C&W in Business Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Magazine July 20

Issue 78

July - August 2020

Rob Matts

Tackling the skills shortage Page 20

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Foreword

Contents July – August 2020

Dear Chamber of Commerce Member, These times continue to be extraordinary and unprecedented!

by Louise Bennett OBE DL Chief Executive Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce

On your behalf, our influencing and lobbying to government, along with our communication to you, our Chamber Members, has been at an “all time high” and we have received many ‘thank you’s’ and accolades from our customers and stakeholders for the work we continue to do to support you.

This includes not least providing daily information, advice and guidance and a wide range of great on-line events and networking opportunities and a new series of Policy Hours with some eminent speakers, including Andy Street, West Midlands Elected Mayor.

The highest accolade, of course, was from HM The Queen who, as Patron of the British Chambers of Commerce, wrote to thank the Chamber of Commerce network for all of its work, to support businesses, during these challenging times.

I want to focus on recovery, but before doing so, I also want to acknowledge that many businesses are not out of the woods yet! For many, many businesses, the future looks bleak and we continue to act as a voice, for you, including the challenges facing our hospitality, tourism and leisure sector and the need for longer-term measures of support. Whilst we battle with COVID-19, we must also remember that Brexit remains on the horizon and it was good to see that, recently, the CW Chamber business-led Brexit Group came together to discuss the challenges and opportunities of leaving the EU, but also the need to keep-calling for a ‘Trade Deal’ as a ‘no deal’ is a no-go for many exporters.

So to “recovery” - well I must applaud the work of the West Midlands Combined Authority working with Local Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships - to create a £3.2 billion ‘ask’ of Government, an ‘ask’ for investment that would see a recharge of our local economies. I know this ask is receiving early traction and is crucial to the bounce-back of industry. Led by Chambers of

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Commerce, in the West Midlands, we felt it important that this ‘ask’ be ‘business-backed’ and, in a very short space of time, we were able to get 600+ signatures, from Business Leaders which included the Vice-President of Coventry Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Tom Mongan, to support this vital injection of cash into our great region.

Also on recovery - and fantastic news - is that, despite COVID-19, not only will our UK Coventry City of Culture year be progressing, it has been able to reschedule the launch to May 2021, running to May 2022, in order that Coventry and Warwickshire can exploit all of the opportunities the year will bring, not least making the best use of our open spaces, supporting our hospitality, tourism and leisure sector and genuinely seeking to engage the wider business base and communities in the economic and social benefits we hope, and aim, for. Great news!

Economy

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News

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News

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Member Update

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Corporate Profiles 10-11 News Chamber Talent

12 -14 15

News

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I continue to wish you the best in business during these times, we are here to help you in the challenges and worries you might face and have seen businesses continue to choose to join their local Chamber of Commerce as members.

We are here to work with you, to learn what we can from the COVID-19 experience, not least the better use of technology, the great on-line connectivity we can create between businesses, the work we can do to support members though our new FinditinCW, a B2B opportunities platform, and a new Chamber Finance Finder service and how, by building resilience, by seeking out new business opportunities, by looking at export, innovation and investment in our people and technology, we will all be stronger together. Give us a call on 024 7665 4321 or visit us on www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Profile

20-21

News

22-23

News

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Stay safe.

President & People 44-45

Around the region 31-37 News

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Education & Skills

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Kind regards, Louise, Mrs L Bennett-Bayliss OBE, DL Chief Executive

New Members

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Member Offers

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3

Economy The official publication of the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce ••••

Letter from HM The Queen

CONTACTS

At the Chamber News desk

Members are encouraged to send any news about their firm - new orders, staff, new products, expansions or relocations for publication in C&W in business.

Whilst every effort will be made to publish submitted articles, we cannot guarantee inclusion.

Send them to: news@cw-chamber.co.uk Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Chamber House Innovation Village Cheetah Road Coventry CV1 2TL T: 024 76 654321 F: 024 76 450242

At the publishers Publisher Ian Fletcher Benham Publishing Limited Aintree Building, Aintree Way, Aintree Business Park, Liverpool L9 5AQ T: 0151 236 4141 Advertising Contact Karen Hall karen@benhampublishing.com T: 07801 788880 Production Manager Mark Etherington Accounts Director Joanne Casey Media Number 1732 © Benham Publishing 2020 C&W in Business is produced on behalf of Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce by Benham Publishing Limited and is distributed to members free of charge. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in C&W in Business, neither Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, nor the publisher can accept responsibility for any omissions or inaccuracies it contains. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Chamber.

•••• C&W in Business Advertising Features for 2020 September - October 2020 Hospitality With the hospitality sector now open after a tough 2020, we highlight some of the region’s restaurants, hotels and venues with the festive season more important than ever.

Education and Training The new academic year brings a chance to look forward with hope and aspirations after the pandemic. We highlight the joined up approach made between companies, schools, colleges, universities and training providers in creating future success.

Copy deadline 27 August 2020 For further information on the forthcoming features please contact: Terry Brannigan Chamber Sales DD 07841 115444 Terry@benhampublishing.com

•••• 4

Industry leaders in Coventry and Warwickshire say firms in the region can be ‘extremely proud’ after Her Majesty The Queen offered praise to the business community for their efforts during the Coronavirus crisis.

Her Majesty The Queen offered support to businesses as they reopen and praised the contribution Chambers of Commerce across the UK and around the world are making to help firms, champion trade and rebuild communities, in a letter released today.

The letter from Her Majesty, Patron of the British Chambers of Commerce, comes as businesses across the UK are reopening and adjusting to a new normal.

The letter reads: “At a time of great difficulty for many, it is heart-warming to see the civic response and generosity of so many businesses, small and large, to the challenges posed, whether supporting the health sector or vulnerable communities.”

Her Majesty also recognised the contribution Chambers of Commerce and their members have made during the pandemic: “As Patron of the British Chambers of Commerce, it gives me great pride to see the contribution you and your members are making to help firms, champion trade and rebuild communities.”

Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “This has been a truly testing time for the whole country and

businesses across our patch have faced the most difficult circumstances any of us can remember.

“As ever, companies have shown incredible resilience and, in many, cases have come forward to be part of the fight against the virus – whether that has been producing PPE, ventilators or supporting their community.

“Companies can be extremely proud that Her Majesty The Queen has written a letter in support of business, particularly as we are beginning the process of restarting our economy.

“As the Chamber of Commerce representing businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire, I am extremely humbled to receive this show of support and I must thank the team here at the Chamber for their incredible efforts in supporting firms in our area through this period.

“We will continue to support companies across the area as many begin to open again or return in greater numbers to their place of work, and will act at as their voice to decision-makers at a local, regional and national level.”

Welcoming the letter, BCC President Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith said: “The Queen’s personal message of support will be a huge morale boost to our business communities at this complex and sensitive time.

“We are grateful that Her Majesty has recognised the crucial role Chambers of Commerce play supporting businesses and communities through the pandemic, and as we restart, rebuild and renew the economy.”

Survey results show the need for continued Government support to bolster confidence as firms return to business A survey of businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire has revealed the massive economic repair job that will be required to deal with the fall-out of the Coronavirus crisis.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) of firms across the city and the county has seen many indicators fall to record lows, including the overall economic outlook for the region.

The survey, which is sponsored by Prime Accountants, is analysed by Warwickshire County Council and feeds into the national survey by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

Warwickshire County Council’s analysis uses a similar score to the national Markits Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) where 50 is the balance and anything above means the majority feel positive and anything below means the reverse.

Each indicator has seen a sharp decline – from domestic orders to overseas orders and from cashflow to employment – meaning an overall economic outlook of 29.2 down from 59.0 in the previous survey.

Business confidence in the service sector fell to 38.4 from 71.1 and, in manufacturing, it dropped to 39.0 from 57.4.

Louise Bennett, the chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said the survey results showed the need for continued Government support to bolster confidence as more and more firms return to business.

She said: “The latest QES reveals the true extent of the impact Coronavirus has had on the regional economy and some of the record-low indicators show just how tough these past few months have been for firms across our patch “The fact that cashflow, orders, confidence and the overall outlook have fallen sharply come as no surprise but that makes them no less stark and reveal just how much support and investment is going to be required as we get the economy restarted.

“Government has been agile in the way it has responded to the crisis in recent months and has offered unprecedented levels of support, often adapting at short notice as gaps in the help were pointed out.

“But what the survey shows is that while the support may have helped many more businesses to survive who would have otherwise failed, more help will be required to build a short, medium and long-term economic recovery.”

The British Chambers of Commerce is calling for the Government to support jobs through substantial reductions in Employer National Insurance Contributions, to support cash flow through wider business rate reliefs and extended loan and grant schemes as well as supporting young people through wage subsidies for apprenticeships and work experience.

The BCC also wants additional measures for supporting investment in productivity, people and carbon reduction through major incentives, for stimulating demand, through targeted ‘restart vouchers’ for all UK households or a temporary VAT cut. It also wants streamlined regulatory processes to make life easier for businesses without compromising safety or the environment.

Louise added: “Our members have sent a clear message to decision-makers about their current plight and we are using our voice at a local, regional and national level to call for more support to get them growing again.

“The Chamber continues to work with our businesses to build confidence across every sector going forward. It is crucial that we understand their challenges and lobby Government for the right support to meet each sector’s needs for recovery.”

Steve Harcourt, of Prime Accountants, said: “It is an extremely challenging time for all businesses in our region, however we are proud to be partnered with Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce in order to gather this vital information on how companies are managing, adapting and diversifying in the current crisis. Not many businesses are immune to the impact of Coronavirus, and this is seen in the results of the latest QES. “The results of the survey show an immediate adverse impact on cash flow for two-thirds of businesses in the region and a pessimistic outlook over the coming months as most businesses strive to return to working at full capacity.

“The Government lifting some restrictions on businesses will help stimulate the local economies, as we see employees return to work from a position of furlough.

However, there is still the need for sector specific support from Central Government as the likes of the entertainment and leisure sectors and some of the hospitality businesses struggle to pay bills with no income coming from trade for the foreseeable future.

“Government support for businesses is required to aid the short and long-term recovery and tax breaks would be a good fiscal stimulus for the economy.

“But, I would add, that we must support the key workers and businesses that have helped keep the country going through this crisis. Suppliers to the NHS, delivery companies and contractors must not be penalised with tax and red tape as planned and Government must look at the flexibility needed in the workforce of the future.”

Economic Outlook: Overall 29.2, down from 59.0 Service Sector 28.8, down from 60.2.

Manufacturing Sector 30.6, down from 54.0.

Domestic Sales: Service Sector 14.0, down from 59.4 Manufacturing Sector 20.5, down from 56.7 Overseas Sales: Service Sector 17.5, down from 48.8 Manufacturing Sector 23.9, down from 47.4 Employment Service Sector 40.8, down from 58.5 Manufacturing Sector 33.3, down from 52.3 Investment & Cashflow Service Sector 27.2, down from 56.9 Manufacturing Sector 30.2, down from 54.1 Business Confidence Service Sector 38.4, down from 71.1 Manufacturing www.cw-chamber.co.uk Sector 39, down from 57.4

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

HS2 opportunities could boost regional economy this is the only major shovel-ready project of this size in the country. It’s the biggest infrastructure project underway in Europe.

“It is going to provide a stimulus to the economy and could be the boost this region needs. Already 82 businesses from the Warwickshire area are involved with HS2 and we want even more to put themselves forward for contracts.

HS2 could be the boost the regional economy needs on the back of the Covid-19 outbreak, a Coventry and Warwickshire business audience has been told.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce held its latest #PolicyHour video call with representatives from HS2 and were given an insight into how the project is moving forward.

Businesses heard how work on the new line has continued over recent weeks with social distancing measures in place and that Phase One between London and Birmingham was expected to be completed between 2028 and 2031.

The audience were told that 30,000 people would be employed to deliver the project at its peak, that there are more than 400,000 supply chain contracts up for grabs, and that the project could boost the local economy by £14bn as part of a long-term growth strategy, led by local partners.

Companies in Coventry and Warwickshire can found out about the opportunities available via the www.FinditinCw.co.uk website and they include everything from the construction supply chain through to security and waste removal.

Speaking at the event, Iain Andrews, Head of Community Engagement for HS2, said: “None of us can say for sure what will happen after this crisis but we know that

“It’s important to us that companies in the region benefit and that there is a positive knock-on effect for the area so we’d encourage companies in the Coventry and Warwickshire to look at the opportunities available.”

Once built, the audience heard, HS2 will increase capacity and free up existing lines for regional services and freight.

The existing network is inefficient businesses were told.

Sean Rose, policy officer at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We were very pleased to be able to hear about the progress on HS2 and it gave members the opportunity to ask questions on everything from procurement through to the impact it will have on other rail services in the future.

“It was a very informative event and we would urge members of the Chamber to find out more about the opportunities so they can bid for and win HS2 contracts.”

Prepare for Brexit now Businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire which trade overseas have been given a stark warning to prepare now for the final exit from the EU – deal or no deal.

The advice came during a video call with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Brexit Club, which included experts from the Department for International Trade (DIT) and the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) as well as businesses at the sharp end of import and export.

Ian Harrison, head of exports (Midlands) at the DIT and Dan Dalton, former MEP and now CEO of the BCC in the EU/

Belgium, both expressed confidence that a deal could be done between the UK and EU before the transition period comes to an end on the final day of 2020.

But export expert David Hooper, of Independent Freight and Hooper & Co, said firms should not be putting off preparations for when and if a deal is agreed.

He said: “It’s not like we can say that there’s still four years to go so you can wait and see – this is happening in six months and you need to be ready.

“A deal might make things better from the point of view of tariffs but we’re leaving the Customs Union and we’re

leaving the Single Market which impacts all goods that will go across to the EU. “That means suddenly 200 million more customs declarations per year must be filled in. It won’t be a case of simply loading a truck and sending it off to the EU, it will need two days’ preparation because if the paperwork isn’t done, those goods aren’t going to reach the customer.”

Ajay Desai, international trade director at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said firms should get in touch with the Chamber’s international trade advisers for support regarding all overseas trade, including with the EU.

An aerial image of the training pitch and clubhouse at Racing Club Warwick

Property firm cements links with local youth club

A long-established youth team has secured a kit deal for the next two seasons with a Warwick property development and investment company.

Racing Club Warwick Youth Team, which is part of the club which celebrated its centenary last season, will have the logo of AC Lloyd emblazoned on their home and away shirts for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns.

The Hampton Road-based club were in the top half of the Midland Floodlit Youth League Eastern Division when last season was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic and they also knocked out one of the FA Youth Cup favourites, Newcastle, before losing to another top club, Long Eaton, in the tournament.

Gary Vella, chairman at Racing Club Warwick, said: “We’re really grateful for a company of the stature of AC Lloyd to want to be able to help us in the current time.

It is a difficult time money-wise for many businesses and individuals and we’re very grateful for the support of AC Lloyd and it shows they can see what we’re trying to achieve in the community.”

Mark Edwards, managing director at AC Lloyd Commercial, said the business prides itself on its community ethos.

“We always try to support young people in Warwick and Leamington through sport or by any other means whenever we can,” he said.

“Racing Club Warwick Youth Team is highly regarded in the area and they provide a pathway for junior footballers from not just within its own club but others in the area, such as Central Ajax and Warwick Juniors, to continue playing the game and maybe go on to semi-professional or even professional careers.”

MTI answers call for industry focus on next generation of talent The MIRA Technology Institute (MTI) has restated its support for the automotive industry to nurture the next generation of talent and address the skills gaps surrounding emerging technologies, following an appeal from an industry research centre.

The Centre for Connected, Autonomous Automotive Research (CCAAR) has called for the sector to embrace fresh thinking on electrification, automation and connectivity that will help to reinforce the UK’s position as a leader in the journey towards smart and environmentally-friendly vehicles.

Lisa Bingley, operations director for the MTI, said: “The developments in connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) technology have been gaining pace over the last few years and it is incredible how much progress has been made. If the UK wants to succeed in realising the potential that could be gained from the commercialisation of this technology, then industry really needs to be focused on building its capacity through future skills development.”

CCAAR is a collaboration between HORIBA MIRA and Coventry University that brings together experimentation and study to provide the underpinning knowledge and

Restarting global trade

By Ajay Desai, international trade director at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce…

These past few months have been a difficult time for everyone, not least those who trade globally.

Before COVID-19 the primary role of international trade advisers (ITAs) here at the Chamber was to help companies export and we did this in three main ways: • Getting companies ready to export.

This often entailed discussing their

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financial position including whether they can finance the growth in orders that exporting will bring. We would discuss their reasons for exporting and test any assumptions made • Helping companies to identify target export markets, often conducting research, testing market readiness and discussing barriers to entry • Getting companies in front of potential clients and partners by working with posts, conducting trade missions and attending tradeshows

research that supports rapid growth within the global intelligent mobility sector to address future transport needs.

Lisa added: “While CCAAR is bringing together education and industry in a new way through its collaborative research partnership, the MTI is working to make the link between the theory and the practice so that employers are ready to pivot their skills and respond to new opportunities.

“At the MTI, we bring to life the latest techniques for industry through our range of courses in CAV, intelligent vehicle systems and cybersecurity. Our unique skills escalator provides the perfect opportunity COVID-19 changed everything. It wasn’t just the lack of opportunity to travel internationally and meet clients face-toface, it was the impact it had on every facet of business.

As ITAs we were quickly inundated with questions about government support schemes available. ITAs kept their clients updated with the latest support available here in the UK and internationally for their overseas operations. The rest of ITA time was spent supporting the NHS call to action to source PPE, medicines and ventilators.

Now, as we move out of ‘survival’ mode in business it is vitally important that we

for individuals to progress through the levels and means that businesses can access training seamlessly at any level from a single organisation.” look to overseas trade again as a means of growing our economy and building a recovery.

That must be done with the prospect of the transition period with the EU coming to an end before our final exit takes place on January 1, 2021. It’s vital that businesses make all the necessary preparations for this deadline and, with just six months to go, our team are here to support that.

Our response to the COVID-19 crisis has been excellent and we must carry that same spirit and determination into our efforts for growth over the coming weeks, months and years.

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TURKISH AIRLINES

TURKISH AIRLINES

TAKE OFF FROM 16TH JULY With the Government lifting of lockdown restrictions, Turkish Airlines is pleased to announce flights at Birmingham Airport recommence as of 16th July.

Ourselves and the airport have put into place measures to ensure the health and safety of all passengers and crew as this is most important to us.

Details of the measurements taken in Istanbul and Birmingham Airports are as follows.

ISTANBUL AIRPORT COVID-19 Measures in the Terminal Area • Passengers must wear a mask both in the terminal and on board.

Passengers and visitors not wearing a mask will be denied both access to the terminal and boarding to protect public health.

• Only passengers and persons whose accompaniment is essential are granted access to the terminal.

• Contactless security measures are applied at security checkpoints to ensure passenger safety.

• The body temperature of all passengers is checked by thermal camera screening at the terminal entrance.

• All luggage passing through X-rays is sanitized with UV (ultraviolet) light.

• Passengers using an e-passport can sanitize the contact surfaces of their passport using the UV (ultraviolet) e-passport system.

• Hand sanitizers are available in all areas open to passengers from the moment they enter the terminal building.

• The moving walkways in the terminal are cleaned regularly with a UV (ultraviolet) system.

• The terminal building is cleaned

by UV (ultraviolet) autonomous robotic cleaners.

• Personal protective equipment vending machines are available within the terminal.

• Informative visuals and stickers have been placed at various points within the terminal to remind passengers to maintain social distance.

• The terminal is supplied with fresh air 24/7.

• The İGA Hygiene Team is on duty 24/7 to ensure that passengers follow social distancing rules.

COVID-19 Measures during Boarding & Deboarding • Foreign passengers are required to take out private health insurance before their flight to cover any health risks while traveling.

• The floors of passenger buses operated by ground handling services are marked with social distancing tape for safe passenger transport from the aircraft to the terminal and vice versa. Passengers can maintain social distance from other passengers and ensure safe access to their airplane by paying attention to this tape.

• Passenger buses operated by ground handling services are disinfected after every use.

• Foreign passengers who test positive for COVID-19 on landing flights will be referred to a private hospital by the Ministry of Health – Border Health Unit, whereas Turkish passengers will be referred to a state hospital.

BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT

Hand sanitising

We understand that our customers may be interested in the measures we have put in place to look after our colleagues and customers.

Protecting our passengers is always our main priority and we would like to reassure you that we have implemented a number of health and safety measures to ensure your journey through the airport is as safe as possible.

Individual sanitiser units have been installed throughout the customer journey, in addition to dedicated sanitiser stations at each terminal door entrance, and prior to our security and immigration screening areas.

Cleaning Our on-site teams have implemented an enhanced cleaning regime including the use of the most advanced disinfectant spraying method. Our teams are paying particular attention to disinfecting surfaces, door handles, security trays and any areas deemed to be regular ‘touchpoints’.

Face coverings All our airport colleagues will be wearing face coverings in the terminal building. Face coverings are now mandatory for all customers aged three or older in the security search area, in Immigration, in the Baggage Hall and on airport buses, although certain exceptions apply (please speak to a member of our team). Please come prepared with your own face covering. Although it is not compulsory, it is also advised that you wear your face covering at all times within the terminal.

Social distancing Please use the signage and floor stickers we have in place in the terminal to help you maintain social distancing.

Shields Perspex shields are in place to reduce the risk of face-to-face contact for both our customers and airport colleagues.

Temperature checks Thermal imaging is being trialled currently, with a view to implementing on the 1st July 2020. Cameras will carry out temperature checks before access is granted in to the terminal building. We also recommend that only customers travelling enter the terminal, unless assistance is required.

Please do not visit the airport if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or have a high temperature.

Contactless experience We are asking all customers to prepare for their journey through the airport in advance. Therefore, please check-in online with your airline where possible, and print your boarding card or download it to your mobile device.

Pre-book any services such as your car parking, express lane and lounges in advance and make use of relevant apps to pre-order food or shopping.

When at the airport, please make use of contactless payments wherever possible.

We ask all passengers to continue to adhere to the government advice as best as they can whilst visiting our airport.

If you would like further information on any of the above please visit https://www.birminghamairport.co.uk/covid-19-update-and-advice/#alert-1 https://www.turkishairlines.com/en-tr/guidelines-for-safe-travel/index.html

THANK YOU TO OUR HEALTH WORKERS We offer health workers a 40% DISCOUNT to say THANK YOU. If you are a health worker and want to find out more, details are available our website at www.turkishairlines.com/en-gb/campaigns/forty-percent-discount-for-healthcare-workers/

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

Open letter in support of region’s tourism Business and civic leaders in Coventry have joined forces in an appeal to MPs across the region to help the hospitality, tourism and leisure sector survive the Coronavirus crisis.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce chief executive, Louise Bennett, and Coventry City Councillor Jim O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration, have penned an open letter to each MP across Coventry and Warwickshire to ask for their support for the sector.

The letter, which was sent just in advance of English Tourism Week (May 25-31), has set out a range of measures that could mitigate the impact on the sector and calls for short term interventions to be complemented by longer-term actions.

It reads: “Hospitality, tourism and leisure is seen as a major contributor to our city’s and sub-regional economy, which is why, back in 2019, the city launched a new public/private Destination Partnership and a number of action-oriented sub-groups, including ‘Economy & Skills’.

“We are both actively engaged in the leadership of this work and, as one would expect, our energy and work now looks to the impact of Covid-19 and how we ensure our hospitality, tourism and leisure businesses are sustainable for the long term.

“You will know that English Tourism Week normally focuses on highlighting the UK visitor economy at home and abroad and, of course, attracting visitors to our regions. We now all find ourselves thinking about how we support this sector in its recovery, which is going to require not just short-term interventions, but longer-term thinking and actions.

“I think we all agree that hospitality, tourism and leisure will be the ‘hardest’ hit sector of the economy, but this is not just the hit on its GDP value, but the hidden (to some) consequences of a downturn in this sector.

“We are mindful of the fact that this sector is one of the largest supporters of young people in affording jobs and, often, those first opportunities to gain business skills and experience.

A devastated tourism, hospitality and leisure sector will play-out into a dramatic impact on the job and skills opportunities for our young people if we do not act.”

The letter calls for: • Much-needed and urgent clear guidelines for the opening up of the sector, which ‘sensibly’ differentiate those within the sector such as hotels, B&Bs, conference venues, festivals, large scale (mass gathering) venues. Clear guidelines would enable the sector to open

up more quickly, but gradually and sensibly whilst ensuring everyone is Covid-19 safe.

• Medium/longer term fiscal interventions for this sector, such as lower taxation regimes or a review of business rates.

• An extension of the job retention scheme, beyond October, for this sector-only. A flexible Job Retention Scheme which encourages the sector to maintain employment and financially contribute to flexible working (alongside Government) at an acceptable level (living wage).

• Longer term investment in this sector via business support programmes. Businesses in this sector do not see debt (loans) as a solution to their longevity and, historically, this sector would have been ineligible to many of the business support schemes and grant income, this will need to change in order to promote investment in sustainable businesses and the people they employ.

The letter goes on to say: “The reason we emphasise interventions and support for the long-term simply reflects that this sector’s own planning horizons are frequently long-term and although immediate interventions are to be welcomed, we must look to the future of this industry.”

Building a recovery for businesses Business leaders in Coventry and Warwickshire say the relaxation of lockdown restrictions are just a small step in getting the economy moving again.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the ‘two-metre’ rule is being relaxed and that some businesses in the leisure, hospitality and tourism sector can open from July 4.

From that date, venues such as pubs, restaurants, art galleries, museums and cinemas will be able to open – with restrictions – and venues will be able to hold weddings for up to 30 people.

Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is a small step as we look to get the economy moving again but we are still some way off where we need to be in terms of building a recovery.

“The leisure, hospitality and tourism sector is vital to Coventry and Warwickshire and while this gives many businesses in that field the opportunity to open up again, it is going to be against a backdrop of restrictions and with a great deal of uncertainty – both in terms of health and financially – among their customer-base.

“As we have said previously, this sector is going to need support in getting back on its feet and on an ongoing basis if we are going to nurture it back to its feet.

