Coventry & Warwickshire C&W in Business Jan 2020 by Benham Publishing Limited

Issue 75

January - February 2020

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Foreword

Finally, some certainty Dear Chamber of Commerce Member,

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

I’d like to wish you, our Members, a prosperous 2020 and a wonderful decade of opportunities and business growth. We are, at last, in some state of certainty with a majority Government that appears determined to re-create our trading relationship with Europe and elsewhere, whilst also focusing on the domestic agenda. This Government will, hopefully, also continue to support the work of Local Enterprise Partnerships as, in this locality, our CWLEP alongside our County and City Councils have continued to leverage in investment into this locality and help drive allimportant growth and job creation. In my view, we have solid foundations for a great decade, to take advantage of the opportunities that may arise and also be resilient against the challenges that will inevitably occur. I think it is worth noting, with interest, the results of the final Quarterly Economic Survey of 2019, where, across the UK, growth has stagnated with dampening investment intentions. That said, cash flow forecasts improved which, perhaps, reflects the strength of many businesses. Much of the dampening of economic conditions will be due to the long term economic uncertainty, rising business costs and a slowdown in the global economy. Such reports, by business, will not be ignored by your British Chambers of Commerce and, indeed, your Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce as we continue to place our lobbying and influencing emphasis, in 2020 and beyond, on reducing the costs of doing business; investment in infrastructure and bringing forward, in this locality, more employment land; supporting and nurturing a sustainable and growing trading economy; and investment in people to ensure we have the skills, competence and flexibility to match the jobs we create. Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of our British Chambers of Commerce, has commented that “the end of political deadlock at Westminster must bring action to renew business confidence and tackle the prolonged stagnation that’s affecting so much of the UK economy. The Government must use its newfound majority to take big decisions to stimulate growth.

Contents January – February 2020 Go for Growth

If ministers take action to reduce upfront costs, move key infrastructure projects forward, and to help businesses on training, they’ll be rewarded with increased investment. However, the Government must also move quickly over the coming weeks to ensure that Brexit is done right. A clear future trading relationship with the EU is also crucial to many firms’ future investment and growth prospects”. Key and critical to local businesses is that we, as your local Chamber of Commerce, are here to help, advise and support you through our ‘experts’ in trade, business growth, ICT & broadband, membership support and education & learning of your staff. We see “Business As A Force For Good” and through our connectivity and networking opportunities, we will continue to support you in sustaining and growing your business and the local economy. Give us a call on 02476 654321 or visit our refreshed website on www.cw-chamber.co.uk. It was, indeed, great to see a sellout turnout to our annual Economic Conference, in November 2019, where the room was packed with up-beat and thought-provoking business intelligence. On the day, many leaders pledged to support the work of our Warwickshire and Coventry Careers Hubs and it was heartwarming to hear a 300-strong conversation around the future aspirations and opportunities for Coventry and Warwickshire, not least as we move ever closer to Coventry UK City of Culture 2021 and the Greater-Birmingham & Midlands Commonwealth Games of 2022. It was also important that we discussed some of our challenges, not least how we, as leaders, help bring local families out of poverty and how we support our young people into jobs. Lots to do, but I have every confidence that Coventry and Warwickshire with some strong leadership and collaboration across our communities - can create opportunities for all in this new decade. Kind regards, Louise, Mrs L Bennett-Bayliss OBE, DL Chief Executive

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Business Awards

News

Events

Corporate Hospitality News

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10 11-13

Chamber Training

Chamber Talent

Legal & Finance

16-17

Property

Profile

20-21

News

22-23

News

25-28

Around the region

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Education & Training

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President & People

44-45

New Members

Training & Events

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Go for Growth The official publication of the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce ••••

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

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Support programme aimed at helping retailers Independent retailers across Warwickshire will be given top tips on how to attract more customers when a new support programme starts in the New Year. The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce will be delivering the support on behalf of Warwickshire County Council to help drive footfall to independents across the county through the Warwickshire Towns Network Programme. Business owners will be given advice on how to use social media to tell their stories, how to create more of a shopping experience to counter the functionality of online retail and how to build better networks in their local area. Local company, Stories Marketing – which has a background in retail and expertise in social media – will deliver a series of workshops across the county, starting in January. The announcement of the support comes just days before Small Business Saturday, which is a national campaign to inspire and promote smaller businesses. Emma Woodward and Sam Yair established Stories

Marketing after 15 years in retail, running successful women’s fashion chain – Aspire Style – in Warwick, Solihull, Stratford, Oxford and Coventry. And their experience and expertise will now be passed on to independent retailers across the region. Emma said: “There is no doubting that the high street is going through a very tough period but for independent retailers it is all about how to adapt, being creative, and thinking differently in order to drive footfall and increase sales’ “Our workshops will go beyond the technology of social media and will help businesses to develop an online personality and brand – even in this modern age people still want to buy from people. “By showing off personality, you can build a following in a much better way than trying to sell, sell, sell when you are online. “Independent retailers can inject more personality into their online presence and can offer a shopping experience for their customers and the two can feed off one another. “That will be part of what we will be working on during the workshops. But also in

Accounts Director Joanne Casey Media Number 1691 © Benham Publishing 2020

•••• C&W in Business Advertising Features for 2020 March-April 2020 Age at Work Looking at the different requirements and benefits of Millennials and the older generation being side by side in the workplace. Retirement/Exit Strategy How to manage the latter stages of a business and planning for retirement. Copy deadline 25th February 2020 For further information on the forthcoming features please contact: Terry Brannigan Chamber Sales DD 07841 115444 Terry@benhampublishing.com

••••

Sam Yair (left) with Emma Woodward

who make their towns unique. The workshops and support offered through this project will form a key part of Warwickshire’s success. “It’s great that we are able to work with Stories Marketing to deliver this support, having run a successful chain of independents they have trialled and tested lots of ideas, and have seen first hand what has made the biggest impact in terms of footfall and sales’. Stories Marketing will be delivering a series of workshops across Warwickshire commencing in January. For more information go to http://towncentres. eventbrite.com or contact Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce on 02476 654321 (Option 3).

MTI celebrates 21st century skills to mark its first anniversary

Production Manager Mark Etherington

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.

how we bring independents together both online and offline in order to be able to offer an even greater experience to customers. By working together it really can make a difference to your bottom line, but also more widely drive footfall into a town, creating a destination and a fantastic shopping experience. Aaron Corsi, from Warwickshire County Council, said: “We are excited to be commissioning the Digital Skills for retailers and high street businesses for the fourth year running. “We have seen some real success stories since we started the programme in 2016. It is wonderful to see small retailers and high street businesses embracing social media, gaining new customers and changing the way they interact with customers and supporting the local economy.” Keely Hancox, Operations Manager of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are very pleased to be working with the Warwickshire Towns Network to deliver this much needed support to independent retailers across the county. “Everyone wants to see a thriving high street, with a range of independent retailers

Twenty-first century solutions for the automotive industry will take their place in history alongside the invention of radar in the twentieth century and the launch of Stephenson’s ‘Rocket’ in the nineteenth. Speaking on the first anniversary of the launch of the MIRA Technology Institute, Professor Joe McGeough, President of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) said that STEM skills had been responsible for helping to solve problems ever since the industrial revolution began more than 200 years ago. Unveiling a commemorative plaque, Professor McGeough spoke about the importance of industry and education working together and how historical collaborations had harnessed the power of steam in transportation for the first time and brought the detection of night bombing raids during the Second World War. Professor McGeough said, “The UK has grown and developed as a result

of highly-developed skills in science, technology, engineering and maths. I am convinced that the same disciplines will, when nurtured by organisations like the MIRA Technology Institute, overcome the challenges now facing the automotive industry with the development of autonomous, connected, electric and shared vehicle technology, and the challenges brought by electrification, cybersecurity and emissions.” The MTI is the result of a unique collaboration led by North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, and its partners, HORIBA MIRA, Coventry University, the University of Leicester, and Loughborough University. Built with £9.5m investment from the UK Government’s Growth Fund via the LLEP, the MTI is a specialist facility designed specifically to train the next generation of engineers in the latest automotive technology. The MTI is helping to create specialist skills in some of the new disruptive technology areas including electrification and driverless cars. Also speaking at the celebration event, Declan Allen, Managing Director of HORIBA MIRA said, “Ever since the inception of the Motor Industry Research Association in 1946 we have understood the importance of nurturing skills to solve some of the most pressing problems of the modern age. HORIBA MIRA has been working in close collaboration with North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire

College for several years and the development of the MTI seemed a natural next step on our journey to foster the skills of future engineers.” Since it first opened its doors in 2018, the MTI has welcomed more than 5,500 students and delegates. Marion Plant, OBE FCGI, Chair of the MTI Operations Board, and Principal and Chief Executive North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College said, “We’re delighted to mark such a successful first year for the MTI and pleased that we are already delivering a sustainable supply of future specialist technicians and engineers. “Our ambition is to be a global centre of excellence and we made some progress towards achieving that when, in June this year, we welcomed the chairman and group CEO of the HORIBA Group, Atsushi Horiba, to the MTI for HORIBA’s global strategy meeting. “We are grateful to our partners in industry and higher education for enabling us to work together to address the issues of an ageing workforce in the context of a more rapid innovation cycle in the automotive sector than any we have seen before. I would like to thank the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership for its support in helping us to secure the local growth fund investment that has enabled us to deliver this fantastic facility.”

Mecalac commended in national industry awards Mecalac Construction Equipment UK (CEUK) was commended as a finalist in the ‘Innovation of the Year’ category at the Plant & Civil Engineer Awards. The prestigious event, which celebrates excellence, outstanding contributions, unrivalled service and innovation from across the construction, quarrying and recycling industries, took place at the Crowne Plaza in Belfast. Shortlisted for its first-to-market joystick-controlled TV1200 tandem compaction roller, the judges were impressed with Mecalac’s revolutionary new solution to improve operator efficiencies, reduce the risk of injury and improve on-site productivity. A brand renowned for challenging the status quo, Mecalac unveiled the prototype at BAUMA

2019 and expects to bring the innovation to market in 2020. Paul Macpherson, UK Sales and Marketing Director at Mecalac CEUK, said: “For nearly three decades, the design of tandem compaction rollers has remained almost entirely uniform. While incremental innovation has continued to improve engine performance, environmental credentials and operator functionality, progress has been evolutionary rather than revolutionary. “Thanks to ergonomic design and highlyinnovative R&D, our redesigned TV1200 aims to revolutionise the compaction market. Being named as a finalist in this year’s Plant & Civil Engineer Awards is testament to this project and reflects the team’s unique approach to refining,

redesigning and expanding an already globally-successful product. “We believe that innovation plays a driving role in our success and, as such, keep it a fundamental part of our operations. In the compact equipment marketplace, we are a relatively small business compared to our competitors, yet our commitment to being innovative puts us firmly on the map.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Go for Growth

Businesses join forces to win major tender

Helen Roberts (XV Insight), Jag Sidhu (Protel), Tina Lunn (Protel)

A pair of independent Coventry and Warwickshire businesses are showcasing the potential for national success after joining forces to win a major tender for one of the world’s leading museum groups. Coventry and Warwickshire-based market research companies Protel Fieldwork and XV Insight made a joint submission and won a major contract to design and conduct vital research that would provide National Museums Liverpool with a deep understanding of visitor experience and behaviour at the Merseyside Maritime Museum. Their combined teams undertook the research earlier this year, using a variety of research techniques. Helen Roberts, Director of Leamington-based XV Insight and Tina Lunn, Director of Coventry-

based Protel Fieldwork, are both members of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce. They met at a Chamber networking event and have established a solid working relationship ever since, allowing them to compete for and win a range of local and national tenders. Since completion of the first project, they have gone on to partner up on other UK-wide research projects, working together with new clients across different sectors and industries. Tina said: “Protel is an established company which has been providing qualitative and quantitative fieldwork services for the last 20 years, but by working with Helen at XV Insight we have been able to compete for and win additional major national tenders that would be otherwise unattainable without the right research partner. “Our partnership has enabled us to combine our skillsets and offer a breadth of high-quality services, while our size and independence has ensured we can remain flexible, enabling us to reach bigger organisations, offering them a more personalised service. “We have taken important steps in showing the rest of the country the quality of services

that businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire can offer.” Helen added: “It is great to have a high-quality research fieldwork company so close by. As a market research consultancy providing insight services, XV Insight needs to work with trusted partners and in Protel we have found exactly that ‘on our doorstep’. Working with Protel is giving us access to a wider range of projects and clients.” Hazel Pilling, membership manager of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “XV Insight and Protel Fieldwork are setting an example of the success that can be achieved when likeminded businesses and individuals actively look to collaborate with their peers. “Their partnership has allowed them to bring the best out of each other and provide an excellent service, with clients to date being delighted with their work. “They are showing what the Chamber is all about as two valued members, and embodying the ideals set out in the Business Togetherness campaign which has shown why it is so important for companies to meet, network and do business with one another.” For more information visit www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Modest improvement in economic outlook The economic outlook for Coventry and Warwickshire improved by the smallest of margins in the third quarter of 2019 – despite a significant downward shift in confidence in the manufacturing sector. The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) showed the overall economy in the region is bucking the national trend but that warning signs coming from industry must be heeded. The survey, which is partnered by Prime Accountants and analysed by Warwickshire County Council, is a barometer for the regional economy and also feeds into the British Chambers of Commerce’s national survey. It showed that in Coventry and Warwickshire domestic orders, overseas orders and advanced orders in manufacturing had fallen, which proved to be a drag on confidence amongst the sector. This was offset by a small improvement in the service sector which led to an overall rise in the wider economic outlook for the region. 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. The outlook for Coventry and Warwickshire grew from 60.9 to 61.0 in Q3 compared to Q2 but industry leaders are warning that the increased uncertainty is starting to bear down on business. Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “The improvement in the economic outlook for Coventry and Warwickshire is small but it is not insignificant. It shows, once again, just how robust our economy is and that we continue to buck national trends. “We are seeing a strengthening service sector, which has shown growth in domestic orders although there was a fall in overseas orders.

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“The biggest area for concern comes from manufacturing where both domestic and overseas orders fell, which has naturally had an effect on confidence in the sector. “When you look at the bigger picture, the uncertainty that is hanging over firms across Coventry and Warwickshire – and the UK as a whole – has proved to be a real drag on business confidence. “The latest Quarterly Economic Survey shows that companies across Coventry and Warwickshire have weathered the last two to three years but they really do need certainty and confidence to invest and grow for the future.” Steve Harcourt, Director Prime Accountants Group, said: “This quarter’s results show Coventry and Warwickshire continues to punch above the national average in regards to the overall economic outlook for the country. “As part of our input to the survey we asked businesses if over the next year they would anticipate cashflow, investment in plant, machinery, equipment and training to increase, stay the same or decrease? The majority of businesses indicated they were expecting to maintain their current level of investment which is understandable considering the Brexit uncertainly. “There are marginal gains throughout the index which indicates businesses are starting to feel more positive compared to last quarter, especially in the service sector which accounts for 80 per cent of the UK economy. The warning signs in the rest of the UK are clear though, as the service sector contracts. “As we move towards a Brexit resolution businesses can start to adjust to the implications of the outcome. It’s encouraging seeing the region performing better than the national average and having statistics to back up the current consensus should reassure businesses and investors that we are still open for business.” To take part in the latest Quarterly Economic Survey, you can go to www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ExportPolicy

A Safetyflex Barriers installation in Rostock, Germany.

Coventry manufacturer secures multi-million pound deal to protect European sites A leading British manufacturer of anti-terrorist security bollards has secured a multi-million pound deal to help protect key sites in Germany and Europe from potential vehicle attacks.

Safetyflex Barriers, based in Coventry, has joined forces with German firm Perimeter Protection Group (PPG) to supply anti-terrorism protection. PPG was founded in 1951 and manufactures and supplies a range of perimeter protection security products. But the firm, which has offices in five countries across Europe, has now committed to forwardbuying Safetyflex’s bollards, which can stop vehicle attacks travelling at 80mph, and have already secured contacts within Europe. The partnership with PPG comes as a result of Safetyflex’s export drive, which has seen the company establish partnerships with distributers in a range of countries across Northern Europe, the US and Australia. Truckstopper Bollards are known for its aesthetically pleasing, slimline oval appearance and shallow foundation size of only 20cm, which means that it can be set up without the need to re-divert utilities making it highly cost-effective. They help to secure potentially vulnerable areas such as shopping centres, sports stadiums, government buildings, military, utilities and key infrastructure centres, with more than 10,000 high security PAS68 spring bollards made and distributed over the last year. Marcus Gerrard, director at Safetyflex Barriers, said: “This deal comes as a result of our planned export drive which we have undertaken over the last few years. “PPG, being Europe’s leading crash-rated solution provider, with 65 years of experience in supplying high-security sites and public realm projects with anti-terrorism barriers, will be a perfect partner. “Our barriers have been designed to be hidden in street furniture, like bollards, planters, bike racks, bus shelters, sign posts and totems. “You can walk down places like Oxford Street, and won’t even know that our products are hidden in the street landscape protecting people and buildings from vehicle attacks. “This is an important step for Safetyflex in expanding its European distribution network, and growing partnerships globally.” One of Safetyflex’s first major contracts saw the team work to protect 22 venues for the London 2012 Olympics and in the 10 years which have followed, it has worked across the UK, and begun to expand globally. Its measures have recently been installed to protect high-profile locations including the Augusta National golf course – home of the US Masters – police stations in Australia and Edgbaston Cricket Ground. Safetyflex Barriers was recently presented with the ADS Security Innovation Award by the Home Office, and Product of the Year Award at the Australian Security Industry Awards.

Business Awards

The 25th anniversary of the Coventry Telegraph Business Awards saw companies across the region honoured for their success and contribution to the regional economy Armstrongs Paul Farmer (Director) and Cheryl Stanley (Business Development Manager) (Image Courtesy of Coventry Telegraph).

Armstrongs named Professional Services Firm of the Year A local firm of chartered accountants and tax advisers are celebrating after their success at the Coventry Telegraph Business Awards. Armstrongs Chartered Accountants, based in Coventry & Nuneaton, was named Professional Services Firm of the Year, which recognises companies who have demonstrable strengths in service excellence, business growth, innovation, technology, training and personal development. Paul Farmer, a Director at Armstrongs, said: “We are delighted to win this award. The last few years have been fantastic for our firm - we have embraced new technologies, delivered innovative solutions to clients and have invested heavily in our team, which has enabled us to move the company forward and achieve our growth aspirations.” The awards night took place at the Ricoh Arena on Thursday 21st November and marked the closure of the Coventry and Warwickshire Business Festival. The event was hosted by broadcaster Jeremy Vine, which was fitting for the awards 25th anniversary, as Jeremy was once a trainee reporter on the Coventry Telegraph in the late 1980s. This achievement follows a number of other award successes for Armstrongs In September, the team headed down to London for the finals of the British Accountancy Awards, where the practice was shortlisted in the Independent Firm of the Year – Wales and Midlands category and Director Sarah Van Ristell was a finalist in the Partner of the Year category. Armstrongs Chartered Accountants provide a wide range of services including accounting, tax, corporate finance, wealth planning, audit and assurance, business support and business development.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce supported the event at the Ricoh Arena and several members picked up awards. The full list of winners • Small business of the Year Widgit Software • New Business of the Year Aurelius Print Media

• Professor Lord Kumar Battacharyya Award for Manufacturer of the Year Katronic Technologies • Apprentice of the Year - Alexis Considine, The Wigley Group • Professional Services Firm of the Year - Armstrongs Chartered Accountants • Property and Construction Business of the Year - Cornerstone Partnership

• Retail Business of the Year - Joco • Third Sector Organisation of the Year - Zoe’s Place • CSR Project of the Year Willmott Dixon • Green Business of the Year HydroVeg Kits and Reyousable (joint winners) • International Trade and Export Award - Safetyflex • Company of the Year - Safetyflex

Joco adds to 2019 trophy collection Joco Interiors, Nuneaton’s multi award winning independent gift shop, has added yet another award to the trophy collection. In November the Joco team attended the Coventry Telegraph Business Awards at the Ricoh Arena and were announced as the winners of the Retailer of the Year Award. As the business owner, I am incredibly proud to have received this award, but it is also a huge recognition for the staff who work incredibly hard in the shop to help customers find the perfect gift. Retail is a very challenging sector to be working in right now, with many customers turning to online purchasing due to the convenience this can offer. There are many local business,

like mine, trying hard to keep the highstreets open and to win an award to bring to Nuneaton is extremely satisfying. Joco has won further awards in the past year, including being announced as one of Britain’s Best Small Shops at an event at the Houses of Parliament, The Greats Independent Gift Retailer of the Year Midlands and Wales, Finalist of Employee of the Year for the Gift Industry, The Woman Who Achieves Commendation for Micro Business of the Year with two finalist certificates for Growing SME and Outstanding Leader Award, as well as FSB Area Finalist for Family Business of the Year. The year has been a fantastic year for the business, as we moved premises to the

Ropewalk Shopping Centre in June 2019. This gave us the opportunity to expand the range of products available and also to offer a same day delivery service for our local customers. We offer a click and collect service for those in a hurry, too.

These successes have resulted in me being selected to be part of an independent retailers panel at the Spring Fair at the NEC and also to be chosen to judge the Gift of the Year 2020. Jo Williams is a Director at Joco Interiors Ltd.

Alexis crowned Apprentice of the Year Within just two years of joining The Wigley Group with no experience of work, accounts assistant Alexis Considine has been crowned Apprentice of the Year at the Coventry Telegraph Business Awards. The incredible achievement tops off a fantastic year for Alexis with her having also scooped the accolade for Higher Apprentice at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber Training’s Awards. Alexis, who was unfortunately

unable to attend the Coventry Telegraph Business Awards ceremony due to being on holiday, said: “I am absolutely over the moon to win Apprentice of the Year. “It is a huge honour and privilege, and I would like to thank The Wigley Group for all their support with my professional development, and congratulate all of the winners and those shortlisted.” Alexis has demonstrated an outstanding attitude to her

accountancy apprenticeship and learning, rapidly progressing from level 3, where she gained a distinction, before continuing her professional development, achieving her level 4 AAT accountancy qualification as part of her higher apprenticeship. She has also made a remarkable contribution to The Wigley Group, applying the skills and knowledge learned to her role, and taking on greater responsibilities, including covering her manager’s position.

James Davies, managing director of The Wigley Group, said: “Alexis has become an invaluable member of The Wigley Group and as our first apprentice, a shining example of the benefits that one can bring to a business. “As an employer, we are committed to investing in people by providing opportunities and training at all levels and plan to create more roles for apprentices and graduates in the near future to support our growth.”

Proud to be putting Coventry and Warwickshire on the map For a company proud to be putting Coventry and Warwickshire on the map as a world leader in anti-terrorist bollards, the coveted title of ‘Company of the Year’ is a huge honour. Safetyflex Barriers, the Coventry-based inventor and manufacturer of Truckstopper Bollards, which protect vulnerable sites in the UK and overseas from the threat of vehicle attacks, won the overall title after scooping the ‘International Trade and Export of the Year Award’.

Marcus Gerrard, director at Safetyflex Barriers, said: “We were delighted to win our category which recognises our strong export growth over the last year, and then thrilled to be named ‘Company of the Year’. “Whilst our business has a national and international focus, we are extremely proud of our Coventry roots - born out of our sister company GME Springs which has been established here for decades - and so to be recognised in our home city is a tremendous honour.”

