIS) Ltd P Richard Marsh Director 01367 700 555 OXON www.cisltd.com

You HR P Jonna Mundy Owner 07703 719 464 www.youhrconsultancy.co.uk

RECRUITMENT

Barclays Corporate Banking Trevor French P Head of Business and Corporate Banking 0800 015 4242 OXON www.barclayscorporate.com

IT SERVICES

HR CONSULTANTS

HEALTH CARE

BANKING

InTouch CRM P James White Managing Director 0845 310 9973 OXON www.intouchcrm.co.uk

The Cabling Company G David Jackson Sales Director 07796 140 348 OXON www.thecablingcompany.com

HR

INSURANCE

Tara Tripp Hearing Care P Vincent Tripp Practice Manager 01865 910 202 OXON www.tripphearing.co.uk

DATABASE MANAGEMENT

IT & TELECOMMUNICATIONS TELECOMMUNICATIONS Orange Stripe Telecommunications A Nigel Pursall Managing Director 0845 241 7772 OXON www.orangestripe.co.uk STL Communications Ltd A Philip Donigan Sales Director 01993 777 113 OXON www.stlcomms.com

JP IT Solutions 01672 552 340 OXON www.jpitsolutions.co.uk Security Exchange Ltd. 01491 683 710 BERKS www.securityexchange24.com Storm Internet 08447 366171 OXON www.storminternet.co.uk Bongo IT 01865 988 217 OXON www.bongoit.co.uk

WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT Alberon P Tim Ault Managing Director 01865 263 220 OXON www.alberon.co.uk Torpedo Group Limited A Iain Lewis Director 01865 733 710 OXON www.torpedogroup.com

MANUFACTURING Unipart P Frank Nigriello Director of Corporate Affairs 01865 383 339 OXON www.unipart.com

Oxfordshire Cricket 07790 102 130 OXON www.oxoncb.com

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www.b4-business.com

B4 contacts Owen Mumford G Jarl Severn Director 01993 812 021 OXON www.owenmumford.com

MARKETING & DESIGN ADVERTISING B4 Magazine P Richard Rosser Managing Director 01865 742 211 OXON www.b4-business.com Living In Oxford Magazine Colin Rosser P Chairman 01865 742 211 OXON www.inoxford.com

CORPORATE IDENTITY Recognition Express P Andy Olejnik Managing Director 01295 257 611 OXON www.re-oxfordshire.co.uk Strangebrew P Phil Strachan Director 07770 753 975 BERKS www.thinkbrandnotbland.co.uk Luna Branding 01367 705 055 OXON www.lunabranding.co.uk

DESIGN House on the Hill P Keith Simpson Senior Designer 01865 742 211 OXON www.hothdesign.co.uk

FRAMING Isis Creative Framing 01865 203 420 OXON www.isiscreative.co.uk

MARKETING Experience Oxfordshire P Hayley Beer-Gamage Chief Executive 01865 252 409 OXON www.experienceoxfordshire.org Marketing Sense A Jo Sensecall Director 01865 883 579 OXON www.marketing-sense.co.uk Heart of Business A Jackie Jarvis Director 07801 293 022 OXON

www.b4-business.com

Digital Gold HQ 02035 988 661 LDN www.digitalgoldhq.com

HeadOn PR 07920 792 183 GLOU www.headonpr.co.uk

Lambert Smith Hampton (Reading) 01189 606 909 BERKS www.lsh.co.uk

ADS 01993 885 125 OXON www.adsoxford.co.uk

Spacecraft Consulting 01295 811 781 OXON www.oconsultancy.com

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

Oxford Digital Marketing 01865 575 955 OXON www.oxforddigitalmarketing.co.uk Urban Element 01993 776 999 OXON www.urbanelement.com Amica Marketing 07762 417 379 OXON www.amica-marketing.co.uk BeSeen Marketing 01494 678 671 OXON www.beseen-marketing.co.uk

MEDIA/DIGITAL

PROPERTY & BUILDING ARCHITECTURE John Hallam Associates A John Hallam Director 01608 646 969 OXON www.johnhallamassociates.co.uk Oxford Architects 01865 329 100 OXON www.oxford-architects.com Jessop & Cook Architects 01865 591212 OXON www.jessopandcook.co.uk

