Business Matters magazine West Cheshire and North Wales September 20

BusinessMatters The business magazine of West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce Autumn 2020

The Big Interview PROFESSOR MARIA HINFELAAR Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Wrexham GlyndĹľr University

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WELCOME

Business Matters

Welcome to the Autumn edition of our Business Matters magazine.

Although lockdown restrictions imposed by the UK and Welsh governments have eased somewhat over the past few months, it remains an extremely difficult time for many businesses across West Cheshire & North Wales.

Despite the challenges ahead, I continue to be inspired by the resilience and innovation of our members. Businesses continue to adapt their processes and create new ways of operating in incredibly difficult circumstances, this is something that brings me a huge sense of pride and also optimism for the future of businesses across our region.

DEBBIE BRYCE

Chief Executive Officer, West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce

Ambition and positivity have also shone through at our Start-Up Clubs, in both North Wales and West Cheshire, as we’ve seen a host of new businesses join these support groups. Businesses within their first two-years of operation can benefit from monthly meetings (virtually for the time being) where they can gain support on a host of topics, whilst meeting others in the same situation as themselves.

For more information and to join the Start-Up Clubs, visit our website https://wcnwchamber. org.uk/business-services/start-up-club/.

Looking forward, it is now just over three months until the end of the Brexit Transition

Period and the 1st January 2021 will see a new trading relationship with the EU. The Chamber has partnered with Cheshire West & Chester Council to deliver a series of monthly events, at no cost, to keep you up to date and help you navigate your own company’s journey to this new era. More information about the support available, and to book onto our monthly events, visit our website https://wcnwchamber.org.uk/ business-services/brexit-transition-support/.

Our online networking events have been extremely useful to businesses throughout the coronavirus outbreak, and we continue to run them, but the value of face-to-face contact when creating business contacts cannot be understated. We hope to soon be able to return our breakfast and lunch networking events in what will be safe and socially distanced locations across the region, be sure to check our events listings and news pages of our website for updates!

A final reminder that the Chamber team continues to be available to support you in any way possible and is now back in the office. Please get in touch with the team on 01244 669988 if you need their support.

PLEASE NOTE: Some articles in this edition may have been written before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. Article and image content therefore reflects this time lapse.

Contact Matthew Hodgson 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

INSIDE: 14

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THE MOVE TOWARDS RECOVERY

WHAT I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT... The Hospice of the Good Shepherd

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

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Published September 2020 © Benham Publishing Media no. 1749 Advertising and Features Karen Hall t: 0151 236 4141 e: karen@benhampublishing.com Design Peter Wilkinson t: 0151 236 4141 e: peter@benhampublishing.com

IN FOCUS WITH Staingard Limiited

MEMBERS NEWS

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Professor Maria Hinfelaar

for travelling abroad as lockdown restrictions ease

THE BIG INTERVIEW

TOP TIPS

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. © 2020.

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.

@ChamberWCNW West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce /wcnwchamber WCNWChamber

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CHAMBER NEWS

North Wales Start-Up Club launched to support new and upcoming businesses A new, fully funded, support group for North Wales businesses that are starting out has been launched by West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Hwb Menter Enterprise Hub @M-Sparc.

The Chamber’s partner for the North Wales Start-Up Club is Hwb Menter Enterprise Hub @M-Sparc and Enterprise Hub Coordinator, Sara Roberts, has been delighted with how the meetings have gone so far.

“North Wales Business Start-Up Club has been a great success over the last few months with a variety of businesses virtually attending to network and collaborate. Both the Enterprise Hub @M-Sparc and the West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce have a wealth of experience and knowledge to support businesses and it’s been a pleasure to be able to join forces to offer entrepreneurs the best opportunities.

The North Wales Start-Up Club, held once a month and open to both members and non-members of the Chamber, provides a forum for businesses who are in their first two years of operation, or thinking of setting up a business, where they can meet with people in the same situation as themselves.

They can learn about access to funding, PR and marketing, social media, web design, branding, accountancy and much more.

“We are delighted to be able to offer this support to new and upcoming businesses in North Wales on a fully funded basis. The last few months have been very challenging for businesses but the popularity of our first few events has highlighted the resilience and ambition of the Start-Up, and pre-Start-Up, firms in the region” said Chamber Membership Director, Jennifer Kennedy.

Enterprise Hub member, Beth Woodhouse, is a brand marketing strategist and, after recently establishing her business, Marketshed Ltd, was amongst the first to attend the North Wales Start-Up Club. Beth has seen the benefits of attending commenting;

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“My marketing consultation business, Marketshed Ltd, launched in July. My aim is to share my 10-years of marketing knowledge and experience with other businesses in order for them to prosper.

“I joined the Chamber to expand my network throughout the area and take advantage of the wealth of expert guidance and support they have to offer through the North Wales Start-Up Club.

I attended my first virtual Start-Up Club networking meeting a few weeks ago and I loved it - so informative, inspiring and approachable, and great to meet other new business owners in North Wales.

“I’m very much looking forward to the next meet up and to see where this journey takes me!”

The Enterprise Hub is part Funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government.”

Meetings are currently taking place online but there are hopes the club can resume physical events in the coming months.

Jennifer Kennedy added; “Lockdown restrictions meant we had to move our events online but we continue to monitor government advice and will be looking to revert to physical meetings as soon as possible”.

To find out more about the North Wales Start-Up Club, and to express your interest in joining, please visit our website https:// wcnwchamber.org.uk/business-services/ start-up-club/.

CHAMBER NEWS

BCC Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker: Firms vulnerable as government schemes approach end businesses say they have three months or less worth of cash in reserve.

Of those reporting an increase in their cash reserves, a significant number of businesses cited government support schemes as a driver of this, with the number of firms using the furlough scheme (34 per cent) and the various loan schemes (30 per cent) and grant schemes (16 per cent) still significant.

68 per cent of firms mentioned new business or customer demand as a factor.

With government support schemes set to wind down in the coming weeks, and with the potential reintroduction of lockdowns – either localised or national – it remains unclear what further support, if any, firms will receive when schemes end.

Results from the BCC Coronavirus Business Tracker reveal that business conditions improved only moderately in the weeks since the UK economy suffered an historic contraction in Q2 2020, with firms still reporting high levels of reliance on government support schemes to help stem cashflow issues. n 38 per cent of firms reported improved revenue from UK customers n More than 1 in 3 of businesses say they have three months or less worth of cash

in reserve n BCC continues to call for significant interventions to protect businesses and jobs The leading business organisation’s tracker survey, which serves as a barometer of the pandemic’s impact on businesses and the effectiveness of government support measures, received 502 responses during the week from 3rd to 7th August and is the largest independent survey of its kind in the UK. The unprecedented decline in business conditions seen during the second quarter is now levelling off, but firms still face difficult trading conditions.

Mixed picture on revenue The number of firms reporting a rise in revenue from UK customers rose to 38 per cent, from 34 per cent in the previous tracker and is up significantly from the series low of 3 per cent recorded during the second quarter. However, despite this progress, the number of respondents reporting a rise in UK revenue is still not exceeding the number reporting a decrease (also 38 per cent).

Business to consumer firms were more likely to report improvements in UK revenue compared to other sectors, although these gains are from a low base due to lockdown restrictions, later reopening, and pent-up consumer demand.

A smaller proportion of firms (22 per cent) are reporting a rise in revenue from overseas customers than from UK customers (38 per cent) amid continued disruption to global commerce and trade flows.

Cash concerns While there was a slight improvement in the number of respondents reporting a decrease in their cash reserves (50 per cent compared to 55 per cent), it remains more than double the number reporting an increase (22 per cent). Despite the gradual reopening of the economy and more firms seeing a rise in revenue, 39% of

Commenting on the results, BCC Director General Adam Marshall said: “While some firms are seeing improvements in trading conditions, we are still very much in the eye of the storm, with further turbulence ahead.

“As the government’s emergency measures begin to wind down over the coming weeks, and with the prospect of further local lockdowns still very real, businesses across the UK are going to need further support to weather uncertainty over the coming months.

“Slashing the jobs tax by taking steps to reduce the burden of employers’ National Insurance contributions, big new incentives for business investment, and targeted support to help businesses placed under local lockdowns all need to be put in place now. Ministers must not wait until the economic storm is once again at fever pitch before they act.”

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Fire Risk Assessments Fire Door Audits Fire Safety Training Expert Advice & Guidance

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CHAMBER NEWS

No more Transition at the UK Border

By Liam Smyth, Chamber Customs The UK left the European Union on 31st January 2020, and the transition period comes to an end in December this year.

It is vital that businesses take action now to get ready for a new border operating environment from 1st January 2021.

Until the new border operating model was published on 12th July, we could only speculate on how goods would be controlled at our borders once we left the EU. It’s now clear – and the new model brings this into stark reality – that businesses need to prepare for a significantly higher level of customs declarations and associated administration. It candidly states "customs declarations are complicated".

Declaration volumes will grow from 55 million now, to almost 300 million next year. The cost to business is estimated at around £7bn per annum, and the customs intermediary market lacks the necessary capacity to deal with the increase.

The detail New border procedures for importing and exporting goods to and from the EU will be in place. Traders importing ‘standard goods’ – covering everything from clothes to electronics – will need to prepare for new customs paperwork. You will need to keep specific records of imported goods and you

can opt to take up to six months to submit a full customs declarations for goods arriving from the EU. Taxes will need to be paid on all imports, but payments can be deferred for up to six months until July. This will help trader cash flow until the end of 2021, but only if you or your agent have the correct approvals in place to use simplified procedures. Full customs requirements will apply to controlled goods from 1st January 2021 whether they arrive from the EU or elsewhere.

Businesses will be able to account for VAT on goods imports using Postponed VAT Accounting from the start of the new year.

This means that once the staged introduction period ends, payment of VAT due on imported goods can be delayed until the next VAT return.

What does this mean for business?

Despite the much-needed clarity on customs procedures, and a welcome delay through staged introduction of full customs controls, big challenges remain for most businesses.

Declarations volumes will increase, costs will rise, traders need to skill up to deal with new procedures and time is incredibly short.

Companies trading across the globe will need to make a choice. Should they take advantage of the staged introduction

of measures for EU imports and gain a cashflow advantage through delayed duty and VAT payments? Or, stick with the systems and processes they already know, and use the newly introduced postponed VAT accounting and guarantee free deferment accounts to delay border taxes by up to six months? Whatever you decide, businesses that export and import goods have change coming and it’s inevitable.

The wise amongst you will wake up to change and plan your level of readiness.

There is much to do and qualified and compliance led customs experts are becoming a rare commodity.

Our expert team at Chamber Customs, our international trade training programmes and our overseas connections make us an ideal customs partner.

As your business gets ready for the end of the transition period, our customs agents are ready to help you clear your goods at the border. Give us a call to arrange a chat.

Whether here in the West Cheshire and North Wales or across the UK, the Chamber network is here to support you and to help you to trade with confidence.

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STRATEGIC MEMBERS NEWS

Cyber Security Operations Centre launched in Chester…

Chester based cyber security company, Protos Networks, has partnered with AT&T Cybersecurity in order to launch its Security Operations Centre (SOC) here in Chester.

What is a SOC? A SOC is a facility and team dedicated to monitoring information systems in order to detect and respond to cyber-threats.

The information and logs collected by the SOC are interpreted by security specialists with the key aim of detecting threats as early as possible and responding to them as quickly as possible to minimise any impact on the organisation. Real-time alerting and specially trained analysts are key to an effective SOC. This means that a dedicated SOC can be an expensive and often unrealistic service for organisations to maintain in-house. Protos Networks is

now able to offer this service to SMEs and other organisations who may not have the resources internally to run a SOC. Protos Networks has helped hundreds of organisations across the UK protect against cyber threats via its industry-leading security solutions, information security auditing and certification services. Adding a dedicated SOC service to its portfolio significantly enhances its market position.

Security and Automation Engineer Sean Kinsella of Protos Networks, explains “The addition of AT&T Cybersecurity’s AlienVault to our portfolio allows us to centrally monitor all of our customer’s IT systems and integrates seamlessly with many of our other security offerings. The ability for us to tailor our own integrations and response flows to suit our customers is particularly exciting for me.”

If you would like to find out more about how you can make sure your business is adequately protected from cyber threats, you can contact Protos Networks on 0333 370 1353 or by emailing info@protosnetworks.com.

Chamber Members recognised in prestigious MOD Employer Recognition Scheme Awards.

The Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) recognises those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their efforts to support the Armed Forces community.

This year, nine Welsh employers, including two from North Wales, were among the 127 nationally awarded gold for supporting the Armed Forces.

The 2020 Gold Award winners are: Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd; Cardiff University; Enbarr Enterprises Ltd; Forces Fitness; Hire A Hero; Monmouthshire County Council; North Wales Police Authority; Public Health Wales NHS Trust and Torfaen County Borough Council.

The Award scheme is run annually and is open to businesses and organisations of any size from any sector who can demonstrate support for the Armed Forces.

There are different stages to the scheme and employers can be eligible for gold, silver and bronze awards depending on their level of support.

The 2020 Silver Award winners have also just been announced with 13 Welsh

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businesses being acknowledged for their support to Defence this year.

Four are from North Wales: Tree Frog Digital Ltd, Jackson Fire and Security Ltd, Defence Electronics & Components Agency (DECA) and Read Construction Holdings Ltd. The other Welsh winners are WhiteheadRoss Education and Consulting Ltd, Peny-Graig Woodland Centre, Home Service Solutions Ltd, Coffee Blue Ltd, Butterfly Data, Pro Steel Engineering, Forces CV & Career Services (T/A The Earning Curve Ltd), Hugh James and Reachal.

“These employers provide inspiration for others to follow in their footsteps. We’re delighted to see Welsh workplaces

become more creative and flexible in their methods to support the Armed Forces.

The strength of the ERS continues to grow and we warmly welcome new employers who wish to take their first step and pledge their support.” said Tony Fish, Regional Employer Engagement Director for North Wales at the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association (RFCA) for Wales.

The next round of applications will begin in March 2021, For further information, please contact Tony Fish, Regional Employer Engagement Director for North Wales.

Wa-reed2@rfca.mod.uk Mold Office.

Tel: 01352 752782 Mob: 07508 193902

STRATEGIC MEMBERS NEWS

Cashfree Futures - how developments in payments are impacting business 3. Fraud prevention:

The payments world is evolving because of the same factors changing all our lives, including new technology driving speed and safety whilst reducing cost. At NatWest, we are committed to supporting businesses through this change.

Fraud is on the rise. Google blocks over 18m coronavirus-related scam emails every day. As digital payments increase, so does the volume of account information stored, making payment platforms a primary target for cybercrime.

1. Increased need for contactless:

Amongst a remote workforce, security training, such as sharing examples of malicious activity or storing files separately from the main network, are smart ransomware defences.

Coronavirus has furthered the need for payment options that minimise human contact. A recent BBC study showed 76% of consumers expect to use cash less. Such findings are supported by our own finding that 70% of businesses registering for Tyl are new to card payments.

