Let's Talk Business November 2020 Hounslow Chamber of Commerce

ISSUE 4: November 2020

talkbusiness let’s

the official business magazine of hounslow chamber of commerce and west london local chambers: ealing and hammersmith & fulham

UK and the EU: deal or no deal?

...hello to a new America

The Big Interview David van Turton Cavalier Logistics

INSIDE: Support and Recovery: Marshals team up to support local businesses | The Big Interview with Cavalier Logistics | Patron Focus: Patron status helps UWL build business skills | Keeping it Local: Supporting our local economy during the coronavirus crisis | Spotlight Area Focus - Isleworth | International Trade: UK and the EU: deal or no deal? | 5 Minutes with Chiswick Flower Market

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Contents & welcome

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8 24 Welcome to our Christmas edition of “Let’s talk business” Against a backdrop of a second COVID lockdown with an uncertain end in sight, and a deal proving illusive with the EU to be completed before the end of the transition period 31.12.2020 I write this, noting that we truly live in uncertain times!

Uncertainty is the worst issue for any business, so how can we plan? Many people want to draw a line through 2020 and get into 2021 ASAP, but will the new year offer any respite? In these times, the best a business can

do is focus on what it can control and deal with the known, not the unknown.

At the Chamber we have had a very busy year helping business with all types of advice, best crystallised with our Task Force, Ask the Expert service. This is delivered via emails and weekly webinars by a great team of industry experts (to whom we are hugely grateful) giving local companies FOC the answers and advice that they need to help them through this economic Tsunami. We have also launched West London Local Chambers and have a featured EU Exit hub on our website to answer most BREXIT related questions.

In this edition we highlight some of the best news from around our boroughs, and about our people.

Local is the new buzzword, so we feature local companies, local opportunities and local stars shining in our community where lessons can be learnt, and opportunities realised. In the worst times, the best stars shine brightest, so we should take note and follow the good examples to spread best practice examples.

May I wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year plus hope that 2021 is a much more prosperous year than this for us all.

Alan Rides MIEx (Grad) Managing Director

4-5 Support and Recovery 7 Director Focus 8-9 The Big Interview 11 News 12-15 Skills 18-19 Patron Focus 20-21 Supporting Local Economy 24-26 Spotlight Area Focus Isleworth 28 Legal 30-31 News 32 Environment 33 Technology 34-35 News 36 Membership 37 Chamber Events 38-39 Profile 40-41 International Trade 42 News 43 Health and Wellbeing 45 New Members 46 5 Minutes with...

Some articles and images may have been originated prior to Covid-19 restrictions Enquiries Hounslow Chamber of Commerce Spring Grove House, West Thames College Campus, London Road, Isleworth TW7 4HS Tel: 020 8326 6416 Email: sallysmith@hounslowchamber.org.uk Web: www.hounslowchamber.org.uk

Publisher Benham Publishing Limited Aintree Building, Aintree Way, Aintree Business Park, Liverpool L9 5AQ Tel: 0151 236 4141 Web: www.benhampublishing.com Media No. 1773 Published November 2020

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Jez Davison Email: Jez@benhampublishing.com Tel: 0151 236 4141 Karen Hall Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email:karen@benhampublishing.com

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Peter Wilkinson Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: peter@benhampublishing.com

Disclaimer: let’s talk business is published for the Chamber of Commerce and is distributed without charge to Chamber members. All correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at the Chamber of Commerce. Views expressed in let’s talk business are not necessarily those of the Chamber of Commerce. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission. © 2020. Please note that submitting an article does not guarantee publication. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in this journal, Benham Publishing and its agents can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributions in advertising or editorial content. Benham Publishing cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in web or email links supplied to us.

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support and

recovery

Marshals team up to support local businesses Times are tough and they show no sign of easing any time soon. The latest economic figures show that the economic recovery is running out of steam; despite the government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme, UK GDP rose by only 2.1% in August – well below the expected figure of 4.6%.

As coronavirus cases have risen in almost every region of the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that England must go into lockdown for the second time this year. The idea is to have a four-week closure of nonessential businesses, although schools will remain open, in a bid to bring the infection rate down.

These tough restrictions will inevitably hurt businesses that have already been damaged by the pandemic – notably the retail and hospitality sectors. Almost one on seven (17%) of businesses in the accommodation and food services industry say they are at “severe risk” of insolvency, according to latest government figures. The expectation is that economic activity will slow further and possibly enter another period of contraction. Despite an extension of the furlough scheme, there are widespread fears of mass redundancies and company closures in the months ahead.

In this rather depressing context, getting on with doing business is a difficult task – but one that needs to be done nonetheless if the country has any chance of kickstarting an economic recovery.

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Locally, the Chamber of Commerce has been doing its best to support the business community, helping companies to keep staff and customers safe while they were able to be open. The organisation deployed a team of town centre marshals to patrol the streets and help local firms comply with the restrictions. The Chamber enlisted the support of security expert Kingfisher Guarding Services for this project, which has seen Filipi Nascimento lead a team of three marshals across the borough of Hounslow. Each marshal is tasked with visiting 12 businesses a day – so around 180 businesses each week benefit from the scheme.

This scheme is continuing during lockdown, concentrating on businesses offering take-away services and click & collect.

Filipi says: “We’ve been involved with the Chamber for a long time and we were happy to assist on this important project. Initially we embarked on a ten-week pilot project under the Safer Business Hounslow initiative to visit businesses around the borough to see what we could do to help them comply with the regulations. This was then followed by a four-week project that saw us revisit these businesses to see

how they were getting on, what challenges they were facing and what more we could do to help.

“To be honest, we were pleasantly surprised at the willingness of businesses to comply with the regulations. They said that they want to do everything possible to keep staff and customers safe and keep their businesses open.”

Evidence suggests that this approach is working. Previously Hounslow had the highest number of COVID-19 cases among all London boroughs.

Now, six other boroughs have leapfrogged Hounslow in this table. Given the success of the scheme so far, there may be some scope to extend it once lockdown is lifted.

Mel Bruneau, Hounslow Chamber’s health and safety director, said the scheme had enabled the Chamber to forge and strengthen relationships with businesses across the borough. She provided health and safety training to the team marshals before they visited local businesses.

She says: “The important message is that we want to help these businesses. The team marshals have gone in there as good cops rather than enforcement agents – and businesses have responded well to this approach. They haven’t hidden from the marshals; they’ve showed a willingness to work with them. This has had multiple benefits, from protecting the businesses themselves to protecting the health of staff and customers.”

Here at the Chamber we’re trying to do all we can to help firms though the current crisis.

London generates around one third of UK GDP; therefore, it’s vital that firms in the area are given the right support met the owner of the salon, Puja, who is a very organised lady. I took a picture with her as her business was COVID-19-secure. The picture was posted on social media.

This partnership approach has led to some excellent feedback from the business community. One of the marshals, Boris Hristov, said he had received a kind e-mail from the owner of Salon 15 Hair & Beauty following his visit there.

“I then returned to Heston to distribute some leaflets and went to see Puja as well. She was very joyful to see me again! She thanked me very much for posting the picture on social media because since then her beauty salon has become really famous in the area and her business has picked up.”

Boris explains: “Two months ago I visited Salon 15 in Heston and I

The team marshal scheme is not the only way in which the Chamber

is helping businesses through the pandemic. The Chamber Task Force, which was running during lockdown to assist local firms, has now restarted under a new name, Business Task Force: Ask the Expert. The idea is to deal with specific queries from business owner-directors and signpost them to specialists in the relevant subject area, such as health and safety compliance, human resources, training and international trade.

The Chamber has also launched a new adjudication service to help businesses resolve disputes without having to use large City lawyers and incur significant costs.

Alan Rides, managing director of the Chamber, says: “If businesses have a dispute that requires mediation or arbitration, they can come to us and we’ll put them in touch with our team of legal experts who can offer arbitration as a way of settling the issue. Many companies, particularly small firms, can’t afford the solicitors / barristers and court fees charged by the big law firms nor wait for their case to come to court with the long backlog of cases. This way, companies can resolve issues at an affordable cost while providing the smaller law firms and Chamber members with some work.

“Here at the Chamber we’re trying to do all we can to help firms though the current crisis. London generates around one third of UK GDP; therefore, it’s vital that firms in the area are given the right support so they can create jobs, generate wealth and try to get the economy moving again once this second lockdown A second national lockdown is not what anyone wants but we will be there to help companies get through this period and get back to business as quickly as possible.”

