Business Matters March 2018 by Benham Publishing Limited

BusinessMatters The business magazine of West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce Spring 2018

Young Chamber is officially launched! An update on events so far

Cyflymu Cymru i Fusnesau Superfast Business Wales

Gwesty’r Royal Victoria yn ymgysylltu â’i gwesteion...

Royal Victoria Hotel connects with its guests...

Yn swatio wrth odre’r Wyddfa, daw ymwelwyr i fwynhau harddwch y tirlun sy’n amgylchynu Gwesty’r Royal Victoria.

The Royal Victoria Hotel nestles in the foothills of Snowdon and people come to enjoy the breath-taking beauty of the landscape.

Ond fel dywed Steve Lee, rheolwr cyffredinol y gwesty, “Er bod pobl yn hoffi ymlacio pan fyddant ar wyliau, mae’n well gan lawer beidio â cholli cysylltiad â’r byd yn gyfan gwbl. “Un gair. Wi-Fi. Mae’n andros o glyfar, o feddwl am y peth. Rydym yn bodloni ein cwsmeriaid gan ddod o hyd i ffordd y gall y busnes elwa arno hefyd.

“Mae ein tiliau arian bellach yn defnyddio’r cysylltiad Wi-Fi i gynnal y momentwm wrth i gwsmeriaid fynd i dalu, ac rydym yn defnyddio’r adroddiadau sydyn o diliau’r bwyty i reoli stoc neu i nodi’r prydau mwyaf poblogaidd.” “Rydym wedi bod yn meddwl yn greadigol hefyd: mae defnyddwyr gwadd yn cael cynnig arbennig i helpu i ddenu busnes newydd. Cawsom werthiannau gwerth rhwng £10,000 a £15,000, y tro cyntaf i ni roi cynnig ar hyn.” theroyalvictoria.co.uk

But as Steve Lee, hotel general manager says, “While some people like to switch off when they go away, many prefer to feel connected to the outside world. “One word. Wi-Fi. It’s incredibly clever when you think about it. We make our customers happy and we’ve found a way to make it work for us too.

“Our cash tills now use the Wi-Fi connection to keep the momentum going during check-out, and our instant reporting from the restaurant tills lets us manage stock control or to note popular dishes.” “We also think outside the box: guest users get a special offer to help drive new business. The first time we tried this we drove between £10,000 and £15,000 of sales.” theroyalvictoria.co.uk

Darganfyddwch sut i dyfu’ch busnes drwy ddefnyddio technoleg ar-lein – chwiliwch: Cyflymu Cymru i Fusnesau Find out how to grow your business with online technology – search: Superfast Business Wales

03000 6 03000 busnescymru.llyw.cymru businesswales.gov.wales

Business Matters

WELCOME

Welcome to our latest edition of Business Matters

COLIN BREW

Chief Executive Officer West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce Contact Melissa Kermode Churchill House, Queen’s Park Campus, Queen’s Park Road, Chester CH4 7AD t: 01244 669988 e: info@wcnwchamber.org.uk w: www.wcnwchamber.org.uk Publisher Benham Publishing Limited Suite 5 & 6, Aintree Building, Aintree Way, Aintree Business Park, Liverpool L9 5AQ t: 0151 236 4141 f: 0151 236 0440 e: admin@benhampublishing.com w: www.benhampublishing.com Published March 2018 © Benham Publishing Media no. 1596 Advertising and Features Karen Hall t: 0151 236 4141 e: karen@benhampublishing.com Design Chris Moran t: 0151 236 4141 e: studio@benhampublishing.com

very warm welcome to the first edition in 2018 of West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber’s Business Matters magazine. It is hard to believe that we are about to move into the second quarter of the year after a strong first quarter in terms of Chamber performance. With a restructured operational team in place to meet the growing needs of our membership, along with a strengthened board of directors, our Chamber looks forward to continuing our momentum into the remainder of the year - I hope that the same can be said for your business and I would continue to encourage you to make use of your Chamber membership to assist your own plans for growth in the year ahead. Whether it’s our excellent networking opportunities, our international trade services, our communications and marketing support, or our representational work across our great region, you can be assured that West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber has the ability to help your business develop and grow. As we move towards the spring so our focus remains providing a valued and beneficial service to our membership and working with key economic stakeholders to ensure a geography

which provides the best possible opportunities for business growth. Our work on the Young Chamber initiative is breaking new ground in respect of business engagement with schools thanks to the efforts of our Deputy CEO, Debbie Bryce, and our membership. You too can find out more about the work we are doing to bridge the gap between business and education by visiting the Young Chamber section of our website wcnwchamber.org.uk/ young-chamber-page/. Similarly, we continue to forge a robust voice for our members along with a clear focus on improving the economy of West Cheshire and North Wales through our Vision 2021 document and the themes therein, those being Voice, Trade, Infrastructure and Skills. You can learn more about our strategic work at wcnwchamber. org.uk/wp-content/uploads/ Vision-2021.pdf. The opportunities for you to engage with West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber are abundant – if you would like to find out more about how we can work with you then please don’t hesitate to contact the Team on 01244 669988. May I wish you all a productive quarter ahead.

INSIDE:

42-44

26-27

GETTING STARTED Caroline Roberts

THE BIG INTERVIEW Jonathan Edge, Edge Transport

THE PERSON BEHIND THE BUSINESS Amanda Shehab Disclaimer Business Matters is mailed without charge to all Chamber members

and distributed to businesses in the region. All correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce. Views expressed in publication are not necessarily those of West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission of the Editor. © 2017. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in this journal, Benham Publishing and its agents can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributions in advertising or editorial content. Benham Publishing cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in web or email links supplied to us.

FOCUS ON Denbighshire

TOP TIPS Lynne Swinnerton

WHAT I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT IN BUSINESS Deafness Support Network @Chamber WCNW West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce /wcnwchamber

CHAMBER NEWS

Chamber welcomes Wesleyan Bank as Patron members

est Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce are delighted to announce that Wesleyan Bank have joined us as Patron members. The Chamber’s team of now five Patron and 11 Strategic Members, has grown from strength to strength over the past year; Wesleyan Bank will play a key role in ensuring that our membership base is further supported by our Patron and Strategic Members, as well as raising awareness for their services and brand. Wesleyan Assurance Society has had the interests of its members at its core since it was founded in Birmingham in 1841. Since 1990 Wesleyan Bank, part of the Wesleyan Group of companies, has been providing commercial finance for businesses to provide a foundation for growth as well as short-term cash flow funding solutions. Since 2015, Wesleyan Bank has doubled its net lending to SMEs and professions, enabling hundreds of businesses to pay for necessary assets over time, while reaping the benefits of new equipment and technology. Not previously members of the WCNW Chamber of Commerce, Wesleyan Bank have solidified their partnership with the Chamber by joining immediately as Patron Members. In the upcoming months, Wesleyan Bank will begin to play a key role in our ‘Young Chamber’ programme- a vital element of our strategic vision (Vision 2021). Young Chamber is a scheme that aims to bridge the gap between businesses and schools, helping the students gain from work placements, interview training and much more, as well as helping the participating businesses meet Corporate Social Responsibility requirements and providing connection to potential work placements and future employees. A vital aim of Young Chamber is to raise awareness of each companies’ industry, and the

Paul Slappa, centre, from Wesleyan Bank with Colin Brew, left and Debbie Bryce of West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce

skills that the students will require to enter it. This is a key feature in ensuring that we highlight a variety of different sectors to young people, giving them a pathway into both apprenticeships and University when they leave high school. Paul Slapa, Head of Direct Sales, said: “We’re excited to be working with the WCNW Chamber of Commerce. Based locally ourselves, we’re keen to support businesses in the area to build a strong financial foundation for growth. Investing in new assets can often be the best way to boost revenues, attract and retain customers and strengthen a business’ competitive position and we want to provide the ongoing

support that many businesses in West Cheshire and North Wales require, whether from a short-term cash flow perspective or longerterm needs.” Colin Brew, Chief Executive Officer of the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce said: “By becoming Patron Members, Wesleyan Bank have forged the strongest possible partnership with the Chamber and we are excited to work closely with Paul, Becky and the team throughout 2018, especially on our upcoming Young Chamber programme. 2018 is set to be an exciting year for the Chamber and its members and we are thrilled that Wesleyan Bank will be a part of this.”

CHAMBER NEWS

Three members join the Chamber’s Board of Directors T he West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the appointment of three new Members to the Chamber’s Board of Directors. Joining the Board are; • Jim Jones – Managing Director of North Wales Tourism • Davinder Lotay – Managing Director of Altimex Ltd and MJ Lighting Technology LTD • Martin Pearson – Managing Director of Urenco UK Ltd

The Board of Directors is established to ensure the Chamber meets its strategic objectives whilst providing expertise and support on a wide variety of business areas. The Chamber has taken steps to make its board diverse and representative of the business community within West Cheshire and North Wales. These new appointments will help to strengthen the position of the Chamber as it works towards its Vision 2021. Jim Jones said about his appointment “I am delighted to be joining the board of West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce. Having had first-hand experience of the benefits that the Chamber have brought to our business, I am thoroughly looking forward to my new role in representing this organisation that continues to provide such a high level of service to its members. It is also pleasing to see that the board have recognised a need for a Tourism voice from North Wales to join them.” Regarding his appointment Davinder

Lotay said “Having been a member of the Chamber for several years and being shortlisted last year for the Chamber Growth Award, whilst winning the Business of the Year award in 2016, I am delighted to be joining the board. This opportunity will allow me to give something back to the community and the members by supporting the Chamber’s Vision 2021 strategies which are particularly aimed at enhancing the economy and building for the future regionally, nationally and internationally. It is a very exciting phase to be part of in the growth of the Chamber.” Martin Pearson commented “I am delighted to be joining the board. The Chamber provides a vital voice for business in the region and nationally, as well as a number of valuable services for its members. This is a particularly exciting time to become involved as the Chamber deploys its forward strategy in supporting local business’ and growing its influence regionally and nationally for its members benefit.”

L-R: Joining the Board of Directors, Martin Pearson and Davinder Lotay

Chamber’s latest apprentice fully qualified in Export Documentation!

fter joining the Chamber in November 2017, as the Chamber’s third apprentice in two years, Emily Stubbington has recently passed her British Chambers of Commerce course in Certification Procedures and is now fully qualified to certify export documents including Certificates of Origin, EUR1s and ATRs. Emily is currently undergoing an apprenticeship in Business Administration whilst working in the Chamber’s Export Department, under the guidance of Dan Ward and Tamzin Woodward. On her move into an apprenticeship and upon receiving her qualification, Emily commented: “After spending two years in college studying business admin I then started looking for an apprenticeship. I wasn’t having much luck at first but then I was invited for an interview at the Chamber of Commerce and

later was offered an apprenticeship. At first, I didn’t know much about the Chamber but I have enjoyed learning more about the way it supports local businesses and especially the export side of the business. I have received my Certification Procedures Award, which allow me to check and certify Certificates of Origin. I’ve also recently attended a preference documents course which means I can stamp all export documentation and both courses have made me feel confident when it comes to supporting our regions exporters. I’ve really enjoyed the training and mentorship provided by Dave Roberts, and look forward to gaining more knowledge and experience in International Trade. I am now looking forward to attending the accredited export training courses run by the Chamber.”

Emily Stubbington, Export Documentation Assistant

LEGAL Wales – emerging law and procedure Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act

ollowing the receipt of Royal Assent on 24th January this year, the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales Act) makes provision for a new statutory framework to support children and young people with additional learning needs. The terms: ”special educational needs” and “learning difficulties/disabilities” have now been abolished and are replaced with the new term “additional learning needs” (ALD). The Act relates to children and young people with ALD including post-16 education and training. The Act covers the vast majority of educational institutions and will focus on the needs of children and young people aged 0-25. A new single statutory plan, the “Individual Development Plan” (IDP) will be created for learners and there will

Expert legal advice for businesses be provision for increased participation of children and young people, ensuring they are at the centre of the planning and decision-making process. The Act emphasises the importance of the child and the child’s parents being provided with the information and support necessary to enable participation in decisions. New roles will be created within health and education to ensure collaboration and integration so that learners’ needs are met. The extension of the age from 0-25 is positive and revolutionary, particularly for those who leave school and enter the Further Education sector. There will be a duty to secure specialist post-16 provision on the Local Authority. Another big positive is the increased participation of the children and their parents, and young people, and increased

collaboration with specific duties imposed on health bodies for the first time. There will also be extended rights of appeal to Education Tribunal for Wales for persons up to the age of 25 who are in the Further Education sector (not for higher education). High aspirations and improving outcomes focussing on the child or young person’s achievement of their full potential will be prioritised by the Act. Education Secretary, Kirsty Williams, said: “Today is an historic day for education in Wales. Nearly a quarter of learners in Wales will experience some form of additional learning need (ALN) during their early years or education and this Bill places them at the very heart of our system. It focusses on identifying their needs as early as possible and working with them and their families to plan the right

support The Bill also supports and encourages the Welsh Government’s wider vision of achieving one million Welsh speakers by 2050 by including a series of strategic duties aimed at driving progress towards a truly bilingual additional learning needs system.” The barristers at Linenhall Chambers in Chester welcome the Act and look forward to assisting in its implementation. Our barristers work nationwide, but most regularly are instructed in North Wales and the North West. Many of our members are Welsh speakers. With over 60 barristers and a team of 12 specialist support staff, Linenhall offers advice and representation to clients in a diverse range of legal areas. With changes taking place in education and across The Court of Protection and Mental Health sector, Linenhall barristers are experienced at providing advice on all related matters. For the full range of expertise offered by Linenhall, please visit the Chambers website: www.linenhallchambers.co.uk, call us on 01244 348282 or email clerks@lhchambers.co.uk

Rachel Phillips joins Cullimore Dutton Solicitors as Head of Commercial Property department

ullimore Dutton Solicitors, one of Chester’s oldest family law firms, has appointed experienced commercial property solicitor, Rachel Phillips, as head of the firm’s busy Commercial Property department. Rachel, a Fellow of the Agricultural Law Association, qualified in 2008 after completing her degree at Durham University with a 2:1(Hons) in Law and achieved a Distinction in the Legal Practice Course at the College of Law in Chester. She will lead a team of three specialist solicitors and one trainee solicitor who along with the departmental administrative staff act for property owners, landlords, commercial tenants and developers across Cheshire and North Wales.

“It is very exciting for me to be joining such a wellestablished law firm that I have long admired, not only for its work within my own specialism of commercial and agricultural property, but its exceptional support for the Rachel Phillips

community in which it operates,” said Rachel. “I was very struck by the ethos and values of the firm and especially the way the firm’s leadership empowers colleagues to reach out to organisations working with some of the most vulnerable people in our region. That said a lot about the firm to me. “Commercially, my aim is to continue offering the same outstanding levels of service to clients for which Cullimore Dutton is renowned and to further build upon the successful relationships we have with clients, referrers and associates alike. “What is clear to anyone working in the region right now is that what the Cheshire and North Wales business community craves most is certainty;

that is particularly true of the commercial property sector as the Brexit negotiations ratchet up. The city of Chester is proving pretty resilient thanks largely to its dynamic hospitality and retail environment, so there continues to be plenty of opportunity to grow our commercial lease work and I’m looking forward to doing just that.” Cullimore Dutton Solicitors, 20 White Friars, Chester CH1 1XS. For the full range of services offered visit the firm’s website: www.cullimoredutton.co.uk or call: 01244 356789 or email: info@cullimoredutton.co.uk.