“The Government support for business during the last three months has been vital for the survival of so many firms and it must be ready to continue that help – targeting it at certain industries – as we move forward.”

British Chambers of Commerce Director General Adam Marshall said: “These steps will enable more companies to reopen and will be

cautiously welcomed in our business communities.

“While the relaxation of the two-metre rule will help more firms increase capacity, we are still a long way from business as usual. Broader efforts to boost business and consumer confidence will still be needed to help firms trade their way out of this crisis.

“A comprehensive test and trace system, including a mass testing regime, must be in place to realise the benefits that the easing of restrictions could bring to firms across the UK, many of whom are relying on the swift return of consumer confidence.

“Businesses also need a clear roadmap to recovery, including fresh support for the worst-affected sectors and geographic areas, and broader fiscal measures to get the economy moving again.”

Industry figure hopeful of a Brexit deal

A leading industry figure – who has a unique insight into the EU – told businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire that he believes a deal will be struck between the UK and the European Union before the transition ends.

But Dan Dalton, CEO of the British Chambers of Commerce in the EU/ Belgium, warned firms on the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of

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Commerce’s latest #PolicyHour call that there would be a huge amount to iron out after January 1, 2021.

Dalton, a former MEP, said: “The onus is on both sides to get an agreement and it’s certainly not unusual for negotiations with the EU to go to the wire.

“There are still some sticking points to a deal but I don’t believe they are insurmountable and an agreement can be reached.

“The big challenge for businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire will be how comprehensive that deal is. Both sides will want to say that it is but I think the reality will be that it’s not.

“We might, therefore, find that we are in further negotiations over the course of another two to three years in order to get that longer-term deal between the UK and the EU.”

He added that few businesses in Europe were making preparations for the UK’s exit from the Customs Union and the Single Market.

Sean Rose, Policy Officer at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We were delighted to be joined by Dan Dalton, who gave us a great insight into how the negotiations with the EU might go over the coming weeks and months.

“It came hot on the heels of a recent call with the Chamber’s Brexit Club where companies were urged to prepare now for the end of the transition period – whether we reach a deal or not.

“Businesses who trade with the EU – and elsewhere across the world – should get in touch with the Chamber to see how we can support their preparations.”

Sponsored Column

COVID support may restrict R&D tax claims!

If you have taken advantage of any COVID support packages you need to consider the impact they could have on your R&D tax claim.

The R&D scheme can be worth up to £3,330 for every £10,000 of qualifying expenditure.

If you receive Notified State Aid specifically for a project you cannot claim any R&D relief for that project.

If you receive specific project funding that is not classed as Notified State Aid you may still be able to claim SME R&D relief in respect of unfunded project expenditure.

If funding received is not project specific R&D reliefs should not be affected.

• Salaries reclaimed under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme are not Notified State Aid. • Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans (‘CBILs’) are Notified State Aid, so where a CBIL is received specifically for an R&D project R&D relief may not be claimed for that project.

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The following government support should not affect R&D claims: • Business Rates Relief • Deferring VAT payments • Time to Pay Arrangement For advice on how coronavirus support packages may affect your company’s R&D tax claims, please contact Paul Spencer or David Thomas-Walls on 02476 257481 or ps@sgduk.com/dtw@sgduk.com respectively.

For more information, please visit our website, www.sgduk.com

7

News

Eskuta offers eco-friendly travel option Wright Hassall helped run Myton Hospice charity shops last year

New matchmaking service for furloughed workers

A new charity matchmaking service is allowing people on furlough to use their time and skills to support local good causes that are struggling during the pandemic.

Midlands law firm Wright Hassall has set up a new ‘furloughteering’ page on its web site to allow charities to advertise essential work that needs doing to keep them operating during lockdown.

With the pandemic seeing more people in need of help than ever before, local charities are working at capacity to continue providing support, and the furloughteering pages will connect them with new volunteers.

The law firm has been working with its charitable trust to reach out to charities in need of support to advertise for specific work and tasks that need managing urgently.

Sarah Perry, managing partner at Wright Hassall, said: “As a Midlandsbased company, being involved in the local community is one of our key priorities and this will allow us to help local charities that are struggling during these difficult times.

“While on furlough, workers can still participate in training and volunteering, so people with extra time on their hands can dedicate that time to helping these charities continue the important work they do.

“Many charities are suffering not just in terms of revenue but in their resources and ability to get simple things done during the restrictions of lockdown. Our new web pages will showcase the support these charities are looking for and allow people to contact them directly.

“So far, we have roles listed for admin support, website admin and graphic designers for local charities including Helping Hands and Pawprints Dog Rescue.”

For more information on the furloughteering listings, visit https://www.wrighthassall.co.uk/ furloughteering

Improve your corporate social responsibility, reduce your carbon footprint and a step closer to a carbon neutral business!

No matter if you are a large or small organisation, Eskuta is committed to helping businesses and their employees reduce their carbon footprint, offering a range of electric bikes and scooters that are cost-effective, reliable and sustainable.

Eskuta also offers cargo variants of their products. So, if your business transports or delivers anything locally and you wish to reduce your costs and add flexibility whist improving the environment, there is a solution.

Eskuta’s mission is to inspire sustainable mobility and freedom for the masses. Being the largest e-cargo bike brand in the UK,

based in Warwickshire, the company not only designs and manufactures e-cargo bikes, it also has a range of electric bikes and scooters for the leisure markets.

With 61% of Britons feeling uncomfortable using public transport (source: IPSOS MORI, 2020), Eskuta believes that employees should not feel uncomfortable when travelling to and from work. With the Eskuta Electric Bike, employees can safely travel to work. With no hidden parking costs and fuel fill-ups, this electric bike has a range of 50 miles and only costs 10p per charge.

Eskuta is currently offering a 10% discount to anyone who is interested in purchasing an electric bike or scooter.

Enter ESKUTA10 at checkout and you will receive 10% off your order.

For more information visit www.eskuta.com to view Eskuta’s product range.

*Source: IPSOS MORI (2020). Retrieved from https://www.ipsos.com/ipsos-mori/en-uk/majority-britons-uncomfortable-sport-music-bars-coronavirus

Orbit backs Coventry’s City of Culture status An affordable housing group has given its backing to Coventry as it gears up for next year as the UK City of Culture.

Orbit, which was formed in the city in 1967, is supporting the Coventry City of Culture Trust as a City Champion.

The financial support will help the trust to deliver an ambitious programme of events and activities across the city as well as leaving a lasting legacy of change for Coventry.

More than 100,000 people live in an Orbit home in developments across the country, with the company building around 2,000 new homes per year.

Martin Sutherland, chief executive of the Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “We are delighted to have Orbit on board as a City Champion.

“Support from the business community was absolutely crucial in Coventry winning the title of UK City of Culture and that backing is now even more vital in helping us to realise our vision for our year of events that will have a lasting positive impact on the city. With this support, Orbit is pledging to help the city as it moves forward; we’ll use this generous investment wisely.”

Craig Wilcockson, group people and strategy director at Orbit, said:

“Orbit’s commitment to its social purpose goes beyond that of a landlord and developer. As a responsible business, it is committed to improving the long-term prospects of society and the environment.

“Orbit aims to be a business fit for the future and works to build affordable homes, lessen the impact on the environment, and do business in a more socially and responsible way. Creating spaces which contribute to its customers’ happiness and well-being are part of Orbit’s mission, to lead in building thriving communities.”

For more information visit www.orbit.org.uk

Students and staff share college memories Brian Lewis studied at the college in 1955 and David Brazier joined as a lecturer in 1958, teaching agriculture on site for more than 30 years.

David, now 91, was 29 when he joined the staff at Moreton Morrell and lived onsite for over a decade. He lived with his wife at the college and his first four children were born during his time in the accommodation.

Students and staff who were at Moreton Morrell College in the 1950s have shared their memories of the early years at the college.

Moreton Morrell College, which is part of WCG (formerly Warwickshire College Group) is celebrating its 70th birthday this month.

He said: “We only had two buildings: Moreton Hall itself and the teaching block 400 yards down the road.

“A dairy unit was built near the teaching block, a large covered building in which to teach machinery, and of course a 600-acre farm. We had around 50 students and they all lived in the hall. It was some time before we outgrew what we had.”

Brian Lewis, now retired from farming and living in Wellesbourne, was 17 when he arrived at the college as a farm pupil – living with the students in Moreton Hall itself before becoming a full-time student studying general agriculture on the 1955-56 course.

He said: “I came into farming from a non-farming background when my family moved to a farm at Kineton.

The college farm was representative of all principal farming activities. It was the early days of mechanisation and two working horses were still kept on the farm for light haulage and for spreading fertilizer. There was still a great deal of manual work and I can remember ‘opening-up’ the headland of a field by hand so the tractor-drawn binder could start work without damaging the crop.”

Photographer records life in lockdown A community photography project which has recorded life in a Warwickshire town through the coronavirus crisis could be set for an exhibition in the county.

Jamie Gray, a professional freelance photographer, decided to record life in Rugby throughout lockdown after finding his work diary decimated by the crisis.

Jamie, who has been a freelance photographer for eight years after starting his career in regional media, has spent more than a month recording local businesses and members of the community to capture how the town has

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pulled together in the face of the pandemic.

The work – entitled My Town in Lockdown – is now set to appear in print and plans are being explored to exhibit a selection of the 100-plus photographs in the town’s art gallery and museum once lockdown has ended.

Jamie said: “At the start of lockdown, I saw my work diary empty pretty quickly as so many of my commercial bookings were cancelled because of the impact the pandemic was having on my clients and the economy in general.

“I am a photographer, so the choice was either to sit at home and take pictures of my living room or make better use of my time in something that people will hopefully find interesting and will reflect very positively on my home town and its people.”

Jamie photographed the Clap for Carers at Rugby St Cross and was also allowed access to the hospital and also features local firms in the NHS supply chain.

He has received funding from Rugby Borough Council, and has already opened talks with Rugby Art Gallery and Museum about the photographs being exhibited.

Councillor Izzi Seccombe, leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: “We applaud Jamie for this project. Not only has he – like so many self-employed people across the county – shown great ingenuity at such a difficult time but also his work will be a valuable record of what has been such a monumental time in our history.”

A selection of Jamie’s shots will feature in a speciallycommissioned book, available at www.jamiegrayphotography.co.uk/ my-town-in-lockdown-zine Twenty percent of sales will be donated to the Friends of St Cross charity.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Member Update Hazel Pilling, Membership Manager of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce

As a not-for-profit SME ourselves, the Chamber – like you – is facing up to the myriad of challenges presented by the Coronavirus crisis.

The past few months have seen businesses having to fight for survival and, now, begin on a path to rebuilding and renewing in a bid to start growing again. On a recent Chamber Live call, one of our experts suggested that every business has to start thinking of themselves as a start-up such has been the dramatic change to our economy and the need to go back to the very basics of business.

Over recent weeks, we have seen members show incredible resilience and innovation in the way they have adapted, pivoted and redesigned their businesses in light of the pandemic and those who have continued to operate throughout.

The Chamber is here to support them in a range of ways and we have launched new benefits for members during these difficult times.

The FinditinCW platform, which was launched back in April and is free to Chamber members, offers companies the chance to find out about potential new contracts and, also, helps them to source suppliers in their area.

While the new Chamber Finance Finder allows member businesses fast and simple access to all funding options across loans, equity and grants – simplifying, speeding up and streamlining the application process for them.

Of course, we have our existing support services on offer too including our International Trade Hub which is available to all members and offers expert help, advice and opportunities for discovering new markets, trading overseas and making your product or service exportable. This is one of the ways businesses might be able to “trade their way out” of the COVID-19 impact.

I mentioned our online events above which was one of the first ways we pivoted to deal with the crisis – launching

ChamberLIVE and #PolicyHour to ensure that we continued to connect our members even when they have to stay apart.

They have continued to be extremely popular, covering up to the minute topics and giving members the opportunity to engage with MPs, key stakeholders and local influencers as well as network with one another.

Those online sessions are one of the ways our policy team continues to listen to the needs of business and feed them back to decision-makers at a local, regional and national level through our very strong network of Chambers in the UK and abroad.

So, as lockdown measures begin to ease, allowing businesses to reopen in a COVID secure way, we understand that there are testing and uncertain times ahead and businesses can rest assured that we are here to help answer questions they have about restarting.

We will continue to champion the best interests of our member businesses and will use that wealth of experience and contacts we have in the network to support you – so please do get in touch.

Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce launches NEW CHAMBER FINANCE FINDER platform, transforming members’ access to business finance An exciting new business funding matching tool looking to revolutionise access to finance for businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire is released today with the Chamber of Commerce.

The new Chamber Finance Finder will allow member businesses fast and simple access to all funding options across loans, equity and grants – simplifying, speeding up and streamlining the application process for them.

Businesses are struggling to access the finance they need, so the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce is utilising financial technology to provide access to both government and non-government funding options via a new partnership with Swoop Funding, supported by the British Chambers of Commerce.

In addition to access to funding tailored for their specific business needs, members will also enjoy other exclusive benefits such as a dedicated Chamber Finance Finder hotline providing guidance to businesses’ funding queries, plus a free financial health check, as well as finance alerts and updates.

Hazel Pilling, Membership Manager, said: “With cash flow a key concern for many businesses in our region, it’s essential firms can access the support they need. By ensuring all firms have fast and simple access to finance we can safeguard the businesses that have built our community. We’re delighted to be offering the Chamber Finance Finder to make this happen.”

With the latest figures from Swoop showing fewer than 50% of businesses

are accessing the loans needed, it is essential that organisations such as the Chamber of Commerce addresses the challenges in the process. This new tool, powered by one of UK’s most admired fintechs, Swoop Funding, matches businesses with funding from over 1,000 providers.

Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Business communities are facing unprecedented challenges, and access to finance remains a pressing issue for so many firms. The Chamber Finance Finder will help companies the length and breadth of the UK find finance options that will help them restart, rebuild and renew their operations.

We’re delighted to support the Coventry andWarwickshire Chamber of Commerce in launching this initiative.”

The Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber Finance Finder can be viewed here https://cw-chamber.co.uk/membership/essential-membership/grow-your-business/chamber-finance-finder/

With many of our members in Coventry & Warwickshire facing difficult and challenging times, it is more important than ever for us to help you access the finance solutions you need to protect your business through the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.

We are therefore delighted to announce the launch of the CHAMBER FINANCE FINDER, powered by our partners at Swoop and alongside the British Chambers of Commerce.

From today, all members will have access to Chamber Finance Finder, you can visit the platform on the Chamber website or call our Membership Team on 024 7665 4321 (Opt 1) for more information. www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Sponsored Column

Adapting to the new normal Whatever the sector you operate in COVID-19 will continue to have an impact on your operations. In order to survive in this new world your business will need to either adapt its existing operations or pivot into new areas.

Online meetings have become the “new normal” whether these be via MS Teams, Zoom, Webex or another platform. As long as the platform is secure, these can work as well as face to face meetings without the logistics of getting a group of people together at the same time, in the same location. As an added bonus, setting a fixed time for the video call focuses the mind and you may find you have more efficient meetings!

Moving to or maximising the use of cloud-based software will be key in ensuring your team has access to the most up to date information so that they may respond quickly to new opportunities particularly if they are working in multiple locations. There are practical examples of document sharing using platforms such as One Drive where live documents can be updated by multiple users in real time. From a financial perspective Xero accounting software has been particularly pro-active over the last 6 months improving and adapting its offering to allow business users to more easily monitor cashflow and access information required for Government Grant applications.

Looking at service delivery and what can be achieved using online or distance methods, may require a “leap of faith” by some. It will be a while before we attend face to face events, however many professional networks have been holding online events which are reaching a wider audience as travel, parking, timing etc are so much less of an issue; universities and training colleges have moved courses to online; Dafferns are completing audits at a distance using the electronic systems we have been implementing over the previous 5 years.

For further information or advice please email deborah.austin@dafferns.com Dafferns Chartered Accountants Trusted Advisers since 1896 Authentic, Agile, Connected

www.dafferns.com

9

Corporate Profiles

Historical hotel is transformed with new event space

A historical hotel in Rugby has expanded its offering for weddings and events with a new redeveloped event space.

Catthorpe Manor Estate was transformed into a 20-bedroom bespoke boutique hotel in 2014, and is now expanding its meetings, events and wedding offerings with the newly refurbished main function room to add to its current events offering.

The building, which was originally owned by the Hyde Thompson family as a country retreat and was sold to the Latvian Charity Trust in 1975, burnt down in 1925 and was used as a care home with 60 residents from 1976 until 2014, when it was transformed into a hotel.

The hotel is set within 26 acres of grounds and woodlands and features 20 bespoke bedrooms, 100 car parking spaces, a 40 cover Garden

Room Restaurant and a 250 capacity Banqueting Suite.

Lisa Byrne, Sales and Marketing Manager at Catthorpe Manor Estate, said that despite the current lockdown, the hotel has been working to expand its offering for events and weddings with a new suite for functions.

She said: “We are planning to reopen the hotel on September 1 so that we can ensure we have all the social distancing procedures in place, but we are also looking ahead to how we can safely host events and weddings again in the future.

“We have a unique offering in that a lot of the events we cater for are outdoors, from team building to weddings on The Loggia, a magnificent Edwardian porch, which is something we are looking to develop further once we can reopen and start to host events again safely.

“I think once we reopen, there will be an increased demand for more outdoor events where people can have fresh air and socially distance easily, so we are really looking to encourage people to host their outdoor team building events here.

“During lockdown, our maintenance team have been working full time to transform and completely refurbish our new main function suite and the frontages of the building, so that once we can reopen the hotel looks even more impressive.

“The history of the hotel is so important to us and to our guests – it’s such an integral part of the hotel and Mrs Hyde Thompson even came to celebrate her 90th birthday with us last year, one of the first private party groups to enjoy the refurbished spaces in 2016.

“We even have two former residents of the care home that continue to live onsite in the redeveloped former sick bay, so the history of this building is so important to the current hotel.

“Many of our members of staff have worked here for over ten years, so the hotel has a real family-vibe for our guests, and we are looking forward to being able to welcome them back once it is safe to.

“We are excited to be working with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and would like to offer exclusive deals to local businesses, to ensure they can use this historic building as an event venue in the future.”

For more information on Catthorpe Manor Estate, visit https://catthorpemanor.co.uk/ boutique-hotel-in-rugby/

“During lockdown, our maintenance team have been working full time to transform and completely refurbish our new main function suite and the frontages of the building, so that once we can reopen the hotel looks even more impressive.”

Eskuta delivers sustainable mobility A family-owned company in Nuneaton is helping businesses and individuals reduce their carbon footprint as it looks to inspire sustainable mobility.

Eskuta, established in 2014, is the largest e-cargo bike brand in the UK and has a vision of revolutionising the world of home delivery.

The business, based at Bermuda Park, not only designs and manufactures e-cargo bikes, it also has a range of electric bikes and scooters for the leisure market.

Eskuta’s products provide businesses with more flexibility, a faster response time and cost savings as well as taking them a step closer to becoming carbon neutral.

It now hopes to revolutionise the world of home delivery with the Eskuta SX-250D Electric Delivery Bike, which performs similarly to a petrol moped but is classed as an ‘electrically assisted pedal cycle’ (EAPC).

The SX-250D has the features, benefits and robustness of a moped with all of the cost savings of a bicycle.

Efficiency is key, and being classed as an EAPC means it can be ridden in cycle and bus lanes, enabling users to avoid traffic and allowing them to park right outside the doors of the business and their customers, saving time and money.

Eskuta also has the SR-1200D – an electric scooter that looks and performs similarly to a petrol moped but is fully electric, saving running costs for businesses and being kind to the environment.

Reaching 30mph, anyone over the age of 16 with a CBT licence can ride it with insurance.

Ian O’Connor, Founder of Eskuta, said: “More businesses need to start using electric transport in their business strategies in order to reduce their carbon footprint and help the environment.

“Businesses all over the UK and across the world need to start doing better at reducing pollution with carbon neutral transportation, mitigating the risks of public transport, helping reduce congestion on our roads and saving money.

“We are ready to help businesses do just that, while ensuring they can deliver products to their customers on time, every time.

“We can speed up an existing delivery service or show businesses how to start one.

“No matter if they are a large or small organisation, Eskuta is committed to helping businesses and their employees reduce their carbon footprint by offering a range of electric bikes and scooters that are cost effective, reliable and sustainable.”

For further information about Eskuta and its products, call 02476 350150, email contact@eskuta.com or visit www.eskuta.com

“More businesses need to start using electric transport in their business strategies in order to reduce their carbon footprint and help the environment.”

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www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Corporate Profiles

Pantos Logistics building on growth

A logistics firm in Coventry is building on its year on year growth after recording its strongest year both financially and through volumes delivered across the UK. Pantos Logistics, a Korean founded global logistics brand which runs warehouse facilities at Prologis Park in Coventry as well as at its UK head office in Slough, has seen success after adapting its operations.

The firm has incorporated the workplace organisation method ‘5S modelling’ into its processes and has been able to streamline the business, improve efficiencies and reduce costs to both itself and clients.

It has also been able to continue supporting its clients during the

Covid-19 pandemic, with team members working flexibly to ensure a complete service can still be offered.

Pantos Logistics employs more than 7,500 people, with more than 100 people employed within the UK. It specialises in warehouse and distribution, import/export freight forwarding, express/e-commerce and customs clearance and also has more than 360 networks globally in order to facilitate and support its freight forwarding division.

It offers services within a number of sectors including electronics, automotive, consumer retail, chemical and e-commerce and has ISO9001 and AEO accreditation.

Jongmin Lee, of Pantos Logistics, said: “By using forecast modelling we have been able to adapt our operations for our clients during peak seasons, altered shift patterns and created work-rounds to enable volumes to increase whilst managing the costs of the business.

“Year on year we have grown our business and have supported our clients in growing theirs, with 2019 being our strongest year to date.

“Our employees are crucial in the running of the business and we strive for a ‘family feel’ environment where we work hard to incorporate our employees in decision making whilst also ensuring

there is an element of enjoyment within the day-to-day operations.

“The hard work and dedication of our teams throughout the UK allows the business to offer such impeccable services to our clients and on many occasions we have been able to demonstrate this by going above and beyond expectations to fulfil customer demand and requests.

“This has been especially evident during the coronavirus pandemic where the loyalty and dedication of our employees was recognised by continuously working through these difficult times.

“By putting in extra hours, working seven days a week, adapting their working environment to work from home and social distance, we have still been able to offer our clients the complete and dedicated service they required to ensure we kept the supply chains moving.

“We are pleased that the future looks bright for us at Pantos Logistics.

“We continue to work with our existing client base, helping them to grow their businesses within multiple sectors whilst also growing our business through a number of tenders for potential future clients.”

Further information about Pantos Logistics is available by visiting http://www.pantos.com

Key milestone for St. Modwen Industrial & Logistics

An expert developer, with a 30-year heritage in developing complex sites, is celebrating a key milestone in its industrial and logistics growth plans – completing the largest speculative build it has ever committed to.

St Modwen, based in Longbridge, completed a 321,000 sq ft warehouse unit in the heart of the Midlands in January 2020.

Known as T321, the unit is part of the wider 35-acre prime industrial and logistics site St. Modwen Park, in Tamworth, which could deliver up to 1,700 new jobs once complete.

St Modwen is one of the UK’s most active developers of speculative industrial and logistics buildings – owning and managing a portfolio of 10m sq ft.

The company’s industrial and logistics developments have supported, and continue to support, thousands of jobs across the country

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

and its success has helped boost local economies in the process.

The completion of T321 follows a landmark year in the firm’s history – with the launch of its dedicated industrial and logistics business – and its significance is clear following the expert developer’s announcement in March 2020 of a six-pronged responsible business framework, outlining bold carbon reduction plans.

St. Modwen aims to be net zero carbon by 2040, and operationally net zero by 2025, as the developer looks to take a leading position in responsible business practices.

Its industrial and logistics business will play its part by working with its customers and suppliers to deliver a meaningful, positive impact on the environment.

T321 – the company’s flagship development – was built to exceed the occupier’s needs in this respect,

and holds an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) rating.

The inclusion of solar panels allows for the unit to be operationally carbon neutral, and twelve electrical vehicle charging points and a fitness trim trail incorporating gym equipment are also included across the biodiverse, landscaped site.

It is St. Modwen’s first flagship scheme to truly deliver on its new design code and stand up to its new responsible business framework.

Richard Carter, Senior Director – Construction at St. Modwen Industrial and Logistics, said: “Sustainability is central to our schemes – it’s always at the top of every modern occupier’s list of requirements and, as a business, we’ve got ambitious carbon reduction targets that we’re determined to meet.

“Our end-occupier is in mind throughout every stage of the build and St. Modwen Park Tamworth’s T321 is a prime example of our commitment to both the environment and our customers.

“We’re talking about a highly desirable site right at the heart of the Midlands logistics network with market-leading design and specification.”

For more information about St. Modwen, visit www.stmodwenlogistics.co.uk

New cleanliness concept at Warwickshire hotel A hotel in Warwickshire has implemented a new cleanliness concept in response to the Covid-19 pandemic to help keep customers and staff safe.

Hilton Warwick/Stratford upon Avon Hotel has introduced Hilton CleanStay, a new set of cleanliness and disinfectant standards building on its already rigorous cleaning process.

The initiative was created by Hilton in partnership with RB, the makers of Dettol and Lysol, and is being rolled-out to all of the hotel chain’s properties across the world.

Guests staying at Hilton Warwick/Stratford upon Avon Hotel can expect contactless check-in on arrival and digital room access.

Rooms will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between guests with extra disinfection of frequently touched areas, such as light switches and door handles, and CleanStay seals will be placed on room doors to indicate that a room has not been entered since being deep cleaned.

There will also be more frequent cleaning of public areas, and disinfecting stations with wipes and hand sanitiser are available.

The four-star Hilton Warwick/Stratfordupon-Avon Hotel features 181 double and twin bedrooms, each equipped with a 49-inch flat screen TV, work area and ergo chair, including 38 deluxe rooms and 15 family rooms.