Imageworks 01865 865656 OXON www.imageworks.co.uk

BUSINESS PARKS

Indulge Media 01865 686 093 OXON www.indulgemedia.com

Oxford Innovation Ltd P Jo Willett Marketing and Business Development Director 01865 261 400 OXON www.oxin-centres.co.uk

Epic Media Services 07916 005 942 OXON www.epicmediaservices.co.uk

PHOTOGRAPHY Studio8 P Clark Wiseman Managing Director 01865 842 525 OXON www.studio-8.co.uk

PRINTING Henry Stone Ltd P Mark Scurr Production Director 01295 819 390 OXON www.henry-stone.co.uk OxUniPrint A Ian Wilton Managing Director 01865 844 918 OXON www.oxuniprint.co.uk Minuteman Press 01865 247 010 OXON www.oxford.minutemanpress.co.uk MRD Digital Print 01865 715 181 OXON www.mrddigitalprint.com

PUBLIC RELATIONS Papa Romeo PR A Claire Thompson Managing Director 07811 339 577 OXON www.paparomeopr.com

The Oxford Science Park G Piers Scrimshaw-Wright Managing Director 01865 784 000 OXON www.oxfordsp.com MEPC B 01235 865 555 OXON www.mepc.com Begbroke Science Park A Alistair Cory Managing Director 01865 283 700 OXON www.begbroke.ox.ac.uk Grove Business Park 01235 772 992 OXON www.grovebusinesspark.com

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY AGENTS VSL and Partners P Richard Venables Director 01865 848 488 OXON www.vslandp.com Carter Jonas P Scott Harkness Partner 01865 511 444 OXON www.carterjonas.co.uk Lambert Smith Hampton (Oxford) A Kevin Wood Director 01865 200 244 OXON www.lsh.co.uk

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SERVICES Oxford Innovation Ltd P Jo Willett Marketing and Business Development Director 01865 261 400 OXON www.oxin-centres.co.uk Bracknell Enterprise & Innovation Hub Shelley Furey A Centre Manager 01344 388 000 BERKS www.bracknell-hub.co.uk

ESTATE AGENTS Breckon & Breckon P Keith Stacey Managing Director 01865 244 735 OXON www.breckon.co.uk Wallers of Oxford 01865 435 175 OXON www.wallersofoxford.co.uk Savills 01865 339 705 OXON www.savills.com

LETTING AGENTS Breckon & Breckon P Greg Barnes Director 01865 201 111 OXON www.breckon.co.uk North Oxford Property Services P Robin Swailes Director 01865 311 745 OXON www.nops.co.uk Finders Keepers P Frank Webster Director 01865 302 308 OXON www.finders.co.uk Lucy Properties A Ian Ashcroft Managing Director 01865 559 973 OXON www.lucyproperties.co.uk College and County A Mark Crampton-Smith Owner 01865 722 722 OXON www.collegeandcounty.biz

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B4 contacts PROPERTY & CONSTRUCTION CONSULTANTS

ACCOMMODATION

Kempton Carr Croft G Rob Kerrigan Chartered Surveyor and RICS Registered Valuer 01628 771 221 BERKS www.kemptoncarr.co.uk Ridge and Partners LLP 01993 815 101 OXON www.ridge.co.uk

Macdonald Randolph Hotel Michael Grange P General Manager 0844 879 9132 OXON www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk

B

Beard Construction 01865 860 046 OXON www.beardconstruction.co.uk Solid Structures 01608 690 858 OXON www.solid-structures.com Ian Bridge Consultancy Ltd 07917 881 465 OXON www.ianbridge.com Mulholland Landscape Consultants 07734 253 579 OXON www.mulhollandconsultants.co.uk RED Engineering 01869 355 600 OXON www.red-eng.com PMS Oxford 01865 407 554 OXON www.pmsoxford.co.uk Element Studios 07887 407 456 OXON www.elementstudios.co.uk Forge Engineering Design Solutions 07780 452 099 OXON www.f-eds.co.uk

PROPERTY SERVICES Savvy Maintenance & Renovations P Stephen Dunne Director 01865 920 020 OXON www.savvy-group.co.uk Bicester Roofing G Michael Staniford Managing Director 0870 264 6454 OXON www.bicesterroofing.co.uk Oxford Property Consulting 01865 553 956 OXON www.oxfordpropertyconsulting.co.uk Darke & Taylor Ltd 01865 290 000 OXON www.darkeandtaylor.co.uk A1 Plumbing & Heating 01865 327 732 OXON www.a1ltd.co.uk Oxford Garden Design 01993 813 721 OXON www.oxfordgardendesign.co.uk

