News
Recruitment firm helps find a ‘Good Egg’ accountant for McColm Cardew Nicola and Annette from Good Egg Recruitment first met Adriana from McColm Cardew in June 2022 whilst attending a Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Net-walking event - and a relationship was formed.
The Leprosy Mission – Changing lives around the world Did you know that someone is diagnosed with leprosy every two minutes? Leprosy is a disease of poverty that if untreated, can lead to disabilities, but it is easily curable. In fact, it costs £24 to cure a child like Rani. Rani, pictured, was bullied at school because of leprosy. This came at a terrible time, soon after her father had deserted Rani and her mother Renuka. Then she faced further rejection from her friends. When they found out she was being treated for leprosy, they called her names. They taunted her relentlessly about the discoloured patches of skin on her face caused by leprosy. Rani was so upset by this and refused to go to school. She cried until her mum gave in, even though she desperately wanted her daughter to have an education. At the time Renuka was trying to build up her father's pottery business after his sudden death. She felt the burden of being the breadwinner and didn't want to see Rani struggle in the same way. Education would be Rani’s ticket out of poverty. Now Rani is back at school because of a leprosy awareness project funded by the Leprosy Mission. The children and teachers have learned that they don’t have to be scared of the disease and that it’s easily cured. Rani’s classmates understand that she’s not cursed and will not make them sick. She has friends to sit next to and play with once more. Rani said: “Now I am happy going to school and would like to be a doctor when I grow up.” To find out more, contact Guy Willcock, Community Partnerships Manager for Central England, at guyw@tlmew.org.uk
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In April, Adriana contacted Good Egg Recruitment and asked Nicola and Annette to help with finding a great accountant. Annette and Nicola attended a client visit to meet Adriana and Alastair to find out more about the business, team, culture and the job opportunity. After going through the full
recruitment process a “Good Egg” was found aka David who was offered the accountant’s role and accepted. McColm Cardew has been offering accountancy services for over 23 years. They believe that it is important to be part of the local and wider community and have offices on the Main Street in Bilton. Adriana and Alastair find assisting new and existing clients to understand the ever-changing reporting and taxation rules is an enjoyable challenge. They have always found that working with other like-minded businesses to be the best way
forward. So, when they were looking to enhance their team, they were very happy to work with Nicola and Annette from Good Egg Recruitment who they found to be professional. Good Egg Recruitment understood McColm Cardew’s needs and have found a very suitable candidate. Accountant David said: “I found Good Egg to be thoroughly professional and the service offered was very comprehensive and personal. “They took the time to understand my requirements and ensure these matched what their clients were looking for.
“I felt throughout the whole process that they cared and it showed, the personal touch certainly shone through right from the beginning of the process to finding a placement.”
TBAT Innovation awards life-saving sepsis test as 2023 Innovation Challenge winner Innovators of a life-saving sepsis test, Septest, have claimed the top prize at the Finalist Showcase of this year’s TBAT Innovation Challenge.
The final on 11th October was a culmination of months of work following the annual competition’s launch in February. The challenge is dedicated to nurturing and advancing innovation in small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs), offering financial and business support to progress game-changing ideas or products. Septest clinched this victory by unveiling a groundbreaking sepsis diagnostic test – a condition which is responsible for one in five deaths worldwide [World Health Organisation] and kills 48,000 people every year in the UK [UK Sepsis Trust]. Septest’s rapid point of need test delivers results in minutes, which is a monumental improvement over current tests, which can take hours to yield results - a delay that can have life-threatening consequences. Septest's innovation has the potential to save countless lives by enabling faster diagnosis and providing guidance on the most effective
initial treatment options for this devastating condition. TBAT, alongside headline sponsor Shakespeare Martineau, made the night a memorable one, shedding light on the immense talent and potential within the industry at the event at the Hilton East Midlands Airport Hotel. With 10 finalists, the competition was fierce and showcased an impressive range of ideas and projects from various sectors including design, health, mobility, and artificial intelligence. As this year’s winners, Septest will receive a part of a support package valued at £50,000, customised to propel their business to new heights. As part of this prize package, Septest will receive grant funding application assistance, legal aid, intellectual property audits, accountancy support, regulatory services, professional marketing assistance, and advanced PR and communications consultancy from TBAT Innovation’s sponsors and supporting partners. Heartfelt Technologies was awarded a runner up prize for an automatic, AI supported, non-contact telemonitoring solution for
heart failure patients. Zeal Lifestyle was also awarded a runner up prize for redefining the assisted living sector with its focus on recyclability and sustainability.