BCC open letter to PM Businesses need clarity on Brexit

s Cabinet ministers gathered to discuss the government’s negotiating stance ahead of critical talks on the UK’s future relationship with the European Union, Francis Martin, President of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and Adam Marshall, the BCC’s Director General, wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Theresa May, making an urgent appeal for clarity on the government’s objectives. In the letter, the BCC’s leaders urge the government to make key choices and deliver a clear statement of intent – so that businesses of all sizes and sectors can make decisions for the future. The full letter is below: Dear Prime Minister, As President and Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, we write today to make an urgent appeal for clarity on Her Majesty’s Government’s objectives at a critical moment in the UK’s negotiations with the European Union. In Chamber business communities all across the United Kingdom, there are a range of views on the depth and breadth of the UK’s future relationship with the EU. As a consequence, the BCC has refrained from entering into the noisy political debate on the shape of the final settlement in recent weeks. We have instead emphasised the need for answers to the many practical questions businesses now face. Our aim has always been to maximise, not constrain, the government’s chances of success as ministers and the civil service work to secure the best possible deal for the UK. Yet businesses need those elected to govern our country to make choices — and to deliver a clear, unequivocal statement of intent. The perception amongst businesses on the ground, large and small alike, is one of continued division. Even amongst the many optimistic, future-oriented firms — those who see opportunity in change — patience is wearing thin. Directly-affected companies are poised to activate contingency plans. Many others, worryingly, have simply disengaged. Clear UK negotiating objectives are crucial to both business and public confidence. While the BCC has campaigned strongly in favour of a status-quo transition period, to give businesses time to plan for change, this transition must lead to a clear endpoint. There is no room for continued ambiguity as companies make investment and hiring decisions. The government must set out its plans.

CHAMBER NEWS

WCNW Chamber of Commerce hits 600 members!

he West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce has officially passed the 600-member mark! Since opening its doors in 1921, the WCNW Chamber of Commerce has provided support to businesses across the region, helping businesses truly be #WellConnected. 2017 proved to be an extremely proactive year for the Chamber, recruiting our second Membership Executive, Stuart Smitham, alongside our current Membership Executive, Jennifer Kennedy. As well as growth in our membership team, we have recently welcomed a new addition to our Export Department, Emily Stubbington. The Chamber team is now at an all-time high of 14 members of staff, our team are dedicated to ensuring that we provide the highest quality of service to our members and are ready to assist with whatever possible. With our team evergrowing, we have recently moved to our new offices in Churchill House, Chester, providing the Chamber the room to continue its growth and enabling us to further assist our members. WCNW Chamber membership package offers a range of business support, from our free and discounted networking events, our superb free HR package and our free Start-Up club, we support a range of different sized companies in an array of sectors and industries. With our now 600+ business membership base across West Cheshire and North Wales, our networking events have reached new attendance

highs and have even prompted our new ‘fun networking’ events. From free networking and taster surfing lessons at Surf Snowdonia, to our event in March, riding the Fforest Coaster at Zip World, we don’t just run your average networking events! Our members have continued to support one another, helping promote business when possible, providing business contacts and an extremely friendly networking environment for all that attend. ITAS, a business management solutions company based in Mold, were the 600th member of the Chamber and Darren Speed, Sales Director, commented “We’re delighted that ITAS are the 600th member of the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce. We have heard great things about the Chamber and are looking forward to getting involved at their upcoming network events and meeting other members.” Debbie Bryce, Deputy CEO of the Chamber, said of this achievement “It is wonderful to reach the milestone of 600 members. We’ve been working hard to develop our membership offer making sure we support business from across the region to the best of our abilities. We hope to keep growing are looking forward to the year ahead.” We would like to thank all of our members for their continued support of the Chamber and to their fellow members. We look forward to reaching our next milestone of members as we work towards our 2021 Vision and centenary year!

Chamber members gathered at networking

CHAMBER NEWS

Vision 2021 Where are we now?

n the summer of 2016 the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce launched its five-year strategic vision – Vision 2021 – which falls on the Chamber’s centenary year. The vision, formed by the Chamber’s Board of Directors, focuses on four key areas that were identified as priorities by our members; • Authentic Voice of Business • Infrastructure and Connectivity • Skills and Development • International Trade and Regional Ambition As we move closer to the two-year anniversary of the creation of Vision 2021, the Chamber would like to update its members on progress made. AUTHENTIC VOICE OF BUSINESS Becoming the authentic voice of business focuses on the Chamber’s representational work. One of our core goals is to ensure that the voice of businesses - whatever the size – is heard when decisions are made in local, regional and national government. What we said we needed to do: • Understand the needs of our members and the business community. • Identify and work with key private and public-sector organisations. • Represent business by being the lobbying voice locally, regionally and nationally. • Effectively communicate with the business community the work that the Chamber does on its behalf. What we have done: • Grown our Quarterly Economic Survey responses to more accurately reflect our business community. • Identified ways that we can be better informed of member’s views on a range of business topics. • Worked with a range of organisations including; Cheshire and Warrington LEP, North Wales & Mersey Dee Business Council, North Wales Economic Ambition Board and many more. • Created an MP/AM newsletter to inform elected representatives of members’ views on various topics. • Created the Voice of Business Bulletin newsletter to inform members of key policy developments. INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONNECTIVITY Our vision aims to develop a transport network that supports the needs of businesses. It also aims to provide firms with access to cutting-edge

communication technologies and the knowledge to use them effectively. What we said we needed to do: • Develop the rail network across West Cheshire and North Wales to link in with the planned HS2 line. • Ensure that every business in West Cheshire and North Wales has access to superfast broadband and a good mobile phone connection. • Upgrade the road system across West Cheshire and North Wales so people can move seamlessly across the region. What we have done: • Worked closely on the Growth Track 360 project which is pushing for developments to the rail network across the region. • Pushed for Crewe station to become a HS2 Hub rather than just a stop. • Partnered with the British Chambers of Commerce on an upcoming no more “not-spots” campaign. • Worked towards improvements on the roads including improvements to the A55 and M56. SKILLS AND DEVELOPMENT We aim to develop a skilled and able workforce across all sectors. For Businesses to succeed they need access to a quality ‘pipeline’ of young people entering the labour market. Our members have indicated this as a key area of focus in our membership survey and Quarterly Economic Surveys. What we said we needed to do: • Engage with regional universities, colleges and schools across West Cheshire & North Wales to ensure students are leaving education with the skills that meet the needs of business. • Make demands of key publicsector organisations so that a regional strategy can be created What we have done: • Developed a Young Chamber programme that brings schools across the region closer to local businesses, aiming to bridge the skills gap.

“

• Colin Brew, CEO, is involved in the following regarding skills: • University of Chester Strategic Economic Development Forum • Glyndwr University Council • Cheshire West & Chester Skills and Employment Commission • North Wales Regional Skills Forum Board • Governor at Cheshire College – South & West. INTERNATIONAL TRADE & REGIONAL AMBITION Our goal is to open up the world to West Cheshire and North Wales business, providing them with the support needed to access more customers in different markets. What we said we needed to do: • Grow the confidence and ambition of businesses in our region to look beyond our borders and take hold of opportunities abroad. • Engage with the British Chambers of Commerce Global Business Network to promote business links between our region and other countries. • Engage with the Department for International Trade and Welsh Government to support businesses taking their first steps into exporting. • Continue to provide a range of services to businesses in international trade. What we have done: • Visited the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce and The Netherlands British Chamber of Commerce to promote our region. Further visits are planned. • Established bi-monthly meetings with The Department for International Trade and the Welsh Government to discuss key topics and find areas of collaboration. • Formed new training courses aimed at boosting the ambition of businesses in our region as well as new trade support clinics.

As we close in on two years since we launched our Vision 2021, it is great to see how much we have achieved already. The Chamber is looking forward to building on this progress as we move towards our centenary year.

”

Colin Brew, CEO, WCNW Chamber of Commerce

STRATEGIC MEMBERS NEWS

Planning a new direction in 2018 NatWest Business Banking - Here’s a guide to ensure your 2018 plans are achievable and lasting

1. Review your performance Ask yourself what lessons you learned in 2017 and decide what to improve and what to introduce in 2018. 2. Encourage collaboration The best teams have a shared mission, so decide who will be doing what, why and when. Ask staff to contribute ideas for business goals and give honest feedback to inform your overall strategy. 3. Stretch yourself Make targets stretching but feasible. A good strategy is to make them SMART – specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. 4. Create a culture of rewards and feedback Encourage staff by championing those who get it right and communicate this to others. Link people to your plan and acknowledge their contribution; they will feel valued. 5. Get – and keep – the best people for the job Organisational success is linked to individual staff. You need the right combination of incentivised staff and skills within your business. However, retaining staff isn’t all about money - training and career progression are important too.

6. Do your homework To compete effectively, you need to understand what your competitors are doing and how; it pays to research similar businesses and compare key industry data. 7. Keep things specific Ensure goals are relevant to the direction you want to head in. Once these are established, you will be well placed to set the relevant performance indicators. 8. Set achievable deadlines It might sound obvious but a goal needs a deadline – a moment when you can reflect on the benefits of your new strategy, or a time to replace your targets with more attainable ones. 9. Take action After research analysis, decide what specific, defined actions to take using straightforward measurable steps. 10. Keep your eyes on the prize What gets measured gets done, so it’s vital that you record steps so you can review progress and make any necessary adjustments. Bring your focus back to your goals and specific results if you feel yourself pulled in other directions.

A slow start can be costly

lanning for retirement is just one area in which, with the benefit of hindsight, many people wish they’d taken action earlier. How often in life do we look back and wish we had done things differently? According to a study by Prudential*, two in five pensioners regret retirement-planning mistakes which have left them struggling financially. Nearly one in five say that they didn’t save enough for retirement, and 15% regret not starting to save earlier in their working lives. Pension contributions attract tax relief on the way in and they accumulate capital gains free of tax once inside. When you access your pension savings, the first 25% is normally tax-free. While you cannot draw on the funds until your 55th birthday, this does protect your pot against the temptation to tap into it until then.

GETTING OFF THE MARK How much pension income you need in retirement will be determined by a number of factors, including your health, your living expenses and your desired lifestyle. The sooner we start, the more choices we have later. The power of compound returns, or gains on gains, means that 10 or 20 years can make a big difference. However, you should never think that it’s too late to start saving, or that you can’t catch up. There are significant opportunities to make up lost ground if you have the available means and allowances. In any case, the fact remains that the best way to secure a comfortable retirement is to save as much as possible as early as possible in your working life, and take financial advice. The longer you delay saving, the harder it will be to build the kind of fund that will see you through retirement.

* ‘Regrets? They’ve got a few – but pensioners are happy in retirement’, Prudential, April 2016

David Wall, Associate Partner at Mercer & Associates Wealth Management Ltd

To receive a complimentary guide covering wealth management, retirement planning or Inheritance Tax planning, contact David Wall, from Mercer & Associates Wealth Management Limited on 01244 409610 or email david.wall@sjpp.co.uk.

STRATEGIC MEMBERS NEWS

The bespoke way - Overbyte Interactive

ur company mission is to solve business process challenges through bespoke software, achieving extraordinary results that will bring much longedfor improvements and developments within a business. Here’s one client’s story: Q: How will bespoke software improve your business? A: The software will streamline current processes automating functions that are currently very manual. Automation like this will hopefully reduce the likelihood of errors and also improve workflow and capacity issues. The bespoke nature of the build means that we can tailor the system to really suit our needs without having to change our current processes just to fit someone else’s software/system structure. It also means that the code for the system belongs to us. Another major benefit is not having the licence costs. Licence costs could really stack up especially as the system will be something we will use for many years to come.

Q: What do you like about working with Overbyte and would you recommend them to another business facing similar challenges? A: Yes, we like the bespoke nature of the Overbyte approach which means they work to understand our business so they build a system that is going to meet our needs. They also supported us with what we needed for our grant application which was above and beyond what they had to do. We also like that whilst they listen to what we want and build what we require, they do also challenge us to think about the current way we do things so that if the processes can be improved, they will be. Q: Any other comments? A: IT related things for non-IT specialist people like us can be daunting but with Overbyte’s support it has made the whole process a lot more manageable. SARAH KENCH, MD, Twinfix L to R James Crane, Louise Crane and Colin Brew’

Protos Networks expands their support within the local community by selecting Chester Voluntary Action (CVA) as their charity of the year for 2018

VA support hundreds of smaller charities, often pairing them up with local businesses that are willing to provide voluntary work. This work is often essential in supporting the day to day operation in these smaller charities and without CVA they could struggle to function. Throughout 2017, Protos Networks have developed a greater understanding of the CVA operation and have become passionate in supporting the cause. Joe Joinson, Director at Protos Networks, explained “we are excited that by supporting CVA, we are actually supporting hundreds of smaller charities in Chester and beyond. These smaller charities, who are battling with smaller budgets, can be given a voice. This is something that we are passionate about at Protos”.

CVA are an active Chamber member and are looking to speak with businesses that are willing to offer voluntary services or support for local charities to further develop their SkillShare scheme. Joanne Walton of CVA explained “businesses are often willing to help a local charity but don’t know how. The SkillShare scheme brings support for essential business functions to the charities that need them most. Think of us as a charity/business dating organization”. If you think that you could offer some time or services to support a local charity, who will be extremely grateful of any assistance, look out for Joanne at upcoming networking events. You can find out more about Protos and CVA here: www.protosnetworks.com & www.chesterva.org.uk/contact-us/

Joanne Walton (CVA) and Joe Joinson (Protos Networks)

Yn cefnogi busnesau Cymru Supporting businesses in Wales

“Mae Svetlana wedi darparu cyngor ardderchog a mynediad at adnoddau yn ystod y broses o brynu’r gwesty. Mae hyn wedi’n galluogi ni i redeg y busnes mewn modd proffesiynol a chydymffurfiol.” Mark Richards, Plas Maenan Country House

“Svetlana has offered excellent advice and access to resources during the purchase of the hotel. This has enabled us to run the business in a very professional and conformant way.” Mark Richards, Plas Maenan Country House

03000 6 03000 busnescymru.llyw.cymru businesswales.gov.wales

Jackson Fire & Security achieve Gold Standard Health Award

ackson Fire & Security have been awarded The Gold Small Workplace Health Award by Welsh Government. The Health at Work Scheme is delivered through Public Health Wales and encourages employers in Wales to adopt practices that will improve and maintain employee health and well-being. The national quality mark covers a number of subject areas including health and safety, organisational support, mental health, physical activity and corporate social responsibility. The team of fire and security specialists have been implementing various different health & well-being initiatives to engage with staff which in turn has boosted staff morale and team spirit. Whilst pushing for the silver award last year, staff at the Mold head office walked the equivalent of the Welsh Coastal Path, which is 870 miles

STRATEGIC MEMBERS NEWS

or 2,175,000 steps. Healthy snacks such as fresh fruit are also provided weekly to encourage all staff and visitors to eat well. In order to achieve gold status, Steve Jackson and Rachel Evans of the company had to demonstrate Jackson Fire & Security collecting their good levels of corporate social Gold award responsibility. The Jackson team schools providing information on had no problem demonstrating this apprenticeships. having completed charity colour Steve Hand, finance and HR runs, bake-offs and litter-picks manager at Jackson Fire & Security consistently over the last few years to said: “We’re committed to continuing support the local community. all the good work we have put into More recently, through their achieving this standard and we have membership with the West Cheshire enjoyed every aspect of the challenge. and North Wales Chamber of “We want to continue to Commerce, Jackson Fire & Security encourage and plan healthy activities have been pro-active in helping for employees and there has been a with the Young Chamber initiative, lot of talk about a walk-up Snowdon aimed at bridging the gap between so watch this space for that! education and employment. “I hope other businesses in the Young Chamber has so far involved region follow our lead and help going into local schools and assisting promote healthy lifestyles for their students with CV writing, mock employees.” interviews and exhibiting at local

I can’t honestly afford to work for nothing… can you? Contingency verses Retained Recruitment

he recruitment industry is filled with companies who work for nothing and you wonder why clients don’t get the right level of service. So what is going on? You engage with your recruiters on a ‘contingency’ basis and perhaps use several recruiters at any one time, all working on the same role for you. Recruiters have a realisation that they can put a lot of work into a position, only to be pipped at the post by another recruiter. They accept they are not going to be paid for every role they work on, and so spread their attention and efforts across several roles, trusting one or two of them become placements and earn them a reward. We didn’t want this diluted service for our clients,

so I launched Insignia Resourcing Retained Search and Selection solution last year. A HIGHLY FOCUSED ‘RIGHT FIRST TIME’ APPROACH Recently, I sat down with a client to fully understand their business, what their goals were and their recruitment needs. How glad I was to understand their history, how the business and industry had changed and what was needed to move the business forward. The candidates needed to know what the role would develop into, that is, both a new business sales and branch manager role combined. A challenging combination of skills sets! Armed with this information, I was able to identify suitable candidates who could and

wanted to do both roles. Managing the full recruitment process saved the company time and effort and I was able to tailor our processes and timelines to fit in with the needs of the decision maker. Established in North Wales, Chester & Manchester, Insignia Resourcing will ensure you will get the very best talent, support, expertise and help so your business can thrive and grow. Contact me, Mark Slane on 01244 566122 or mark@insigniaresourcing.co.uk for our special discounted offer for all WCNW Chamber Members.