The demand for contactless is an exciting opportunity to build customer retention and growth. For example, integrating loyalty reward schemes through contactless could strengthen customer relationships.

2. Multichannel demands: Contactless systems are more than tapping a card machine. Mobile, digital wallets,

4. Tyl by NatWest wearables, voice systems and biometrics are all payment methods on the rise.

Consumers are spending more time online and first impressions of a brand are crucial.

Optimising websites for mobile payments could increase conversions. If a customer’s first interaction with your brand is now online, consider if your social channels communicate your brand identity.

Tyl provides next-day settlement to assist businesses with cash flow. Tyl helps SMEs to adopt social distancing guidelines and adapt to consumer preferences for contactless payments. Tyl is committed to supporting small business and has waived terminal and 3G fees for Tyl customers until the end of 2020.

Sarah Bailey, Director Business Banking, NatWest www.natwest.com/business

Welcome back to LJLA. We’ve missed you As we all look towards a continued recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, in recent weeks Strategic Chamber member Liverpool John Lennon Airport has been working hard to welcome back passengers as airline services continue to return.

The safety and security of all passengers and employees has always been the Airport’s top priority and passengers have been able to take advantage of Liverpool’s Faster, Easier Friendlier experience once again, whilst reassured that comprehensive measures are in place to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection in line with the latest Government guidance.

The Airport’s reputation of a relaxed, hassle free environment remains, with plenty of space available to easily facilitate the necessary social distancing and quicker processing times compared to many other airports. Key to passenger safety is to adhere to much the same measures that we are all now used to experiencing elsewhere in our everyday lives, with plenty of information available on the Airport website www.liverpoolairport.com.

By the end of August, around 60 destinations were available from Liverpool once again, with families from across the North West and North Wales able to take advantage of the convenience of flying from Liverpool during the important Summer holiday period. Similarly, a number of retailers at the Airport reopened in time for the holiday season too, enabling passengers to relax in the Departure Lounge once again ahead of their departure.

Airlines including easyJet, Ryanair, Wizz Air, Blue Air and Loganair have all recommenced a host of services from Liverpool and continue to plan ahead for departures in the Autumn, Winter and Spring next year.

Whilst the Airport is still a long way off preCOVID-19 levels of passenger numbers and it may take some time to fully recover, it believes it is heading towards a return to more normal levels of business and to being a gateway for the region once again.

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STRATEGIC MEMBERS NEWS

How NW Security Group has adapted its offering to the much-changed environment Established in 2004, NW Security Group has been committed to delivering IP video solutions that improve the security and safety of its customers and make their businesses run smarter. NW Security offers services such as high-performance CCTV installations, cloud-based CCTV systems and live video streaming solutions.

In addition, the company operates the successful, specialist IP camera store www.networkwebcams.co.uk.

The uptake of IP video technology by businesses and public sector bodies has been increasing for many years and, as a result, NW Security Group was in a strong position at the time the coronavirus pandemic struck. The business has seen both threats and opportunities arising from the pandemic at the same time. It has since adapted its offering to what it believes will be a much-changed environment for some time to come.

First, NW Security relies heavily on capital project expenditure amongst its customers and in the wider market. Anticipating that organisations may be more cautious in their decision making and that CAPEX in general may see a reduction, NW has introduced what it calls ‘CCTV System-as-a-Service.’ The key benefit to customers is that no capital outlay will be required with this new offering as the customer will pay a monthly or quarterly charge for the system and service instead.

It allows businesses to continue to adopt IP video technology to improve their operations with no upfront cost. Effectively, what was a CAPEX model has become an OPEX model.

Secondly, NW Security also anticipates that existing CCTV systems within organisations may become less well maintained and supported due to a reduction in resource availability. In response to this the company is launching IP Video Support Desk, which will provide expert support to ‘everything

IP video.’ IP Video Support Desk is being launched to provide the necessary support to those existing camera systems that may be suffering from impaired maintenance and need the attention of NW’s pragmatic experts to perform reliably.

NW Security Group is also soon to launch its ‘Remote Everything’ campaign, which highlights the benefits of using IP video technology in a socially distanced environment, and how it can help businesses to overcome the challenges of operating successfully in this much-changed environment. n Frank Crouwel, Managing Director of NW Security Group Limited

MEMBERS NEWS

Our response to Covid-19 restrictions Business Safety Manager at Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service, Tracey Carter, and her team of Business Safety Advocates, have responded to the restrictions under Covid-19 by delivering advice and guidance through social media, webinars and desktop visits via the telephone. The team were quick to think of a solution that would allow them to continue to work alongside businesses and ensure changes made due to the virus didn’t impact their fire safety responsibilities.

Through the use of social media, their website and Q & A webinars, the team recorded videos answering questions received from the public about how they could meet legislation and be Covid-19 secure. These were released through Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and have increased their followers significantly.

In response to the feedback received following the video releases, the team have organised weekly campaigns on some of the main topics discussed, these included; n Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service’s response to Covid-19

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n Making Changes - Amend your fire risk assessment n Schools reopening n Open for business n Farm safety n Business re-opening During the period of lockdown, the team have worked with Chambers, networking groups and local authorities to guarantee they provide as much support as possible to ensure businesses can get back on their feet and still meet fire safety legislation. Regular updates have been posted onto the CFRS website responding to government changes and the possible implications to businesses - https://www.cheshirefire.gov.uk/businesssafety/covid-19.

These have included advice on the following; n Increased shift patterns – Have you increased your Fire Marshalls to be available for each shift? n Increase in hours worked – If these include shifts throughout the night, do you have emergency lighting in place?

n Businesses propping Fire Doors open to increase air circulation – Clear guidance on fire safety regulations and the use of self-closing doors. n Amendments to Fire Risk Assessments that include new processes in place – New shift patterns, vulnerable staff, working from home etc. n Changes to floor layouts – Is there still a clear route out in the event of fire?

Tracey and the team are on hand to support businesses throughout the pandemic and you can get in touch by emailing tracey.carter@cheshirefire.gov. uk or by viewing the website https://www. cheshirefire.gov.uk/business-safety.

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Chartered status in business

Royal charters go all the way back to the 13th century. The idea was simple: serve society by creating and defining the highest professional standards, uphold those standards, and drive them forward. The Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) achieved its royal charter in 1912. The CII has been entrusted with raising standards in the insurance and personal finance sectors ever since.

Attaining the highest standards in insurance isn’t easy, but with Chartered status, demonstrating a commitment to those standards is.

Chartered status allows firms to make a pledge to uphold good practice.

It tells their clients everything they need to know about working with Chartered professionals. It says this firm is committed to a level of clientcentricity rooted in professionalism and ethics.

Chartered status is awarded to individual professionals such as brokers, underwriters and claims practitioners who display eminence in their field, as well as to firms themselves. To become a Chartered firm involves a commitment to expertise, integrity and clientcentricity. Standards of excellence in qualifications, ethics, business practices and professional development must be maintained.

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Quite simply, it’s about dealing with a professional. Chartered insurance brokers have made a joint public commitment with the CII to deliver the highest standards of professionalism, then placed a public badge on that commitment.

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

On Board with the Chamber of Commerce The Chamber’s Board of Directors consists of a diverse range of highly experienced individuals from a variety of different sectors. In this feature, we get an insight into their backgrounds and their aims over their tenure as a Chamber Board Director.

In this magazine we here from: Helen Nellist Deputy Principal and Deputy CEO Cheshire College – South & West An introduction to yourself and your background...

My career started in Marketing and I initially worked for high-profile companies such as Sony, IBM, and Lincoln Software with a focus on corporate marketing.

I joined Further Education in 2000 and have since had a variety of senior leadership roles. In March 2017, I led West Cheshire College to a successful merger with South Cheshire College, ensuring strong foundations that aim to provide learners with the skills, experience and qualifications that will prepare them for their future career or higher-level study.

As part of my current role as Deputy Principal and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Cheshire College – South & West, I am responsible for Business Development and Apprenticeships and Marketing and Communications departments. I am also a member on the Local Enterprise Partnerships Scrutiny Committee, Trustee Board for Blacon High School, a Governor at Upton High School and a Governor at Cheshire Wirral Partnership NHS Trust.

What is your role as a Board Director?

I have been heavily involved with the Chamber for a number of years and was appointed as a Board Director in 2016. I work closely with the Chair and other Directors to provide guidance and support, driving forward the Chamber’s vision, with a particular focus on employment, skills and training.

react to them that matters. By staying curious and embracing every opportunity, you will ultimately improve your confidence and ability to inspire others.

What are your aims over your tenure as Board Director?

There are several fantastic developments happening across the vast array of industries and I am thrilled to be a part of it. I look forward to using my insight to bring to the Board the voice of the public sector, helping to inform strategic decisions, which will communicate and build on the wealth of opportunities available to everyone who lives and works within the West Cheshire and North Wales area, to ensure a prosperous and vibrant future.

I am extremely passionate about connecting businesses with talented individuals, allowing businesses to harness appropriate skills and support, allowing them to develop an agile workforce.

What has been your greatest achievement so far?

Being able to provide young people, adults and businesses within our local community with access to high-quality education and training. The College has an adaptable and responsive offer, that is constantly evolving. Designed with employers for employers, we are able to enable learners to develop their practical skills and knowledge of industry. I believe that success happens from working and learning with inspiring businesses and people.

If you could go back and pass on one piece of advice to your younger self, what would that be?

n Helen Nellist, Deputy Principal and

Deputy CEO at Cheshire College -

South & West

Believe in yourself, always. Learn, grow, and let yourself be comfortable not having all of the answers. You’ll inevitably encounter obstacles, but it’s how you

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FEATURE

The move

towards recovery The Coronavirus outbreak has had a devastating impact on businesses in the region and has seen a vast amount of the economy shut down since March.

However, with lockdown restrictions continuing to be relaxed by the UK and Welsh governments, we are slowly moving towards recovery.

Here, we highlight members from different sectors that have been affected by the Coronavirus outbreak and gain an insight into their processes as they try and get back to normal operations.

Charity Sector – Neuro Therapy Centre The Neuro Therapy Centre is a local charity which supports people with a range of neurological conditions such as MS, Parkinson’s disease, MND, and ME across North Wales, Cheshire and the Wirral.

The Centre offers regular physiotherapy, fitness programmes, talking services and peer support to help people cope and manage their condition.

Has the business been able to adapt during the coronavirus outbreak, if so how?

Before lockdown, all our services were carried out from our Centre in Saltney.

Within a matter of weeks, the team worked creatively to develop a telephone and online support offer – a Virtual Centre.

What have been your biggest challenges?

Not all our members were tech savvy, although many have learnt fast! We will be prioritising the people who have not been able to access our online services due to lack of technology when we re-open.

Fundraising has been a challenge, as we had to cancel our planned activities for this year, which was especially sad as we are celebrating our 35th anniversary and had lots going on to celebrate. Instead, we have had to think of new online celebrations and fundraising ideas. We held a virtual Festival in June and are planning a Virtual Fashion Show in October.

Have you been able to take anything out of the situation that you can use in the business for future planning?

Due to the vulnerability of our members, we will only be re-opening in a limited way for some time to come. This means we will be keeping our virtual services and fundraising going.

We have seen some positives with our virtual services, such as members who are still in work being able to access our classes more regularly and therefore keeping fitter. It has also been helpful to members who have struggled with transport to visit the Centre. We intend to look to the future and see how we can expand this area of work to increase the amount of people we support.

This is delivering live Zoom exercise classes, regular telephone support calls, telephone counselling, virtual social events and advice/entertainment blogs.

Anglesey Sea Zoo is a unique aquarium displaying the best of British marine wildlife, on the shore of the stunning Menai Strait on the Isle of Anglesey. We display numerous British marine habitats and animals, including our most endangered species and the research and conservation work which is helping to save them.

Has the business been able to adapt during the coronavirus outbreak, if so how?

We dropped to skeleton staffing with 80% of staff furloughed. The remaining staff and volunteers adapted their roles to cover essential work.

With animal welfare always a priority, we had to explore new and creative ways to keep the community engaged with our animals and conservation efforts and to raise funds.

We posted regular videos over social media with updates on our animals and also did live feeds showing novel behindthe-scenes aspects of the aquarium.

With lockdown restrictions now easing, what special measures have you put in place?

We engaged the public in an emergency funding campaign to help raise funds and the response was fantastic!

We are hoping to re-open our Centre in a phased approach from September, but we will be continuing to run our Virtual Centre alongside this.

With lockdown restrictions now easing, what special measures have you put in place?

We strictly followed government and industry specific guidelines to ensure the safety of our visitors, staff and community and gained ‘Good to go’ accreditation through Visit Britain.

We are putting in place systems and procedures that will enable us to open safely such as cleaning regimes, limiting the number of people within the Centre, training staff, encouraging staff who can continue to work from home to do so, and utilising PPE.

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Tourism Sector Anglesea Sea Zoo

Fitted screens at every till, and numerous hand sanitiser stations across the site n Physiotherapy at the Neuro Therapy Centre (pre-lockdown)

FEATURE Manufacturing Sector – Platts Agriculture Limited Established in 1973, Platts Agriculture Limited is a family run business, based in Llay, Wrexham. Our primary business is manufacturing animal bedding productsto enable farmers to improve animal health and welfare. Running our own fleet of 25 trucks and 140 trailers, we operate our own DVSA approved HGV Garage and MOT test centre.

Has the business been able to adapt during the coronavirus outbreak, if so how?

made from EcoPly, which look great and are environmentally friendly!

We have reduced capacity by 50% and staff members are positioned throughout the aquarium to maintain social distancing.

A deep clean every night and a schedule of extra cleaning and disinfection of contact points throughout the day.

We have also introduced a one-way system with bespoke floor stickers which add fun and interest, extra exit points at several locations and fun graphics on tanks to minimise touching.

To name just one, we’ve made efficiencies within our sales process - which is in turn improving customer service! As a result, we’re now exploring opportunities to provide telemarketing services to other businesses across all sectors. With over 35 years’ experience across our team in outbound sales, telemarketing and market research – we’re versatile, and can tailor this service to anyone’s requirements.

With lockdown restrictions now easing, what special measures have you put in place?

Like many businesses, we’ve completed risk assessments across the board, to ensure we’re compliant with the HSE Covid Secure Guidance. We were also given a clean bill of health from the DVSA, permitting our garage to reopen for HGV MOT testing.

We’re fortunate that our new offices, built in 2016, are spacious and airy, allowing for socially distanced working. As staff return to the workplace, all undertake a return-to-work induction and breaks are staggered to avoid congestion in communal areas!

What have been your biggest challenges?

For a period, our manufacturing slowed, when our raw material suppliers closed for lockdown. Farming however, doesn’t stop – and demand for our products was as high as ever! Top tier management had to multi-task across all departments, utilising various skills and facets that we’re fortunate to have within our resilient team.

Thankfully – our customers were very understanding – and we managed to service the needs of our loyal customers within their given timescales, by careful planning and communication.