Sam Stephens, founding director of TBAT, said: "The quality of entries we received this year was truly astounding. It's great to witness such original and pioneering spirit among small businesses and to be part of their journey towards achieving great milestones." Kelly Wilson, co-founder of Septest, said: “Winning the Innovation Challenge is a wonderful way to acknowledge the Septest team’s hard work and dedication in trying to solve the global sepsis diagnostic challenge. We're incredibly thankful to TBAT and all sponsors for recognising our efforts and for providing this platform for growth. The support from the TBAT team, both in financial aid and business expertise, is transformational for start-up businesses like ours."
For more information on this year’s winners, visit www.septest.com, and for further information on the Innovation Challenge, visit www.tbat.co.uk/the-innovation-challenge.
Businesses take centre stage at the Belgrade Businesses in Coventry and Warwickshire reflected on the mixed economic picture in the region and felt while recent row-backs from the government were not helping, there is still optimism. The Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce hosted its Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) Breakfast Briefing at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry, where panellists and audience members discussed the latest results of the survey and their own experiences of running their businesses. Neil Murray, the interim chief executive at the Belgrade Theatre, gave an update on the arts and culture sector and also showcased the venue’s unique meeting space offer to the gathered businesses. Steve Harcourt, director of Prime Accountants Group – the Chamber’s QES partner - then joined a panel consisting of Carol Thomas, Principal and CEO of Coventry College, Sarah Windrum, Future Mobility Cluster Lead at HORIBA MIRA, and Adam Dent, representing PR firm PLMR Advent. Steve said: “The QES is a key indicator of how the local economy is performing, and the results reflect what we’re hearing from businesses. “We’re seeing construction companies being significantly affected by interest rate rises, with many projects slowing down.
"We may be looking at a downturn in the next six months in that sector. “But there are success stories too, for example within the manufacturing sector which is showing greater confidence than expected. “There are also opportunities out there with the ongoing drive to digitise tax across businesses by 2030, and should make it easier for firms across the region to stay compliant and focus more on growing their businesses.” Carol added: “Upskilling the current and future workforce is a crucial role of our college to help make the region more competitive, but we could do with more clarity from the Government. “Changes to qualifications such as T-Levels, the Government’s U-turn on electric vehicles and no sense of urgency regarding mandatory energy efficient measures in construction, has meant we have invested in courses that are no longer as urgent as they once were. “If we are to teach the population the skills they need to thrive in the future, we need a firm decision on what the future is going to look like.”
Regional business leaders take centre stage at the Belgrade Theatre
“Our manufacturing supply chains in Coventry & Warwickshire are strong, but we need that certainty from the Government to convince investors to back the sector here.” Sean Rose, Head of Policy at the Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, hosted the event.
And Sarah added: “There are three things holding back the electric vehicle industry at the moment – access to capital, inflation, and a lack of an industrial strategy.
He said: “Our QES results paint an important picture of the economy in our region, but it’s discussion with businesses that really shed light on what’s happening on the ground.
“The UK is facing stiff competition from the likes of the USA, Germany, France, and Korea, who have clear industrial strategies that encourage investment.
“The discussion at the Belgrade confirmed it’s still a mixed picture for Coventry and Warwickshire, and it has provided us with extra context to feed back to senior decision makers.”
www.cw-chamber.co.uk