It also boasts 250 parking spaces and a number plate recognition system.

The hotel includes 19 meetings and events rooms of varying sizes, making it the perfect venue for meetings and social events, and is currently taking enquiries for future bookings.

It went through a partial upgrade last year with the refurbishment of public areas, including the lobby, bar and corridors, and a full refurbishment is due to be completed in 2021.

The hotel is ideally situated, with excellent access to the M42, M5 and M6 – and is just 50 yards from Junction 15 of the M40.

It is a 20-minute drive from Birmingham International Airport and two miles from the train stations in Warwick.

Cosmina Stancu-Mosoreanu, of Hilton Warwick/ Stratford-upon-Avon Hotel, said: “Cleanliness and hygiene is more important than ever, so we have implemented the industry-leading programme Hilton CleanStay to ensure our guests have peace of mind and confidence when staying at the hotel.

“We will be adhering to government guidelines at all times, and will be re-introducing facilities such as our larger meetings and events rooms as soon as the relevant restrictions are lifted.

“The Hilton Warwick is the perfect base for exploring the historical town of Warwick and the romantic Stratford-upon-Avon.

“Whilst staying with us, try our Restaurant 360 for an exceptional dinner. With large windows and wooden floors, the restaurant is the perfect scene for any type of meal.

“The Bar and Lounge, open 24 hours, is the most popular place in the hotel. Stop by for a fresh lunch, a sparkling cocktail or a delicious afternoon tea. It is a buzzing area, perfect for lunches, relaxed dinners or late drinks.”

Further information about Hilton Warwick/ Stratford upon Avon Hotel is available by calling 01926 499 555 or emailing reservations@hiltonwarwick.com or events@hiltonwarwick.com

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News Sponsored Column

Taxing times, but with some real positives

By Rosy Hughes, Head of Private Client Tax at Burgis & Bullock I’m sure that tax was not the first thing on everyone’s mind when lockdown began.

For some, first thoughts were where they would find their next roll of toilet paper, for others thoughts turned to getting paid, and time away from work with family through the furlough scheme.

When the dust started to settle, we all began to realise how serious the impact of the pandemic would be economically and on our daily lives – our movement has been restricted, we are unable to meet family members and for some livelihoods disappeared overnight.

What has been inspiring to see is how an overwhelming number of people have turned this situation into a positive.

We’ve seen people showing kindness to complete strangers, gratitude shown to all of our key workers and a growing sense of community both locally and nationally.

We should all be proud of each other.

Our business community has likewise needed to adapt quickly to the changing environment.

From companies diversifying manufacturing production to make PPE, to furloughed individuals taking the opportunity to follow a new business dream – there are so many success stories out there.

As head of private client tax at Burgis & Bullock, my time has been spent ensuring my clients are aware of the Covid-19 government support available - from self-employed income support grants and Bounce Back Loans, to the automatic deferral of payments on accounts.

Outside of the immediate support requirement, with extra time on people’s hands, there are many other tax queries that are finding their way to my home office.

Interestingly, inheritance tax planning has become a key priority for the first time.

We’re seeing requests for early tax return preparation to assist with cash flow planning and advice on the tax reliefs available for homeworking.

Whatever your current situation, the time has never been better to give your tax affairs a good health check, and we are here to help. Remember, tax is for life not just for lockdown, and most of all – stay positive!

To find out more about how Burgis & Bullock could help your organisation with tax planning contact 0345 177 5500 or visit https://www.burgisbullock.com/services/ tax-planning/ for more information.

Offices in Leamington Spa, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Nuneaton, London and Rugby.

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£2.1m test facility set to transform car parking A Midlands construction firm has landed a £2.1 million contract to create a test facility which is set to transform car parking and help shape the future of motoring.

Nuneaton-based global automotive engineering and development consultancy, HORIBA MIRA, is creating the UK’s first facility to test and support the development of automated parking solutions.

The Trusted Autonomous Parking project is being delivered in partnership with Coventry University.

HORIBA MIRA has appointed Coventrybased Deeley Construction as the main contractor for the development.

It will feature a multi-storey car park consisting of four levels and off-highway and on-highway parking to replicate different types of car parking at the facility.

The facility will provide real-world parking situations to further support the development of self-parking solutions and is located on HORIBA MIRA’s existing City Circuit test facility.

Deeley Construction’s work will also include associated infrastructure, such as roads, cycle lanes and roundabouts, in the area.

It marks the tenth project that Deeley Construction has worked on at HORIBA MIRA and completion is expected this autumn.

Martin Gallagher, managing director of Deeley Construction, said: “Our team is due to start work on site in the next couple of weeks and we’re delighted to be involved in this exciting project which could change the face of car parking for years to come.

“We will ensure the strict tolerances set in the specification are met to ensure HORIBA MIRA can carry out precise autonomous vehicle testing.”

Chris Reeves, head of CAV technologies at HORIBA MIRA, said: “This new facility will deliver a comprehensive testing environment for the development of autonomous driving and autonomous parking solutions, enabling us to test the next generation of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies in a safe and repeatable way.”

MTC demonstrates first electronics smart factory

A team of Industry 4.0 specialists at the Manufacturing Technology Centre is developing Europe’s first smart factory demonstrator for the manufacture of electronics assemblies.

The move is designed to help manufacturers go digital, transform their businesses and meet the demands of an increasingly challenging market.

The MTC’s digital engineering experts are working with key vendors to develop and evolve a range of digital processes that help electronics manufacturers improve productivity and quality, while becoming agile to meet the most aggressive timeto-market constraints.

To power the smart factory demonstrator, the MTC is using the IPC Connected Factory Exchange (CFX), a standard developed by the IPC connected factory initiative sub-committee which enables industrial machines to communicate with other machines and systems across manufacturing facilities, including the supply chain, using standardised machine

communication message sets.

IPC CFX provides the baseline, powering the development of the MTC demonstrator test bed for electronics manufacturing.

Any electronics manufacturing business is now able to trial and experience digital technologies in a risk-free environment, without disrupting day-to-day production.

Naim Kapadia, technology specialist at the MTC, said: “Our goal is to showcase products going through a state-of-theart digital production line, collecting data from each station and machine, creating visibility and showing the value that can be obtained from the many uses of the data.

It is essential for industry to understand that digitalisation can now be achieved using inter-operable standard components which yield immediate results and shortterm returns on investment which are best seen to be believed.”

The MTC was founded by the University of Birmingham, Loughborough University, the University of Nottingham and TW. The MTC’s industrial members include some of the UK’s major global manufacturers.

For further information visit www.the-mtc.org

Plans for new homes unveiled

Exciting plans to create new homes, a public open space and an ecological habitat in Leamington have been submitted to Warwick District Council.

Property development company AC Lloyd, which has headquarters at Tachbrook Park in Warwick and which won the Property Business of the Year and Business of the

Year titles at the Leamington Business Awards 2019, has put forward an outline planning application for up to 200 houses on land at the southern end of Sydenham.

The site is the first phase of a larger area of land that was selected for new housing

by Warwick District Council through the adoption of the 2017 Warwick Local Plan, and it is also earmarked for housing in the 2015 Whitnash Neighbourhood Plan.

Over the last two years, AC Lloyd has assembled a team of consultants and carried out detailed technical work before holding a public consultation and having meetings with Whitnash Parish Council ahead of submitting its application.

The plans involve creating a mix of homes, 40% of which will be affordable housing.

Des Wynne, managing director of AC Lloyd Strategic Land, said:

“The planning application follows two years of preparation which started with a public consultation in summer 2018, a presentation to the Parish Council in 2019 and a lengthy period of discussion with Warwickshire County Council over the possibility of bringing an additional access to the site through the grounds of Campion School alongside the railway line.

“Those discussions are ongoing but inconclusive so we have sought to bring forward just this first phase utilising the existing roads through Sydenham.

“As well as the new homes, the phase 1 proposals include over eight acres of new public open space and an ecological habitat alongside Whitnash Brook which will both protect and significantly enhance the existing local nature reserve.”

The public is able to give their feedback on the proposals via Warwick District Council’s planning website.

Birmingham 2022 appoints five to legacy and benefits committee Birmingham 2022 has appointed five new members to its legacy and benefits committee.

The quintet join a group tasked with ensuring that the city, region and country maximises the benefits of hosting the next edition of the Commonwealth Games while creating a legacy strategy.

All five have been selected following an “extensive” recruitment process, Birmingham 2022 said.

They include Nicola Ibbetson, the chief commercial officer of Premier League football club Aston Villa.

She held similar roles at both Manchester United and Chelsea and is a Board member of the Football Association’s Women’s Super League and the chair of the Women’s Championship.

Fleur Sexton, the managing director and co-founder of an award-winning training provider, will also take a role. The deputy lieutenant for the West Midlands was named businesswoman of the year for 2017-18.

Assistant headteacher Casey Bailey, who is a mentor and football coach for youngsters, has also been hired alongside Anisa Morridadi, the founder and chief executive of Beatfreeks Collectives who created the Brum Youth Trends and Summit.

Sarah Rennie, an accessibility specialist and a member of Transport for London’s independent disability advisory group, completes the new arrivals.

Representatives from the Commonwealth Games Federation, Birmingham City Council, the West Midlands Combined

Authority, Coventry City Council and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport already sit on the committee.

It is chaired by John Crabtree, who also chairs the Birmingham 2022 Board.

He said: “We are delighted to confirm our new recruits and we’re pleased to have added five people that bring very different knowledge and experience but all share a passion for ensuring that the city of Birmingham and the West Midlands maximises the opportunities that hosting a globally significant event like the Commonwealth Games brings.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

Sponsored Column

Security bollard passes crash test

Safetyflex Barriers’ new Truckstopper Bridge Bollard being crash-tested to industry standards

A new security bollard designed to protect pedestrians from terrorist vehicle attacks on London’s bridges has successfully come through crash testing and could be installed at key locations in the coming months.

Safetyflex Barriers, a leading inventor and manufacturer of anti-terrorism bollards based in Coventry, has crash-tested the new bollard – proving it can stop an 18-tonne vehicle.

The company designed the new ultrashallow bollard to specifically protect the bridges following fatal vehicle strikes, and after being approached by several agencies involved in civil protection.

Concerns have been raised over a lack of protection for pedestrians and other users in the wake of Westminster Bridge and London Bridge both being targeted in 2017.

Safetyflex Barriers has used its specialist designs and energy absorption materials to create a slimline bollard which requires no fixing to a bridge deck and can instead be mounted on a free-standing topping of only 80mm deep. It has also been designed for high-speed installation and to provide a line of defence between the road and cycle path, creating separate space for cyclists across the bridge and enough room for other bridge users.

Safetyflex’s new Truckstopper Bridge Bollard has now been successfully tested to industry standards to stop an 18-tonne vehicle. The IWA 14 tests were conducted at the HORIBA MIRA research facility in Warwickshire.

Marcus Gerrard, director at Safetyflex Barriers, said: “We took the decision to design an anti-terrorism bollard specifically for London bridges after it became clear there was a need for that level of protection and after discussion with several parties involved in security who approached us.

“The criteria were extremely tough, particularly around the foundation limitations and we are delighted to have achieved a design which fulfils the requirements and, above all, passes the most rigorous of tests.”

Can branding be personal?

By Rob Harrison, consultancy partner, Glued branding agency.

The notion of personal branding is becoming increasingly prevalent as ‘a thing’ – especially now that communications is being forced online and via video.

But what does it mean? There are longstanding, capable experts and specialists out there in personal branding.

We wondered if we might be able to bring a different perspective to it from our own experience of branding both organisations and individuals who run businesses.

Can personal branding only be applied to a business that is prepared to limit its growth to the capacity of that individual?

Or can it be applied to a business where the personal brand is sufficiently transferable that its potential growth is unlimited?

Arguably in the case of Richard Branson and Elon Musk, the latter is true. However, the success they have effectively uses the proposition, values and behaviours that they stand for applied to an organisational

entity or trademark: Virgin; and, Tesla and SpaceX respectively.

So, what happens if that personal brand is also the trademark? For instance, Jamie Oliver. OK, there are elements of his operation that do use a trademark technique, and there are parts that have failed. Nevertheless, there is a large part of his success that is just ‘Jamie Oliver’.

Interestingly, the numbers of those that stand behind a trademark come to mind quicker than those that use the name of the individual as the brand.

It would seem that on the whole using your name as the representation of your brand personality, it is more likely to be constraining if you have ambitious growth plans.

Then the more esoteric bit. Is personal brand about look, feel, presentation? Or is it about purpose, motivation and reason?

It can undoubtedly be both, and there is room for both – even in one individual.

The likes of Richard Branson and Jamie Oliver certainly both have very distinctive ways of presenting themselves, alongside very distinctive styles of business leadership.

Interestingly can you tell us the name of Steve Jobs’ successor? Can you conjure up his look? Can you describe his management style? It would seem we still have Steve Jobs ‘up there’ as the personality behind the brand.

From the examples we have shared, it seems that personal branding is not just about look. It’s also about why you exist, what you transact and how you deliver it.

Visit: www.gluedlimited.co.uk

Firms urged to follow COVID-19 guidance Businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire have been warned not to expect a “light touch” from the authorities if they fail to follow health and safety guidance on returning to the workplace.

The message came during a video conference meeting held by the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and leading regional law firm Wright Hassall – a strategic partner of the Chamber.

Seven experts from different departments of the law firm gave an insight into various areas of the law affected by the coronavirus outbreak, including an update on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which allows companies to furlough staff.

Businesses were told that they must have furloughed staff by June 10 if they want to make use of the scheme, which is being phased out in stages up to October 31.

Chris Nagle, events, communications and marketing manager at the Chamber, said: “We are extremely grateful to Wright Hassall for giving such incredible, upto-the minute insight to our members.

“The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) is not going to be lenient on businesses if they do not follow COVID-19 guidance as they return to their workplaces.

The advice here was to ensure there is a risk assessment that shows you’ve heeded the guidance and consulted staff on it.

“It was suggested that the HSE might want to make examples of some businesses early on to ensure that all other firms follow the guidance.

Sarah Perry, managing partner at Wright Hassall, added: “The event with the Chamber was a great opportunity to give an update to businesses on various aspects of the law that have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

“If any companies are unsure about what they should be doing in any of these aspects of their business, please do come and talk to us.”

I’m looking to work with 5 local business owners turning over £1m+ Are you ready to step away from the day to day operation of your business?

Over the last five years I’ve worked with over 30 business owners, helping many of them go from working ridiculously long hours and feeling stressed because they’re constantly firefighting, to being confident that the business can run without them needing to be there all the time.

Maybe you feel like you’re so busy working you’re missing out on life, not seeing your family and, if you admit it to yourself, maybe even a little bored of the relentless grind.

You might even dream about selling it - but who’d buy your business in the current environment, especially when you need to be there in order for it to run properly?

I know it’s tough, but I can help with these issues, and I’m willing to show you how – free of charge.

I’m not going to tell you anything about running your business – you’re already the expert.

But being the expert usually means you’re working long hours, supporting your team, answering their questions and even rolling your sleeves up to do their work for them whilst coming up with all the great ideas.

I’m setting up a workshop for you and up to 4 other like-minded business owners, all with similar challenges so you can learn from me and from each other.

I’ll help you map out the issues that you want to address and begin to create a plan to make it happen.

There is no charge for this workshop where I’ll be giving away all my best ideas and techniques.

Call me to reserve your place – you’ll be glad you did.

David Lee ActionCOACH 07970566390 davidlee@actioncoach.com www.linkedin.com/in/davidleeac/ www.actioncoach.co.uk/davidlee

For more information on support available, go to the Chamber’s COVID-19 Business Recovery Hub at https://cw-chamber.co.uk/covid-19-recovery-hub/

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

13

News

Accountancy firm provides support for local businesses

A computer-generated image of the new creative hub for artists

New creative hub for artists

A new £2.4 million creative hub for artists is to be built in Coventry, providing the first purpose-built and collaborative art production facility in the city which will support UK City of Culture 2021.

The Daimler Powerhouse, once part of the world-famous car factory located on the edge of the city centre in Radford, is to be transformed into a major centre to provide dedicated spaces for artists and resident creative companies.

It will be focused primarily on outdoor arts and play an integral part in supporting UK City of Culture 2021 as a production centre for major performance works.

The project is being led by Imagineer Productions, a creative company specialising in cultural events including the award-winning Arts Council England projects Godiva Awakes (2010-14) and Bridge (2018-20), which is based on the site at Sandy Lane Business Park.

The redevelopment is being funded with £1.9 million from the Cultural Capital Investment Fund which is resourced from Coventry City Council and the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s Growth Deal.

The Wigley Group, which owns Sandy Lane Business Park, is contributing an additional £350,000 to enable the project to proceed as well as agreeing a highlydiscounted 20-year lease on Daimler Powerhouse, as well as a neighbouring building, as part of the redevelopment.

Additional funding has been raised from The Garfield Weston Foundation and The May 29th 1961 Charitable Trust.

Work is due to start for planned completion in March 2021 and will be carried out by The Wigley Group’s construction arm, Wigley Building and Development.

James Davies, managing director of The Wigley Group, said: “The Wigley Group is a proud supporter of UK City of Culture 2021 that is why we are contributing so heavily to allow this exciting development – which will be of great cultural benefit to Coventry – to happen.”

A Midlands-based accountancy firm is helping businesses plan for life after COVID-19 with free forecasting and planning.

Burgis & Bullock, which has offices in Leamington Spa, Nuneaton, Rugby and Stratford-upon Avon, is offering the service to assist local businesses in ensuring their finances and operations are prepared for recovery.

The free forecasting and planning briefings are being delivered online and have been a hit so far, with around 35

businesses attending the first three sessions.

Business experts will provide free guidance on preparing a business plan during the sessions, which last 90 minutes.

As part of the package, Burgis & Bullock is also offering free-of-charge access to tools to assist with forecasting, loan applications, cost saving and identifying growth opportunities.

Sean Farnell, partner at Burgis & Bullock, said: “We’re passionate about business, the

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“If a single business comes away from the initiative in better shape than when they signed up, that will be a success for us.

“Now, more than ever, it’s vital that businesses have a strong and robust business plan that is regularly revised when new information comes to light, which is the case each week of late with new government announcements.

Sean Farnell, partner at Burgis & Bullock

“We will be able to advise on funding options available and recovery plans, including how to secure existing customers while acquiring new ones.”

Places are limited and on a strictly first come, first served basis. If businesses are interested in attending the virtual sessions, they can sign-up by visiting https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=19498754&appointmentType=14165399.

To find out more about Burgis & Bullock and how the firm can help your business plan for the future, visit www.burgisbullock.com

PET-Xi supports 150 young people in Stoke and Staffordshire

PET-Xi Training delivers programmes to schools and young people across Stokeon-Trent and Staffordshire through the Positive Directions programme funded by the European Social Fund in partnership with Skills Training UK.

Positive Directions supports young people aged 15-24, who are NEET (not in education, employment or training) or have a clear risk of NEET, by offering them access to early interventions, supporting them to stay in education, employment or training, as well as helping young people to be able to differentiate between different educational stages and career paths open to them.

During the unprecedented situation due to COVID-19, causing schools to close, this has resulted in more young people than ever being disengaged from education.

PET-Xi’s Positive Directions programme gives these young people the opportunity to access full level 2 qualifications in IT, customer service, health and social care, team leading,

employability and maths and English support, delivered remotely whilst still maintaining PET-Xi’s unique, engaging and energetic dynamic.

Throughout May alone, PET-Xi supported 150 young learners to gain level 2 qualifications through their interactive remote platform, with many learners going on to sign up for another two or three qualifications.

CityFibre announces 10,000 full fibre jobs boost Thousands of jobs targeted at skilled and unskilled people, service-leavers and unemployed are to be created across CityFibre’s network of construction partners.

CityFibre, the UK’s third national digital infrastructure platform, has announced a three-year recruitment and training programme to provide up to 10,000 people with jobs upgrading the UK’s digital infrastructure to full fibre – the best available technology enabling the fastest and most dependable digital connectivity and broadband services.

The government has made the nationwide deployment of full fibre by 2025 a key target.

This critical initiative will underpin Britain’s long-term economic recovery from the coronavirus crisis, helping to level-up the economy by enabling access to ultra-fast digital connectivity for all.

Development provides opportunity for logistics operator

Construction is now well underway on a new industrial unit on the edge of Coventry which could open up a rare opportunity for a logistics operator to launch in a modern and prime distribution location.

The 27,000 sq ft unit – called Exhall Three due to its proximity to Junction 3 of the M6 – is being built by The Wigley Group as part of a major redevelopment of the site it owns in School Lane, Exhall, following a fire in 2018.

The fire, which was proved to have been started accidentally, destroyed a building which housed the popular Red Kangaroo Trampoline Park.

In addition to creating a new purposedesigned home for Red Kangaroo to provide a state-of-the-art, multi-activity trampoline centre, The Wigley Group is building the adjacent unit for separate leasing.

The speculative development will help meet a recognised shortage of commercial

local economy and the wellbeing of our friends and neighbours, and see it as our duty to do every-thing we can to help.

property in Coventry and Warwickshire, and provide a further boost to the local economy with new employment opportunities.

James Davies, managing director of The Wigley Group, said: “We are delighted to see work progressing on Exhall Three which alongside our wider redevelopment of the site, represents a significant investment in the area.

“There is a clear demand for new commercial space and with its close proximity to the M6 and A444, we expect a good deal of interest particularly from within the logistics and industrial sectors.”

The leasehold on Exhall Three is now being offered jointly by commercial property agents Bromwich Hardy and MWRE. The unit includes around 2,000 sq ft of first-floor offices and features minimum eaves height of 8m, two loading doors, rear yard and parking.

Andrew Cosnett, partner at Bromwich Hardy, said: “Exhall Three will appeal across the board. The location is fantastic and we expect it to be very attractive, particularly for logistics operators and last-mile delivery, with the recent and rapid rise in online shopping.”

The recruitment programme will include the identification and training of thousands of unemployed UK residents as well as new job opportunities for qualified and experienced construction and telecoms workers. Jobs will be created within CityFibre’s growing pool of network construction partners delivering the £4bn rollout of full fibre infrastructure to more than 100 towns and cities.

The programme will target specific groups including service-leavers and those now unemployed as a result of the coronavirus crisis. It will also seek to attract more women and individuals from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, both of which are significantly under-represented in the construction industry.

Steve Holliday, chairman at CityFibre, said: “We’re delighted to launch our training

and recruitment programme creating up to 10,000 jobs in such a critical and vibrant sector. The programme will reach deep into our society to include some of those most in need of opportunity. Ultimately, it will ensure the skilled workforce is in place to get the job done and at the same time provide up-skilling and well-paid jobs across more than 100 towns and cities.”

Further information on the programme can be found at: www.cityfibre.com/buildfibre

Coventry engineering firm in line for top training award Bespoke automotive engineering services company Envisage Group has been shortlisted as part of the Made in the Midlands Business Insider awards for the strength of its apprenticeship training scheme.

Envisage works with the world’s largest and most prestigious car manufacturers to create concept vehicles for motor shows and even low-volume production runs of luxury vehicles from its base in Coventry.

The business was nominated by its further education partner, North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC), due to its strong track record of helping young people to join the sector and follow meaningful careers.

Envisage is built on keeping heritage and hand-working skills alive while embracing the latest digital technology. It relies on home-grown talent and has trained 23 apprentices over the last three years with nine individuals currently on the programme.

Now in its tenth year, the Made in the Midlands Awards are due to be presented

at a prestigious awards ceremony on Thursday, September 3 at the Macdonald Burlington Hotel in Birmingham.

David Barry, who leads on apprentice liaison for Envisage, developed a specific pathway for apprentices based on using aluminium rather than steel in the production process which he shared with the college, enabling it to develop its offer more widely.

He said, “We are truly honoured to be considered for this award and are so grateful to the college for its nomination.

Apprentices have underpinned the rapid growth of Envisage over the last nine years.

Paul Dancer, strategic lead for technical apprenticeships at NWSLC, said: “Envisage has consistently demonstrated a firm commitment to helping young people as they start out on career paths in the engineering sector. The company shows a great deal of care and consideration for the apprentices they employ and really takes time to make sure that they are in the right roles, being supported by experienced mentors as well as college assessors.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Chamber Talent

The region’s future business leaders have come together to develop new skills during lockdown Members of Chamber Talent, a network of young professionals and entrepreneurs who are set to become the business leaders of the future, have continued to work together to stay positive and learn new skills from home through a workshop on resilience.

how to increase their own resilience and how you can increase the resilience of a team.

The Resilience in Times of Adversity Workshop helped the business professionals to share tips on how to continue working from home, how to stay positive and to network with other Chamber Talent members.

“Developing skills such as resilience is a key part of the Chamber Talent Programme as it about developing rising star professionals as the new generation of leaders. The programme helps young professionals to reach their career goals through developing the building blocks of great leadership – of which resilience is key.

The workshop was led by Sarah Alexander, Executive Coach and Director for Vivid Communication.

She said: “The virtual workshop was an opportunity to help Chamber Talent professionals to understand

“Resilience is a hot topic right now, and rightly so - as it is our ability to bounce back - as we are all facing challenges and changes in the way we live and work.

“The professionals who attended the recent sessions had great questions and input, bringing the topics to life with their own examples.”

Sean Rose, Policy Officer at Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, added: “This was the perfect subject matter for helping our Chamber Talent members to stay positive during lockdown.

“We have been working hard to continue providing training opportunities for all our members

during lockdown, and to engage these members on interesting subject matters while they work from home.

“Our Chamber Talent board members selected the topic for the workshop, and considering the positive feedback, they definitely selected well!

“Our next session will be an online negotiation skills workshop with Phil Ingle Associates on Thursday, July 16 from 12:30-2pm, which is a free taster session for non-members as well.”

“My business, Vivid, a local training and coaching practice, is supporting the Chamber Talent Programme by leading virtual workshops on key skills such as resilience, managing time effectively, presenting with impact and influencing others.

For more information on upcoming Chamber Talent events, visit https://www.cw-chamber.co.uk/membership/chamber-talent/

BLOG: Suman Kaur

Chamber Talent Board Member & Solicitor at Lodders Solictors LLP

What effect will the Coronavirus Pandemic have on young professionals?