Truckstopper Bollards, which can halt an 18-tonne vehicle travelling at 50mph, was an instant success in the UK largely due to its shallow foundation and super slimline appearance, making it very aesthetically pleasing and highly costeffective. Having worked on high-profile domestic projects, including in the heart of Coventry, Safetyflex Barriers began exploring the overseas markets and in the last year, has won a string of major contracts resulting in exports now accounting for 35 per cent of trade.

Marcus added: “We were really disappointed not to be at the ceremony to collect the Awards in person, but due to the nature of our business, we are often called away at short notice to attend high-level security meetings and this was one of national importance that we had to attend. “We would like to congratulate all of the winners and those shortlisted for what is a fantastic celebration of the successes and achievements by businesses operating across all sectors in our region.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News

Direct Air invests in workplace defibrillator Direct Air is passionate about keeping up to date with the latest training available and this extends to its health and safety officers. Following on from two of its people attending a first aid course, the company became aware of the impact a defibrillator can have on the possible chance of survival following cardiac arrest. For every minute it takes for the defibrillator to reach someone and deliver a shock, their chances of survival reduce by up to 10%. Every second counts. After researching the distance to the company’s nearest automated external defibrillator (AED), the decision was made to purchase an onsite defibrillator. This not only benefits the staff and visitors of Direct Air, but

also other businesses based on the Binley Industrial Estate in Coventry and the surrounding area. Automated external defibrillators are compact and portable. They are also easy and safe to use as they will not allow a shock to be given unless the heart’s rhythm requires it In the UK each year, more than 30,000 people suffer cardiac arrests (SCA) outside of hospital where the emergency services attempt to resuscitate them, but less than 10% of these people will survive. Many SCA victims can be saved if they receive immediate treatment before the emergency services arrive, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation which shocks

the heart to resume a normal rhythm. If defibrillation is delivered within three-five minutes of collapse, survival rates can be as high as 50-70%. However, as the emergency services average response time in England is eight minutes, having a defibrillator in your workplace could improve your employees and visitors’ chances of survival. Many factors in the workplace can delay lifesaving resuscitation, such as: • Remote locations are likely to be subject to longer emergency service response times. • Urban or multi-storey locations are more difficult for emergency responders to reach due to the need to negotiate traffic, stairs,

lifts, escalators or crowds of people. • Businesses with spread out facilities could prove hazardous if first aid equipment is located in distant buildings. An IOSH survey revealed that more than half of British businesses do not have a defibrillator.

Hayes & Cole partner with CySure Hayes & Cole Ltd, a data protection specialists, has announced a new partnership with the cyber security specialist CySure. They will offer customers CySure’s Virtual Online Security officer (VOSO) alongside the existing effective and affordable solutions that address all your data protection needs. Sara Hayes, co-founder at Hayes & Cole, said: “Too often,

compliance is watered down to little more than a tick box exercise. Whilst some large organisations can afford the reputational damage and multi-million pound fines, for a small to medium enterprise (SMEs) this can prove extremely damaging. “Hayes & Cole is delighted to be partnering with CySure to offer a range of cyber solutions that can be tailored to support businesses of all sizes and budgets. Together we can provide customers an effective

and affordable practitioner led solution encompassing cyber security, data privacy and general data protection requirements.” Joe Collinwood, Chief Executive Officer of CySure, said: “CySure and Hayes & Cole have a shared goal of supporting SMEs with solutions that enable them to be innovative and competitive in the digital economy, unencumbered by rigid big company security policies and compliance thinking.”

Top accolade for hotel Mallory Court Country House Hotel & Spa has won Retail & Hospitality Business of the Year. Mallory, a privately-owned hotel by Sir Peter Rigby, is part of the prestigious Eden Hotel Collection. One of the top 200 hotels in the country, Mallory charms guests with its luxury accommodation, picturesque grounds, unobtrusive service, exquisite food and state-of-the-art spa. An investment of more than £8m has been put into the hotel over the past couple of years, including 12 new bedrooms and luxurious spa.

Whilst this huge expansion demonstrates a commitment to better customer service, it was the smaller details that swung it for the awards judges & sponsors -NFU Mutual. The team like to surprise and delight with special occasions, birthdays and anniversaries recognised with cards and gifts in the room and birthday plates for dining guests. Further to this, the judges were impressed by the comprehensive training programmes for staff and the recently certified online training platform Flow Hospitality Training.

Nick Hanson, General Manager at Mallory Court Country House Hotel & Spa, said: “We are extremely proud to have won this prestigious award. This is great achievement and recognition for our team.”

Birmingham Airport commits to Net Zero Carbon Birmingham Airport has published its Sustainability Strategy outlining recent achievements and future aims to ensure it remains a responsible neighbour and reduces its environmental impact. The Strategy has been developed around the theme of Commitment, Investment and Progress and outlines the airport’s vision to maximise the economic and social benefits it brings to its region and minimise its impact on its neighbours and the global environment. The main headline in the publication is the airport’s commitment to become a net zero carbon airport by the year 2033, prioritising zero carbon airport operations and minimising carbon offsets. Recognising that climate change is happening, the airport feels it needs to set an ambitious target ahead of the UK’s target, to reduce its carbon footprint further and quicker. In addition to climate change mitigation, the strategy focuses on its priorities to reduce its other environmental impacts and make improvements in areas, such as local air quality, waste, supply chain and the circular economy, water and biodiversity.

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To ensure it continues to be a responsible neighbour, its priorities include noise, quality of life of local communities and economic development & employment. Nick Barton, Birmingham Airport’s CEO, said: “Our Sustainability Strategy sets out a robust commitment towards a sustainable future for the airport over the next five years, and we have adopted the principle of ‘think global, act local’. “Although we have acted as a responsible business in the past, we cannot become complacent. We don’t have all the answers now and know we can always do more. This is why we’ve developed this strategy to address changes in our day-to-day activity and in the longer term. “However, we will not work in isolation, as the key to achieving our goals is by working in partnership with local residents, tenants, employees, small businesses, technology companies, industry and government.” The strategy aligns with two important sustainability policy documents; the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the newly-published

Sponsored Column

Entrepreneurs take a £1 million bite out of sports equipment market

Ewan Jones and George Dyer, founders of the UK based sports brand SAFEJAWZ, hit a milestone £1million in revenue from selling a niche product: sports gum shields. From selling clearance sports equipment on market stalls, the founders have developed the brand from the ground-up. Starting with an investment of £1,500 (raised by co-founder Ewan Jones by selling his car), the entrepreneurs bought

clearance sports accessories and began selling them on market stalls and online marketplaces. After spotting a gap in the market for desirable and trendy sports dental protection, they launched their own brand using the profits from the first batch of clearance sports equipment. Following the successful start of their business, Ewan and George approached the Coventry & Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust (CWRT) for a start-up loan to continue the growth of their business. Sheridan Sulskis, CWRT’s Chief Executive, said: “We are proud to be a part of Ewan and George’s exciting journey by providing them with the access to finance that they needed to take their business to the next level. If you need finance to get your business started or for your growth plans, get in touch as we have a range of packages available along with business support to help.”

SAFEJAWZ specialise in both selffit and custom-fit (hand-made) dental mouthguards. Today, SAFEJAWZ provides mouthguards for top professional athletes, including England rugby Internationals Joe Marler and Courtney Lawes and World Champion boxers including George Groves and Charlie Edwards. They now sell their products in 35 countries and exporting continues to be a driving growth strategy for the company. Co-founder George Dyer said: “Ewan and I were both entrepreneurial by nature and that passion has carried us through the tough times of launching a business in a very competitive product space. We now manufacture mouthguards that are trusted by the world’s top athletes and bring real innovation to a previously dull and uninspired product category. Our ambition is limitless, so this milestone has only served to give us more energy to continue our growth curve.”

Royal award for Brandon Marsh volunteers Brandon Marsh Nature Centre hosted an awardgiving ceremony where the volunteers who have worked tirelessly for the past five decades received their Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service (QAVS) from the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire. A host of volunteers past and present, local dignitaries and representatives from Warwickshire Wildlife Trust celebrated the efforts of a team who have committed over 100,000 hours of work since forming in 1968. Karl Curtis, Director of Reserves and Community Engagement for Warwickshire

Wildlife Trust, said: “The commitment and hard work of all Brandon Marsh Voluntary Conservation Team (BMVCT) volunteers past and present is worthy of this recognition. “Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve, on the doorstep of Coventry, is a healthy and vibrant place for wildlife due to the group’s knowledge and dedication. They work in all weathers to practically manage and enhance the wetlands, woodlands and meadows for a huge variety of local wildlife. Plus, our visitors get to benefit from their labour too, with a nature-rich place to enjoy. We extend our thanks and

congratulations to them for their outstanding work.” Brandon Marsh Voluntary Conservation Team Chairman, Dave Evans, said: “The award was completely unexpected by the team, as you only had to look at the faces at the presentation to see it meant more to us than can be expressed. We are deeply honoured to receive this prestigious award for over fifty years of effort by a raft of volunteers, many of whom are no longer with us, and hope this inspires more people to volunteer their time and skills to worthwhile causes.”

The QAVS is the highest award given to local volunteer groups across the UK to recognise outstanding work done in their own communities. It was created in 2002 to celebrate the anniversary of The Queen’s coronation and is the MBE for volunteer groups.

Are you sabotaging your success? If somebody asked you what is the most crucial aspect of a business to focus on to ensure success, what would you say? If I was to answer that question, there is one aspect that, in my experience, fuels a successful organisation, that is accountability. I’m willing to bet that there’s something important you want to do. Badly. Problem is, you’re just not doing it. Accountability means being held answerable for accomplishing a goal or assignment. Unfortunately, for many, the word “accountability” often conjures up dark memories of punishment and negative consequences from our school days.

But these memories and fears are erroneous; accountability is a constructive activity that helps individuals grow as professionals. By embedding accountability into the corporate culture, everyone is responsible, it builds trust through support and encouragement, empowering everyone on the team and successes can be celebrated together,” Conversely, what happens to your business when your employees fail to demonstrate accountability? Typically, we find: • A culture of excuses • Failure to meet objectives • Low levels of trust

• Staff exiting the company • Low morale Often these symptoms are shoved into the back of our minds where they don’t get resolved until they fester into something much more painful. Businesses can fail, relationships falter, and reputations shatter. The antidote is simple - accountability. By Neil Liddell of Sandler Training, a provider of leadership/management and sales training

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the TruTac platform offers more options, greater transparency and improved functionality compared to the product they had been using. Managing Director Allison Kemp said that, since the change, more than 300 of their ‘live’ tachograph customers have moved across to TruTac and more than 90% of those who have seen the system are instantly convinced. A.I.M. Commercial Services Ltd is a business focused on keeping vehicle operators

WN BUSINESS O

ss Could You Pa ness usi The 47 Day B enge? ll Fitness Cha

e allenge for th Rules of the ch on: 47 day durati deal with any • You cannot one calls business ph nd read or respo • You cannot emails to business ce go into the offi • You cannotcircumstances under any Does that sound a bit of a tall order for you - for many businesses it would be an absolute disaster! OK so 47 days might be a stretch, but so many business owners are completely tied to the nitty gritty details of their business day after day, making it all but impossible even to get a proper holiday or enjoy free time, let alone find time to focus on growing the business. But it doesn’t have to be like that.

Operators convinced by TruTac compliance A.I.M. Commercial Services Ltd, the CV and PSV industry support experts, say they have significantly raised the compliance standards for their customers throughout the UK, since switching to the TruTac range of tachograph analysis and fleet management software. Currently supplying more than 1,000 operators with services including specialist vehicle and driver training, compliance auditing and tachograph analysis, A.I.M says

ATTENTIONERS

compliant through industry knowledge and the bespoke services and products they supply.” Allison said: “Accordingly, we moved to TruTac because their leading industry knowhow and interactive approach to compliance control perfectly complements our way of doing things.” Particular reference is made to the TruTac modules which help to monitor and improve driver performance.

By introducing some simple systems into your business you too can begin to release yourself from the daily grind and start to live the life you always promised yourself, when you first set up – after all, being in business is supposed to give you more life, not less. If you would like to experience more freedom from your business in 2020 then I can help. I’m looking for 5 Coventry and Warwickshire Business Owners employing 8 or more staff who want to significantly reduce their working hours in 2020 whilst also increasing their bottom line. Sounds too good to be true? It’s not, to find out more call me on 07970566390 or email me on davidlee@actioncoach.com and we’ll set up some time to discuss how it works and I’ll explain my 100% money back guarantee. David Lee ActionCOACH 07970566390 davidlee@actioncoach.com www.linkedin.com/in/davidleeac/ www.actioncoach.co.uk/davidlee

Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training

Celebrating ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ Award

Nicky Cheshire from Chamber Training is seen here with Alexis Considine and Lisa Bristow from The Wigley Group.

Apprentice of the Year

A Chamber Training Accounts Apprentice has won ‘Apprentice of the Year’ at the Coventry Telegraph Business Awards 2019. Alexis Considine from The Wigley Group demonstrated an outstanding attitude to her Accountancy Apprenticeship, rapidly progressing from level 3, where she gained a distinction, before achieving level 4 AAT Accountancy qualifications as part of her Higher Apprenticeship. She also played a central role in the company’s charity activities, being the youngest member of the team which tackled the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge raising over £2,000 for Tiny Tim’s Children’s Centre. Sally Lucas, Executive Director at Chamber Training said: “We are absolutely delighted for Alexis. She has worked extremely hard to earn the award of Apprentice of the Year 2019 and we would like to take this opportunity to wish her every success in her future goals and aspirations. “Accountancy Apprenticeships offer a great career path with structured training leading to industry recognised qualifications which lead to professional study. In addition, the prospective salaries for qualified accountants or those working in the financial profession can be rewarding. “We are currently working with a number of businesses and helping them to provide their Apprentices with a valuable pathway to a rewarding career. The mixture of on and off the job learning ensures they develop the skills that work best for the business involved. Apprenticeships can be used to train both new and existing employees and there are highly flexible programmes available, so it is certainly an option for all businesses to consider.” Congratulations also go to the three Chamber Training Apprentice finalists - Allana Watson, a Business Administration Apprentice at Coventry & Warwickshire Partnership Trust, Colin Twidale, a Health & Social Care Management Apprentice from Individual Support Services and Danielle Mousley, a Vehicle Paint Refinishing Apprentice at XL Motors Accident Repair Centre (in association with Warwickshire Garage & Transport Group Training Association). The awards evening celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Coventry Telegraph Business Awards and Chamber Training was delighted to be a part of the prestigious event. To find out more about how Chamber Training can help you to source Apprentices for your business, please call a member of their Business Development Team on 02476 231 122 or enquiries@cw-chambertraining.co.uk

A Coventry-based firm that specialises in ultrasonic flow measurement has been awarded the Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya ‘Manufacturer of the Year’ at the Coventry Telegraph Business Awards 2019. Katronic Technologies Ltd supplies hi-tech flow measurement instrumentation used in a wide variety of areas such as reducing heating costs in a hospital, measuring oil moving through a Middle Eastern pipeline or even monitoring the engine for a multimillion pound superyacht. The specialist team has also introduced an entirely new class of flowmeter this year that can be used for taking measurements of gases across a wide range of pressures. Commenting on the impressive accolade, Kate Turner, Operations Manager at Katronic Technologies Ltd said: “We are proud to be making continual refinement to our technology and our innovative products, and these improvements were instrumental in being selected for this prestigious award. The new business opportunities will create further employment and enhance the reputation of our company. “Having a trained workforce is vital in our industry. We have been working alongside the team at Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training for over 20 years as they offer structured and engaging training opportunities, along with the support and guidance we need. We recently introduced ILM leadership and management training to two members of our team who were new to supervisory roles. We have found that the qualification enhances team performance and provides an opportunity to develop leadership styles. “Jacqueline and Catherine have successfully completed the ILM level 2

Left to right: Natalie Lane from Chamber Training is seen here with Kate Turner and Jacqueline Marajh from Katronic Technologies.

Award in Leadership and Team Skills, which has helped them to develop the core skills they need to lead a team. We were also able to access 50% funding for the courses through Skills 4 Growth with guidance from Chamber Training. The team at Chamber Training continue to offer business benefits, in terms of sourcing specific training to help bring new skill sets into the business and advice on industry specific qualifications and provision. With their continued support and guidance we can ensure our training programme is kept up to date and in line with our team’s specific requirements.” Natalie Lane, Account Manager at C&W Chamber Training said: “We have supported the team at Katronic in

terms of training and access to funding opportunities for many years. The management team is always looking at training routes to help build and develop talent within the business as well as accessing the Skills 4 Growth funding available to local businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire. We are delighted to see members of the team embarking on the ILM management development qualifications and this has been supported by the business as a whole.” To find out more about how C&W Chamber Training’s provision can benefit you and your business, please contact our Business Development Team on 024 7623 1122 or enquiries@cw-chambertraining.co.uk

Offering the right level of care

Coventry City Council is working in partnership with Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training to maximize expertise and productivity within their Health & Social Care teams. Health and Social Care qualifications are essential for those working in the care industry to ensure they have the skills, knowledge and confidence to provide the highest level of care and support to their service users. Care is a heavily regulated industry, so investing in upskilling staff helps to reduce risk and gain a competitive edge within the care sector. Gerda Dunn - Service Manager in Learning Disabilities and Mental Health Provision at Coventry City Council stated: “Working in social care can be very demanding both physically and emotionally, therefore it’s vital our workforce is equipped to deal with the pressures they regularly contend with. We were keen to find a local training provider that offered quality training solutions and a dedicated support network.

“Chamber Training was successful in winning the contract due to their excellent level of expertise within the Health & Social Care sector and our confidence in their ability to provide our employees with the highest standard of learning and support. Our close proximity, both in location and communication are also important factors, as management engagement is crucial - we have a great working relationship with Chamber Training.” This relationship works both ways – Chamber Training’s level 5 Tutor, Lesley Parkinson fed back that “the management at the Council are totally committed to supporting their staff and making sure they get involved in their learning”. April Ross - Coventry City Council Service Manager Housing with Care, Dementia and Short-term care provision added: “Our staff are undertaking apprenticeships at levels 2, 3 and 5 in Adult Care Worker, Lead Adult Care Worker and Leadership and Management, depending on level of experience and job role.”

Commenting on the successful partnership, Lucy Howl, Account Manager at Chamber Training remarked: “As Service Managers, Gerda and April have been extremely flexible in accommodating their teams’ needs and circumstances. There is a high level of interaction between our companies and we look forward to a long and continued relationship.” Chamber Training offers a range of Health & Social Care apprenticeships for people working in the industry. To find out more about gaining qualifications in this sector, please contact C&W Chamber Training’s Business Development Team on 024 7623 1122 or enquiries@cw-chambertraining.co.uk Photo captions: Levels 2, 3 and 5 in Health & Social Care learners from Coventry City Council.

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Chamber Talent

Our Chamber Talent membership has got off to an incredible start – and this is only the beginning! We launched the programme to help support our business stars of the future through both training and networking. And it’s proving really popular. More than 50 people have already signed up and the feedback we’ve received has been excellent from our first couple of events. We even ran a competition on social media for the most creative certificate photos and one of them was out of this world and another featured the set of Friends.

That’s quite apt, really, because if you are a young person in business, Chamber Talent is here for you!

Sean Rose The new membership package was launched in response to businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire saying there is a shortage of skills and that a new generation of leaders needs to be developed.

It includes a series of networking and social events to help young professionals get together with and learn from their peers. It also includes training workshops on topics such as communication and problem solving to equip members with skills to help them develop their careers. Those sessions will be delivered by Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber Training.

For more information on Chamber Talent go to https://www.cw-chamber.co.uk/membership/chamber-talent/

Thank Tyler for Fridays

A young social entrepreneur, who is helping to give young people in Coventry a safe space to enjoy a night out, has signed up to the Chamber Talent programme.

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Teenager Tyler Campbell established Fridays in 2019 to give 15 to 17-yearolds a weekly night out at a venue in Coventry city centre. Hundreds of young people have attended the venue in Spon Street that offers live music and other activities, and it has raised the profile of Tyler and some of the issues facing young people in a positive way. It’s been so successful that he will be taking the project on the road in 2020 to schools and other venues in the city so more young people can benefit from Fridays and also help them to make more positive life choices. Tyler, who attended the Chamber’s all branch chairs’ lunch at the end of 2019,

said he wanted to spread the word. He said: “I kept seeing negative things about young people and knife crime and wanted to do something positive for the city.

“It’s been an amazing few months and very busy too because I also have another business interested but it’s all been made worthwhile thanks to all the support and interest we have received.”

“We set up Fridays and we didn’t know how it was going to go but the reaction has been amazing and it’s great that young people – and their parents – can see that we have a safe environment for them to come and enjoy themselves.

Sean Rose, who runs the Chamber Talent programme at the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are delighted to welcome Tyler on board. Chamber Talent is proving to be very popular and we are looking forward to a positive 2020 with all of our members.” For more information on Chamber Talent go to https://www.cw-chamber.co.uk/ membership/chamber-talent/

“I am looking forward to taking it on the road around to different schools in the city and I am also getting interest from other towns and cities who like the model we have with Fridays and want to open one of their own.

Legal Sponsored Column

The Legal Profession in the 21st Century Lawyers have been around for a long time in which our working practices have been largely unchanged. We are notorious for being a profession that produces paperwork and most people envision our offices as stacked high with paper and files. Correspondence has traditionally been sent on high quality thick paper printed on one side only and signed with fountain pens. Solicitors attending court carry huge bags or pull suitcases big enough to pack for a week’s holiday. Times are changing and electronic working is becoming the norm. Paper files are being replaced by electronic files securely stored in the cloud and court orders are no longer handwritten verbose creations but rather regimented checklists cut and pasted from precedents and emailed in. The move to electronic working has had a significant impact on client relations. We are rarely asked to provide advice by post where clients have an email account and the possibility of instant responses has altered expectations - clients no longer post instructions and wait patiently for a reply within a week or so, and a turnaround time for enquiries of any more than a day is now considered unacceptable. Some clients are surprised to have to come into the office at all, being accustomed to working online, while meetings and court hearings utilising telephone/video conference facilities are increasingly replacing face-to-face contact. Whilst there are many advantages to using the various technologies now available in our daily work, there are many accompanying challenges. Alongside adapting to new devices and case management systems we also need to consider the data protection and other compliance implications of communication using electronic media. Generally, solicitors as a profession are embracing the brave new world of electronic working, and what at first seems unfathomable quickly becomes the norm, with Hammons at the fore of client services in the modern legal landscape. Paperless offices are on the rise – but there is still room for paper diaries and fountain pens though! Hammons Solicitors The Old Bank 353 Walsgrave Road Coventry CV2 4BG Tel: 02476448585 email: enquiries@hammonssolicitors.co.uk www.hammonssolicitors.co.uk

Midlands law firms in merger One of Coventry’s long-established legal firms is joining forces with a larger counterpart as part of ambitious growth plans. Richardson & Davies Solicitors, which has been based in Coventry since 1936, has been acquired by Band Hatton Button. Richardson & Davies Solicitors will trade as Band Hatton Button as its eight staff members move from the firm’s existing office at Station Square into Band Hatton Button’s premises at Earlsdon Park. The merger will create a £5 million turnover business, with 90 staff serving more than 16,000 clients across the Midlands and beyond. Mark Moseley, managing director at Band Hatton Button, said:

“Richardson & Davies have built up a great reputation and have a strong client base, so this is a great and exciting move for us. “Growth is a key part of our long-term strategy. Moving into our new offices at Earlsdon Park was one big part of the jigsaw, and joining forces with Richardson & Davies is an important addition for us. “Richardson & Davies’s staff bring a wealth of knowledge and experience with them, particularly within commercial property, and we look forward to working with them to grow the business over the coming years.” Miles Barker-Davies and Bill Evans, who are partners at Richardson & Davies Solicitors, will become consultants at Band Hatton Button.