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Pro-Advisor Platinum

director

focus

Property entrepreneur is still going strong Having lived through many recessions, Sardar Singh is well placed to offer advice to businesses struggling to stay afloat in the current COVID-19 pandemic.

I started off as a clerical assistant before moving into cargo in the 1970s. At the time it was very busy as the UK was preparing to join the European Common Market. This prompted a big increase in the amount of cargo being shipped to and from Europe. I was working weekends and unsociable hours to cope with the increased workload.

“In tough times, remember that cash is king”, he says. “Don’t take on too much debt; I’ve seen too many companies do this and it has put their entire business in jeopardy. If you do need to get a loan, make sure it’s at an affordable rate and use it to finance your business, not your personal living costs.”

Wise words from Sardar, a property entrepreneur who has lived in Hounslow since 1968 and is now life president of Hounslow Chamber of Commerce.

“I’ve had a really good relationship for many years with the Chamber and I became president of the organisation in 2014,” he says. “The following year I was honoured to become lifetime president.

“It’s a role that enables me to give something back to the community that I know so well. I have a lot of experience of business and life in general so I try to help local businesses by offering them advice and guidance.”

Sardar has certainly had a colourful life and business career.

Originally from India, he gained a master’s degree in agriculture and science before moving to

Hounslow in 1968. He landed a job as a customs and excise officer at Heathrow Airport – becoming the first turbaned uniformed customs officer to be posted at the airport.

Sardar recalls: “I started off as a clerical assistant before moving into cargo in the 1970s.

At the time it was very busy as the UK was preparing to join the European Common Market.

This prompted a big increase in the amount of cargo being shipped to and from Europe.

I was working weekends and unsociable hours to cope with the increased workload.”

By the end of the 1970s, Sardar’s entrepreneurial spirit saw him plough some of his savings into a one-bedroom flat, which he rented out and subsequently sold for a profit a couple of years later. That was the launchpad for further property investments and in 1982 he set up a limited company, Lovell Properties, which he still runs today. The business not only deals in the buying and selling of properties – which has enabled Sardar to build an impressive real estate portfolio – but also provides property consultancy services to individuals and businesses in and around London.

Outside of the business, Sardar holds an honorary doctorate from a US university and even occasionally indulges his acting hobby, having appeared in various soap operas and TV shows as an extra. Fitness is also an important part of his daily life and keeps him healthy in mind and body.

He says: “Before the COVID-19 pandemic hit our shores, I used to go to the gym religiously. I haven’t been for the last few months for obvious reasons but I still walk a lot. I always do my 15,000 steps each day and I feel much better for it.”

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the big

interview

Cavalier expands European footprint from Feltham With the coronavirus pandemic slowing global trade and Brexit looming large on the horizon, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this is a desperate time for UK logistics firms. David van Turton, however, is looking at the situation as an opportunity rather than a threat.

David, a director of Cavalier Logistics UK in Feltham, says: “It is a challenging situation, there’s no doubt about that, but goods are still being shipped around the world – particularly pharmaceutical and medical products that are in high demand for obvious reasons.

“Everybody is talking about the Brexit cliff edge but many companies are planning for it and getting their house in order. Naturally, nobody knows whether the UK and EU will have thrashed out a deal by January 1 but there are things you can do in terms of getting your customs documentation in order; this will be required regardless of what sort of deal is on the table.

“The interesting thing about being in this sector is that it’s influenced by a whole host of other sectors. For instance, the severe downturn in the aviation industry has pushed up air freight prices so more companies are using the sea freight route instead. They’re sending large amounts of freight less often to bring their costs down. We’ve adapted by setting up an ocean freight division to cater for increased demand for sea freight worldwide.”

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We’re experts in the global shipping of time and temperaturesensitive drugs, clinical trial supplies, vaccines, medicines and dangerous goods.

David has spent more than 20 years in the transport network and logistics sectors, embarking on an exciting career journey that took him to Cavalier Logistics in 2016. A veteran-owned company that was founded in the US in 1985, Chamber member, Cavalier provides fullservice logistics solutions to meet today’s demanding environment in the commercial and public sectors. David was hired to build Cavalier’s European presence from its Feltham base, with particular emphasis on providing logistics solutions that support the European pharma and healthcare industries.

He says: “The US directors saw the UK operation as a route into the European market. To service Europe you really need to have a base in London, which is still viewed by many as the centre of European business. There are lots of good London-based firms in the logistics supply chain and we’ve made some great connections locally in the last four years, helping local firms to do business internationally.

“Having traded outside of Europe, we know how to deal with customs and comply with customs legislation on imports and exports – an area which some UK SMEs are not too familiar with.”

David manages a team of 12 at the Feltham operation, which has built a strong reputation as

a trusted and critical service provider for companies engaged in the movements of pharmaceutical and life science products.

“We’re experts in the global shipping of time and temperature-sensitive drugs, clinical trial supplies, vaccines, medicines and dangerous goods,” he says. “If you transport a medicine at the wrong temperature, a lot could go wrong. You need to make sure that the equipment is properly calibrated and sent in accordance with legislation.”

Around 70% of Cavalier’s UK business involves the shipping of pharma and healthcare products. One fifth is made up of the transportation of time-

The inside track: David van Turton

Favourite food – It’s a little tricky as I eat in line with the seasons, my favourite meal at this time of year would be a beautiful organic Sirloin steak, cooked medium to rare, creamed mash potatoes and a big helping, on green vegetables, of homemade chimichurri Favourite tipple – Argentine Malbec Favourite holiday? Dipping in & out of the sea at Illetes, Majorca by day, Tapas in Palma Old Town by night, wandering back under a full moon.

Describe your family life? Full of energy, laughter and fun How do you spend your downtime? Cooking for friends, Good Movie, Good Book, Great Conversation.

sensitive products, such as car parts for a vehicle manufacturing factory, and the remaining 10% is general freight. It appears that the business is well positioned for future growth – a view to which David subscribes.

“We’ve done the groundwork and we’ve built up some great relationships, both locally and in Europe,” he says. “The COVID-19 situation makes things uncertain but one thing’s for sure: business doesn’t just stop. People and companies will still need products – pharma and healthcare goods in particular – so we’re well placed to take this business forward.” connect@cavlog.com

What are your key strengths as a manager?

Providing a working environment where everyone can thrive, develop & hone their skills to fully release their true potential, trusting my colleagues to make the right decisions & supporting them whatever the weather, Macro manage not Micro manage is the key I like to think And your limitations? Forgetting sometimes to stand in other peoples shoes & look at the world through their eyes Best thing about doing business in the borough?

I have found the level of cooperation & unity with fellow businesses in the borough a shining example of how business should be done nationwide, this has been amplified of late during the current situation Famous person you’d most like to spend dinner with?

Nelson Mandela. What more can I say!!!

Most interesting fact about yourself? I once ran over Michael Caines foot with a trolley in Marks & Spencer on the Chiswick High Road….”Not a lot of people know that”

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Global Logistics Biopharma Logistics 24/7 Time critical – when it needs to there yesterday Storage to International shipping MHRA Approved Pharma Warehouse

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news 2020/21 London Irish Jerseys REVEALED Chamber member, London Irish is delighted to reveal its home and away jerseys for 2020/21 – our first season #BackInTown at the Brentford Community Stadium.

Produced by kit supplier BLK, the designs reflect our Irish roots and our future in London, with elements of each represented in the jerseys.

The home jersey is a contemporary Irish green design, with quartered panels – two of which have a pinstripe effect – on the front. A London sky-line theme on the back, supported by the ‘Back In Town’ messaging, gives a symbolic nod to our return to the capital for the first time in 20 years – whilst the jersey also includes a simple low-profile white and gold collar, with green sleeve cuffs.

The white away jersey incorporates a Celtic knot pattern, paying homage to the original heritage of the club. As with the home jersey, it features ‘Exile Nation’ messaging on the collar, which is primarily green. The sleeve cuffs are a green and gold band, with the gold representing the gold harp on the original Irish green flag.

Adult jerseys – ranging from XXS to 7XL – are priced £59.00, with kids’ shirts,

The New Role of the Office

from 4-14 years, available for £39.00, a reduction in price from last season.

Both jerseys are available to preorder at shop@london-irish.com with fulfilment expected prior to the start of the 2020/21 Gallagher Premier season, which gets underway on November 21st.