CHAMBER EVENTS

Christmas networking fun and lunch at Crowne Plaza, Chester

s the 2017 countdown to Christmas began, Chamber members joined together to celebrate the holiday period in the locally renowned Crowne Plaza, Chester. Welcomed warmly with a festive drink, guests congregated at the venue to network together and spread the Christmas cheer. Chamber networking lunches are a fantastic way to meet new contacts, expand your business connections and spread the word about your company, all whilst enjoying a delicious two course meal from an array of local venues.

Attending the event was Dawn Belmar from Apollo Care Franchising Limited, who said ‘Today’s event had a really good atmosphere and was very relaxed, the food was lovely and it was a great opportunity to get out and meet new people. Everybody was really welcoming and as a new member, I’ve really enjoyed the event!’ The Crowne Plaza wowed all in attendance with their superb spread of a traditional Christmas roast (or a roast butternut squash for our vegetarian guests) followed by a baked cinnamon, cranberry, apricot & pistachio cheesecake – yum! In true Yuletide spirit everyone got

the chance to take part in a Christmas quiz. In first place came Jake Brown of Natwest Business Banking who won a bottle of champagne, Davinder Lotay of Altimex / MJ Lighting came second, taking home a bottle of prosecco and finally in third position was Richard Smith of the Wine School of Cheshire, who claimed a delightful chocolate bear. Speaking after the event, Debbie Bryce, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the Chamber commented “As we draw ever closer to 2018 it is a great pleasure to come together with all our members and celebrate Christmas together. 2017 has been a great year for us at the Chamber and we have welcomed many new members who we hope have enjoyed our events and utilised their memberships. I would like to take the time to thank each and every person who came today, and of course to the team at Crowne Plaza who went above and beyond to cater for us all.” Festive Lunch held at the Crowne Plaza

Networking lunch at The Quay was one to be remembered

ovember 22nd saw the Chamber host yet another memorable networking lunch, generously hosted by The Quay in Deganwy. All 42 attendees listened to speakers from the Guide Dogs over a stunning two course lunch of slow roasted feather blade of beef with a vanilla cheesecake to follow. Representing Guide Dogs was Jacquie Hughes Jones, Dawn Gerrard and Dan Myatt who spoke to the audience about the great work the organisation does and how individuals could help them continue to change the lives of blind people across the country. Taking to the stage with her guide dog Helena, Dawn spoke of her very personal journey with her condition and the impact Helena and her former guide dog Kerry have had on her life, enabling her to do things she never thought she would be able to do again and finding a

confidence she never knew she had lost. Maik Meuhle a professional guide dog trainer also attended the event bringing along one of their newest recruits, a labradoodle two week into his training! Attending the event Jim Smith of ACJ Risk Solutions Limited later commented “A very enjoyable networking lunch at the Quay Hotel Deganwy once again. Great conversation over lunch and a superb presentation from Guide Dogs for the Blind generated a wonderful atmosphere at another superb WCNW Chamber event.” Speaking on behalf of the Chamber, Jenny Davidson, Membership Support and Events Manager at the Chamber said “Over the past year, it has been wonderful to see our events go from strength to strength, a direct result from our guests who attend, as well as the superb member venues who help us

Guest speakers from The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association to host them. I would like to take the time to thank the team at The Quay who yet again wowed us all with their food and exceptional service.”

CHAMBER EVENTS

Bodnant Welsh Food stuns with another successful networking lunch

eturning for the second time following its huge success in 2016 the iconic networking event was held at Bodnant Welsh Food, situated in the idyllic surrounds of Conwy. Held once a month, Chamber networking lunches are always highly popular and provide guests with a spectacular opportunity to meet and connect with business people across our region whilst being served a delicious two course meal. New, old and non-members were all in attendance at the iconic event. Conversation filled the air and a flurry of business cards were exchanged. Guests were treated to a Braised shoulder of Welsh lamb, (or a Courgette, feta & fig wellington for our vegetarian guests) swiftly followed by a mouth-watering Apple, Honey, Oat, White chocolate crumble. Following suit, the venue offered a high level of food, hospitality and service to all in attendance.

New member Shoned Owen of Tanya Whitebits attended the event and later commented “I attended the lunch at Bodnant gardens having met your membership Executive Jennifer Kennedy to discuss joining. I was so impressed with her professionalism. I thoroughly enjoyed the networking event and look forward to many more in the future.” The Chamber delighted guests with a representative from the RNLI, Edward Watson, a long-standing volunteer of the organisation enlightened guests on the charities history since starting over 100 years ago, including their recent developments and just how important their volunteers and public funding is. Speaking on behalf of West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber, Jenny Davidson, Membership Support and Events Manager said “Once again Bodnant have stunned guests with their

impeccable service and awardwinning food, the comments I have received from those in attendance have confirmed this also. Today’s event was the first Chamber networking lunch of 2018 and has set the bar very high! As always thank you so much to everyone who came and of course to Bodnant themselves”

Lunch at Bodnant Welsh Food

Chamber Members explore prison!

n February 14th, Chamber members attended a lunch and tour at Wrexham’s HMP Berwyn. With 50 guests in attendance, delegates started the day at the visitor’s centre, where they left their belongings before heading through security. Once guests were within the HMP Berwyn unit, we were then guided to the prison’s chapel, delegates were given a chance to tour the room, that had an area for numerous religions, in order to cater for all of the 2,000 men in Berwyn. After the tour, members were then seated at their tables and Russ Trent, Governor of HMP Berwyn spoke to the room, highlighting the rehabilitation work that they are doing, as well as the goals that they aim to achieve in the upcoming years of the prison opening. Lunch at this unique event was prepared in the prisons very own kitchen,

with the men from the prison serving guests in attendance. The menu consisted of steak and mushroom / cheese pie and finished with a gooey chocolate brownie! Guests had the chance to speak with the residents at Berwyn whilst eating, hearing firsthand the fantastic rehabilitative work that is currently ongoing in the prison. Clair Evans from HMP Berwyn said: “We are proud to be able to welcome local businesses into Berwyn to show them our rehabilitative culture and build relationships which will benefit everyone in the local community and assist our men on release.” After lunch was served, delegates were split into groups of 10 and were taken on tours of the prison grounds, visiting the onsite education centre, the industry block and an empty wing- even getting locked into one of the living quarters! Guests were given the opportunity to ask any questions to the guards and governor, before returning back to the

visitor’s centre and reflecting back on the day. Mark Hughes, Smurfit Kappa, said: ‘The event at HMP Berwyn offered a real insight into what the future of prisons looks like, everybody that we met throughout the day, including the men from the prison, went out of their way to ensure that we were welcome and looked after. Berwyn is clearly a very future focussed prison, led by a visionary CEO - I’m sure that they will lead the way moving forward for others to copy.’ The Chamber would like to thank HMP Berwyn for their fantastic hospitality and for allowing the Chamber and its members to embark on such a rare opportunity. Jenny Davidson, Membership Support and Events Manager, said: ‘This event was more unique than any other we’ve ever held as a Chamber, delegates were extremely engaged in finding out more about the prison and we’ve already received some great feedback. I look forward to holding more of our unique and ‘fun’ events over the next year and seeing our events grow in numbers even more!’

Food served to delegates at the event

PATRON NEWS

MWL Systems’ 2018 Business Technology Predictions A t this time of year, the news is full of stories and reviews of the latest technology and gadgets. From wearable tech to robots, drones and voice controlled smart speakers, it seems technology of some sort is on the shopping list for most households and at home more and more of us are embracing technology trends. At MWL Systems we thought instead of looking at technology trends for individuals and the home this was the perfect time of year to take a look at what 2018 might hold for tech in business. When it comes to business technology we believe the focus should be more about outcomes, productivity and security than gadgets. Here are some of our predictions:

More businesses will adopt cloud based technology

From storage to software and applications, more and more of the work businesses carry out will be cloud based.

In some industries such as accounting, the move to cloud software is already well underway. In others, we think 2018 will be the year. Cloud based storage will also increase as confidence in its capacity and security grows.

Increased investment in cyber security

2017 was the year of high profile data security breaches as well as the year when smaller businesses and organisations finally realised they could be targets too. With GDPR on the horizon, businesses will have to consider the security of their systems and data if they want to avoid falling foul of the new legislation. These factors will combine to encourage organisations to take data security and the threat of cybercrime seriously.

IoT (Internet of Things)

Smart devices aren’t as much of a novelty as they were and with advances in technology and people becoming accustomed to using IoT

Matt Kingsley-Williams

Do you have any technology predictions for next year? If you do we’d love to hear them, please share them with us on twitter @MWLSystems

enabled devices we think we’ll start to see a dramatic increase in IoT in the workplace. Managing inventory and keeping remote workers connected will be just two applications of IoT that we see more of next year. There are numerous other possibilities and we’ll be following how different businesses use IoT to improve efficiency within their workplace.

Chatbots

Chatbots will be another trend. Live chat is increasingly popular. Consumers are less and less inclined to actually pick up the phone and hate to be kept waiting on hold. As artificial intelligence improves, chatbots will be better equipped to deal with online enquiries in real time.

Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies

At the moment bitcoin is receiving a great deal of media attention. Whether or not it will continue to climb or crash next year is a topic for debate. What is certain is that it will continue to attract attention and interest. Summarising MWL Systems’ role in not only keeping pace with IT trends, but ensuring they are ahead of the game, Director Matt Kingsley-Williams said: - “These are interesting times, what with artificial intelligence and the ever increasing prominence of cloud technology. Whilst there are clear trends, the beauty of the technology industry is you never really know what’s around the corner. It was only 10 years ago that the iPhone was launched, and now many people’s lives revolve around these and other similar devices. “Keeping pace with the latest technologies and trends and communicating with our customers to ensure they get the best business benefits from the latest products is second nature to us at MWL Systems. This is why our customers have peace of mind that their IT is being well looked after and in the safest and most secure hands possible.”

PATRON NEWS

Computer coding at Blacon Library

n exciting new computer programming facility has been launched at Blacon Library, based at the Parade Enterprise Centre. The new Makerspace, which aims to inspire people of all ages to ‘create, invent and learn’, features a suite of eight Raspberry Pi computers, which are small devices designed to teach basic computer science. Users will be able to try their hand at writing in computer languages such as Python and create hacks for popular video game Minecraft, which will already be loaded on to each Raspberry Pi. They will also be able to programme their own computer games and code their own music.

Sanctuary Homes delivering new homes across Chester

anctuary Homes’ commitment to providing new housing across Chester is continuing apace in 2018. A total of 56 homes are currently in the process of being delivered at Chase Park in Ellesmere Port and a further 29 are set to be built in Blacon, Saughall and Elton. They form part of Sanctuary’s pledge to build 30,000 new homes in England and Scotland over the next 10 years. At Chase Park, Sanctuary Homes is working in partnership with Galliford Try to bring to market homes for rent, shared ownership and outright sale. Part of the wider Chase Park development, it is proving popular with a number of residents having already moved into their new homes and more properties having been reserved.

The show home and sales office are open on the site but more details can be found by visiting www.sanctuary.homes/ developments/chase-park. Three other sites are also being developed which will provide much needed homes for rent and further bolster Sanctuary’s portfolio in the area. These are a former pub in Blacon and former garage sites in Saughall and Elton; the areas will be transformed with a total of 29 new homes being developed, featuring a mix of family housing and apartments. It is expected that these properties will be available towards the end of 2018. Danielle Wrigley, senior development manager at Sanctuary, said: “We are proud to be delivering much needed new housing across Chester for local people and look forward to progressing these developments over the coming months.”

Adventure Playground open for business

ver the past few months, work has been carried out modernising facilities at Blacon Adventure Playground. The main building at the Kipling Road site has been completely refurbished as well as the office, kitchen and toilets. It is the final stage of the playground’s redevelopment after installation of new outdoor play equipment and structures following its handover from Cheshire West and Chester Council at the end of 2016. Playground manager Sandra Hewitt said: “A lot of work has gone into giving the main building a much-needed makeover and we are really excited about how the refurbishment looks. “We feel it is a fantastic, spacious facility and we look forward to welcoming many local groups throughout 2018.” Refurbishment of the main room will allow for even more activities to take place and these are already in full swing.

One of the latest events was a healthy eating workshop for children run by local business The Mini Makery, who have been working with specialist business advisors from Avenue Services to promote the work

they do in the Chester area. Under the tutelage of Ellie Pennington and Kate Brinklow, children of school age are inspired to become more adventurous eaters through creative food classes by creating edible scenes and magical drinkable potions. The pair have also taken their workshops into schools and have received positive feedback from both pupils and teachers with more children requesting a wider variety of fruits and vegetables at break and lunch times. Ellie said: “Thanks to the mentoring of Avenue Services we have been able to grow our business and bring healthy eating workshops to even more children across Cheshire West. “The Adventure Playground was the perfect setting for this and we hope to hold more workshops there in the future.” The main room at the Adventure Playground can be booked by contacting 01244 371129.

PATRON NEWS

Principal leads merged college in supporting local businesses and upskilling workforce

asbir Dhesi, College Principal and Chief Executive of Cheshire College – South & West, has had a busy year leading the newly merged College, which supports 11,000 students and 1,400 Apprentices, with campuses in Chester, Ellesmere Port and Crewe. He says “I am very grateful to so many colleagues and stakeholders who worked so hard to make the merger a reality last year. The merger builds on the complementary strengths of both West Cheshire College and South Cheshire College, creating a stronger organisation that is delivering high quality education, training and skills for learners as well as supporting small, medium and large employers across the region. This exciting journey continued at the beginning of this year with the official launch of our new name and logo. From the outset we wanted to create a distinctive brand that appealed to all our learners, communities and business partners reflecting our diverse mix of skills and industries that we work across.”

Supporting Local Businesses and Upskilling We’ve taken time to understand the skills needs of local businesses and developed tailored training solutions to future –proof business growth. We have developed a programme to improve staff productivity by equipping workforces with up-to-date technical, digital and professional skills. It is now more important than ever to gain a competitive business advantage and it’s so much easier when employees have the right skills.

Our 2018 Training Programme includes:

Jasbir Dhesi, Principal of Cheshire College - South & West (below)

• Cybersecurity and the new regulations for GDPR • 3D CAD courses using Solidworks CAD software • Applying BIT (Business Improvement Techniques) • Digital Marketing – Including social media marketing and e-commerce • Management and leadership training Advantages of these programmes are: • Needs-based solutions • Flexible delivery methods including online • Broad range of programmes

PATRON NEWS

Apprenticeships

e deliver extremely high quality Apprenticeship programmes that make a valuable contribution to both our Apprenticesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; careers and the employers we work with. Our expert teaching staff, industrystandard facilities and work with employers ensures that even more Apprentices have the very best chance of career success and progression. We are recognised as being a leading provider of training for young people, adults and Apprentices across Cheshire and our partners include Ecolab, Funktion, Brownlow Furniature and Meacher-Jones Chartered Accountants. We are also very proud of our Apprenticehip awards which celebrates the outstanding performance and results achieved by Apprentices from across the region; with more than 150 guests attending and prestigous awards presented on the night. The awards pay tribute to those Apprentices most deserving for their ingenuity and hard work, distinguishing them from others and proving them worthy of recognition. A great example of our successful local partnerships has been our link with Funktion Events, which specialise in birthday parties and corporate events. Over the past three years it has recruited and employed six Apprentices to their team from our College. Holly Clapshaw, 20, from Flintshire, who joined the company in December 2015 as a Marketing Apprentice and is now Marketing Manager, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I decided on an Apprenticeship after I had finished my A Levels. I wanted to get into Marketing so thought an Apprenticeship was a great way to get into the industry.â&#x20AC;?