Miles said: “This is an exciting, landmark moment in the history of our firm that means we will be able to offer additional services to our clients, and it opens up excellent career opportunities for our staff. “Band Hatton Button share the same values as ourselves of providing a personalised legal service with ambitions to develop and grow, making this move the ideal fit.”

Record numbers at Midlands’ flagship annual property event

A record-breaking 160 delegates from the residential and commercial property and real estate sectors attended Lodders’ annual Property Seminar. Keynote speaker at the event was Eleanor Deeley, deputy managing director of the Deeley Group, who explained that the real estate industry must change its focus on building to one with a greater eco-friendly mindset, to enable the

creation of communities with shared spaces that address people’s growing need for human interaction and experiences away from the digital age. Also speaking at the event at The Ardencote, Claverdon, was Dr Lucy Greenwood, associate director in residential research and consultancy at Savills. She explained that the Midlands’ property market has grown in the last year, with new build sales up by 20 percent, and 35 percent of new home buys supported and fuelled by the government’s Help to Buy scheme, in particular the Help to Buy ISA which closed for applications on 30 November this year. Dr Greenwood said that, according to Savills’ latest statistics, the first time buyer market is ‘booming’, but shows evidence that people are waiting longer to step onto the property ladder, and that the average deposit for first time house purchases in the West Midlands is around £40,000, rising to an average £150,000 in London.

David Lowe, of Warwickshire County Councilset-out details of the government’s new biodiversity net gain scheme that is designed to slow the threat to UK species. Secured with a 30-year management plan, the scheme is available to private landowners. Derek Stebbing, of Strutt & Parker, delivered a planning update, highlighting the ‘best practice’ National Design Guide that is the country’s first ever design guide to promote better design and style of homes. He also referenced the government’s increased expectation on councils to increase commitment to protecting green belt land, environmental quality and accessibility, under the Green Belt Policy. Also speaking were George Campion, non-executive chairman at Lodders, and Alastair Frew, partner in Lodders Real Estate practice, which is one of the largest specialist teams in the region.

Mander Hadley wins awards Coventry and Kenilworthbased law firm, Mander Hadley Solicitors, has been named Law Firm of the Year (1-5 partners) at the Warwickshire Law Society Awards for the third year running, while Solicitor, Matthew Riding, has been named Young Lawyer of the Year. The Law Firm of the Year Award was presented to Jonathan Hall, Managing Director of Mander Hadley Solicitors, at a ceremony at the Village Hotel in Coventry. The award follows a judging process which involved the firm making a detailed written submission setting out its achievements over the last year across its work with private and

commercial clients as well as in the community. The cornerstone of the firm’s work to make a difference in the community was its successful efforts to raise more than £5,000 for The Air Ambulance Service. Matthew Riding, who was named Young Lawyer of the Year, was central to the firm’s fundraising efforts, which saw him complete the demanding Three Peaks Challenge, alongside two other colleagues. The challenge saw the trio ascend the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales in a little over 24 hours in May. The firm’s nomination also recognised Matthew for his professional achievements over the last year, which has

included handling a number of significant commercial property transactions successfully on behalf of clients. Jonathan Hall said: “We work very hard to make a difference for each of our clients and it is wonderful that the judges have recognised both this and our contribution to the community once again this year. “This is great recognition for our whole team and winning the Law Firm of the Year accolade for the third year in a row is particularly special. “Matthew has proved himself to be an excellent solicitor and we are delighted that he has been named the Young Lawyer of the Year. This is very much deserved, both in recognition

of his professional achievements on behalf of our clients and his efforts in instigating and taking part in our fundraising for The Air Ambulance Service.” Matthew said: “I am delighted to have received this award, on what was a great night for the firm as a whole. I’d like to thank my colleagues and the directors for their support, both professionally and in completing the Three Peaks Challenge.”

Midlands law firm continues to expand its private client team

Kate Anderson (centre) with members of the private client team

A leading Midlands law firm is continuing to expand its private client team after a paralegal completed her qualifications to further boost the specialised experience of the team. Kate Anderson has qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive at Leamingtonbased Wright Hassall after taking a different route to qualify into her new role having

specialised solely on private client work throughout her training. She joined the company in 2015 as a paralegal having studied at the University of Birmingham and completed her law conversion at the BPP Birmingham Law School. Kate, who has now qualified as a Chartered Legal Executive following three years with the private client team, chose this route to qualification because she decided early on that she wanted to specialise in this area of law. Whilst other, more traditional training routes, do not allow such dedicated focus in one area. Her new role follows the appointment of Jordan Hamilton-Cox as a Trust and Tax Executive and Tax Consultant Israr Manawer alongside Tracy Ashby as a senior associate. Kate said: “Taking this alternative route to qualify was perfect for me as it meant I was able to stay in the same team and

department and really hone my skills which is something I wouldn’t otherwise have had the opportunity to do.” The continued growth of the private client team in 2019 follows the increasing number of tax queries and demand for services which helped to propel the team into the top tier of the Legal 500, with associate solicitor Jennifer Russell receiving a special mention in the prestigious rankings. The team also received further recognition for their work after being shortlisted for solicitor firm of the year in the Midlands at the prestigious British Wills and Probate Awards 2019. Hannah Carey, Head of Residential Property and Private Client at Wright Hassall, added: “This year has seen our private client team expanding in response to increasing demand for our services. This year’s new appointments are helping to strengthen the services we offer as it is clear this need for good tax and estate planning advice will continue into 2020 and beyond.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Finance

Countrywide Tax and Trust Corporation Ltd are paving the way for the future of legal services

We live in the digital age. With new and innovative means of communication emerging daily, our personal lives are defined by not only what technology we use, but how we use it. It’s no wonder that technological advancements now span much wider than the needs of the individual. They can also benefit the needs of businesses across all sectors, particularly when it comes to security, communication, reliability, efficiency, and ensuring a high quality service. Generally speaking, businesses settled within the legal sector tend to be stooped in more traditional methods of practice, but this could eventually become a hindrance to the overall progress of the industry as a whole. Putting pen to paper was sufficient when it was the only way to do things, but why do so many deny their

businesses the opportunity to progress higher and further because of a reluctance to adapt? Countrywide Tax and Trust Corporation Ltd are supporting the legal industry by utilising technology to pave the way for the future of legal services. In developing an entirely paperless system to draft legal documents, Countrywide Legacy has transformed traditional practice into a more streamlined and watertight process for the thousands of legal professionals who utilise their software. Processes have become less time-consuming and more cost effective for those who use Countrywide Legacy because going paperless has reduced the margin for error within legal document drafting. This has in turn contributed to the business improving their overall quality of service.

Charlotte Ponder LL.B (Hons) TEP, the Legal Director for Countrywide Tax & Trust Corporation Ltd is a passionate advocate for the adoption of technology in law firms, saying. “To work in a paperless office makes your processes much faster which in turn saves money. Staff have a pleasant environment to work in, and clients have a much better impression of your business [queries can be answered quickly when the file is available at the touch of a button]. Client expectations are only going in one direction, and we all have to work smarter to meet and exceed them. They’re also much more cost conscious and will not pay for inefficiency.” Clients anticipate technology to be incorporated into all aspects of service in 2020 because paperless working is the future - not

just in the legal sector but in retail, publishing, media, finance and beyond. The effect of an increased public consciousness that favours efficiency, sustainability and convenience can already been seen across many sectors and will only continue to spread the legal industry must follow suit and reflect the public demand for change. Where businesses adapt to incorporate technological platforms, not only is company practice vastly improved, but more businesses certify themselves as market leaders. In an industry encouraging companies to stand out for all the right reasons, the time has come to finally harness the power of technology within law to ensure clients receive a more efficient, well-rounded service.

“To work in a paperless office makes your processes much faster which in turn saves money. Staff have a pleasant environment to work in, and clients have a much better impression of your business.”

4,000 young people to benefit from largest ever National Express Foundation grants The National Express Foundation, a charity that helps disadvantaged young people, has once again pledged life changing sums of money to young people via community groups and educational institutions this month. Since it was launched in 2012, Foundation funding has helped more than 22,000 young people. Combined with a round of funding earlier in the year, 2019’s grant is expected to benefit more than 4,000 young people by supporting them with the cost of their studies and also helping groups to deliver educational and developmental activities for youth in the community. Anthony Vigor, Chairman of the National Express Foundation, said: “This is the largest grant we have ever made in a single year, with a total of more than £450,000 of funding pledged this year to support more than 4,000 young people. We are proud that this funding will help deliver even more positive and developmental activities for

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local young people and help those who might not otherwise be able to continue with their studies in further and higher education.” The second funding round of 2019 opened in October, with groups tasked with providing a simple ‘elevator pitch’ to the team as part of a new, streamlined application process. With more than 150 applications received, a rigorous sifting process took place before 15 community groups were awarded a total of £167,500 in funding. A further £60,000 will be awarded to the University of Bath and Queen Alexandra College Birmingham over three years.

The Positive Youth Foundation will use a grant of £20,000 to create three youth hubs in Coventry. The hubs will provide a range of innovative services and activities that have been designed to support young people who are refugees, asylum seekers or newly arrived in Coventry so they can integrate, settle and thrive in their new community. Andrew Jack, Trustee for The Positive Youth Foundation, said: “We are delighted to receive this grant from The National Express Foundation. The funding will provide safe environments for young people to develop important life skills and provide essential access to those who are newly arrived

“This is the largest grant we have ever made in a single year, with a total of more than £450,000 of funding pledged this year to support more than 4,000 young people.”

in the city to get involved in positive developmental activities.” Coventry Youth for Christ will use a grant of £10,000 to fund their ‘Rock-up’ programme. The project is a unique combination of youth work, music tuition and mentoring sorely needed due to the closure of all Council run youth centres and the end of free music tuition in schools. The funding will allow the group to double the capacity of the service from weekly one-hour off-timetable sessions for GCSE students aged 11-16 in two secondary schools to include 16-18 year old students in the same two schools and in two additional schools serving some of Coventry’s most disadvantaged areas. Jon Mills, Director of Coventry Youth for Christ, said: “The grant from National Express will enable us to take our project to the next level, investing in even more young people across the city through music and making a real difference.’’

Is your business ready for IR35 legislation in April? What is IR35? IR35 is a set of Tax Regulations that dramatically affect how PAYE and National Insurance is paid when it comes to off-payroll service providers (contractors). HMRC makes assessments as to whether individuals providing offpayroll services would be classed as employees if they were contracted directly; this can be based on factors such as role responsibilities, behaviours and ability to substitute. IR35 may allow HMRC to obtain payment from your organisation, and off-payroll service providers when an off-payroll worker is deemed to be an employee. What impact does it have? If HMRC rule that off-payroll service providers who are providing their services through a third-party organisation (contractors providing services through an Ltd Company) are providing services that are considered to be the same as those of an employee, the individuals may find themselves in breach of IR35. As of April, individuals may not be able to be treated as independent contractors, and therefore, PAYE, NI, Pension, Regulations, and entitlements will be affected for both the organisation and the individual. In short, businesses may have to pay the appropriate level of Tax, as though that individual is directly salaried. Does it affect me? It will. IR35 legislation was rolled out across the Public Sector in 2017 and has been in operation for almost three years. IR35 legislation is scheduled to be rolled out to the private sector in April 2020. Is my business ready, and what can I do? There is still time for you and your business to learn about the impact that IR35 can have on your business so that you can implement a strategy that will de-risk your organisation. Using our Managed Service approach, Nimbus has successfully supported several Public Sector organisations to understand and manage their exposure to IR35. If your organisation uses a contingent workforce within your IT department or throughout your organisation, please reach out, and we can discuss how we can help. For more information, get in touch with Jack Hazell (jack.hazell@ nimbusdti.co.uk) Director of Operations at Nimbus.

Property

New award win for Bromwich Hardy A leading commercial property expert has scooped a top award – just weeks after a colleague won a similar title. Bromwich Hardy partner James Brookes has been named Dealmaker of the Year for the West Midlands by highly-respected industry publication Estates Gazette. The award comes after fellow Bromwich Hardy partner Andrew Cosnett was last month named Warwickshire Dealmaker of the Year and the Coventry-based company scooped the title of Warwickshire’s most active agent for the sixth year running. James, one of the country’s leading specialists in student accommodation, said he was honoured to have won the award for the second time in three years, having previously taken the title in 2017. He said:“This award is recognition not just for me but for the whole team at Bromwich Hardy, which consistently proves itself to be the best in the market for delivering commercially-led results for clients across every sector. “The West Midlands Region has an awful lot going for itself currently, with preparations for the City of Culture in Coventry in 2021 and the

Commonwealth Games in the region a year later. “Despite some of the uncertainty nationally, there is a lot of positivity floating around this region. Birmingham is currently one of the hottest regions in the country for the Private Rented Sector (PRS) and Build To Rent projects and there has been an explosion of student accommodation in Coventry and Birmingham. “Add to that the fact that industrial and office rents across the region are at the highest we have seen for both prime and secondary stock, with investment transactions achieving ground breaking yields, and the region is in good shape. “That being said, there is an air of caution with the current political stand off and it remains to be seen how this will impact the country and the West Midlands going forward when the situation is finalised.” Bromwich Hardy founding partner Tom Bromwich said he was delighted with the latest award and the company’s ranking at number five in the most active agencies in the region, which cemented its position as a centre of excellence in the commercial property market. He said: “To win three such prestigious awards in just a matter of weeks is hugely rewarding, particularly since it provides independent confirmation of the quality of our work and the success we achieve for all our clients.”

A5 WATLING STREET | RUGBY | CV23 0AL

Online auctions surge for Loveitts Buying homes over the internet is proving so popular in Coventry and Warwickshire that leading estate agents Loveitts is now holding weekly online auctions in addition to its popular bi-monthly auctions. The firm, the only property auctioneer in the area, has stepped up the frequency of its online auctions in response to demand from the public for the service. The firm, the only property auctioneer in the area, has stepped up the frequency of its online auctions in response to demand from the public for the service. With a heritage stretching back 175 years, the firm is nevertheless moving with the times and providing a variety of different routes to market for sellers. The weekly unconditional online bidding battles are designed to suit prospective buyers who appreciate the thrill of the chase – and the prospect of a bargain – associated with auctions but who prefer to avoid the bother of attending a sale in person or submitting a proxy bid. Sally Smith, Director and Auctioneer at Loveitts, said:

“Property auctions are one market that doesn’t seem to have been affected with all the uncertainty about Brexit. It certainly hasn’t hit the auction room. The market is still extremely buoyant and we are getting plenty of properties. “With smartphones and tablets people are now more connected than ever before and completely accustomed to buying what they like when they like over the internet …… so why not include property? “People already surf the internet to search for homes, now they can use it to actually buy homes. The beauty of an online auction is that buyers are totally in control of their bids and can amend them at any time of day or night. “They don’t have to attend an auction house in person, they don’t have to submit a proxy, they don’t have to conduct bidding over the telephone and they can take a step back and assess what price they are truly willing to pay. “Of course, as with all property auctions, a sale is binding once agreed, so prospective purchasers must safeguard their interests by conducting all searches

and surveys beforehand, just as they would with any other property purchase. “They also need to have their financing in place.” The sales process is quick, with immediate exchange and completion taking place usually within 28 days or less. It is a fast and efficient service with added advantage of having visibility across the UK. Properties in the online auction are sold exclusively online. For those who still enjoy the thrill of a traditional property auction, Loveitts is holding bi-monthly property auctions at the Village Urban Resort Hotel in Canley, Coventry, where selling prices gained frequently exceed their estimates. The online auction room can be viewed at www.loveitts.co.uk/ auctions/online-auctions

Speculative development at Europark, Rugby

www.europark.co.uk

MODERN INDUSTRIAL & OFFICE UNITS

5,000 - 50,000 SQ FT TO LET

• PRIME SITE WITH EXCELLENT MOTORWAY ACCESS (M1/M6/A14) • BUILD TO SUIT DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE • ATTRACTIVELY LANDSCAPED ENVIRONMENT • COMPETITIVE RENT AND SERVICE CHARGE

Call the onsite manager and landlord, Christopher Utley on 01788 860724 to discuss your requirements. Alternatively, get in touch with the joint sole agents: Andrew Cosnett / Tom Bromwich

andrew.cosnett@bromwichhardy.com tom.bromwich@bromwichhardy.com

Joe Smith / David Smith

www.drakecommercial.co.uk jsmith@drakecommercial.co.uk dsmith@drakecommercial.co.uk

New 44,000 sq ft industrial warehouse unit with ancillary offices to be completed by end of Q2 2020. Richard Utley Ltd, the landlords of the Europark industrial estate in Rugby have recently broken ground in preparation for the construction of a 44,000 sq ft industrial unit with ancillary offices. The new building will cater for both distribution and manufacturing companies with an eaves height of 10m, two dock level and two level access loading doors with a 45 metre service yard and separate passenger vehicle parking. The new building will be located on the main Europark industrial estate and will complement the existing industrial units. Christopher Utley of Richard Utley Ltd said “We are excited to be starting this new project which increases the critical

mass at Europark, which will in turn increase employment in Rugby. We have already seen good interest from potential occupiers in advance of completion.” “Rugby and Warwickshire as a whole remain incredibly buoyant despite the global political and economic uncertainty; driven by a strong advanced manufacturing sector and the everpresent logistics and distribution sector”. Elsewhere on Europark, marketing is underway on Phase 2, which comprises two industrial units with ancillary offices and storage of approximately 27,000 sq ft and 36,000 sq ft respectively. The units are available on a Bespoke Design and Build basis to purchase or alternatively a pre-let leasehold basis. For further information please contact: Richard Utley Ltd Christopher Utley – 01788 860724

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

UNIT 5

PRE LET

40,000 SQ FT

UNIT 4

30,000 SQ FT

UNIT 3

60,000 SQ FT

NEW OFFICE, R&D, PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION UNITS PHASE 1 COMPLETION DUE Q1 2020 30,000 - 60,000 SQ FT

PHASE 2 UNITS AVAILABLE ON A BUILD TO SUIT BASIS 30,000 - 290,000 SQ FT

Peter Monks 07766 504 989 peter.monks@cbre.com

Thomas Bromwich 07718 037 150 tom.bromwich@bromwichhardy.com

Richard Ludlow 07836 766 167 richard.ludlow@m1agency.co.uk

Craig Herrick 07825 655 223 craig.herrick@cbre.com

Andrew Cosnett 07973 632 353 andrew.cosnett@bromwichhardy.com

Myles Wilcox-Smith 07880 788 345 myles.wilcox-smith@m1agency.co.uk

A development by:

spapark.co.uk

Profile: Lianne Payne

The great work/life balancing act

Technology may have taken over our lives, but as one of the region’s leading employment lawyers, Lianne Payne is forever grateful for the work/life balance it has given her. Lianne heads the employment law department at Askews, which has both legal and accountancy divisions at offices in Coventry and Birmingham, after she joined in 2015 when the company merged with her previous business De Marco Solicitors. And the mum-of-two says her relentless schedule – both in the office and away from work – would be made impossible if it wasn’t for the benefits of flexible and agile working. Lianne is able to take advantage of part-time working, compressed hours, termtime only working and home working in order to juggle a successful career and young family. Lianne said: “This combination of flexible working is seldom afforded to many employees making it really difficult to get the best of both worlds. Good people are hard to find and employers are undoubtedly missing out on skilled candidates at the recruitment stage or failing to retain key employees because they are rigidly sticking to their outdated ‘9 til 5’ approach. “Here at Askews we’re family friendly in all our departments and that approach is far more flexible and is certainly paying dividends.” As well as dealing with almost weekly changes to the rules around employment law, Lianne manages to fit in teaching Taekwondo classes, four games of netball, up to 15,000 steps a day, the school – and nursery – run, the kids’ taxi service to a variety of extra-curricular activities and even occasionally finds time for some handmade crafts too.

It’s a stretch but technology and flexibility make it possible to fit everything in. “Mobile and remote working is something that works really well with employment law because it is very fast paced as you get very short time frames and sometimes it’s not practical to say on a Friday that you can’t deal with something until the following Tuesday,” Lianne said. “So it’s handy to be able to log on in the evening or at weekends to get things done. “My son is four at Christmas and my daughter will be nine just after Christmas. It can be tough to do one drop off at school, one drop off at nursery and then get myself into a third place all by just after 9am! “Come September I’ll be dropping them both in the same place so that will be a relief. “It’s hard trying to juggle a work/life balance and the dilemma of having to leave work at a set time so you don’t get fined by your nursery for being late. You don’t always have the luxury – and this is a luxury – of being able to stay and finish what you were in the middle of, you have to leave. “I don’t get a minute between running the children round to

Brownies, Taekwondo, gymnastics, craft club, swimming and netball. “Every single evening is spoken for. Every evening, either myself or my other half are out. “So, I would far rather leave work at a sensible time, pick both children up, and get home before getting stuck in traffic. “I can spend time with them, do a bit of homework, get them to bed and then I’m able to log on and finish what I need to do after all that has been taken care of. If I couldn’t do that, I don’t know how I’d get chance to spend quality time with the children.” Employment law, by its nature, brings its own pressures but it was a 50/50 decision when Lianne was leaving Finham Park School as to whether it would be teaching or law that she pursued as a career. She said: “I’ve always been interested in employment law and the earliest indication was when I did A-Level Business Studies and it had a Human Resources module, which I found really interesting. “I followed that through at Law School and did an employment law module and I have been on that path ever since. “I did my degree at Keele University, then went to Bristol Law School but then came back to Coventry. I am a Coventry girl born and bred and went to school at Finham Park. I still live here and we are bringing up our children here. “I think once I decided I was going to go into the law, it was always going to be employment law. I did apply for the PGCE to be a teacher at the same time – it was 50/50. “I get those teaching kicks now from occasional guest lecturing on employment law at Coventry University and Birmingham University. I also teach Taekwondo too. “Practicing it helps to relieve the stresses and strains of work – but teaching it on a Friday evening to up to 50 people from age four to 50 isn’t what you always need at the end of a busy week!” She added: “I liked the more technical nature of employment law, it just suited me better than teaching. “I know a few teachers and from what they say it’s very long hours, marking work and not always having the best work/life balance.

“It’s hard trying to juggle a work/life balance and the dilemma of having to leave work at a set time so you don’t get fined by your nursery for being late. You don’t always have the luxury – and this is a luxury – of being able to stay and finish what you were in the middle of, you have to leave.”