What’s more, we’re also offering Irish fans the chance to purchase a Player Signed Home replica jersey for just £99.00 – that’s right, you select your favourite player, we add their name and number to the back of the jersey, and then we get it signed by the player of your choice! It really is that simple and a great way to commemorate our first season #BackInTown.

Irish CEO, Brian Facer, said: “The London Irish jerseys are symbolic every year and none more so than this season, as the countdown continues to our new chapter back in the capital.

“We’re really pleased with both designs, which successfully give a nod towards our past in terms of our Irish heritage, as well as highlighting our present and our future in London.

“At a time when Exiles supporters are sadly unable to attend fixtures owing to COVID-19, we’re confident our fans will really embrace both jerseys and show their colours by purchasing the shirts, as we gear up for our maiden campaign at Brentford.”

Many companies now realise that working from anywhere is possible and in some cases, productive. This begs the question: what happens to the office? Do we still need it?

At UBC, we experience first-hand how companies and individuals use office space on a daily basis. After the initial shock of lockdown had subsided, we saw some interesting patterns emerging.

Many of our clients are now using shift patterns to enable staff to use their office space safely. That way, staff come in at different times to allow for social distancing and also to work around family commitments.

We’re in regular contact with our clients and, asked why they continue to use their offices, their responses show how the role of the office has changed within just a few months: • To collaborate: Rather than being a place to sit and work, the office has become a place of collaboration and creativity.

• To (re)build company culture: Culture and brand values are valuable assets that are created by the dynamic between people. Having a safe place to meet in-person is essential for building culture.

• For social interaction: Friendships and business connections are made at work, and many of our clients say they have missed social interaction while working from home.

A number of larger companies are also using our offices as regional ‘hubs’, which is particularly evident at our Brentford offices. Its location outside London is proving popular for city centre-based companies that want to distribute their staff across smaller regional offices for safer social distancing. Plus, the addition of parking means workers can avoid public transport.

For all of these requirements, our flexible offices enable companies to resize easily without the concerns of long-term lease commitments. Whether you want to book a meeting room online or use a flexible office for safer working, head over to ubcuk.com and we’ll help your team collaborate safely together.

Contact Andrew Billson Email: brentford@ubcuk.com Tel: 0800 169 9822 www.ubcuk.com/locations/brentford let’s talkbusiness

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skills

HCUC Apprenticeships & Skills is an industry leading training provider in west London brought to you by Harrow College and Uxbridge College (HCUC).

As part of the merged College group, West Met Skills delivered recruitment and training opportunities and excellent service to our many clients. Now it is the perfect opportunity for us to realign with our parent brand HCUC (Harrow College & Uxbridge College) and present ourselves as HCUC Apprenticeships & Skills.

We may have a different name, but we are the same dedicated team who will continue to work

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with you to help you achieve your recruitment and training goals in and around London.

Build back better with the extra funding to recruit new apprentices for your business Is your business getting future ready? The government has announced it will provide a £2000 grant to employers for each new apprentice you hire, aged under 25, between August 2020 and January 2021. There’s also an additional £1000 for hiring 16-18 year olds! For those employers who hire new apprentices aged 25 and over, the government will pay £1500. Terms & conditions apply.

the best candidates to match your requirements. Some of our apprentices have won regional awards such as West London Business Awards in 2014, 2015, 2017 & 2020 – reflecting the pool of talented apprentices we help you to recruit. To recruit an apprentice, call 01895 853780.

Adapting to the ‘New Normal’ – Online courses & blended learning apprenticeships

We offer apprenticeships in over 25 sectors. So now is the time to take up the chance to access the extra grants to recruit and build a skilled and efficient workforce to help you boost productivity in your company.

As the business landscape is shifting across industries, Chamber member, HCUC Apprenticeships & Skills has created a flexible blended learning platform for Online & On Campus Apprenticeships to minimise disruption at your workplace.

Industries include Accounting, Human Resources, Team Leading and Operational Management and more.

We will promote your vacancies for free and our recruitment officers will ensure they line up

The blended study platform means apprentices do not have to attend college as frequently as

with traditional delivery models.

Video lectures are available on demand, and can be viewed from a phone, tablet or computer.

Experienced college tutors will discuss lessons on campus and reinforce key learning points from online study and are on hand to provide guidance on progress and assessment. So it’s the perfect opportunity for the employers to get their ambitious employees to upskill without any interruption on-site. Read more here: https:// apprenticeships.hcuc.ac.uk/ apprenticeships/online-and-oncampus-apprenticeships/ We are also offering various online courses to help individuals increase their skill sets. Whether it is for job opportunities, plans for a career change or to simply gain in-depth knowledge in a specific topic of interest, these qualifications enable people to access support to make their next step in life. Find out more here: https://apprenticeships.hcuc. ac.uk/jobseekers/

Work with us - we are a trusted provider • The largest College group in west London, providing a great variety of apprenticeships with flexible delivery options • One of 12 institutions in the country to be established as an Institute of Technology offering higher-level technical qualifications in construction, digital and engineering • A provider you can rely on – a strong track record of delivering training for over 50 years • In depth experience in working with over 700 apprentices and 1200 employers at any given time • Experts in creating industry links with companies such as Brunel University London, Martin Baker Aircraft Limited, Menzies Aviation, and Royal Opera House.

Contact us we are happy to help We offer an enhanced provision of high-quality apprenticeships with various flexible delivery modes, tailor-made recruitment and training for employers and online courses for individuals for professional development.

With over 50 years of combined skills and experience we help companies as well as individuals build worthwhile futures. To find out more on how to get started, visit

https://apprenticeships.hcuc.ac.uk or call 01895 853780 today!

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skills

The Covid-19 crisis has had an unprecedented impact on business, with SMEs amongst the hardest hit. That’s why Hounslow Council is supporting an initiative, led by the London Progression Collaboration (LPC), to support SME recovery via a dedicated apprenticeship fund.

The Reskilling the Recovery campaign is helping large employers to pledge their unspent apprenticeship levy funds to enable small businesses in Hounslow and across London to offer apprenticeship opportunities, recognising that the right people with the right skills are vital to business success.

The apprenticeship opportunities

RETAIL

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created will help small businesses access training, as well as helping Hounslow residents into work and to progress in work.

The campaign has already secured pledges of almost £2M of unspent apprenticeship levy funding, from the organisations like Amazon, The BBC and American Express and has the support of several London Boroughs including Hounslow.

These funds are immediately available to SMEs and will cover the full cost of apprenticeship training for new and existing staff in their businesses.

The funds available to small businesses via Reskilling the Recovery are a cost-free alternative to the government’s co-investment scheme, where small businesses invest 5% of their own funds to pay for apprenticeship training.

As well as the funding there are also government incentives of up to £2,000 for businesses employing new apprentices before the end of January 2021.

London Borough of Hounslow are able to offer more than just apprenticeship information, we can offer businesses support and advice around how to get started

with apprenticeships and how to make the most of the opportunities that they present. SMEs can access the information specific to Hounslow and the expertise of the Work Hounslow team. To speak to one of the team on apprenticeship solutions and upskilling staff in your business contact us, work@hounslow.gov.uk for an honest conversation.

skills

New London Educational Trust (NLET) is committed to supporting people and businesses through its suite of provision. It launched the London Learning Project (LLP) together with the Greater London Authority (GLA) and funded via the European Social Fund (ESF) helping employees in the 7 associated London Boroughs* and accredited units from recognised awarding bodies to progress in careers in the Health and Social Care, Retail and Hospitality sectors. Participants are given bespoke guidance throughout and can access flexible online delivery of CPD certified units.

NLET also delivers 19+ loan funded level 3 qualifications and both levy and non-levy apprenticeships in a range of sectors including business and management, health and social care and many, many more. NLET Academy offers tuition for children from key stage 1 to A’ Level in English, Maths and Science and other subjects upon request.

NLET Exams hosts professional exams for Pearson Vue, ACCA, GCSEs and A’ Levels.

Impact Careers, the Careers Hub at NLET, offers a range of information, advice and guidance for job-seekers and is supporting the government’s new Kickstart programme (Being delivered locally via your Chamber of Commerce, please email Sally Smith for further information sallysmith@hounslowchamber.org.uk) whilst Training Innovators offers professional development opportunities for the commercial sector. All services and learner centred and Covid-19 compliant.