Have you been able to take anything out of the situation that you can use in the business for future planning?

Thankfully, our existing technology and some preparations before lockdown meant that we were able to quickly implement home working. Regular zoom meetings became the norm!

We’re looking forward to growing our Telemarketing services – do contact us if you’d like more information about how we can handle your outbound telephone calls.

The gift shop and café have clear signage showing preferred payment options and queuing points.

What have been your biggest challenges?

Extreme stress over juggling optimum animal welfare, essential systems maintenance and vital conservation and community programmes whilst meeting running costs of £20,000 a month with no income.

Lack of sufficient Government clarity or support whilst closed and towards reopening, both in terms of guidance and funding.

Have you been able to take anything out of the situation that you can use in the business for future planning?

The enormous value of our enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers, the power of resourcefulness, resilience and collaboration.

The importance of public support and community spirit for which we are extremely grateful!

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PATRON NEWS

Elite Group’s Technology Hub helping businesses recover from Covid Crisis day working in lockdown, I am incredibly proud of how we have adapted to the new ways of remote working and how we have helped our customers - existing and new – solve the issues brought about by the pandemic and adapt to the changes which were essential.

Elite Group’s technology HQ in Wrexham is leading the way in enabling businesses throughout the UK to bounce-back stronger than ever after the Coronavirus crisis.

The technology company is using the latest systems and solutions to promote collaboration, productivity and security, ultimately enabling thousands of companies nationwide affected by the pandemic to increase their efficiency and profitability levels, thus ensuring they remain competitive going forward.

“Now, with the building improvements and the investment in new systems and technologies, we are even better equipped to support our customers and ensure they not only survive the crisis but come out stronger and more able to withstand any future challenges.”

Elite was recently at the forefront of companies supporting businesses during the period of national emergency where reliance on Technology, Communications and Secure Remote Working solutions was greater than ever. The team not only rose to the challenge, but maintained business continuity and first-rate support for their customers whilst additionally helping thousands of organisations who needed urgent help and advice. The tech experts helped companies across the country overcome the obstacles involved in continuing to run day-to-day business and look after staff welfare whilst working remotely and in unprecedented circumstances caused by the pandemic.

The leadership team has invested heavily during lockdown to ensure its Technology HQ is in top condition and fully prepared to support companies in the next, critical steps of regaining momentum and profitability levels post-pandemic. Huge improvements are being made and a major refit and refurbishment of the offices making for a new and improved working environment for when staff return to work over the coming weeks and months.

New systems and technologies have also been deployed, which will make the company even better equipped to serve clients’ increasingly exacting and demanding requirements. The aim ultimately is to drive business efficiencies for customers in order to ensure they

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One of the new systems Elite will be making best use of is ServiceNow which facilities a failsafe and fast response to queries and issues, meaning speedier problem resolution for customers and keeping downtime to an absolute minimum.

Matt continued: - “We use ServiceNow internally and we have seen the marked improvements in response times and customer satisfaction scores it can bring.

“Customers today demand more than just a basic service; they want a great experience and clear communication and this is what ServiceNow helps us deliver.

It’s a fantastic, scalable platform to support the business growth over the next few years and with our internal software development capability we can shape it to deliver the service customers want.”

remain competitive and successful in the difficult weeks and months ahead.

Matt Kingsley-Williams, Elite Group’s Director of IT Operations, is helping lead Elite’s business-critical programme of postCovid change, offering help and support to as many businesses as possible. He said: “Having successfully passed the 100th

Elite Group is one of the UK’s leading technology providers, supplying reliable and professional IT and communication services to organisations seeking unified communications and collaboration solutions.

PATRON NEWS

Thriving towns in West Cheshire Growth is a key importance for the borough which is demonstrated by the Council's major investment in town centres and key industrial sites.

The Council is leading on several regeneration programmes to bring forward developments including:

of the grant is to develop a programme that cultivates a long term, cultural ecology that offers more opportunity for artists to stay and work in the city and surrounding areas. The Council will be developing the programme with an approach of co-creation and collaboration with a wide range of partners and communities of Chester.

Northwich

Winsford

Barons Quay

Winsford Cross

The development is currently 76 per cent let, with a further 6 per cent in solicitor’s hands. Recent openings include:

The Council acquired the centre in 2018 to arrest its decline in the short term and in the longer term to underpin wider economic growth and help tackle longstanding deprivation; the Council also established a programme of important ongoing maintenance works to building fabric and infrastructure.

n Coffee House & Sticky Paws – both open for two weeks prior to lockdown with encouraging sales figures.

In addition, the following units are being fitted out for opening when restrictions are lifted: n Bear n Puddle Ducks, Geek Retreat and Northwich Radio n Barrhead Travel

Chester Northgate Phase 1 Work has started on the main contract works, the Council held a sod cutting ceremony to mark the start of the long awaited £70m Northgate scheme in Chester city centre.

Northgate future phases Future phases of Northgate will be based around the following core principles: n Northgate must be complementary to other areas of the city centre. n The site must respond to the Phase 1 project and the importance of the site in relation to the Town Hall, the Cathedral and Storyhouse. n The development of future phases must be ‘connected’ to the rest of the city and become integral to the city. It is not an island; therefore, the street pattern and public realm are as important as the design of the buildings.

Chester arts and culture, supporting social regeneration The Council have recently been successful in being awarded a grant from Arts Council England to support and develop the visual arts infrastructure in Chester. The objective

Future High Street Funding (FHSF) Bid Prompted by MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government), and as a direct response to the pandemic, the FHSF bid was revised (MHCLG asked bidders to consider what impacts changing market conditions and reduced levels of confidence will have on the financial and delivery aspects of each scheme). The revised FHSF business case was submitted to MHCLG on 22 June.

Weaver Square The Weaver Square site is under option to Build and Thrive, our partnership with PSP. A public consultation that took place as part of a master-planning exercise undertaken two years ago, identified the opportunities for holistic redevelopment of Weaver Square and adjacent areas of the town.

Ellesmere Port Ellesmere Port Hub This scheme will deliver the: n Re-location of Ellesmere Port Bus Station to a new, modern linear bus interchange facility along Civic Way n The construction of a new three-storey Public Sector Hub accommodating a range of customer-facing and backoffice functions, the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), ForHousing, and third sector organisations

and an allocation of Local Growth Fund awarded by the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership (£8.3 million).

Vinci Construction (UK) Ltd has been appointed as contractors for the scheme.

Councillor Richard Beacham, Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Growth, said: “Our regeneration programme is about much more than new buildings, it’s about creating a sense of place in our towns and bringing people together for education, recreation and congregation.

“For a decade, Cheshire West and Chester Council has been retrofitting historical buildings to create attractions, like the Lions Salt Works in Northwich. We have been creating jobs by investing in industrial parks like Road One in Winsford, we have been nurturing arts and culture through investments like Storyhouse in Chester, and we have been developing exciting new retail and leisure offers in town centres like Barons Quay.

“This work does not stop. Looking to the future, the next phase of Chester’s Northgate is now underway bringing a new market, cinema and food and drink offer alongside Storyhouse and the City’s iconic town hall. Funding bids are in for the Future High Street Fund for Winsford town centre, reducing the retail foot print but enhancing the look and feel of the place and delivering new community space for residents and visitors to enjoy. In the future, Weaver Square in Northwich and Northgate in Chester look set to deliver new town centre housing to support high streets and recreate neighbourhoods in places where shops once were. In Ellesmere Port, the work at Whitby Hall will see a new home for Action Transport Theatre and a new cultural offer for the town, and the master plan for the industrial area looks set to deliver new green jobs for a workforce of the future.

“This council believes passionately in pride and place - that’s why we will continue to bring forward exciting new projects to benefit the visitors and residents in our Borough.”

For further information contact: Cheshire West and Chester Council’s, Business Growth Team business@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk www.letstalkbizcw.co.uk n Work commences on Chester Northgate scheme

n Release of the current Civic Way Council office site for re-development.

The scheme is estimated to cost £17.3 million and is being funded through the Council’s Capital programme (£9 million)

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PATRON NEWS

Work begins on new health centre and apartments in Blacon A new GP surgery, health centre and apartments are starting to take shape in Blacon.

“When complete, this development will further enhance the area as well as bring new employment opportunities to the area.”

Sanctuary Homes, the development arm of Sanctuary Group, have begun work on land next to the Parade Enterprise Centre.

Sanctuary’s senior development manager, Danielle Wrigley, added: “We have been eagerly awaiting to begin construction at The Parade and are thrilled to finally be able to deliver this project.

Planning permission was granted last year but work on the project was delayed due to the closure of development sites during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The GP surgery and health centre will ensure the community of Blacon has access to medical facilities on their doorstep, while there will be 12 onebedroom and four two-bedroom apartments on the two storeys above.

These will be available for affordable rent, further increasing the provision of affordable housing in Blacon.

Welcoming the work, Chester MP Chris Matheson said: “I am really pleased to see this new surgery, health centre and homes coming to fruition and bringing vital facilities to the heart of Blacon.

“It will be of major benefit to Blacon and the wider community and we are looking forward to seeing it take shape.”

Sanctuary and Pennysmart help Michael manage his finances Sanctuary Housing and Chester charity Pennysmart have worked together to help local resident Michael* get his finances back on track.

Michael was dealing with long-term mental health issues and struggling to pay the bills on his two-bedroom Sanctuary property.

Lockdown only served to make his health worse and Michael ended up being unable to work as a result, which further impacted his financial situation.

It was at this point that Michael, who lives alone, was referred to Pennysmart by his housing officer. Pennysmart, which receives funding from Sanctuary’s neighbourhood team in Chester, provides money, debt and benefits advice to help people facing poverty.

“Having spoken to many local people, I know this is something they have wanted for a long time and I’m delighted to see Sanctuary Homes and Cheshire West and Chester Council working together to make it a reality.”

Councillor Richard Beacham, Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Growth, Cheshire West and Chester Council, commented: “This project is a huge boost for the community and continues a programme of work which has extensively transformed The Parade in recent years.

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One of their advisers worked with Michael to make sure he was claiming everything he was entitled to, which was something he had not previously been doing.

This meant his Universal Credit and Council Tax Support weren’t enough to cover basic living costs such as rent and utilities.

But with help from Pennysmart and Sanctuary Michael started to claim Personal Independence Payment and Discretionary Housing Payment.

Michael was also supported to lower his bills by using different energy tariffs and discount schemes.

Sanctuary’s neighbourhood partnership manager, Ria Burns, said: “Michael still has a couple of outstanding debts but we are currently in the process of making charitable grant applications to clear these for him.

“We are currently awaiting the outcomes to be confirmed but this should place him a much more financially stable position to be able to maintain his rent and other household bills without falling back into arrears.” *name has been changed

Families receive emergency food parcels and supplies More than 600 families have been supported with essential supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic thanks to a Chester residents’ association.

Volunteers from Kingsway and Newton Residents Association (KANRA) have regularly been delivering around 30 emergency food parcels each week to local residents.

On top of this, KANRA has also been collecting and delivering prescriptions for people who are self-isolating, as well as running a ‘Kids Bank’ where families can pick up nappies, books, toys and DVDs. The association’s Covid-19 response work has been funded by Sanctuary Housing and Cheshire West and Chester Council.

Ann Charlton, a KANRA volunteer, said: “We’d like to say a big thank you to the organisations that support us for continuing to recognise our value in the community.

“Everyone has really pulled together and our volunteers have tried to be flexible and to lend people a hand when needed.

We’ve had lots of lovely thank you cards so we know the work is appreciated.”

PATRON NEWS

Working in Partnership Local Growth Fund Skills Funding in Specialist Equipment to Transform Digital Skills in Construction across Cheshire and Warrington Cheshire College is investing in specialist equipment to support individuals and employers to achieve the digital skills required for use in the Construction industry. Training packages will provide flexibility and adaptability, meaning that a range of delivery options, including blended learning courses will be available reflecting employer needs. The specialist digital equipment and associated training will help Construction businesses to become more productive through the adoption of the latest sustainable business practices, which in turn will address the current skills shortages across the Construction sector.

Local Growth Fund Skills Funding in Specialist Equipment to Widen Access to Technologies and Digital Skills Development across Cheshire and Warrington Cheshire College is investing in specialist equipment to significantly boost digital skills across the region by providing access to new technologies. Individuals and businesses will be supported to gain confidence in a variety of digital applications, enabling full utilisation of their existing technology and exploring other digital platforms available. Inspiring and engaging bitesize training will provide a passport onto further education or development programmes.

Apprenticeships at CCSW Cheshire College help businesses grow with Apprenticeships!

Apprenticeships are work based programmes designed by employers for employers, we can support businesses of all sizes access talented, passionate and skilled young staff. As part of our service, we create and promote the Apprenticeship vacancy on behalf of your business, and provide support throughout the recruitment process.

Employers will be able to gain up to £3,000 for recruiting an Apprentice between August 2020 and January 2021.

To find out more about recruiting an Apprentice, email our team on apprenticeships@ccsw.ac.uk.

T Levels at Cheshire College Cheshire College – South & West is one of a limited selection of colleges chosen by the Government to offer the following T Levels from September 2021: n Construction n Digital n Science and Health n Education and Childcare In addition, the College will also be offering the following T Levels from September 2022: n Management and Administration n Design and Development n Manufacturing, Processing and Control n Maintenance, Installation and Repair The College will be amongst the first to introduce the new technical qualifications, which are primarily aimed at learners aged 16 to 18 years.

T Levels are part of the Government’s flagship reforms to technical education in England. During the two-year programme, learners will spend 80% of their time learning and honing their skills within industry standard workshops and state-ofthe-art classrooms. An additional 20% will be spent on an industrial placement with an employer.

Dhesi, Principal and CEO, commented: “We are delighted to be delivering T Levels from September 2021. Providing young people with the right skills and experience to succeed in their future careers is more important than ever, and T Levels will play a vital role in vocational learning.”

Entrepreneurs’ success at Young Enterprise Competition A team of budding entrepreneurs at Cheshire College – South & West have beat off many strong challengers at this year’s Young Enterprise Competition and have been successful in winning the ‘Best Presentation’ category, as well as being awarded runner up in the ‘Company of the Year’ category.

learners setting up and running their own company. This year, over 7,000 schools and colleges entered with 13,700 learners taking part.

The teams have to make decisions about their business, from deciding on a company name and product, to creating a business plan, managing their finances and selling their products.

The work started at the beginning of the academic year when Seeds ‘n’ Stuff came together and decided on their product – an eco-friendly memorial cross built with seeds, which over time would grow into wild flowers, designed to comfort people missing loved ones and suitable for all ages.

The Covid-19 pandemic did not stop BTEC Business learners studying at the College’s Crewe Campus. As the final stages of the competition moved to digital, so did they.

Team Seeds ‘n’ Stuff continued to meet, innovate and problem solve, via their virtual learning environments.

In addition to the team’s success, one learner, Olga Kubalewska, 16, from Crewe, won the prestigious ‘Student of the Year’ Award, for her passion, dedication and leadership skills.