This decade has launched in a way that nobody could have anticipated; with a pandemic. The effects of the coronavirus are widespread, visible and drastic. But what are some of the specific effects for young professionals?

1. For those that have been furloughed under the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, it may cause a minor blip in career progression.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

In the long term, however, a few What can young months of furlough in the current professionals do? circumstances should not have a significant impact on an individual’s 1. Keep calm! This is something that I cannot stress enough. Going professional development. through such turbulent times 2. It may have presented an is not something we, as young opportunity for individuals, which professionals, have experienced, have not been furloughed, to excel. and hopefully, will never have to Having to suddenly adapt to a new experience again. The key thing way of working for a prolonged to remember here is that every period of time to ensure business industry has been affected in runs as close to usual as possible some way. allows those individuals to develop 2.

Keep a dialogue going with your their skills. colleagues, especially if you have 3. For those currently entering their been furloughed. profession, it may mean a delay in qualification or qualifying at a time where the job market is far from ideal.

4. Unfortunately, it may also lead to redundancies, if not already. This may especially be the case where individuals are the most junior in their team.

3. Use your network and the Chamber for support, especially for those that are self-employed.

4. Evaluate what you want your new ‘normal’ to be once business starts to shift back towards to a pre-pandemic state, and advocate for this (to the extent that

it is reasonable and possible).

Does this mean a permanent move to more flexible working or perhaps an implementation of new systems?

5. Upskill, if possible, especially if you have been furloughed. This is, of course, only a suggestion.

However, if you are thinking about career progression, it would assist to be able to demonstrate any new skills that you have developed during your time in lockdown and/or on furlough.

Young professionals are not alone in navigating through these extraordinary times. The ramifications that the pandemic has had on the careers of young professionals ought to be something that every current and future employer understands.

Keep calm and carry on (but at a 2 metre distance)!

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Roclar

Former Coventry striker now scoring against Covid-19 There have been many Coventry City Football Club players who have made an impact over the years not many by scoring a hat-trick on their debut.

One player who did was Jim Melrose.

In September 1982, Melrose joined the Sky Blues from Leicester City in a swap deal with Tommy English.

Photo courtesy of Coventry City Football Club

The transfer was completed in time so he could make his debut at Highfield Road against Everton. He helped City to the win firing in a hat-trick on his debut.

Steve Hunt scored the other City goal, as Dave Sexton’s men beat the Toffees 4-2.

Melrose scored a total of eight goals in 24 league appearances before joining Celtic.

Nowadays Jim is looking to make a similar impact in the Midlands by helping businesses with their health and safety in the battle against Covid-19.

Bacoban was licensed for sale by Jim Melrose in the UK in 2014, by German company Ropimex (Adexano) which developed and owns the Bacoban product.

Ropimex supplies a range of hospital ward equipment and sells the Bacoban product into the hospital market sector throughout Europe, India, Russia, the Middle East and Canada.

Jim set up the company Roclar Ltd to distribute Bacoban products across the country.

In honour of his time playing for Coventry, Jim presents the benefits of Bacoban to chamber members as well as a special discount offer to our readers.

In a world where cleaning regimes are rapidly changing, I would like to introduce you to our company, Roclar Ltd. We are a distributor of a unique disinfectant called Bacoban® which is a patented surface disinfectant which is proven to kill pathogens for up to 10 days after application. Bacoban® uses a semi-permanent nanoscale layer which contains anti-pathogen agents. These are slowly released while the layer is in place. This helps close the “hygiene gap,” preventing these germs from regenerating. While this is relatively new to the UK, it is currently used in 52 countries across the globe.

What is Bacoban?

Why Bacoban works

Bacoban unaffected by evaporation

• Bacoban has unique properties that achieve efficient advanced long-term biocidal infection control, closing the “hygiene gap” of traditional disinfectant and antibacterial products. Safeguarding areas for up to 10 days, it creates a micro layer to protect surfaces from infectious viruses, bacteria and fungi.

• Bacoban kills and protects against an extensive list of viruses including salmonella, E-coli, influenza viruses such as H5N1, hepatitis B and C, MRSA, C-Diff and Norovirus. It also kills and protects against fungal Cryptococcus and Corona Virus

Frequenty asked Questions How does Bacoban work?

Bacoban uses a micro layer to provide an antimicrobial biocide which with just one application kills pathogens, viruses, bacteria and fungi for up to 10 days* Spray about 50 ml (max. 80 ml) Bacoban® per m2 onto the surface, spread with a cloth and let dry.

Is Bacoban more expensive than traditional disinfectants?

No, it is not more expensive, it provides better value and greater long lasting hygienic protection.

How is it different from other disinfectants?

Bacoban provides long term protection by creating a nano scale layer within 5 minutes of application.

Other disinfectants are only effective while wet, the re contamination starts all over again as soon as the surface is dry.

Usual disinfectants rapidly lose their kill ability when the fluid carrying the disinfectant compound evaporates, causing the disinfectant compound to end its biocidal action. This usually happens within 30 minutes of application allowing bacteria to repopulate the cleaned surface.

As the chart shows, there is negligible effect on Bacoban’s biocidal action over the 10 days period. However, where critical high infection risk areas, a 7 day reapplication period ensures maximum biocidal effect.

What is “the hygiene gap”?

Normal disinfectant has a biocidal action lasting less than 30 mins. Unless this disinfectant is applied every 30 mins, bacteria and viruses re-establish.

Therefore, the time between each application is called “the hygiene gap”.

Where can Bacoban be used?

It is safe to use on almost all surfaces and fabrics. Once the concentrate is diluted to a 1% dilution rate, it is non corrosive. Foggers can be used to dispense Bacoban at a 3% dilution, however, all electrical equipment must be protected from droplets.

* surfaces must be kept clear of dust and particles to give the long term protection

Special Offer

Products

• Bacoban WB is a concentrate that when mixed with tap water provides a ready to use product.

• Bacoban DL is a ready to use product that is diluted with de-ionised water.

• Bacoban Wet Wipes are made from DL and WB formulas.

These wipes mirror the abilities of the liquid products.

They provide a quick and convenient method for cleaning surfaces.

Is it good for the environment?

Bacoban is environmentally friendly, as it keeps the biocidal chemicals contained within the micro-layer.

Bacoban WB is most effective at just 1% – meaning only ONE LITRE of Bacoban concentrate is needed per 99 litres of water, greatly reducing the volume of disinfectant used. Only 1 bottle required compared to 100 plastic bottles for standard products.

15% OFF

for C&W in Business readers.

To receive 15% off quote CW20 when you call or email.

Please take a look at our website www.roclar.co.uk where you will find the MSDS sheets, test certificates and other relevant information.

Mobile : 07892 810124 Email : Jim.melrose@roclar.co.uk 16

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

Spray it Safe helps staff return to work

Left to right: Jake Phillips, Ian Windsor, Ian Wallace, James Kettle, Imran Hussain, Radoslov Radev

A new Midlands company is hoping to turn the business tables on COVID-19 and help firms return safely to work.

Warwickshire-based Spray it Safe offers a spraying and anti-bacterial fogging service to commer-cial clients, allowing staff to return to the workplace after the coronavirus lockdown.

The company was formed by Ian Wallace, director of catering firm Grace & Flavour, which saw its work all but wiped out by the crisis.

The firm has delivered high-end catering for staff and conference guests across the region for ten years and developed into a £2 million turnover company but, in March, coronavirus closed all event and catering venues around the UK. Mr Wallace realised that the sector would be one of the last to recover and identified a need to re-deploy some of his team, protecting the core event and contract catering business for the fu-ture and building a new service offering disinfectant cleaning services.

Staff were already fully trained in hygiene and experienced in completing full deep-cleaning as part of their day-to-day work. Mr Wallace invested in cutting-edge

electrostatic and fogging equipment and a full COVID-specific training programme to build on those skills to help other businesses also impacted by the crisis.

He said: “We had built up Grace & Flavour over ten years and provided catering for a number of leading international and national companies but all that was threatened to be wiped out in a matter of weeks as the government closed all hospitality operations.

“We have always put great emphasis on training and skills. It was a question of refining those at-tributes and using them in a different way to help other companies and organisations hoping to return to the workplace and wanting to do so knowing they have the highest hygiene and safety standards in place.”

For more information visit www.sprayitsafe.co.uk

Affordable homes scheme gets green light The site of a former school in Wyken, Coventry is set to be re-developed as affordable housing after planning permission was granted for 39 homes.

The site was formerly the home of Dartmouth School and was then a temporary home for The Seva School up until September 2015.

Since Seva School moved to its new home in Walsgrave, it has been a redundant brownfield site for almost five years.

Planning permission has now been granted for 23 affordable rented and 16 shared ownership properties to be built on Tiverton Road by Coventry-based family firm Deeley Group for housing provider Stonewater.

The site was originally purchased from Coventry City Council and upon completion will feature 39 brand-new homes comprising a mix of two, three

and four-bedroom houses. Stonewater and Deeley Group previously worked together on the successful development of another affordable development at Feather Lane in Nuneaton, which completed earlier this year.

Peter Deeley, managing director of the Deeley Group, said: “There is a genuine need for more housing of this type in Coventry and we are pleased to be able to deliver this development alongside our partners.

“We have a strong relationship with Stonewater and we are looking forward to working closely with them again, after the great success of our project in Nuneaton.

With planning now approved, work will be starting on site in the coming months.”

Matt Crucefix, director of development (west) at Stonewater, said: “We’re delighted to be working with the Deeley Group on

The site at Tiverton Road

another regenerative project so that we can make better use of this brownfield site.

“Trying to manage the spread of Covid-19 over the last few months has shone a light on just how important it is that everyone has a place to call home and has really amplified the importance of our work as a social housing provider.”

Protect your business with Integrity Wealth Solutions

Business protection is an umbrella term used for insurances funded by a business to protect itself, its directors/key employees and their families against the financial implications of death or long-term/critical illness.

The following case study highlights how these insurances work in practice and their approximate costs:

The case of Finch: Steve Jones is the managing director of Finch, the go-to construction company in the East Midlands. Sales revenues are strong and increasing yearon-year; much of this is down to the effort and input of Mark Smith, Finch’s sales director.

However, in 2018 Mark died aged 41 after a nine-month battle with a critical illness.

Luckily, prior to Mark’s illness, Steve’s financial advisor recommended that the business took out protection: Key Person Income Protection paid £4,000pm into the business after Mark was ‘signed-off’ for six months and therefore on statutory sick pay, allowing Finch to use its discretion to

top up this sick pay and use the remainder to cover the shortterm dip in revenue caused by his absence. This cover cost £62pm*.

Key Person Insurance paid a lump-sum of £400,000 into the business upon Mark’s death to cover loss of profits and repay the bank loan in the short-term, and to recruit Mark’s replacement longerterm, ensuring the survival and prosperity of Finch. This cover cost approximately £32pm.

Relevant Life Insurance paid a tax-free lump sum of £200,000 to Mark’s family on death, giving them some financial breathing room.

Mark died without personal mortgage cover; his widow

used the tax-free Relevant Life Insurance proceeds to settle their outstanding debts (mortgage, credit card and car finance), and used the remainder to take time away from work to support their children. This cover cost £15pm.

Shareholder Protection provided Finch with the funds to purchase Mark’s shares back from his family at a value (£200,000) that was fair to both parties, with a cross-option agreement to ensure the transaction was smooth and logical. This cover also cost £15pm.

The total monthly cost to Finch for this financial protection was £124 (before any effective tax relief).

How private medical insurance can benefit small firms

By Health Matters When you own a small company, your team and their skillset is vital to the success of your business.

When recruiting new staff members, a lot of time can be spent ensuring you find the right person who not only brings valuable skills and expertise but is also a good fit into your team and business.

When a staff member is off work due to ill health, this can have a huge impact on your business. In 2018, 141.4 million working days were lost due to sickness or injury in the UK. Of these days, 27.2% were attributed to minor illnesses such as coughs or colds, 19.7% were due to musculoskeletal problems and 12.4% were due to mental health conditions, all in which could cost your business a lot of time and money.

With private medical insurance the aim is to get your employees back to work as quickly as possible through access to diagnosis and eligible treatment. There are several ways in which private medical insurance can benefit your business and employees.

Reduced time out of work Medical appointments can be inconvenient for your team to get to, especially if they are during the idle of the working day and far from the office or home. With private medical insurance, your team can be in more control of their appointments and can be arranged around both work and home life.

Employee recruitment and retention Owning a small business and offering private medical insurance to your employees can be beneficial in aiding staff retention and reducing staff turnover. It can also make your business more attractive to new recruits.

Enhanced productivity When employees feel as though their work is making a difference to the organisation, and that they feel cared for and supported by their employer, they are more inclined to work harder and dedicate themselves to the role.

For more information visit www.health-matters.co.uk

Myton Hospices gifts butterflies and hug cards to families Following the COVID-19 outbreak, The Myton Hospices has had to take the difficult decision to limit visitors to the hospice, currently to two per patient between 2pm and 7pm daily. Whilst this might not sound like anything out of the ordinary, it is in complete contrast to the ‘normal’ Myton ethos where everyone is welcome, any time of day or night, and family, friends and pets are free to come and go.

Doctors and nurses at Myton, including Dr Jo Poultney, a consultant in palliative medicine, wanted to find an alternative

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means for patients and their loved ones to feel connected in some way even when they can’t be together. They came up with the idea of giving people something to hold in their hand to feel connected with loved ones that could also be a lasting keepsake after the person has died.

A butterfly forms part of the Myton logo and is synonymous with hospice care so was the obvious choice.

A contact of Dr Jo Poultney introduced her to Carsten Astheimer, founder and creative director of Astheimer design studio based in Warwick. After talking

to Dr Jo, Carsten made the idea a reality in the form of a small, polished metal butterfly. Carsten also set up a JustGiving page and raised £1,295 within days.

Another challenge for Myton’s frontline staff during the global pandemic is not being able to comfort families in the usual way by holding their hand or giving them a hug. Myton has created a “hug card” to give to them along with the metal butterfly, as an alternative to being able to give a real hug. The card also outlines the postbereavement support on offer for families whose loved ones have died at Myton.

Dr Jo Poultney said: “We hope the cards and butterflies provide a small comfort to people going through the most difficult time imaginable and serve as a reminder that Myton will always be there for them.”

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News

Singing our way out of isolation Doing business in a crisis What do you do when your business has been changed almost overnight by coronavirus?

Chamber member Eggshell Solutions, a marketing services business, has provided an object lesson in how to think outside the box and adapt.

Faced with many customers closing down temporarily due to the recent restrictions and the new reality for many of working from home, they needed to think fast.

Arnold Bailey, Eggshell’s marketing director, said: “For us, like most businesses the landscape changed really quickly, so we needed to react and provide new products that meet current customer needs.

“At this point in time, our customers have a real need for products like social distancing signage, branded facemasks and sneeze guards.

So, working with our suppliers we quickly developed a new range to meet this need.”

Operations director Robert Boulter said: “The buzzword of the moment is pivoting your business, but in reality, it’s all about the traditional values of meeting your customer’s changing needs.”

The result of Eggshell’s “pivoting” activity is the launch of its new range of COVID-19 products.

Arnold Bailey continued: “Customer reaction has been very positive, so much so that we also just added another product, which is the supply of green screens and design of Zoom backgrounds using your own logo and branding.

“The new norm in business life now is the online meeting. Businesses still need to portray a professional image and that’s difficult to do from your back room; particularly when you’ve still got that floral wallpaper you’d been meaning to change!

“If there is any way that we can help fellow members with marketing advice or any of our products, we’re more than happy to have a chat.”

Moving on up!

Design and build specialist Cirkularis8 established a creative hub in London’s Southbank only three years ago. The company has rapidly expanded from a team of one, (CK8 founder and CEO, Kristoff DuBose) to a diverse team of 18 people from all over the UK and beyond.

Cirkularis8 has a wide-ranging client base but there is one name that stands out because it has become part of its lexicon – in fact, it’s now used as a verb…

You guessed it - Zoom! This longstanding relationship aligns perfectly with the CK8 ethos of not just looking forward,

18

Warwick-based music charity Armonico Consort has been adapting during lockdown to bring the joy of singing and music to people online in their own homes.

The over-60s and those isolating who have been acutely hit by lockdown have been taking part in free daily Sing with Simon singalongs via YouTube with one of Armonico Consort’s professional choir leaders, Simon Lole. Singing has been medically proven to lift spirits and improve

mental health and the organisation has been filming singing sessions for the benefit of people in care homes, sheltered housing and retirement villages in the area including Austin Heath in Warwick.

Music has also been shown to benefit those with dementia and Armonico Consort is working with groups connected with the Alzheimer’s Society on a unique and bespoke programme of music therapy sessions for dementia sufferers called

Unlocking Baroque Memories, delivered by its professional musicians.

Armonico Consort’s singing education programme AC Academy works with schools and music hubs, including Coventry Music, Solihull Music Service and Severn Arts, to promote singing in schools.

Members of AC Academy’s after school choirs based in Warwick, Coventry and Solihull, have been accessing online singing and coaching sessions via Facebook, Zoom and Skype, and its Voice Squad workplace choirs, including Coventry City Council, have also been continuing their weekly sessions via Zoom.

Artistic director Christopher Monks has been hosting ‘A Crafty Beer with …’ world-class artists in a series of early evening Q&A interviews on Facebook.

He said: “Coronavirus stopped us and everyone in their tracks but we’ve worked intensively and swiftly to re-invent ourselves to deliver virtual sessions for those we already work with, create and deliver new and exciting online projects to support those in society most affected by isolation, and give vital work to our professional musicians who have seen their livelihoods collapse as a result of the crisis.”

For details visit www.armonico.org.uk

Beechwood retains contractor status Beechwood Trees and Landscapes has been awarded retention of the full Arboricultural Association-approved contractor status (ArbAC), the only comprehensive accreditation scheme for professional tree surgery businesses in the UK. The company was the first and only ArbAC contractor in Coventry.

The scheme recognises high standards of tree works, safety and efficiency and offers a benchmark for arboricultural contracting throughout the UK and Ireland.

Simon Rotheram, managing director of Beechwood Trees and Landscapes, said: “We have been an Arb-approved contractor for in excess of ten years, but we’re

delighted to be successfully audited again for this accreditation and to be recognised for our efforts. It is a great accolade for us and means we are be able to promote the company as having reached the highest standards in arboriculture. The whole team deserves to be proud of this and can now show our customers that we’re dedicated to providing a quality service.”

Stewart Wardrop, chief executive of the association, said: “The Arboricultural Association was pleased to re-award Beechwood Trees and Landscapes approved contractor status having successfully completed all areas of our stringent assessment. This is the only comprehensive accreditation scheme

for tree work in the UK and certifies approved businesses as experts in a range of work.”

Beechwood Trees and Landscapes is one of the country’s leading tree surgery, arboricultural, and site vegetation contractors. Established in 1998, the company continues to show sustainable growth and development and is now recognised as one of the most forwardthinking, innovative businesses within the industry.

To find out more please visit www.beechwoodtrees.co.uk

Family business diversifies during challenging times In 1987 John and Barbara Easter bought their first marquee to help supplement the family income. They both worked in education so the idea was to put a tent up in the summer holidays for village fetes and parties.

Thirty-three years on and Cotswold Marquees is a thriving business with two industrial units in Brailes, operating all year round thanks to the development of integrated flooring and heating systems.

The manufacturing side of the business began when a small frame at the RSC was damaged in the wind and the unit was needed the next night with no time to send away. An industrial sewing machine and a high-frequency welder were quickly sourced. They now manufacture new but looking beyond, and seeking out unconventional, innovative opportunities and solutions. It is just this mindset, and a member of the team based in the Midlands, that inspired the opening of a second space, this time outside London.

This gives the team an opportunity to work closely with clients in the regions and provides a place to meet and collaborate.

It is thanks to Jo Ford (newly promoted CFO and local resident) and her involvement in local networking groups that the company decided to create a second home in rural Warwickshire.

CK8’s expansion and development has always been focused on a vision beyond that of COVID-19 and with this in mind it has developed a three-fold consultancy

covers and marquee linings and repair for other marque companies.

The company has now diversified into making a range of bespoke items for the public and industry. The manufacturing and repair side enables John and Barbara to retain their skilled marquee staff through the winter months.

In early 2019, a decision was made to expand the manufacturing side of the business and with a European Grant from the Rural Development Agency the company’s unit for furniture store was demolished. In February 2020, the new development started.

The COVID crisis put a stop to all gatherings and wiped out the income for and strategy, comprising people, process and design, which will enable companies to formulate a robust return to work programme.

The people part of this strategy is a matter very close to the company’s heart, as it is dedicated advocates of mental health and wellbeing. Founder sponsors of the Mad World Summit and sponsors of the first ever 24hr online Global Mental Health conference – The G24 Summit – the company is committed to raising awareness and ending the stigma associated with mental health.

This commitment extends to the company’s own employees too, who are actively encouraged to seek out training and development – in fact, it’s a key part

the 2020 season, although thankfully many people have rebooked events for 2021.

Barbara said: “John is never happy unless busy so straight away he wondered how we might generate some employment for the staff once the lockdown and furlough was ended as there would be no hires. The new need for handwashing before and after leaving a site set him thinking and he set about designing a mobile, freestanding, touch-free unit.

“We thought it might seem a bit odd for a marquee company to branch into this type of work so we brought forward the naming of the manufacturing side of the business and Cotswold Manufacturing & Design was born.”

of their inventive candidacy process. The company is excited to be spreading its wings on its way to becoming a pioneer in a new, people-centric way of working.

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Nimbus DTI

Is your company overpaying for your Microsoft Licenses?

From the Microsoft Office Product Suite to Dynamics CRM, Microsoft often represents a core component of a company’s IT solutions. The Microsoft Licencing models have been designed to provide flexibility and options to fit all companies needs and budgets.

Over recent years, Microsoft has been transitioning to a pay as you go service model across their entire product range, which presents a new opportunity to save money.

Nimbus can help you save up to 20% on your Microsoft license fees.

By Jack Hazell, Director of Operations

We are a Microsoft recognised Gold Partner and a Microsoft Cloud Solutions Provider, so we are therefore able to help our customers secure discounts on Microsoft License products.

On average, our customers save over 10% with some savings being as high as 20%.

We are currently providing over 300 licenses across a variety of products to Cambridge and Counties Bank, here is what they have to say about working with Nimbus:

“As a recognised Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider, Nimbus were able to immediately help us make significant savings across a range of our Microsoft applications.

Nimbus have been professional, efficient and reliable; their attitude and output has quickly established them as one of our trusted and valued IT partners.”

We provide a variety of transparent pricing options.

We will make sure you are aware of what you required to pay, and there are no additional costs or hidden extras.

Whether it’s just one license for a single product or licenses for thousands of users, we can help you obtain savings.

We want to be your trusted and valued innovation partner of choice. If you would like some more information or advice, please get in touch.

Nimbus lead the way in providing collaborative, agile and adaptive digital and technological innovations that enables our customers to benefit from running their business and IT services in the cloud.

Our success has been built by forming partnerships with our customers, allowing us to provide ‘best in class’ cloud solutions that meet their needs and solve their challenges. www.cw-chamber.co.uk

nimbusdti.co.uk 19

Profile: Rob Matts

Tackling the skills shortage Rob Matts is the epitome of practising what you preach.

Rob, who went to school in the West Midlands, is Head of Skills Support for the Workforce (SSW) for Serco, the programme responsible for helping to upskill workforces up and down the country.

His role takes in 17 regions – including Coventry and Warwickshire, where businesses can benefit from a £4.5m skills training fund which runs until July 2021 and offers funded training and accreditation for employees in businesses located in the city and county.

And, away from the day-to-day push to get more firms upskilling their teams, he’s spending his own out-ofoffice hours upskilling himself!

“I have recently returned to education,” he said. “I am currently studying for an MBA through the Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship programme, alongside my full-time job. This takes up a lot of my spare time, but will be worth it in the end!”

Rob grew up in Northamptonshire, not far from the Warwickshire border, and went to secondary school in Stourbridge. He studied Management with French at Bath University, including a one-year sandwich placement in Paris, to offer a ‘broad base’ upon which to start a career.

“Over the last 16 years I have worked in and around government and European funding,” he said.

“I initially worked for a consultancy that provided grant recipients and public funding bodies delivering skills, enterprise, and regeneration projects with services such as audit/assurance, project management and evaluation.

20

“I then moved into the Further Education sector, managing both European Social Fund and mainstream adult education contracts both directly and through supply chains. I moved to Serco to work on the first generation of Skills Support for the Workforce, performance managing a supply chain across the South West of England, and have since moved into this role to manage the subsequent second, and now third generation of SSW. “Managing the delivery of the Skills Support for the Workforce contracts gives me great satisfaction when you look at the number of individuals and businesses that have taken up the available funding.

“This is supporting employees to continue on their lifelong learning journey, giving them better career prospects and more confidence as a result. It also provides businesses with access to government funding to train their staff without which many would be unable to fund the development of their employees.

“Skills development is key to economic development, and never more so than now as the country

embarks on a COVID-19 recovery.

Being able to support this recovery through training and development is something that motivates me.”

Serco Group’s roots go back to 1929 and the company has since established itself as a leading specialist in the delivery of essential public services with more than 50,000 people working across the organisation’s defence, transport, justice, immigration, healthcare and citizen services sectors, globally.

The Skills Support for the Workforce programme sits under the citizen services sector of Serco’s operations and is co-financed by the Education and Skills Funding Agency and the European Social Fund.

The programme has been developed to upskill employees within small and medium-sized businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire, providing recognised accredited qualifications and bespoke training courses to enhance employees’ skills, increase the competitiveness of businesses, and boost the local economy.

It has been designed, in partnership with the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, to

“Working with our delivery partners, we adapted the delivery model so that the majority of training was delivered online or via distance learning.

A recent survey of our delivery partners showed the amount of online training delivered has increased from 50 per cent pre-Coronavirus to 94 per cent since the lockdown was imposed.”

focus on the real needs of the regional economy and focuses on key sectors including advanced manufacturing & engineering, construction, retail, IT services & digital creative, logistics, education, culture & tourism and health & social care.