Whatever your need, NLET has a solution for you. *The eligible participants must live in the following 7 West London boroughs 1) Barnet, 2) Brent, 3) Harrow, 4) Hillingdon, 5) Hounslow, 6) Ealing, 7) Hammersmith

For more information please contact us at info@nletrust.org or call on 020 8570 7766. NLET Sceptre House, 75-81 Staines Rd, Hounslow TW3 3HW www.nletrust.org

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The Magic of Motivation Confidence Building Learning Programmes Motivation and confidence development is what the world needs to rebuild trust say research findings. Up to 80% surveyed said that their motivation had taken a knock and they were struggling to maintain a positive outlook and confidence in the future.

and a Finalist in the ‘Best Business Support & Advice/Service Company’ in the 2019/20 Business Awards.

Research shows a strong link between learning something new and an increase in motivation and confidence.

Knowledge, apparently gives a permanent boost.

Communication excellence is at the core of Jasper Alliance London (JAL), programmes. JAL launched their new Entertainment and Knowledge Mix©, thought to be the first programme in the world using movies and curated case studies to build a learning structure. JAL is a training and advisory consultancy, a member of Hounslow Chamber and West London Local Chambers,

JAL specialise and delight in training or advisory services to build confidence and increase motivation. Accredited International Certificates ensure solid evidence of Continuous Professional Development (CPD).

Based in West London, JAL specialise in entertaining storytelling and case studies with theory and practical knowledge in blended and informative adult training

Both options when completed, result in an international certificate.

programmes that create a lasting positive energy. JAL’s curricula are designed for between 1-8 days but can be done at weekends or evenings at your own pace with the digital option.

JAL’s Modern Public Relations Communication and Mass Media Programme is accredited, peer reviewed, and taught by a qualified teacher and researcher, Jay Purcell: ‘JAL specialise in knowledge transmission, storytelling, and enjoyable case studies.’ JAL offer two training options: 1. Traditional Practical and Theory Learning: 100% face-to-face, social distanced training for 8 days or less.

2. Entertainment and Knowledge Mix: watch a curated collection of great DVD movies and documentaries. Answer assessment questionnaires. A new entertaining ‘online digital’ aspect with 80% done from home, and 20% face-to-face, or online to conclude.

Other options include 30 accredited programmes such as: Communication for Shy People, Leadership, International Presentations and the popular Human Communication Skills featuring the exploration of communication rules.

JAL training programmes receive 97% excellent ratings with delegates stating. ‘I learned more in one day about communication than in the previous 40 years!’

And another manager added: ‘Solving communication problems while working remotely is now of paramount importance.’

JAL’s international certificates are signed by chairman, Allan Spink M.A.(Cambridge). He concludes: ‘JAL guarantee to improve motivation and confidence to inspire and stimulate business and to strengthen communities.’

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There is now no person, company or organisation that can do without understanding communication, public relations and presentation. Learning these secret techniques will benefit you both personally and professionally.

In 8 days you will have all the knowledge you need to understand the positioning of communications, both theory and practical. You will gain an International Accredited Certificate in Modern Communications, Public Relations, & Mass Media Management and CPD points.This programme scores 97% completion and excellent reviews from delegates and learners.

In a world where everything has changed, learn how to be successful!

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Two Fully Assessed Options: 1. Learn Face-to-Face: (Training & Assessments)

With a multi-award winning international professional a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, a qualified university teacher and researcher who actively works on world projects.

8-days (or weekend/evening options)

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2. Virtual Learning: (80% Online & Assessments 1to1) As above and use of curated International DVD case studies, documentaries and movies to watch at home and then answer the assessment questions.

With limited face to face teaching or online discussions.

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www.jasperalliancelondon.com

patron

focus

Patron status helps UWL build business skills Matt Snowden, head of research & enterprise operations at the University of West London (UWL), discusses the benefits of being a Chamber patron…

Why did UWL become a patron of the local Chamber of Commerce?

We’re incredibly proud to have such a longstanding link with the Chamber and the huge benefits it brings to our university community.

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provide the support to help our business community thrive.

What benefits do you get from being a patron?

Given the university’s focus on employability, strong relationships with local employers are essential. Working closely with the Chamber and its members provides us with a wonderful opportunity to reach out, engage with and support the businesses in our community.

There’s a reason we’re known as the career university – we equip students with the skills and expertise they’ll need in the workplace. Our relationship with the Chamber enables us to provide work experience placements, internships and live projects that see students tackle problems head on by coming up with solutions to real-world business briefs.

We know that many of our students work in the area after graduating or set up businesses themselves, so we want to work closely with members to develop the talent and

As well as helping us to train students and apprentices with the skills employers are looking for, connecting with local businesses allows us to remain a central

let’s talkbusiness

University of West London

part of our community. We offer businesses access to our expertise, resources and facilities.

Through our Westmont Enterprise Hub, we back brilliant business ideas and help pre-startups grow – from the flicker of something smart through to proof of concept and on to market.

How has UWL managed to climb the influential Guardian University Guide?

Climbing an impressive 23 places, UWL is now ranked 34th nationally in the Guardian University Guide 2021. This is a huge success and in part is down to our industry focused teaching and high graduate employment rates.

The secret to our success is that we listen. We listen to our students

so that we can deliver on the things that matter to them such as great teaching, excellent student services and a wide range of extracurricular activities. However, we also listen to the needs of employers so that we can ensure our students have the skills they need to build a successful career and help our economy grow.

of specialist facilities, we are continuing to deliver the majority of our teaching face-to-face. We have put in place comprehensive measures to make our campus COVID-secure, including the introduction of one-way systems, a limit on numbers of people on site at any one time and the delivery of enhanced cleaning.

Over the last few years, more than ÂŁ150 million has been invested in our campus to create an inspiring social and learning environment for students. As well as modern social spaces and a new library, UWL is jam-packed with specialist facilities.

All large-scale lectures and seminars will be available online only. The university has invested in a whole range of tools, resources and content that enables students to continue their studies if they are unable to attend campus.

How is UWL managing to cope with the effects of COVID-19?

Given the needs of our students, the industry-focused nature of our courses and the wide range

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Cllr Shantanu Rajawat meeting with Sally Smith, Chief Operating Officer of Hounslow Chamber of Commerce at the Verdict, one of Hounslow’s and Brentford’s most popular bakeries.

Our borough is vibrant and cosmopolitan with over 250,000 residents and 175,000 jobs. Before Covid-19 we had the second fastest-growing economy in London. However, Covid-19 hit the borough hard. Prior to the pandemic, there were 13,300 active business in Hounslow and we know from a sample survey that an estimated 12,000 have suffered a negative impact from the crisis; 8,000 suspended their operations during lockdown and 3,000 are at risk and anxious about their ability to keep trading.

These impacts are also being felt unevenly across the borough. Those who are lower skilled and lower paid are more likely to lose their jobs, with a major disproportionate impact in the west of the borough, felt heavily by small businesses, those with links to Heathrow and people from BAME communities.

With Challenges comes Opportunity As the old saying goes; with challenges come opportunities. We know the borough has strengths that we can build on: Hounslow is home to many multinational ICT and media-production companies; historically companies based in Hounslow are significantly more productive than the London average; and there are opportunities for growth, particularly in professional services and the Green Economy.

New openings have arisen and we are ready to embrace them. Besides the obvious environmental benefits, bought about by the general reduction in travel and much greater prevalence of home working, there are a range

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of prospects that we will be taking advantage of as part of our recovery plans. We continue to be ambitious for our borough setting out our vision to: renew Hounslow’s economy;, design a place where clean, productive businesses can be created and thrive; and support existing businesses, to fully participate in new markets.

“This is an important moment for Hounslow and its economy. Our response to the devastating effects of Coronavirus, is to implement a resilient, green and inclusive recovery that allows Hounslow’s residents, businesses and places to thrive” This is a pivotal moment for the borough and its residents. The continuous negative impacts of Covid-19 on our local businesses, who are struggling to survive, is producing an increasing number of people claiming unemployment benefits. So far, over 15,000 additional persons in Hounslow

have applied for Universal Credit, since the beginning of Lockdown in March, with more expected due to the prevalence of our residents’ jobs in high-risk sectors.

Our response to these devastating effects has to start with building resilience, developing an inclusive recovery approach that allows our residents and businesses to recover and thrive. We will use our recovery from Covid-19 to reimagine our borough as a place with a better long-term prospects for our residents, a future that not only improves their quality of life but our local economy, growth and regeneration across our borough.