The Funktion Events team

PATRON NEWS

Let’s talk... about growing your business C heshire West and Chester Business Growth team have launched a new programme of business support as part of an exciting ERDF programme. This workshop programme is part funded by ERDF (European Regional Development Fund); under this programme Cheshire West and Chester Council are delivering: BUSINESS WORKSPACE The creation of new BREEAM excellent quality physical workspace in Northwich, Winsford and Chester ENGAGEMENT AND SUPPORT The direct provision of and/or referral to targeted business advice, assistance, events and networking to help realise defined growth ambitions These fully funded workshops are open to business owners and their staff and offer and opportunity to access one-to-one business support.

Chester Grosvenor Museum Launch Patron Scheme

n spring, Chester’s Grosvenor Museum is launching a new partnership scheme looking to engage with the local business community. The scheme is intending to enable members to use the grade listed museum for corporate hospitality and as an events venue with scope to entertain staff and clients and also attend special events. This will also play an important role in supporting the Grosvenor care for its collections and develop future exhibitions with scope to offer a range of corporate membership packages. It’s envisaged that there will be range of membership benefits and scope for future engagement with the museum. We would very much like to hear from businesses who would be interested in sponsorship and opportunities linked to our new partnership scheme. If you would like to find out more about the corporate partnership scheme, please contact Richard Hall at Richard.hall2@ cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk Tel: 01244 972094

This support is aimed at new/young (employing less than 250) business owners and their staff who are looking to develop and grow their business; grow yourself and your staff to grow your business. The bedrock for survival of a business is its ability to get customers, develop and grow; these workshops will offer a toolkit of information, ideas and techniques to help a business survive, thrive and grow. There will be workshops offering support in areas like:• Effective tools and support for their business • New business opportunities: procurement; exporting; new processes; workspace • Creative new ways to do business • Ways to save money; use time more effectively • Funding and grant opportunities

Commercial Site Visualisations Land Studio-2’ This workshop programme will begin in February 2018 and run until November 2018. If you want to find out how we might be able to help your business contact: business@ cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

Businesses benefit from advice visits

ver 450 businesses in Chester city centre have benefited from personalised advice visits by officers from Cheshire West and Chester Council and Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service. The Business Advice Impact Day was organised by the Council and officers also handed out copies of a new business advice booklet for city centre businesses. To maintain Chester’s historic city centre businesses are sometimes required to follow specific guidance for their day-to-day operations. For example, deliveries or waste collection

can only take place during certain times of the day. The booklet provides information from a number of organisations including the Council, Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service, Chester Against Business Crime and CH1ChesterBID. It also signposts businesses to a new ‘Business Hub’ area on the Council’s website, where they can find a wide range of useful information for businesses. The new on-line Business Hub can be found at: www.cheshirewest andchester.gov.uk/businesshub

Front L to R: Tracey Carter, Business Safety Manager – Protection, Cheshire Fire & Rescue, and Jane Makin, the Council’s Senior Locality Officer for Chester with Council and Fire Service officers ready to start visits to businesses in the city centre.

MEMBERS NEWS

Official opening for business hub supported by Denbighshire County Council

Rhyl mayor, councillor Alan James, with Hannah James, cutting the ribbon

Rhyl business hub located on the site of a former court building has been officially opened. Hannah James has transformed the County Court on Clwyd Street, which closed in 2016, into a business hub with meeting and function rooms. She has been supported with a grant from Denbighshire County Council to purchase equipment to help her kit out the building, renamed Clwyd Chambers, and also received support from Business Wales. More than 50 guests took a tour of the new hub, which includes 13 flexible small business units, during the opening. Chartered building surveyor Hannah said: “It was great to see so many people take an interest and to have the opportunity to show them what Clwyd Chambers and Rhyl have to offer. I’d like to thank everyone who came along to make it such a fantastic day.

“We have already got businesses signed up to take on some of the units and have taken bookings for the function and meeting rooms.” Hannah, a former Rhyl High School pupil, chose her home town as she was impressed by the amount of public investment in Rhyl and said she was passionate about supporting the town through business growth and development. She is also providing a training centre for collaborative working for small businesses at the site. In addition to the work being carried out by Denbighshire County Council on the town’s new waterpark, the refurbishment of the Pavilion Theatre and the opening of 1891, a Premier Inn hotel will be opening in February and work on a 73-bedroomTravelodge and family restaurant started last month.

Award-winning local business celebrates first birthday with national recognition

ward-winning local business The Pip Box has achieved national recognition as one of the UK’s top beauty subscription boxes and is celebrating their first birthday this month with a commitment to ending animal cosmetic testing for good. The first year in business is often the toughest, with reports suggesting that half of UK start-ups failing in year one. However, Chester-based business The Pip Box has bucked the trend and is celebrating a successful first year with several high-profile accolades and awards. Their successes include winning a Small Business Sunday Award as chosen by Theo Paphitis and being selected by ELLE Magazine as one of their top beauty subscription boxes in the UK. Local entrepreneur Sofi Evans (age 29) started the cruelty-free beauty subscription box service last year, inspired by her love of animals. When her own puppy Pippa joined the family Sofi was motivated to make the switch to completely cruelty-free cosmetics and decided to start a business to help others do the same. The Pip Box provides both crueltyfree and vegan subscription plans, delivering animal friendly beauty products to subscribers every month

and donating 50p from every box sold to the charity Animal Free Research UK. Unlike most beauty subscription boxes, The Pip Box only feature full or travel sized cosmetics, and sachet samples are banned with each box worth £40 on average. According to Cruelty Free International, over 115 million animals are being used for testing worldwide – including thousands of dogs every year. Sofi is dedicated to helping people discover how easy it can be to make the switch to crueltyfree, and has a big goal of ending cosmetic testing on animals for good. “Ending cosmetic testing is a really big goal, but I believe that together with our subscribers and the brilliant beauty brands we work with we can

make a difference. Every month we help people find cruelty-free alternatives to their favourite beauty products and show them that it’s not as hard as you think.” Said Sofi Evans, Founder of The Pip Box. “Making the switch can feel daunting at first but I’ve had some lovely feedback from subscribers saying that the boxes have introduced them to cruelty-free brands they never would have tried, and that some of the items they’ve been sent are better alternatives than the products they were using before!” Sofi is now committed to educating people about cosmetic testing, raising the profile of independent, cruelty-free beauty brands and growing her business even further. In year one the business has gone from strength to strength, achieving national recognition as one of the UK’s best beauty boxes in Elle and the Evening Standard. The future is looking bright for The Pip Box as the subscription box trend continues to grow and The Pip Box has already expanded into Europe too. For more information please contact Sofi Evans: team@thepipbox.co.uk. www.thepipbox.co.uk. Local entrepreneur Sofi Evans

Outreach Rescue offers a range of safety training courses supporting the industrial and construction sector within North Wales.

Outreach Rescue provides: Safe Work at Height and Height Safety Training Confined Space Working and Rescue Courses First Response in Emergency Care Level 2, 3 & 4 Industrial Rescue Team Training & Safety Training

For further details on any of our courses please contact us on 01248 601546 or e-mail enquiries@outreachrescue.com

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GETTING STARTED

Getting started Caroline Roberts O

ver the last 13 years I have held many positions and worked my way up in different organisations, from the public sector to the private sector. However, after years of focusing on my career, developing my skills and qualifications, I received the devastating news (in September 2016) that I was being made redundant. The only thing I knew at the time, was I wanted to stay in North Wales, this is my home! So, with that thought, I started to put plans into place… I was already running Events by Caroline Louise Ltd and although I love this area of my business, I knew I needed to add another business to my portfolio to grow and provide for my future here in North Wales. From working within the event industry in North Wales, it was clear to see there was a gap in the market for a small unique mobile specialist bar and with this in mind I set up and

started Bella, the Prosecco Van. She’s currently the only Piaggio Ape Prosecco Van in North Wales. From being told I was losing my job, to the day we picked up Bella was eight weeks! Within those eight weeks I worked with my husband on the name, look and feel, and during this time Bella was created. It was tough working through the emotions of being made redundant, but at the same time the excitement of starting something new was overwhelming. My entrepreneurial spirit was in full flow, I always liked a challenge, and this was definitely no mean feat. The business has been operational for just over a year now and at the time of writing this article we’ve attended 44 events with Bella, which is a huge achievement. This is also an area which has been our greatest difficulty too, as we’ve found it incredibly hard to get into lots of events/venues, as they’ve

“

NAME: Caroline Roberts JOB TITLE: Managing Director FROM: Bella, the Prosecco Van

It was tough working through the emotions of being made redundant, but the excitement of starting something new was overwhelming

already got contracts/ restrictions in place. Which is why we’ve thought outside the box and successfully held Bella’s Pop Up Prosecco Bar events on Llandudno Pier during the summer last year and most recently at the Chester Grosvenor Shopping Centre leading up to Christmas! However, one of our biggest achievements in the last 12 months has to be the Fizzy Friday 5K Fun Run that we organised in conjunction with another local company. To have gone from two business women sitting down discussing an idea, to hosting a sellout Prosecco filled fun run with over 100 ladies taking part, was amazing. As it was such a huge success, we’re doing it all over again this year on Friday 7thSeptember! Our ‘customers’ are known as Bella’s friends and Bella’s friends are a real mix of people from festival and music lovers, to ladies who almost run over to Bella when they’ve spotted her, we’ve had couples celebrating their wedding day or anniversary, to men who want to sit down and enjoy a refreshing chilled glass of fizz too. We receive lovely feedback from Bella’s friends and we’re always told how warm, friendly and welcoming we are. This may sound cheesy to some of you reading this, but the measure of our satisfaction is the smiles on people’s

”

faces. You could say that this is one of our aims… to put a smile on the face of everyone Bella meets! Profit, longevity, sustainability and growth are obvious aims for the business however, there’s also nothing wrong with providing a little bit of happiness in a glass along the way too! As you may have noticed whilst reading this article, Bella is more than just a van, she has her own personality. She’s not just another mobile bar, she’s not just a van- She’s Bella and everyone loves meeting her. We’re excited to see what happens over the next 12 months, because if the last 12 months are anything to go by, who knows where Bella will be this time next year! For anyone thinking of starting their own business or if you’ve recently started, I’m not going to lie to you, the first 12 months has been an amazing achievement so far, but it’s not been easy. I was already a strong career focused business woman, but since starting Bella the Prosecco Van, I’ve found strength and determination I never knew I had. I think the best piece of advice I would have is to stay true to yourself. I’ve had people laugh at me, I’ve had the dreaded Internet trolls attack me but I’ve not let them change me! Everyone has their opinions and they’re entitled to them but remember at the end of the day it’s your business!

YOUNG CHAMBER

Young Chamber is officially launched A

fter a highly successful pilot with three local schools, the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce’s Young Chamber programme has been given the go ahead and will soon roll out to more schools within the West Cheshire & North Wales region.

What is Young Chamber?

Young Chamber is a model established by the British Chambers of Commerce which aims to bring businesses and schools closer together and help bridge the skills gap. It is well known that skills shortages remain a significant concern for businesses across West Cheshire & North Wales and this has been highlighted as a key area of focus in our Vision 2021. Our latest Quarterly Economic Survey also indicated 83% of businesses that tried to recruit staff over the last three months experienced difficulties whilst the level of investment in training reached a two year high. The Chamber’s Young Chamber programme aims reduce the gap between young people and businesses by running workshops, interview days and a whole variety of events with the objective of preparing young people for the business world.

Sam receiving his certificate and prizes for his 1st place achievement

Christleton High School Student Wins Young Chamber Logo Competition

Sam Dobson, a year 10 student from Christleton High School, recently won a competition to design the logo for our new Young Chamber programme. Students from three schools, Christleton High School, Bryn Tirion School and The King’s School Chester, were tasked to develop a logo that encompassed the aims of Young Chamber but the overall design was up to them. Sam’s design, which you can see below, met all the criteria with some excellent annotations that caught the judges’ eye: • The leaves resemble a growth in mindset which provides help for everyone. • The light bulb represents ideas and career opportunities. • The hands and arms show the support offered by the Chamber. After being successfully chosen as the winner, Sam was then given the opportunity to see his logo

Sam and Rhys (Umbrella Marketing) designing the logo “come to life” with a professional graphic designer from Umbrella Marketing Team. Sam sat with the designer giving his thoughts on how the logo should look. Sam was then presented with a certificate, plaque and gift card from the Chamber. Debbie Bryce, Deputy CEO at the Chamber, said “With over thirty entries into the logo competition, it was a very tough decision to pick the overall winner. Sam’s design was exactly what we were looking for and I am thrilled with the final logo. Thank you to all those that took part!”

YOUNG CHAMBER

An update on events so far CHRISTLETON HIGH SCHOOL

Mock Interview Day – Over fifty sixth form pupils presented their CVs to Young Chamber Sponsors who then interviewed them for a mock job role. This gave students essential preparation for the real thing with some impressing so much that two Chamber members gave their business cards to them! Cyber Security Project – Young Chamber Sponsors Protos Networks have established a cyber security project where pupils will be tasked to set-up a wireless network. Employability Day – To prepare students for

future job interviews, the Chamber arranged an employability day where mock interviews were held at businesses premises. Students had to plan their route to the interview and make sure that they were dressed appropriately. Young Chamber Sponsors Phill Jones and Cat Williams gave students tips beforehand on how to best prepare for their job interviews. This not only gave students useful insights from industry experts, but the interviews themselves provided them with essential experience for the future.

Christleton High School mock interview day

THE KING’S SCHOOL, CHESTER

Bryn Tirion students attending networking at MoneyPenny

BRYN TIRION SCHOOL Business Enterprise - As part of Young Chamber, Bryn Tirion School is running a Business Enterprise where pupils are running a mock business selling Young Chamber merchandise. Students must take into account different aspects, from accounting to marketing, and will also be granted with the Prince’s Trust Award. As part of their primary research for this project, students attended a Chamber Networking event at Money Penny, where they surveyed Members to highlight the demand for

different merchandise. Pupils also took part in a Marketing and Finance masterclass, held by Young Chamber Sponsors Umbrella Marketing and NatWest, where they learnt key skills needed to market and successfully price the merchandise. This culminated in a group of students selling the merchandise at the Chamber networking lunch at Liverpool Football Club. This was a great success and all profits will be invested in new computers for the school.

Kings School Chester Science Expo

Science & Engineering Expo -The King’s School, Chester hosted its first Inspiring Minds event, with a strong science and engineering theme. Pupils from King’s and other local schools were able to hear from, and meet, a fantastic array of scientists, engineers and innovators. The Chamber then got involved by bringing along Members from the science and engineering sectors to feature in the Expo stalls. This included the latest high-tech bus from Arriva Buses and a programable robotic head provided by Altimex Ltd, which was very popular with the students! The whole event saw well over 200 students engage with Science & Engineering businesses that are right on their doorstep.

THE BIG INTERVIEW

JONATHAN EDGE Managing Director, Edge Transport

WCNW: To begin, tell us a little about yourself and your background. I left university in 1995 with a degree in Economics but little idea of what I wanted to do. I’d considered the Police, but then my Dad suggested I come and ‘have a go’ and work for him. I’d spent summer holidays working in the garage cleaning trucks, but on January 2nd 1996, I started on the Traffic Desk dealing directly with the drivers and customers. I remember helping install our first computer system – an old MS Dos. Up until then we’d been sending out handwritten invoices! WCNW: Edge Transport is a family business, tell us some more about that. Edge has always had family involved but this grew massively when my Dad, Peter Edge, passed away in 1999. He was the business up until then. Because it was important to Dad it was important to the rest of us, and we didn’t for one minute consider selling. I stepped into the role of Operations Director, and later, Managing Director with my sister, Jenny, joining then as well. My brother-in-law, Mark, was already involved so all of a sudden we were a family who were working together. For us, it’s not just a job; to a certain extent the business becomes your life. None of this has been a conscious decision – the company has simply evolved this way. WCNW: How are the Edge family members involved in the day-to-day running of the business? Very much and we’re all hands-on. Jenny deals with the customers and is Edge’s main point of contact. Richard heads up operations and account manages some of our customers and the warehouse. Nikki looks after finance and really is the ‘great organiser of it all’. My Mum’s the chair and her main focus is making sure that everyone’s happy. My cousin works in operations. All-in-all we’re pretty involved. WCNW: What are your main responsibilities? My main job is to ensure the entire team – from the office staff to the drivers – are happy, safe and legal in everything they do. I make sure our service levels are excellent and that we’re delivering on plan.