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R&R

The Manor at Weston on the Green G Michael Stevenson General Manager 01869 350 621 OXON www.themanorweston.com

Sam Strange Magic A Sam Strange Owner 01865 742 211 OXON www.samstrangemagic.co.uk

ENTERTAINMENT Oxford Playhouse 01865 305 305 OXON www.oxfordplayhouse.com

Laurent Perrier UK P David Green Regional Account Manager 01628 475 404 BUCKS www.laurent-perrier.co.uk

Milton Hill House 01235 831 474 OXON www.miltonoxfordshire.co.uk

TOAD 01865 767 918 OXON www.spiritoftoad.com

Eynsham Hall 01993 885 238 OXON www.eynshamhall.com

Maestria Brands 01865 818 664 OXON www.maestriabrands.com

Spirit Health Club 0207 973 7540 OXON www.langhamhotels.com Holiday Inn Oxford 0871 942 9086 OXON www.hioxfordhotel.co.uk Royal Oxford Hotel 01865 248 432 OXON www.royaloxfordhotel.co.uk De Vere Oxford Thames Hotel 01865 334 444 OXON www.phcompany.com/de-vere/oxford-thames Hawkwell House 01865 749 988 OXON www.hawkwellhouse.co.uk Oxford Spires Hotel 01865 324 324 OXON www.oxfordspireshotel.co.uk

ARTISTIC & CULTURAL Ashmolean Museum 01865 288 364 OXON www.ashmus.ox.ac.uk Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra 01865 987 222 OXON www.oxfordphil.com

CORPORATE ENTERTAINMENT Newbury Racecourse P Tracy Skinner Head of Sales 01635 40015 www.newburyracecourse.co.uk

OXC 07837 244 826 OXON www.oxcuk.com Blackwell's 01865 333 536 OXON www.blackwell.co.uk Bicester Village 01869 323 200 OXON www.bicestervillage.com

FOOD & DRINK SUPPLIES

The Bear & Ragged Staff A Mark Greenwood Landlord 01865 862 329 OXON www.bearandraggedstaff.com

Conifers Guest House 01865 763 055 OXON www.conifersguesthouse.co.uk

SHOPPING

GALLERIES Aidan Meller Galleries G Aidan Meller Proprietor 01865 727996 OXON www.aidanmeller.com Wiseman Gallery A Sarah Wiseman Owner 01865 515 123 OXON www.wisegal.com

RENTAL ACCOMMODATION Lower Mill Estate A Red Paxton Marketing and Sales Director 01285 869 489 OXON www.lowermillestate.com

RESTAURANTS The Pint Shop B 01865 251194 OXON www.pintshop.co.uk Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons 01844 278 881 OXON www.manoir.com Pierre Victoire 01865 316 616 OXON www.pierrevictoire.co.uk Marco’s at Mercure Eastgate Hotel 01865 248 332 OXON www.mpwrestaurants.co.uk/restaurants /marcos-oxford Cosmo 01865 297 575 OXON www.cosmo-restaurants.co.uk

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1855 Oxford Abingdon & Witney College ADS Aidan Meller Galleries Alberon Aldens Specialist Catering Butchers Amey Plc Anne Veck Hair Ashmolean Museum Aston and James Office Supplies Banbury Road Medical Centre Barclays Business Bear and Ragged Staff Beard Construction Beard Oxford Becton Dickinson UK Ltd Belmond Le Manoir Bibby Financial Services Bicester Hotel Golf and Spa Bicester Innovation Centre Bicester Roofing Bicester Village Bignell Park Hotel Blackwell’s Blake Morgan Blenheim Palace Hospitality Bloxham Mill BMW Group Branca Breckon and Breckon Brethertons Brewin Dolphin Bridle Insurance Brookes Restaurant BrookStreet Des Roches Burford Golf Club Cafe Coco Ltd Capital Air Services Carter Jonas Cazenove Capital Management CETA Insurance Ltd Cherwell Boathouse Cherwell Innovation Centre Chiltern Railways Chris Lewis Fire & Security CIS Ltd City of Oxford College Clarendon Enterprise Centre Clark Howes Group Clinic 95 Clinic on the Green Cluttons LLP Clydesdale Bank College and County Conference Oxford Culham Conference Centre Culham Innovation Centre Culham Science Centre Darke & Taylor Dashwood Hotel David Parry Employment Law De Vere Venues Diamond House Dental Practice Diamond Light Source d’Overbroeck’s EF Language School Examination Schools