The power of keeping it local The Council along with local businesses form a significant part of the local economy and together we can play a key role in economic recovery for the borough. We will therefore seek to maximise our positive impact by investing in projects that also have a social as well as economic return and ensuring that council contracts result in business, employment and training opportunities for local people.

Equally, we know that by unlocking the power of our local communities, commissioning can create better, more responsive services that reduce long-term costs and invest in the local economy. Whilst we know that not all services and works can be delivered locally, we recognise that our local businesses and communities play a unique role in the local service landscape - in particular, where this relates to working with people, including the most vulnerable, who find themselves a long way away from the labour market, or who face loneliness or social exclusion.

From homelessness to employment support, children’s services to adult social care, we acknowledge that community organisations are also vital key partners in our recovery plans.

“That’s why we are committing to supporting local businesses and local jobs through the way we buy goods, investing in community wealth building which will see more money spent locally, and introducing plans for a thriving low carbon economy in the borough”

Keeping it Local in Hounslow The Council is a key player in the local economy and has a central role in supporting local businesses and residents, especially in these changing and difficult times. During the last months our focus has been on preparing our strategic recovery plan, which will be published in November. This will set out our key priorities for creating and protecting jobs, our proposals for supporting the local economy and how we continue to mitigate the adverse economic impacts of Covid-19.

Our approach to supporting local businesses will initially focus on improving the links between them and larger companies, increasing the profile and awareness of local markets, and encourage large anchor firms and organisations to make use of the local supply chain.

This, in turn, will help us to protect residents’ jobs, begin to tackle some of the inequalities laid bare by Covid-19, and to build pride in the reputation of the borough and its workforce. Research tells us that for every £1 spent in local businesses, £2 more is spent in Hounslow before it leaves the local economy.

As part of our recovery plans to support local business we aim to: • firstly, to implement Progressive Procurement polices across all the council and our Lampton Group of trading companies’ tendering, to prioritise awarding of work to local companies; • secondly, to take a more proactive approach, engage and increase our register of local businesses, encouraging local businesses to sign up and join our register of local providers, supported through the roll-out of our boroughwide advertising campaign – Keeping it Local

Our path to recovery

In taking forward our proposals, we have looked at the opportunities that we can provide to local businesses, to ensure the Hounslow £ stays in the borough and brings the greatest benefit to our local economy. We will spend nearly £1 billion over the next six years, between 2022 and 2026 and will aim to keep as much of this money within the borough, as far as possible, using it to maximise the skills and employment opportunities that it can provide to local residents.

By breaking down the work that we require into smaller parcels, this enables local businesses to step in, register on the London Tender Portal and bid for the work.

These registrations will also be used to create a preferred list of local contractors for one-off jobs, initially for construction work such as placing scaffolding or skip hire, but eventually to cover all council services and activities.

To ensure that we also continue to realise the benefits of our progressive procurement efforts for the community in Hounslow, we are also asking all major contractors bidding for larger items of work to break down their work and employee requirements, then commit to creating sub-contract,

apprenticeship and job opportunities for local companies and local people.

The measure of our success will be monitored and we expect these will continue to realise in terms of tangible outcomes for local businesses and residents : • an identifiable number of local business opportunities created; • a fair distribution of amongst companies or groups; and • number jobs benefitting Hounslow residents.

If other companies based in Hounslow are inspired and commit to following our example, this will retain even greater money and jobs within the borough, building the wealth, wellbeing, health and sustainability of our communities.

Our Keeping it Local initiative is supported by our renewed commitment to keeping the Hounslow £ in Hounslow and whilst we know we can’t buy everything locally for a number of reasons, including Procurement Law and not all of our needs can be met by local businesses we are committed to working with our local businesses and maximise opportunities for them.

Our Keeping It Local campaign launched late this summer, is already demonstrating good results. We have seen over 400 new registrations of local companies on our tender portal, a 6% increase in all companies registered, and 140 opportunities have been made open to all suppliers, including local companies, of which 90 have completed tendering; with 20 contracts being awarded to local companies, worth £20 million to the local economy; and from these and the other 70 awards, we have secured 40 apprenticeships for local people.

It is encouraging to see that our local businesses are reaping the benefits of our renewed approach with more contracts being awarded to them than in previous years.

We see these successes as the council playing its part in stimulating good growth locally and making it an integral part of our recovery plan.

There is no doubt that Covid-19 will continue to challenge us for the foreseeable future. The world in which we operate is also changing at break-neck speed, but our commitment to supporting our local businesses and residents will remain a key priority. Despite the challenges that may lie ahead and as we seek to recover from Covid-19 impacts, our ambition to being an outstanding council serving an outstanding borough remains constant and we call on local businesses to join us on our journey to recovery.

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Leading a new era for the Golden Delivered in partnership with Tesco, the proposals will see the conversion of two strategic, underutilised brownfield sites to deliver transformational growth.

They will deliver: • A new state-of-the-art Tesco store, which will move to the former Homebase site • 2,150 homes, 725 of which will be tenure-blind affordable homes • Generous public spaces with an amphitheatre and programmed performance area • Offices and co-working spaces • Allocation for new healthcare practice • Space for a new cafe and gastropub to eat, drink and socialise in a relaxed setting • Significant reduction in retail parking, meaning less traffic through Gillette Corner • Safe pedestrian and cyclist routes • Investment into a new bus service

Investment & Growth

St Edward, a joint venture company between Berkeley Group and M&G Investments, has submitted plans to redevelop the Tesco and Homebase sites on Syon Lane in partnership with Tesco, kick starting the regeneration of the Golden Mile.

The Great West Road was born out of large British and multinational industries investing into the area which shortly after became known as the Golden Mile. The large factories with their art deco design and brightly lit frontages signalled a period of growth for Hounslow. Many of these brands

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have now gone as times changed, and mostly been replaced by retail which itself is facing many difficult challenges now.

St Edward intend on helping to realise a new period of regeneration and investment that is envisioned for the Great West

Corridor Opportunity Area. This policy designation includes the Tesco and Homebase sites, set by the London Borough of Hounslow and the Mayor of London. It aims to deliver thousands of homes and jobs to inject vibrancy, urban life and a new growth for all the community.

This 15-year project will support 4,700 construction jobs, safeguard and create 650 permanent jobs and provide over £30 million of Community Infrastructure Levy and S106 payments which will also help enhance the local area and drive regeneration.

The brand new Tesco store will have the same offering as the existing store, but have a new home on the prominent Gillette Corner.

Together, the two sites will enhance local links to Syon Lane station, significantly reducing trafficgenerating retail parking spaces, whilst the Gillette corner junction has been redesigned to improve traffic flows on local roads.

Mile With these contributions and improvements secured, the masterplan will act as a huge economic stimulus for the area. In these particularly challenging times, growth and investment provided by development are fundamental to recovery and prosperity.

Community & Nature These new homes will foster and create a mixed community with a variety of different types proposed, from studio apartments to family houses, across a number of different tenures, to offer homes for people at different stages of life with a range of needs and priorities.

Residents and neighbours will be encouraged to use green travel methods with new safer pedestrian and cycle routes, electric car charging and car clubs.

The sites are currently 81% hardstanding, with no ecological value. The Syon Lane proposals have a focus on re-greening with nature-led design supported by the London Wildlife Trust, seven acres of green space, over 400 trees and a restored and biologically rich water garden.

OSTERLEY PLACE (TESCO)

S KY C A M P U S

GILLETTE BUILDING

G R E AT W E S T R O A D

S YO N L A N E S TAT I O N

Paul Vallone, Executive Chairman, St Edward, said: “By using St Edward’s placemaking expertise with help from the London Borough of Hounslow, the Greater London Authority and the local

community, we believe we can transform these underutilised sites into places for everyone to enjoy. There is a real opportunity to re-green the area and provide more social spaces for people to gather, play, learn and explore.”

Chamber Patron, St Edward will create a bespoke community plan co-written with local people that will bring residents together as well as draw in people from the surrounding area.

S YO N GA R D E N S (HOMEBASE)

Find out more at: www.syonlanefuture.com St Edward have a long track record of delivering high quality developments and creating welcoming, sustainable and nature-rich places where communities thrive and where people of all ages and backgrounds enjoy a great quality of life.

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spotlight

area focus

Transport connectivity is a major boost for Isleworth firms Isleworth is a small town of Saxon origin that lies immediately east of the town of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary, the River Crane. Isleworth’s original area of settlement, alongside the Thames, is known affectionately as Old Isleworth but the area has changed dramatically in the last few hundred years.