Olga commented: “The Young Enterprise Competition has been an extremely fun and enriching experience – I have learnt so much.

Continuing the competition through such unprecedented circumstances, we have been able to develop a sense of resilience that I am sure we will maintain as we progress with our next steps. I am really looking forward to celebrating with the team, at the awards presentation, once it is safe to do so.”

“I want to give a huge thanks to the lecturers at the College and our Business Advisor, Angelo Apa, Global Head of Enterprise Vendor Management, Exteris, for of the time they have invested to support us throughout this journey.”

The UK-wide competition is organised by the Young Enterprise charity and involves

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Quality Driven Appointment Scheduling Whether you are looking to meet on-site or discuss potential framework opportunities in a prospect’s office, our Construction Telemarketing experts are here to ensure that you are meeting with the key decision-makers

CPD Campaigns

Tailored Telemarketing

Thinking about your new CPD campaign? Speak with us about how we can maximise your investment. Better still, if you have recently run your CPD’s then we can discuss following up to get you specified sooner!

We can tailor your campaigns based upon your requirements. We already help our clients with: • •

• •

Product Launches Framework & Supply Chain Agreements Events & Seminars Lead Enquiry/Generation

“

Our commitment and promise is to deliver results.

This comes from being open-minded and having the ability to tailor each service that we provide so that you receive the maximum return on your investment!

”

For any questions or enquiries please contact us on: Email: info@exceltmgroup.com | www.exceltmgroup.com | Tel: 01244 256 920 Head Office: Office 103, Pioneer House, Pioneer Business Park, North Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH65 1AD

GETTING STARTED

Getting started with Mike Dunn, Founder and Managing Director, Excel TM Group We decided to work completely free of charge for 2 months.

If some people can volunteer and work on the front line, then why can’t we do something of our own? Through doing this we helped both companies and in return won two contracts that now run until 2021, I would like to think we took a difficulty and turned it into an achievement!

What attracted you to entrepreneurship? Why was this?

It feels weird to be looked at as an Entrepreneur, I don’t know if I’ve done enough to deserve that title – I just enjoy sales and talking to people! Weird I know!

To begin, tell us a little about yourself and your background.

I have worked within construction pretty much all my life, all my family worked in the trade and I was on a building site as soon as I could make a brew!

However, I could not lay a brick to save my life! I have spent most of my working life working in telesales and business development within the construction sector.

This has ranged from selling construction leads to running construction telemarketing campaigns and then visiting live construction sites and pricing for security packages.

What made you set up the business?

I had wanted to set up my own business for a while and it just felt like the right time.

I had worked for multiple organisations and wanted to do things my way! I was also receiving calls from old clients asking me to run their telemarketing, so for me it was a no brainer!

How and when did the idea come about?

Towards the back end of 2019 I was getting fed up with my role, nothing against the company I worked for – I just wanted to do something for myself.

I had been a part of multiple sales and business development teams and seen a number of ways that they were ran, I

wanted to put everything I had thought about into something of my own but also build a company based on core beliefs that came from the minds of others – not just my own.

Who are your target audience and what is the main aim of the organisation?

If you have a product or service that fits into the construction sector and you are looking to generate quality leads, then we can help.

Excel run construction specific telemarketing and lead generation campaigns that will generate you return on investment; from this we aim to build trusting and lasting relationships.

What have been your main achievements and difficulties?

I would say that setting up Excel TM Group was obviously a big achievement, but it has been a roller-coaster since then.

Only three weeks after the business went live, I lost my Nan very suddenly who was probably one of the biggest influences and supporter of me setting up. Shortly after that the whole country went into lockdown.

That was probably the most gut-wrenching time for us as a business, we had just set up and we did not qualify for funding and had to make a risky decision…

If I was going to be modest about it then I would have to say I was attracted by the fact I could build something that was mine and implement ideas that had been shrugged off or used as other peoples.

I also wanted to give others the opportunity to succeed and more importantly grow with a brand and company.

What are your career aims and aspirations?

I would like to expand the Excel TM Group brand, whilst the telemarketing side is the core strength of the business, I believe that by taking our core beliefs we can grow into other areas. We are growing our team and looking to give apprentices a big opportunity within our company, we are looking to launch the Excel TM Group graduate scheme in the near future and give people the opportunity to grow with us and implement ideas of their own.

What message would you give to fellow entrepreneurs or people looking to get involved in setting up their own business or organisation?

That is a tough one! When it came to me setting up Excel, I had a clear plan in place and knew exactly who to target, the fear of failing kept stopping me, and that’s the key! Using the fear! The fear of failing needs to be your drive, knowing that you MUST put food on the table needs to be what makes you get up early and work late.

Know your industry and think how you can stand out from the rest, listen to ideas, and share your own.

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YOUNG CHAMBER

Young Chamber – Back to School In March, as the Young Chamber programme was ramping up to its busiest time of the school year, with careers fairs, mock interviews and masterclasses penned in at schools and colleges throughout the region, the Coronavirus pandemic meant these events could no longer go ahead.

Educational establishments were amongst the first to face restrictions as the whole country entered a lockdown which meant the majority of students entered a period of learning from home. Now, over five months on, schools and colleges across the region have plans to re-open their doors for a new school year, welcoming students back to continue their studies.

This news means there are hopes that the Young Chamber programme, which aims to bridge the gap between education and business, will be able to once again provide students with support and a crucial link to the business world.

“Obviously the health and wellbeing of students, teachers and Young Chamber

Sponsors is paramount, so we are continuing to monitor government guidance and are in constant contact with the schools and colleges about how and when Young Chamber can return.” said Events & Young Chamber Manager, Jenny Davidson.

The Young Chamber team is looking at alternative ways for Young Sponsors to continue their invaluable support to pupils if physical events are not possible. This includes the possibility of using technology to provide a range of virtual support, including tours, mock interviews, career talks and workshops all taking place online. This would mean that, if Sponsors are not be able to help students develop essential skills in person, the Young Chamber programme can continue bring them into the classroom via the screen.

By getting involved in West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce’s Young Chamber, businesses can take an active role in supporting the local community and building an effective pipeline of talent that meets their skills needs. The engagement with schools helps to bridge the skills gap, whilst allowing for the potential of finding future employees or inspiring new talent.

To find out more or to express your interest in becoming a Young Chamber Sponsor, please email youngchamber@wcnwchamber.org.uk.

Jenny continued “Our Young Chamber Sponsors have a vast amount of experience in a variety of industries and we hope continue brining their key insights and knowledge into the classroom, even if it is via a computer screen!

“The Young Chamber programme is here to provide schools and colleges with that crucial connection to the business world and I am very much looking forward to providing this essential support once again.”

n Mock interviews are set to be hosted online

22

YOUNG CHAMBER

n Pupils at Castell Alun High School after their first workshop (pre-lockdown)

Kier Construction Project The first phase of Kier Construction Northern's Young Chamber project was completed at the beginning of March at Castell Alun High School.

The project, which focuses on giving young people an awareness of roles in the construction sector, was due to take place over a six-week period. However, the UK lockdown was introduced bringing the project to an abrupt stop in only its second week.

"With restrictions slowly being eased, there are hopes that the project will be able to restart in the near future" explained Membership Director at the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce, Jennifer Kennedy. "In the meantime, we thought we'd give people an insight into the project so far and the plans that we have in place for students when they return to school".

The Kier Construction Project allows students to experience real-life problems and generate their own solutions in a discovery learning environment.

The project is designed to develop employability skills, which are desirable within the industry, along with fostering an environment they can be creative in.

Direct contact with the employer provides students the opportunity to better understand the types of jobs available within the construction industry. It is a fantastic opportunity to allow more able and talented students in technology and computer-aided design to connect with the industries which have difficult to fill vacancies.

Lauren Robinson, Subject Leader of Business Economics at Castell Alun High School, said "We would like to thank Kier Construction for investing their time and look forward to the students' finalised creative solutions!".

The first session of the project was led by Sheryl Moore, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Kier Construction, and focused on understanding the different roles that are involved in demolition planning and the knowledge, skills and behaviours required.

Sheryl gave a presentation about the demolition project being undertaken at the County Hall site in Mold, engaging students to think about the aspects they would need to consider when demolishing a building. Students then worked in pairs and used online tools to research roles, presenting their findings to the room.

“This project has enabled us to create a unique virtual learning experience which we will roll out with the help of Young Chamber, who support in the North

Wales and Cheshire regions. It includes learning resources for architectural history, BIM, planning, job roles, environmental management and 3D design” said Sheryl.

"We have piloted the scheme with Castell Alun High School, which we have supported in the past. The students have already researched the different job roles and we are looking forward to working with them to create the model of County Hall both virtually through 3D software and a model making kit we have created."

"Unfortunately, due to the current COVID-19 restrictions we have not yet been able to undertake the site tour, but the children have had a virtual tour of the site by viewing a film we created before the lock down."

"We look forward to working with Castell Alun and the Young chamber and hopefully other schools soon".

With lockdown restrictions easing, it is hoped that the project will be able to continue in the near future. The next stages of the project include the creation of 3D models, planning and presentations.

To find out more about Young Chamber and to get involved, visit the Chamber Website – www.wcnwchamber.org.uk.

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QUARTERLY BUSINESS REPORT

Chamber Quarterly Business Report Launched The West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Cheshire West and Chester Council to launch a new Quarterly Business Report that will offer an up to date insight into the performance of the West Cheshire & North Wales business community.

The report is underpinned by data gathered in quarterly surveys that monitor key indicators of economic health including sales, orders, cashflow, confidence and employment expectations.

“The new Chamber Quarterly Business Report will allow us to monitor key economic trends and the health of businesses in the West Cheshire & North Wales region. The coronavirus outbreak has obviously had a huge impact on businesses and the report will enable us to track its severity and the extent to which businesses are recovering from the crisis” said Chamber Chief Executive Officer, Debbie Bryce.

Business report indicates historic set back in West Cheshire & North Wales Economy The Quarterly Business Report for Q2 2020 from West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Cheshire West & Chester Council, has revealed the devastating impact of the Coronavirus outbreak on the region’s economy.

The results show 12 key indicators of economic health, including sales, orders and cash flow, falling to their lowest levels on record.

The findings come as the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce calls for a bolder roadmap to recovery that helps businesses across the region to restart, rebuild and renew.

Key Findings n UK and export sales fall to the lowest level on record with the service sector being the hardest hit.

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Councillor Richard Beacham, Cheshire West and Chester Council Cabinet Member for Housing, Regeneration and Growth, added: “The Quarterly Report is a great example of how organisations can work together to support the wider economic recovery of our Borough. Over recent months, the Council has been at the forefront of implementing a range of measures to support businesses and it is vital that this continues as we all adapt to new ways of working. Our partnership with the Chamber of Commerce on the new Quarterly Report will allow us to gain valuable insights and a much deeper understanding of the challenges facing business, so that we can develop future support services built on the needs of businesses in our area.”

viewed on the Chamber website – www.wcnwchamber.org.uk.

To register your interest in contributing to the Chamber Quarterly Business Report, please email Chamber Policy & Communications Manager, Matt Hodgson – m.hodgson@wcnwchamber.org.uk.

Businesses will be able to gain an insight into each Quarterly Business Report at briefing events each quarter where expert speakers and attendees will delve deeper into key trends. Upcoming events can be

n Businesses have also indicated a decrease in investment over the last three months as they focus on preserving cash buffers. n Employment expectations in West Cheshire & North Wales also fell sharply to their lowest level on record.

Hopes of a swift economic recovery could be dashed, as forward-looking indicators – orders and investment intentions – dropped to record lows for both services firms and manufacturers. Business confidence in turnover and profitability over the next three months has also fallen to the lowest level on record.

Debbie Bryce, Chief Executive Officer at the West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce, commented on the report saying: “Our latest Quarterly Business Report indicates an extraordinary contraction in the region’s economic activity in the second quarter as the coronavirus closed large parts of the economy, with the vast majority of indicators dropping to historic lows.

Support is available to business communities in both West Cheshire, via UK Government and the Business Recovery Support Programme offered by Cheshire West and Chester Council, and North Wales, via Welsh Government, but

they also want to see a clearer, bolder roadmap to recovery that helps them restart, rebuild and renew.

The UK cannot meander its way back to success in this era of uncertainty. The only way to re-kindle business and consumer confidence is to demonstrate an absolute and unshakeable focus on boosting the economy over the coming months.”

The fieldwork for the report took place between May 18th and June 11th receiving 76 responses from businesses employing over 7000 employees.

For more information and to take part next quarter, please email Chamber Policy & Communications Manager, Matt Hodgson – m.hodgson@wcnwchamber.org.uk.

n Debbie Bryce, Chief Executive Officer of West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce

IN FOCUS WITH

In Focus with Staingard Limited After many years in the corporate world, in 2005, Paul Aiston decided it was time to set up on his own. Staingard was established and today they trade successfully with furniture retailers across the country, with his wife and two sons working in the business with him.

Staingard’s core business is the provision of furniture care products, with a bias towards fabric protection and leather care and repair. Recently they diversified into the automotive market with a great range of car care and detailing products, again with a strong focus on specialist leather care products. Staingard’s HQ is in Waverton and have recently started manufacturing in a purpose-built unit in Ellesmere Port. Here, Paul takes us through his responses that fed into the Chamber Quarterly Business Survey.

The last few months have been incredibly tough for many firms across the region, how has business been for Staingard?

April and May saw our regular income disappear completely as all of our customers had shut their doors. This was extremely worrying and, but for our strong financial position and the opportunity to furlough most of our staff, it would have

been disastrous. However, our agility as a business and the great support of some key suppliers enabled us to diversify into the production of a range of sanitiser products.

Has there been any particular challenges?

Predictably the biggest challenge was cashflow, or rather the lack of it! With all our customers closed we were receiving very little income and our debt ledger stayed worryingly high for the duration of lockdown.

Managing creditors during this period was also very challenging although in the main, we had tremendous support with very few suppliers getting heavy handed.

Despite the challenges posed by the Coronavirus outbreak, you’ve indicated that you have increased investment plans.

What were your reasons behind this?

The primary reason behind this was to reduce our dependence upon third party providers of services that we will now undertake in house. We had committed to additional production machinery prior to the pandemic and this started arriving early April, which turned out to be very timely as this additional capacity was key to us securing packaging contracts that we would otherwise not have won.

Have you been able to take anything out of the situation that you can use in the business for future planning?

Improving our online presence, something that we have been very poor at given our business was primarily B2B and we didn’t attach enough importance to it.

There are a number of administrative and operational changes that we will implement on account of some weaknesses being exposed during the last couple of months.

Looking forward, how do you see the next 12 months for your business?

Right now, I think we are experiencing a false dawn. There has been buoyant mood in the retail sector we service, which I believe is the result of pent up demand and frustration at not being able to spend for over two months.