“That said, this can be long hours too but it’s my choice. It’s for my clients and not because I have to do it.” Lianne’s arrival at Askews came as the firm was expanding. She was a partner with De Marco Solicitors – a specialist employment law firm – but relinquished that status when she decided to have a family. The company then merged with Askews five years ago and Lianne brought an employment law specialism to the business that had previously been missing. As well as heading up the department, she also takes care of the company’s own in-house HR and has been trialling new software – HR Genie – which Askews is set to start offering to clients across the region to make day-to-day HR management easier. “The new HR portal is brilliant – it has saved me so much time,” Lianne said. “We use it internally to deal with the company’s own HR. When we were quite small – say about 14 of us – it was relatively straightforward to do. “People would make a holiday request on a piece of paper – the old-fashioned way – and it was all very easy. Now there’s more than 40 of us, you just can’t operate on that kind of system. “The new portal is mobile friendly, it takes seconds to conflict-check other holidays and appointments and it just makes day-to-day HR management 100 times easier. “It’s our own bespoke software that we are licencing and that’s a crucial difference to what anyone else is offering. “Our system has been built to remedy some of the flaws in the systems that I have experienced over the years. Also, we can listen to feedback and possibly gear up the system to deal with that. “You can do annual appraisals through it, it deals with alerts around when work permits are about to expire and when probationary periods end. It can let you know when an employee is reaching their two-year service, which is when they would get qualifying employment rights for unfair dismissal. “It tells you if people are requesting holiday and it will take them over their allowance. You can pull off reports around sickness absence and payroll – it will even tell you if a member of staff has had a holiday request turned down for a certain day and then they call in sick. “There are lots of handy tools that just help you with your day-to-day HR management. “We are very early into it, we’ve finished the testing phase and we are starting to communicate it to our existing clients but it will be a game-changer for SME businesses.” Maybe technology is making our life easier… www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Profile: Lianne Payne

“This combination of flexible working is seldom afforded to many employees making it really difficult to get the best of both worlds. Good people are hard to find and employers are undoubtedly missing out on skilled candidates at the recruitment stage or failing to retain key employees because they are rigidly sticking to their outdated ‘9 til 5’ approach.

Working Day “I’ve always had flexible working but Friday is my home-working day. However, 99.9 per cent of the time I come into the office. I live about a mile away, the technology is better here and my son’s nursery is close to the station so I am pretty much always here! www.cw-chamber.co.uk www.cw-chamber.co.uk

“I’ve taken on an extra day since I’ve been here but I do that term time only to fit in with my childcare so that works really well.

Live:

Coventry

Married:

Co-habit

Hobbies:

Netball, Taekwondo

“I get the school and nursery run done – get in just after 9am and then work solidly, without a lunch break, for seven hours (compressed hours). Sometimes I have to leave with a piece of work still open but then I pick that up later.”

Children:

Two

Favourite Book: Danny the Champion of the World Favourite Film: Kill Bill Last Holiday:

Isle of Wight

Gadget:

Fitbit

21 21

News

IoC selected to provide digital skills training

Local Lawyer ‘steps’ up her qualifications Lawyer Jasmina Warby, who joined Coventry & Warwickshire law firm Alsters Kelley Solicitors Limited in 2017 has qualified as a member of the highly regarded Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). STEP is the leading worldwide professional association for practitioners dealing with family inheritance and succession planning. Jasmina, a solicitor in the Private Client department at the firm qualified as a Solicitor in July 2016 and has more than nine years’ experience in dealing with the administration of estates. She said: “I am thrilled to have qualified as a member of STEP – as well as no more exams this will be of real benefit to our clients helping them feel assured they will not only receive the best advice from me, but it will be delivered in a kind, helpful and understandable manner.” Neil Raiseborough, Director and Head of Private Client at Alsters Kelley Solicitors said: “We are really proud of her achievement in obtaining the STEP qualification, which on average takes a minimum of 2 years. Being STEP qualified is a valuable qualification when starting out in a career dealing with Wills, Probate, Tax and Trusts, helping to expand and supplement her technical knowledge for the more complex matters we deal with.” Jasmina is based in the Alsters Kelley, Leamington Spa office, situated in Hamilton Terrace.

Coventry University was chosen ahead of universities from across the country to partner on an innovative new collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights amid increasing demand in the digital skills sector. The ground-breaking partnership saw delegates from the Ministry travel from Indonesia to Coventry University to receive training from the University’s Institute of Coding’s (IoC) team of digital sciences experts. The IoC is a national consortium that creates learning opportunities designed to prepare learners for a future in which digital skills are paramount: from courses for learners beginning their journey, to those changing careers or keeping-up with transformations in their industry. Coventry University leads the consortium’s work on “Digitising the Professions”, an initiative which addresses the digital skills needed in industry sectors in light of the digital revolution. It was that expertise which prompted the Indonesian Ministry to opt for IoC at Coventry University over other high-profile institutions. Jovie Pebrihandono, Regional Business Development Executive, Coventry University

Indonesia Office, said: “The Directorate General Legal Administrative Affairs Ministry of Law and Human Rights In Jakarta, had been looking for an international educational institution that could deliver an introductory course on data. “They have a lot of data in their Ministry which they want to use to support their current policy or even to develop a new policy, which is why they requested the training.” The Ministry approached the Indonesian Embassy in London and asked for their suggestions on arranging a week’s worth of digital science training from an acclaimed institution in the UK. The Embassy contacted several leading universities across the country, but only the IoC at Coventry University was able to deliver on all of their requirements. Deepak Farmah of the Institute of Coding, Coventry University, said: “We are very proud that the Ministry chose the IoC at Coventry University during what is a very important period for the digital sciences field.” The collaboration is the latest milestone for the IoC, which is experiencing high demand for data science, Internet of Things and Blockchain skills.

Front (from left) - Jovie Pebrihandono, Deepak Farmah and James Shuttleworth.Back (from left) – David Croft, Ian Cornelius and Nicola Maclean.

The programme, which is led by James Shuttleworth, Associate Professor in Cybersecurity at Coventry University, provides students with a grounding in the basics of data science and encourages them to consider how to map these skills to their current roles. James said: “We are seeing a huge amount of interest from the UK and abroad for courses that help people that traditionally didn’t need digital skills learn the things that are going to make a difference in their long-term career, and from organisations that want to maintain the viability of their workforce as industries undergo digital transformation.”

One of the UK’s top clairvoyant mediums returns to Coventry as part of a busy line-up of events One of the UK’s top clairvoyant mediums will be returning to an award-winning hotel as part of a busy line-up of excellent events. 2020 is shaping up to feature a whole host of top talent at Coombe Abbey Hotel as the programme of entertainment is already looking packed. It will feature medium Steve Holbrook, who will be returning to the venue in April and

November with his Between Two Worlds show, after a hugely successful debut last year. Also, back by popular demand will be Britain’s Got Talent finalists, the D-Day Darlings, when guests can enjoy afternoon tea in the marquee. Songs from a bygone era will be performed by members of the group when Afternoon Tea with the D-Day Darlings goes ahead in March and November. All the glitz and glamour of the races will be coming to Coombe Abbey when it hosts a Royal Ascot Ladies Days in June.

Going ahead in the marquee, a delicious lunch will be served up and all the action will play out live on the big screen. An on-site bookmaker will also be on hand to take bets and there will be a special performance from an Elvis tribute act. One for the family will be David Walliams’ Mr Stink, which will be going ahead in June and see Heartbreak Productions adapt the book into an outdoor theatre show. A number of talented tribute acts will also be taking to the stage including Pure Queen

in May and George Michael in September. Not only that, the regular schedule including the Murder Mystery evenings, Mediaeval Banquets and the Speakeasy Blinders will be taking place throughout the year. Ron Terry, General Manager of Coombe Abbey Hotel, said there was something on offer to cater for all tastes and urged people to book soon. For further information about any of the events or to book tickets visit www.coombeabbey.com

Business relocated due to expansion Integrity Wealth Solutions Limited is a firm of independent Financial Consultants who specialise in advising business owners, high net worth individuals and higher rate taxpayers across the country, but particularly in the Warwickshire, West Midlands and Leicestershire area. Previously located on Townsend Drive, Nuneaton, they have now moved to bigger premises at the Eliot Park Innovation Centre located by the George Eliot Hospital.

Martin Lindsey, Managing Director said: “This move offers our growing team an improved, more spacious and more collaborative working environment, together with the many functional benefits offered by the EPIC centre facility, such as access to a greater number of meeting rooms in which to welcome client visits, comfortable break out area, more parking and much more all in one of the UKs most environmentallyfriendly buildings.

“We will also have access to the new stateof-the art conference suite facilities enabling us to conduct seminars and workshops for local businesses.”

West Midlands industrial estate full after national timber firm moves in

Chris Whitlock (left) with Rupert Gillitt

A major industrial estate on the border of Coventry and Warwickshire is now fully occupied after a national timber company took the final available unit. Arnold Laver Timberworld, which is part of the National Timber Group, has opened a new trade counter unit on the Grovelands Industrial Estate in Exhall, just off Junction 3 of the M6.

The company has already created seven new jobs after agreeing the letting of the 26,000 sq ft building through commercial property agents Holt Commercial. That figure will rise to 12 staff as the outlet becomes more established, while it is also being used as an office base for members of the company’s senior management team who travel around the country. It signals a major success story for the industrial estate which is now full and is home to a range of companies from a cross section of businesses. Rupert Gillitt, Director of Holt Commercial, said Grovelands had proved even more popular after significant investment from the landlord. He said: “This is a real success story for the Coventry and Warwickshire economy and we are delighted to have worked with Arnold Laver Timberworld to bring the company to the area. “There has been significant investment at Grovelands and that has resulted in the whole site now being fully let, which means dozens of jobs being created here

on the border of Coventry and the north of Warwickshire. “Holt Commercial has been involved in this industrial estate for many years now and we are delighted to have played such as significant role in its continued success.” The new merchant – which sells a range of softwood, hardwood and sheet materials, and enjoys the benefit of a drive-through and well stocked trade counter – is the first in a new branch roll-out programme to complement the company’s 14 existing units in England. A further two new similar units are set to open in Peterborough and Croydon before the end of the year, and Chris Whitlock – the company’s Site Development Director – explained why Grovelands was the first. He said: “Through research and a certain amount of senior management intelligence, we identified Coventry as a prime location for this new type of offer and we have been working with Holt Commercial for a few

months to get this deal over the line. They have been extremely helpful in making this happen. “The unit has been completely refurbished and is a great place to welcome customers – who tend to be small and medium size contractors. “The Arnold Laver brand is nearly 100 years old and it will be expanding around the UK over the next couple of years. We are delighted to be here at Grovelands – we couldn’t be better located for the motorway network as you can see our unit as you drive by on the M6!” The company will keep around £300,000 worth of timber stock on site at any given time and also stocks a range of other products related to the industry. Avison Young have acted as joint agents on Grovelands with Holt Commercial. Arnold Laver was advised by retained agent Chris Marsden, of Dovestone Land.

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

News Flying Taxis are hot topic at future Mobility Conference

A company responsible for developing some of the first electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles unveiled its plans to bring flying taxis to the UK within the next decade. Speaking at an event as part of Leicester Business Festival, Derby-based VRCO Ltd explained that it is working to bring its NeoXcraft into production with the East Midlands forming a world-breaking test environment. At the event, hosted at the MIRA Technology Institute, VRCO outlined how flying on short journeys is likely to become mainstream in the decades ahead and, by 2040, heliports and vertiports on top of buildings will become

a feature of the landscape. The company is developing this new technology as autonomy in the sky moves closer and public acceptance grows. Speakers at the conference on the ‘Future of Human Mobility and Regional Connectivity’ organised by the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership Limited (LLEP) and East Midlands Airport, attracted a high number of delegates interested in finding out more about the future of transport, how vehicles and their usage will change, and the opportunities and threats surrounding the new technology. Kevin Harris, LLEP Chair welcomed delegates to the event. He said: “With the rapid pace of development in new automated and electric vehicle technology, our region has a golden opportunity to benefit our communities and businesses.” Shammi Raichura from Uber outlined its major challenge to promote car sharing to help reduce the impact of carbon emissions. Uber, which now boasts five million active users in the UK alone, wants to help improve the environment by convincing drivers to ‘replace their car with their smartphone’.

Uber’s plans include rolling out its Jump e-bike service beyond London and introducing Uber Bus to the UK to provide smaller scale, more efficient passenger transport that could save money for local government. Delegates were reminded that connected and autonomous vehicle (CAV) technology also brings challenges. Discussing issues around cyber security, Dr Madeline Cheah Cyber Security Innovation Lead at from HORIBA MIRA highlighted how threat levels increase as burgeoning connectivity brings greater risks to transport systems and vehicles. Lisa Bingley, Director of Operations for the MIRA Technology Institute said, “It strikes me that the level of innovation is really going to challenge the skills of the existing workforce and this is where the MTI is perfectly placed to help.” The MTI is an innovative collaboration between education and industry led by North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College designed to address skills shortages in the new disruptive technologies surrounding connected and autonomous vehicles and electric cars.

St Basils to open new project in Coventry St Basils has been named one of the beneficiaries to receive more than £1m, thanks to Heart of England Community Foundation’s Building Better Lives Programme. The grant will be used to improve the charity’s accommodation services in Coventry which will help young people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. St Basils works to eliminate youth homelessness and has been supporting young people for over 45 years. The charity provides a holistic range of accommodation and support services to vulnerable young people aged 16-25 and works with around 5000 young people each year. The money awarded by Heart of England will enable St Basils

Coventry to provide 32 units of accommodation in the city. The new housing will not just give young people a roof over their heads, but most importantly, it will give them safety, security and support, to help them visualise a brighter future. Jean Templeton, Chief Executive of St Basils, said: “We are overjoyed to be a beneficiary of the Building Better lives programme and immensely grateful to Heart of England for this award. It has been our ambition for some time to honour our commitment to young people in Coventry by providing good quality, safe and secure accommodation which enables them to develop their confidence, build their skills and achieve their aspirations. This fund now makes that commitment possible.”

Team helps family charity

Pui-Lin Raposo (Chamber), Sandra Harratt (Shine A Light), Andy Bowley (M&S Store Manager Coventry City Centre).

Staff from a leading business organisation in Coventry and Warwickshire helped a local charity ‘bag’ some much-need funds to help support families across the region. Pui-Lin Raposo (Pin) and Marie Stephenson of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce accompanied a team of eight volunteers from Shine a Light Support Service at a charity bag pack at Marks & Spencer in Coventry city centre.

The Building Better Lives initiative is the icing on the cake for a tremendous 12-months for the Heart of England Community Foundation, ahead of its 25th birthday. Having received £4m from generous anonymous donors, this was further increased by £1.58m when the donors were so impressed by the plans the charity put in place. This has allowed the charity to continue its mission of developing community activity across a number of diverse projects in the West Midlands and Warwickshire. Tina Costello, Chief Executive at Heart of England Community Foundation, said: “St Basils has been a cornerstone charity in the region, helping to ease the plight of youth homelessness in the area. However, with the ever-increasing housing crisis, The four-hour stint behind the check-outs saw the team raise £390 and will go towards supporting families across Coventry and Warwickshire affected by cancer with home visits, counselling, coffee and activity sessions and day trips. Sam Schoolar, who founded Shine a Light, said: “We were delighted to raise such a good amount in such a short space of time. “We are very grateful to Pin and Marie from the Chamber and to Marks & Spencer for supporting us in this way. Every penny will go towards the work

its work is more important than ever before. That’s why Heart of England is so pleased to be able to help the charity to provide vital accommodation services in Coventry enabling them to implement its vision and make these plans a reality.” For more information about Building Better Lives, as well as the other projects that Heart of England Community Foundation supports, head to www.heartofenglandcf.co.uk we do in supporting families from right across Coventry and Warwickshire who may have been affected by cancer in some way.” Pin said: “We love working with Shine a Light. Fundraisers such as this help to bring muchneeded funds but also to raise the profile of a very good cause doing great work in the community.” The Chamber is also supporting a Casino Royale theme ball that Shine a Light is staging at The Village Hotel on February 8. Tickets are available from: https://village-coventry.yapsody. com/event/index/492516/ shine-a-light-charity-ball

Setting out priorities for new government Businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire met to draw up a list of priorities to help the new government kickstart investment, growth and confidence among firms in the region. Ahead of polling day. the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce brought together its branch chairs from across the area alongside about 50 other business leaders at an event at the Dallas Burston Polo Club in Southam. The event was designed to draw out some of the issues that could hold the economy back in the region. Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said the economy in the region had held up well against a backdrop of uncertainty, but that the Chamber’s most recent Quarterly Economic Surveys with companies had shown a slight dip in confidence and a delaying of investment decisions.

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She said: “We have to recognise how resilient Coventry and Warwickshire has been and how incredibly well companies of all sizes and sectors have performed. “But in our most recent surveys, we have started to see companies telling us that they have put off investment and we can only hope that is in the short term because of Brexit. “So what we are doing now is saying to the new government, don’t forget about business because we need all of the help you can give us to grow, take on new people and generate the wealth that the region and the country needs.” Among the priorities are to extend the £1 million Annual Investment Allowance; to protect tax relief schemes that incentivise investment; to reverse the reduction in the dividend allowance; to launch a business-led review of the business rates system; to introduce a moratorium on measures that increase costs to business; and to enable the British Business Bank to play

a greater role in helping companies on the patch to invest. On skills, the Chamber is calling for an increase in funding for apprenticeships to help small and medium-sized businesses to access training but, it says, the Government must stop tinkering with the system. It is also calling for, among other things, a long-term strategy and funding for lifelong learning to enable people to upskill, retrain and adapt to changes in the workplace. On planning and infrastructure, the Chamber has called for local improvements to public transport to allow greater movement between different areas of Coventry and Warwickshire. It believes there must be a balance between improving the infrastructure across the region but also meeting commitments on carbon reduction. The Chamber will also continue to campaign for more land for employment in Coventry and Warwickshire to ensure that firms in the region have the

The UKLC League Legends Trophy erupts from the EFX Factory

The game company Villain approached Special EFX to produce a trophy for the UK League Championship, the premier League of Legends eSports series in the UK. The UKLC League Legends Trophy is mega in its production complexity. A mammoth feat of engineering, requiring 96 hours of precision machining alone, the UKLC iconic tower erupts out of shards of rock, creating a momentous and powerful trophy, the like of which has never been seen before. The rivalry is intense between the teams from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales and the trophy needed to be powerful, exceptional, cool, represent a bright power, resonate with passionate egamers (typically aged 13 to 34), excite fans all around the country and perform under multiple studio lighting conditions. Tom Malin, Lead Cad Designer at Special EFX, said he ‘mashed together concepts for rock art and the League’s iconic tower’. Tom Bowden, CNC Engineer in the EFX factory, then took up the challenge. Before production commenced, renders were tested under different studio lighting conditions to be sure that the final trophy would astound all that saw it as it toured the country to tournaments and the ultimate final. The finished trophy contains 33 individual components, plus the base and trophy case. Cut from solid aluminium then polished or sand-blasted, they took 96 hours of precision machining, the most complex and longest production time ever for an EFX-made trophy. The final showdown was played out at Twickenham Stadium and the winner was Fnatic.

space to grow but, also, that there is enough space to attract future inward investors. On Brexit, the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce is clear that the UK must not leave the European Union without a deal and there must be a smooth transition period for firms to adapt. Louise added that the funding that came into the region via Europe must be replaced domestically.

Sean Rose, Steve Harcourt, Karen Shuter, Major Richard Carney, David Penn, Tom Mongan, Louise Bennett, Larry Coltman

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

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Cyber-security advice for small businesses Researchers at Coventry University are leading a project to explore this issue. The project is funded by the Home Office and run in collaboration with a number of partners, including the National Cyber Security Centre, regional police forces, De Montfort University and KITC Solutions at the University of Kent.

About a third of small businesses suffer a cyber-breach in any one year. The consequences of this can be severe, including loss of money, data, customers and reputation, as well as psychological trauma. For instance, £214,000 was stolen in one year in Warwickshire alone due to mandate fraud, a crime in which the criminal impersonates a client or supplier in order to divert payments to a rogue bank account. Fortunately, there are some simple actions that businesses can take to dramatically reduce the damage from a

cyber-attack. These include automatic updates, the use of two-factor authentication and staff awareness of mandate fraud. The problem, though, is that despite a number of government campaigns designed to inform and educate about cyber threats, far too few small businesses are acting on the advice. That is leaving the door open for criminals. As our reliance on digital technology increases the problem is only going to get worse. It is essential, therefore, to better understand the barriers that small businesses face to become cyber-safe.

As part of the project the researchers are inviting small businesses and charities to sign up for a free 60 minute cyber-security health check. The health check, delivered by KITC Solutions walks businesses through the latest National Cyber Security Centre guidance. It is an opportunity to get one-to-one advice and feedback on the basic steps a business can take to improve cyber-security. The researchers are interested to hear from all small businesses, whether they outsource cyber-security, think they are cyber-safe, think they are not reliant on cyber, or otherwise. To support the research, businesses are asked to complete a short survey before the health-check and then three months after the health-check. For more information about the project and to sign up for the health check visit http://cyberprotect.our.dmu.ac.uk or email cyber@kitc-solutions.co.uk

S & S Plant takes delivery S & S Plant has taken delivery of the first Mecalac TLB890 backhoe loader featuring next-generation Active Drive technology. The unit was sold by Aberdeenshirebased Balgownie Ltd, Mecalac’s approved dealer for the Northern Scottish mainland and Outer Hebrides. Productive, cost effective and flexible, the TLB890 combines the power of a wheel loader and the versatility of a compact excavator. Ideally suited to

applications including civil engineering, highway maintenance, utilities and agriculture, the 110hp machine delivers fast cycle times and impressive operation economies. Garry Smith, Director at S & S Plant, said: “As a highly-experienced backhoe operator, I’ve owned numerous models from multiple manufacturers. The Mecalac TLB890 with Active Drive, however, has been the best to date by far.”

Passion the key for business Coventry-based Piece of Cake Marketing is proud to be working with Coventry Improvement District. The business is run by Kate Keene and Emma Kavanagh, who are born, bred and based in Coventry. Emma said: “We are passionate Coventrians who are excited about all of the great things happening in Coventry and, in particular, we are looking forward to being City of Culture in 2021.” Kate said: “Coventry being City of Culture in 2021 is a great opportunity for local businesses to get national exposure and we are looking forward to working with Trish and the team at Coventry BID to promote the city centre.” Coventry Business Improvement District is a partnership between the businesses located within the ring road of Coventry City Centre and its aim is to promote, develop and boost the city centre to make it a great place to work and visit. In the past quarter alone, the city centre has seen more than 20 new businesses open and is looking forward to the new businesses opening in The Coop complex and the arrival of The Telegraph Hotel. Kate and Emma have been involved in the Student Shopping Night & Christmas Campaign within the city centre and are looking forward to 2020 and all the great events that are planned.

City prepares for a big year Coventry is moving into its final 12 months of preparations for one of the biggest years in the city’s history. Since 2017, Coventry City of Culture Trust – the organisation that is planning and delivering UK City of Culture 2021 – has been working with partners to get ready for the year in the national and international spotlight and is now moving into the final phases of preparation throughout 2020. Over the past year, the Trust has grown to a team of 40 – including producers based in the community who have met with more than 200 organisations to co-create events as well as working with major local, national and international arts organisations to devise a programme intended to welcome more than 2.5million extra visitors to the city in 2021. Further members of the team will come on board in 2020 while the Trust will also launch its apprenticeship and volunteering programmes in the spring.

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In the past year, almost 50,000 people have attended or participated in events planned or presented by the Trust and the build-up programme will peak this summer with a major ‘Getting Ready for 2021’ event to showcase the scale of the events being planned for 2021. This will give a taste of the events that are currently being developed with local, national and international artists which will be revealed in the autumn. By then, a new website, City of Culture brand and a state-of-the-art citywide box office system will have been launched to make exploring the programme and booking tickets easy for both locals and visitors. So far, the Trust has raised almost £30 million to deliver 2021 and continues to work with Trusts and Foundations, sponsors and individual donors to add to that next year. It has also awarded £250,000 to 38 grassroots organisations and projects in the city through the Heart of England

Community Foundation and will continue to award grants to groups from across the city in 2020. Also in 2020, as part of the Trust’s work with the British Council, the International Changemakers scheme will see more than 20 artists from across the city travel to locations around the world to build new relationships and develop project ideas for 2021. Martin Sutherland, Chief Executive of Coventry City of Culture Trust, |said: “This past year has been an exciting and busy time and I am hugely grateful to the City of Culture Trust team and all our partners and supporters for what they have achieved, so far. We are in a good place, being slightly ahead of our planning and fundraising targets, but we are not complacent. “We continue to build a very strong team, working with partners including Coventry City Council, to get the city ready and to finalise details of the events programme for 2021.