THE BIG INTERVIEW WCNW: What does a typical day involve? No day is the same but the first thing I do as standard is review the day before. It’s important for us to know what’s worked, what hasn’t and where there’s room for improvement. Luckily, this never takes me long because our team do such great work. The rest of the time, I devise operational and staff development plans for the future. In this sense, my days can vary quite a lot. I also sit on the board of Palletline Ltd as a shareholder director. I’ve held this role for the last 12 years and up to two days of every month can be spent working on Palletline business. WCNW: Who are your customers and what is the main aim of the organisation? Our customers are like-minded companies who share our ethos and values. We want to be a company who people want to work for and work with, so it’s important to us that we work with the right people as well. Flexibility, a sense of fun (working with a smile on your face), integrity and honesty are the values we seek out in others and hope to project ourselves. WCNW: What (projects) are you currently working on/excited about? I’m in the final stages of a performance bonus structure for our staff. This is similar to a profit share and although it will take a few years to get to that point, it’s a definite step in that direction. We’re all very excited about it!

WCNW: How has Edge Transport changed since you’ve been involved? It’s a completely different business. We offer a broader range of services so we’re a more dynamic company. The move to larger, purpose-built premises was a big but logical step for us to make. In order to offer more services we had to expand. WCNW: How important are people/ staff to Edge Transport? Extremely. I’d even go as far as saying they’re more important than our customers in some respects. It’s the people of Edge who deliver our services and if they are happy and well-rewarded then the knock-on effect to the customer is huge. They’ll always receive the very best service. WCNW: Biggest challenge? The death of my Dad. He had all the knowledge in his head and we had to find a way around that. This meant relying on a lot of help from a lot of people, and accepting that help in the first place. WCNW: Did you ever think ‘I’ve taken on too big a risk’? If so, how did you overcome it? When we made the decision to commit to bigger premises, I had to have faith that we were doing the right thing. I knew we had the people to deliver on our promises and luckily that’s now been proven time and time again. WCNW: Looking ahead, what are your main aims for the organisation and how would you like it to develop?

We want to work smarter, not harder. I’d never ask anyone to do something I wouldn’t be happy doing myself and I want everyone at Edge Transport to have a good work/life balance. We’re keen to recognise and reward our staff – whether that be financially, through training or flexible working hours. Ultimately we want to keep investing in our future, not standing still. WCNW: How have businesses and customers responded to what you’re offering? Very well! Since our location move we haven’t actually had to actively market for new customers. We seem to be naturally attracting the right business. I think that’s due to the image that we’re collectively putting out there. We update our team so that they’re in the loop at all times and we keep investing. Our fleet is a great example of this, with no truck over three years old. Also, the directors are not faceless or distant and our customers appreciate that. WCNW: Do you think that being a family business makes a difference to your customers? With the size and types of businesses we deal with: definitely. Most are longstanding companies, sole-traders or other family businesses and they can see how close we are to it and that’s important. They see that we’re as invested in what we do as they are in their own businesses. WCNW: Are there any particular people, business leaders or others you look up to? What have you learned from them? My Dad was and always will be a huge influence, but I’m also inspired by similar family businesses and hauliers. Other Palletline members and companies like Westbridge - I look and learn from what they’re doing. WCNW: What are your career aims and aspirations? Is there anything else in particular you’d like to achieve in your lifetime? I have two young boys and want to spend as much time with them as I can. My aim is to be good as we can be at Edge, while simultaneously achieving a work/life balance for everyone involved. WCNW: What message would you give to other people in business? Do you have any tips for success?

Photograph: Ian Southerin

Don’t overlook what your staff do for you and how important they are. A thank you also goes a long way.

ECONOMY

WCNW RESULTS NATIONAL RESULTS

West Cheshire & North Wales Businesses Indicate further growth at the end of 2017

n the latest Quarterly Economic Survey from the West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce, businesses from across the region have indicated a second consecutive quarter of growth in terms of sales and orders. Despite this, levels remain below that seen in the first Quarter of 2017. 129 businesses from the region took part in the Chamber’s survey representing more than

7900 employees. Commenting on the results, Colin Brew, Chief Executive Officer of West Cheshire & North Wakes Chamber of Commerce, said; “These results indicate that businesses in West Cheshire & North Wales finished 2017 in broadly a similar position to the start of it, after an easing in growth and confidence during Q2 and Q3. “However, there are

some concerning signs as 83% of businesses that tried to recruit staff over the last three months reported recruitment difficulties, the highest level since Q4 ‘15 “These difficulties may be the reason for the high level of investment in training which finished on a two and a half year high, showing that businesses are trying to overcome recruitment problems by investing in

their staff. “Labour and skills shortages are set to be the biggest potential drag anchor on business in 2018, since ultimately it is people that make businesses work. This must be the year government delivers clarity, leadership and investment in people and infrastructure. Kickstarting growth, and boosting wages and prosperity for all, depends on this.”

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

WCNW International Trade Forum is another fantastic success!

est Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce’s International Trade forum proved to be another successful event for the Chamber Export Team! Guests gathered in the impressive Churchill House De Gaulle restaurant, where a buffet lunch was served and delegates had the chance to network with one another before the meeting began. Leading the Trade Forum was Debbie Hancox, International Trade Development Manager, who welcomed the delegates to the venue and gave a quick run through of the agenda. Many departments throughout the UK, such as the Department for International Trade and Business Wales were in attendance, ready to offer delegates any advice and answer questions when necessary. Following Debbie’s opening address, David Roberts from the WCNW Chamber of Commerce spoke to the room, informing all of

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

the current certification changes for Saudi Arabia shortly followed by 2018 exporting ‘dates for your diary’. This quarterly trade forum was focused on the potential risks and rewards of exporting outside of the EU and our speakers and trainers were on hand to talk through these topics. Our next speaker was Becky Stark of Stark Export Focus, who took the floor to facilitate an interactive workshop. Delegates were grouped into 5’s and were asked to name as many potential risks as possible when exporting overseas, the group with the most correct risks were awarded with a bottle of Prosecco! This exercise highlighted many of the risks in International Trade, with Becky then able to indicate some of ways in which to avoid these potential risks to Exporters within the UK. Cyber Security is an extremely hot topic at present, due to this, we then welcomed Darren Kewley of Protos Cyber Security to talk to our

exporters about mitigating their Cyber Security and Data Protection Risks. Darren gave an extremely interesting presentation, highlighting how businesses’ can be affected by cyberattack, especially when using Devices aboard. Delegates were also given a short snippet about the upcoming GDPR Regulations, and some tips on how to ensure that they are compliant with the upcoming laws. Following on from Darren, Freddie Blackman of A.E.I Saudi presented his ‘Risk Vs Reward’ presentation. Freddie highlighted opportunities in Saudi Arabia and the ways in which businesses from the UK can make connections there. To round up the Trade Forum, guests gave their opinions of what they would like to discuss at the next Trade Forum, ensuring that the Forums remain on topic and relevant to those in attendance. Guests were also given the chance to ask our presenters Darren (Protos Networks) and Freddie (A.E.I Saudi) any questions about their earlier presentations, before delegates had a final chance to network amongst one another, before the event drew to a close. Debbie Hancox, International Trade Development Manager, said: “It is great to see so many people at our latest International Trade Forum. We had three excellent speakers today and delegates have taken a lot of useful information away with them. These Trade Forums have been a great way for the Chamber to support businesses looking to start, or grow, the number of exports they do and I am looking forward to our next one on the 24th April 2018.”

UPCOMING INTERNATIONAL TRADE TRAINING COURSES

Tuesday 20th March 2018, 10am – 3pm Dangerous Goods and Export Controls 23rd March WCNW Chamber Conference at the OpTIC Centre, Customs & V.A.T. 28th March St Asaph: How to Export Beyond BREXIT – Trade Options BCC Introduction to the Export Process 11th April Beyond 2019. BCC Export Documentation and INCOTERMS 20th April This day conference will start with networking and then BCC Agents, Distributers and Routes to Market 25th April a series of presentations starting with Economist, Neil Ashbridge followed by Becky Stark of Stark Export Focus, BCC Inward and Outward Processing 9th May Steven Misfud, Chief Executive - Direct Access, Mark BCC Letters of Credit Methods of Payment 18th May Rowbotham of Portcullis, Dr Franke Levene - AVITUS BCC Preference Rules of Origin Explained 23rd May Group speaking on Hot Export Market – USA, Julianne BCC Import Procedures & Customs Audit Procedures 1st June Davis, Investment Director – Austrade speaking on Hot Introduction to Authorised Economic Operator Status 15th June Export Market - Australia and closing with Jane Christie All training courses take place at the Chamber office in Chester. Welsh International Trade Advisor for Welsh Government. 4th May: Export Trade Advice Clinic at Churchill House, Chester 24th April, 17th July, 30th October: West Cheshire & North Wales International Trade Forum at Churchill House, Chester

For more information contact Debbie Hancox on 01244 669984 or email d.hancox@wcnwchamber.org.uk

Advertorial

MEMBERS NEWS

Free parking at Chester Racecourse to return for 2018

H1ChesterBID and Chester Racecourse have again joined forces to provide free parking for shoppers. The scheme follows the success of last year’s initiative which was launched to boost shopper footfall on race weekends A free parking scheme introduced by CH1 ChesterBID and Chester Racecourse in 2017 is being brought back to the city as part of a continued effort to boost city centre visitor numbers. Starting on Sunday 28th January, visitors to Chester will be able to take advantage of free parking at the 450 capacity Chester Racecourse car park between 10am and 5pm. The offer will continue on the last Sunday of every month until the 2018 race season gets underway in May, at which time free parking will be made available every Sunday that follows a Saturday race day to encourage additional city centre footfall. The scheme will then return to the last Sunday of every month for the remainder of 2018 when the race season concludes at the end of September. Carl Critchlow, left, BID Manager at CH1ChesterBID – the city’s

Business Improvement District – said: “It’s fantastic that we’re once again able to work in partnership with Chester Racecourse to reinstate this free parking initiative that proved to be a real success in 2017. “Shoppers have told us that the offer of free parking gives them a genuine incentive to visit the city centre on race day weekends and we know that our 500-strong members – Chester city centre’s bars, shops and restaurants – value this scheme because it encourages more shoppers into our city centre. “With the popular Free After 3 car parking initiative set to be removed over the next few months, it’s become even more important that we do everything we can to make parking in the city centre as accessible as possible. We’re thankful to Chester Racecourse for agreeing to the scheme for another year and we hope shoppers will take full advantage of the free parking on offer throughout the year.” Chief Executive of Chester Race Company, Richard Thomas, added: “We’re pleased to be able to facilitate this initative for a consecutive year in collaboration with CH1ChesterBid. We received positive feedback from the scheme in 2017 and welcome the opportunity to be able to offer free parking again this year, enticing shoppers and visitors to the city.” For more information about parking in Chester, visit www.experiencechester.co.uk/ how-to-get-here

New CEO appointed at LJLA

iverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) has today announced that John Irving has been appointed as the new CEO of the Airport Company and is due to take charge on 12th March 2018. John joins the Airport from his current position as Chief Commercial Officer at Newcastle International Airport where he has worked for the past two and half years driving record passenger and airline growth. A qualified Management Accountant, prior to his time in aviation John has also held senior commercial and financial positions at Newcastle United Football Club and Procter and Gamble and brings a wealth of successful business experience from across various sectors. LJLA handled almost 5 million passengers in 2017 with flights to over 60 destinations in the UK and across Europe and is known for its relaxed, hassle free environment and best-in-class operational performance. Passenger numbers grew by almost 3% last year compared to 2016 generating the Airport’s highest annual passenger figures since 2011 and LJLA is also one of the area’s major employers, attracting inward investment and bringing

significant tourism benefits, helping to boost the region’s economy. New CEO John Irving commented, “I am very excited at being given the opportunity to take this business forward at a time when the Peel Group’s continued investment in the Airport has seen Liverpool become one of the UK’s stand-out regional airports. I am thoroughly looking forward to building on this recent success and for Liverpool to continue to be the faster, easier, friendlier Airport of choice for passengers from across the region.” Airport Chairman Robert Hough commented, ”John has helped Newcastle Airport make significant progress in his time there and we are therefore delighted to welcome him in his new role here at Liverpool, bringing drive and determination to take the Airport on to the next level and to realise its tremendous potential. John will also be a great asset for the City Region too, developing the Airport’s strategic importance through improved connectivity, helping to attract further inward investment and bringing continued benefits for the region’s visitor economy.”

John Irving

Need to make your business grow? Look a little closer

ambria For Business is the new name for Coleg Cambria’s business services. They are one of the largest providers of education and training in Wales and the North West, with an excellent reputation for skills delivery and strong relationships with local, regional and national employers. Cambria For Business now have the ability to support England based Apprenticeship Levyand non-levy paying employers with apprenticeship training in a variety of sectors. If you are a levy paying company they can support you in maximising your drawdown and access of Government incentives in England and Wales. The team will tailor the services to suit your individual needs, budget and objectives. They have a wealth of cross-industry knowledge, which they use to help inform and advise businesses on the best training solutions available and potential sources of funding. Cambria For Business are perfectly positioned to help you understand how the new Apprenticeship Levy will affect training funding for new or existing staff, providing a FREE Apprenticeship recruitment service for employers in England and Wales. They have a dedicated apprenticeship levy support service for employers, with a focus on enabling you to maximise the return on investment from the levy. They also provide support in the delivery of short industry recognised short courses and qualifications to upskill your workforce. The specialised industry focused team are able to create bespoke training programmes ‘not off the shelf’ if your business needs specific support and skills development. Do you have an upcoming event? You can hire purpose built conference and meeting spaces with everything you need to host an event. For further information visit www.cambria.ac.uk/business or contact the Cambria For Business team directly on 0300 30 30 006 or email employers@cambria.ac.uk.

UP CLOSE

The Person behind the Business Amanda Shehab, Director of Cimteq Ltd An overview of yourself and your current role. Director of Cimteq Ltd, the leading provider of software for the design and manufacturing of cables to the cable manufacturing industry worldwide and Chairman of the International Wire & Machinery Association (IWMA). Describe your role. Aside from involvement of the day to day activities of the business, my main focus at present is on the development of our new Manufacturing Execution software product, CableMES. We are currently working with a number of customers to implement CableMES and expect the uptake to really gain momentum in the next 2 years. This has been developed specifically for the wire and cable manufacturing industry which is proven to provide a very quick return on investment. It maximises plant production, improves product quality, reduces inventory and ensures on time delivery.

What’s the best bit of having a job like yours? I always felt a pull towards the manufacturing industry and my job allows me to be involved in this sector, fuelling my passion to improve productivity and streamlining the manufacturing process, which is why we developed our two main products, CableBuilder and CableMES. I enjoy helping customers to solve problems that have a real influence on their business and getting involved in the technical side of the business. As Chairman of the International Wire & Machinery Association (IWMA), I enjoy my involvement and the influence of the IWMA to better the industry. My primary function within this role is to promote new technology, education and growth within the cable and wire industry. Was a role like this always what you aspired to? No, I wanted to be astronaut, doesn’t everybody? I started working life as an Engineering Apprentice in my father’s electrical engineering company, based in the industrial heart of Sheffield, learning how to rewind motors and repair all kinds of industrial machinery. Although we don’t manufacture ourselves, I like the best idea that what we do has a very practical output in terms of production of a product. Any special memories to share? One of my first jobs as a graduate engineer in a Cable Factory was to upgrade a machine.