Since the contract started in April 2019, Serco has supported 1,800 learners from 280 businesses in the region.

Rob said: “The idea is to create a more efficient business with improved profitability, a highly skilled workforce delivering quality outputs for their customers and improving business performance.

“It’s proven to improve staff satisfaction and motivation, reducing staff turnover and creates a wider appeal to new recruits by becoming ‘An Employer of Choice’.

“Every company is looking for a competitive advantage in the marketplace and improved chance of winning new business, SSW can support that.”

The programme also offers training for individuals at risk of redundancy or recently made redundant, through the Skills Support for Redundancy (SSR) initiative. If a business is facing an organisational restructure or the prospect of making hard decisions about staff redundancy, there is funded support available to them.

That has been brought into even sharper focus due to the current crisis which has had an impact on Rob and his team.

He said: “I am supported by a number of regional managers who manage the day-to-day running of the local contracts, to ensure targets are met, alongside managers responsible for data, quality and assurance.

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Profile: Rob Matts “My role is quite broad, and covers strategic planning, budget setting/ monitoring, forecasting, customer meetings, reporting, and working with other parts of Serco to add value to SSW. “As we run 17 regional contracts, our team is spread across England, with a data team in North Wales.

Many of the team are field-based and work remotely. Managing such a remote, dispersed team can have its challenges, including communication and staff engagement.

“Fortunately, we have a great team and engagement levels are high. We all make time to meet virtually once a week, with different sub-teams providing business updates. Making time for this is important,as it helps with communication and team building.

“The Coronavirus has had an impact on the service we deliver in Coventry and Warwickshire.

Lockdown restrictions have impacted on demand for training and ability to deliver training. The impact varies by sector. Some sectors shut overnight (leisure, hospitality, non-essential retail), whilst other sectors have continued operating. However, social distancing restrictions have made it difficult to deliver face-to-face training and assessment.

“Working with our delivery partners, we adapted the delivery model so that the majority of training was delivered online or via distance learning.

A recent survey of our delivery partners showed the amount of online training delivered has increased from 50 per cent pre-Coronavirus to 94 per cent since the lockdown was imposed.

“This has allowed us to continue offering the service and support businesses during this challenging period. Delivery partners have also worked with awarding bodies to ensure that learners that were on programmes at the start of the lockdown could continue to be supported with remote assessment where possible.

“The Coronavirus is likely to have a lasting impact on the skills requirements of businesses.

“In addition to an increased appetite for online training, there is likely to be more demand from individuals and businesses for digital skills training to support remote working and to increase productivity.

“Business leaders will need digital leadership training to support them to understand the digital challenges of the future and plan their response to those challenges. Both individuals and businesses will need skills to build resilience, to enable them to withstand future disruptions.

“Furthermore, the economic impact of the Coronavirus will require large scale redeployment, supported by skills and training to help those moving out of one sector to enter employment in a new sector.”

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Rob believes the region has a bright future once it emerges from the current crisis and that improving skills will have a major role to play in building a solid economic recovery in the city and the county.

He said: “Coventry and Warwickshire has a lot to offer business. It is situated right in the heart of the country, offering key road and rail links and easy accessibility to London.

“The region has established itself as a centre for advanced engineering and manufacturing in sectors such as automotive, low carbon and digital technologies. It also boasts two universities - Coventry and Warwick, with other universities not far away in Leicester and Birmingham, giving businesses a large pool of talent to access.

“With Coventry named as the 2021 UK City of Culture and popular tourist destinations such as StratfordUpon-Avon, Coventry Cathedral and Warwick Castle, it also has a thriving visitor economy which benefits many businesses. These must be nurtured through the recovery.

“Engagement in skills will only help to further develop the Coventry and Warwickshire area. Developing a skilled workforce will help to improve productivity, innovation, enterprise and competitiveness, and build the skills needed to compete in the knowledge-based economy.

“Although the region’s manufacturing heritage and leading universities have contributed to a skilled workforce, there are areas where individuals still have no or low qualifications.

“Basic skills support for these individuals can promote sustainable employment and social inclusion.

There is also the need to develop individuals at Level 2 and Level 3 to close technical skills gaps across many sectors.

“In addition, there is demand for softer skills such as planning and organisation, customer service, problem solving, communication and team working. Leadership and management skills continue to be a priority particularly in small and medium sized businesses, to support both day-to-day operations and succession planning.

“Also, increased automation in some sectors will require large scale re-skilling to support individuals to move in to new roles and new careers.

“It’s a challenge that we are helping to tackle every day and, as someone who is committed to learning myself, I’d only encourage businesses and their employees to do all they can to upskill.”

Businesses that want to find out more about SSW or SSR should contact skillssupport@serco.com or visit www.serco-ssw.com

Rob Matts Born:

Northampton

Live:

Gloucestershire

Married:

Yes

Hobbies:

Cycling, Gym, Rugby

Children:

Two girls

Favourite Book:

The Day of the Jackal

Favourite Film:

Gladiator

Last Holiday:

Cornwall

Gadget:

Smart Speaker

“Engagement in skills will only help to further develop the Coventry and Warwickshire area. Developing a skilled workforce will help to improve productivity, innovation, enterprise and competitiveness, and build the skills needed to compete in the knowledge-based economy.”

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News

Diversification is the key to economic recovery

Flexibility on holiday entitlements needed

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is now open and available for fishing.

Visit www.heartparkfishing.com to book a space online.

3) Logs – some of the dead trees have been stripped out of the woods to allow for growth of the newly planted trees.

Surplus logs are bagged and can be bought and collected from outside their gates.

4) Camping and caravanning – they are looking to open up their camping areas ready for the summer. With infrastructure already in situ: electric points, water, showers and toilets and a collection of quirky outdoor accommodation, they’re ready to go.

MD Stephen Hammon said: “It’s simple: if we stood still, we wouldn’t survive.

I have a duty to protect my staff and their jobs as much as I possibly can and also the

business. I am not saying it has been easy; some difficult choices have had to be made.

I am relieved that lockdown is slowly lifting and am hopeful for the future and will continue to diversify wherever we can.

“The Chamber’s support has been invaluable and reading the newsletters has been something that has kept us going.”

HydroGarden plots next phase of expansion An innovative manufacturer and wholesaler is expanding its UK headquarters in Coventry to continue its world-wide expansion after receiving help from a business support organisation.

HydroGarden, which was launched in 1994, is the largest European wholesaler of hydroponics – the process of growing plants indoors – following its merger earlier this year with Grow In AG in Berlin, Germany, as well as being a manufacturer of plant feeds.

The business sells world-leading brands and its own products to 33 countries and has warehouses in South Africa and Australia and offices in China and Spain as well as its UK headquarters in Progress Way in Binley.

HydroGarden has now received planning permission to develop two of its existing buildings totalling 6,000m2 by adding a

TESTING TIMES® Number Sense The Workbook

By Stephanie Madden

third building to increase its premises by an additional 2,500m2.

The 90-strong company has received advice and support from the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub. Stuart Green, one of the owners of HydroGarden, said COVID-19 had not affected its business greatly in terms of orders but they were mindful of the future.

“We own three buildings but we wanted to expand our current site, investing in Coventry, and the Growth Hub was really good in helping us with the planning process and considering future grant applications,” he said.

“Work will start on creating a new building because we’re a busy, growing business and we need more warehouse space.”

HydroGarden has also launched a subsidiary called V-Farm, which is focused on farming vertically indoors using LED lights in warehouses, disused buildings and retail spaces.

For more information, visit www.v-farm.co.uk

HydroGarden is expanding its UK headquarters in Coventry

Maths tutor diversifies by teaching online Maths

Businesses and their staff in Coventry and Warwickshire are being urged to compromise when it comes to holiday entitlements for the remainder of 2020.

Paul Lawrie, director of HansonLawrie – an HR and recruitment company that works with businesses across the region and nationally – was speaking on the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s latest Business Intelligence call for its corporate members and strategic partners.

He was giving firms from across the patch an update on issues relating to their workforce during the coronavirus crisis, from bringing people back from furlough to the redundancy process.

Paul told the audience that many businesses were reviewing what to do when it comes to annual leave, as staff would be vying for time off as they return to work, adding additional pressure to businesses as the economy begins to restart.

He said the best approach was to communicate with staff and that the majority will understand the business’s needs in such an unprecedented situation.

Paul said: “Businesses have to manage holidays for the remainder of this year because companies do not want to be in a position where staff have either been furloughed or continuing to work but haven’t taken much – if any – annual leave.

“You could get to a point where the economy is restarting and people are trying to get a year’s worth of holiday into just three or four months.

“The best approach is to communicate with the team now, showing that you understand that staff need rest and recuperation but also get a level of understanding from the workforce of what the business needs over the coming weeks and months.”

Hazel Pilling, membership manager of the Chamber, said: “We were very grateful for the insight Paul could give on the many HR-related issues that businesses are facing in the current climate.

“There are so many things for companies to consider and holiday entitlement is something that every business and every employee will have to weigh up in the coming weeks.”

Companies looking for support during the coronavirus crisis should visit https://cw-chamber.co.uk/ covid-19-recovery-hub/

The hospitality industry like so many others was hit hard by the pandemic.

Hotels, restaurants, bars and conference centres everywhere were forced to close their doors. The harsh reality is that some have not or will not survive so diversification has been at the top of some business’ agendas.

The Heart of England Conference and Events Centre in Coventry is one of those companies looking at different revenue streams during lockdown.

1) Office pods – with home working likely to be more popular than ever even after the lockdown, they have been using their empty conference spaces to design and build office pods. More details soon at www.heartpods.co.uk 2) Fishing – their carp-filled lake once only used for team-building activities

Illustrated by Zoë Bread

A Stratford maths tutor has completely transformed her business due to the coronavirus pandemic by moving teaching sessions online, in a move which could see her work internationally in the future.

Steph Madden of Testing Times Maths offers tutoring services to students with maths difficulties, maths anxiety and those with the learning disorder dyscalculia, which causes difficulties in comprehending arithmetic.

The specialist maths practitioner was forced to stop holding face-to-face sessions in schools and at her home following the outbreak of COVID-19 but has diversified in a bid to keep her business running. She now holds tutoring sessions through Skype, including continuing her volunteer work with students from low-income and refugee families.

Steph is also receiving support from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, forming part of the CW Business: Start, Grow and Scale Programme. It is also funded by Warwickshire County Council and the district & borough councils.

Steph received support to develop her wider business plan, which includes releasing a workbook to help to teach core number sense – something which could also now happen sooner than planned.

Steph said: “My business has always been face-to-face and I’ve never really had an interest

in technology, but I faced losing all of my students overnight so I knew I needed to take action.

“My tutoring sessions are very multisensory so I was unsure how well they would be delivered online, but they have actually translated beautifully and we are still able to do all of the activities we normally would.”

Keely Hancox, operations manager at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It is fantastic to see how Steph has diversified her business to enable her to continue offering tutoring services through an online platform.”

For more information visit cw-chamber-startup.eventbrite.co.uk

Three tenants sign up in Coventry Three new tenants have been secured for retail units in Coventry city centre – despite the COVID-19 lockdown.

Commercial property agent Holt Commercial has let two units in Hertford Street and one on Shelton Square and says it shows that confidence in the city remains strong.

Two of the three deals see businesses locating to Coventry city centre for the first time and include a Leicestershirebased butchers and a new convenience and food store outlet.

The final unit has been let to Fantasy and Reality, which is relocating to 38 Hertford Street from its previous city centre premises on Smithford Way. Chris Hobday, associate at Holt Commercial, said: “This is clearly

very positive news, particularly in the current climate when getting deals done is difficult due to the logistical issues that result from lockdown and social distancing measures.

“The interest in city centre units has remained and, over recent months, we’ve attracted a diverse mix of businesses that have all added to the range of outlets in Coventry.

“The fact that we are still receiving enquiries, and concluding lease transactions in the current circumstances, shows that the city continues to display strong appeal.

“There are a number of factors that are making Coventry attractive but being UK City of Culture and the general improvements that are taking place in the

city centre are certainly high among those having a positive impact.

“Nobody knows exactly when we will return to normal and what that “normal” will look like, but these are positive signs that businesses have confidence in Coventry’s ability to recover.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

You’re an insolvency practitioner - you must be busy? schemes. Whilst these funds continue to be paid out, the tidal wave of work that some might have expected us to see in the insolvency world is yet, if at all, to come.

At the time of writing, we are, but not as you might think.

Because of the current pandemic and the headline insolvencies (often retail) people think we must be very busy.

Companies continue to receive unprecedented levels of financial support at the current time. This is in the form of grants, loans, debt purchase agreements, business rates holidays, job retention schemes and statutory sick pay

Once companies’ funds are spent and/or they begin to reopen, we may start to see a rise in formal restructuring or insolvency work.

It isn’t cheap to reopen, restock, retrain, test and conform in order to trade in today’s new normal and many of those costs are exceptional and unplanned. The government are treading a fine line between rescuing the economy with preserving our health and our lives. One of the last sectors to open is likely to be indoor leisure such as pubs, restaurants, cinemas etc. and one must question whether they can trade profitably with a 2 metre self-distancing rule.

I expect that will reduce to 1 metre very soon if it hasn’t already by the time this comes to print.

So yes, we are busy, busy talking to business owners about how to prepare and plan for reopenings, how to manage cash flows and how to avoid using the insolvency side of our offering. Our work has been focussing on preventative measures/ recovery. But, for some, they will need to rely on us for restructuring,

rescue and planned closure and we are here to guide them through the process should they need to take that decision.

Our economy appears to be moving towards a gradual reopening and, as a result, the focus of our work may well change again.

‘It isn’t cheap to reopen, restock, retrain, test and conform in order to trade in today’s new normal and many of those costs are exceptional and unplanned. The government are treading a fine line between rescuing the economy with preserving our health and our lives.’

For your initial discussion that is free of charge, always in confidence and without obligation please call John Rimmer or any member of the BRI Business Recovery and Insolvency management team on 02476 226839 or email jrimmer@briuk.co.uk

IPN and IPP celebrate ten-year partnership Animal magic is the secret ingredient in a pet project between two expanding businesses that have demonstrated that decade-long loyalty and collaboration are proving to be a dog’s best friend.

Inspired Pet Nutrition (IPN), an independent manufacturer of dry pet food, has marked a significant business milestone by celebrating its ten-year collaborative relationship with IPP, a pooler and producer of sustainable wooden pallets.

Formerly known as Wagg Foods, IPN began its relationship with Coventry-based IPP in 2010 and the two businesses have expanded together ever since.

IPP opened a 100,000 sq ft distribution centre (DC) near to its existing facilities at Dalton Airfield, North Yorkshire in 2016 after investing £7 million developing a semi-automated site with the capacity to store more than 15,000 pallets.

The investment is in addition to the £20 million the business spent on automating production in its other two existing mills over the last three years.

The investment has facilitated multiple new product launches in branded pet foods and own brand labels for leading supermarkets and specialist pet retailers,

IPN celebrates ten-year anniversary with IPP. Link here to IPP/IPN collaboration video https://youtu.be/7sgwoU1OwsQ

necessitating a significant hike in pallet volumes and the introduction of Europallets into the UK market, the growth of which are expected to run into double digits.

The relationship with IPP provides continuity at a time of great change for IPN as well as a working partnership to help drive further efficiencies.

IPN’s logistics manager, Andy Carver, said: “IPP has been a great partner to IPN over the last ten years and we continue to work well together in driving greater efficiencies in our supply chain and waste reduction.”

Phil Storer, UK and Ireland director at IPP, said: “We are also excited to be working closely with IPN on a number of interesting new collaborations that will take the relationship onto the next level.”

For more information visit www.ipn.co.uk and www.ipp-pooling.com

The Leadership Coaches volunteers to support the NHS The Leadership Coaches has been actively supporting people in need of its services, people who currently do not have the budget or simply need the expertise of its coaches as they are operating in key industries.

One of our coaches is voluntarily coaching on the NHS Leadership Academy, supporting leaders in the NHS. In addition, almost all of our coaches have volunteered and are in the process of embarking on project5.org to provide 40-plus hours a week of voluntary coaching to the NHS. From offering them someone to talk to, helping them deal with the stress they feel, understanding that NHS staff are first-hand experiencing the personal and professional challenges presented by the pandemic, Project5.org is offering wellbeing support to those on the frontline and we are honoured to be a part of this.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Many of our coaches have also reached out to previous clients in leadership positions to support them with complimentary coaching at a time when they need it most.

Director of coaching, Zoe Lewis, said: “We are noticing a few trends and key areas where leadership coaching is currently sought after. These include leading through uncertainty, developing resilience in self and others and emotionally intelligent leadership.”

Here at The Leadership Coaches, our coaches continue to be on hand to offer virtual coaching through the use of Skype, Zoom and telephone. We’ve also been uploading a variety of blogs to our website that can help you and your team through this uncertain period.

If you’d like to find out more, visit https:// www.theleadershipcoaches.co.uk/our-blog

It can be a long road… trust us to pick you up.

BUSINESS + RECOVERY Whatever your circumstances, trust BRI to help you get your business back on its feet.

Our services:

From business recovery to CVAs, administration, debt advice and more, our highly-qualified insolvency experts are dedicated to giving you the best advice.

• Corporate Insolvency

• Restructuring • Personal Insolvency

Whatever your business financial concerns, talk to BRI – we can help you on your way to a healthier future.

For a FREE, CONFIDENTIAL and NO OBLIGATION consultation

Call now on 02476 226839 Kings Chambers, Queens Road, Coventry, CV1 3EH

www.briuk.co.uk

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Coventry & Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust

£5m Emergency Coronavirus Fund Available for Coventry & Warwickshire Businesses The Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust (CWRT) is a not-for-profit, FCA accredited, specialist finance and business support provider committed to supporting businesses and individuals primarily based in Coventry and Warwickshire.

CWRT was founded in 2004 and sixteen years later, its contribution to the region’s small businesses and the communities in which they operate across the region is colossal - and going from strength to strength.

The Trust’s work between 2010 and 2020 had an Economic Value Impact of just over £40million.

During that time, it provided 6,900 commercial, personal and start up loan’s worth more than £19million. That funding safeguarded 904 jobs and created a further 720. It enabled the creation of 250 start ups and 198 women-led businesses.

CWRT understands that now more than ever, small businesses and individuals will need support as the situation surrounding COVID-19 evolves. Small businesses and communities across Coventry & Warwickshire may face liquidity challenges, job losses, and project stagnation, in addition to tightening credit which may impact on the ability of small businesses to make payroll, make the necessary changes to ensure their business is COVID-secure and have enough cash flow available to survive the storm.

Sheridan Sulskis, Executive Director, explains further, “CWRT is an ethical lender supporting entrepreneurship and jobs in communities under-served by mainstream providers. We are well positioned to channel investment into traditionally overlooked businesses, helping them to rebuild, adapt, diversify and add new employment in the months to come.”

“As an accredited Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) provider on behalf of the British Business Bank, we are devoted to tackling this local disparity in the market by offering a dedicated loan package specifically designed to support these SMEs through volatile credit markets and tightening credit conditions.”

In support of CWRT providing Governmentbacked CBIL loans to SME’s in Coventry and Warwickshire, Warwickshire County Council, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, Rugby Borough Council and Coventry City Council have invested a total of £5m for CWRT to on-lend to local businesses who are

experiencing lost or deferred revenues, leading to disruptions to their cashflow.

Sheridan continues, “We are committed to using our finance in a creative and positive way to support the social and economic wellbeing of Coventry and Warwickshire. Crucially, our collaborative interventions can lead to improvements in living standards, individual’s sense of well-being, wealth creation, new entrepreneurial ventures, new jobs as well as a more vibrant economy. This is facilitated through ensuring that these communities are better positioned to generate local opportunities for themselves and withstand the impact of economic shocks by becoming more economically resilient.”

This funding is only available until September 2020. So, if you are a business that has been impacted by these unprecedented times and need some additional working capital, then get in touch with our friendly, dedicated team and we will guide you through the process.

Meet the Team: Leah Blocksidge – Head of Programmes “I have been helping businesses secure finance for over 5 years; there is nothing better than helping individuals start up their dream business, as well as, those who have well established businesses and want to grow! Here at CWRT, we really put ourselves in the business’s shoes and understand what the business needs in order to survive and thrive. I’m looking forward to speaking with all our local businesses to help guide them through this uncertain time.”

Andrew Scarborough – Head of Lending “I’ve been with CWRT since 2011 and this is my fourth or fifth career! The first was with Ford Motor Company’s finance and leasing division before joining a mobile phone distribution & retail group. I’ve also run my own businesses; one in retail and another providing education and teambuilding workshops to schools and businesses.

I’ve worked in finance, marketing, sales, and customer service and I know the pressure of being responsible for the success or failure of a business, and the people working there.”

David Owen – Loans Officer “I’ve recently joined CWRT after 34 years with the commercial division of a global clearing bank. I’ve always enjoyed the variety of supporting a diverse range of local businesses and hearing about their ambitions. With CWRT, I’ve been able to find solutions for small businesses that have struggled to get support from their banks, which is very rewarding.”

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www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Are You Eligible for a Government-backed Loan?

To see if your business is eligible for funding, please complete the simple eligibility form below https://www.cwrt.uk.com/cbils-eligibility Alternatively, you can call our team on 02476 551 777, who can run through some questions and confirm eligibility.

How Do I Apply? 5 Easy steps...

CWRT aims to process a full application within 10* working days from the day it is received. *note that turnaround times depend on the quality and complexity of application

“As an accredited Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) provider on behalf of the British Business Bank, we are devoted to tackling this local disparity in the market by offering a dedicated loan package specifically designed to support these SMEs through volatile credit markets and tightening credit conditions.�

Sheridan Sulskis, Executive Director

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

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Former Wasps players reunite to raise money for charities Hundreds of former Wasps players have reunited virtually to raise more than £20,000 for a variety of charities during the coronavirus lockdown.

More than 250 male and female players who have pulled on the famous black and gold jersey – otherwise known as the Wasps Legends – have joined a private WhatsApp group whereby members raise a toast to different causes every Friday from 5pm, while donating

money along the way. All proceeds have been donated to the Wasps Legends Charitable Foundation, a grant-giving charity raising money through the Wasps family for the wider community, and has helped raise more than £1 million for local and overseas community projects since its inception in 2012.

Four small grants worth £2,500 each are being made to rugby-related charities that are using the sport to make a positive difference in communities, including Dallaglio RugbyWorks, the School of Hard Knocks, the

Serge Betsen Academy and Restart Rugby. Peter Scrivener, trustee of the Wasps Legends Charitable Foundation who also played for Wasps between 1992 and 2003, has been blown away by the generosity and support the former players have shown.

He said: “The WhatsApp group was set up by former player Chris Eke and has grown to something we are all very proud of. It brings a bit of light to what is a very challenging time for everyone at the moment.

“Maintaining positive mental health in sport, business and daily life is even more challenging during this

lockdown, and as a charity we hope this weekly get-together helps in a small way.”

Stephen Vaughan, chief executive (sport) at Wasps Group, praised the Wasps Legends for their fundraising efforts.

He added: “To raise such a significant amount of money in just four weeks is staggering.

It underlines the strong bond that exists between former and existing players.”

For more information about the Wasps Legends Charitable Foundation, visit www.waspslegends.co.uk

Coventry engineering firm invests in new production technology Coventry-based steering systems specialist, Pailton Engineering, has invested in a HAAS VF-2SS machining centre to boost production and design capabilities.

This latest purchase is part of the business’s longterm modernisation strategy to improve manufacturing flexibility for its made-to-order steering parts.

With the purchase of this high-spec computer numerical control (CNC) machine, Pailton Engineering continues its process of investing strategically to modernise and innovate. Chosen specifically

for its wide range of tooling and automation capabilities, the machine combines multiple processes into one unit.

The HAAS VF-2SS is a vertical machining centre that will contribute to increasing production volumes at Pailton Engineering. Namely, the last two letters in the product title stand for “super speed”.

At 12,000 rpm, this CNC machine mills and drills faster than previous models. Equally, the tool changer switches at a high speed between the 31 tools it can hold.

The new HAAS VF-2SS is known in the industry

for its usability. It has a wireless probing system that simplifies the setup process and reduces downtime. For Pailton Engineering machine operators, this means that they can upload data from computer-aided design (CAD) software more easily.

The latest addition to the factory floor will improve Pailton Engineering’s design flexibility because it is not only computer-controlled, but also interconnected. The new machine can be connected wirelessly to the internet to monitor the status of machine health and performance on a portable device.

Roger Brereton, head of sales at Pailton Engineering, said: “Our customers build vehicles that operate in the harshest environments — on or off the road. To build steering systems that excel in these conditions, we need the most modern machinery. With the new HAAS, our engineers can make design changes faster and we can produce more efficiently — while always working to the high standards we are known for.”

Software management tools boost efficiency at Barnes Coaches Swindon-based PSV operator and CPT member, Barnes Coaches, has reported improvements in compliance control and overall efficiency since the installation of software management tools from transport compliance expert TruTac. Developed by TruTac in partnership with the Confederation of Passenger Transport, the CPT Tacho Analysis software package includes complete web-based digital and analogue tachograph analysis, supporting EU and GB domestic drivers’ hours rules – specifically for PSV drivers (including Working Time Directive regulations).

The intuitive cloud-based system used

by Barnes includes TruTac’s CPT Tacho

Analysis, CPT Daily Checks, CPT Licence Checks and TruTime. The combination of these modular systems provides Barnes Coaches with instant access to clear and concise compliance data, including manager and driver dashboards with KPI reporting.

For driver debriefing, the infringement debrief module can be linked to training and disciplinary issues, while drivers can log on to their own area of the system via an app or PC to review their duties, daily rest status, earliest next duty-start and other compliance data.

With 40 coaches in the fleet and utilisation on the rise since the recent easing of coronavirus restrictions, Barnes needs to monitor every vehicle for defects so that corrective action can quickly be taken and downtime kept to a minimum.