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Isleworth saw substantial suburban development following the arrival of the South Western Railway’s Hounslow loop line in 1849. This encouraged residents to move further outside of central London and was the catalyst for the development of new factories and industries.

The local authority and private developers built numerous blocks of flats in the second half of the twentieth century and other parts of the old town have since been subject to further modernisation, with the creation of a complex of riverside terraces, offices and a pub.

You feel very much part of a village community in Isleworth. Our offices overlook the river and it’s very picturesque. To have something akin to a village in the enclave of London is very rare.

Today, Isleworth is home to several thriving businesses that have the advantage of being based in a picturesque suburban location within a short commute of London and Heathrow Airport. One of them is Ormiston Wire, a specialist wire and braid manufacturer that was established in 1793.

William Garner (junior) joined his father in 1902 and the firm was known as Garner & Sons. Alec Cullen Thompson Hancock was articled to Colonel William Garner (junior) and took over the firm from him in 1932, the firm then being known as Garner & Hancock. of politics. Prime minister Boris Johnson dropped in for a visit a couple of years ago when he was seeking election as London mayor.

This high-profile visit was testament to the strong leadership of Mark Ormiston, who says there are numerous advantages of doing business in West London.

Originally founded by an enterprising young Scotsman by the name of James Ormiston, the family-run business is still going strong six generations later under the leadership of descendent Mark Ormiston. In that time, the company has moved from making spring-wire for corsets and wigs to manufacturing almost any type of wire for a wide range of applications including delicate surgical sutures, low-voltage lighting and special effects applications for the film industry. Today the business has manufacturing facilities in Isleworth and Redditch in the Midlands and its evolution has been noted by those in the highest echelons

Garner & Hancock solicitors has been associated with Isleworth for more than 130 years and can justly claim to be among the foremost solicitors in West London and Middlesex area. The firm started in the 1880s when it was the sole practice of William Garner (senior), who then went into partnership, and it became Wools Patterson and Garner in 1884.

“We’re very near Heathrow Airport so this is good for businesses that are involved in airfreight imports or exports,” he says.

“Also, transport links such as the M4 and M3 are good, and it’s a compact area with a multitude of helpful local businesses.

“Whilst COVID-19 has been challenging, we are still operating even though we have downsized our team of staff and are now working a four-day week. We’re a specialist wire manufacturer that deals worldwide so we’re producing essential products for our customers. Keeping production going is our priority.

“Other than the impact of the coronavirus, the big challenge we’ll face going forward is Brexit. Will we get a deal or not? There is much

uncertainty and at the moment nobody can answer that question. If we don’t get a deal, I can see chaos for manufacturers like us. The wire trade is a shadow of its former self in the UK; most raw material comes in from overseas and having extra paperwork and time delays will not help.”

Mark, however, is confident that there will be opportunities to grow and develop the business.

He says: “Manufacturing has been neglected in London for many years. It is now 2% of London GDP whereas in the 1950s it was around 50%, so there’s every chance it will grow again.”

One of the most notable aspects of the Isleworth business community is its diversity. Cafés, pubs, restaurants, florists and gyms share the same geographical space as a dog grooming salon and a drone security specialist – all of them doing their best to navigate their way through the pandemic in the most trying of circumstances. Some are relatively new businesses trying to get established; others have been around for decades or, in the case of Ormiston Wire, centuries.

Almost four decades later, Richard T. Hancock took over the practice from his father on his admission as a solicitor in 1970 and a period of strong growth followed, with the firm taking over various other firms in West London during the course of the next half century. In 1996 Julian Hutson, an experienced property lawyer from the City, took over as senior partner before experienced litigator Vinay Tanna was appointed managing partner in 2010.

Vinay says: “You feel very much part of a village community in Isleworth.

Our offices overlook the river and it’s very picturesque. To have something akin to a village in the enclave of London is very rare; it feels rather like we’re in Hampshire.

“We’re also very well connected here. London is a short commute away and we’re not far from Heathrow Airport. Also, our clients in Richmond and London are happy to come to visit us in Isleworth. They appreciate the opportunity to escape to an environment that is very different to the one they’re used to.”

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spotlight

area focus

History of the Salopian Garden on the London Road TW7 4ES The Salopian Garden was left to the National Trust in 2004 by Miss Joan Temple, a retired civil servant, with the proviso that the site could not be built upon. In 2011 Cultivate took over the now very overgrown site on a long lease. Initially we set up some polytunnels to grow salads for sale to farmers’ markets and local outlets. In 2015 it was decided that we needed to change direction at this site, so we set about converting it into a training and community garden. Over 2015/16 the transformation took place, a new space with a range of fruit trees, herb and vegetable beds, some raised for disabled gardeners was created.

Since then we have continued to use the power of horticulture to support and enhance communities, we provide opportunities to learn, train and work for community groups,

the Salopian Garden is a beautiful and productive site enhancing our delivery of this. It is where a diverse selection of the community young and old come together to work in the garden, interact with each other and enjoy the surroundings and the produce, it perfectly encapsulates the aims of the charity.

The Future - The Salopian as a HIVE individuals and school groups.

Endeavouring to build appreciation and engagement in green space and its preservation. We believe

We are an independent social enterprise and charity working to set the standard for engaging local communities in their green spaces, improving health and wellbeing. We provide expertise, access and understanding of community spaces along with the wider environmental needs of an area.

We offer: • Horticultural training and skills workshops • Volunteering for the community and corporate opportunities • Family days based around learning from nature • Progressive pollinator friendly planting works in residential, public and community spaces through our horticultural services team

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The Covid pandemic this year has brought tough challenges to many businesses across the UK. However, thanks to a very generous recovery

fund from Hounslow council we are able to use this time of uncertainty to renovate and upgrade the garden and to follow that with a series of horticultural activities in Spring and Summer 2021. Working with interested community groups in an outreach programme we will provide the expertise to get them growing, whilst also running monthly educational workshops at our site for those groups.

The Salopian will continue to be our flagship and their HIVE of information for all their community gardening needs. In addition to this we will continue to run our usual horticultural programmes:volunteering for both the community and corporate teams, educational for schools and families and seasonally adjusted workshops. Plus with our newly improved facilities we can open up the site to a wider range of community groups year round.

To find out more about us and how to get involved!

Contact us directly on

+44 (0)2089924941 or email admin@cultivatelondon.org

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legal

Are you being made redundant during the COVID-19 crisis?

“I don’t need advice, I just want to sign the agreement” You have probably already negotiated a settlement figure directly with your employers but there are lots of other terms in the compromise agreement which are legalistic and refer to sections of Acts and Regulations which you may never have heard of.

We shall also go through issues like tax, pensions, benefits, and the possibility of negotiating an increase in your settlement figure.

Why are my employers asking me to sign a Compromise agreement (also known as a settlement agreement)?

In short it is to protect the employer from being sued after you have received your settlement sum. It also allows you to be paid the settlement sum in a taxfree wrapper (up to £30k). You are agreeing not to pursue any claim you may have against your employers in either a court or an employment tribunal.

Do I need to come to the office?

No, everything can be done remotely, and most employers will accept scanned or e-signatures.

Why am I asked to see a solicitor to sign off the agreement?

It gives more protection to the employer - thereby avoiding the claim that you did not understand the document, and therefore making it more binding. The solicitor giving the advice must also sign the agreement and certify that the appropriate advice has been given. One of the conditions under the compromise agreement is that the Solicitor needs to be insured to give advice. All solicitors are covered by an indemnity insurance covering any negligent advice.

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Do I have to pay tax on the money I receive?

No, if the compensation package is less than £30,000. But you do have to pay tax on, notice in lieu, holiday pay, bonuses, perks etc. You should also keep your compromise agreement safe in case the taxman asks on what basis you have received these sums.

Can I come back and work for my employer again?

Yes, but only after say 6 months.

The taxman does not like employers and employees to abuse the £30,000 tax free wrapper.

Why do I need to bring my contract of employment with me at the meeting?

There may be provisions in the contract which will need to be checked by the solicitor. For example, the notice period, any enhanced redundancy payments, termination clauses and most importantly post termination restrictions and bonuses.

How long will the process take?

If the agreement is agreeable to you and there are no amendments we could have it executed in some cases there and then. Most agreements will have an “advisors’ certificate”, this is where the solicitor has the certificate on their headed paper signed and dated.

Other types of certificates only require the solicitor’s signature, date, and stamp.