“This next 12 months will really see excitement begin to build as more of our plans are revealed, we launch our new brand and website, continue to work with the business community across the city and region, begin to recruit thousands of volunteers – who will be so key to the success of 2021 – and host a major event in summer, before revealing our extraordinary programme in the autumn.”

News

Let girl power female recruitment in engineering, urges Arrowsmith boss

Ibraheem A. Alfuraih, General Manager of Bayt Alkhibrah, with David McAtamney, founder of Stadium

Coventry security company builds international links by sharing world-leading expertise with Saudi firm A major firm in Saudi Arabia is set to benefit from the expertise of a worldleading security company based in Coventry.

An aerospace manufacturing boss believes the key to attracting more female talent into industry lies by tapping into girl power when it comes to marketing the sector. Jason Aldridge, Managing Director of Arrowsmith Engineering in Coventry, is urging academia and business to change the way they collectively promote engineering by finding out from women what actually interests and motivates them and, importantly, putting them in charge of designing the marketing and routes of engagement. He also feels there is an argument that Government could be more creative in offering specific initiatives to get girls into industry, creating more real-life ambassadors that, over time, become the ‘recruiters’ of the future. Jason said: “Despite numerous best-intentioned efforts to increase the number of women on engineering courses, apprenticeships and other entry programmes into industry, there

Stadium’s founder David McAtamney was very pleased to have agreed terms with the Saudi firm, and looked forward to starting the training programme soon. He said: “It’s fantastic news about our partnership with Bayt Alkhibrah – they could have chosen companies closer to home to work with, but they’ve chosen us thanks to our great reputation in delivering international bespoke training programmes. “Our tutors will help train our customers to not only keep crowds safe when working at events, but to make sure the visitor experience runs as smoothly as possible. “While many countries rely on their police forces to operate security, their main priority is operating traffic management and policing. “But Stadium’s methods ensure anyone attending large events, whether that’s a football match, a music concert or an outdoor market, have a great time as well as a safe time. “Poorly-planned traffic and crowd management can ruin fans’ experiences. So we’ll be delivering the best ways to prevent this from happening while keeping crowd security at the forefront of their minds. “We’re really looking forward to working with Bayt Alkhibrah, and we’re confident it will be the start of a mutually beneficial relationship between us.”

film actually turned her off as it was very ‘James Bond’ with ‘boyish’ images. “It was only then that the ‘penny dropped’ and it dawned on me that we are promoting an image of engineering that is attractive to men. Perhaps we should actually find out from women what interests them and give them the power to drive the marketing and engagement of our sector. After all, it can’t be any worse than the numbers we are currently producing with the same ‘tried and tested’ approach?” Arrowsmith Engineering, a specialist in precision turning, milling, thread rolling and grinding, is practicing what its boss preaches. The company is a critical supplier of precision components to the aerospace sector so traditionally has been a business that has a high percentage of men working for it. However, the management team wanted to look at attracting more women engineers. Jason said: “Firstly, we started to offer engineering placements to local schools and colleges,

Sue Elton and Misha Patel (both Arrowsmith Engineering)

with the ratio of girls taking us up on the opportunity outstripping boys for the first time this year. “We are also continuing to employ apprentices from the Manufacturing Technology Centre and interns from Coventry University, with a very pro-active approach to recruiting females whenever possible. This has led to women playing a crucial role in Quality, Commercial, Finance, Inspection, Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) and CNC Machining.” Misha Patel, Arrowsmith Engineering’s first ever female machinist apprentice, has recently started and the company has asked Sue Elton, its longest-standing female machinist, to mentor her.

Belgrade campaign given a business boost

Stadium has recently signed a joint venture agreement with Saudi training company Bayt Alkhibrah to support the training of how to run large events safely and efficiently. Stadium, who work with a string of Premier League clubs on security, safety and traffic management, will devise a bespoke training programme to teach its joint venture customers best practice.

is still a worrying lack of female employees coming through the ranks. “And it’s not a case of simply blaming the Government we are all to blame in our own way. Education, with just an average of 10% of females on their engineering courses, needs to stop being so arrogant and consider new ways of recruitment, whilst manufacturers - both small, medium, large and multinational - have to make a much better effort to create design studios, quality departments, sales offices and shop floors that are more welcoming and encouraging. “The real eureka moment for me came during a recent industry awards ceremony where I was highly impressed, some would say buzzing, after watching a high-octane engineering film set to a dramatic soundtrack. “I turned to my wife, who is a University Professor, to gauge her opinion, expecting a similar reaction. Instead, I got a very different response. She said the

Leigh Hunt (CityFibre), David Shortland (Shortland Horne), Joanna Reid (Belgrade)

The fundraising campaign to support the development of Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre has taken a major step forward after the first businesses signed up to support the 2020 Redevelopment Project. The Theatre, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2018, has ambitious plans for growth as Coventry heads towards UK City of Culture in 2021 and part of that is a £4.8m project which will be completed in time for the big year. Work on phase one – to refresh the Main Stage Auditorium to create a more enjoyable experience for audiences and visitors – has now been completed and phase two is the redevelopment of the café and first floor Burbidge Room, which will help secure the Theatre’s long-term sustainability.

The Theatre needs private sector backing to undertake the major project and already a handful of firms have signed up to the Play Your Part campaign as they have agreed to Sponsor a Step on the new staircase which will be a central feature of the new development. The companies that have stepped up as sponsors so far include Deeley Group, PMP Consultants, EDG Property, Evertaut Ltd, Shortland Horne, CityFibre, Corstorphine & Wright Architects, Engineering Practice, MCS Corporate Strategies and K B Benfield Group. David Shortland, of Shortland Horne Estate Agents, who also has a bar named after him at the Belgrade Theatre because of his ongoing support, said it was vital for businesses to support arts and culture. He said: “Like so many companies across the city and region, we are excited by UK City of Culture 2021 and we can see the major economic and social benefits it will bring here. “The Belgrade Theatre will have a massive role to play during and after 2021 and this development will help this iconic

theatre become even more selfsustaining. “We are long-term supporters of the Belgrade and we are delighted to be sponsoring a step and being an early backer of the Play Your Part campaign.” Leigh Hunt, of CityFibre, the UK’s leading alternative provider of wholesale full fibre infrastructure, said: “This is a major step forward for the Belgrade Theatre and CityFibre wanted to be part of that and show its support. “Right at the heart of our Gigabit City Coventry project are the local communities we will serve with the futureproof network which is being now rolled out across the city. Belgrade Theatre is a key cultural and social destination for Coventry and we are pleased to be intrinsically linked to this project, playing a crucial role in protecting the theatre’s future. “We would encourage other companies to get involved and support the Play Your Part campaign by sponsoring a step.” By sponsoring a step at £2,020 (+VAT) it will see supporters’ names grace the staircase when work is completed. However,

there are a variety of ways to recognise support to meet the varying budgets available to companies. The Theatre is also ready to have conversations with potential naming rights sponsors for other elements of the development, such as the new café itself. Helen Hotchkiss, Head of Development at the Belgrade Theatre, thanked those companies which are already part of the Play Your Part Campaign. She said: “We are thrilled to have our first group of steps sponsored already and are grateful to all those companies who are backing us. “To make the development happen, we still need further business support and we’d urge companies to get in touch to find out how they can be part of creating this fantastic legacy for the Belgrade Theatre and the city.” If you would like to play your part in the legacy of 2021 and the work of the Belgrade, please email corporates@belgrade.co.uk or phone 02476 846 758.

Graduate hails “lifechanging” experience at CU Coventry An international Tourism and Hospitality graduate says her “lifechanging” experience at CU Coventry has put any feelings of wanderlust on hold – for a year at least. Elena Alexandra Miron arrived in Coventry in 2015 from Romania, having chosen CU Coventry, part of the Coventry University Group, over several high-profile universities in the UK. Now Elena, who recently graduated along with 174 students, has decided to remain in Coventry for another year to study for a Master’s in International Law, Diplomacy and Global Change. Elena said: “I was accepted in all five universities that I applied for but CU Coventry was something special and I can’t wait to continue my studies here.

“I did some research on the academic programme on offer, the culture of CU Coventry and the accommodation options available to students, and decided immediately that this was the place for me. “It was really important that I had the opportunity to apply the skills I was learning in an internship. Through CU Coventry, I was able to spend a year abroad in the US – six months in Florida and six months in New York. It was a lifechanging experience. “After my year abroad, I had to deliver a series of presentations to people about my experience and why I found it so worthwhile. I couldn’t recommend it to them highly enough!” Since starting her degree in 2015, Elena, who was recently elected as Sustainability Community Officer for the CU Coventry

CU Coventry graduate, Elena Alexandra Miron

Student Union, gained knowledge in all areas of Tourism and Hospitality, and has also developed a variety of new skills. Jackie Mathers, Associate Pro-ViceChancellor at CU Coventry, said: “Elena is a shining example of the quality of students that CU Coventry is able to attract.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

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College provides outstanding care for young people Staff demonstrate their commitment to student care, respect the wishes and choices of the young people, while supporting them work towards longterm goals and targets to achieve further independence, according to the report.

Hereward College in Coventry has been rated ‘Good’ overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in its recent inspection, and ‘Outstanding’ for care. The college, which provides residential places and respite care for young people with disabilities was inspected by a team of four who met with staff, students and parents.

In the report, the inspection team say that the young people “were truly respected and valued as individuals; and empowered as partners in their care in an exceptional service.” One parent told the inspection team: “They’re an amazing team and everything is so efficiently run. I feel very welcomed and any problems are dealt with promptly.”

Jane Ferguson, Vice Principal for Safeguarding & Pastoral Care at Hereward College said: “We are delighted that this report has highlighted the importance of our highly trained and committed staff in providing a quality service. Independence skills are a core part of what we offer to our residential students, enabling them to achieve their goals and take control over their own lives.” The report also reinforced the safety measures which are in place to keep students from harm stating “enhanced safeguarding systems were robust in capturing all concerns and actions taken”.

New internet service launches in Coventry Coventry-based ISP Fibre. Net have launched their new service, providing fibre broadband to businesses across the UK. The simplified on-line checking and ordering process aims to help businesses easily identify and select their ideal package. Fibre.Net delivers a ‘business-class’ Internet service with high availability and security as well as sufficient bandwidth to ensure voice, data and video communications are consistently available on demand. Aimed directly at the B2B market, Fibre.Net’s launch

means that choosing a reliable and cost-effective internet connectivity has just got much easier. Fibre.Net provides a simplified online ordering process whereby customers simply visit the website, enter their postal code to check if they have fibre in their area, choose the package which best suits them, and click to complete the order process. A Coventry-based support team is also available to answer any questions. Fibre.Net clients no longer have to read through reams of technical and legal jargon to identify a connectivity service that suits them.

Darren Bindert, Head of Marketing at Fibre. Net, said: “Today, internet connectivity, like water and electricity services, has increasingly become a utility. The simplification of the

process of acquiring Internet services through Fibre.Net makes it so much easier for local businesses to see what broadband products are available, make their choice and, ultimately, complete their order - all online.”

Coventry Wheelchair Rugby player heading to Invictus Games

Coventry Wheelchair Rugby player Craig Styles has been selected for the Team UK team which is heading to the The Hague in May for the fifth Invictus Games. Craig, who joined Coventry from Northampton Saints in the summer, will travel to the Netherlands with the 65-person squad made up of wounded, injured, and sick military veterans. He said: “it shouldn’t be underestimated what a positive impact and life changing effect team sports can have. Sport has given me the confidence to aim high and achieve results a few years ago I may not have felt were possible.” Mandip Sehmi, Coventry Wheelchair Rugby Head Coach and Coventry Rugby Foundation Project Officer, said: “We’re all really proud of Craig’s selection for the Invictus Games.” To find out more about how you can be a part of this exciting and expanding project – whether as a player, volunteer, or sponsor – email community@coventryrugby.co.uk

Coventry engineering firm makes move as growth continues A Coventry engineering company has moved to substantial new premises following a prolonged period of growth. SAC & Co Engineering Design Ltd, which supply engineering design and manufacturing solutions to the automotive, defence and aerospace sectors, had been operating from a warehouse in Tile Hill but has moved across the city to Binley Industrial Estate. Holt Commercial acted for the landlord in the letting of the building to the company, which has worked with some of the country’s premier coach building companies and collaborated with marques such as Aston Martin, Bentley and JLR to name a few. The expansion in operations has also been reflected by a growth in the workforce at SAC, which is poised to add to its ranks in the coming months. It has also invested heavily in new technology as part of its increasing work in the field of restoring classic vehicles on behalf of private individuals. Steve Charlton, MD, SAC Engineering:

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“We started the company in 2007 and since then we’ve tripled our workforce every 18 months. “The new premises will give us the platform to expand our business further in state-of-the-art facilities. “We’ve invested both in the property and in technology and people to ensure that we continue our growth drive.” After four months of renovation, the property now boasts modern new wiring, heating and LED lighting systems, a high-spec 7m x 4m build table, secure build studios, advanced photogrammetric scanning facility, high-specification paint-shop and offices on two floors for 20 computer-aided engineers and support staff. Chris Hobday, associate at Holt Commercial, said: “It’s great to see a growing company taking space here and looking to invest for the future. “Coventry has a very strong manufacturing and engineering base – especially in the automotive sector – and SAC is a good example of the fact that

Jonathan Moore (Holt Commercial), Steve Nicolson (landlord), Chris Hobday (Holt Commercial), Steve Charlton, Tim Martin (both SAC)

small and medium sized companies are the backbone of the regional economy.” Steve Nicolson, the landlord of the property, said: “I’m very pleased to have an innovative, high-end engineering company

as a tenant and I am looking forward to seeing the business grow here. It has been great to work them as they have made substantial investment into the property to help us create a fantastic manufacturing facility.”

News

Vodafone Business Lounge opens at Ricoh Arena

Emily Smith, Marketing and Creative Manager at Image+, Alan Hartin, founder of Image+, and Aman Surey, Marketing and Communications Manager at CV Life

Coventry waterpark makes a splash thanks to new website and booking system A digital design company is riding the wave of recent success by designing a new website for Coventry’s new waterpark. Image+ worked with CV Life – formerly the Coventry Sports Foundation – to create a new website for The Wave, which opened in October. The £36.7 million waterpark features a range of exciting water slides such as ‘The Torrent’, which sees riders plunge down a chute at high speed, and ‘The Riptide’, where participants slide down a steep halfpipe on a rubber ring before sliding up the other side. It also features a wave pool, rapids, and a ‘splash zone’ for younger children and their families. The Wave’s website features a streamlined online booking system thanks to Image+, which allows users to simply choose a date and time slot, pick their ticket type, and pay. Aman Surey, Marketing and Communications Manager at CV Life, said the new website had made booking much easier for visitors to The Wave. He said: “We chose to work with Image+ due to their strong bid as well as the great work they’ve already done for many different business and organisations in Coventry and the Midlands. “We received bids from companies as far away as Bristol, but it was always our preference to work with a Coventry-based firm if possible. “And we definitely made the right decision. In the first week since The Wave opened, most of our sessions were sold out, which is down to the attractive and intuitive website Image+ created for us.” Image+, based at Electric Wharf in Coventry, specialises in website and app design and development, and has worked with many different groups in the area including City of Culture 2021. Alan Hartin, founder of Image+, said: “The previous booking system CV Life used was a bit clunky – it was not optimised for mobile and you had to register details before you could book. “We designed a new website to simplify the whole process and make it much easier for smartphone users to book their tickets. A functional, intuitive website makes it much more likely for visitors to The Wave to book again.” Image+ has also worked with CV Life to create new websites for its CV Life Styles site, and the site for Mana Spa – which is in the same building as The Wave. The firm is currently working on the main CV Life website.

Vodafone has officially opened the Vodafone Business Lounge at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, an innovation space to give businesses in the West Midlands access to digital expertise and an opportunity to experience the latest game-changing technologies. The Vodafone Business Lounge will provide an opportunity for businesses to collaborate and innovate and to experience technologies such as 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT) and high-speed fibre. The news is part of Vodafone’s commitment to creating technology centres across the UK, including the recently opened Digital Innovation Hub in MediaCityUK, Salford, as well as its multi-billion network investment in 5G. At the launch, guests were able to try some of the demos on permanent display at the Vodafone Business Lounge, including: a ‘Day in the life of 5G’ showcasing the impact 5G will have on the sports, retail and automotive industries, in collaboration with Ericsson; a 5G ‘drop goal’ VR experience; and a haptic suit that simulates the feeling of a rugby tackle. Coventry City Council CEO Martin Reeves spoke about the impact of 5G on Coventry businesses and residents, whilst Igor Leprince (chair of WM5G) discussed the potential of 5G on the West Midlands as a whole. Former England rugby star James Haskell, Stephen Vaughan (CEO

of Wasps Sport) and Scott Petty (CTO at Vodafone) debated the impact technology, and specifically 5G, will have on the sports industry. Anne Sheehan, Director, Vodafone Business UK, said: “Our customers can already access the Vodafone 5G network in 15 towns and cities across the UK – including Birmingham and Wolverhampton – and at key business hot-spots across the West Midlands like Birmingham Airport and the NEC. The Vodafone Business Lounge will enable West Midlands businesses to experience the game-changing potential of 5G and foster innovation and partnerships. With 5G, we can help turn their vision into reality.” Councillor Richard Brown, a Digital Champion at Coventry City Council, said: “Technological advances are bringing so many benefits for businesses and consumers and we’re delighted Vodafone continues to invest in Coventry to enable the city to be at the forefront of these exciting times. We want this region to be a technology hub; and we hope such investment will have a significant impact on the local economy and attract businesses and jobs to the area.” James Haskell, former England rugby player, said: “Technology has played a key role in both the sporting and business aspects of my life. The Vodafone Business Lounge is a great opportunity for local organisations to try new technologies.

I’m particularly excited to see how 5G can enable the creation of new and compelling experiences for fans.” Stephen Vaughan, Chief Executive (Sports) at Wasps Group, said: “Unveiling the Vodafone Business Lounge at the Ricoh Arena reinforces the exciting digital journey that we are on with Vodafone. Together, we will continue to push the boundaries of visitor experience at the arena with 5G game-changing technology.” Research launched by Vodafone highlights the impact 5G will have on the world of sport. More than three quarters of business leaders from sports organisations said improving fan engagement – and delivering new and innovative fan experiences – will be key to future success; and that 5G, more than any other technology, will drive change and enable such experiences.

Key new appointment will take Zoe’s Place to next level

Determined, intrepid and dedicated don’t even begin to describe Zoe’s Place newly appointed Head of Fundraising Muna Chauhan. She is an individual who meets challenges head on, an attribute which has been evident throughout her career. Prior to joining Zoe’s Place as Corporate Fundraiser eight years ago – almost to the day – Muna had spent ten years

working for the International Disaster Relief Fund, which took her to far flung regions such as Mozambique, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka as well as throughout the UK. It was a role she relished, although her hunger for adventure did not stop on joining Zoe’s Place in her hometown of Coventry. From day one, she hit the ground running and has certainly since made her mark, engaging with businesses throughout Coventry and Warwickshire, securing funds of more than £250,000, in turn helping to ensure that Zoe’s Place was able to meet it annual £1.2 million target. But it didn’t stop there; over the years, Muna has seized every opportunity to help boost the coffers on a personal level which has seen her climb

Kilimanjaro, run two half marathons, walk the Great Wall of China and cross the Himalayas, personally raising more than £20,000. Indeed, plans are already in place for her to take part in the next Base Camp challenge. In her new role, Muna plans to attack the challenges ahead with the same level of energy. Although early days, Muna is planning the roadmap ahead which will involve her working with the team to create more fundraising opportunities and increasing the number of volunteers to help extend Zoe’s Place further out into the region. Crucially she also plans to raise the fundraising target by a further £200,000 which will enable the hospice to open a much needed fifth cot as well as introduce new services such as

play therapy, hydrotherapy and end of life counselling. Also on Muna’s agenda is the charity’s 10th anniversary celebrations in 2021. Zoe’s Place Executive Trustee Joan Stainsby said: “Muna has been a huge asset to Zoe’s Place since she first joined, and she was a natural successor to Chris Ward, who has been in post for the past two years and done an excellent job. “It is a role, however, that is not without its challenges with the majority of our annual target having to come from the local community through corporate support, donations and regular giving. We are confident however that Muna will embrace the challenges whole heartedly and we wish her every success.”

Creavo begins ground breaking study into sudden cardiac death at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire UK medical device company Creavo Medical Technologies (Creavo) has begun a pioneering 510-patient study with University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust, to evaluate the role of magnetocardiography (MCG) in the prediction of ventricular arrhythmias in patients who have been identified at risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Led by Dr Tom Lachlan, Research Fellow in Cardiology at UHCW, under the supervision of Professor Faizel Osman, Consultant Cardiologist / Electrophysiologist at UHCW, the study will involve performing MCG scans – which generate a magnetic field map of the heart – on patients who fulfil National Institute for Health and Care

Excellence (NICE) guidelines for receiving an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). Each patient will then be assessed using the standard ICD follow-up procedure. This is anticipated to take place over a 21-month period, to record which patients ultimately received therapies from their ICD. Corresponding MCG data will then be analysed to determine whether there are MCG characteristics that can predict the need for future therapy from the ICD. It is hoped that correlations can be identified to further risk-stratify patients within a pool determined to be at risk of SCD under current guidelines, to enable physicians to prescribe defibrillators more accurately.

Dr Lachlan said: “Currently, the majority of ICDs are implanted in patients who have suffered a myocardial infarction and are known to have a weakened heart, but research suggests only around 10-15% of ICD recipients subsequently suffer a ventricular arrythmia and receive a treatment from their ICD. “This means that a significant number of patients deemed ‘at risk’ are implanted with ICDs which are never needed, and this can be severely detrimental to their overall health as well as being a costly undertaking for health services. “We are excited by the potential of this study to more accurately predict which patients will develop a ventricular arrhythmia

that requires therapy from the ICD, and therefore improve health outcomes for those at risk of SCD and enable health services to more efficiently allocate their resources.” Steve Parker, Chief Executive Officer at Creavo said: “We’re very proud of the fact that this study is the first ever to attempt to correlate patterns in the heart’s magnetic field with future ventricular arrhythmias. “The study, which uses Creavo’s technology, will help assess the potential for MCG to be used as a vital screening tool outside of emergency care. This is an important step in our journey, and we thank the team at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire for their involvement and support.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Coventry

Festival of Running 2020 Entries open runners took part, representing more than 50 charities and raising more than £100,000 for the event’s partner charities: Zoe’s Place, Myton Hospice, Penny Appeal, and University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire.