I remember late one night, being on my hands and knees in the bottom of the machine banging the life out of a bent metal plate with a lump hammer. (Totally my fault having bent it by forcing a contactor the wrong way). The factory manager happened to be walking around the factory that night, and to my horror he popped his head into my machine to find out what the noise was. He was as surprised to see me as I was to see him, but he just said, ‘Is everything alright Amanda’ to which I lied, ‘yes everything’s fine’ and off he went, and I carried on with my banging. Tell us a bit about what you do outside of work to relax. We own a small woodland which keeps us busy at the weekend chopping wood, and getting us out in the outdoors. I enjoy DIY and growing my own vegetables, but am not interested in growing flowers, just stuff you can eat. I also enjoy sailing and motorbiking. In an ideal world, what else would you like to be? Apart from an astronaut, I have a real interest in buildings and architecture, so If I did it all again, I would probably be a structural engineer. I would like to be an architect, but I am more practical than creative so structural engineering is probably a better fit. What advice would you give to anyone starting out? Make the most of any opportunity you are given. Keep a positive attitude, always take responsibility for your actions, and never blame others. Always look forwards, don’t dwell on the past. Mistakes will always be made but the trick is to make sure they only ever happen once.

Ginger Pixie Photography

ENVIRONMENT

Clean growth for Cheshire SMEs A ccording to figures in the UK’s Clean Growth Strategy, the UK low carbon economy is estimated to grow by 11% each year until 2030. This is four times faster than the rest of the economy and presents a huge business opportunity. Through the development of new technologies and products, we can take advantage of this opportunity by considering the economic and environmental sustainability of business activities and product lines. SMEs play a crucial role in the UK economy, contributing to economic growth, jobs and fast-paced innovation. With the ability to move quickly and respond to market influences, SMEs have an opportunity to stay ahead of the curve. Around 99% of all UK businesses are SMEs, but only 3.6% of UK R&D spend

comes from these companies. This could be due to a lack of time, resources and R&D facilities, which many SMEs simply do not have access to. In order to address this gap, the University of Chester and Lancaster University have created a partnership, allowing access to their combined academic expertise, student resource and first class research facilities. SMEs in Cheshire and Warrington can benefit by hosting student projects, benefitting from short term internships and engaging in longer term one year R&D projects. Research and development largely delivers a good return and increased business prospects. When companies undertake R&D with a university partner their return on investment increases by 130% (Witty Review of Universities &

A new wave of renewable energy

he UK is surrounded by the largest source of wave and tidal power in Europe, with production potential of 840 TWh of electricity each year. To put this into perspective, this is double the UK’s annual electricity demand. Just harnessing a proportion of this energy could make a significant contribution to the UK’s Clean Growth Strategy, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% from 1990 levels by 2050. Waves2Watts is an innovative start-up company looking to harness this potential and work towards a low carbon future for the UK. The company is developing a conversion device which works efficiently to translate wave energy into power. The Waves2Watts Energy Converter is being developed further with help from Lancaster University and the Centre for Global EcoInnovation. The company has begun a three-year research project to develop the technology to market

Growth 2013). We are encouraging SMEs to join us in working together to generate low carbon products, processes and technologies in Cheshire and Warrington. Projects can span multiple sectors and disciplines in areas such as energy, resource efficiency, waste, water, food security and natural capital. Eco-Innovation Cheshire and Warrington is a collaboration between the University of Chester and Lancaster University, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. We aim to link SMEs to the research capabilities of the universities to facilitate R&D leading to low carbon products and services. On offer are short and long-term R&D programmes of support for eligible SMEs based in Cheshire and Warrington. Get in touch for further details.

Students express interest in researching low-carbon technologies

readiness scale with help from graduate researcher Simeon Doyle and Professor George Aggidis. Simeon is working on optimising the product design, geometrical shape and performance of the technology to give maximum efficiencies and output. “This project presents a great opportunity for us to really push this technology forward and get our products into the market place. The ability to access university resources, expertise and facilities is proving invaluable to the development of our product,” said Adam Kyffin, Director of Waves2Watts Limited. This research is being delivered through the EcoInnovation Cheshire and Warrington project, a £4.8m research and innovation programme for SMEs in Cheshire and Warrington to deliver innovation for a better environment. On offer are business led research projects, academic resource and access to university facilities and expertise.

he Eco-Innovation Cheshire and Warrington project attended a Postgrad LIVE! event at the University of Liverpool recently, where they discovered that students attending were very aware of the need for research on lowcarbon technologies. With enquiries being made around Master’s and PhD courses in particular, students were interested in a broad range of subjects, from ecological impact to energy efficiency. Postgrad LIVE! was a great opportunity to review the calibre of science and engineering researchers out there available to work in collaboration with businesses on low-carbon technologies. Delegates from the University of Chester presented students attending the event with the postgraduate opportunities available from various perspectives: Heather Carroll (Business Development Manager) explained the academic, business and industry benefits of EcoInnovation while Dr Andy

McLauchlin (Experimental Officer) advised on the research facilities available at Thornton Science Park. Harrison O’Neill (a first year postgraduate student) gave the delegates a first-hand view of postgraduate study at the University of Chester. The team were able to use this high-profile event to raise the profile of Eco-Innovation and Thornton Science Park, as a result of which, the University of Chester now has a pool of high-quality potential researchers to implement the business engagements that underpin the Eco-Innovation Cheshire and Warrington Project.

To find out more, get in touch with our Business Development team STEPHEN: 01524 510745 / 07779965574 / s.king7@lancaster.ac.uk RHIAN: 01244 567370 / r.bowen@chester.ac.uk HEATHER: 01244 567370 / h.carroll@chester.ac.uk This project is part-funded by

GDPR Are you protected? Learn how to build sustainable data protection

Protos will become a strategic cluster of complementary businesses encompassing energy-intensive industries and their associated supply chains, alongside energy generation to provide secure, low carbon and lower cost energy. The Protos site benefits from multi-modal transport connectivity including the Manchester Ship Canal and motorway links to the M6 Corridor, providing a unique opportunity for national and international business.

TO DISCUSS OPPORTUNITIES OR FIND OUT ABOUT PROTOS PLEASE CONTACT: Freephone: 0800 170 1418 (During office hours Mon-Fri) Email: info@thisisprotos.com Website: www.thisprotos.com Please follow us on twitter @thisisprotos

www.elucidategroup.com T. Chester office 01244 455 140 T. Manchester office 0161 260 730 E. enquiries@elucidategroup.com

Need help to support business growth?

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Contact our Employer Services team to help with recruiting an apprentice or signing up current employers onto apprenticeships

wmc.ac.uk/employers 0151 551 7610 employer.services@wmc.ac.uk

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ENERGY FOCUS

UK’s top earth scientists join forces to connect the dots in our rocks T he Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the British Geological Survey (BGS) are proposing two UK Geoenergy Observatories at Ince Marshes in Cheshire and in Glasgow. The case for new geological evidence was set out in 2015 during a NERC consultation with the UK’s leading geologists, geoscientists, geological engineers, regulators and atmospheric scientists. In an ongoing series for Business Matters, the scientists involved outline the questions they want to explore and explain why a UK Geoenergy Observatory in Cheshire will break new boundaries in energy, climate change and environmental science. Professor David Manning, from Newcastle University’s School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, is overseeing the design of the Observatory.

“

Over the last 200 years, the global population has grown from one to nearly eight billion. It is likely to rise another billion by 2050. Coupled with exponentially better living standards since the Second World War, society is now using so many natural resources that we’ve reached a critical point of needing far more information on the environmental impact of our demands. We rely on the planet for drinking water, food fertilizer minerals, fossil fuels to power our cars, raw materials to build our homes… as our population grows, so does the demand on these natural resources. But they are limited and extraction has an effect. It’s vital that we understand the cumulative impact of our competing demands on the environment. We know enough to manage current uses, and UK environmental regulation leads the world in safety standards. Managing future needs will require much more precise understanding. This will be particularly important as we move away from fossil fuels. We’ll

need to use the rocks to put our carbon back into the ground, to store renewable energy and use geothermal energy at scale. We have to invest in more knowledge to develop a precise understanding of how the underground behaves. We know that when we extract groundwater there are impacts on the rest of the system from deep underground to the surface. We don’t fully understand how the connections rise to the surface, how they might be connected with flooding, what the connection paths look like and where they lead. Similarly, small seismic movements were detected in Basel, Switzerland, in connection with the use of ‘hot dry’ geothermal energy, so the operation was stopped. We need to be able to understand how those events arose in order for geothermal heat to have a real future in the energy mix. We want to understand what changes occur, how, why and from where those changes originate, how they propagate and what effect they have on

Professor David Manning, from the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences at Newcastle University, is overseeing the design of the UK Geoenergy Observatories. the surface. Only once we know that, we can fully understand how to mitigate those effects and regulate for them. Accumulating this knowledge requires an observation system that can study the underground environment over an extended length of time in a level of detail never done before. We now have the engineering, technology and computer processing power to provide the best possible account of how underground systems behave and how different

parts of the underground are connected. The UK Geoenergy Observatories will build up a high resolution picture of the underground system, providing a breakthrough in our understanding. This hasn’t been done anywhere else in the world. What we learn in Cheshire and Glasgow will lead the way in understanding how to balance our need for resources, with keeping people safe and protecting our environment. The science will have applications across the world.

”

UK GEOENERGY OBSERVATORIES Professor of geological engineering at the University of Strathclyde Zoe Shipton chairs the Geoenergy Science Advisory Group which authored the science plan.

“

One of our biggest climate change challenges is how to decarbonise our heat. Generally, we have a pretty good idea about how to decarbonise our electricity and transport. But with more than 80% of our homes reliant on gas heating, it’s going to be really tough to get consumers to switch to heating systems that don’t rely on fossil fuels. Heat does not transport well. It cools too quickly. We need low-carbon heat sources that are close to the consumer. More than likely, this means that they will come from directly below our towns and cities. We need to develop low-carbon alternatives that are safe, reliable and affordable. We need to develop them quickly. It’s vital that we understand what the potential solutions are, how we can do them safely, in collaboration with people and without impacting on the environment. These technologies require research to ensure efficient, safe and responsible use. We have really sophisticated modelling techniques and these need to be validated in real geology. We need to understand if by using the rocks in these new ways we’re waking up the

bugs that live in the rocks, cooling or clogging the system, causing chemical reactions or moving heat around. If we don’t understand the science we won’t be able to engineer the system properly, we won’t be able to de-risk these emerging low-carbon technologies and operators simply won’t be able to attract investment. Delivery depends on learning from research in a location typical of the demands people put on their environment. We’ve asked a lot of our landscape over the centuries. We’ve extracted building materials, water and minerals. We’ve built into and on top of it. We’ve put pipes, tunnels and waste in it. We grow our food on it. So, our environment isn’t pristine. Detecting change in this ‘noisy’ environment relies on being able to distinguish between natural, previously induced and new behaviour. In North Cheshire we can see all this activity in one place. Residential, industrial, mining, quarrying, transport, manufacturing, agricultural and resource supply all takes place within a 15-mile radius of the proposed UK Geoenergy Observatory site in Cheshire. That’s on top of the natural

HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE?

The BGS ran community drop-in events in autumn 2017. Look out for more engagement events throughout 2018. Visit: www.bgs.ac.uk/ukgeoenergyobs or email ukgeosenquiries@bgs.ac.uk for information.

Professor Zoe Shipton, Head of Geological Engineering at the University of Strathclyde, chairs the UK Geoenergy Observatories Science Advisory Group environmental fluctuations from the groundwater, the marshlands and the Mersey. Cheshire’s particular geology - lots of rock types typical of the rest of the UK in one location and close to the surface - means that we’ll be able to build up a really good picture of natural conditions and change in a variety of rock types, and apply this new understanding throughout the UK. Without these observatories, it will be back to business as usual: where the traditional industries continue to spend millions on geological data of interest to them but is often commercially confidential, so does not assist new technologies

to come forward. The emerging geothermal industry knows it needs this information but it doesn’t have the money to invest at this scale. These technologies will happen eventually: but to bring them forward at the pace and scale required to tackle our environmental challenges, we need to change our energy systems profoundly. The whole of the science community has committed to work together to create observatories that will gather the data needed to explain the unknown and understand the risks. If we succeed, this new data will come from a credible source driven by a common goal.

”

In the next issues, we’ll hear from Professor Mike Bickle from the University of Cambridge, Fellow of the Royal Society and Director of the Cambridge Centre for Carbon Capture and Storage, Dr Grant Allen, from the Centre for Atmospheric Science at the University of Manchester; Professor Mike Kendall from the University of Bristol, Dr Alwyn Hart from the Environment Agency, and others.

4 KEY

PRINCIPLES

OF ASTUTE 2020 INDUSTRY SUPPORT: ASTUTE 2020 enables greater levels of business innovation in future manufacturing by: • Industry demand-led collaborations to de-risk new technologies. • Driving and supporting cutting-edge Research, Development and Innovation • Increasing competitiveness and future proofing • Encouraging stimulation of ideas and challenges to foster knowledge exchange

Working with the Manufacturing Industry across Wales Demand-led by industry, the EU-backed multi-University partnership (Swansea, Cardiff, Aberystwyth, University of South Wales and University of Wales Trinity Saint David) is working together with the Welsh Manufacturing Industry to embed advanced and sustainable future manufacturing technologies through knowledge exchange. ASTUTE 2020 supports the manufacturing industry across Wales through effective collaboration with academia, harnessing world-class academic experts across the University partnership, supported by highly qualified researchers and technical experts. Unique access to state-of-the-art research facilities, experimental equipment, advanced techniques and bespoke software enables greater levels of business innovation in future manufacturing processes. Over the last two years, the ASTUTE 2020 team has been collaborating with multiple Welsh Manufacturing companies including Swansea-based startup Marine Power Systems Ltd. (MPS) on their clean, reliable and affordable wave power technology, the WaveSub, Calon Cardio-Technology Ltd. on the optimisation of the next generation of implantable blood pumps for the treatment of heart failure, which resulted in attracting private investment that will enable the clinical trials to start this year, and Divemex Ltd. on their new maritime tidal anchor, evaluating how the anchor embeds on the sea floor, significantly reducing damage to organisms on the sea-bed. The companies and the economy have benefitted from increased investment, employment and new and improved processes and products, increasing the companies’ competitiveness.

Interested in how ASTUTE 2020 can support your business? www.astutewales.com

+44 (0)1792 606378

info@astutewales.com

@astutewales

MANUFACTURING FOCUS: Industry projects focusing on the research challenge with worldclass expertise in the areas of: • Advanced Materials Technology • Computational Engineering Modelling • Manufacturing Systems Engineering

COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS: Proposals for collaborative RD&I projects will be developed by the industrial partner together with a dedicated ASTUTE 2020 technical manager and will require approval by an industrial-academic committee before a project can proceed. WHO CAN ASTUTE 2020 SUPPORT: Welsh manufacturing companies across a variety of sectors, including aerospace, automotive, energy generation, oil and gas, medical devices, electronics and food etc.

4 PRIF

EGWYDDOR ASTUTE 2020 CEFNOGI DIWYDIANT:

Mae ASTUTE 2020 yn galluogi lefelau gwell o arloesi busnes mewn prosesau gweithgynhyrchu i’r dyfodol drwy: • Trefniadau cydweithio ar sail y galw gan ddiwydiant er mwyn dileu risg technolegau newydd. • Sbarduno a chefnogi Ymchwil, Datblygiad ac Arloesedd blaengar. • Cynyddu cystadleurwydd a chydnerthedd at y dyfodol. • Annog symbylu syniadau a heriau i hybu cyfnewid gwybodaeth.