Director Matt Barnes said: “This is where CPT Daily Checks proves to be very effective. Our drivers always pre-check the vehicle in their charge before setting off and that’s a given. However, before we introduced the software, it was not always possible to accurately record and cross-check any defect observations in a way which provided a solid audit trail and ongoing input from the engineering department to advise with regards to any necessary action.”

Now, using the Daily Checks module with CPT-approved templates, Barnes’ drivers can carry out inspections for all checks and from their mobile app, submit instant results, including photos and detailed notes to the engineering manager for immediate review and rectification. Furthermore, drivers now have full visibility of their working-time, infringements and tachograph data.

Guthrie Douglas on expansion trail A Warwickshire company that specialises in manufacturing blinds for complex buildings is planning to more than double turnover and take on new staff after investing in its growth.

Guthrie Douglas, which is based at the Heathcote Industrial Estate, was established nearly 40 years ago and makes blinds which are sold all over the world. Recent orders include automated shading systems for the new Google Headquarters in London, through to a skyscraper in Sydney and a new airport in Kuwait.

The company saw an opportunity to grow by making more of the parts inhouse and that meant purchasing a new CNC lathe and also adapting its Warwick headquarters to create more space.

The overall investment was £150,000 and, after contacting the Business Ready team at the University of Warwick Science Park, Guthrie Douglas secured a capital grant of £35,000 through Warwickshire County Council.

Business Ready is managed by the business support team at the University of Warwick Science Park and is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Warwickshire County Council as part of the CW Business: Start, Grow & Scale Programme.

Andrew Kitching, managing director of Guthrie Douglas, said the investment will see the company significantly increase its staff numbers and grow turnover from £2 million per annum to £5 million over a three-year period.

He said: “By making more of the components in our blind systems inhouse, we saw this as an opportunity to grow the business which is already trading very successfully.

“Around 80 per cent of what we do is export, mostly to high-end construction projects. We deliver projects in around 35 different countries each year and because of the nature of the jobs we are working on, it’s a very resilient market.”

For more information on Business Ready and the help available, go to http://www.business-ready.co.uk/

Engineering firm to create jobs if face-mask project gets green light An innovative automotive engineering firm in Coventry will more than double its workforce if its design to manufacture face masks for frontline NHS staff is given the go-ahead.

MarchantCain, based at Banner Park in Wickmans Drive, has submitted its plans to the official testers, the British Standards Institution (BSI), in Milton Keynes to ensure their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) meets stringent standards.

The company, which currently employs 22 staff, is still working on automotive business for its clients around the world but was contacted by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub to see if they could answer the government’s plea to manufacture PPE. The designers at MarchantCain have developed a face mask and have produced 3D printed jigs and fixtures to help assemble between 10,000 and 80,000 masks a week.

Pamela Cain, a director at MarchantCain, said up to 34 people will be recruited to work on two shifts if they are given the green light. “We wanted to make a face mask that was washable and comfortable after seeing the pictures of staff with bruised faces and the amount of PPE that is being thrown away,” she said.

“Through our contacts we have spoken to a protective respiratory equipment

consultant who agreed to look at our design. “He said that of the 100 possible designs he has looked at, he believes ours is one of the very few which will go through testing successfully.”

Justine Chadwick, account manager at the CWLEP Growth Hub, said it was great to see highly-skilled businesses such as MarchantCain diversifying in these difficult times.

“MarchantCain is renowned for its design, prototype and manufacturing skills in the automotive sector and this has shown their adaptability to help resolve the nationwide shortage of PPE,” she said.

At MarchantCain’s official opening last summer when they moved to Banner Park are, back, from the left, Phil Peak (CWLEP Growth Hub), Rob Marchant (MarchantCain) and Jim Griffin (MarchantCain).

Front, Pam Cain (MarchantCain) and Craig Humphrey (CWLEP Growth Hub).

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News

Lanemark clinches deal with Turkish distributor Coventry firm strikes partnership with motorsport giant A Coventry business has been working with one of the world’s most iconic motorsport companies as part of the Ventilator Challenge UK Project.

Whiteley Brooks Engineering in Brandon Road, Binley, which was established in 1965, usually supplies high-quality precision engineering parts for motor sport, medical, automotive, defence, diesel testing and new technologies sectors.

Process gas burner specialist Lanemark Combustion Engineering has announced a major agreement with a new distributor in Turkey.

The link with YETEN Combustion and Energy Technologies, based in Istanbul, will create opportunities for both organisations to add each other’s burner equipment to its range – with each enhancing its services to its customer base.

Adrian Cadman, sales manager at Nuneaton-based Lanemark, said: “YETEN is very well established in the field of high temperature burners which are used extensively in areas such as metal processing. Now, by being able to make selected burners from their range available to our own market, we will be able to develop our involvement in areas such as steel and aluminium manufacturing.”

With an ongoing focus on research, development and design – including the use of state-of-the-art fluent

“We were more than happy to take part because we have such large capacity at our premises in terms of machinery and it felt like we were doing something for the greater good.

“This was 100 per cent the right decision having had an opportunity to help in this terrible time.

Justine Chadwick, account manager at the CWLEP Growth Hub, said: “Whiteley Brooks Engineering was ideally positioned to join McLaren Racing and others in the Ventilator Challenge UK project because of its experience in providing precision-machined components in the medical industry.”

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For more information visit www.lanemark.com

Lorentz Gullachsen has continued to work during the lockdown with product, food and landscape stills and videos but now he is able to do what he loves most: portraits and people images.

Using AoP (Association of Photographers) and Advertising Association guidelines, he has a number of techniques to ensure safe social distancing and good hygiene practice.

A carbon fibre two-metre pole safely ensures subject and photographer are distant enough and Gullachsen’s

Jat Purewal, a director at Whiteley Brooks Engineering, said it had been an opportunity to highlight the diversification abilities of their 35-strong staff as well as the adaptability of their machinery.

“The Growth Hub is always ringing and emailing to check how we are getting on during the coronavirus and mentioned the Ventilator Challenge UK project and so did McLaren Racing, which was part of a consortium to accelerate production of medical ventilators, because of our strong business reputation.

we have with distributors around the world and we are therefore delighted to be able to add YETEN to this list. The area within which both companies have developed globally leading reputations is highly specialist so we are confident that the link between us will offer major gains to our respective customers.”

Back shooting at a safe distance

Its high profile within the industry led to McLaren Racing asking the business to work alongside them on the programme to provide ventilators for the NHS during COVID-19 – on the same day the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub asked them to get involved.

He said: “We have been involved in motorsport for more than 40 years and we have built great relationships with teams involved in the industry.

computational fluid dynamics – and on providing eco-friendlysolutions, YETEN’s reputation reflects the philosophy that has underpinned Lanemark’s own worldwide success for some four decades.

“The organisation also offers extensive test facilities which, again, mirrors our own growing capability in this area,” added Adrian Cadman.

The agreement with YETEN is also set to strengthen Lanemark’s own burner sales in the new distributor’s markets. The company’s (FD) forceddraught oven burners, (TX) tank heating burners and its (DB) duct burners – each used extensively in processing and manufacturing operations from aluminium anodising to food processing – will, in turn, all enhance YETEN’s own market strength.

Jeff Foster, sales director at Lanemark, said: “We are committed to building on the close relationships that

custom umbrella adds additional protection inside.

He said: “I have worked in many strange environments where special masks, equipment and safety practice is essential, including oil platforms and medical theatres, so the new way of working is just another consideration when planning a photo shoot. I even set up a self-portrait to check how it would work; the results were interesting as you can see.”

For more information visit www.gullachsen.com

Recruitment expert prepares Midlands firms for the months ahead There’s no escaping the reality that our local businesses have some challenging times ahead. Back in April, KPMG predicted that the economy in the Midlands would be the worst hit in the country.

With national figures from the Office for National Statistics revealing that the UK economy fell 20.4% in the full lockdown of April, and data from the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub showing that well over 100,000 employees in the Coventry and Warwickshire area alone are furloughed, it’s understandable that Midlands businesses are unsure about how to tackle the future.

However, one local business has taken a radical and proactive approach to the situation which has shown that businesses can regain their footing, and indeed protect their interests.

QPLtalent has a strong reputation in the region for helping businesses with

financial recruitment and director Richard Merkl, has taken a different approach to helping local businesses navigate their recovery from COVID-19.

Richard explained: “We can’t use the same strategies as a few months ago. Businesses need flexible help and support to get going again. Many are experiencing significant changes in operations, both positively and negatively, and they need to be agile enough to adapt. The way to do this is through flexible talent on-boarding.

It’s time to realise the value of contractors.”

It’s no surprise that Richard has managed to shift his business operations to respond to such turbulent times. He has 25 years’ experience in the industry and has ridden out the critical market downturns. Whereas just a few months ago 85% of QPL’s placements were in permanent financial recruitment, 95% are now in contract and interim placements.

Richard said: “Having flexible personnel options such as using finance contractors allows businesses to get the job done without the pain of embargoes on hiring or a stop-start protracted recruitment campaign.”

For more information visit www.quorumpeople.co.uk

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JOHNSONS QUALITY COACH HIRE A SAFE, CLEAN TRAVEL SOLUTION FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Johnsons Quality Coach Travel are an award-winning coach operator ideally located in the heart of the Midlands. We have developed key procedures and guidelines and have been awarded the ‘Good to Go’ status by Visit England for our COVID:19 Risk Assessment.

Coach Travel provides a safe, more secure transport option for your passengers in a controlled, hygienic environment. Our modern, well-equipped, expansive fleet of over 100 vehicles is the perfect solution for transporting your employees and groups with onboard social distancing measures in place and our Safe Operating Procedure.

Make your journey COVID-19 secure: Hand Sanitiser

Clean Air Filtration System

Antibacterial hand sanitiser is available for use on every vehicle for drivers and passengers. Please sanitise your hands before boarding and alighting from the vehicle.

Our coach air-conditioning systems have been upgraded to ensure that clean, filtered air is circulated around the whole coach.

Enhanced Cleaning Measures

Strict Boarding Process

Your coach will arrive in a sanitised, virus-free condition.

Vehicles are cleaned with an anti-viral fogging machine and all touch point areas will be cleaned before boarding and after alighting from the vehicle.

Face Coverings

Following Government guidelines it is compulsory to wear a face covering when travelling aboard our vehicles.

Social Distancing Seating Capacity Passengers will be required to adhere to the social distancing capacity guidelines of 1 metre plus when boarding. These will be clearly marked on the seating.

Our driver will ask all passengers to load from the back first when boarding and from the front when alighting from the vehicle.

Temperature Checks

All drivers will have their temperature checked before starting their shift.

Drivers

Drivers

Our driver will disembark whilst passengers are entering and exiting the vehicle.

Call 01564 797010 for a quote or visit www.johnsonscoaches.co.uk

Area Focus: Coventry

2,000 deliveries and counting!

West Midlands Fire Service Fire Safety’s ready, willing and able staff volunteers recently delivered their 2,000th parcel in support of residents who are shielding from COVID-19.

Working alongside Sandwell Council, we dropped off a box of essential items to 80-year-old Barbara Mason from Oldbury.

Barbara cares for her daughter who has a rare genetic condition and has, herself, recently been diagnosed with secondary cancer.

On receipt of her food parcel, she was extremely grateful.

Fire safety officer Darren, and policy and assurance officer Jim, who made the 2000th delivery, are two of more than 70 WMFS staff volunteers who have been working with councils, charities, community groups and health organisations across six hubs, to ensure the most vulnerable receive essential food and medical deliveries during the pandemic.

Additional activities for UK fire and rescue services were agreed in March between the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and national employers.

In the West Midlands, these activities have included delivering food and medical parcels, which has played a pivotal part in our involvement in the Ready, Willing and Able campaign launched by NFCC last month.

Phil Loach, our chief fire officer, said: “As a fire service, our communities are at the centre of what we do. I am very proud of the work of the whole team over the last few weeks, from those who have continued to respond to incidents, carry out safe and well visits and support local businesses to those who have stepped forward as volunteers to deliver food and medical parcels.”

For more information, visit WMFS Fire Safety: https://www.wmfs.net/ourservices/fire-safety/ and WMFS Fire Safety (BEST) Training: https://www.wmfs.net/ourservices/training/#

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Coventry firm engineers new makeover A leading engineering firm in Coventry has had a five-figure makeover as part of a new era of growth.

ActOn Finishing in Torrington Avenue, which is the UK’s leading surface finishing technology provider in the healthcare, aerospace, automotive and motorsport sectors, has transformed its test laboratory after receiving support from the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub. ActOn Finishing was referred to the Coventry & Warwickshire Business Support Programme, and applied for a grant of £7,500 towards modernising the laboratory which is used to demonstrate products to new and existing clients.

The Growth Hub also helped ActOn Finishing apply for £9,000 from the Coventry and Warwickshire Green Business Programme, which is also being delivered by Coventry City Council, to replace halogen bulbs throughout its premises with LED lighting.

The grant funding has resulted in the conversion of all lighting throughout the site to LED lighting to improve the visual aspects within many of their production processes, leading to around 32 tonnes of CO2 emission savings per year and reduced energy costs.

Sid Gulati, operations director at ActOn Finishing, said: “We have been developing new automatic machines to reduce manual handling and we will now be able to showcase these –

very mindful of social distancing rules – in our test laboratory which was work long overdue.

“We use this area to demonstrate and develop new processes which is key to winning new business.

“The grant has also meant we have been able to improve our sales office

by installing a new floor, painting the walls and adding new branding which better reflects our standing within a specialised industry.

“We have also been conscious of our carbon footprint and have replaced hundreds and hundreds of halogen bulbs with LED lighting throughout our site.”

‘The Growth Hub also helped ActOn Finishing apply for £9,000 from the Coventry and Warwickshire Green Business Programme, which is also being delivered by Coventry City Council, to replace halogen bulbs throughout its premises with LED lighting.’

Safetyflex wins first export order in Finland A Coventry manufacturer at the forefront of protecting the public and buildings from potential terrorist vehicle attacks at key locations around the world has landed its first export order in Finland.

Safetyflex Barriers has won a contract to supply its anti-terrorist bollards for a major government project to protect key infrastructure in the Nordic nation. The company designs and manufactures a range of bollards and barriers which are capable of stopping large vehicles from being used as deadly weapons.

They help to secure potentially vulnerable areas such as shopping centres, sports stadiums, government buildings, military, utilities and key infrastructure centres. Its specialist technology and cutting-edge designs have resulted in major contracts overseas including Europe, the US and Australia, with exports now accounting for more than a third of business and on course to grow to half within two years.

Marcus Gerrard, director at Safetyflex Barriers, said: “We are really pleased to win our first project in Finland as part of our ongoing expansion into new international markets.

“We are securing major contracts around the world because we can offer something totally different. Most anti-terrorist bollards are very large and round, and can look overbearing whereas our Truckstopper designs are slimline and oval, and more aesthetically-pleasing.

“They can be hidden within street furniture such as planters or bike racks around the public realm and often passers-by are unaware that they are a barrier to stopping a large vehicle travelling at speeds of up to 80mph.

“A shallow foundation size of only 20cm also means that they can be set up without the need to re-divert utilities, which makes them highly cost-effective.”

The company has been invited to give a high-profile presentation to government officials in Finland and hopes this first project will lead to others being secured elsewhere in the country.

Mr Gerrard added: “It is a significant step in our planned export drive and provides the platform for us to build a strong presence in Finland.”

An installation of anti-terrorist bollards

by Safetyflex Barriers

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Coventry

Weighing solution supports Asian elephant study

Zookeepers at Chester Zoo are now able to better study the weight of their herd of endangered Asian elephants throughout their lifespan, thanks to an innovative new weighing solution from Coventry Scale Company.

Taking regular and accurate weights of the Asian elephants is an important part of the fantastic health care programme provided by the team of dedicated zookeepers at the zoo. However, they wanted to go one step further and understand how an elephant’s weight changes as they grow, particularly when they get older or become unwell.

An elephant will typically split their weight between 60% on their front and 40% on their back. However, as they

age, or if they become ill, they will shift much of their weight onto their back.

Understanding weight is critical in monitoring their health, and while the zookeepers can often physically see the weight shift, they haven’t had a way of accurately measuring it.

That is, however, until now. Coventry Scale Company has developed a

weighing solution that accurately weighs the elephants, and the distribution between the front and back.

Tom Marren, managing director at Coventry Scale Company, said: “We were able to provide Chester Zoo with an effective way of recording each elephant’s weight by writing an application for a Dini Argeo 3590 series, calibrated with two separate UK manufactured VW platform scales.

The scales measure both the front and back weight, plus the total weight, and then all the data is calculated autonomously and displayed on the colour touch screen weight indicator.

This allows the zoo to gather all the information they need to monitor the overall weight of each elephant and track their weight and health throughout their lifespan.”

Since the weighing equipment was installed, it has helped to monitor the weight of all of the Asian elephants, and in particular the health of one of the zoo’s oldest Asian elephants, Thi Hi Way, who was experiencing symptoms from arthritis.

“We were able to provide Chester Zoo with an effective way of recording each elephant’s weight by writing an application for a Dini Argeo 3590 series, calibrated with two separate UK manufactured VW platform scales.’

£2m high street transformation underway As high streets start re-opening all over the UK, a £2 million transformation of one of Coventry’s oldest shopping streets is underway to help revive the city and support business recovery after coronavirus.

Behind the scaffolding, local specialist craftspeople Heron Consulting and Symon Construction and conservation architects at Corstorphine + Wright have been working to restore the historic fronts of the buildings and shops on the Burges and Hales Street.

Historic Coventry Trust (HCT) was given the grant for the Burges and Hales Street by the Department for Digital, Culture Media & Sport (DCMS) as a demonstrator project for its £95 million High Streets Heritage Action Zone programme, led by Historic England.

Work started on site in February after HCT spent eight months working with independent businesses and planning the scheme. The project is being carried out in partnership with Coventry City Council and Coventry BID and is part of the wider work to

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get the city ready to host UK City of Culture.

The exciting plans also involve opening up the River Sherbourne on Palmer Lane as a new public square, turning the river into an asset for residents and visitors.

Carol Pyrah, executive director of HCT – which was set-up to acquire and restore Coventry’s heritage buildings to preserve them for future generations – said re-imagining the UK’s high streets was needed more than ever since the coronavirus pandemic.

She said: “The Burges is one of the few traditional high streets remaining

in Coventry and it offers something different and unique because of the number of independent businesses.

“We know how difficult coronavirus has been for high street businesses, so while everything has been closed our contractors have been working hard, with social distancing safeguards, to restore the buildings.

The project will make this area a really attractive and different destination for shopping within the city, and we hope it will boost the businesses based there.”

For more information visit: www.historiccoventry.org.uk

Mobile app technology can help fight coronavirus

A Coventry-based app design agency is contributing to the fight against coronavirus – by applying smartphone technology to reduce the risks of infection that might be found in common business processes.

Apps Plus, a design agency based at the Electric Wharf complex in the city’s canal basin, has been designing mobile apps for several years. Its clients include Jaguar Land Rover, the Salvation Army and the NHS – and the solutions it has designed over the years are proving their worth, even more in the age of COVID-19.

“Mobile apps are tools,” explained the company’s founder and managing director, Alan Hartin. “They simplify and streamline regular tasks – and release efficiencies in the process.

We have a long track record in helping clients free up their business processes.”

Businesses of all kinds now have a new and urgent requirement: to protect against the spread of coronavirus in their workplaces. Alan Hartin believes that mobile apps offer a key means of achieving that aim.

He said: “If every worker has a device – a smartphone, a tablet, whatever the app runs on – then a lot can be done without the need to exchange pens or paper, or share keyboards or other items. Embedding apps even further in companies’ workstreams can really help to reduce the chance of crosscontamination.”

One key sector as the economy slowly reopens following lockdown is construction. Image+ has already designed an app for clients operating in this critical area which replaces the onerous form-filling and paperwork functions many construction firms and their teams must undertake each day.

Forms filled in on paper or a single device can pass through several hands on a single site, and then onwards to head office, potentially spreading any virus far further than necessary. Using apps on each worker’s device to undertake the same function eliminates this channel for transmission.

Nick Clements, app design manager at Image+, said: “Apps can do almost anything. For example, we’re developing a “clocking-on” app system that means employees will simply have to hold their mobile phones up to a sensor when arriving and leaving a workplace. This makes the process of registering attendance so much easier and safer.”

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Nettle Hill

Exclusive Rural Venue is Now Re-Opened The Coronavirus has hit venues and the hospitality sector more than most but Nettle Hill is doing its level best to adapt to these unprecedented circumstances.

We are now re-open and are looking forward to welcoming you back.

Nettle Hill has a lot to offer as a top-tier venue based in 7 acres of countryside between Coventry, Birmingham and Leicester.

With easy access from the M6, M1 and M69 you feel miles away from the city yet you’re just around the corner.

We try to keep the grounds as natural as possible to encourage the wildlife to grow all around the site, making Nettle Hill a beautiful retreat away from the busy city. We offer a range of rooms that will meet all your meeting and event requirements.

Working with you to provide the right set-up for your event and giving you an experience you will never forget.

The Garden Kitchen cafe is

NOW OPEN

with bookings being taken.

COVID-19 RESPONSE During this season Nettle Hill has been working on developing some new and exciting opportunities at the venue. This includes new electric vehicle charging points available from July.

All rooms will be set within the current government guidelines of a 2-meter distance or back to back working.

Staggered entrance times Once booked with us you will be allocated an arrival time in line with your booking. This is to ensure that we are always aiming to minimise the mixing of groups on site.

Nettle Hill is set to make the following changes: -

Arrival to the room You will be greeted by one of our staff members that will be your host for

One-way System There will be a clearly signposted one-way system in all the buildings.

Booking Upon booking with us you’ll be asked to complete a survey informing us of your delegates arrival/departure times, scheduled break times and any other activities you wish to do while with us on site, enabling us to make sure space is available to ensure social distancing.

Nettle Hill is committed to reducing single use plastic and recycles all waste where possible.

We are committed to being environmentally aware, actively support programs that reduce our company’s environmental impact and continually improve our environmental performance as an integral part of our business strategy and operation procedures.

We support initiatives such as • Reduction of material, water and energy consumption • Waste minimization

General manager Abigail Lynch will be looking to re-open the conference facilities as soon the government guidelines allows. The opening of Nettle Hill will include some changes to the way we currently run.

Room layout

Nettle Hill’s Green Policy

• Recycling of all resources

the day, they will provide your lunch, refreshments and any support you require.

• No single use plastic use on site; committed to finding sustainable alternatives to plastic use onsite, using local suppliers and initiatives where possible.

• Committed to sustainability and reducing our global footprint

Refreshments

• Fitting new electric vehicle charge points

Refreshments will not be served inside the room, to minimise gatherings in the communal areas.

We will encourage our customers, suppliers and other stakeholders to do the same.

Lunch

We recognise that we have a responsibility to the environment to meet or exceed legislative and regulatory requirements.

Will be served within your room, to minimise gatherings in the communal areas at a set time that will be per arranged before your arrival on the day.

Cleaning Nettle Hill will be disinfected and cleaned before and after every booking to ensure the safety of its guest.

Abigail explained , “I am looking forward to welcoming our corporate clients back to our site, and will be waiting to deal with any questions that your team might has in order to easy or return .”

Our objectives are: • No single use plastic items use on site, currently looking into coffee & tea suppliers, cleaning suppliers, drinks and catering suppliers.

• Better systems for composting and recycling all waste products • Rainforest alliance coffee suppliers • Reduce our use of fossil fuels • Go paperless to the best of our ability • Update all lighting to LED • Support local companies

SPECIAL CHAMBER OFFER

Areas that we have already implemented our policy

Speak to us now about planning your future conference event and mention seeing us in this magazine to achieve a 10% discount on all bookings made for 2020

• Use Eco friendly Suppliers for all cleaning products

• Biomass Boiler

• Electric vehicle charging points We believe as a business its important to make a positive mark on the world.

Nettle Hill has been an active conference and events venue since 1985 and are proud of our diverse activities. If you would like to know more about the events running at the venue please visit our website or join our mailing list.

Nettle Hill, Brinklow Road, Ansty, Coventry, CV7 9Jl 02476 621 899 32

enquiries@nettlehill.co.uk

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Mid Warwickshire

Recruiter targets Channel swim for charity fundraiser Ashley Ball, co-founder of Addington Ball Recruitment – the finance and accountancy recruitment specialist based in Kenilworth – is targeting a Relay Channel Swim in September to fundraise for the charity Aspire which supports people with spinal injury.

Every four hours, someone in the UK is paralysed by spinal cord injury. It can happen to anyone at any time and the effects are life-changing.

Aspire exists because there is currently no cure and the organisation helps those affected to live independent and fulfilled lives.

Ashley is part of a team of five who are scheduled to swim the Channel from England to France in early September 2020. The distance is approximately 22 miles but this can vary

depending on tides and conditions. The swim will be officially invigilated by the Channel Swimming

& Piloting Federation. In addition to the threat of sea sickness and jellyfish stings there is one key

rule – no wetsuits allowed!

So, cold water swimming acclimatization is essential.

As it is for many of us, this year is especially challenging with the current COVID-19 situation. Under normal circumstances Ashley would have attended several training weekends in Dover but these have so far been cancelled.

Training has been limited to local lakes and rivers wherever possible. The ability to fundraise has also been limited; therefore, it’s becoming even more critical for Aspire to raise the funds they need.

Ashley would welcome sponsorship from individuals and companies to help him reach his target of £2,000. Sponsors will be able to track Ashley’s progress online on the day and corporate sponsors can also have their logo on the team t-shirts!

To support Ashley visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ashley-ball-channel-swim-2020 For more information on Addington Ball and its recruitment and resourcing services, visit https://www.addingtonball.com/

Johnsons Coaches implements new COVID-19 safety measures West-Midlands-based coach operator, Johnsons of Henley in Arden, has become one of the first local operators to release its new safety measures for coach travel during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company’s safe operating procedures and coach capacity guidelines for group leaders and school groups have been published on its website.