However, come the ending of furlough in October and the inevitable loss of jobs that will occur, plus deferred payments on mortgages and loans starting to bite into people’s disposable incomes, we will see tough times on the high street. For us, the diversification of our business that we have implemented, plus aggressive sales activity, will provide us with a safety net that I am sure will keep us in the black. We have quite a few new products launches planned that will further strengthen our position and drive our recovery and growth plans.

Despite the effects of the pandemic, I remain strongly optimistic. n Paul Aiston, Managing Director at Staingard Limited

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WCNW: To begin, tell us a little about yourself and your background.

I was born in The Netherlands and started my career in education there. I taught English at a grammar school across all years and I still remember how hard I had to work to prepare my lesson plans for six different age groups. I moved on from there to teach Business English at two different higher education colleges, and was promoted to Dean of Faculty. In the meantime I had taken up studies again: a PhD exploring the success factors and pitfalls in international retailing. I found there were plenty of the latter!

Fancying a change, my husband and I moved to Ireland where I took up a post as Chief Executive of a higher education institution in Limerick in 2004. By 2016, I was ready for my next challenge: Wrexham Glyndŵr University.

WCNW: What attracted you to the university?

Wrexham Glyndŵr University is small and agile, and even though it has precursor colleges dating back to the 1800s it is a relatively young recruit to the university sector. We have a modern outlook: many of our programmes are recognised by professional or industry bodies for instance in Engineering or in Health, so our students have excellent employability prospects – the best in Wales, according to the latest data. The majority of our students are from within a 50-mile radius, both sides of the border, and when they graduate they typically stay in the area. So we are really connected to our local economy and our community.

In the depth of the Covid-19 pandemic, this sense of connection became even stronger as many of our students and staff were involved in local support groups.

WCNW: What are your main responsibilities on a typical day?

At the time of writing, a typical day means many hours on Microsoft Teams, Zoom, WebEx, Skype and I don’t know how many more technology platforms! Because travelling to meetings has virtually ceased, I can now cram everything into the day: a catch-up with members of my senior team, a Webinar hosted by the Chamber, a quick call with the Students’ Union, a meeting with the other VCs in Wales, with the Welsh Minister for Education also putting in an appearance…. and emails in between.

WCNW: Who are your target audience and what is the main aim of the organisation?

Our students are at the heart of what we

THE BIG INTERVIEW do – it is about delivering outcomes which meet their expectations and will prepare them for the next phase in their lives. UK higher education is quite metrics-driven, but it should be about more than that. Our values are to be accessible and supportive so students get an excellent experience, and also to be innovative and ambitious – our academic staff are at the cutting edge of their profession and are researchactive, so they can bring the latest insights from their subject area into the classroom.

I mentioned that we attract many students from the region, but we also offer degrees to over 2000 students through some exciting partnerships in other parts of the world. We have students on business degrees in Singapore and Malaysia, some on specialist computing degrees in Greece and the Middle East, and some on arts and design programmes in China. We recently launched an online MBA which already has over 500 students across the UK and abroad, many of them in managerial positions. We are finding that flexible study modes are becoming more and more relevant, and the Covid-19 scenario is also making it obvious that bringing higher education to people in the communities where they live and work, rather than always expecting them to come to the campus here, is now a very attractive proposition.

WCNW: What projects are you currently working on?

Together with colleagues at the University, I am reviewing case studies which capture the impact of our research. This is really inspiring. We have a precision optics centre which designs highly specialist lenses that can be used for surveillance at high altitudes in extreme temperatures; there is a research group in criminal justice which has advised government in Wales as well as in Scotland on issues around rehabilitation of offenders and substance misuse; we have a group which collaborates across health sciences and the arts, exploring innovative care solutions by rekindling people’s creative skills, and many more. These case studies will further build our profile and draw down resources, so we can continue this work.

WCNW: Did you ever think ‘I’ve taken on too big a risk’? If so, how did you overcome it?

WCNW: Looking ahead, what are your main aims for the organisation and how would you like it to develop?

At the moment, I think every organisation’s risk register is showing plenty of reds and ours is no different.

We are living through times which are completely unprecedented. Fortunately I have an excellent team around me and I am really proud at how they have responded so far. We managed to flip to an online delivery model literally within days from when lockdown started, and during the latter months of the 2019/20 academic year we completely reimagined how to assess our students and track their performance even though there was no face-to-face contact. The focus is now on a blended approach during the 2020/21 academic year; students will be coming to our Covid-secure campuses and there will be small-group tuition, as well as of course access to facilities such as the library, social and collaborative learning spaces and the sports centre. Some modules will continue to be offered on-line as well, but we must not forget that studying is also about meeting people and making new friends away from the ‘virtual’ world.

I think Wrexham Glyndŵr University has a good story to tell in how we have responded to the public health crisis and the ensuing economic crisis. Once the dust has settled and we’ve had more time to reflect, I look forward to sharing with others how we achieved that.

WCNW: What are your career aims and aspirations? Is there anything else in particular you’d like to achieve in your lifetime?

I have lived and worked in different Western European countries and have enjoyed exceptionally fulfilling leadership roles in higher education across these locations. I have grown fond of all of them.

At this stage I would not bet on a fourth country to move to and ply my trade – but never say never!

WCNW: What message would you give to other people in business?

Listen to your customers, believe in what you have to offer, believe in your team – then you can face anything the world throws at you.

Another major project right now is working with stakeholders to support economic recovery. Organisations and people are “resetting” and that usually involves retraining and reskilling – sometimes in totally new directions. We have developed a wide range of short courses to add to the part-time degrees we already have, supported with funding from government – and of course people can do them online.

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MEMBERS NEWS

Why supporting mental health is essential for businesses through and beyond Covid-19 Over the past few months, businesses and their employees have needed to rapidly adapt to new ways of working. For those working from home, there have been multiple challenges – from grappling with new technology, to feeling isolated from colleagues and needing to juggle home-schooling their children with staying on top of their work responsibilities. Furloughed employees have needed to adapt to being at home with broad restrictions on their everyday activities and no work to occupy them.

For employees, self-employed people and business owners in most industries, there has been a lot of uncertainty to deal with, including financial worries in the present and concerns about future business viability / job security. In the last month, we have seen major employers in our region announcing large scale job losses. Meanwhile, as lockdown restrictions begin to ease across the country, many workers will have concerns about returning to their workplaces or to face-to-face meetings. These are all valid concerns that are likely to have an impact on the mental health of many.

The business case for investing in mental health Before Coronavirus, a quarter of people experienced mental health issues each year, and up to three quarters of people with a diagnosable mental illness received no treatment whatsoever. Mental health issues have a big impact on businesses: 72 million working days are lost each year at a cost of £34.9 billion. Sadly, approximately 300,000 people with long-term mental health conditions lose their jobs every year; that’s twice as many as those without a mental health condition.

With the impact of Coronavirus, it’s difficult to know what the figures will look like, but they are likely to go up. Additionally,

n Some employees may be keen to return to a working environment where they can interact with other people, while others may be worried. Look for ways, where possible, to accommodate both. This may also give you more space to implement social distancing, if you don’t bring everyone back to your business premises straight away. n Consider investing in some mental health training to improve line managers’ awareness of mental health warning signs and how to offer support.

with higher levels of anxiety, stress and depression likely due to the current situation, there is also the risk of increased productivity loss through ‘presenteeism’ – where people are unwell but at work. Prior to Covid-19, this already cost businesses £15.1 billion a year (a more recent report, published in 2020, puts this figure at £26.6 to £29.3 billion).

On the flip side, the latest research shows that for businesses investing into the mental health of their employees, the average return on investment is £5 for every £1 spent, with figures as high as £9 for every £1 spent in some cases.

Some things you can do as an employer to support your employees’ mental health n Be open with your employees about any plans for returning to business premises and what safety measures you have in place and the risk assessments you have carried out. n Listen to any concerns your employees may express and genuinely look to find solutions together.

Give as you Live – Let’s Play A Cheshire charity is seeking keen gamers to support them in their fundraising efforts.

Cheshire Down’s Syndrome Support Group, established in 2007 to support families and children in the region with Down’s Syndrome, are looking for new ways to fundraise following the coronavirus pandemic and, with the ever-growing popularity of gaming, they are looking for people to support them whilst they play.

“In the current situation, CDSSG have had to change the way they fundraise and this fundraiser is a new way to do that.

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If you like gaming, which I know a lot of people do, this is the perfect fundraiser for you!” – Rebecca Goodier, Fundraising & Communications Manager.

Love to game? Then why not game for charity, play online and fundraise for their charity.

Across the world, millions of people are gaming for good causes, it’s simple to join them with Give as you Live Donate, they have step-bystep guides to get you started and suggestions of top gaming events to take part in.

Create your fundraising page https:// donate.giveasyoulive.com/pages/lets-

n Find out whether any of your staff (they don’t need to be line managers) would like to become Mental Health First Aiders. Get in touch (frederika. roberts@chaptermentalhealth.org) if you’d like to find out more about Mental Health First Aid Training. n If you are working remotely, encourage voluntary social video meetings during working hours so the team can stay connected. n If you are working from business premises, be flexible and understanding of the needs of employees to chat to each other. It is during these informal chats that they can share any worries, concerns or anxieties and can look out for each other and spot signs of struggle. n Provide your staff with information about how to look after their own wellbeing, for example by sharing the “5 steps to wellbeing” with them. n ACAS also offer additional useful suggestions.

play and link your live gaming stream, meaning friends and family can make their donations whilst watching live action game play. You can even livestream your gaming straight to your fundraising page!

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Businesses urged to prepare ahead of end of Brexit Transition period The West Cheshire & North Wales Chamber of Commerce is urging businesses in the region to prepare and review their processes ahead of the end of the Brexit Transition Period on 31st December 2020.

The UK government is continuing negotiations with the EU in an attempt to secure a trade agreement, whilst also publishing details of changes to business practices and processes that are coming.

From digital tools to technical issues and new customs arrangements – there is a lot to keep track of.

The Chamber has partnered with Cheshire West & Chester Council to deliver a series of monthly events, at no cost, to keep you up to date and help you navigate your own company’s journey to this new era.

Three online events have taken place so far and with an event a month planned until the Brexit Transition Period ends on 31st December, there is a host of support available to businesses in the region.

All of our events have been supported by international trade expert Becky Stark, Director at Stark Export Focus, who has given attendees in-depth updates on negotiation developments and highlighted key areas businesses should focus on, including changes in customs procedures and implications on business structure.

The events have also seen guest speakers give further insight into specific areas including; the new immigration system, business opportunities in Hungary, a case study of trading with Ireland, CE marking and VAT. Further topics will be explored in our remaining events which are taking place on 6th October, 3rd November and 1st December.

“There are some significant changes coming that business need to be aware of and we are glad that we have been able to partner with Cheshire West & Chester Council to provide this crucial support” said Hayley Gray, Export Documentation Manager at the Chamber.

International Trade Training to help your business prepare for a new era Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 earlier this year, the UK spent 3 ½ years debating a withdrawal agreement with the EU. Whilst the chaos of this global pandemic understandably dominates world headlines, behind the scenes the UK continues to prepare for the end of the agreed transition period on 31st December 2020. We left the EU on 31st January 2020 and the transition clock is ticking as the UK and EU attempt to negotiate a trade deal.

Irrespective of the outcome of the trade talks, the customs border with Europe will be operational from 1st January 2021. This will have a very practical impact on business operations and processes. How well has your business prepared for this? Are your staff aware of the changes in process and the legal obligations of the Exporter/Importer?

From the simplicity of ensuring drivers have the correct paperwork, to the complexities of customs authorisations and simplified

procedures, we are not facing the same ‘no deal cliff edge’ that we saw several times in 2019. The government’s mantra is that businesses should be prepared.

“Our training courses cover the key aspects of international trade from a very practical perspective and take attendees through important changes that are coming as the Brexit Transition Period comes to an end” said Hayley Gray, Export Documentation Manager.

The Chamber’s Brexit Transition Briefing events are open to all businesses in the region with those based in West Cheshire, or North Wales businesses that are members of the Chamber, also able to access additional one-to-one support at no cost.

Hayley continued “We are keen to help businesses prepare as best they can for the end of the Brexit Transition period and our one-to-one support is tailored to the specific business in question. This allows us to build an action plan that includes guidance for the sector that the business operates in.

I’d urge businesses to consider the potential impact of Brexit on their business and to get in touch with us on 01244 669985 if you have any questions”.

To book onto our upcoming Brexit Transition Briefing events, visit our website (www.wcnwchamber.org.uk) or you can register your interest in receiving additional one-to-one support by scanning the QR code to the right.

“The health and safety of attendees and our trainers is our upmost priority and the work and effort that the Mercure Chester Abbots Well Hotel has been through to make a safe and socially distanced environment is nothing short of outstanding” Hayley continued.

“The courses are really interactive and we are so pleased that we can run these at a venue as delegates will be able to get the maximum benefit from attending.”

Courses are being held throughout September and October and you can view more details and book your place on our website https://portal.wcnwchamber. org.uk/training.html.

“The next few months are crucial for businesses that trade overseas and now is the time to prepare and get ahead rather than starting the new year on the back foot”.

There were fears that the training courses could be hindered by the coronavirus outbreak but the Chamber has been in constant contact with the venue, Mercure Chester Abbots Well Hotel, and is pleased to announce that they will be running as normal.

n Hayley Gray, Export Documentation Manager at the Chamber

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WHAT I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT...

At the Hospice of the Good Shepherd, we passionately believe that everyone deserves to have the best quality of life and end of life care and support possible.

From managing someone's pain, to looking after their emotional, spiritual and social needs, we support the whole person in helping them to live their life to the full.

We provide end of life care for people with both cancer and non-cancer life-limiting illnesses, such as motor neurone disease or multiple sclerosis, end stage liver, heart or kidney failure. We’re not just focused on our patients either. We recognise that it’s also a difficult time for relatives, carers and friends and we provide support for them too as they face the end of life journey together.

When someone is given the devasting news that they have been diagnosed with a life limiting illness, it does not just impact the patient, but it also impacts their family and friends. Often people have been receiving debilitating courses of treatment and have attended many, many hospital appointments and the news that “we can now only give you palliative care” can be crushing for everyone.

The dedicated team at the Hospice can be a tower of strength for both patients and their families. Sometimes the illness or the treatments can leave a patient short of breath, tired, or struggling with limited mobility. The support offered at the Hospice Living Well Centre is designed to do just that, help patients “live” and improve their quality of life. We work together with both patients and their carers to help them make informed choices, to improve symptom management, address individual concerns and enhance coping strategies. This allows them to live the best life that they can for as long as they can. This support can include sessions on Mindfulness, to help improve mind and mood, complimentary therapies, to help with relaxation and stress, physiotherapy, to help with mobility, and breathlessness clinics.

"When I was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer at the age of 40, we were immediately offered support by the breast care team.

It was a comfort to know that there were a team of professionals ready to guide us if we had any questions or needed any support. If the word ‘Hospice’ had been mentioned that day then I’m certain that my husband, Jason, and I would have gone into full panic mode.

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With my ongoing treatment plan it is vital that Jason and I have the most normal life possible. Courses run by the Hospice have been an invaluable aid to me to help us achieve our new normal."