FFOCWS AR WEITHGYNHYRCHU:

Gweithio gyda’r Diwydiant Gweithgynhyrchu ledled Cymru Gan ddilyn y galw gan ddiwydiant, mae’r bartneriaeth hon rhwng sawl Prifysgol (Abertawe, Caerdydd, Aberystwyth, Prifysgol De Cymru a Phrifysgol Cymru y Drindod Dewi Sant), a gefnogir gan yr UE, yn cydweithio â’r Diwydiant Gweithgynhyrchu yng Nghymru i wreiddio technolegau gweithgynhyrchu uwch a chynaliadwy’r dyfodol trwy gyfnewid gwybodaeth. Mae ASTUTE 2020 yn cefnogi’r diwydiant gweithgynhyrchu ledled Cymru trwy gydweithio’n effeithiol â’r byd academaidd, gan harneisio arbenigwyr academaidd sydd ymhlith y goreuon yn y byd ar draws y bartneriaeth rhwng Prifysgolion, gyda chefnogaeth ymchwilwyr sydd â lefel uchel o gymwysterau ac arbenigwyr technegol. Mae mynediad unigryw at y cyfleusterau ymchwil diweddaraf, cyfarpar arbrofi, technegau uwch a meddalwedd wedi’i theilwra yn golygu bod modd sicrhau lefelau uwch o arloesedd busnes ym mhrosesau gweithgynhyrchu’r dyfodol. Yn ystod y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf, mae tîm ASTUTE 2020 wedi bod yn cydweithio â chwmnïau Gweithgynhyrchu lluosog yng Nghymru, gan gynnwys Marine Power Systems Ltd. (MPS), a gychwynnodd yn Abertawe, ar eu technoleg pŵer tonnau glân, dibynadwy a fforddiadwy, y WaveSub, Calon Cardio-Technology Ltd. ynghylch optimeiddio’r genhedlaeth nesaf o bympiau gwaed y gellir eu mewnosod er mwyn trin methiant y galon, a ddenodd fuddsoddiad preifat fydd yn galluogi’r treialon clinigol i gychwyn eleni, a Divemex Ltd. ar eu hangor morol llanw newydd, gan werthuso sut mae’r angor yn gwreiddio’i hun ar wely’r môr fel bod difrod sylweddol lai i organebau ar wely’r môr. Mae’r cwmnïau a’r economi wedi elwa o fwy o fuddsoddiad, cyflogaeth a phrosesau a chynnyrch newydd, gwell, sydd wedi golygu bod y cwmnïau’n fwy cystadleuol.

Prosiectau diwydiant sy’n canolbwyntio ar yr her ymchwil gydag arbenigedd o’r radd flaenaf ym meysydd: • Technoleg Deunyddiau Uwch • Modelu Peirianneg Cyfrifiadurol • Peirianneg Systemau Gweithgynhyrchu

PROSIECTAU CYDWEITHREDOL: Bydd cynigion ar gyfer prosiectau RD&I cydweithredol yn cael eu datblygu gan y partner diwydiannol ynghyd â rheolwr technegol dynodedig ASTUTE 2020 a bydd angen eu cymeradwyo gan bwyllgor diwydiannol-academaidd cyn i brosiect fedru mynd rhagddo.

PWY MAE ASTUTE 2020 YN GALLU CEFNOGI: Cwmnïau gweithgynhyrchu yng Nghymru ar draws amrywiaeth o sectorau, gan gynnwys awyrofod, moduron, cynhyrchu ynni, olew a nwy, dyfeisiau meddygol, electroneg a bwyd ac ati.

Oes gennych chi ddiddordeb mewn gwybod sut gall ASTUTE 2020 gefnogi eich busnes chi?

www.astutewales.com/cy

+44 (0)1792 606378

info@astutewales.com

@astutewales

FOCUS ON UK GAS

Importing gas costs the UK jobs, growth, tax and investment - let’s produce it here instead The recent cold blast was a timely reminder of how dependent we are on imported gas. The so called ‘Beast from the East’ led to an estimated shortfall of

48 million

cubic meters of gas (around 14 per cent of domestic demand) across the UK as demand peaked at a six-year high. National union, the GMB made the following comment about the situation:

By replacing imports with home produced gas

64,000 jobs and protect 500,000 jobs in the UK we could create as many as

“

petrochemicals industry, many of them in Cheshire.

Currently we import

There may be plenty of gas that can be imported from around the world but that comes at a cost, not just a high financial one but imports have a higher carbon footprint and we cannot control employment and environmental policies and regulations in other jurisdictions.

The National Grid’s decision to issue a ‘gas deficit warning’ to the market is a sobering reminder of the fragility in our domestic energy supply and should reignite the debate over our energy future.

”

50% of our natural gas.

In the next 17 years that figure is set to rise to nearly

£9 billion

The import bill could hit a year – creating no jobs and generating no tax revenue in this country – much needed money that could go to the NHS or schools.

80%

FOCUS ON UK GAS

According to the Ernst and Young report “Getting ready for UK shale gas” launched in 2014, there is a

£33 billion

supply chain up for grabs for the UK’s shale gas industry. We would like to create a supply chain forum for local businesses who want to get involved with opportunities in the county’s shale gas industry. If you are interested in getting involved please take our survey: www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/gasforbusiness

You can find more information at www.ukoog.org.uk www.talkaboutshale.com Call our information line: 0203 675 6058 or send us an email at: enquiries@igasplc.com Follow us on Twitter: @igasenergy 41

FOCUS ON

Invest in Denbighshire

new initiative is putting business investment at the heart of Denbighshire’s strategy for economic growth. The “Invest in Denbighshire” project is designed to encourage new investors to North Wales and to support home grown businesses to stay in the county. With 350 businesses starting up every year in Denbighshire, and with business survival rates higher than the Welsh and UK average, Denbighshire is a great place for new businesses to launch and grow. Turnover of businesses and business sites in Denbighshire increased by £410.9m to £2506.7m in 2016 – a trend which bodes well for businesses in the county. Cllr Hugh Evans OBE, Leader of Denbighshire County Council, said of the initiative: “The fact Denbighshire is outperforming the Welsh and UK averages for business survival rates and that business turnover is increasing shows what a great offer we have here. Invest in Denbighshire showcases what Denbighshire can offer, and as a Council we are here to help if you’re looking to grow or relocate in the county. “Denbighshire has great transport links with the city centres and airports of Liverpool and Manchester just an hour away. We have 77 acres of development land available as well as established business parks and centres. The county is home to 11.5km of scenic seafront and one of the largest areas of outstanding natural beauty in the UK. “We have a diverse mix of urban and rural areas with thriving leisure, tourism, retail, agriculture, industry

and business sectors. Many of our businesses choose Denbighshire because of our quality of life and that all important work-life balance. “Denbighshire is very much open for business and our officers provide you with a dedicated contact and a bespoke support service to help you if you’re looking to grow or relocate in the area.” Officers from the Council’s Economic and Business Development Team can offer businesses account management to guide them through services such as planning, advice on funding, investment and support schemes as well as bespoke business support and advice. Dragon Drilling, a sustainable resource utilisation company, worked closely with Denbighshire County Council when planning the firm’s relocation. Geoff Ellison, chairman of Dragon Drilling, said: “The support we have received from the Council has been pragmatic and helpful. Working closely with the Council has helped us expand our business and offered us the confidence to know that we are doing everything in the correct manner. Having such a good relationship with Denbighshire is good for business. “Our expansion has allowed us to create more skilled jobs in the county, continuing a strong trend of job creation. It will also allow us to

“

Denbighshire is outperforming the Welsh and UK averages for business survival rates

”

embark on continued planned growth.” Denbighshire is home to St Asaph Business Park, a modern and regionally significant site, home to cutting-edge science, engineering, energy, creative and service sectors. Qioptiq, based on the Park is a world-leading producer of optoelectronics, including cutting edge technology such as visual displays for pilots’ helmets and counts BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Airbus among its customers. The firm also has a space division and every satellite launched in the Western world contains glass made by the company in Denbighshire. Peter White, Managing Director of Qioptiq, said: “Sometimes you can take for granted the sense of community, there is a strong community here. When international customers come over, they always comment on the passion and dedication that the workforce shows and it’s important to remember that. Denbighshire is a fantastic area to work. We do a lot of international travel and flights. Manchester and Liverpool airports are great international hubs.

FOCUS ON

“The work-life balance is important, it certainly is to me. We are an hour away from Snowdonia, an hour from the beaches of Anglesey. Chester, Manchester and Liverpool are not far away. The work-life balance is fantastic here. “We have been successful here in Denbighshire, the business is growing. If you invest in your business and you invest in your people, and have a clear and sound business plan, then St Asaph is a great place to base your business.” To support the number of businesses wanting to relocate or grow in the area, the council has set up a new advisory website: www.investindenbighshire.co.uk. The site also showcases some of the properties available to buy or let in Denbighshire.

The 1891 restaurant at Rhyl Pavilion

Rhyl is a resort on the rise

he Denbighshire resort of Rhyl is in the middle of a resurgence, offering a great location for businesses to launch, relocate or invest. With the construction of a £15million waterpark well underway, the opening of two new hotels, a brandnew fine dining restaurant, 1891, and a new 13-office business hub, public and private investment is coming together in the town. Chartered surveyor Hannah James has transformed the town’s former County Court into a business hub with meeting and function rooms. She was supported with a grant from Denbighshire County Council to purchase equipment to help her kit out the building, renamed Clwyd Chambers. Hannah chose Rhyl to invest as she is passionate about supporting her home town through business growth and development and has been impressed by the amount of public and private investment in the resort. Premier Inn has opened a new 70-bed hotel in the town, while construction on a 73-bed Travelodge hotel is underway. Cllr Hugh Evans OBE, Leader of Denbighshire County Council, said: “Residents and visitors to Rhyl can already see change in the town. “The redeveloped Pavilion Theatre looks fantastic and the 1891 restaurant is proving to be popular with diners. “The illuminated Sky Tower provides a brilliant light feature which adds to the resort’s image. With work at the waterpark well underway, the next 12 months will see even more developments come to fruition.” Early next year the town’s new 1200 metre square waterpark, with indoor and outdoor flume rides, children’s water play frame and slides, will open creating 60 new jobs and attracting an estimated 350,000 additional visitors every year.

It will be enhanced by the nearby Town Plaza element of the waterfront redevelopment being undertaken by the Council. McDonald’s franchisee Stewart Williams, who owns and operates eight McDonald’s restaurants in Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham, including the one on Rhyl High Street, recently invested in the town with the restaurant receiving a major digital makeover, creating an additional 15 jobs. Mr Williams said he was proud to invest in his Rhyl restaurant and cited the ongoing public investment from Denbighshire County Council as a factor in his decision. Cllr Evans added: “We believe the public investment in Rhyl will encourage further private investment, increasing the offer to both residents and visitors. This will result in an increase in footfall which will help the high street, the local economy and benefit residents in the whole of the county. It is great to see businesses gearing up for the increased opportunities this will bring.” The next phase of Rhyl’s regeneration will focus on the town centre, with a major stakeholder engagement exercise underway over the next 12 months that looks to identify key opportunities to bring even more benefit from regeneration projects as part of a wider master planning exercise. With Welsh Government’s Targeted Regeneration Investment (TRI) programme available to support a number of property related developments in the town, Mike Horrocks, the Council’s Economic & Business Development Team Manager feels confident that Rhyl will continue to be an excellent opportunity for investors to get involved in the town’s positive resurgence. He said: “It’s already a place where people are proud to live and work, and are excited to visit, and we’re determined to enhance that.”

The Illuminated Sky Tower and Rhyl promenade Artist’s impression of Rhyl’s new waterpark

FOCUS ON

Tech Zone proposed

ground-breaking hub for developing hi-tech companies is gathering pace. Business, planning and architectural experts at Denbighshire County Council have developed the concept of a building on St Asaph Business Park that can be an eco-system of ideas for advanced technology industries. The Council believes the ‘move-on’ hub, aimed at successful start-up companies looking to move into larger premises but retaining the campus feel of a research university, could help the county grow into a UK leader in the knowledge sector. The hub is a natural progression for hi-tech companies incubated at the Optic Technium Centre and ready to develop. Graham Boase, corporate director for economy and public realm at Denbighshire County Council said: “The hub is designed for hi-tech businesses which are developing and are ready to make the next move and step up their activity, job creation and production, but want to retain that hot-house feel. “It’s about creating an eco-system of ideas and St Asaph Business Park is the perfect place to do it because it is right on the A55 and it is already a centre of excellence in the optoelectronics industry.

“We feel that by providing the right conditions for companies to grow, we have the opportunity to develop and attract businesses which can provide well-paid and high-value jobs. “Across North Wales we have high value economic clusters such as energy digital and creative and advanced manufacturing and the optoelectronics cluster at St Asaph is part of that. “One of the key areas we’ve identified is business support and incubation which is why we’ve developed the concept of a hub for businesses to move on to as they grow. “St Asaph Business Park is centrally located in North Wales with good communications along the A55, links with Wrexham Glyndwr University and with the opto-electronics sector and that is very attractive to businesses looking to locate to the area.” St Asaph has a track record in high quality manufacturing in the optics field going back to its 50year association with glass giants Pilkington of St Helen’s who paved the way for the cluster of opto-electronics companies in the area. That continues today through firms such as Qioptiq and Phoenix Optical Technologies whose Armourdillo toughened glass goes into the cockpits of the F16 Fighting Falcon.

For more information visit www.investindenbighshire.co.uk Tel: 01824 706 896 Email: econ.dev@denbighshire.gov.uk

Artist’s impression of the proposed hub for hi-tech companies on St Asaph Business Park.

Denbighshire business cleans up after going digital

family-run specialist cleaning company in North Wales has become 20% more efficient, and increased work capacity by 200% after investing in new software, following specialist advice from Superfast Business Wales. The company has recruited five new specialist onsite staff, and is now on course to double last year’s turnover. Staff at Denbighshirebased Premier Clean Ltd., which provides deep cleaning services for a range of commercial customers, including hospitals and schools, used to write manual reports after every completed job. As the business took on more clients, the process became overly time consuming and reports lacked the accuracy required to meet changing legislation, while workloads became stretched as pressure increased to meet shorter turnaround times for customers. Seeking an electronic solution to these challenges, Premier Clean’s owners accessed a Superfast Business Wales workshop in March 2017 on customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, as well as receiving one-toone advice from a digital business adviser. Within 24 hours, a decision was taken to implement a new software package to help streamline both internal and external processes. Investing in Zoho Books and Zoho CRM software packages instantly modernised the sales planning process and allowed staff to keep on top of every day running costs. Manual invoices are a thing of the past, as digital versions can now be accessed remotely and sent on efficiently to customers. The company also bought in ‘Klipboard’ – a software package designed to support field-based employees – which has helped revolutionise the way that on-site reports are completed by staff. Job completion reports are now done in real-time on iPads and can be checked instantly, improving accuracy. The

business has become 20 per cent more efficient since its implementation, while the number of reports it is able to complete has increased by 200 per cent. Sales manager at Premier Clean Ltd., Zachary Poole, said: “The paper-based office systems simply weren’t working for us as they caused delays, especially in on-site reporting and invoicing. As a manager, I felt I was spending more time doing administrative work than I was helping to grow the business. With the adoption of new technology, we have been able to recruit five more specialist on-site staff to help us with the increased workload, which is where the hands-on support is needed most. The software that we have in place now means that we have a reliable and efficient ‘back office’ function, which is really welcome. “Importantly, our clients are much happier because we’re able to provide them with the information that they need in far less time. We’ve increased our report-writing rate from 50 to 150 a month and I am confident that the business is in a very good position to grow further, so much so that we are aiming for a 10 to 20 per cent increase in turnover in 2018, and plan to take on a further two members of staff.” Premier Clean began trading in 2001 and currently employs nine members of staff; turnover this year is expected to be double last year’s figure. Superfast Business Wales also recommended that the business upgrades its website, the development of which is underway, while e-mail marketing will also be trialed for the first time in 2018.

To find out more about Superfast Business Wales visit www.businesswales.gov.wales/superfastbusinesswales To find out more about Premier Clean Ltd visit www.premiercleanukltd.co.uk

DARWIN GRAY

Preparing for the GDPR B

y now, most organisations will be familiar with the requirements of the GDPR and should be getting their contracts, policies and procedures ready to comply by 25th May, when the new rules come into force. As a reminder, some of the key changes to existing data protection laws will be as follows: • It will be more difficult for organisations to claim that individuals have “consented” to the processing of their personal data. • Individuals will have more rights to be informed about how their data is being processed. • The “right to be forgotten” will be an important factor. • There will be new requirements relating to record-keeping, the appointment of Data Protection Officers and also data protection impact assessments. Our specialist team at Darwin Gray is experienced in all aspects of data law and regularly delivers training and workshops on the topic, including bespoke and in-house courses.