On Sunday 22 March, the Children’s Mile and Toddler Dash will take place around Coventry’s War Memorial Park. The 2019 event saw more than 2,000 local children take part, raising money for school projects and local charities. Sunday 5 April will see an expected 5,000 runners take to the streets of Coventry in the Wheelchair 2.5k, GoRun 5k, and Coventry Half Marathon. Last time, more than 4,000

Event Organiser Millie McCaughrean from Coventry University Students’ Union, said: “Last time was an incredible event with more than 6,000 participants across four events that really showed anyone can take part. “We had entrants running their 50th half marathon alongside others running their very first and we hope people who saw the event last year are inspired to take part whatever their age or ability. “The 2020 Festival of Running is another great chance for the city to come together, to raise money, and to celebrate and enjoy taking part in sport.”

Councillor Kamran Caan, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Sport, said: “It’s great that the Festival of Running is returning to the city’s streets. It is an excellent event which is accessible for the whole community given people of all ages and abilities can take part and help keep fit and healthy which is a very important message. “As we continue our status as European City of Sport, it’s important to recognize that events such as this are great for bringing communities together and, with the added bonus that GoCV cardholders can benefit with a discount to enter, it’s never been a better time to take part in Coventry’s Festival of Running.” Entries and event information can be found at: www.enjoycoventry.com/ festivalofrunning Photo Credit: Phoenix Creative

National catering butchers Aubrey Allen are celebrating once again! Aubrey Allen Butchers, established in Coventry in 1933 is no stranger to recognition for their business success and on Friday 15th November at the Royal Garden Hotel London, Lucianne Allen, Aubrey’s grand-daughter, scooped two Women in Meat Industry Awards! Lucianne, a former barrister, was nominated by an undisclosed source in the Training and Education category

to reflect her commitment to education within the industry and work over the years to standardise the butchery apprenticeship. Lucianne was shortlisted in the Training and Education category and at the prestigious awards evening it was announced that she had won the category after voting took place in the summer. The evening culminated with the announcement that Lucianne was named Meat

Businesswomen of the Year 2019 beating off competition from all other category winners on the night. It is the second year in a row that Lucianne has won an award at the Women in Meat Awards but the first time that she has won the title of Meat Businesswomen of the Year. On receiving the award Lucianne said “ I am lucky to have such an amazing team supporting me – many of whom

are women – which allows me to concentrate on driving the business forward and making sure we are sustainable in terms of skill and brand for the next 85 years.”

Coventry celebrates its first anniversary as a Gigabit City Coventry boasts a number of impressive accolades when it comes to its credentials as one of the best locations in the UK to live and do business. Not only has the city been named a City of Culture 2021 but it has hosted the recent European City of Sport and its local economy is one of the fastest growing in the country. More recently, the city has become one of the first in the UK to benefit from CityFibre’s Fibre-tothe-Premises (FTTP) roll out. The revolutionary new full fibre network will provide the city with £101m private household benefits, £417m in 5G innovation and £30m in innovation in business. You can see the progress made in this infographic.

Event lights up city A whole community came out in force to be thrilled by a spectacular event in Coventry. Carnival of Lights, which was presented by the Coventry City of Culture Trust, and supported by Coventry City Council and Coventry BID, saw a feast of light, music and dance trail along Foleshill Road and into the city centre just after darkness fell. Thousands of local people came out onto the streets to watch as the procession passed their homes and businesses and included a music float, dhol drummers, stilt-walkers, illuminated umbrellas, a beautiful lotus flower float, as well as 100 lanterns, while some watched from windows and doorways. The lanterns were made with the local community at workshops in the run up to the event which were organised by artists from Foleshill Creates.

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Carnival of Lights was part of Coventry City of Culture Trust’s programme of events in the run up to 2021 and forms part of a series of festive activities that the Trust is either organising or supporting this autumn and winter. The Trust worked with Remarkable Productions, which is experienced in delivering similar events, as well as Coventry-based music producer, Sunit, who programmed a series of musical artists for the music float which got people dancing in the streets. The carnival procession ended in Broadgate, where many had waited for it to arrive while hundreds of others had followed it along its route into the city centre. Daksha Piparia, of Foleshill Creates, said: “We at Foleshill Creates were delighted to have been approached by the

Coventry City of Culture Trust to work with the local community to create lanterns for the procession at the Carnival of Lights. “The workshops at St Paul’s Church and Foleshill Community Centre were really well attended, around 80 people in total, and for us it was particularly great that all sections of the community took part, all age groups and backgrounds. “As you saw from the amazing lanterns, there are some very talented local people in Coventry. Something very powerful happens when people come together to create art, we help create friendships and we give people a sense of belonging and community.” Chenine Bhathena, Creative Director of the Coventry City of Culture Trust, said: “This is what culture is all about. It’s about people coming out and enjoying themselves, coming together as communities and building real pride in their

local area. It was great to see so many people enjoying one another’s company and culture. “It all stemmed from a conversation with Councillor Ram Lakha, who wanted to hold a celebration at this time of year which was inspired by Diwali but that also include lots of other festivals that celebrate light as we head towards the winter. “We wanted it to be fun and enjoyable, something that would bring people together, and looking at the way people were responding to the Carnival of Lights as we trailed along Foleshill Road, it really worked.”

Matt Feeley (Coventry Cathedral), Adam Dent (Advent), the Very Reverend John Witcombe (Coventry Cathedral), Lee Corden (Advent

Major new business initiative launched by Coventry Cathedral

A new campaign to help secure open access to one of the region’s most iconic buildings has had an early – and very appropriate boost. Coventry Cathedral scrapped admission fees in May 2018 in a move to allow all visitors to enjoy the unique experience and is now launching an initiative to attract companies to help maintain free admission. The campaign will see businesses adopt a single day throughout 2020 but a Coventry company stepped in early to kick-start the drive before the turn of the year. Advent Communications, a media and communications company based in the city donated funds to mark the first Sunday in December – the start of Advent. Now the company is urging others to follow suit and help the Cathedral stay open to all and to attract more visitors to the landmark building and also the city. Advent Managing Director Adam Dent said: “Coventry Cathedral is a genuinely iconic building and it inspires people from across the globe to come to the city. “They visit for reasons ranging from faith to architecture and from history to an extensive events package which the Cathedral hosts, so it is imperative that free access is maintained. “It is in the interests of the commercial community in Coventry that we attract as many visitors as possible, to continue to improve the image of the city, but also for the associated spend it brings. “The Cathedral has made huge strides in recent years to be more accessible for everyone in the community and it just seemed right for us to help them in that push – and there seemed no more appropriate weekend to become involved.” The Cathedral has massively widened its cultural offer over the last two years and recently attracted 16,000 people to Where Light Falls – a light and poetry installation organised through Historic England. Matt Feeley, Head of Fundraising at Coventry Cathedral, said support from business was vital in the effort to avoid admission charges. “The campaign has been really well received. Advent heard about the idea at a recent corporate event we held and felt it was perfect timing for them to be the first company to help us. “We are hoping that many more follow suit. As part of our commitment to civic leadership we work very closely with companies and organisations of all sizes and we feel they appreciate the need for the Cathedral to be a magnet for visitors to the city. This initiative is part of our wider plan to increase our impact and spread our special message of reconciliation.” For more information please speak to Matt on 02476 521 226 or visit the Cathedral website www.coventrycathedral.org.uk.

Area Focus: Mid Warwickshire

A Royal visit to Redditch

New branch chair takes over Businesses across mid-Warwickshire have a new voice to represent their views to key decision makers. Sarah Windrum is the new chair of the mid-Warwickshire branch of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, replacing David Myskow in leading the branch which represents firms in Leamington, Warwick, Kenilworth and the surrounding area. Sarah is the co-founder of regional technology company The Emerald Group and also a board director of the Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), leading on economic growth of the digital creative sector. As well as that, Sarah is a member of the West Midlands Combined Authority Digital Board supporting digital transformation across the region and securing investment in new infrastructure including fibre and 5G. She said that she would use the role as branch chair to encourage more companies across the area to play a more active part in strengthening the voice of the business community and raising the region’s profile. Sarah said: “I want to use this opportunity to continue to understand the current concerns of our business community and to shape what the collaborative network of the Chamber, CWLEP, and the rest of the region can do together. “I have attended many branch meetings as a member and always appreciated the engagement the Chamber has built with our Members of Parliament and also our local authorities. “Whatever happens in December, this engagement will continue to be crucial as we build beyond Brexit and use this opportunity to create the future we want for Coventry and Warwickshire. “I am looking forward to cross-branch collaboration between the five areas that make up the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce because I believe this will give us an event stronger platform. “I intend to use the mid-Warwickshire branch to encourage more businesses to step forward and work with us and, to showcase to those businesses not in Coventry and Warwickshire yet, what collective power we have when we come together. “With UK City of Culture, Commonwealth Games, and the gamechanging technology of 5G gathering pace; now is the time to be here and to make your contribution count.” Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Firstly, we must thank David Myskow for his service as branch chair over several years and for his contribution to the Chamber and the wider business community. “We are delighted that Sarah is stepping into the role and will be a great voice for companies across mid-Warwickshire and beyond.”

Midland Group Training Services (MGTS) were delighted to host a visit from His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent at their Redditch Technical Centre on Monday 25 November. The Duke of Kent was introduced to a number of civic dignitaries including the Mayor of Redditch, the High Sheriff of Worcestershire and the Chair of Worcestershire County Council. Guests were presented with an overview of MGTS by Chief Executive David Bridgens, who highlighted the successes and challenges of the business. This was followed by a tour of the training centre during which His Royal Highness met engineering apprentices and MGTS staff. Apprentices Megan Childs (Heller Machine Tools) and Nicholas Packwood (Honeywell Hymatic) together with Technical Trainer John Miller spoke with The Duke of Kent about core engineering skills linked to machining, inspection techniques and assembly skills. They also provided an example of a complex component that apprentices would manufacture at the end of their first year of training. The next stage of the tour covered the Food and Drink Engineering Maintenance Programme area. Steve Palmer, Director of Delivery and Development explained how MGTS had secured a contract with Morrisons to train their engineering maintenance apprentices on a national basis and

talked about the level of investment by both MGTS and industry partners. Norbert Dylo (Princes Foods) and James Cooper (Morrisons) gave a demonstration of electro-pneumatics circuits explaining how they were relevant in the Food and Drink industry. His Royal Highness was then introduced to two apprentices from Thorlux Lighting, Jacob Paine and Morgan Reynolds, who along with Technical Trainer Aaron Singh demonstrated a miniaturised version of a ‘state of the art’ production line. They explained how the highly automated system was used to train apprentices to set up, program and use instrumentation to pinpoint faults

or broken components on a factory production line. The apprentices also demonstrated their programming skills by printing personalised product labels bearing The Duke of Kent’s title. Finally MGTS Chairman, Giles Lawton thanked The Duke of Kent visiting the training centre before His Royal Highness unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the occasion. David Bridgens said: “It was an honour for us to meet The Duke of Kent and see how interested His Royal Highness was in the engineering apprenticeship programmes and how MGTS were supporting the local region regarding skills development.”

Multi skilled workforce brings a host of benefits for council service, craft workers and tenants

The training is already yielding results, enabling repairs to be completed more swiftly using a fewer number of craftspeople. Following a review and restructure in 2018 of the Nuneaton and Bedworth borough council’s in-house craft workers, a decision was made to provide multiskilled training to enable a more efficient and diversified workforce to ensure that the councils anticipated future repair demands could be met. To enable the craft workers to achieve these goals Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council turned to the Central Building and

Welding Academy (CBWA) in Bayton Road, Bedworth. The CBWA provide high quality, tailored construction and welding training and provide a wide range of courses which are accessible to anyone wishing to learning a new skill or even to fit a kitchen in their own home. The CBWA embraced their vision wholeheartedly and commenced the assessments and training swiftly. The training and assessments started in July and ended in October. David Winterburn - Director at CWBA said: “It has been a pleasure assessing and

upskilling all the of the maintenance team from Nuneaton and Bedworth borough council here at central building and welding academy. “All delegates were enthusiastic hardworking committed and a credit to the council.” Andy Wilson Property Services Trade Manager said: “I have greater confidence in sending a single operative out to complete a job in one hit. Rather than it involving 2-3 trades as previously. This makes our performance better and gives our tenants a superior service. “The service provided by Central Building &Welding Academy, has provided our team with invaluable knowledge and know how in carrying out there new roles.” CBWA’s practical approach enabled the craft workers to achieve skills in the required sub-trades e.g. a plumber to be proficient in three subtrades: Joinery, Plastering and Tiling. The training is already yielding results, enabling repairs to be completed more swiftly using a fewer number of craftspeople, which is not only to the council’s benefit but more importantly to the tenants. There have been benefits for the craft work team too, with increased morale and job satisfaction.

Jack Masters – NBBC’s main trade Joiner said: “Being able to carry out all aspects of work is very cost effective, and also saves time on completion of the job. Which allows us to provide an efficient service to our tenants. All training and assessments were sorted efficiently to get the ball rolling as soon as possible.” Councillor Chris Watkins, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Communities, said: “I was most impressed by the quality of the training provided by the Central Building and Welding Academy. Our staff took the extra demands made of them in their stride and achieved superb results. It has improved the staff morale considerably and of course these extra skills has made a dramatic impact on the Repairs Team as they now only have to arrange one visit to a tenant. “I am immensely proud of all our staff and the services we provide to our tenants throughout the borough and the multi tasking capabilities of our craft workers has enabled us to look forward with confidence in our ability to meet the future demands of our tenants.”

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: North Warwickshire

College results the best in England at National Skills Competition

Students from North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College triumphed at the national finals of the WorldSkills UK LIVE competition, putting the college in first place in England after winning five Gold medals, six Silver and three Bronze medals overall. WorldSkills UK LIVE is an inspirational showcase designed to highlight the latest training, education and job opportunities. As part of the three-day event at the NEC in Birmingham, students from across the UK who have been successful in regional heats compete with their peers in around 70 skills challenges. Twenty-one students from North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College took part having already achieved success in regional heats. The competitions culminated in a glittering awards ceremony on Saturday, 23 November.

A Gold medal was awarded to Cian Coakley for his flair in creative media makeup after he produced a vivid full body paint design on the theme of weather from around the world. Cian,19 achieved his Level 2 and 3 media makeup qualifications at the college having been inspired by a school visit to WorldSkills UK when he was in Year 9. Cian is now studying at University College Birmingham for a degree in specialist hair and media makeup and is interested in pursuing a career in fashion editorial or film makeup. Cian said: “The competition process was quite stressful, but it was all worth it in the end.” He said that his tutors Lucy Johnson and Leanne Newitt had been a ‘massive help’, enabling him to get plenty of practice and providing helpful feedback. Cian’s fellow student, Natalie Hill was recognised with a highly commended certificate in the creative media makeup category. Silver medals were collected by digital media production team Holly Johnson, 17 from Nuneaton, Joe Taplin, 19 also from Nuneaton, Sam Hemmings, 18 from Bedworth and Megan

Dawes, 17, from Hinckley for their work in producing a 90 second newsreel package on the WorldSkills UK event during which they demonstrated skills in directing, producing and editing. Picking up a Silver medal for visual merchandising skills, Ellie Ruff, 17 from Nuneaton was tasked with creating a themed retail window display with the theme of the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. Ellie is studying a Level 3 qualification in graphic design at the college’s creative arts Hinckley Campus. In the Inclusive Skills competition, for young people with special educational needs and disabilities, the Gold medal for catering went to Mya Miller, 17 from Bedworth who successfully prepared the most impressive picnic for two. Mya took part in the college’s Salon Culinaire challenge last year achieving a Bronze certificate and has now progressed on to a Level 1 programme in hospitality and catering. Despite working in unfamiliar surroundings at a large venue, her tutor Jason Thacker said that her commitment and enthusiasm carried her through.

Gold medal-winning Shona Emslie shone in the health and social care competition during which she was judged as part of a role play in an independent living setting. Shona would like to move on to an apprenticeship in childcare when she has completed her current qualification. Gold medals were also awarded as part of a demonstration of motor vehicle skills by Dominik Cichonski and Shaun Osbourne while Kurtis Richards won the Silver medal in the same category. Callum Wood, Jamie Williams and Lyndon Brown were awarded Bronze medals for their skills in the media competition. Marion Plant, OBE FCGI, Principal and Chief Executive of North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, who is also deputy chair and trustee of WorldSkills, said: “We are delighted that so many of our students have excelled this week and congratulate them all on their achievements.” WorldSkills UK LIVE saw more than 70,000 visitors over three days with 562 students competing across 70 skills disciplines.

Nuneaton security firm smashes targets 18 months after setting up A Nuneaton security firm, which was established by two female entrepreneurs, has moved to new offices after smashing its targets in the first 18 months of business. Sue Yildiz and Gennine Cope established Kopek Security in March 2018 in a small unit in Dunns Close and the first few months after setting up saw them finding their feet after both working as dog handlers in the security industry. The firm has now moved to a new headquarters in the same location – which is eight times the size of the first unit – and the business is winning contracts all over the UK which has seen it earning in a month what was projected for a year. Kopek’s upward surge began after being introduced to Gavin Barnett, of the CWLEP Growth Hub, and he recommended that they work with the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce. He introduced Sue and Gennine to Business Advisor, Helena Bassett, who supported them through the Accelerated Growth Programme. This project forms part of the Coventry & Warwickshire Business Support Programme which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Helena advised the pair to look at their customers’ journey and think about how best to market themselves to potential new clients, including a website audit. But her biggest single piece of advice was to get the company to ‘think big’ in order to grow at a greater pace than they had originally planned. Gennine said: “We were busy at the very start but it wasn’t necessarily in the right areas to get the business growing. “We spoke to Gavin from the CWLEP Growth Hub, and he recommended that we work with the Chamber on the Accelerated Growth Programme. “It has really changed our approach to business and by getting the foundations right with Helena, it has seen us grow to the point where we needed to expand into this new office.” Kopek now has around 50 sub-contractors working for the business from as far north as Stockton-on-Tees down to Brighton on everything from construction sites through to residential property. As part of the company’s expansion, it has introduced three new services – key holding, mobile patrols and emergency response.

Skills support for young people in Nuneaton continues thanks to County Council boost A skills hub in Nuneaton which supports low-paid workers and young people achieve the skills they need to gain more highly qualified, better paid jobs is receiving a cash boost from Warwickshire County Council to ensure the service can continue. The PET-Xi Skills Hub has been part-funded by the County Council and the European Social Fund for the past three years for delivery of the Positive Futures programme for young people aged 15-24, who are not

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in education, employment or training (NEET) - or at risk of becoming so. It supports them into further education, training or work by providing additional careers advice, 1:1 mentoring, and employability training. As funding for the Positive Futures programme ended in December 2019, Pet X-I applied to continue running this important initiative. Due to a delay in confirmation from central government that its application has been successful, the PET-Xi

Sue said: “We work in every corner of the country but we believe our new services will focus largely on the regional market and are a further opportunity for us to grow our client base. “It’s a very competitive industry but we know what it’s like on the other side and have ensured that we treat our staff in the right way, which means they keep the customer happy. “We are grateful for all of the support we have received and are pleased to be giving something back to the local economy.” Helena Bassett advises a range of businesses across the area on how they can scale-up their growth. She said: “I am so pleased to see just how much Kopek has grown in such as short space of time. I looked at some of the fundamentals with them around marketing, key performance indicators and making sure they always had their customer journey in mind. “But it always came back to the fact that they could think bigger and push themselves to grow much more quickly – and that’s exactly what they have done. “On the completion of the programme, Kopek have gone on to join our Chamber membership, realising that a

strong events programme and additional support services will be invaluable to their business.” Gavin Barnett, a business navigator at the CWLEP Growth Hub, added: “It is great to see how far Kopek have come in a very short space of time. “There’s lot of support available to companies and I am delighted that we could introduce them to the Chamber to get the help they needed to grow in such an incredible way.” The Accelerated Growth programme offers free impartial advice to help businesses to grow, through a variety of tailored 1:1 sessions. For more information please contact the Chamber’s Business Support team at the Chamber of Commerce on 02476 654 321 or email supportforbusiness@ cw-chamber.co.uk

Skills Hub was facing a funding gap and would have had to close if the County Council had not stepped in. The Council has guaranteed that it will cover £20,000 of the hub’s running costs for four months if Pet X-i’s new application is not successful, or if its costs for those months cannot be claimed, even if its new application is approved. Fleur Sexton, Managing Director of PET-Xi Training said: “Without this guarantee from Warwickshire County Council, we would almost certainly have had to close the Skill Hub at exactly the time of year when a high number of young people drop out of further education or jobs. “Upskilling young people in the region is one of PET-Xi Training’s major drivers. We are proud of

our Positive Futures programme which assists more than 90% of our students into either employment or training within six weeks of leaving us.” Dave Ayton-Hill, Assistant Director, Communities Directorate, Warwickshire County Council, said: “The County Council is committed to ensuring that all our young people have access to the information and training opportunities they need to flourish. The PET-Xi Skills Hub plays an important role in helping low paid workers and young people in the north of the county find the employment and training opportunities they need to reach their goals. We are delighted to be able to support the Skills Hub as they await the decision on their new application for funding.”

Sue Yildiz, Gennine Cope, Helena Bassett, Gavin Barnett

New Deputy Principal appointed to lead Curriculum and Innovation

North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) is set to be further strengthened by the appointment of a new member to its executive team. Thomas Hamilton-Dick will join the college as Deputy Principal – Curriculum and Innovation with a brief to build on the organisation’s recent successful Ofsted inspection and to develop an ever more agile and responsive curriculum offer. Tom, who is currently Executive Director of Curriculum at Nottingham College, is expected to take up his post early in the spring term of 2020. He said: “I’m delighted to be joining the team at NWSLC and very much look forward to working at the heart of the college’s continuing drive towards becoming Ofsted ‘Outstanding’. Tom has a background in the media and has experience of working in the USA as commercial camera operator. He began his teaching career at Grimsby College as a lecturer and swiftly progressed into a wider course leadership role. He then joined North Nottinghamshire College rising to become Head of Media. Always seeking greater levels of responsibility, He moved to South Essex College before returning to New College Nottingham as Director of Cluster Creative. His current role as Curriculum Lead is both strategic and operational and extends to stakeholder management. Tom is a member of several external boards that shape regional skills agendas across Nottinghamshire. He also works with strategic teams within the Association of Colleges. Tom said: “The passion, commitment and enthusiasm for the success of students from everyone I’ve met so far has been overwhelming and I’m very much looking forward to being part of the NWSLC community. Education is in my blood and I am frequently humbled by witnessing the positive difference that further education makes to peoples’ lives every day. “I am committed to working with my colleagues, our students and all of our stakeholders to build on our recent Ofsted ‘Good’ rating to ensure that the college continues to provide a first-class student experience.” Marion Plant, OBE FCGI, Principal and Chief Executive of the North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College Group said: “I am delighted with the appointment of Thomas Hamilton-Dick to the role of Deputy Principal. Following our recent Ofsted inspection, which highlighted the behaviour and attitudes of our students as ‘Outstanding’, we now have a perfect platform to move forward with the development of our curriculum and we are confident that Tom will bring a wealth of experience that will help us work towards our ambition to deliver an ‘Outstanding’ service across the board.”

Area Focus: South Warwickshire

Love of travel leads to new business A Stratford-upon-Avon woman has launched a new business - inspired by her international travels and her home town.