These new safety measures will aid local businesses in safely transporting their employees who cannot work from home. Whether an all-day shuttle service is required or a morning and afternoon commute, Johnsons Coaches is implementing social distancing measures and rigorous cleaning procedures aboard its vehicles to help support safe transportation. In addition, strict cleaning and operating measures have been implemented, including disinfecting and cleaning the coaches after every journey and anti-viral fogging on a weekly basis.

John Johnson, commercial director at Johnsons Coaches, said: “In these difficult times, the protection and safety of our passengers and

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drivers is our primary concern.

As the country starts to be released from this long period of lockdown, we hope businesses and schools will start to consider booking coaches for their group travel.

We strongly believe that in this current period of uncertainty our coaches provide a safer and more secure transport option than other forms of public transport.”

Coach travel can provide businesses with a controlled, hygienic environment that is ideal for commuting to and from your business as well as ensuring your group’s health and wellbeing.

For more information on the new COVID-19 safety measures, visit www.johnsonscoaches.co.uk

Double award-winning toastmaster celebrates major milestone Reuben Lynch, believed to be Britain’s first black professional toastmaster, is celebrating 25 years in business.

He served 22 years in the British Army, with the last eight years as manager of one of Her Majesty’s Officers’ Mess at a NATO Base in Germany.

On leaving the army Reuben worked as a conference and banqueting manager at the Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth for five years where he gained valuable knowledge in the hospitality industry.

As the hotel was changing hands, he decided to move on. As he was already a practising toastmaster for the hotel, he decided to make this his full-time job.

However, going it alone in business is never easy, so he sought the help of what was then Business Link and joined the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce.

Reuben said: “It was really difficult to start with but by attending Chamber networking events and with a small grant from Business Link, I was able to get established.

Apparently if you get through the first three years of business you should survive.”

As a way of giving something back, Reuben is regularly asked to give talks at the UCB in Birmingham to students on a range of topics, including event management, manners, etiquette and cultural awareness.

Reuben is the founder and president of the Circle of Toastmasters and at this time of year he is normally very busy with weddings, award ceremonies and dinners. However, due to the current pandemic everything is on hold.

Reuben would just like to say thank you to all those who have helped him along the way and he hopes to be around for many more years to come!

For more information visit www.reubenlynch.co.uk/web/

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Burgis & Bullock

How businesses can recover from Covid-19 and be ready for the ‘new normal’ “At Burgis & Bullock we have been running free workshops to help individuals understand these pressures and plan for the future. We see it as our duty to businesses in the region to do everything we can to support.”

Once the plan is in place, business owners attention will turn to funding applications and ensuring there is enough cash in the bank to support the recovery.

The government’s Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) will still be available until November, which allow businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000.

Sean Farnell As businesses emerge into the ‘new normal’ for many the troubles sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic have only just began.

Owners and directors of companies across all sectors will be focusing on ensuring they are prepared for the difficult future ahead, whilst also seeking to jumpstart the recovery of their business after the unprecedented pressures of the last few months.

This could be through accessing new funding, using the existing furlough scheme to the best advantage and, crucially, creating a robust business plan to act as a guide for the year ahead.

Midlands-based accountancy firm Burgis & Bullock, which has offices in Leamington Spa, Nuneaton, Rugby and Stratford-upon Avon, has been working alongside businesses of all shapes and sizes on post-Covid-19 recovery.

Sean Farnell, a partner at the firm, has been speaking at events organised by both the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber and Commerce and Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to provide guidance in these troubling times.

He says that a strong plan and decisive leadership is vital to recovery, and that now, more than ever, managing cash flow is the most important step to take.

Clients at Burgis & Bullock have been given free access to Fluidly cash forecasting tools, as well as offering longer term forecasting help and practical assistance.

“Businesses need to have a plan in place that can be easily revised when new information comes to light or when unexpected pressures are placed on cash flow,” said Sean.

“Now, more than ever, cash is king.

It’s never been more important to know what your financial position is each month. It will help you with funding proposals and allow you to plan the recovery ahead.

“Owners of businesses across the country will be in the same situation, as payments such as deferred VAT and other taxes return and creditors seek repayment of loans taken out at the height of the crisis.

The loans are for up to six years, with no repayments and no interest for the first 12 months.

Outside of the government support, businesses will be looking to identify the right funding option for them, which can in turn support business development and opportunities that arrive postCoronavirus.

Sean added: “Many business owners don’t know where to look for the right funding, and the likelihood of getting the most suitable package for them is slim.

“Burgis & Bullock partnered with Capitalise before the pandemic to provide a funding portal for our clients, helpings SMEs link up with more than 100 funding providers.

“Finding the right funding is crucial for businesses of all sizes and using platforms like this can certainly help to do just that.

“Businesses need to have a plan in place that can be easily revised when new information comes to light or when unexpected pressures are placed on cash flow.”

“In today’s challenging environment sound financial management is critical.

Now more than ever you need to plan and forecast, not just to obtain finance, but to steer your course.”

The last few months has seen the business community in Coventry and Warwickshire come together on an almost unprecedented scale, with businesses joining forces over video conference calls to support each other during the crisis.

And that sense of community will continue to hold importance as businesses move into the ‘new normal’, be that to provide advice on the challenges being faced or to generate new customers and leads to sustain the recovery plan.

Burgis & Bullock brings together like-minded individuals through its Business Mastermind Group and meetings of the group will be resuming as free weekly webinars from early August, with various options available depending on membership level.

“We’re passionate about business and supporting our fellow businesses, and one of the ways we do this is through our Business Mastermind Group that we launched in November 2017,” said Sean.

“The group brings together professionals and business leaders from a variety of sectors to help with clear action planning on how they can improve their businesses.

“In the coming months and years having a strong business network will go a long way to supporting recovery, and even attending one of our free taster sessions could see you introduced to contacts who could be useful going forwards.

“We may be through the pandemic but for many businesses the hard work really starts now, and while you can’t always mitigate the factors against you, you can at the very least put a strong plan in place to guard against them.”

For further information on the Business Mastermind Groups and upcoming sessions visit www.bb-bmg.co.uk To find out more about Burgis & Bullock and how the firm can help your business plan for the future, visit www.burgisbullock.com or call 01926 451 000.

Offices in Leamington Spa, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Nuneaton, London and Rugby

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: North Warwickshire

College successful in T Level bid T Levels are two-year courses that have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work. Equivalent to three A levels, the new qualifications will be taken up by students who have completed their GCSEs. T Levels will start to be rolled out across the country for the first time in September 2020. The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has confirmed that NWSLC is one

North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) has been successful in its bid to offer the new T Level qualifications and will welcome its first students on to the cutting-edge programmes in September 2022.

of 88 new providers to have been selected to deliver 18 T Levels from September 2022. The college will teach new subjects such as legal, finance and accounting, and manufacturing.

T levels are high-quality technical alternatives to A Levels. They combine classroom theory and practical learning with a work placement to make sure that students have the skills they need to progress and help to rebuild the economy.

“We are delighted to have been selected as one of the colleges due to start offering T Levels in two years’ time. Our selection reflects the government’s confidence in the high standards of curriculum delivery at NWSLC and the financial stability of our organisation.”

The first three T Levels for digital education and construction will be taught from September 2020 and a further seven will be taught from 2021, including three in health and science.

Marion Plant, OBE FCGI, principal and chief executive of North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College said: “We are delighted to have been selected as one of the colleges due to start offering T Levels in two years’ time. Our selection reflects the government’s confidence in the high standards of curriculum delivery at NWSLC and the financial stability of our organisation.”

The new qualifications represent the biggest shake-up of technical education in a generation. They will provide young people with the chance to get a great job, pursue further study or complete a highquality apprenticeship.

Policy hour with Marcus Jones The session was led by Tom Mongan, chair of the North Warwickshire branch of the Chamber, and Ian Jamie, managing director of local firm Staeger Clear UK, was among the businesses in the virtual meeting.

Staeger Clear UK make plastic packaging for the food industry but has diversified to manufacture visors for the NHS. The company’s turnover in April was 90 per cent PPE and no staff have been furloughed.

Marcus Jones said: “I would like to thank Staeger Clear UK for what it and other businesses are doing to make sure that our health and care workers have PPE.

The MP for Nuneaton has stressed the importance of manufacturing resilience across the country in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and that UK businesses could be a long-term solution for PPE production.

Marcus Jones was speaking as part of a Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s #PolicyHour session, where he also praised businesses for help with PPE supply so far and heard concerns from business leaders across the region.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

“Clearly, we need make sure with any PPE it is of the right quality and to the right standards, it would be wrong to expect anyone to use PPE that isn’t of the right standard.

“Therefore, it does lead me to the conclusion – and this is a personal view – that we need more manufacturing resilience and clearly PPE is one of those areas where I think that can happen.

“There has been some really good development from companies, we need to harness that more now and in the future.”

“Our local hospitals and councils have kept on top of this relatively well but we have all seen the challenges across the country.

Tom Mongan, chair of the North Warwickshire branch of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and also Vice President, added: “#PolicyHour provided a great opportunity for businesses to engage with Marcus Jones MP and voice concerns about the present and the future of their businesses.

“Countries across globe are looking to Turkey and China to bulk buy this equipment and that has been really tricky, because companies want payment upfront to have priority of their workforce.

“Firms across Coventry and Warwickshire have diversified to help in the PPE crisis during the pandemic, and it was interesting to hear from Marcus how this could lead to more orders for British manufacturers in the future.”

“Clearly, we need make sure with any PPE it is of the right quality and to the right standards, it would be wrong to expect anyone to use PPE that isn’t of the right standard.”

35

Are You Taking Time To Reflect?

Beyond the immediate effects of the Covid-19 crisis, many business owners are reflecting on their priorities for the future.

Maybe you are one of the owners that has come to realise that life is just too precious to be spent working in the business like you did before.

I work with owners to reshape their business to create more time and money so they can enjoy life more; so they are free to do what they want, when they want.

Contact me for more information.

David Lee (ActionCOACH) Tel: 07970566390 Email: davidlee@actioncoach.com www.linkedin.com/in/davidleeac/ www.actioncoach.co.uk/davidlee

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: South Warwickshire

Law firm unveils Insight renewable energy service support

Lodders has unveiled a new team Renewable Energy Team, that includes Real Estate partner Alastair Frew

Law firm Lodders has unveiled a new service following a surge in new instructions and work from landowners and businesses planning to install renewable energy solutions.

The firm’s new renewables team draws expertise from across its topranking real estate, agriculture, landed estates, commercial property and private client practices, to provide an end-to-end, comprehensive legal advice

solution on the legal implications of installing renewable energy solutions such as wind turbines and photovoltaic (PV) solar panels.

increasingly planning to install wind turbines and solar panels to ensure secure energy supplies now and in the future.

Lodders has formalised its renewable energy services following increased demand from property developers, landowners, farmers and rural enterprises seeking legal advice on renewable energy system installations.

“With huge improvements in renewable energy efficiency and legacy, and growth in awareness of environmental issues – fuelled by government policy and its Smart Export Guarantee – we are supporting a growing number of clients with their renewable energy plans.”

Alastair Frew, partner in the real estate practice and a member of the new team, said: “Knowledge of and interest in renewables has reached unprecedented levels, as landowners and developers embrace technology to minimise business interruption through loss of energy, and take advantage of the potential cost savings and reduced business overheads that come from being self-sufficient and off-grid.

“Renewable energy has truly come of age. Developers and operators are busy building this new green infrastructure,

Currently, around one-third of the UK’s electricity needs are produced from renewable sources, the majority of it coming from wind turbines and solar farms. In May 2020, the UK National Grid burned no coal.

Alastair added: “Developers and operators need land and buildings to make this new green energy infrastructure possible, so they are approaching landowners to strike a deal.”

Gin distillery creates new hand sanitiser

Peter Monks of Shakespeare Distillery, staff from Shakespeare Hospice

The first deliveries of a new hand sanitiser created by a Warwickshire gin distillery have gone out to local community groups, businesses and frontline NHS staff.

Produced by Stratford-uponAvon-based Shakespeare Distillery, the first batch has

been sent to NHS staff and the local Shakespeare Hospice, with local community groups and businesses next in line to receive the first orders.

The orders were delivered by electric vehicles provided

by Electric Zoo, a local company that has supported Shakespeare Distillery’s

initiative to prioritise local charities to be the first to receive the sanitisers.

The company, which was founded in 2015, is using its expertise in creating spirits to start the production of hand sanitiser alongside its regular distillation of gin by re-purposing an area of the distillery.

The product follows the World Health Organisation formula containing 80% alcohol and is being supplied in 300ml and five-litre bottles.

Local businesses have already been ordering the sanitisers as they prepare to gather PPE equipment before they are safe to reopen, with Avon Boating in Stratford being one of the first local companies to receive a delivery of the sanitisers.

Peter Monks, owner of Shakespeare Distillery, said:

“Our first deliveries of the hand sanitisers have now been produced and delivered, and we wanted to prioritise those who need it most, particularly in our local area.

“Now that key community groups, NHS staff and local businesses have started receiving orders, we are producing sanitisers for people across the wider region from all industries.

“We hope these sanitisers can help in some way to help these different people and groups to stay safe during these difficult times.

“During lockdown, we’ve also created a new home gin tasting kit for gin-lovers to enjoy, accompanied by a video from our mixologist Sam.” For more information visit https:// shakespearedistillery.com/

What might a new normal begin to look like? For SMEs, the key challenge is to imagine a world that has changed the rules.

Customers don’t act in the same way; suppliers and buyers behave differently; others are able to offer services that had been exclusively yours; it’s so much easier for others to enter into your marketplace. Being able to see into this rapidly changing world is a challenge.

Clifford Style Partnership and Project 1000 have joined together in an effort to help in this challenge.

Traditional consultancy assumed “experts” knew the answer. Today’s world assumes that we will have to work out answers together.

Collaborative learning through investigation – asking the right kind of questions – is needed.

New insights are needed; supporting each other to find new answers. These require different types of conversations. The Clifford Style Project aims to help.

We are setting up ‘collaborative hubs’ that seek a new understanding of how technology, supply chains and customer satisfaction all combine into a new way of working in business.

Visit our website for more information www.cliffordstyle.co.uk

Tourism chief urges residents to go local A regional tourism supremo is urging people to discover what’s on their doorsteps as tourist attractions are reopening across the region, with social distancing measures in place.

Attractions such as Warwick Castle, Kenilworth Castle and Compton Verney have started to reopen the grounds and gardens for visitors, and Helen Peters, chief executive of Shakespeare’s England, is calling on local people to get out and support businesses in their area.

Shakespeare’s England is the destination management organisation for South Warwickshire. It aims to promote tourism in the region and is now encouraging people to explore their local areas as lockdown restrictions ease.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

The ‘Discover Your Doorstep’ campaign is urging people to share images of the pubs, attractions, restaurants and parks that they have nearby, rather than travelling to other areas when they can reopen.

She said: “As part of Shakespeare’s England’s restart plan, we want to highlight the fantastic attractions right here on our patch. In more normal times we often travel the country to visit attractions while perhaps not going to ones that are on our doorstep.

“Now that tourist attractions are starting to slowly reopen, we want local people to get out and discover their doorstep, explore their local region and support businesses in the area.

“The priority is encouraging locals to stay nearby and to explore

safely, adhering to social distancing regulations but also enjoying all that the local area has to offer, once it is safe to do so.

“Our local residents are key to the long-term sustainability of tourism in South Warwickshire so our focus is on

getting these locals to actually visit the places they walk past daily, but have never actually ventured into.”

For more information on Shakespeare’s England and which attractions are reopening, visit https://shakespeares-england.co.uk/

37

Dynamo Electric Taxi

Introducing the

ONLY 100%

The Dynamo Electric Taxi is the emission-free future, it’s 100% electric and ready to order!

Starting with one of the world’s most proven electric vehicle manufacturers, Nissan, who are responsible for the popular Leaf. The chosen vehicle is the top of the range Nissan e-NV200 Evalia MPV which has millions of miles of trouble free motoring recorded.

Making Taxi Life Easy With its advanced electronic onboard system and clever user friendly interface, the dynamo taxi make’s your daily driving a pleasure. Connect your smart phone via Bluetooth, to sync contacts make calls and play some music.

You can even monitor your range all just by using the cleverly designed on-board-system.

The system also allows you to activate the charging or your Dynamo Taxi, preset the Air conditioning with your app or key fob or even plan your route or check charging points throughout the day. But it doesn’t stop there!

Electric Black Cab The Taxi Built with the Driver in Mind

Safety for you and your passengers

Comfort built with the driver in mind

The 100% electric Dynamo Taxi has Vehicle Dynamic Control that continuously monitors your driving, it will sense under and over-steer and help compensate by reducing speed or applying braking to a specific wheel keeping you and your passengers safe. The cab also has a tyre pressure monitoring system that will tell you if the pressure is low, helping you stay safe and keep your journey at maximum efficiency.

Dynamo was built with the driver in mind and we feel our Taxi is second to none with all the features. Thanks to Nissan’s e-NV200 air conditioning system you can warm up or cool down quickly in any weather with a push of a button. For those really cold mornings it not only has a heated front seat, it has a heated steering wheel too. The perfect temperature can make all the difference to a cab driver in the the hot summer days or the cold winter nights.

Security and ease of use One thing that we think will really make life easy is the Intelligent Click & Go Key fob you can unlock and lock your cab without ever having to get the key out of your pocket or bag, you can even activate the climate control via the fob. On a busy shift with dozens of drop offs and pick ups this will prove to be an amazing bit of kit.

A message from Dynamo Founder

When I formed Dynamo Motor Company I did this with a clear mission in mind; to develop a revolutionary new all electric, side wheel chair accessible 5 seater Taxi capable of operating in London and other Cities in the UK, both now and in the future.

Working with Nissan, one of the world’s most proven electric vehicle manufacturer’s, the vehicle selected for our Taxi was the e-NV200 Evalia.

A very highly specified 7-seater MPV with millions of miles of trouble-free motoring recorded.

Through extensive market research we were able to brief our engineers as to what was important for the drivers: Price, Reliability and Economy.

Talking to the drivers, built for the driver.

The taxi trade gave me a clear message that drivers were ready to do their bit to help reduce pollution, however, many were also concerned that their personal income was in decline. Our objective was to ensure

Driver control, Passenger comfort We haven’t forgotten about the passenger comforts either. Fitted with a panoramic roof and soft touch materials, heater and cool air fan as boasted about in the driver’s sections will make a passenger journey a delight. Wheelchair anchors release switch and USB charge point for two chargers, with an intercom fitted with the option to switch on and off as desired. Passengers compartment rear seat reading lights not only for reading but makes finding change to pay the fare easy too. The driver has full control over all the passenger switches with easy to access override switches.

we produced a vehicle that would save drivers money, was comfortable and roomy enough, even for the taller drivers, was a high driver specification and was permanently zero emissions, giving confidence that the vehicle could be considered ‘future proof’. Every component was made as robust as possible to ensure that we maximised the drivers time on the road, whilst enjoying recurring savings through lower daily operating costs.

As with any new vehicle true cost of ownership is only known over years and not months and to that end, we have kept many of Nissan’s standard features, ensuring spares and collision damage are economically and quickly dealt with. Being future proof, I consider we have taken

the correct steps to ensure strong residual values.

Dynamo will fully integrate with the Taxi community and will look to continue developing our ideas and those from the trade to further enhance the vehicle over the years to come.

Please read through our website and discover more about the new 100% electric Dynamo taxi –It is not a revolution, it’s a solution. We look forward to serving you and together through a sustainable partnership, to improve the taxi trade and the environment for all.

Dynamo Founder Brendan O’Toole

Contact us and discover more about the new 100% electric Dynamo taxi – ready to serve you and your customers.

Dynamo Motor Company Limited, 56 Bayton Road, Bayton Road Industrial Estate, Exhall, Coventry, CV7 9EL, United Kingdom

03333 448 338 38

www.dynamotaxi.com www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

Tenant finds second home

are Alan Mohomed (KB Transport Solutions), Ricky Davies (KB Transport Solutions), Charlotte Steele (KB Transport Solutions), James Davies (The Wigley Group) and Kevin Bennett (KB Transport Solutions). Photo taken pre-Coronavirus outbreak.

A leading Midlands commercial property company has helped with a long-standing tenant’s latest expansion by finding them a second home in a newly-acquired unit in Nuneaton.

The Wigley Group has invested just under £1.8 million in a 40,000 sq ft

unit at the rear of Centrovell Trading Estate which it already owns, and has now let it to KB Transport Solutions to accommodate the growth of its warehousing and distribution services.

The opening of an additional unit comes in the tenth year of KB Transport Solutions whose main site at Sandy Lane Industrial Estate in Coventry is also owned by The Wigley Group.

The company specialises in pallet distribution, warehouse storage, logistics and transport services in the West Midlands and throughout the UK. James Davies, managing director of The Wigley Group, whose headquarters are based in Warwickshire, said: “This unit was a natural addition to our portfolio as we already own Centrovell Trading Estate, a site we acquired in 2016.

“We completed the deal in March just prior to the coronavirus lockdown and have since negotiated a long-term lease with KB Transport Solutions. It is a positive sign for the local economy that deals of this nature are still being done in this unprecedented time.

Alan Mohomed, finance director at KB Transport Solutions, said: “We recently secured several major contracts which meant that we needed more space to increase capacity and maintain our high levels of service to both new and existing customers.

“The Wigley Group has always supported us as we have grown as a business. The acquisition of this unit came at the perfect time and they have helped us with a smooth and efficient opening.”

Warwickshire business diversifies to join fight against COVID-19 As the uncertainty of future events continues, mobile bar business Warwickshire Events has launched a range of hand sanitiser units to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The products provide easy and essential access to hand sanitisation in busy environments. The touchfree technology eliminates crosscontamination and can reduce the spread of bacteria without requirement for electricity or battery power.

Lois Thomas, director of Warwickshire Events, said: “We have been looking at ways to keep our staff, clients and public

safe when people return to work, events or leisure activities. The range has been created to help businesses with the inevitable increased demand for hygiene facilities in shops, businesses and at events.”

Each unit has been designed to ensure that the user can avoid touching potentially contaminated surfaces.

The sanitiser is dispensed using a foot pump and has a capacity for up to 25 litres of sanitiser. This reduces the need to replenish sanitiser in high volume areas while the hygienic stainless steel surfaces are easy to keep clean.

Lois Thomas said: “There are multiple sizes and finishes available to ensure that they fit into a variety of environments. We have already had enquiries from hospitals, wedding venues, gyms and offices; the units can be customised with business logos or brand colours. Businesses and organisations will have hygiene at the forefront of their minds as we slowly return to the new normality.”

Each unit is made using high-quality materials by the team at WM Projects.

For more information or to enquire, visit www.wmprojectinstallation.com

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Two safety management and business improvement consultants with over 50 years’ experience between them have launched a new service to help businesses re-open safely as Covid-19 lockdown restrictions begin to ease.

Adrian Jones and Mark Bowen of Warwickbased Pathway Recruiting typically work with businesses to improve safety, preventing incidents, accidents and deaths in the workplace, and understand only too well just how much time and planning it can take to get safety issues right.

With reams of sector-specific Government guidance issued on an almost daily basis, their new service – Safe Start – offers businesses tailored risk assessments, audits and training as well as on-site support to set up, implement and monitor new safety procedures and protocols needed to become a COVID-secure business.

Mark Bowen, director of safety services at Pathways Recruiting, said: “In our experience, businesses are very keen to be compliant with regulations impacting their business but sometimes, months or even weeks into implementation, process standards begin to slip.

“Even businesses that had robust policies and procedures in place before lockdown began need to trawl through a raft of new guidance to make their businesses safe in a COVID-19 world, updating policies and procedures and training staff to reflect the new normal.

“This all takes a huge amount of time, which is where our Safe Start service comes in. We are continually reviewing and digesting government guidance and advice coming from regulatory bodies and sector-specific organisations. This is developed into a series of accessible resources that businesses will be able to access to create their own tailored plan, ensuring they’re set up to re-open safely.

“Crucially, we have also trained our consultants in all the new guidance so they can provide practical, on the floor support to businesses, helping them deliver their safety programmes and ensuring they stay on the ball.”

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Inspirational 12-year-old raises cash for local baby hospice Life during lockdown has been an uneventful period for many – but not for 12-year-old Lucas Holyfield from Coventry.

As the UK attempted to adapt to a nationwide lockdown, Lucas from Coventry, sought to capitalise on his new-found free time to raise vital funds for his local baby hospice, Zoe’s Place.

After learning about the service that Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice provides for children between 0-5 and their families from his father, who is a regular fundraiser for the charity, Lucas – who has Cerebral Palsy – cycled and walked both with his frame and unassisted to complete 5km around the War Memorial Park in Coventry.

With the help of friends, family and the Amazon depot where his father is employed, Lucas was able to raise £1,000 for the Coventry-based baby hospice – all of which will go towards the £1.3 million needed to allow Zoe’s Place to open its doors to children and their families 24/7 who are in desperate need of respite, palliative and end-of-life care.

Joan Stainsby, executive trustee at Zoe’s Place, said: “Lucas’ story should be an inspiration for everyone. Despite living with Cerebral Palsy, he strives to push his limits to reach new boundaries and reinvent the notion of what’s possible – which makes his choice to donate to Zoe’s Place heart-warming.

Supermarket visit inspires COVID-19 support service for businesses

Looking to build new relationships with Coventry & Warwickshire businesses OUR CUSTOMERS • Aerospace & Defence “Whilst Lucas has faced his fair share of struggles, his disability has never deterred him from grabbing life by the scruff of the neck and facing challenges head on.

“Having empathised with children who do not receive the support and care that they so often look forward to, Lucas felt compelled to help Zoe’s Place continue its invaluable service once governmental guidelines state that we are permitted to re-open – as funds will be desperately needed once that go-ahead is given.”

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39

Aston Programme for Small Business Growth Positioning for the Future

Applications Open n Develop your leadership skills at webinars delivered by industry experts n Receive one-to-one support from an experienced business mentor n Build a clear action plan for the future of your business n Share experiences with other business owners and build your SME networks n Provided free of charge to business leaders; the programme is part-funded by

the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

Our membership business grew by 98% in the six months after we finished the Aston Programme for Small Business Growth.