Our next GDPR workshop will take place on Tuesday 24th April at Venue Cymru, Llandudno. In this workshop we will cover the practical changes that you should make to be compliant, including a consideration of: • What data you collect and how it is stored. • How consent may be obtained. • What systematic changes are required within your organisation.

• What documents need to be updated, including privacy policies. • How to deal with breaches of the GDPR. To book your place visit: www.darwingray.com/events/ preparing-you-for-the-gdpr or email asherer@darwingray.com

www.darwingray.com @DarwinGrayLLP | 029 2082 9100

Data Health-Check

Our Data Health Check is designed to help you identify the key changes that you need to make in your organisation, in relation to commercial and employment / HR issues, in order to comply with the new GDPR regulations, coming into force on 25 May 2018. Review your privacy policy Review your business Ts & Cs

Review contracts with third party data processors Advice on your obligations as an employer

For more information, please contact Stephen Thompson: 029 2082 9136 sthompson@darwingray.com 46

TOP TIPS

Top tips for customer excellence I

by Lynne Swinnerton, MD at Lomani Luxury Travel

don’t know about you but I have lost count of the number of times I have received poor customer service; from telephone answering systems with too many menu options, to seemingly ‘can’t be bothered attitudes’ in the public and private sectors. These experiences have however served me well in the long run as collectively, they have provided me with the primary business ethos – customer service excellence at all times! In my view, good customer service can only be generated though when it is appreciated from a client rather than business perspective. I have taken note from our client’s reviews on Trustpilot....

1 BE FLEXIBLE! This could be in the products that you offer through to opening hours or how your clients get to see, speak or buy from you. Ask your clients what they would like from your business and adapt to suit them as much as possible. 2 LISTEN & ASK!

A friendly, personable approach with a warm smile is invaluable when meeting clients. Ask lots of questions and show genuine interest in their replies and requirements. Encourage queries from your clients too – your responses will strengthen their confidence in you.

3 BUILD TRUST! Once clients trust you and feel that your business is honest, reliable and ethical, you will have a client for life... and your loyal supporters will bring more business your way too. 4 GO THE EXTRA MILE! Make sure that every client is treated as a VIP at all times, even ensuring that your suppliers are made aware of this too if you are not the main service provider.

5 REMARKABLE EFFICIENCY!

9 PUT YOUR HANDS UP!

Give clients an idea of how long it will be before you get back to them if you can’t assist immediately. Ensure that you do call within that time frame, even if it is to say that you haven’t been able to complete their request as yet. Also, try to pre-empt any assistance/requirements that clients might have down the line by making a note to do it yourself or prompt them at an appropriate time – never ceases to impress!

Life and plans don’t always run smoothly and mistakes can happen from time to time. If you are at fault, admit it to the client and do everything possible to put it right as quickly as possible with minimal, if any, inconvenience to your client. If your suppliers have bad news that you have to pass on, just be honest and pledge to move heaven and earth to help sort it out to your client’s satisfaction.

6 ADD VALUE! I offer a complimentary concierge service to take care of all of the smaller details and any requirements that the client has. Value doesn’t necessarily need to be the invoiced cost, however sourcing the most suitable product at the best value will only further endear you to your clients.

10 REGULARLY REVIEW YOUR

7 CAN DO ATTITUDE! Never make a client feel that what they are asking for is too much trouble, even if you are having an off day. If they are asking for something more unusual or something that you haven’t come across before, best to at least try even if you can’t always make it happen. 8 THE PERSONAL TOUCH! If a client is celebrating a special occasion or hasn’t been well, be thoughtful and pop a card in the post, pick up the phone or even send a small gift if possible. Always remember to thank them too for any business that comes your way by their recommendation.

PERFORMANCE! You can’t just assume that what you are doing is OK - how will you know when client opinion changes? Review your customer service regularly and adapt your business as necessary by inviting reviews, setting up a focus group or sending out questionnaires to ask opinion (to be completed anonymously if you want total honesty!).

Lynne Swinnerton - Winner of WCNW Chamber ‘Customer Excellence Award’

NEW MEMBERS

Welcome to WCNW Chamber of Commerce

AJP Couriers (Nationwide) Ltd Jack Whelan Meirion House, High Street, Glyn Ceirog, Wrexham LL20 7EH T: 01978 800192 E: contact@ajpcouriers.co.uk www.ajpcouriers.co.uk Blue Whale Media Ltd Eve Billington 631 Birchwood Blvd, Warrington, Cheshire WA3 7QU T: 01925 552050 E: hello@bluewhalemedia.co.uk www.bluewhalemedia.co.uk Cheshire Digital Skills Academy Ltd Jayne Muspratt Riverside Innovation Centre, 1 Castle Drive, Chester Cheshire CH1 1SL T: 01244 515525 E: jayne@cdsacademy.co.uk www.cdsacademy.co.uk Chester Daybooks Ltd Charlotte Holland T: 07977 044721 E: charlotte@chesterdaybooks.co.uk Christine Lee Graphic and Web Design Christine Lee Neston, Cheshire T: 07941 389249 E: christine@designbychristinelee.com www.designbychristinelee.com

Elucidate Group Mark Bowden 201 Regus House, Herons Way, Chester Business Park Chester, CH4 9QR T: 01244 455140 E: enquiries@elucidategroup.com www.elucidategroup.com Elysium Health & Fitness Ltd Ricky Dean The Old Smithy, Chester Road, Aldford, Chester, Cheshire CH3 6HJ T: 01244 620202 E: info@elysiumhealthandfitness.co.uk www.elysiumhealthandfitness.co.uk Emma Hutt Proofreading Services Emma Hutt Neston T: 07989 185059 E: sales@emmahuttproofreading.co.uk www.emmahuttproofreading.co.uk Exponential Advisers Ltd Jon Wyles 13 The Cross, Neston, Cheshire CH64 9UB T: 0151 213 0173 E: jon@exponentialadvisers.co.uk www.exponentialadvisers.co.uk

Clear Mediation Ltd Lois Kingsley Regus House, Herons Way, Chester, Cheshire CH4 9QR T: 0333 210 0377 E: lois@clearadr.com www.clearadr.com

Goldy Solutions Ltd Ian Clowes Greenvale, The Street, Mickle Trafford, Chester, Cheshire CH2 4EP T: 07930 982661 E: ian@goldy.uk www.goldy.uk

Data-TrainingWorx Ltd Tony Bridger 25 Grosvenor Road Garden Village Road, Wrexham LL11 1BT T: 07928 500746 E: tony.bridger@data-trainingworx.co.uk www.data-trainingworx.co.uk

Good Communications Andy Johns 2 White Friars, Chester, Cheshire CH1 1NZ T: 01244 341661 E: andy@goodcomms.co.uk www.goodcomms.co.uk

Delta Rock Group Ltd Scott Davis Unit 1 Prince William Avenue, Sandycroft, Deeside, Flintshire CH5 2QZ T: 01244 536444 E: scott.davis@deltarock.co.uk www.deltarock.co.uk

Grosvenor Travel Group Ltd Amanda Parsonage Chester T: 01244 674720 E: amanda@grosvenortravelgroup.com www.grosvenortravelgroup.com

Earthport Plc Marc Docherty 140 Aldersgate, London EC1A 4HY T: 07963 310188 E: marc.docherty@earthport.com www.earthport.com

Halliwell Jones (Warrington) Limited Donna Hughes Winwick Road, Warrington, Cheshire WA2 8HY T: 07800 700634 E: donna.hughes@halliwelljones.co.uk

Home of Offices Emma Jane Albertini Dalton House, 35 Chester street, Wrexham LL13 8AH T: 01978 801901 E: emmajane@homeofrecruitment.co.uk www.homeofoffices.com Homeasy ltd Nathan Pearson Friars Nook, 43 White Friars, Chester, Cheshire CH1 1AD T: 01244 478010 E: nathan@homeasy.co.uk www.homeasy.co.uk Initial Editorial Ltd Geraint Price Chester T: 07446 260086 E: geraint@initialeditorial.com www.initialeditorial.com Innovation Agency Indi Singh Vanguard House, Daresbury Science Park, Warrington, Cheshire WA4 4AB T: 07976 127554 E: inderjit.singh@innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk www.innovationagencynwc.nhs.uk Innovation Relief Specialists Ltd Gary Johnson Military House, 24 Castle Street, Chester Cheshire CH1 2DS T: 0333 9873929 E: gary@innovationrelief.com www.innovationrelief.com ITAS Darren Speed Y Beudy School Lane, Llanarmon-yn-lal, Mold, Flintshire CH7 4TB T: 01824 780000 E: darren@itas.org.uk www.itassolutions.co.uk Kate Cousens Ltd Kate Cousens 2 Walmoor Bank Mews, Dee Banks,Chester, Cheshire T: 07488 376738 E: kate@katecousens.com www.katecousens.com Kingsley Solicitors Lois Kingsley Regus House, Herons Way, Chester, Cheshire CH4 9QR T: 01244 960210 E: lk@kingsleysolicitors.uk www.kingsleysolicitors.uk

Welcome to WCNW Chamber of Commerce Lovelock Mitchell Architects Chris Rhodes 3 Stanley Street, Chester, Cheshire CH1 2LS T: 01244 404321 E: chris.rhodes@lovelockmitchell.com www.lovelockmitchell.com

RealSmartMarketer Phil Slorick 34 Forest Close, Cuddington, Northwhich, Cheshire CW8 2EE T: 01606 882920 E: phil@realsmartmarketer.com www.realsmartmarketer.com

LWM Wealth Ray Clerkin The Barns, Stretton Road, Stretton, Warrington, Cheshire WA4 4NP T: 01923 320133 E: rc.lwmwealth@sjpp.co.uk www.lwmwealth.co.uk

Red Insure Ltd Janine Revill Park House, Grosvenor Park Road, Chester, Cheshire CH1 1QQ T: 0345 6008288 E: janinerevill@redinsureltd.com www.redinsureltd.com

M&P Business Solutions Ltd Morag Davies Chester T: 07946 513409 E: moragjdavies@gmail.com www.ibdbusinessadvice.co.uk/user/ morag.davies/

Reynolds International Ltd John Reynolds Suite 2, Broncoed House, Broncoed Business Park, Wrexham Road, Mold, Flintshire CH7 1HP T: 01352 756196 E: info@reynolds-international.co.uk www.reynolds-international.co.uk

Matthew O’Brien Matthew O’Brien 7 Rufus Court, Chester, Cheshire CH1 2JW T: 01244 888807 E: info@mattobrien.co.uk www.mattobrien.co.uk Movement and Light Films Katherine Butler Northwich Business Centre, Meadow Street, Northwhich, Cheshire T: 01606 339483 E: katherine@movementandlight.com www.movementandlight.com New Perspective Executive Coaching Ltd Kevin Thomas Conwy T: 07977 242688 E: kevin@newperspectivesec.com www.newperspectivesec.com Night & Day Managed Services Karen Hughes Unit F, Five Crosses Industrial Estate, Minera, Wrexham LL11 3RD T: 07915 605633 E: Karen@nightandday managedservices.co.uk Ravenspoint Marketing Lucy Newall-Ellis Chester T: 07787 524423 E: lucy@ravenspointmarketing.com www.ravenspointmarketing.com

RNLI Deborah Mahon Regional Base West, St Asaph Business Park, St. Asaph, Denbighshire LL17 0LJ T: 07900 607213 E: deborah_mahon@rnli.org.uk www.rnli.org Semper Servo Limited Andrew Snowball Manor Lodge, 1-3 Manor Lane, Holmes Chapel, Cheshire CW4 8AB T: 07919 373736 E: asnowball@semperservo.co.uk www.semperservo.co.uk Sheila’s Mass Sheila Mclean 128 Waterside, Anglesey T: 07470 232590 E: sheilamclean2016@gmail.com Simplified Management Systems Ltd Raymond Pearson Flintshire T: 07808 838068 E: r.pearson651@btinternet.com St David’s Hospice Margaret Hollings Abbey Road, Llandudno, Gwynedd LL30 2EN T: 01492 879058 E: margaret.hollings@stdavidshospice.org.uk www.stdavidshospice.org.uk

NEW MEMBERS

Stephen Cain Photography Stephen Cain 20 Wats Dyke Way, Garden Village, Wrexham LL11 2TG T: 07802 797807 E: hello@stephencainphotography.co.uk www.stephencainphotography.co.uk Tangent Lines Ltd Gemma Rogers Tan y Bedw, Pen-y-Bryn, Penycae, Wrexham LL14 1TY T: 07717 776865 E: gemma@tangentlines.co.uk www.tangentlines.co.uk Tanya Whitebits Shoned Owen Gwynedd T: 07796 222802 E: post@tanyawhitebits.co.uk www.tanyawhitebits.co.uk Think Lean Limited Alison Butcher Chester T: 07563 564414 E: alison@thinklean.co.uk W Fire Pits Daniel Wahlstrom North Wales T: 07827 816491 E: info@wfirepits.co.uk www.wfirepits.co.uk Watts Commercial Finance Lucy Elkin 8 George House, Princes Court, Beam Heath Way, Nantwhich, Cheshire CW5 6GD T: 01270 611000 E: lucy@watts-commercial.co.uk www.wattscommercial.co.uk Wesleyan Bank Paul Slapa 3 Royal Court, Gadbrook Park, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 7UT T: 01606 338000 E: paul.slapa@wesleyan.co.uk www.wesleyanbank.co.uk Williams Financial Planning Ltd Carol Williams 30 Chester Street, Wrexham LL13 8TJ T: 01978 266501 E: carol@williamsfinancial.co.uk www.williamsfinancial.co.uk Wrexham Tennis Centre Lucy Scott Plas Coch Road, Wrexham LL12 2BW T: 01978 265260 E: lucy.scott@wrexhamtenniscentre.co.uk www.wrexhamtenniscentre.co.uk

FEATURE

What I’m passionate about Deafness Support Network was founded in 1975 and has since worked to provide specialist services to the D/deaf community of Cheshire. Here we find out what they do and how they are there for those with a hearing loss from day one.

A charity’s lifelong journey with hearing loss

s the numbers of people living with a hearing loss rises from 1 in 6 to 1 in 5 by 2020, Deafness Support Network’s services are more vital than ever. From birth all the way through to death, DSN has been providing support to the D/deaf community from as far as Halton to Flintshire, Crewe to Chester and beyond. The complexities of their work have grown too and with pressures from government cuts, it’s the frontline services that Operations Executive Gill Reeder says are still of utmost importance to the charity - reaching those whom need support most. Gill, who has been with the charity since the beginning, said: “We are immensely proud of the connection we have to the community and that is true testament to the teams who carry out our outreach work within Cheshire. Whether that be helping to provide support for a young person who is deaf within our Youth Vibe club or the Deafness and Dementia Cafe’s we host; they all go to support those whether young or elderly. Our dedicated back office team also help us to spread our messages and other staff help on a corporate level to teach Deaf Awareness.” Gill has seen many transformations in her 43 years service - including the introduction of digital innovations and the advancement of understanding of what it means to be deaf and live

with a hearing loss, many thanks to some of the innovative campaigns she has helped to spearhead. Gill said: “The hardest thing for us as a charity to convey is that deafness is completely hidden - there is little to tell you that a person has a hearing loss on face value. It’s also something the deaf community don’t want - charity! But what is crucial is integration and to make the hearing community more aware of what it means to have a hearing loss and the difficulties people face.”

DSN have published a children’s book ‘That’s Better’ to teach children from a young age about deafness and recently held a British Sign Language, signed story time at the StoryHouse. “If we teach children about what it means to be deaf and encourage them to learn the beautiful second language that is British Sign Language (BSL) we know that the impact is greater and that eventually ignorance will start to fade,” added Gill.