Left to right, Andrew Taylor (Warwick Conferences) and Michael Strawbridge (LPI)

Workplace learning accreditation for Warwick Conferences Warwick Conferences, the conference, meeting and events business at the University of Warwick, has again achieved the globally-recognised benchmark for workplace learning facilities. This recognises that Warwick Conferences is at the forefront of innovative training environments. Its renewed accreditation with the Learning and Performance Institute (LPI), the leading authority on workplace learning, demonstrates that it achieves quality standards for successful learning events, and is committed to the learning and development sector. Warwick Conferences continues to lead the way in workplace learning, having been among the first to transform traditional meeting rooms into creative spaces, introducing novel settings, such as a kitchen, to inspire new ways of thinking. Having brought in breakout areas with table tennis and games consoles to enhance wellbeing, it is now developing a new meeting space outdoors - and is also working with a local training provider to devise a modern twist on a conventional boardroom. Andrew Taylor, Head of Conference Centres at Warwick Conferences, said: “We are continually looking at new ways to deliver an experience rather than just a space to make training more memorable and effective for businesses large and small. “In addition to the recognition of our facilities, our accreditation with the LPI will help with our own learning, giving us greater insight into the changing needs and trends so we can continue to deliver the perfect learning environment. “We hosted an event with the LPI which focused on the benefits of an engaging learning environment and provided an opportunity for learning and development professionals to experience our own creative spaces and their impact on learning. “It is great for our local business community in particular to have two organisations on their doorstep at the forefront of workplace learning, coming together to promote leading facilities which they can easily access and benefit from.” Michael Strawbridge, Global Head of Content, Networks & Member Services at LPI, said: “Warwick Conferences’ Learning Facilities accreditation serves as an absolute guarantee of quality; a commitment to the provision of outstanding and high-quality services to the learning sector. “Organisations looking for the best venues for learning events can be assured that Warwick Conferences will provide everything they need for a successful event, and in this regard they are unhesitatingly recommended by the Learning and Performance Institute.”

Donna Nixon founded 52 Degrees North Travel after receiving advice and support from the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce who run the programme on behalf of Warwickshire councils, following eight years working for a housing association in the region. After several years of wanting to establish her own company but not knowing in what sector, Donna decided that she would turn her love of travel into a business and help others get more out of their holidays. The company name refers to the line of latitude of Stratford-upon-Avon and Donna was keen to reference the town in the business. That tie was made even stronger after the company received local support, including from the Chamber and from Stratford-on-Avon District Council’s Venture House Business Centre. She said: “I was introduced to the Chamber by a friend and went on some of its courses held at Venture House around elements such as business strategy and marketing. “It was there that I met Tanya King, who became my business mentor, and she has worked with me on a one-to-one basis to help me in the very early stages of the business. “I’ve also been attending the fabulous Donut Time networking events at Venture House. It’s great to be able to bounce ideas

off other businesses, pick up business tips and also make use of the fantastic facilities on offer there to small companies.” “I knew for quite a long time that I wanted to run my own business but I wasn’t really sure what in. When I first met my husband we went off travelling around the world and, at the end of the trip, we got engaged. That love of travel has continued. “We’ve since had kids and we know what works if you are travelling on your own, as a couple or with children, because we’ve done them all so it made perfect sense to make travel my business. “Having someone like Tanya to bounce ideas off and tap into her knowledge has been great – she has even become a customer of mine, which is about as supportive as you can get!” The support of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s start-up team was thanks to a project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund. It forms part of the CW Business: Start, Grow and Scale Programme, which is also funded by Warwickshire County Council and the district & borough councils. Tanya King, business adviser at the Chamber, said: “It has been great working with Donna. Some people want to launch a business and they know exactly the field they want to go into. Others simply want to be their own boss and need to find their niche to ensure there is a market for their new business.

Tanya King, Donna Nixon, Anne Solomon

“Whichever way you come at it, there is support available via the Chamber which can really help a new company to find its feet and grow very quickly, which Donna’s example proves. “And, in this instance, the fact that we could work in partnership with Venture House meant that 52 Degrees North Travel received joined up support helping us to grow even quicker. “ Anne Solomon, who manages Venture House, said: “It’s great to see the programme deliver and give residents the confidence and skills to start a new business.”

For more information on the support available, go to www.cw-chamber.co.uk or call 024 7665 4321. Find out more about Venture House at www.venturehousestratford.co.uk or call 01789 207500.

Tourist industry’s top global experts visit Stratford for the first time

Carol Dray, Commercial Director for VisitBritain, Rae Taylor, Head of E-Commerce and Trade for VisitBritain and Helen Peters, CEO of Shakespeare’s England.

Travel industry experts from around the world flew in to Stratford-uponAvon to connect in the town for the first time – all thanks to Shakespeare’s England. The destination management organisation for South Warwickshire hosted VIBE - VisitBritian’s annual International Business Exchange - which saw its top representatives from across the globe, including Russia and Germany, visit the tourist destination. The event, which was held in Warwickshire for the first time, welcomed the international delegates

for a day of networking, workshops and tourism talks and offered a unique opportunity for the local travel trade business to meet market specialists from around the world. Alongside the programme of seminars and networking opportunities, delegates were given the chance to meet with experts for 15-minute meetings with representatives from China, France, Germany, USA, Turkey, Russia, Australia and New Zealand, Belgium, the Netherlands, Brazil, Canada, India, Italy, Japan, Nordics, South Korea and Spain. The international staff gave advice on how to gain maximum exposure with local travel trade and, ultimately, how to build international business. VIBE events take place annually and are held in London with one event held outside of the capital, and this year the tourism team selected the Crowne Plaza in Stratford to host the B2B networking session.

The International delegates were given a taste of the town with an evening to explore all that Stratford has to offer including a dinner at Greek restaurant El Greco. Helen Peters, CEO of Shakespeare’s England said: “To be able to expand the tourism-focus of England to the wider region is a wonderful opportunity and we were so thrilled to have welcomed our VisitBritain colleagues and remind them just how much Coventry and Warwickshire has to offer over and above our Shakespeare-related product. The dinner at El Greco certainly opened a few eyes and minds.” Carol Dray, Commercial Director for VisitBritain said: “Without the strong partnerships we have with local DMOs such as Shakespeare’s England, events such as this one would not happen. “The local knowledge from such teams is invaluable and we’re glad to have been able to visit, we’d like to thank Helen Peters and the Shakespeare’s England team for their continued help and support.”

AC Lloyd employee retires after 34 years A six-month temporary job at a Warwick-based property development and investment company which lasted 34 years has come to an end. Barbara Murphy initially joined AC Lloyd in Tachbrook Park to cover for maternity leave but was then recruited permanently – and stayed there for the rest of her working life until she decided to retire. The 64-year-old, who lives in Radford Semele, with her husband, Barry, said she had enjoyed being part of AC Lloyd’s team. A leaving party was held for her at The Moorings at Myton Road in Warwick with her colleagues past and present attending. Barbara said: “I started in 1985 as a temporary accounts clerk for six months and they kept me on in a permanent position after the six months had ended. “It is a job I have enjoyed doing looking after the sub-contractor and purchase ledger payments and there have been many changes over the years. There were quiet times during the recession but it

is very busy now and there are a lot of payments to make! “I have worked with so many lovely people over the years and many also worked here a long time in the accounts departments – Mike Reading, who has sadly passed away, and Hilary Price both for nearly 50 years, and Paul Mayman was here for over 40 years. “I completed 34 years’ service on October 14 so it seemed a good time to retire. Many of my friends have taken retirement so I’m looking forward to being part of the ladies who do lunch and when my husband retires, we plan to go away for long weekends while we have our health. “The team here is really friendly and I will miss them a great deal but I thought the time was right to retire.” Peter Beddoes, chairman of AC Lloyd, thanked Barbara for her hard work and loyal service over more than three decades. He said: “AC Lloyd has been in business for 71 years and Barbara has been with us for nearly half of that time which is amazing.

Front, from the left, AC Lloyd’s Hilary Price, Barbara Murphy, Paul Mayman. Centre, from the left, Lyn Fletcher, Steve Short and Saroj Parekh. Back, from the left, Hans Skeat and Alistair Clark

“Her work has always been methodical and to a high standard which is really important in the accounts department and she will be greatly missed. “To have reached 34 years’ service is an incredible achievement and we wish her all the best in her retirement.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Area Focus: Rugby

MP attends meeting ahead of General Election One of MP Mark Pawsey’s final duties before Parliament was dissolved ahead of the General Election was to meet businesses from across Rugby. Mr Pawsey attended the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s Rugby branch meeting at the Dunchurch Park Hotel to hear the latest updates on the local economy and issues concerning business. The event heard how the economy in Rugby was holding up strongly against several indicators compared to the national average – especially on business creation. Despite all the headlines around Brexit, the main focus of the meeting was skills and firms heard about a new initiative from Warwickshire County Council that will see thousands of school students visiting companies in the New Year. Karen Shuter, the chair of the Chamber’s Rugby branch, said: “The Chamber is not a party political organisation, we work to ensure that the views of businesses across our area are heard by key decision makers. “That includes our MP and, over the past nine years, Mark Pawsey has used this meeting as a great way to

engage with companies from across our patch. “Although there is a real focus on Brexit right now, the meeting looked much more at skills and some of the issues businesses are facing right now. “It also heard about the support that is on offer to businesses across the area through the Chamber – both those who are starting up and those who are looking to speed up their growth. “As well as the positive economic figures for Rugby it was also good to hear how well this area is doing when it comes to a joined-up approach between organisations such as the Chamber, the Growth Hub, the LEP and the local authorities.

Mark Pawsey MP, Karen Shuter and Sean Rose (Chamber policy officer)

“The economic uncertainty is going to continue for some time so it is great to see our region doing all it can to push for growth. “One of the many positives to come out of the meeting was some of the connections that were made between different people and organisations. “Long after the meeting had finished, several people were still talking about how they might be able to work together which is exactly what the Chamber is all about.”

For more information, or to attend a future meeting contact the Chamber on 024 7665 4321.

“As well as the positive economic figures for Rugby it was also good to hear how well this area is doing when it comes to a joined-up approach between organisations such as the Chamber, the Growth Hub, the LEP and the local authorities.”

Rugby First employee honoured with Warwickshire Police Chief Superintendent’s Commendation Rugby First says that it is honoured that Jay Patel from the CCTV team has received a Chief Superintendent’s Commendation. This was awarded at a ceremony at Warwick School by Chief Superintendent Ben Smith of Warwickshire Police. Rugby First operations director Rich Warren said: “Our CCTV team work in close partnership with the police on a daily basis and we probably take it for granted that assisting the police

is part and parcel of our job in providing an effective CCTV service. So we are incredibly proud that this is the first time that one of our team has been acknowledged in this way. “Jay has been part of the CCTV team for over a decade. He was noted for his diligent dedication and motivation in reviewing hours of footage and making an evident connection that led to a sex offender being promptly arrested, charged and remanded in custody.”

Rugby First operates a state of the art CCTV system and award winning control room, which runs 24/7 every day of the year. The high definition cameras, including Automatic Number Plate Recognition and loud speaker system, have proved invaluable in crime prevention and criminal arrests making Rugby town centre a safer place for businesses, residents and visitors.

“Our CCTV team work in close partnership with the police on a daily basis and we probably take it for granted that assisting the police is part and parcel of our job in providing an effective CCTV service. So we are incredibly proud that this is the first time that one of our team has been acknowledged in this way.”

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

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Electric Car Charging Bromwich Hardy are working in conjunction with Coventry based Electric Zoo and leading European Renewable Energy providers, driving forward the installation of Electric Car Charging solutions into commercial and mixed-use property estates or singular commercial units around the Coventry and Warwickshire area. Please contact James Brookes or Lash Saranna on james.brookes@bromwichhardy.com or lash@electriczoo.co.uk

Bromwich Hardy 1 The Cobalt Centre, Siskin Parkway East, Middlemarch Business Park, Coventry CV3 4PE

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

New Member Profile

Local law firm goes from strength to strength Anu Hart, Founder of Kumari Hart Solicitors qualified as a solicitor in 1998 and has over 20 years of experience in dispute resolution and litigation. Her main emphasis has been in commercial litigation since 2015. Kumari Hart Solicitors is a small firm of highly experienced lawyers, providing legal solutions to businesses and individuals. Having been employed as a Solicitor for many years in a senior position she recognised there was a real shortage of affordable and time sensitive quality representation to individuals and in particular to businesses. She considered that this was compounded by a lack of motivation to utilise mediation as a means of settlement, with a view to mitigating both costs and wasted time for business owners. Anu wanted to change things for the better and set up Kumari Hart Solicitors. Shyam Gadhia, specialist in Commercial, Civil and Property Disputes joined the firm in June 2019. He is a Lawyer who comes with a wealth of experience and is also a qualified Commercial and Civil Mediator. He is also a very keen advocate. The team at Kumari Hart is able to provide a holistic approach to the provision of legal advice, keeping the majority of all services including advocacy in-house. Anu understands that successful businesses are built upon successful relationships, whether with suppliers, customers/clients, employees or contractors amongst others. The success of those relationships relies upon how those relationships are managed. As all businesses grow so do the challenges and problems that they face, and things can go sideways or not as the parties had initially envisaged.

The team at Kumari Hart have the expertise to provide solutions to not only limit the potential for disputes arising by ensuring that bespoke Terms & Conditions, contractual agreements, and policies and procedures are in place, but also by providing the most efficient and costs effective solutions to get things back on track with as little disruption to the business as possible. The firm specialises in providing legal advice in the following areas; Civil and Commercial Litigation (ranging from breach of contract through to intellectual property disputes and misrepresentation claims), Contract drafting and negotiation, Employment and HR, Debt Recovery including dealing with defaults on loans, Landlord and Tenant disputes and a wide range of property issues such as building disputes, boundary issues, and drafting property related contracts such as lease negotiations and drafting Purchase Lease Options. Anu provides the added bonus of being able to advise in English, Punjabi and Hindi. Anu recently acted for a property investor who had loaned the sum of £35,000 to a fellow investor. He defaulted upon repayments and the client came to Anu for help upon the recommendation of an existing client of Kumari Hart. Anu was able to recover almost £40,000 for her client including interest and costs, in the space of 4 weeks from the point of instruction to settlement. Speaking about the service Anu provided her client said: “Anu was recommended to me and from the first contact, I understood why. “Anu acted for me in pursuing a debtor for the return of loan funds and we had a successful result within weeks.”

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“Anu is now currently working on another matter for me and I have no hesitation to recommend her services.” 2020 is envisaged to be an exciting year for Kumari Hart Solicitors as it has plans for rapid expansion and growth. Anu joined Coventry & Warwickshire Chambers of Commerce in December 2019 as she recognised the wealth of support and assistance that the Chambers provides to businesses across the region and beyond, to help with her plans to scale up her business. In fact, to show how committed she is to the continued success of her firm, Kumari Hart has signed up to be a support sponsor for the Big Business Lunch hosted by the Chambers on 26 March 2020. Anu intends to branch out into the areas of Family Law, Wills and Probate and Immigration. The firm is actively recruiting for experienced Solicitors, Lawyers and Paralegals specialising in these areas. So if you want to be part of this dynamic team submit your application to anu.hart@kumarihart.co.uk

Contact us now for an initial free consultation Kumari Hart Solicitors, 172 Wainbody Avenue South, Coventry CV3 6BX • Tel: 02477 981545 • Mobile: 07840 925161 • Email: enquiries@kumarihart.co.uk • www.kumarihart.co.uk www.cw-chamber.co.uk

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When there is uncertainty you need someone you can trust – whatever the challenge – as multi-award winning Accountants you’ll be in safe hands with us. Burgis & Bullock are Chartered Accountants who offer more than basic accounting services. If you’d like to deal with a local firm who are not simply interested in your history, but are more focused on your future – your business growth, your ambitions, planning your retirement and making sure your assets are adequately protected, you need to talk to us. With over 125 years of helping Warwickshire businesses, our team of specialists are committed to your success and as members of TAG Alliances, one of the top three service associations in the world, we have access to international support when you need it most. So for help on securing your financial future, tax planning, raising finance, cloud accounting or simply keeping on the right side of HM Revenue and Customs, talk to us.

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Education & Training

There has never been a better time to become an apprentice employer with WCG and for apprentices to take advantage of the college group’s world-class facilities, expert tuition and dedicated support Successive governments have placed apprenticeships at the heart of their drive to support the upskilling of the UK workforce. WCG (formerly Warwickshire College Group) is the largest college training provider for apprenticeships in the Midlands, training in the region of 2500 apprentices each year and working with more than 1100 employers from large global organisations to small local businesses. The college group has an excellent track record of high-quality training, recently celebrating their 76 per cent apprenticeship success rate, well above the 67 per cent national average. WCG has seven colleges across Warwickshire and Worcestershire, and is able to deliver apprenticeships in a wide range of professions, from agriculture and horticulture to automotive engineering and dental nursing. Angela Joyce, CEO of WCG, said: “We are doing everything we can as an organisation to support the government’s apprenticeship drive, by recruiting new employers and offering better opportunities for students.” Each WCG college has its own unique feel, specialising in work-based learning subjects which have become highly attractive for prospective students who are ready to take on education and practical experience through the apprenticeship programme.

WCG has worked on the development and introduction of new Apprenticeship Standards with national giants, such as Jaguar Land Rover, and as a result is one of the largest training providers for higher level apprenticeships, right up to honours degree level. Apprentices with WCG have the opportunity to progress from Level 2 (Intermediate) to highly skilled Level 6 (Degree), making apprenticeships a truly career-spanning progression pathway. Jim Johnson, Research Project Manager at Jaguar Land Rover, said: “It’s important to have young, enthusiastic people to capture innovation, knowledge and bring it forward. “Apprentices are definitely the best way to do that.” Tracie Sullivan, Training Manager at construction firm Morgan Sindall, a current employer working in partnership with WCG Apprenticeships, said: “If you’re thinking about taking on an apprentice, do it! “We’ve got numerous young people who are excelling in their apprenticeships. We have also used the apprenticeship programme to retain current staff within our team.” WCG Apprenticeships offer businesses the opportunity to invest in new and existing staff. By developing skills from within, organisations have the chance to grow organically and develop the tools to meet the challenges of the current marketplace. The extensive range of apprenticeships on offer are all designed by industry, for industry, so businesses know that apprentices will be acquiring relevant knowledge and skills that they can apply immediately in the workplace.

Are you interested in hiring an apprentice but unsure of the ins-and-outs? Beginning January 2020, WCG will be hosting their first round of Business Breakfast Briefings, starting with ‘Apprenticeships Mythbusting’. With all the changes to apprenticeships in recent years, there are a lot of myths being circulated which don’t tell the true story of what apprenticeships are, how they work and whether they could benefit businesses. The ‘Apprenticeships Mythbusting’ briefings aim to debunk common myths such as: • Aren’t apprenticeships just for young people? • Apprentices have to be new employees, don’t they? • Only employers that pay into the levy can afford an apprentice? Plus many more. www.cw-chamber.co.uk

WCG can help to identify which apprenticeship would best meet business needs and design training with the national standard. WCG will work with businesses to: • Identify and recruit suitable junior employees and work placement opportunities. • Identify existing employees who may benefit from training. • Plan and design training programmes to meet business needs and those of the individual. • Provide off-the-job training to support learning in the workplace. • Work as a link with the National Apprenticeship Service. • Work with national awarding bodies such as City & Guilds to award nationally-recognised qualifications to apprentices. • Provide on-going support and training to businesses and staff in all aspects of workbased learning. • Advise on work-based qualifications for all staff, not only those eligible for apprenticeships, through the college’s team of subject specialists. • Provide a dedicated Account Manager to keep businesses up-to-date on the progress of the apprentice at each stage. Working with WCG means much more than just purchasing training – it means developing a mutually beneficial partnership and forging a relationship that is sustainable and which brings a real return on investment to a business.

The ‘Apprenticeship Mythbusting’ Briefings will take place at the following WCG locations: Evesham College

Davies Road, Evesham, Worcestershire, WR11 1LP Friday 24 January 2020 8am – 9.30am

Warwick Trident College

Trident Park, Poseidon Way, Warwickshire, CV34 6SW Wednesday 29 January 2020 8am – 9.30am

Rugby College Technology Drive, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 1AR Thursday 30 January 2020 8am – 9.30am

To book onto the ‘Apprenticeships Mythbusting’ Briefings visit: wcg.ac.uk/bbb

Education & Training

0 2 0 2 k e e W ip sh ce ti n re p p A l a Nation The diverse breadth of talent and energy that apprentices bring to businesses across the region is set to be celebrated as part of the 13th annual National Apprenticeship Week from 3-9 February 2020. With its theme of ‘Look Beyond’, National Apprenticeship Week is designed to recognise and applaud apprenticeship success stories and highlight the benefits to employers of all sizes who are thinking of taking on an apprentice. Katy Urwin, Director of Apprenticeships at North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College said, “During National Apprenticeship Week, we’re asking employers to look beyond their usual hiring routes and learn from those who have already diversified their workforce through apprentices.

We’re also calling on young people to ‘Look Beyond’ traditional routes into employment and explore the diversity of career options and industries now available to them through apprenticeships. And finally, we’re asking parents and teachers to ‘Look Beyond’ pre-conceptions around apprenticeships to understand the true value that they bring and to share this with young people. “Apprenticeships bring enormous value to businesses across our communities. We’re very proud of our apprentices and we’re delighted to celebrate their achievements and the impact they bring to their employers as part of this special week. “We would encourage any employers who are interested in finding out more to talk to our business engagement advisors and find out how we can help them to identify skills gaps, recruit the right apprentices and grow their own talent.”

ed Spotlight on our talent apprentices Gemma Lee Ruskin Design An apprentice who started as a sewing machinist with a Wigston car interior specialist and rose to become operations manager within three years has been recognised with a prestigious award. Gemma Lee from Ruskin Design won Best Apprentice as part of the Leicestershire Live Women in Business Awards in 2019. Gemma started out as a sewing machinist with Ruskin Design, which creates upholstery for luxury car brands including Land Rover, Mercedes and Porsche. Gemma progressed to leading a small team, achieving an apprenticeship in team leadership which she passed with flying colours. Gemma excelled in the design field and worked hard to update her industry knowledge. She created an innovative centrepiece for Ruskin as part of its stand at the Great British Land Rover Show and went on to secure international recognition for meeting the brief to design the first ever vegan interior for a Land Rover.

e Apprenticeship fact fil

NWSLC offers three levels of apprenticeships:

As part of their programme, an apprentice must:

• Intermediate Level 2 (equivalent to five GCSEs)

• Work with experienced staff

• Advanced Level 3 (equivalent to three A Levels)

• Learn job-specific skills • Be paid at least the national minimum wage for apprentices of £3.90 per hour. Apprentices are required to spend 20% of their annual working hours on off the job training; this can include a mixture of: • Theory work including classroom sessions, role-play, online learning, simulation exercises or manufacturer training • Practical training such as shadowing, mentoring, industry visits or competitions • Support and time for writing assignments.

• Higher Level 4-6 (equivalent to a degree).

nsfer Apprenticeship Levy tra Levy-paying employers can now transfer unused funding to other businesses including those in their supply chain as well as within their industry or local community. Businesses can transfer a maximum of 25% of annual funds to as many employers as they like. Transferring the levy funds can help to develop CSR and contribute to the local job market.

North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College is pleased to introduce some of our inspirational apprentices. Madeline Sinclair Smart Apprentices Madeline joined Smart Apprentices two years ago having completed a computing qualification at North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College. The company is the market leader in specialist apprenticeship software that captures evidence of skills, knowledge and behaviours. Madeline works in an IT support role, helping organisations that carry out assessments on a range of apprenticeships and delivering training on how to use the Smart End Point Assessment (SEPA) system via online webinars. Her role requires knowledge and understanding of both the technical and non-technical aspects of the platform and she is skilled in being able to translate technical language into terms that are widely understood by those operating the system. Madeline achieved her Level 3 Apprenticeship for IT, Software, Web and Telecoms Professionals in October 2019.