What do the list of Acts of Parliament mean?

There will be a long list of statutes in the compromise agreement (such as the Race Discrimination Act, Sex Discrimination Act, Employment Rights Act) and many more, under which you will agree not to bring a claim. You should not be concerned by this. As the compromise agreement is intended to be a full and final settlement of all claims. The employer needs to list these such claims to be able to enforce the agreement.

Why is my reference so basic?

Most employers will attach a reference to the actual compromise agreement. Some will only give basic information such as when you started, your position, days off sick and when you left. The reason for this, is for consistency with all other employers or to avoid a situation where something is said which could be detrimental to you and expose the employers to the risk of being sued. As a result, most employers will play it safe and provide a basic reference.

What if I do not sign the agreement?

There is no legal or other obligation on you to sign the compromise agreement if you are not happy with it. At its simplest, refusing to sign means that there is no agreement between you and your employer, and you are free to make a claim to the employment tribunal (which must be within 3 months of your termination date). Do not forget that you might have an opportunity to appeal any termination, you should exhaust any such remedies before commencing tribunal proceedings.

Can I negotiate the amount offered?

Usually we can see if there is a way to renegotiate a settlement figure. It would be helpful if there had been previous grievances or

complaints lodged but sometimes we can simply try and persuade the employers to pay more.

Why cannot I be furloughed rather than be made redundant?

The employer must consider all alternatives including continuing to furlough employees and failure to consider all alternatives may be a breach of proper consultation.

How to Save on Tax and receive more money?

Recent Case of Lynne Cornell –vCapita Symonds Limited. Check your contract. If it says employers chose to make a PILON (payment in lieu of notice) then the employers are left with more leeway on whether to use it. Due to this, on termination they can make a payment for redundancy or other compensation for loss of employment rather than a PILON which is taxable saving them tax and making you more likely to benefit from an enhanced redundancy.

What should I do after I have signed the compromise agreement?

Once a compromise agreement has been signed by all parties, any agreed compensation will usually be paid within 7 or 14 days. Sometimes, it goes through in the next company salary run. The payment date will be specified in the agreement.

You should also register for state benefits, even if you are not entitled to them, because your national insurance will then be paid by the government. You should check any unemployment insurance policies which may kick in.

Vinay Tanna

Managing Partner at Garner & Hancock Any questions you can contact him on 020 8232 9560 or vtanna@garner-hancock.co.uk

Sponsor of Hounslow Festival of Business 2020

London Solicitors in Isleworth Garner & Hancock is West London’s longest established and most reputable law firm. We have the expertise to provide a full range of legal services for you and your business.

What our clients say about us:

“was happy to place my full faith in Garner and Hancock and having legal partners that I could fully rely on made a huge difference.” “from the beginning they have been fantastically professional in their approach and were always on hand to take my calls and give advice.”

Our Services include: • Family Law

• Wealth Protection

• Residential Property

• Landlords Services

• Commercial/Business Services

• Redundancy/Employment Advice

• Dispute Resolution

• Tax, Trusts and Inheritance Planning

• Wills and Probate

• Oaths & Certifications

Tel: +44 20 3879 4259 | www.garner-hancock.co.uk Garner & Hancock Solicitors: 4 Church Street, Old Isleworth, Middlesex TW7 6BH

news

London Borough of Hounslow Swimming Club founded 1938 Proud to aid swimmers of all ages, abilities, backgrounds, nationalities and religions, the Borough swimming club has adapted to life with no water. Resourceful members have found lakes, rivers, seas, and endless pools to utilise, zoom PE sessions and distanced park training have become the norm.

With the welcome change of management, we are looking forward to returning to our Borough pool.

Results were outstanding in the 12 months pre-Covid, with the first Borough medals at the London Youth games for a decade, national qualifiers, and multiple championship titles.

The time management skills and self discipline competitive

swimmers need to succeed are highly valued by viewers of CVs, invaluable assets that open doors.

Volunteer administered, the club welcomes sponsorship opportunities; prospective new members enjoy a free trial with our inspirational coach Lisa Graham at Isleworth LC.

London Borough of Hounslow Swimming Club is a new Chamber member. They joined, having attended some of our webinars, which have been running throughout the pandemic. They found the information we gave out and our links to the Council invaluable, so took the plunge to join us!

Contact www.lbhsc.co.uk

EXCITING NEWS Long standing Chamber member Class 1 Hammersmith Hospitality has been a wellestablished temporary agency supplier into the Hospitality arena for over 20 years. In that time, we have created an unrivalled representation for being able to supply large volumes of BOH and FOH staff both reactively and with planning.

We have decided to combine our Hammersmith Class 1 Catering business along with the WeAreTalent business to create a combined new business name called … “BIA PEOPLE” (BIA is the Irish meaning for Food).

We believe that by combining the two companies and their resources and talent pool, we will be well placed as the Industry starts to make some recovery from the current situation. We will also be

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much more adequately placed to provide both reactive and proactive support to all our clients, across both companies.

This is primarily a change of name and brand so for all contractual arrangements it will be business as usual as all our details remain the same, other than the new Name.

This decision has not been taken lightly and was taken not only to ensure the financial wellbeing of our

company, but it also enables us to support you when we all get back to business. For all our existing and potential clients, we are more than happy to agree “at cost rates” till the end of the year to support pending requirements that clients may have. Without doubt this is the most challenging time for our industry but a challenge I believe together we will come back stronger from.

believe will put us in a strong position, to be reactive to the requirements and demand as they arise over the forthcoming weeks/months.

We are really excited about this business development, which we

For further details visit www.class1personnel.com

We also have a large back of candidates that are fully trained at COVID hygiene delivery via our online Flow module training, so please do contact us if we can be of any support to the business.

news Need to Diversify and Collaborate: Kingfisher SEC’s Adaptation and the Support of Hounslow Chamber’s Task Force Hounslow Chamber of Commerce launched its Task Force, a selection of free webinars providing Chamber members with vital business information and networking opportunities.

These events boosted Kingfisher SEC’s confidence and helped the business to remain virtually connected when the pandemic first started. The weekly Task Force covered a vast number of business topics including taxes, HR issues and cyber security.

They made connections between relevant companies and contacted councillors so businesses could ask questions directly via their webinars. This support helped to maintain contact with the business world during complete lockdown; Kingfisher SEC feels proud to be a member of the Chamber.

The Chamber’s Task Force also supported businesses in their adaptation to the safety precautions introduced by the pandemic. During the summer months, Kingfisher SEC were 45% events security and therefore revenue was hugely impacted. The team generated ideas on how the business could adapt during the lockdown period, which is when SaniPro Stations was launched. It took only four weeks from having the initial idea to production and to selling the stations; Venture X being one of the first customers.

Kingfisher SEC’s core responsibility during lockdown was to ensure staff members were protected. A Covid-19 questionnaire and site-specific risk assessments were used to ensure all staff were safe, whilst the government guidelines and regulations were closely monitored.

In the current circumstances, there is a huge focus on physical health; Kingfisher SEC believes that similar attention should be given to mental health. To ensure positive mental wellbeing was maintained, staff members were never asked to work if they did not feel safe. Moreover, Kingfisher SEC held weekly counselling calls with all staff members to understand any personal issues they may be experiencing. In addition, projects with Hounslow Council required the team to be trained, and during this process mental wellbeing was discussed in depth. Therefore, the team received mental health guidance as well as training to effectively support businesses in the borough so they could re-open safely.

The Chamber also provided wellbeing webinars which promoted Anchor Counselling, the borough’s counselling service where individuals can self-refer at no cost.

As the pandemic persists and Britain enters a recession, it was integral that Kingfisher SEC diversified. Things are constantly evolving, so it is important to plan ahead and make regular adjustments. The Kingfisher SEC business took a major hit during the pandemic, but plans and readjustments were made to manage these issues. We believe there are clear methods to running a successful business, including planning and reviewing. For example, SaniPro Stations was only an idea three months ago and now they are a permanent product because of the effective adjustments made to our business strategy.

It is important to focus on direct resources, rather than spreading yourself too thin.

To become recession and pandemic-proof, Kingfisher SEC will largely focus on core team members and maintaining their happiness and safety.

PARITA SHAH HR MANAGEMENT CONSULTANCY “Your people are your most valuable asset” We can help you with day to day employment issues; grievances, disciplinaries, performance management/ absence management as well as general HR support on policies, procedures and contracts.