Sam McGimpsey The Hospice also has a 10 bedded In-patient unit. There are several reasons people are referred to us for inpatient care. Our main aim is to enhance the quality of life and to care for the whole person, to support emotional, spiritual, social and psychological needs. Patients may be admitted for the control of symptoms, for example pain or nausea/sickness, rehabilitation following treatment or a hospital stay or to receive care in the last days of life.

We not only offer support through life and through death but also through grief.

Our bereavement team, which includes the award-winning West Cheshire Bereavement Service and Reflect Children & Young People’s Bereavement Service, are passionate about the services they offer.

Support is open to both adults and children across the area who are struggling to come to terms with the loss of a loved one regardless of how or where they have died.

The referrals for our bereavement support services, for both adults and children, continue to grow, especially during this difficult time. Bereavement can be made all the more difficult to deal with for people at the moment with issues around shielding, social distancing and restricted visiting. It has meant that families have not been able to

grieve together, to hug or support each other leading to a more complex grief process.

Since the Coronavirus pandemic, our Inpatient Unit is still open and receiving patients and is continuing to deliver essential end of life care and support to patients and their families. Whilst our Living Well Centre cannot welcome patients for face to face support, the team are supporting our patients by phone and video calls weekly. So many of them welcome these regular calls and the opportunity to receive continued palliative care and support. By continuing to deliver these vital services, the Hospice has worked hand in hand with the NHS and has allowed the local hospitals to increase their capacity to focus on patients with Coronavirus.

Over the past few months, you may have seen our appeal in the local press about the impact of the Coronavirus on the income of the Hospice. The effects of lockdown and social distancing, alongside the cancellation of events and the closure of our charity shops, is significant, with a potential shortfall of £1.1 million on our annual income. This is something that, like many other businesses, will take a long time to recover from.

However, our recovery and sustainability going forward will rely solely from the local businesses and the local community getting behind the Hospice and helping where they can. With an annual running cost of over £4million and funding only contributing around 25%, each year, we are required to raise the remaining £3million. We are passionate about delivering the best quality end of life care to our community. You will probably know someone who has needed our compassionate care. This is something, we hope, we are able to continue for years ahead. To find out how you can help us please visit www.hospicegs.com or email justin.caroe@hospicegs.com

MEMBERS NEWS

Urban Technology Group is delighted to announce that DropJaw Ventures has taken a stake in the business The Urban Technology Group is delighted to announce that DropJaw Ventures has taken a stake in the business. Based in Chester, The Urban Technology Group delivers bespoke CRM and ERP software solutions, consulting, planning and technology management services.

DropJaw Ventures Group, also based in Chester, are a specialist advisory firm whose vision is to provide capital and access to advisory services to technology and professional services companies looking to grow.

Lou Crane, CEO at Urban Technology Group, says “this milestone in our growth has come at just the right time as we position ourselves to really deliver on our next phase of our plan. We continue to work with ambitious business leaders to bring more control to their business and to create more efficiencies, to give them a central point of truth for all their data.”

How Coronavirus has changed the UK job market The UK job market has significantly changed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Recent events have flipped what was a candidate driven market, as it becomes saturated with candidates and unemployment levels continue to rise. In this article, recruitment advertising and marketing specialists JVP Group explore the impact Covid-19 has had on the UK job market and share their top tips on how employers can capitalise on these changes.

The changing job market The pandemic has had a huge impact on businesses across the UK, and ultimately, unemployment levels have risen and are expected to rise much further over the coming months as the Furlough scheme draws to a close. Across the UK in April, advertised vacancies were 49% lower than they were the previous year, and some industries have been hit particularly hard.

For the last few years, with unemployment levels at record lows, we have been operating in a candidate driven market. Put simply, that means high calibre candidates have been used to receiving multiple job offers, as well as their current employers offering more to entice them to stay.

DropJaw Ventures Managing Partner Roy Shelton says he’s delighted to be working with The Urban Technology Group, and: “Given the need to store and access huge amounts of data in order to allow for more informed decision making, along with workflow efficiency improvements, I feel Urban is well placed for significant growth.”

Urban Technology Group works collaboratively with clients (typically small to mid-sized companies) establishing the real business needs and providing a solution that fosters true data transparency, control, congruency and reliability that allows the business to move forward toward their goals and vision. Harnessing market leading technical prowess The Urban Technology Group builds software solutions that best suit the client’s situation in a caring, thoughtful and tailored way.

with a partner who shares my vision for the business, someone who recognises the value in what we do, and the transformational nature of our projects, Roy and the DropJaw team are all of that. This partnership has already been incredible, allowing access to new markets and audiences. Taking advantage of the experience and skill in the company has, without a doubt, assisted us in driving our plans forward at an accelerated rate. I am very excited for the future”

n Lou Crane, CEO at The Urban Technology Group

Lou adds, “the financial investment is important for us, but I wanted to work In an employer driven market, it is the companies who now call the shots.

Typically, this means employers can hire at their own pace, can focus wholly on their needs, and face little or no competition from peers within the same industry.

There are many high-calibre people seeking employment right now and, for those companies who are able to, recruiting and advertising your vacancies to benefit from the significant increase in the job seeker market should be something that is high on your agenda. Now is the perfect time and opportunity to find great people with a depth of experience and drive who can completely fulfil your roles.

JVP Group’s tips on how to attract the best talent in a changing job market 1. Provide clear information from the outset.

Smart employer branding with job adverts is important to get the attention from the people you want. Would you apply to a job advert that just said, ‘Our client…’?

Many wont, especially the best people who care about where they work and who they apply to work for.

will make a big difference as to whether they are fully read and considered or discounted through lost interest.

3. Remote recruiting.

You can save yourself, and your potential employees, time and money with the early stages of the recruitment process by adopting video interview and online skills testing.

It is not necessarily about replacing the often very helpful meet in person interview, but this initial approach will help you reduce the shortlist and focus your energy on those that stand out from the crowd.

4. Agility.

Speed in the recruitment process is still very important in an employer driven job market if you don’t want to lose great people to the competition. Of course, this should not compromise the effectiveness of the selection process, but regular communication to keep your potential employees updated on the next step is paramount.

2. Mobile friendly job adverts.

Many individuals now use a mobile device to browse the internet and there is no exception when it comes to the job search. Make sure your job adverts are in an easy to read formant and concise. This

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BEGBIES TRAYNOR

Help and advice for business following Covid-19 As the country emerges from the lockdown restrictions imposed earlier this year, businesses are contemplating what the future looks like. While virtually no sector has been completely immune to the unprecedented levels of business interruption, some industries have been hit harder than others, and these are also the companies who can expect a more protracted return to ‘normality’.

Changing consumer sentiment, as well as strict regulations on social distancing and mass gatherings, look set to poses significant challenges to many businesses, particularly those which rely on social interactions in indoor spaces.

While lockdown was at its height, many businesses were mothballed, existing in

a state of limbo while the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme allowed for employees to be furloughed.

However, with the furlough scheme now being wound down and operating costs returning, companies are assessing their finances and what their business looks like in our ‘new normal’ world.

Some are finding the current situation to be a perfect storm, with additional costs incurred through the provision of PPE for staff and customers and increased cleaning costs, coupled with reduced takings due to falling consumer demand.

For businesses which were already struggling prior to the pandemic, these added financial pressures may simply prove to be too much.

Early advice is key

and getting it back on the road to recovery are greatly improved.

Begbies Traynor are the UK’s leading business rescue and recovery firm, helping business owners navigate a range of financial and operational worries. Our office in Chester is headed up by business rescue and recovery experts Jason Greenhalgh and Keith Tully, who can help you understand your options.

This could include an informal process such as arranging a Time to Pay (TTP) plan with HMRC, a formal recovery process such as a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) to restructure existing debts, or placing the company into administration to give protection from further creditor action while for a long-term plan to be formulated.

if you’re worried about the end of the furlough scheme, or the accumulation of loans, VAT deferral, missed lease payments, or are experiencing any other financial concerns, now is the time to seek advice, not further down the line when your problems have grown further.

We can also talk you through the liquidation process if your company’s problems have taken it beyond the point of rescue. This would be achieved through a Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation – or CVL – which is a director-initiated procedure to bring about the ultimate end of an insolvent company when its debts are unmanageable.

When professional insolvency advice is sought early, the options open to directors and their companies are greater and the possibility of turning around the business

At our Chester office, we offer free noobligation consultations to worried company directors, helping them to make an informed decision as to the future of their business.

Make your worries our business.

Whatever problems you are experiencing in your business, we can help.

Contact us for a consultation: Jason Greenhalgh, Partner M: 07810 751 788 E: jason.greenhalgh@btguk.com

Keith Tully, Partner M: 07969 905 654 E: keith.tully@btguk.com

Offices across the UK. www.begbies-traynor.com Begbies Traynor (Central) LLP, a limited liability partnership, registered in England and Wales No: OC306540. Registered Office: 340 Deansgate, Manchester M3 4LY. A member of the Begbies Traynor Group: Specialist Professional Services. www.begbies-traynorgroup.com

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NEWS Ben Humphreys

Rachel Berry

A no from your bank doesn’t always mean a no to all funding.

As businesses across West Cheshire and North Wales seek funding to survive the widely catastrophic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bathgate Business Finance is urging owners to explore alternative funding options.

Managing Director, Gordon Andrews, said: “In recent weeks, we have encountered a number of businesses who had previously been declined CBILS by their bank, but for which we have been able to secure CBILS loans.

the COVID-19 outbreak, Bathgate has continued to invest in its team throughout lockdown, bringing in two new team members to diversify the experience and vital sector knowledge they can offer their clients.

The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and other Government-backed initiatives have been a lifeline for many businesses in the region in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

“Each bank works to a specific set of parameters that not all businesses will meet. However, there is also a whole independent market out there with funders whose parameters you might meet. A no from your bank doesn’t always mean a no to all funding.

Property finance specialist, Ben Humphreys, joined the team in April, bringing more than 15 years’ experience to the team. Leasing expert, Rachel Berry, an asset finance specialist with significant experience working with leisure and light commercial vehicle (LCV) customers, was appointed in August.

Since the beginning of May, Bathgate Business Finance has written £7 million worth of CBILS deals, helping many businesses across the North West, with £2.7 million of this supporting 15 companies in West Cheshire and North Wales.

However, with the CBILS application deadline of 30 September 2020 looming, Bathgate Business Finance is urging businesses that have not yet applied for funding or who have been declined by their bank or other lenders to not give up hope, highlighting opportunities with independent funders and also alternative finance routes, should CBILS not be an option.

“We work with a panel of independent CBILS funders and a wide range of alternative finance companies who - even before the pandemic - had a history of funding solutions for companies that had previously struggled with traditional routes.

The West Kirby based finance specialist is seeking to encourage businesses to get in touch with its experienced team to discuss their needs and help source alternative finance arrangements.

Despite being an SME also impacted by measures put in place to tackle

Gordon added: “It has never been more important for us to invest in our team, to ensure that we secure the very best funding solutions for our clients. The amount of schemes out there is overwhelming and some of the very best deals are the hardest to find, which is where our team’s expertise makes a real difference.”

For further information please contact Gordon Andrews, at Bathgate Business Finance on 0151 625 7323 or proposals@ bathgatebf.co.uk

HD Scaffolding - Our promise to make your Life Easier Regardless of why you need it, scaffolding can make life stressful. Whether you are a contractor, homeowner or simply a member of the public that might have to change their route to work one day because of a traffic management plan in place caused by scaffolding, we aim to make it as stress free as possible throughout each and every project.

Our family run business has more than 40 years’ experience, so we know a thing or two about some of the problems you might face when having a scaffold erected.

From start to finish we ensure to be as clear and accurate with our communications to

Whittingham Riddell have rebranded to WR Partners.

Local Accountants and Business advisors Whittingham Riddell, excitedly unveiled that they have been through a full rebranding process.

The news came complete with a new brand name and stunning new visual identity which reflects the continued commitment to both their clients and employees. With offices across Shropshire and in North and Mid Wales, the firm has been helping businesses for over 120 years and can trace its roots

everyone involved in the project so that no stone is left unturned. We have a proven track record of client satisfaction which is why our clients return to us time and time again, something to which we are very proud of. n Reliability n Professional n Safe The three points above are the key areas that we have built our business around. We believe no scaffolding contractor should ever cut corners when it comes to these. Our projects each have their own file so that everyone has access to information as and when they need it, keeping

accurate records ensures we can track and monitor both health and safety, and the performance of our jobs. We are always looking for ways to improve and by keeping accurate records it enables us to evaluate and make sure we are providing the best possible service for our clients.

If you are looking for an innovative scaffolding contractor that promises to deliver, then get in touch today. We would love to hear about your businesses and the projects you have coming up to see how we can help you.

E: info@hdscaffoldingnw.co.uk T: 01606 782943

as far back as 1899. The new name was chosen as a natural evolution of “Whittingham Riddell”, honouring the rich history, and enabling them to continue towards their strong ambitions for the future.

many for the practice. They will continue to offer the full range of excellent services they had before, making every effort to understand what’s important to their clients, so they can in turn help them to achieve their goals.

The new brand is all about long term relationships and care for those in contact with it. This is represented in not only their new logo but in their new strapline.

Protecting your future. The new logo comes with a new emblem, the sun. It was chosen to directly represent the protection and care that WR Partners shows to each of their clients and employees.

The firm also launched their brand new website, www.wrpartners.co.uk, where you can fully experience the new brand and improved customer journey for yourself.

WR Partners have big ambitions and rebranding was the first exciting step of

These are exciting times for everyone involved with WR Partners. From its client’s, to employees and key business partners. If you have any questions feel free to get in touch with the WR Partners team who will be more than happy to help.

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The Enterprise Team at Wrexham Glyndŵr University Wrexham Glyndŵr University sits at the heart of the business community in North Wales, actively working with organisations of all sizes and sectors from small start-up enterprises to global corporations.

The Enterprise Team deliver a suite of services to support business growth and career development, providing funding to enable innovative projects and offering access to our wealth of academic expertise.

Business Services: • • • • • • •

Professional Development Short Courses & CPD Consultancy Funded Projects Knowledge Transfer Partnerships Degree Apprenticeships Placement Opportunities

To find out more about how we could support your business contact

enterprise@glyndwr.ac.uk or visit our website at www.glyndwr.ac.uk/en/business/

Wrexham Glyndŵr University

Business Support Services from Wrexham Glyndŵ r University The Enterprise Team at Wrexham Glyndŵr University have undergone a timely refresh in order to provide the best business support regionally and beyond.

In August 2020 Laura Gough MA, Head of Enterprise, had a vision to recalibrate the team, aligning to the demands of modern industry, recognising the challenges presented during these unprecedented times.

"We are in a fantastic position to offer businesses a variety of support services with some exceptional funding available to respond to the current unprecedented times. I am privileged to lead on these University wide initiatives and have the support of a passionate and committed team."