Sunny Najran Jungheinrich UK Ltd Sunny has got his sights firmly set on career progression since completing his apprenticeship in forklift truck maintenance. Sunny had previously studied engineering and was working in the pharmaceutical industry when the opportunity to join Jungheinrich UK Ltd as a forklift truck apprentice caught his eye. One of the world’s most successful intralogistics companies and a top UK employer, Jungheinrich provides solutions tailored to customers’ individual requirements including forklift truck supply and maintenance. As part of his apprenticeship, Sunny worked at Tesco, in Lichfield, helping them to keep their forklift trucks in service so that shelves would always be stocked in store. Having completed his Level 3 Apprenticeship this year, Sunny is now working for Jungheinrich on the premises of their client, The Pallet Network (TPN) at its Minworth hub on the outskirts of Birmingham. His role includes all aspects of forklift truck maintenance from the mechanical and electrical aspects, to fixing engine faults, as well as servicing and inspection.

To find out further information about National Apprenticeship Week and how we can help you hire your next apprentice please contact us: Tel: 0330 058 3000 ext: 2020 Email: be@nwslc.ac.uk We’re rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted with outstanding features.

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Digital roadmap gets ideas flowing for premium quality bathroom fittings and architectural hardware manufacturer

Background

Solution

Impact

Samuel Heath & Sons Plc have been designing and manufacturing premium quality taps, showers and bathroom fittings, as well as architectural hardware and door closers at their factory in Birmingham for almost 200 years. Their luxury products are specified by leading architects and interior designers for prestigious residential and hospitality projects around the world.

After meeting our team of experts at a Made in the Midlands networking event, Samuel Heath undertook a package of support via our Digital Innovation for Manufacturing (Di4M) programme.

Samuel Heath have already brought in two interns from WMG to get them started on their digital transformation; one looking at machine monitoring using computer vision techniques to record the plating process settings in a database and notify personnel of any issues. The second project aims to use this data to automatically dose the chemicals in the plating line, reducing chemical usage and ensuring consistent product quality.

Challenge

Martin Harrison, Manufacturing Director at Samuel Heath, joined the business two years ago at a critical time in the company’s growth. The market was changing and the company was seeking to move towards a ‘make to order’ model with smaller batch volumes which aligns with customers’ individual needs, away from the more traditional ‘make to stock’ production model. Martin said: “We’re seeing this trend across many high-end markets. Customers have access to far more choice these days and want to create unique interiors. With this comes a much wider assortment of products and finishes in our offer to our customers. This was a definite niche we are able to further exploit as we have all of the production processes under one roof, but it was putting strain on our existing production systems.” Many of their processes are manual and data is held in paper form on various databases and managed in different ways. Always looking for new ways of doing things, Martin and the management team at Samuel Heath saw the potential for new digital technologies to help them.

Throughout a series of hands-on workshops, the senior team were helped to map out their entire process end-to-end, from receiving an order, right through to delivering a product and issuing an invoice. This allowed the flow of materials and information to be displayed, identifying potential areas for improvement and investment in technology. Liz McArdle, Innovation Manager at WMG’s SME Group, who worked on the project said: “Once we mapped out the process and information flow, we highlighted opportunities for process improvement and the application of digital manufacturing technologies to ensure the products are produced in a competitive manner, while still retaining their highly prized characteristics.” Finally, Liz and the team created a digital roadmap with operational and strategic recommendations for how to make their data more accessible and analyse it in meaningful ways to make decisions more rapidly. They also made suggestions for which approaches would help them make the shift to make-to-order, including the right mix of skills to cope with the changing direction of the business.

After an introduction by Liz, Martin and the management team are now developing a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project application jointly with the SME Group and our Supply Chain Research Group. The proposed project is to analyse and increase the effectiveness of their operations through better planning, enabled by shop floor data capture and ‘right sizing’ inventory. This would allow them to make customisations late on in the production process, giving them the flexibility and agility to meet their customers’ desires. They hope to submit their KTP application soon and are optimistic of a positive outcome. Martin said: “We were unsure where to start with our digital transformation, but Liz and the team worked with us and brought in fresh ideas without being ‘preachy’. We discovered that we had the capability to deliver many of the improvements in house, but needed guidance as to how to plan the transformation. We are now all extremely excited to grow this new area of our business with the assistance of WMG.” To learn more about how the SME team can help, email wmgsme@warwick.ac.uk

President & People

Absolute Works receives ‘Special Highly Commended’ for Service Excellence Absolute Works received the ‘Special Highly Commended’ Award in the 2019 Midlands Family Business Awards, for the Service Excellence category.

Will there be a Brexit bounce? Dear All Whilst I know that not everyone will be pleased about the election result and that there’s a lot of hard work to do for politicians and businesses for UK trade, I am delighted we can move on from paralysis in many business areas, not least property. Decision-making by businesses has been frustrated by economic and political uncertainty for too long and domesticfacing businesses could spark a significant bounce in activity. Many in commercial property markets are anticipating an upsurge in property requirements and transactions. Given our Region’s very strong recent performance in many areas, including automotive, aerospace, autonomous vehicles, battery power, gaming etc., many business sectors will hopefully stimulate continued, real inward investment locally. I am, therefore, delighted to see the new Government being taken to task by the West Midlands Mayor’s office, the British Chambers of Commerce and, of course, your own Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber. It’s time to deliver for businesses, despite there being little in Mr Johnson’s Manifesto on jobs and the wealth that business creates to pay for everything. There is plenty of encouraging noise around transport and infrastructure, not least HS2; we must now get on and deliver without further procrastination. Whilst costs are so often underestimated, so too are positive economic spin-offs of improved infrastructure. The Chamber has been championing a review of the business rates system for some time; we need real, not token, change. This must include quantifiable incentives for small and start-up businesses and retailers, regular review and proper mechanism for challenge. A “Brownfield First” Policy on development is all very well, but Coventry is a very real example of a city that has no brownfield left and we must, therefore, have regional planning policy in place as quickly as possible for housing and jobs. Andy Street’s wish for the West Midlands Region to host a future Gigafactory is laudable and, of course, the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre is already well under construction here near Coventry Airport. This needs land and planning to come up with opportunities for development. At the Chamber and at Bromwich Hardy, we are cautious but optimistic about the immediate future and ready for hard work ahead. Businesses now need a similar approach from our politicians.

The awards were handed out at the 10th Midlands Family Business Awards - a prestigious black-tie awards ceremony held at the King Power Stadium in Leicester. Twelve winners, 21 highly commended and one special highly commended were selected from 51 finalists, showcasing the most impressive, talented and innovative family-owned businesses across the region. To reach the winning and highly commended spots, finalists met with and presented to an independent judging panel, led by a family business leader, industry expert and category sponsor. The Service Excellence Award recognises family businesses that can demonstrate how a clear focus on service has had a positive impact on both the business and its customers. The judges were so impressed with Absolute Works commitment to service they requested the organisers give a ‘Special Highly Commended’ award, not normally included. The independent judging panel looked for evidence of how investment in service excellence had a positive

impact on the business and customers, how service compares to the industry standard and how it helps to differentiate the business. They also saw how family values and family members drive and support the commitment to service excellence, how service standards are evaluated and monitored. Also important to the panel were the future for the business, how the business will maintain a commitment to service excellence and how family members will be involved. Joy May, CEO Absolute Works, said: “We were delighted to be given this special Highly Commended Award for Service Excellence which is an area that lies at the heart of our business. It was fantastic to have our team recognised for their hard work and expertise.”

Organised and backed by The Wilson Organisation – a Nottingham-based, third-generation family business – the annual not-for-profit Midlands Family Business Awards celebrate and recognise the success, achievements and innovations of family-run businesses and raise funds for local charities. Absolute Works offer expert HR and Employment Law support and advice to SMEs across the UK.

“We were delighted to be given this special Highly Commended Award for Service Excellence which is an area that lies at the heart of our business. It was fantastic to have our team recognised for their hard work and expertise.”

HB&O welcomes new Director Leamington and Coventry based accountancy firm HB&O has welcomed Andrew Cartwright, who has joined as Business Advisory Director. With more than 20 years’ post qualified experience in both practice and industry, this is his second spell at HB&O, having previously worked at the firm as a Senior Manager back in 2012. He returns with wealth of knowledge and experience and will be taking on an established portfolio

of clients, as well as working with the ambitious team to further develop the business. Andy said: “I’m excited to be returning to HB&O. The firm is in a really good place and I’m looking forward to joining such an ambitious and forward-thinking team, which has great insight into the client base, adding real value to their respective businesses.”

Coombe Abbey Hotel staff are available at the touch of a button A historic hotel in Warwickshire is embracing the latest cloud-based technology to further improve its impeccable services standards. Taking advantage of new electronics, Coombe Abbey Hotel has now introduced service buttons to be used by guests. The hi-tech new additions have been placed in all of the conference rooms at the Brinklowbased venues as well as on the tables in the lobby. It means that the days are gone where guests and conference delegates are trying to grab the attention of staff.

If anyone needs assistance, all they have to do is press a button, it then sends a signal to members of staff that are wearing a watch and they will come and help. Ron Terry, General Manager at Coombe Abbey Hotel, said the introduction of the technology would go further to enhance visitors’ experience. He said: “Coombe Abbey embraces its rich history and heritage, but is always looking to the future and finding new ways and technology to strengthen our guests’ experience.”

Pavan Gill from Coombe Abbey Hotel shows off the new service button that has been installed at the venue for the comfort of guests.

Best regards David Penn

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

Coventry & Warwickshire in business

President & People

Commercial dispute resolution lawyer joins Lodders as partner

Further success for Zenith’s Apprentice of the Year Lodders Dispute Resolution team continues to grow with the appointment of its sixth partner and commercial dispute resolution specialist, David Whiting (right, back row).

Commercial dispute resolution specialist David Whiting is the latest in a series of senior appointments at law firm Lodders, and joins as a partner in the firm’s Dispute Resolution practice. Lodders’ 12-strong Dispute Resolution team, which is headed by Jane Senior and now includes six partners, has recorded sustained growth in demand for its range of dispute resolution services over the last 18 months. Jane said: “David’s appointment is a strategic step in our ambitious plans for continued expansion. He is a recognised specialist in commercial dispute resolution and his expertise and skills represent a significant and complementary addition to the practice,

which continues to grow in size, resource and instructions from clients in a range of sectors.” David was previously a partner and head of the Dispute Resolution team at Banbury firm Spratt Endicott for five years. Prior, he was a partner in the dispute resolution and insolvency practice at East Midlands law firm Howes Percival for four years, and for nine years at Needham & James. A member of the Commercial Litigation Association, David is a specialist in all areas of resolving commercial disputes, particularly contracts, negligence, director and

shareholder disputes, contentious insolvency and warranty claims, and experienced in securing an effective resolution through court proceedings as well as via mediation, arbitration and expert determination. He said: “The Dispute Resolution team at Lodders has an enviable reputation for its range of expertise and for providing a first class service to its clients. The team’s success is shown by its sustained growth under Jane’s leadership. I am delighted to be joining such a dynamic team, which has great ambitions for the future. It is a very exciting times at Lodders as it has recently made a number of strategic senior appointments.”

“David’s appointment is a strategic step in our ambitious plans for continued expansion. He is a recognised specialist in commercial dispute resolution and his expertise and skills represent a significant and complementary addition to the practice, which continues to grow in size, resource and instructions from clients in a range of sectors.”

In February 2019, Zenith’s apprentice Kathleen CulletonUnderwood was awarded the prestigious Freemen’s Guild’s ‘Apprentice of the Year 2018’ award.

Just eight months later, Kathleen has now passed her AAT Level 3 Advanced Diploma in Accounting and will be progressing to the AAT Level 4 Professional Diploma in January 2020. Kathleen’s consistent hard work and diligent attitude have had a sizeable impact within the company, and Zenith would like to extend a huge congratulations to Kathleen for this fantastic achievement. Owing largely to Kathleen’s success and the additional value that she has added to the company, Zenith recently took the decision to open up more apprenticeship opportunities. From this, Zenith has successfully recruited two additional apprenticeships, with two young people being given hands-on experience within Business Administration and Industrial Painting and Decorating roles.

Ian Brown appointed Thwaites Deputy Chairman

Left to right: Tim Frost, Simon Hill, Ian Brown, Andy Sabin

www.cw-chamber.co.uk

After more than 30 years at Thwaites, 20 years as Sales Director and three years as Managing Director, Ian Brown has been appointed Deputy Chairman. To provide continuity and advancement for colleagues, Financial Director Simon Hill, who has been with the Company for eight years, becomes Managing Director. Tim Frost who has spent more than 30 years in various key positions, is promoted to the management team as Commercial

Manager. Current UK Sales Manager Andy Sabin who has worked at Thwaites for more than 20 years is appointed to the position of General Sales Manager for UK and Export markets. Ian Brown said: “These changes will further develop the business as we maintain our investment in the factory and product development with the focus on enhancing our customer base in UK and Export markets.”

New Members

Welcome to New Members Strategic Partners

Essential Members

Nimbus Digital & Technology Innovations Ltd

Absolute Works

Technical Information Services 02476 158712 information@nimbusdti.co.uk www.nimbusdti.co.uk

Corporate Members Hanson Lawrie Limited Employment Agencies & Consultants 01926 357209 info@hansonlawrie.co.uk www.hansonlawrie.co.uk

Integrity Wealth Solutions Independent Financial Advisers 02476 388911 martin.lindsey@integritywealth.co.uk www.integritywealth.co.uk

Lodders Solicitors 01789 293259 lawyers@lodders.co.uk www.lodders.co.uk

Pantos Logisitics Ltd Logistics Management 02476 331812 jongmin96.lee@pantos.com www.pantos.com/en

International Trade Members Arleigh International Ltd Wholesalers 02476 390100 brent.read@arleigh.co.uk www.arleigh.co.uk

Farmers Fresh Ltd Food Importers & Exporters 01926 853211 dean@farmersfresh.co.uk www.farmers-fresh.com

Free Me Foods Ltd Food Manufacturer 07951 546405 info@whenitssconeitsgone.com

RAS: Risk Advisory Services Business Consultants 07955 805681 reception@riskadvisoryservice.co.uk www.riskadvisoryservice.co.uk

Trident Hydraulics Ltd Hydraulic Equipment 01926 811395 info@tridenthydraulics.co.uk www.tridenthydraulics.co.uk

Human Resource Consultants 01926 355560 info@absoluteworks.co.uk www.absoluteworks.co.uk

Advanced Vehicle Contracts Ltd Motor Vehicle Dealers 08451 084521 kelly@avcgb.co.uk www.avcgb.co.uk

Automated Data Processing Ltd Business Consultants 07955 826009 info@autodataproc.com www.autodataproc.com

Clifford Style Partnership Consultants 07977 518839 nick@cliffordstyle.co.uk www.cliffordstyle.co.uk

Clozemore Ltd. Educational & Training Consultants 07305 686699 rob.duncan@gazing.com www.clozemore.com

CUSU Services Limited Educational Services 02477 655200 infooffice@coventry.ac.uk www.cusu.org

Feraru Dynamics Ltd Health & Safety Consultants 02476 158186 andrei.feraru@ferarudynamics.co.uk www.ferarudynamics.co.uk

Innate Coaching Ltd Life Coaching 07736 167609 vicki@innatecoachingltd.co.uk www.innatecoachingltd.co.uk

Jonathan Thompson Land & Consultancy LTD

MindsetShift Educational & Training Consultants 07932 706567 hello@mindsetshift.co.uk www.mindsetshift.co.uk

Novotel Coventry

Hotels 02477 092800 H0506-GM@accor.com www.fairviewhotels.com

Ovacome (West Midlands Support Hub) Charities & Benevolent Organisations 02072 996654 ovacome@ovacome.org.uk www.ovacome.org.uk

Pamela Mann Exporters & Importers 01455 636231 nicky@pamelamann.co.uk www.pamelamann.co.uk

Prison Service Sports Association Sports Clubs & Associations 01788 804170 pssa.admin.hub@justice.gov.uk www.pssa.org.uk

Sivone Ltd

Digital Marketing 07712 142438 subash@sivone.com www.sivone.com

Squab Group Documentation Storage, Retrieval & Management 01926 332244 centralsales@squab.co.uk www.squab.co.uk

TEDx Coventry Ltd

Charities & Benevolent Organisations 07719 925648 dkau@davinaconnect.co.uk www.tedxcoventry.com

The Cocked Hat Hotels 02476 636767 6299@greeneking.co.uk www.greenekinginns.co.uk/hotels/cocked-hat-hotel/

UBC UK Ltd

Land & Property Professionals 07990 778840 jccthompson1203@gmail.com

Office Facilities & Services 01564 330600 john.mannion@ubcuk.com www.ubcuk.com/

Julie-Anna Needham

Wadsworths Solicitors Limited

Marketing Consultants hello@j-aneedham.com www.j-aneedham.com

Solicitors 01564 337070 v.hicks@wadsworthslaw.co.uk www.wadsworthslaw.co.uk

Kumari Hart Solicitors Legal & Financial 07840 925161 anu.hart@kumarihart.co.uk www.kumarihart.co.uk

Meet by the Park Serviced Offices/Hot Desk Facilities 01926 357167 info@meetbythepark.com www.meetbythepark.com

Web Marketing Clinic Digital Marketing 02476 723260 mark@webmarketingclinic.co.uk www.webmarketingclinic.com

Workful Health Care 01926 801121 susi@workful.co.uk www.workful.co.uk

When contacting members listed above, The Chamber request that, in line with the Marketing and Advertising Law, you provide a clear â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;unsubscribeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; option. Further details can be found via www.gov.uk/marketing-advertising-law/direct-marketing 46

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Coventry & Warwickshire in business

Training & Events Chamber Member Price + VAT

NonMember Price + VAT

Duration

Jan-20

ILM Level 3 Accredited

£2,000

29 Days

Contact for all dates

ILM Level 5 Accredited

£2,400

37 Days

Contact for all dates

C&W Chamber Training Seminars

ILM Level 2 Award in Leadership & Team Skills

£600

4 Days

21st Jan

Customer Service Essentials

£110

£135

Half Day - AM

21st Jan

Key Account Management

£110

£135

Half Day - PM

21st Jan

First Aid at Work (HSE Recommended)

£220

£245

3 Full Days

24th, 31st Jan

Professional Telephone Techniques

£110

£135

Half Day - AM

28th Jan

Professional Email Writing

£110

£135

Half Day - PM

28th Jan

Effective Communication

£110

£135

Half Day - AM

29th Jan

Training & Coaching the Team - New

£110

£135

Half Day - PM

29th Jan

*Certificate in Awareness of Mental Health Problems Level 2 Accreditation

£450

3 Full Days

Feb-20

Mar-20

18th & 25th Feb

& 7th Feb

3rd, 12th + 17th Feb

Project Management - The Basics for Success

£220

£245

Full Day

4th Feb

Building the Team

£110

£135

Half Day - AM

5th Feb

Motivating the Team

£110

£135

Half Day - PM

5th Feb

Incoterms 2020 - Additional Date (International Trade Members £125)

£135

£155

Half Day - AM

5th Feb

Website Optimisation

£220

£245

Full Day

12th Feb

Managing Difficult People

£110

£135

Half Day - AM

12th Feb

Understanding Discipline in the Workplace

£110

£135

Half Day - PM

12th Feb

Time Management

£220

£245

Full Day

18th Feb

Settings Goals and Targets

£110

£135

Half Day - PM

19th Feb

Understanding Export & Export Documentation (International Trade Members £245)

£265

£295

Full Day

20th Feb 26th Feb

Microsoft Excel - Intermediate to Advanced

£130

£160

Full Day

Marketing - Your Key to Success

£220

£245

Full Day

3rd Mar

Appraising People & Performance

£220

£245

Full Day

3rd Mar

Incoterms 2020 - Additional Date (International Trade Members £125)

£135

£155

Half Day - AM

4th Mar

Train the Trainer

£400

£450

Two Full Days + registration

4th, 11th Mar (+ 3rd & 10th Jun)

Emergency First Aid in the Workplace (HSE Recommended)

£115

£140

Full Day

6th Mar

Microsoft Word - Intermediate to Advanced - New

£130

£160

Full Day

11th Mar

Social Media Analysis

£220

£245

Full Day

18th Mar

Communicating Assertively

£110

£135

Half Day - AM

24th Mar

Complaint Handling

£110

£135

Half Day - PM

24th Mar

International Documentation & Customs Procedures (International Trade Members £245)

£265

£295

Full Day

24th Mar

Microsoft Excel - Advanced Plus

£130

£160

Full Day

25th Mar

Duty Relief on International Trade - New (International Trade Members £125)

£135

£155

Half Day - AM

26th Mar

Understanding Commodity Codes - New (International Trade Members £125)

£135

£155

Half Day - AM

31st Mar

Prices subject to VAT. * Up to 50% funding may be available for this course, subject to eligibility through Coventry & Warwickshire Skills 4 Growth which supports eligible SMEs to improve skills amongst their workforce

Course dates for the quarter are shown above, please contact C&W Chamber Training on 024 7623 1122 or visit www.cw-chambertraining.co.uk for other course dates and further information

Your Chamber Events Maximise your CSR impact in 2020 Friday 24th January 2020 9.30am - 12.30pm Village Hotel Club, Coventry, CV4 9GZ FREE ••• Commonwealth Trade Expo Thursday 13th February 2020 10.00am - 2.30pm Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET FREE

Understanding Export & Export Documentation Thursday 20th February 2020 9.00am - 4.00pm Chamber Training, 123 St Nicholas St, Coventry, CV1 4FD Members: £265 + VAT Non-Members: £295 + VAT ••• Chamber Speed Networking & Lunch Thursday 27th February 2020 11.00am - 2.00pm Ettington Park Hotel, Stratford-upno-Avon, CV37 8BU FREE

Incoterms 2020 Wednesday 4th March 2020 9.00am - 12.30pm Chamber Training, 123 St Nicholas St, Coventry, CV1 4FD Members: £135 + VAT Non-Members: £155 + VAT ••• Coventry & Warwickshire’s BIG Business Lunch Thursday 26th March 2020 10.00am - 3.00pm Ricoh Arena, Coventry, CV6 6GE Members: £35 + VAT Non-Members: £55 + VAT

Check out & book all of our forthcoming events at www.cw-chamber.co.uk/events www.cw-chamber.co.uk Call 024 7665 4321 Email events@cw-chamber.co.uk www.cw-chamber.co.uk

APPRENTICESHIPS MY THBUSTING CONFUSED ABOUT APPRENTICESHIPS? FIND OUT THE TRUTH FROM THE EXPERTS!

BUSINESS BREAKFAST BRIEFING With all the changes to Apprenticeships in recent years, there are a lot of myths being circulated which don’t tell the true story of what Apprenticeships are, how they work and whether they could benefit your business. Come along to our Business Breakfast Briefing and we’ll debunk these myths by giving you the correct answers.

WARWICK TRIDENT COLLEGE Trident Park, Poseidon Way, Warwickshire, CV34 6SW Wednesday 29 January 2020 8am – 9.30am RUGBY COLLEGE Technology Drive, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 1AR Thursday 30 January 2020 8am – 9.30am FREE parking at all venues Visiton-site wcg.ac.uk/apprenticeships

for more information.

BOOK YOUR FREE PLACE NOW: info@wcg.ac.uk wcg.ac.uk/bbb