Experience Oxfordshire Eynsham Hall Finders Keepers Findlay Chauffeur Service FOCUS Four Pillars Hotels Ltd Freeths Frilford Heath Golf Club Grant Thornton UK LLP Great Experience Travel Grundon Hangar 8 Ltd Harley Davidson Harwell Innovation Centre Hawkwell House Hotel and Restaurant Headington Library Bury Knowle Hedges Law Helen & Douglas House Helen Money Nutrition Heyford Park Commercial Hinksey Heights Golf Course Holiday Inn Oxford Hook Norton Brewery Howbery Park HR Wallingford Group Hunter, Thomas & Company Ltd Indulge Media Invest in Oxfordshire Isis Creative Framing Ltd Islip Surgery Jacobs and Field James Cowper Kreston Jeffersons Business Centre Jurys Inn Oxford Kemp & Kemp Kingerlee Kingston Bagpuize House & Garden Kirtlington Business Centre Kirtlington Golf Club Knights La Cucina Lady Margaret Hall Lambert Smith Hampton Lewis Silkin LLP Lloyds Bank London Oxford Airport Lucy Properties Macdonald Randolph Hotel Mahogany Hair Malmaison Marco’s at Mercure Eastgate Hotel Matthew Clulee MEPC Modern Art Oxford NatWest Nielsen Nominet North Oxford Lawn Tennis Club North Oxford Property Services Old Parsonage Hotel Old Swan & Minster Mill One St Aldates OPP Owen Mumford Oxfam Oxford Brookes University Oxford Brookes University, Conference

Services Oxford Brookes University, The Business School Oxford Business College Oxford Business Park Oxford Capital Partners Oxford Centre for Innovation Oxford City Football Club Oxford Duplication Centre Oxford Event Hire Oxford Fine Dining Oxford Innovation Oxford Instruments plc Oxford Playhouse Oxford Private Medical Practice Oxford Radcliffe Hospital Charitable Funds Oxford Saïd Entrepreneurship Centre Oxford Spires Four Pillars Hotel Oxford Tutorial College Oxford University Begbroke Science Park Oxford University Rugby Football Club Oxford Wine Company Oxfordshire Community Foundation Oxfordshire County Council Oxfordshire Golf Club Oxfordshire LEP PB Conway Pegasus Theatre Pembroke College Penningtons Manches LLP Philosophy Hairdressing Pierre Victoire Popham Hairdressing Portabello Restaurant Bar and Grill Pure Offices Radley College Regus Renault F1 Ltd Rhodes House Richardsons Richardsons Chartered Accountants Richmond Villages Witney Ridge and Partners LLP Ridgeway Audi Oxford Ridgeway Maserati Righton Group Limited Royal Oxford Hotel SAE Institute Said Business School Sanders of Oxford Sandler Training Savills Savills Oxford Savvy Group Scottfraser Sea Salt Shaw Gibbs Shaw Gibbs LLP Shillingford Bridge Hotel Simeio Sir Charles Napier Sobell House Spirit Health Club Strutt & Parker Studio8 Photography Summertown Library Swift Venue Finders

Tadmarton Heath Golf Club Tara Tripp Hearing Care Taylor Cox Thames Valley Police The Bell at Hampton Poyle The Cotswold Lodge Hotel The Crazy Bear Hotel The Deddington Arms Hotel The Evergreen Agency The Feathers The Jericho Café The King’s Centre The Lady Nuffield Home The M Group The Manor Hotel The Oxford Academy The Oxford Kitchen The Oxford Science Park The Oxford Trust The Oxford Union The Oxfordshire Museum The Restaurant at Witney Lakes Resort The Royal Oxford Hotel The Skin Care Clinic The Theatre Chipping Norton The Trout The Tythe Barn The University Club The Wychwood Golf Club Thompson & Terry Recruitment TLA Fitness Torpedo Group Limited Turl Street Kitchen Turpin & Miller LLP Unipart University of Oxford Venturefest Oxford VSL and Partners W Lucy and Co Wallers of Oxford Wellers Wellers Accountants Wenn Townsend West Oxfordshire District Council WILA Group Ltd Williams Conference Centre Wiseman Gallery Wychwood Brewery

ON THE

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