Laura Gough – Head of Enterprise at Wrexham Glyndŵr University Alongside Laura’s directive role as Head of Enterprise, you will most likely be engaging with the team’s new Innovation Manager – Dr Peter Hooper and recently appointed Business Development Manager - Charlotte Oram-Gettings.

Peter’s focus is to deliver on the array of innovation initiatives, supporting the implementation of Knowledge Transfer Partnerships within business.

Charlotte’s role drives the development of new and current professional applied programmes, inclusive of six degree apprenticeship routes, showcasing the diverse CPD offering and networking with regional partners to maintain effective communication with industry.

"The Enterprise team at Wrexham Glyndŵ r University have always been integral in providing an effective channel to drive progressive industry applied research, advance our CPD offering and establish vital connections with local businesses. The University are invested in providing quality services to support our regional partners and with this have created the role of ‘Head of Enterprise’ to provide a clear directive to lead the team effectively and drive forward projects and initiatives to best serve our business clients."

Whether you are a professional looking to further your career and develop your skills, or an organisation considering a progressive innovation project, The Enterprise Team at Wrexham Glyndŵr University are there to talk you through their array of support services. If you would like to know more about the current initiatives at Wrexham Glyndŵr University, or would like to explore their suite of professional programmes and business services please contact enterprise@glyndwr.ac.uk or alternatively visit the website at https://www.glyndwr.ac.uk/en/business/

Dr Aulay Mackenzie, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Partnerships (Home and International) at Wrexham Glyndŵr University The team offer an assortment of funded initiatives to support innovative business projects, enabling market growth and the refining of processes, enhancing productivity within business. The University are proud to host an abundance of academic expertise and have emphasised the ‘Real People’ behind this expertise through one of their latest campaigns ‘#RealPeopleRealKnowledge’.

The team understand that expertise can only offer so much and that business engagement is very much about the people behind the knowledge, welcoming industry to collaborate with

management and leadership skills development, to lead businesses during these challenging times.

dynamic and dedicated staff. The team have rapidly responded to the impact of COVID-19 by outlining a diverse offering of free or heavily discounted short courses for individual professionals and collective organisations, providing additional support to those who may have been affected by redundancy or to encourage

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CLIMB THE LADDER OF INNOVATION Grow your business and stay competitive Start your journey

enterprise@glyndwr.ac.uk KTP

SMART

MINI KTP

KT VOUCHERS

Wrexham Glyndŵr University

Climb the Ladder of Innovation with Wrexham Glyndŵ r University to grow your business and stay competitive!

MINI KTP The MINI KTP can be used as a standalone project or as a lead into a full KTP. A business can recruit a new member of the team to drive a 3-6 month project, whilst able to access up to £6,000 of academic time plus up to £1,000 to spend on materials or software!

SMART A SMART partnership aims to improve productivity within business, and offers funding to support up to 50% of project costs for businesses in Wales.

KTP – Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

Wrexham Glyndŵr University have developed a ‘Ladder of Innovation’ to support their industry partners to help grow their business and stay competitive, providing a number of funded projects available to engage with. Previously the Enterprise Team have successfully collaborated with a number of different organisations, delivering Knowledge Transfer Partnership’s and SMART partnerships, supporting new growth avenues for businesses and providing a platform for organisations to absorb the academic expertise and equipment on offer at the University.

As a result of the impact of COVID 19, the team have understood the need provide a variety of funded innovation projects for businesses to engage with, considering

the financial and capacity commitment that organisations are able to provide and to extend these opportunities to a wider range of sectors. From this the ‘Ladder of Innovation’ was born, offering four stages of engagement to support business growth, automation of processes, exploration of project scope and research agendas. Businesses can choose to ‘climb up the ladder’ and engage with all four stages or may be able to jump in at the right point for them. Here’s a little more information about what’s on offer…

Identify innovative solutions with KTP. At least 50% of project costs funded over 12 36 months. This encourages organisation to source new talent and embed academic research into their strategic plans. Welsh Government have announced that up until February 2021 they will provide up to 75% of project funds specifically for Welsh SME’s, another great reason to find out more about how Knowledge Transfer Partnerships could support your business!

If you would like to find out more about how you could access funding and engage with one or more of the initiatives above, please get in touch with the Enterprise Team by contacting enterprise@ glyndwr.ac.uk or take a look at our website https://www.glyndwr.ac.uk/en/business/

KT VOUCHERS KT VOUCHERS provide businesses with the opportunity to access up to £2,500 of funding to utilise academic expertise, scope out a new business concept or trial a new process or project without the financial risk!

39

URENCO

As a trusted, long term supplier to the nuclear industry, Urenco celebrated the company’s 50th year in business in March.

The Treaty of Almelo, signed on 4 March 1970 by the UK, Dutch and German governments laid the foundations for international cooperation and collaboration in atomic expertise for the development of centrifuge technology for peaceful purposes.

The three Urenco businesses based at Capenhurst, Cheshire, marked this event with a celebration for the workforce and a £10,000 donation to Claire House Hospice.

Almost immediately afterwards, Urenco responded to mitigate the potential impact of the coronavirus on its business.

The company’s global response had the safety and wellbeing of its workforce, their families and its communities at the heart of its preparations for managing the challenges presented by this crisis.

At Capenhurst, Urenco UK operates a uranium enrichment facility, Urenco Nuclear Stewardship (UNS) is responsible for the management of nuclear materials including decommissioning and recycling and Urenco ChemPlants (UCP) manages the commissioning and operation of the Tails

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Management Facility (TMF) to deconvert the by-products produced as a result of the enrichment process. 800 people are employed at the Cheshire plant making it a significant employer in the local community.

At the height of lockdown, Urenco’s success as an international business meant that without reducing its workforce, and with no assistance from Government employment schemes, it continued to operate its enrichment and materials management facilities in the UK and progress work on the commissioning of the TMF. At Capenhurst this meant basing a third of its workforce on site with the other two thirds working remotely.

Published recently, Urenco’s half year results for 2020 reflect a strong financial and operational performance during the last six months at a time of significant disruption due to Covid 19. There has been no interruption to either the company’s supply chain or logistics and Urenco has maintained its 100% record of delivering to its customers on time.

URENCO The company’s sustainability approach is integral to everything that Urenco does. A number of goals are in place to measure and minimise its operational environmental impact and how it gives back to the communities in which it operates. Its focus on sustainability is themed around the following areas; health, safety safeguards and security, environmental impact, employee engagement/organisational health, stakeholder and community engagement, supplier of choice and asset integrity and health. The company’s core business of enriching uranium has enabled carbon free electricity generation for the world. The nuclear industry requires a cost effective and diverse supply of uranium enrichment services as an integral part of the nuclear fuel cycle and Urenco has a key role in providing this as a leading nuclear services technology company operating safely and reliably for 50 years.

Volunteering is an important aspect of Urenco’s approach to giving back to the communities in which it operates. The company provides each employee with

the equivalent of one normal working day’s leave every year to volunteer in the local community and this happens on a global scale. Charity donations and volunteering activities are linked to the following themes; community, healthy living, culture, education and environment. Both Urenco’s support for charities and its employee volunteering programme contribute to its wider corporate social responsibility goals which are to strengthen its relationship with its communities, offer opportunities to employees to develop skills in areas such as teamwork and leadership, demonstrate a commitment to its core values and enhance its position as a good corporate citizen.

The pandemic has not prevented the workforce at Capenhurst from continuing to offer their support to the local community. Volunteers have helped a number of local charities including the Port Grocery based in Ellesmere Port.

Food deliveries were made to the most vulnerable members of society including those self-isolating as a result of Covid 19. Urenco Capenhurst will continue to support the charity as it plans to expand and develop its services to help people most in need at this time.

Since becoming a Chester Zoo Corporate Champion in June following the campaign appeal to ‘Save our Zoo’, volunteers from Capenhurst have been proactive in helping Chester Zoo’s Membership Team manage the dispatch of around 12,000 requests to ‘Adopt an Animal’. So far, Capenhurst volunteers have packed nearly 1000 adoption packs for Chester Zoo. This year, Urenco Capenhurst has donated nearly £11,000 to Save the Family based near Chester, Hospice of the Good Shepherd, The Trussell Trust, Halton Boxing Club and Hayrack Farm, Elton. Support for the homeless community from the SHARE Shop based in Chester was provided in the form of food and beverage originally stocked at Capenhurst to provide supplies to essential workers should the need arise to live on the site itself; fortunately, the supplies were not required for this purpose.

strong commitment to safety as well as demonstrating its support for the community, UCP at Capenhurst recently donated £9k split between three charities to Alder Hey Children’s Charity, the Neuro Muscular Centre in Northwich and the Nephrotic Syndrome Trust, a national charity. The money is from a fund set-aside by the company to reward excellence in safety practices at its Capenhurst site in Cheshire and in this instance has been used to further the work of charities in health and social care.

Lynton Simmonds, Managing Director, UUK said: “Reflecting back on the last six months, time has gone incredibly quickly, we have continued to plan to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our workforce, our communities and our partners while operating safely, effectively and efficiently at Capenhurst. The measures we have put in place to maintain our business operations will no doubt be needed for some time yet.

“Although it is acknowledged that the Covid pandemic is not over, the post Covid environment has put a spotlight on nuclear energy playing a central role in recovery efforts by boosting economic growth and supporting the provision of low-carbon, resilient and affordable electricity for a sustainable future.

“Our approach to sustainability also involves a strong commitment to the responsible management and stewardship of the by-products created by the enrichment process. The programme to commission the TMF and the further development of services provided

by Urenco Nuclear Stewardship at Capenhurst are an integral part of our future business plans.

“Urenco will continue to play a valuable role for the community, and wider society, far into the future.” www.urenco.com

Other charitable giving involves rewarding best practice. As part of its

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Security operative past, present & the modern security threats Private security has existed for centuries, although often considered to be a modern phenomenon. The Praetorian Guards were the first recorded bodyguards around 275Bc and the first recorded private investigators/ private detectives were officially recognised in Paris during the 1800s.

In more modern times private security has been regarded as shadowy business. It is often the perception that security guards are often large muscular tattooed men, wearing black working at pubs and clubs, often referred to as ‘bouncers’, giving the industry a bad reputation.

In the early 2000s the UK introduced the Security Industry Authority with the intention to remove all the undesirables from the industry. This meant that companies had to adapt fast. A certain level of training and criminal background checks were required to be granted a licence to work. This in turn allowed for decades of damage to be fixed.

Over the past decade Valor Risk Management has been forging a path for itself, supporting clients, general public and emergency services. We are wanting

CONTACT INFORMATION:

to change the face and stigma around the security industry, whilst providing a professional and efficient service to all clients. Doing this at a cost effective price.

With the security industry having many branches and potential avenues for companies to turn down, as a company Valor Risk Management has focused on • Private investigation.

• Close protection/ body guarding services.

• Residential security • Venue/ site security • Technical surveillance counter measures, commonly referred to as ‘bug sweeping’ • Physical and cyber penetration tests.

• Risk and threat management.

• CCTV monitoring and key holding • Counter terrorism support and infrastructure.

• Coronavirus prevention and control

The above points possibly are not new to a lot of readers, however coronavirus prevention and control is new to all of us. In January 2020, we began to hear about a new virus which was rapidly spreading across China and making its way across the world. As a company we knew we had to act, so all our operative’s were trained in coronavirus prevention and control. Having spent the last 4 months supporting businesses and local authorities enforcing social distancing measures as well as planning and executing these plans to now loosen the lockdown rules allowing business to open whist staying ‘Covid secure’.

Priding ourselves on ensuring the safety of both our clients and the public, we provided a professional and diverse approach to the modern world and modern security.

Having the ability to go from a covert working to overt method very fast we show we are willing to use force to ensure the safety of our clients and the public, whilst hopefully never having to use force.

Liverpool office: Tel; 01513290505 | Email; enquiries@valorriskmanagement.co.uk Manchester office: Tel; 01615051469 | Email; enquiries@valorriskmanagement.co.uk

MEMBERS NEWS

Chester Zoo re-opens its gates after being pushed to the brink of extinction The UK’s biggest zoo re-opened its gates to visitors after launching its ‘Save Our Zoo’ campaign in a plea to prevent them from staying closed forever. Being forced to remain shut for almost three months, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, left an irreparable hole in the charity’s finances.

Then, as the zoo approached its peak season, the UK government announced that all UK zoos were to stay closed “indefinitely”.

For Chester Zoo, the timing could not have been worse. Ticket sales, which make up 97% of its income, had halted since lockdown was announced at the end of March.

However, running costs at the zoo - despite being closed - amounted to £1.6m every month to feed and care for the animals, and so they found themselves on a knife edge.

With more than 35,000 animals under its care, Chester Zoo was left with no choice but to rely on the generosity and amazing actions of the public to help save the UK’s

44

largest charity zoo. Donations flooded in from more than 80 different countries and thousands of people found creative ways to raise funds for the zoo during lockdown – including running marathons, climbing stairs to the dizzying heights of Mt. Everest or giving themselves DIY haircuts.

The ‘Save Our Zoo’ campaign quickly sparked masses of media and public interest, and its urgent appeal caught the attention of the government and MPs across the country. In an incredible U-turn, the government reversed their decision on the indefinite closure of all zoos in England; allowing them to reopen from 15 June 2020.

Since reopening, Chester Zoo staff have worked tirelessly to ensure that the zoo provides a safe space for people of all ages. They have put a range of safety measures in place, including heavily capping visitor numbers, putting up 150 instructional signs, social distancing floor

markers, one-way systems, more than 100 hand sanitisation stations and, created a large ‘welcome team’ who are dotted around its 130 acres every day to help manage social distancing and to help keep visitors safe.

Even with the extraordinary support from the public and, safely welcoming visitors back to the zoo, the pandemic has left the zoo with a huge £5m financial scar. Directors at the zoo say they’ll need a number of years to recover, but have also emphasised how incredibly humbled they are by the amount of support and love from the public - at a time that has been hard for so many.

Chester Zoo’s fight for survival isn’t over yet, find out more about how you can support the zoo and its mission to prevent extinction, here: https://www.chesterzoo. org/support-us/.

MEMBERS NEWS

Plas y Brenin Announces Return to Outdoor Adventure After months of being cooped up at home, Plas y Brenin National Outdoor Centre are excited to have re-opened and get people back into the outdoors.

Shake off the stresses and strains of lockdown amongst the mountains and lakes, all under the expert guidance and supervision of world-class instructors, as Plas y Brenin welcomes guests back to the centre for courses, 1:1 instruction, epic adventure days with household groups, and other family experiences - all available from their Bryn Engan site, just five minutes’ walk from the main centre, which will remain closed to the public for now.

The re-opening of Plas y Brenin comes at an exciting time, as 33% of people have taken an interest in nature since lockdown began, while 55% agree they want to spend as much time in nature as they can, according to a recent poll by The National Trust.