Finance and marketing were some of the key areas of improvement I noticed as a result of completing the programme.

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Parminder Bal

Managing Partner, Concierge Medical Practice Ltd Programme Participant 2017

Director, Drawing Desk Ltd Programme Participant 2018

Receive expert support for your business provided by world-class academics and experienced business leaders.

Email centreforgrowth@aston.ac.uk to find out more

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Education & Training

MTC Training launches graduate development programme

Graduate training at the MTC

The award-winning Manufacturing Training Centre (MTC) Training is launching a range of development programmes designed to accelerate practical experience in a commercial manufacturing environment.

The new graduate boot camps rapidly equip manufacturing graduates, technicians, engineers and managers with the practical tools, skills and understanding to empower them to make a positive contribution to their business as soon as they return.

The programme is aimed at employees who have recently joined the sector as well as anyone who would benefit from an intensive handson experience or a refresher of the manufacturing and assembly process and associated challenges.

The courses have been developed in partnership with industry through a number of pilots to ensure they deliver maximum value both for the learners and their employers.

Cameron Ross, engineering director in group advanced manufacturing at manufacturer Meggitt, said: “Our graduates are from a mixed educational and experience base.

The MTC Design-Make Boot Camp provides them with terrific experience, with real-life simulation of a product life cycle. They learn workshop skills reinforced with teamwork, business operational planning and costing skills and return to their plants with a more rounded design-make ethos.”

The boot camps provide a flexible solution that can accommodate each customer’s particular training requirements, location and schedule.

Delivered through a combination of face-to-face training, virtual classrooms, self-study, and online learning, the programmes typically last one, two or eight weeks. Businesses also have the option to co-create bespoke solutions to address specific challenges within their graduate workforce.

David Hughes MBE, managing director of the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre, said the graduate development programme is a key element of MTC Training’s mission to close the skills gap in the manufacturing and engineering sectors, helping to empower industry to improve productivity.

He said: “We are committed to supporting the development of the UK manufacturing workforce throughout their entire careers.”

For more information visit www.the-mtc.org

JBC Skills Training transports Arthur to a new level At JBC Skills Training we are proud to have worked with Mode Transport to place Arthur Springthorpe on his digital marketing level 3 apprenticeship journey.

This was a fantastic effort from all concerned to secure the role and start

for Arthur whilst we are dealing with the COVID situation. Not to be deterred from this, everyone came together to safely and professionally put scenarios and remits in place for this to work. We would like to thank Mode Transport for their support and Arthur for his professionalism.

JBC Skills Training is able to support businesses with apprentices or training for their existing team in IT, software, marketing and cybersecurity higher and advanced apprenticeships.

For further information visit https://www.jbctraining.co.uk/

Low-carbon business opportunities During these challenging times, companies are seeking new ways to survive, evolve and expand. Growth opportunities from net zero could be one good route to explore.

As customer demand for low-carbon goods and services is rising, it is becoming increasingly important for suppliers to demonstrate their carbon footprint. More and more businesses are reviewing their supply chain emissions.

All of these factors will drive growth in the low carbon market sectors including bioenergy, energy-from-waste, energy systems and bioproducts.

Help is available now The Energy & Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI) at Aston University is working through the current crisis to provide practical solutions for Coventry and Warwickshire businesses to develop sustainable products and services.

Value from waste The EBRI team is available to give you support and guidance on how to develop new, sustainable, low-carbon products

and services from a range of different waste materials. Redundant material such as food waste, cardboard boxes, plastic waste, sawdust, waste oils, manure, hay straw, sugar beet residue, spent grain waste from breweries are only a few examples of waste that could potentially open up fresh possibilities for your business.

We can help you: • Produce new high value materials from waste which can be commercialised • Create new value-from-waste products by turning them into energy • Generate new value from better management of energy use and generation, using advanced control systems to optimise heating, cooling and electricity • Develop new opportunities in emerging and disruptive marketplaces • Connect to other companies in the energy and bioproducts supply chain

Coventry College announces new apprenticeship qualifications With the removal of apprenticeship frameworks from July 31, Coventry College has introduced a new range of apprenticeships to support the local labour market.

This will enable local employers to recruit and up-skill their existing staff to remain responsive and fuel business growth.

In light of the effects COVID-19 has had and continues to have on employers, the college understands the need for businesses to remain as innovative as ever by ensuring their workforce has the relevant skills and behaviours they require.

Sport Within the sports sector, the college is now delivering a new level 2 apprenticeship for community activity coaches; a key role in supporting people within the local area to develop their physical and mental well-being to adopt a more physically engaging lifestyle.

The programme takes 18 months to complete and is suitable for any employer; for example, local authorities, sports clubs and leisure centres involved in the promotion of health and wellbeing. In addition, the college is offering new qualifications for staff in local leisure centres.

Recruitment For employers working within the recruitment sector, the college now also delivers level 2 and level 3 apprenticeships tailored to enable recruitment agencies to attract the best possible applicants and provide first-line support for jobseekers.

Health and social care

Case studies EBRI has helped businesses from a wide range of industry sectors including agricultural, engineering, waste management, construction, financial services, marketing and food manufacturing.

• To see some example case studies visit www.bioenergy-for-business. org/case-studies/.

• To hear from some local companies we have supported have a look at https://bioenergy-for-business.org/ reviews/ Visit www.bioenergy-for-business.org

The college continues to support care sector employers and staff by delivering blended learning short programmes which focus on developing skills and knowledge within care: https://www. coventrycollege.ac.uk/part-timeadult-courses/.

For further details on any of these fantastic new training opportunities, please contact the employer engagement team on 07966 229079 or 07468 724619 employers@coventrycollege.ac.uk

Skills can boost West Midlands recovery North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) has added its support to an eight-point skills pledge designed to fast-track economic recovery in the West Midlands following the coronavirus crisis.

The Colleges West Midlands Education & Skills Pledge has been launched to set out how further education colleges will adapt their services to offer maximum support, helping young people, adults and employers address skills and training issues at this critical time.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Marion Plant, OBE FCGI, principal and chief executive of NWSLC, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has made a significant impact on students and businesses in the West Midlands.

We know that colleges will play a vital role in boosting the recovery and we recognise that ways of working and studying have already seen huge changes that are altering the landscape of future employment. Through our commitment to the Education & Skills Pledge, we are working together to pivot our offer

and support individuals and businesses in new ways.”

NWSLC is one of around 20 signatories to the pledge who have all stated their commitment to work collaboratively, supporting people to gain the skills they need as part of the recovery, and helping them to restart their lives.

The Education & Skills Pledge includes a commitment to transition programmes for full-time students to help them adjust to new ways of accessing their college studies at the start of the

2020-21 academic year. It includes an expanded range of redeployment programmes for unemployed adults, those who are recently redundant, or long-term furloughed employees to enable a prompt return to employment.

The pledge also includes access to a single point of contact across the West Midlands for businesses seeking help to adapt their workforce to the new conditions.

For more information visit www.nwslc.ac.uk

41

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President & People

Praise for frontline staff fighting COVID-19 The Myton Hospices CEO, Ruth Freeman, has thanked the charity’s frontline staff and r eflects on their ongoing role in response to COVID-19.

JOBS JOBS JOBS / BUILD BUILD BUILD / LAND LAND LAND Following the ease of lockdown measures from the Government, so much is now about recovery, from both an economic and business perspective.

I am pleased that there is governmental commitment to infrastructure and jobs with strong budget allocations and expansion of planning policies, such as, “Project Speed” giving new permitted development measures to allow conversion of vacant commercial buildings into residential.

I was pleased to endorse the Mayor of the West Midlands COVID-19 recovery plan in which there are lots of positive announcements:· Review of and mapping of all public assets – as already recommended by our Chamber land group. · Town Centres initiative – crucial and delighted to see energy and action in matters such as transforming Nuneaton. · Enterprise Zones – these work!

There has been very diverse experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, some areas faring worse than others. This includes our sub-region with its high incidence of jobs in aerospace and automotive, yet we have never been one of the areas with a surplus of space for jobs, as regular readers of my column will be well aware!

Our area has very little brownfield land and shortages of supply, for example, of industrial and warehouse property.

For this reason, we have seen absolutely no downwards correction in pricing of commercial property since the onset of lockdown, with continued strong take-up, particularly in the small to medium sectors in which you will find SMEs, the majority of our Chamber members.

Whilst I support flexible planning policies to invigorate new use in otherwise unwanted buildings, to convert them into residential, on its own this defeats the wider objective for jobs. Most non-public-sector jobs outside cities and bigger towns are in factories and on business parks, not in the town centres and – in our area – homes and buildings for jobs compete for the same land.

We cannot encourage Jobs, Jobs, Jobs through Build, Build, Build in our SubRegion without sufficient allocation of Land, Land, Land. This would be my clear message to our Prime Minister following on from his speech in Dudley last week.

There is always a balance, yet we have to be able to accommodate growth, inward investment and business start-up and cannot do so without the space to do it.

We will be reaching out to members shortly with another survey into commercial property space requirements. Please look out for it and let us have your responses.

We will use the data to provide empirical evidence to the politicians and stakeholders to support our case for our sub-region.

Doctors and nurses at the hospice play a vital role in Myton’s response to the virus. The way they work has changed in response to the global pandemic but their primary focus remains the same, to provide care and support for terminally-ill patients and their families, in their inpatient beds and in the community.

The charity has enhanced its Myton at Home service in Rugby and South Warwickshire to support rapid discharge of all patients identified as being in the last days or weeks of life whose preferred place of death is at home. The service now includes a registered nurse and the team cares for people in their own homes, 8am - 8pm, seven days a week.

The Inpatient Unit at Warwick Myton Hospice has been temporarily handed over to South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) until September due to a reduction in Myton’s staffing levels because of the coronavirus outbreak. Rather than the unit standing empty, Myton wanted to support SWFT by offering it to them temporarily to aid with their response to the pandemic.

Myton staff have been transferred to Coventry Myton Hospice to maximise the number of Inpatient beds in operation there whilst ensuring the safety of staff, volunteers, patients and families. There are 20 beds available for people across the whole of Coventry and Warwickshire and admissions have been extended to seven days a week, 8am-8pm.

Ruth Freeman, CEO of The Myton Hospices, said: “In these unprecedented and challenging times, our frontline staff continue to play a vital role in supporting the people of Coventry and Warwickshire and our NHS and healthcare colleagues.

I would like to say a massive thank you to all of them.”

If you would like to donate to The Myton Hospices fundraising appeal, visit www.mytonhospice.org/appeal

CALGAVIN announces new appointments Heat transfer enhancement specialist CALGAVIN® has made two appointments in its sales and marketing team.

Tom Higley has joined as sales and business development manager and Alex Codreanu as sales proposals manager.

Martin Gough, founder and managing director of CALGAVIN, said: “As you have seen in the past, CALGAVIN has gradually been adding to its resources and planning to follow the company’s quality policy. Two key policies are

focusing on customer satisfaction and investing in sustainable business, of which sales plays a vital role in achieving. It is this investment within the company that needs to be continually reviewed moving forward, adapting to the global markets and CALGAVIN’s place within the product supply chain.”

Tom Higley, who joined the firm in 2010, has been promoted from within to his new role, which will see him maintain successful business relationships with clients, find and nurture new companies for the company’s range of products and services, and facilitate new product developments to expand CALGAVIN’s portfolio of solutions. Overall sales and marketing activities will be

under his remit to help the company successfully communicate and cater for customers effectively.

Alex Codreanu, who joined in 2015, has also been promoted from within to his new role. He will manage the market for the OEM customers (design & fabricators), which accounts for an important proportion of CALGAVIN’s market share. For this segment of the market, this new role will focus on researching new market intelligence and growing the OEM client set.

This is a must if CALGAVIN is to keep a strong foundation when diversifying elsewhere within the organisation.

Alex’s passion is to improve the company’s key account management and get the most out of relationships with customers.

LDJ strengthens team with new appointment LDJ Solicitors has welcomed Laura Duggan, a commercial property and services lawyer, to its expanding team of legal experts at its offices in Nuneaton and Hinckley.

Laura began her legal career as a paralegal at an established law firm in Coventry in 2015 before joining LDJ Solicitors in 2018 to undertake her training contract and qualify as a solicitor.

She qualified as a solicitor earlier this year and has been advising numerous business owners and landlords on all types of commercial transactions. She has a keen commercial eye and prides herself on her client-focused approach.

Laura specialises in the acquisition and disposal of freehold and leasehold commercial property, business leases, lease renewals, mergers,

business sales, shareholders agreements, project development and associated planning agreements and options.

LDJ Solicitors can trace its origins back to 1905 and currently has five partners and more than 42 dedicated members of staff operating from offices in Nuneaton and Hinckley.

The firm offers a broad spectrum of legal work which includes residential conveyancing, family law, wills, probate, tax and trusts, commercial property and services, employment law, housing law and criminal litigation.

For more information visit www.ldjsolicitors.co.uk

Best regards David Penn

44

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

President & People

New appointment to boost sales team

An award-winning Warwickshire hotel has expanded its expertise with a new appointment to boost its sales team.

Coombe Abbey Hotel has welcomed a new Sales Manager, Laura Moore, to bring a wealth of sales knowledge to the new role - expanding the current team as the business continues to grow.

Laura, a business hospitality graduate from University College Birmingham, has years of experience in the industry, having worked in the city Ramada Hotel & Suites in Coventry, Hampton by Hilton in Birmingham on Broad Street, Hilton Garden Inn in Brindley Place and Doubletree by Hilton in Birmingham Snowhill.

She has also spent time working for Marriot AC by Birmingham, Birmingham Hippodrome, and IHG at Holiday Inn Birmingham Airport.

Laura will work alongside June Picken, Sales Director at the hotel, to bring awareness to the hotel’s offerings and facilities for corporate conferences, events, accommodation and weddings.

Laura said: “This is a dream role, anyone who knows me knows that I have a passion for venues with so much history and Coombe is a wellknown gem within the region.

“I love how the hotel has something to offer anyone, whether you want to take advantage of the Go Ape team building activities in the grounds or visit the café in the park and it’s also the perfect venue for business and leisure with an extensive offering of meeting rooms as a unique venue for conferences and events.

“I’m looking forward to getting the chance to sell this incredible venue to visitors. Although the hotel is closed at present following Governmental advice, we are looking forward to welcoming guests back to Coombe as soon as it is safe to do so.

“My background has been very corporate-focused so I’m looking forward to joining Coombe as it celebrates a big year for the hotel.”

The new appointment comes as the Hotel was announced as the winner of Large Hotel of the Year at the inaugural West Midlands Tourism Awards and won Bronze in Best UK Hotel and Silver in Best UK Unusual Venue at the 2020 M&IT Awards, as it celebrates its 25th anniversary.

Ron Terry, General Manager at Coombe Abbey added: “Laura is joining us during our 25th anniversary year, and it will be great to have her on board helping to promote the hotel.

“Laura brings with her a long history within the hospitality and tourism industry in the West Midlands, so we are looking forward to having her joining the Coombe team.

“Despite the difficult times we are facing globally, we are looking ahead to a big year for Coventry next year with City of Culture, so it’s great to have another team member joining us.”

Young engineer in line for national award National Express engineering development manager, Katie McGrath, has won a spot at the national finals of a women in transport awards scheme.

Katie, 26, from Stourbridge, is a finalist in the Above and Beyond category of the 2020 Amazon Everywoman in Transport & Logistics Awards. The awards showcase the crucial positions women hold in the industry, redefining a sector that has long been seen as maledominated.

Katie came to National Express in 2016 on the company’s graduate scheme after studying biochemistry at the University of Birmingham. She soon discovered a passion for engineering and assumed her current role in March 2018.

Bernie Cassidy, engineering director at National Express, said: “Everyone at National Express West Midlands is so

proud of Katie and what she’s already achieved.

“Katie has a great skill for analysing data, combined with a real gift for communicating to teams and bringing them on board. She has improved many of our systems even in the short time she’s been with us. As a result of her work, breakdowns are down more than 10% year-on-year.

“Katie is also a great role model for women in engineering; she’s always happy to encourage female STEM students. For International Women’s Day in March 2019, she went to Birmingham’s South and City College to talk about what it’s like to work in the bus industry. The students there found her inspiring and engaging.”

Maxine Benson MBE, co-founder of Everywoman, said: “With the coronavirus outbreak shining a spotlight

on how crucial our transport and logistics sector is, celebrating role models and creating a strong pipeline of female talent is more important now than ever before.”

“These finalists represent 60 of the most outstanding individuals working in transport and logistics today.”

Employee benefit specialist strengthens team

Health Matters Group is continuing to grow its team with the recruitment of a new office manager, Jane Stockley.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Jane has a breadth of knowledge and experience of HR management, internal auditing, performance management and training and development. She joins Health Matters to support day-to-day operations of the business to alleviate some of the responsibility from the three managing directors and CEO. Simon Hurley-Smith, CEO of Health Matters, said: “We are thrilled to have Jane on board. She will be able to relieve some of the day-to-day activities such as staff liaison, HR management and review, and managing business suppliers and expenditure across the group, allowing the three managing directors and myself to focus on the strategic growth of the business.”

With Jane joining the team during the current pandemic, it has been difficult to meet the team, although video

conference has been able to help Jane feel welcomed.

Jane said: “I am so excited for the venture here at the Health Matters Group. I am really looking forward to getting back into the office and meeting the team face-to-face. I am currently looking at implementing processes and policies to help support with the structure and consistency of the business, so there is a really exciting journey ahead.”

Health Matters Group is a specialist team dedicated to providing a tailored service of health benefit and EAP packages to businesses across the UK. The company’s vision is to shape the future of organisations to create a work culture that promotes happier and healthier people, ensuring optimum productivity.

College appoints new principal A highly-experienced college director has been appointed as the new principal and CEO of Coventry College.

Governors have confirmed the appointment of Carol Thomas at the college, which has campuses in Coventry’s city centre and Henley in Bell Green.

She is the group director of curriculum and performance at Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group, an outstanding further education provider, and her role has focused on the development and delivery of the curriculum, working with managers to ensure high-quality teaching, learning and assessment, and ensuring a great learning experience for students to achieve excellent results. She also played a leading role in the merger of the two colleges in 2016.

Carol has worked in further and higher education for more than 36 years, including at three other large FE colleges, and also has experience of working within the school sector.

She was also a regional examiner for the City & Guilds London Institute, holding a role at the Vocational Training Charitable Trust for many years and being a trust board member and a governor at her local multi academy trust.

Carol said: “I am thrilled to be appointed as the principal and CEO of Coventry College and I look forward to meeting all staff as soon as possible. The college has a number of challenges to work through in addition to the challenge we, and the entire further education sector, find ourselves in at the moment.

“I am confident, however, that together we can successfully move the college forward to ensure that we provide an outstanding service for our students, building on the extensive good practice that has been demonstrated during the last three months.

“I look forward to working with everyone in our quest to ensure that Coventry College becomes the college of first choice for our local communities and beyond.”

45

New Members

Welcome to New Members Corporate Members Atkins Wealth Consultancy, St James’s Place Wealth Management Financial Services 01212 330099 financial.direction@sjpp.co.uk www.sjpp.co.uk/michaelatkins

Eskuta Limited Electric Vehicles 02476 350150 contact@eskuta.com www.eskuta.com

Spray it Safe Ltd Cleaning Contractors 01926 351033 contact@sprayitsafe.co.uk www.sprayitsafe.co.uk

International Trade Members Kokoso Skin Limited Health Care Products & Equipment 07949 314246 info@kokoso.co.uk www.kokoso.co.uk

Essential Members Beechwood Trees & Landscapes Ltd

Excellence Plus Care Ltd

Opus International Products

Recruitment Advisers 07534 263497 excellencefavouredcare@gmail.com

Automotive Manufacturing 01926 499508 enquiries@opusproducts.com www.opusproducts.com

Golf Gloves Direct Golf Equipment 07507 427288 ken@golfglovesdirect.com www.golfglovesdirect.com

Gridworth Ltd Design & Development Engineers 07919 410630 mcromarty@gridworth.com www.gridworth.com

Harry Burrows Fabrications Ltd Sheet Metal Fabricators 02476 361313 admin@harryburrows.co.uk www.harryburrows.co.uk

Health Health PPE Provider 02034 885653 sales@healthhealth.co.uk www.healthhealth.co.uk

Lets Delight Ltd

Tree & Vegetation Management 08003 287988 office@beechwoodtrees.co.uk www.beechwoodtrees.co.uk

Property 07930 130532 info@letsdelight.co.uk www.letsdelight.co.uk/cgi-bin/home.pl

Bemunchie Online

Lollypop Media

Website Designers 03300 439493 hello@bemunchieonline.co.uk www.bemunchieonline.co.uk

Video Production 07964 543149 makemediapop@gmail.com www.makemediapop.com

Cotswold Marquees Ltd Manufacture and Hire of Marquees and Awnings 01608 686900 info@cotswoldmarquees.co.uk www.cotswoldmarquees.co.uk

Margot Clarke

Oxford Fiber Ltd Tool Manufacturers & Suppliers 01788 226010 ian.murgatroyd@oxfordfiber.com www.oxfordfiber.com

RA Venues - Twycross Zoo Conference Centres 01827 883161 events@twycrosszoo.org www.twycrosszoo.org

SawiTECH I.T. Recycling & Disposal Solutions Computer Recycling & Data Destruction Services 02476 682933 info@sawitech.com www.sawitech.com

TaxAssist Accountants Coventry East Audit, Tax and Advisory Services 02475 098680 jaygosal@taxassist.co.uk www.taxassist.co.uk/coventry-east

The Cotswold Distilling Company Ltd Distillery 01608 238533 info@cotswoldsdistillery.com www.cotswolddistillery.com

The Daglish Group Limited

Financial & Business Consultants 07711 011368 margot@margotclarke.co.uk www.margotclarke.co.uk

Cleaning Contractors 01384 858856 sales@daglishgroup.com www.daglishgroup.com

Coventry & Warwickshire Mind

McGlone Wardzynski Limited

UK PPE

Charities & Benevolent Organisations 02476 552847 admin@cwmind.org.uk www.cwmind.org.uk

Accountancy Services 02476 225379 enquiries@mcglone-wardzynski.com www.mcglone-wardzynski.com

PPE Provider 07542 055962 ukppe@siraconsultants.co.uk www.ukppe.ltd

One Stop Engineering

Wasps Rugby Ricoh Arena

Executive, Management & Business Coaching 07709 661595 ose10417@gmail.com

Tourism & Leisure Activities 02476 933444 info@wasps.co.uk www.wasps.co.uk

Culture Creator Executive, Management & Business Coaching 07843 526848 leanne.hamley@culturecreator.co.uk www.culturecreator.co.uk

When contacting members listed above, The Chamber request that, in line with the Marketing and Advertising Law, you provide a clear ‘unsubscribe’ option.

Further details can be found via www.gov.uk/marketing-advertising-law/direct-marketing 46

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Member Offers

Featured Offers from our Strategic Partners & Corporate Members:

Eskuta Limited 40% discount on the SR-1200 Electric Scooter Expiry Date: 31/07/2020

Life & Progress Ltd Employee Assistance Programme Additional benefits for Chamber Members Expiry Date: 31/08/2020

Gallagher

Health Matters (UK) Ltd

Discounted COVID-19 Risk Assessment Validation Service Expiry Date: 31/08/2020

Employee Assistance Programme 3 Months free when signed up to 12 month plan Expiry Date: 31/07/2020

Skye Wellbeing

Spray it Safe

Free wellbeing services, EAP and rewards Expiry Date: 31/08/2020

Discounts on Antiviral Cleaning for Hospitality, Hotels & Venues who are reopening Expiry Date: 31/08/2020

Essential Member Offers:

Bemunchie Online

Caniican Ltd

Cube Accounting

2 months free on HR retained support packages Expiry Date: 31/07/2020

20% off all website packages & FREE Logo Design Services Expiry Date: 31/07/2020

Discounted 30 Day Access to Online Workout System Expiry Date: 31/07/2020

Complimentary 30-minute accountancy discovery call Expiry Date: 30/09/2020

Health Health

MB Asset Protection Ltd

The Mandatory Training Group

Nettle Hill Training & Conference Centre

Absolute Works

PPE Face Masks Discount for Chamber Members Expiry Date: 31/07/2020

Free Advice and Will for all Chamber Members and Key Workers, including NHS Staff Expiry Date: 31/08/2020

FREE Coronavirus Awareness Training - Free E-Learning Course Expiry Date: 31/08/2020

1 in 10 go Free when booking our Day Delegate Rate Expiry Date: 30/09/2020

SawiTECH I.T. Recycling & Disposal Solutions

Travel Klinix

Webropol Ltd

XV Insight Limited

Free licence for survey software and COVID-19 surveys Expiry Date: 30/09/2020

Discounted Survey What your customers want you to have in place when you re-open Expiry Date: 01/10/2020

Upgrading or replacing your old IT equipment? FREE collection Expiry Date: 23/12/2020

Talentwise Solutions Ltd Discounted Recruitment Fees for vacancies registered up to 30th September 2020 Expiry Date: 30/10/2020 www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Discounted Back to Work Coronavirus Testing Expiry Date: 31/07/2020

To view these and all of our Member Offers, head to cw-chamber.co.uk/marketplace 47

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TAKE ON AN APPRENTICE Attract new talent and skills

Increase productivity & performance

Upskill your current staff

Build a loyal workforce

APPRENTICESHIP STANDARDS AVAILABLE INCLUDE: •

Early Years Education

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Construction

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Engineering

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Stockperson (Beef, Pigs, Sheep, Dairy)

APPRENTICESHIPS STANDARDS ALSO AVAILABLE IN: Accounting Adult Care Agriculture Animal Care and Welfare Auto Care Bricklaying Business Administration Carpentry & Joinery Customer Service Dental Nursing Electrotechnical Events Equine Farriery Hair Horticulture HR Hospitality IT Marketing & Digital Marketing Plumbing Team Leading Trees and Timber Veterinary Nursing Welding

Contact our Business Development Team:

employerenquiries@wcg.ac.uk | 0330 135 6940

wcg.ac.uk/employers