While recent YouGov research shows 74% of Britons exercising more often during

the lockdown, with the majority of this consists of Brits popping out for a walk (55%) it is clear that people are benefiting from the effects of being in nature. Plas y Brenin, in the heart of beautiful Snowdonia National Park, are excited to add to those opportunities to get outdoors through a wide range of adventure experiences, including guided mountain walks. Other activities include days of rock climbing, abseiling, stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing, kayaking and guided mountain biking; the perfect escape into nature for individuals, couples, and families.

Ruth Hall, chief executive at Plas y Brenin, said: “Lovers of the great outdoors across the United Kingdom have been deeply affected by the implications of lockdown measures introduced to control the spread of coronavirus. Many will have had adventures planned that they’ve been forced to put on hold, and we’ve certainly missed welcoming customers to Snowdonia to teach them essential outdoor skills and share some incredible experiences with

them. We couldn’t be more excited to be open, with a raft of new safety measures in place to ensure the continued safety of all. We’re adopting a phased approach to re-opening the centre and hope to return to completely normal operations as soon as it is safe to do so. We look forward to welcoming you all back to Plas y Brenin, where we’re ready to get you back outdoors for experiences you’ll never forget.”

The safety of guests and instructors remains the highest priority so Plas y Brenin have adopted a phased approach to opening as well as introducing new measures so you can enjoy a safe adventure experience.

Plas y Brenin are also taking bookings for private instruction and family or household groups.

To stay up to date with the latest news and information, please sign up to Plas y Brenin’s newsletter at https://www.pyb.co.uk/

n Plas y Brenin is now open again for guided mountain biking and other activities (credit: Doc Ward)

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SDHR SOLUTIONS

What is SDHR solutions?

It is a Friday afternoon and you are looking forward to the weekend when Jill, one of your female employees, asks to speak to you in private. She tells you that Jack, a male employee, has placed his hands on her backside as he brushed past her at the photocopier.

She is upset and does not know what to do but you are her manager and she wants you to do something!

You’ve never dealt with anything like this before so how are you going to sort this out?

Your first port of call may be to your HR department, if you have one, but while many HR professionals can advise, guide and support you through a process, few have actually had to make the management decisions, lead on those difficult conversations needed with employees or conduct a possible investigation.

SDHR Solutions is the creation of Simon Dorset MBE. Simon’s idea for setting up SDHR Solutions came from his own experience of dealing with such issues for over 30 years.

One example was being asked to be a hearing manager for a disciplinary case, having newly joined a large public services company. Simon takes up the story:

‘I was handed a file of evidence that had been collated by a manager who had no previous experience of conducting an investigation and, through no fault of the manager, was lacking in almost all aspects. The manager had been given a check list by a centralised HR team (100 miles away) and off they went! I had to reinvestigate the case to ensure the employee under investigation was given a fair hearing, but also to protect the company from getting it wrong.’

assault, theft, misconduct, unauthorised absence – in fact almost any workplace issue you could think of! Simon’s approach is to come from a manager’s perspective rather than just an HR one, to find a solution that is as effective as possible.

The key is how it is dealt with at the first stage; do you need to jump straight to an investigation? what would be the benefits of doings so? Or would an alternative informal solution work better for all.

With Simon’s wide experience of managing difficult situations and people, and of investigations case management, he set about transforming the whole process of dealing with such cases in the business. The result was that it built confidence with the staff, who knew if they had to make a complaint, it would be dealt with properly. More importantly, any employee subject to a complaint or disciplinary hearing knew they would be treated fairly, equitably and with respect.

Often the most challenging aspects for managers is having that first difficult conversation with an employee. Walking into a room in the first place (or these days admitting them into a Zoom meeting!) – managers are sometimes as scared and nervous as the employee. Few companies train their managers to do this effectively; we somehow magically expect them to know what to do!

Simon’s first career was in the Army, in the Royal Military Police, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. As a Commanding Officer, Simon effectively had similar powers to that of a magistrate and has used that sense of judgement ever since.

Since leaving the Army in 2007, Simon has worked at senior management level in a number of sectors including education and public services, supporting government contracts.

Over the years Simon has dealt with a whole range of issues in the workplace, including sexual harassment, drugs,

Our Services n n n n n

SDHR Solutions now provides those services for companies who face the problem of not having the skills or experience to manage those difficult issues or need support in doing so.

Initial case consultations Conducting independent workplace investigations Conducting and supporting independent grievance and disciplinary hearings Training for Managers Employee Support

Tel: 07908 156060 | email: s.dorset@sdhrsolutions.co.uk

www.sdhrsolutions.co.uk 46

Simon’s approach is to build trust and confidence on all sides. Probably the ultimate accolade came from an employee who was subject to a disciplinary proceeding that Simon was chairing. They said, ‘This is horrible, but I am glad that you are dealing with it Simon, because I know it will be done properly and will be fair…’.

FEATURE

24 hours with...

Grazed

the daily orders, we have a tea break and do some 'product tasting!' Then we usually do our daily admin of replying to emails, checking our social media pages and will often have a quick chat with our fantastic marketing company 'Betsy & Co' who we met at a Chamber round the table event.

As many people who run their own business know, the work never really stops so we can often be found preparing and stickering boxes, printing labels or coming up with new recipes well into the evening.

Have you had to adapt your business as a result of coronavirus, if so how?

We originally established Grazed as 'Grazed Catering' in 2019 as a Grazing table catering company. Renee had been running a Wedding catering business for 10 years and I had years of experience in retail and wholesale management. We decided to combine our talents and passions for great food and bring the Australasian Grazing phenomenon to the UK. People loved the concept and business really started to take off with a diary full of bookings for summer 2020, but then, when coronavirus hit, outdoor catering came to a standstill and all of our bookings were cancelled or postponed.

A brief overview of your role and company.

We are Mark and Renee, owners and founders of Grazed Brownies, we specialise in homemade, small batch brownies delivered all over the UK. We bake fresh and post 1st class the same working day if ordered before 12. Our brownies fit through a standard letterbox so there's no need to wait in for a delivery, you can arrive home to some delicious brownies waiting for you!

Our range is constantly growing and we introduce new flavours and limited-edition brownies regularly and have recently added blondies to our menu.

Many of our customers order as gifts as our brownies are the perfect gifting solution, especially if there is distance between you and a loved one. We can include personalised notes and deliver directly to them the very next day.

Corporate gifting has been very popular recently due to lots of companies wanting to reward their staff or thank them for their hard work in these difficult times. We

recently delivered over 700 boxes for a large local company 'Moneypenny' over just two days!

Can you tell us a short overview of an average day at work?

Our work day normally starts with a strong coffee as we preheat the ovens and prepare ingredients for baking lots of batches of brownies and blondies. After a busy morning of baking, we discuss orders over lunch and make a list of the brownies that need to be posted that day, then we cut all of the brownies and package and seal them for posting. After Royal Mail have collected

Have you faced any particular challenges recently?

As our business had not been trading for a full year when coronavirus hit, we were not entitled to any funding or support from the government so had to think fast about how we were going to keep our dream of running our own business alive. Renee had been locally famous for her brownies for years, so I suggested we trialled postal brownies to give us some extra income to support us through the pandemic. We did not expect the brownies to take off as they did and we very quickly became run off our feet! With three young children at home, trying to balance business with home schooling and the children's needs was a big challenge but we soon established a routine and feel extremely lucky to have been able to build a thriving business in a time where so many businesses have struggled.

What are your plans for the future?

The brownies have been so popular that we have now decided to put the event catering on hold while we focus entirely on brownies, we have rebranded and invested in marketing and advertising and are excited to see where this new challenge will take us.

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NEW MEMBERS

Welcome to WCNW Chamber of Commerce

Accordance Technical Services Ltd

CF Fertilisers UK Ltd

Mon Naturals LTD

Ince Chester Cheshire CH2 4LB 01513 575603 http://www.cffertilisers.co.uk

The Greenhouse Trevelyan Terrace Bangor Gwynedd LL57 1AX 07501 811418

C.I.P Business Management Services

Mynydd Sleddog Adventures

The Heath Technical Business Park Runcorn Cheshire WA7 4XQ 01928 511011 http://www.ciperform.co.uk

South Alwen Forest Cerrigydrudion Conwy County Borough 07931 511216 https://www. mynyddsleddogadventures.com

Conformance Ltd

Rossett Training Ltd

Mocatta House Trafalgar Place Brighton East Sussex BN1 4DU 01273 573950 https://www.accordancevat.com/

Alan Dodd Risk Management Solutions Cheshire 01513 150570 http://www.adrms.co.uk

APC Cardiovascular Ltd Whitehall 75 School Lane Northwich Cheshire CW8 1PF 01606 111339 https://www.apccardiovascular. co.uk/

Asentiv Wirral Wirral 01244 263585

Aviya Bryn Alyn Farm Gresford Pont-Y-Capel Lane Wrexham LL12 8RY 07714 003393

Business Safety Solutions Limited Unit B4, Borders Industrial Park Chester Cheshire CH4 8RJ 07591 811014 http://www.businesssafetysolutions. co.uk

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The Old Methodist Chapel Great Hucklow Buxton Derbyshire SK17 8RG 01298 873800 https://www.conformance.co.uk

Ground Floor, Kelso Business Centre Gerald Street Wrexham Wrexham County Borough LL11 1EH 01978 661010 https://www.rossett-training.co.uk/

Elcons Employment Law Consultants Ltd

Six1Seven Brand Communications

2-4 Ripponden Business Park Oldham Road Ripponden West Yorkshire HX6 4FF 01422 821115 http://elcons.co.uk

Cheshire 07740 882119

Stowe Family Law LLP

Flintshire 07984 910879 https://www.iconsports.co.uk/

Regus House Business Park Heronsway Chester Cheshire CH4 9QR 01244 885130 https://www.stowefamilylaw.co.uk/ offices/chester/

Marketshed

The Cheshire Guide

Conwy County Borough 07736 842186 https://www.marketshed.co.uk/

https://www.thecheshireguide.com/

Icon Sports Wales

Cheshire 07375 948648

Welcome to WCNW Chamber of Commerce

The Christmas Decorators Wirral and Chester Oaktree Court Business Centre Mill Lane Ness Cheshire CH46 8TP 07784 908659 https://www.thechristmasdecorators. co.uk/franchise/commercialresidential-christmas-decoratorschester-wirral/

The School of Art New Chester Road 51 New Ferry Cheshire CH62 1AA

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but this has not stopped us bringing businesses together! Our Round the Screen Networking events give members an opportunity to build new connections and promote their business.

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In normal circumstances, the Chamber holds regular networking events throughout the region which are a great way for you to make connections with likeminded business people.

We host a monthly Maximising your Membership meeting where you will be talked through all of the above and be able to ask any questions about the benefits available to you. Meetings are held on the third Thursday of every month (currently held online) and you can book your place via our website (www.wcnwchamber.org.uk/events).

TicTax Solutions Acorns The Green Denbigh Denbighshire LL16 5TJ

TMC Strategic Communications

Following guidance from UK and Welsh government, our regular events have been postponed until further notice

8 John Bradshaw Court Alexandria Way Congleton Cheshire CW12 1LB 01260 295700 https://www.wearetmc.co.uk

JOIN TODAY Register your interest on our website

www.wcnwchamber.org.uk 49

TOP TIPS Top Tips for travelling abroad as lockdown restrictions ease Lynne Swinnerton, Managing Director & Personal Travel Advisor at Lomani Luxury Travel Ltd It is a rainy, dismal summer morning as I write this article and I am surrounded by images of destinations that are simply longing to welcome tourism back.

‘Staycations’ give most of us the confidence to get away at the moment, which is hugely welcomed in the UK tourism sector given the unprecedented period that we continue to live through as we adapt to the ‘new normal’.

The travel industry as a whole has probably been one of the sectors hit the hardest during the pandemic. Aircraft manufacturing, airlines, cruise companies, large well-known travel agencies and tour operators all announcing job losses, many significant, as they battle to keep their businesses afloat. However, the sun is beginning to rise over the horizon!

A COVID-19 vaccine is looking ever more hopeful and seemingly, within months rather than years. Some countries have had huge success in driving down or keeping the numbers of coronavirus low, certainly lower than the UK, and have stringent border checks in place to keep their countries safe.

Airlines, hotels and resorts have all adapted incredibly well in striving to keep passengers and guests as safe as possible at all times. The International Air Transport Association have issued this great explanation as to why flying carries a lower risk of COVID-19 transmission.

So, what should you be mindful of when looking forward to travelling overseas?

I think we all accept that until a global vaccination process is underway, holidays as we knew them pre-March 2020 cannot fully return. Here are my top tips on what you need to do ahead of booking and travelling abroad in the meantime. n Make sure that you have a travel insurance in place that covers for all eventualities, which should now include COVID-19! n Book an ATOL protected package rather than individual elements of a holiday separately. Should any changes occur in relation to UK or a foreign government policy around coronavirus, either pre-travel or whilst you are abroad, the tour operator will take care of you and in the case of pre-travel, a refund is safeguarded under the Package Travel Regulations. n Sign up for UK Foreign Office updates online (www.gov.uk/ foreign-travel-advice) or via Twitter as notifications are sent out using both methods as soon as any changes take place pertinent to a country. n Do not book a travel to a destination where our Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel as travel insurance will not be valid in this instance. n Be prepared! Make sure that you familiarise yourself with the COVID-19 policies in place at your destination before you depart. You can then confidently travel knowing that you are fully informed and have packed everything you might need, including face masks! n Use a financially protected travel agent! We have come to the fore over the past months as frustrated travellers have battled to get any sense or refunds arranged from airlines, cruise lines, insurance companies etc, etc. UK television presenter, Eamonn Holmes confirmed a travel agents worth at the end of July during a TV interview with travel journalist Simon Calder; “You know what this does to me? This makes me think surely from here on in, it strengthens the hand of travel agents,” he said, as viewers’ queries were tackled.

Each day, I open emails, read articles on social media and travel industry news bulletins announcing the resumption of flights to destinations not visited for many months and a ceremonial welcome often awaits the first flight upon landing.

PPE may well be the ‘norm’ for airline crew for the time being, but as hairdressers, beauticians and the hospitality industry have reopened, this isn’t so unusual, right?

Face masks are now mandatory in airports and on-board aircraft and just like here in the UK, they will also be required in most situations abroad, with each country and region having its own policies and regulations in place around coronavirus. I don’t know about you, but on balance, it would be my preference to be in a destination with guaranteed sunshine and wearing a face covering!

The initial flights over to Europe were packed as many of us chose to escape to foreign lands following months of lockdown. Those travellers who have since returned, regale us with their experience of travel during the pandemic and confidence is therefore increasing.

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“The old-fashioned thing where you could lift up the phone and call your local travel agent and say ‘look, what’s happening?’ and you’ve got a point of reference."

I couldn’t have said it better myself!

Enjoy your much-needed holiday when it comes, happy in the knowledge that your travel agent will have your back and you will be helping support the economies in both the UK and at your destination!

n Locations, such as the Maldives, are hoping to welcome UK tourists once again

Fresh new brand, same great service.

Whittingham Riddell has evolved..

wrpartners.co.uk