Through Insights Discovery Profiling, we can help you to get your people working better together in teams, build resilience through better self-understanding and understanding of others, help to recruit for behaviour and not just technical ability as well as develop the leadership skills of your managers.

Using Insights Discovery, not only helps improve communication but also helps to increase productivity and provides solutions focussed results through behavioural change. As we know, people are your most valuable asset.

We incorporate professional coaching methods and styles that allow the leaders in your business to develop and build long term sustainable change; providing them with the tools and techniques to be agile whilst maintaining stability within the business and enabling them to adapt to an ever-changing environment.

A professional HR Management consultancy who can help you grow your business and develop your talent by providing bespoke HR, Coaching & Training Solutions.

Please get in touch with us below at: Tel: 07525427918 parita@paritashahconsulting.co.uk www.paritashahconsulting.co.uk linkedin.com/in/parita-shah-cipd-89597ba2

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environment

Clean up our environment!

With the coronavirus pandemic dominating the news headlines, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the burning issue of climate change has been pushed down the agenda. However, greening up our planet is still one of the most pressing challenges that society faces. last year, as more people get back to work following the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions.

This issue was discussed at length in Hounslow Chamber’s recent Clean Air webinar, which was attended by local businesses, Transport for London (TfL) and Hounslow Council.

The idea of the webinar was to help organisations learn more about what they could do to improve air pollution in Hounslow. Attendees discussed a range of solutions, from encouraging employees to use active travel to using cleaner motor vehicles and taking steps to improve indoor air quality – all of which would help to reduce the local emissions.

While battling the impact of COVID-19, organisations in London are coming together to work out how they can improve the local carbon footprint. Hounslow Chamber of Commerce is leading the way in this respect, working with the business community and other organisations to find ways of making our environment a cleaner place in which to live.

One major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions is road traffic. Data shows that road traffic congestion in outer London is now higher that it was this time

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Sally Smith, chief operating officer at Hounslow Chamber, says: “We all have a role to play in tackling climate change. From a commercial perspective, introducing measures to cut emissions will not only benefit the local environment but also improve companies’ sustainability credentials.”

Meld Energy, one of the webinar attendees, stressed the importance of laying the foundations for future energy systems that will improve quality of life for the next generation.

Meld founder Chris Smith says: “We feel the impact of emissions in the air that we breathe, which undoubtedly is causing increased incidence of chronic illnesses

such as asthma. There is also evidence to suggest that COVID-19 has thrived better in places where air quality is poor.

“We specialise in net zero and our projects seek to reduce carbon emissions through developing and delivering integrated energy solutions hand in hand with the public and private sectors. We believe in particular that local authorities have a key role to play by leveraging their low cost of money, longevity and land holding to deliver low-carbon power, heat and mobility solutions to reduce the impact of emissions and air quality on public health.

“Protecting the environment will involve change in our infrastructure and change in our behaviours so the key will be for central and local government to take the lead in providing the infrastructure, developing place-based solutions and perhaps most importantly, taking the population on the journey.”

TfL said it was taking action to help clean up London’s “dangerously polluted air” and improve public health.

Matthew Kamau, TfL engagement officer, says: “We’re working with the London boroughs, transport operators and other stakeholders to promote behavioural change and smarter travel measures aimed at encouraging more use of lower carbon modes, eco-driving practices, better vehicle maintenance and flexible working patterns to reduce CO2 emissions. Additionally, we’re promoting and improving sustainable, low CO2-emitting transport such as cycling and walking as well as the introduction of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) which we will expand up to (but not including) the North and South Circular roads from October 2021.

Matthew said the COVID lockdown led to fewer vehicles on the road and, ultimately, improvements in air quality.

“As London entered lockdown, there was a clear shift in behaviour as people opted for cycling and walking over other transport options,” he says. “Unfortunately, the dramatic increases seen in people on bikes during peak lockdown have started to fall away as the weather changes and the amount of vehicles on the roads returns to pre-pandemic levels.

“We know that cyclists feel less safe when there are more cars, and if we’re to encourage and harness the trend we’ve seen in the take-up of cycling, we must ensure that London is wellequipped by installing appropriate cycle infrastructure.”

Hounslow Council, too, is doing its bit to tackle climate change.

Councillor Katherine Dunne, the council’s cabinet member for communities & climate emergency, says: “We committed to reviewing the arrangements in place to reduce the council’s carbon footprint and to identify new initiatives with a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. The council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan sets out seven programmes to reduce the council’s carbon emissions, including those relating to energy efficiency, waste management and electrifying the vehicle fleet.

“The council’s own carbon emissions may account for only 5% of the total attributable to the borough, so we’re working with businesses and the local community to reduce the wider borough emissions under a range of programmes, including sustainable travel promotion and the transition to electric mobility.”

Katherine believes that COVID-19 is encouraging us to do things differently to protect the environment.

“During the COVID-19 lockdown, there was a significant decrease in public transport use, a decrease in car use and an increase in walking and cycling across London,” she says.

“Many employers and workers heeded the government’s advice for people to work from home where possible, which has meant fewer people driving into central London or using public transport.

We also saw fewer people flying from Heathrow, which resulted in less traffic travelling through the borough. Data collected from Hounslow’s monitoring sites, showed that air pollution levels fell by an average of 20% against 2019 measures. The council has a twin aim to rebuild our local economy without sacrificing some of these environmental improvements.”

technology Replacing the reactive with the proactive: how Timeless IMS can provide clarity on the future of your technology roadmap.

In these challenging times, the last thing a business wants, is to lose clients, business, and money when tech problems arise. Chamber Patron, Timeless advises of a solution.

Read on to hear about the solution we provided a recent client of ours in the airline catering business, that delivers the finest ingredients from around the globe. Big hitters in the airline industry that rely on the company include Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, and Qantas.

In the fast-moving world of airline catering, the organisation’s clients need ingredients and supplies on-demand and, in a hurry. With frozen and chilled items, time is of the essence.

Challenges When the company approached us, they had a huge problem: they were losing clients, business and money when IT problems arose. Periods of total non-trading, due to inferior technology, were in abundance.

They had an IT company that only provided them with reactive IT support. A problem would arise, our client’s staff would report it, and their IT company would try to fix it.

By that time, they had lost revenue and faced hefty fines from airlines.

They needed our proactivity rather than the reactivity of old. We can

spot and prevent problems before they happen — and that’s what sets us apart.

What was also missing from their former IT provider was the ability to understand their niche. They needed a vision of the technology best suited to plan, develop, and grow their business. We focused on what was critical to our client. We looked at which areas of technology needed support, investment, and modernisation.

The server always has been and always will be, the most critical IT function of any business. It’s the primary piece of technology that stores everything. If your server isn’t working, then your business isn’t working.

How we Helped In days gone by, you would have a server in your office, and would use the Internet to connect to the outside world. Our client’s staff were having many problems with their server, and the IT company they used couldn’t maintain it. Our first task was to figure out what was wrong with the server and then come up with a solution.

We took our client’s main server — a piece of tin in their office — and built a hybrid cloud. We did this using public and private cloud services. The cloud never goes down. This allowed our client to expand to multiple sites around the country without needing a server in each premises. Every office and employee can now talk to the server in the cloud.

Connectivity to the outside world via the Internet has also become one of the most crucial elements within businesses. By upgrading our client’s previously unsuitable Internet connections to the latest high-speed dedicated fibre technology, offices run more efficiently.

Results, Return on Investment and Future Plans The tech we have implemented and the services we deliver have enabled the company’s staff to work remotely with secure and controlled access.

Our client now has a protected, centralised system in the form of: • a hybrid cloud-based server

infrastructure • a dedicated MPLS wide area network made up of a fibre leased line, fibre to the cabinet (FTTC), and cellular 4G Ethernet technologies • our fully managed WatchGuard Cyber Security solution for small to medium businesses

securing the network and all user endpoints • operating all new premises across the UK seamlessly — 24/7/365 • knowing all mobile user devices are secure when employees are working remotely, outside of the network • our cloud-based CCTV, providing safe knowledge that all recordings are secure in the cloud and ensuring nothing could be tampered with or missed — unlike previous onsite recorders that can run out of disk space or fail By delivering the right technology, we have: • helped our client increase turnover by over 40% during

seven years • provided continued productivity

without the fear of downtime • increased efficiencythroughout the business, including a reduction in the order processing time: an average 37 minutes By providing ongoing business intelligence, we can support and deliver a return on investment through the solutions we implement and maintain.

If you’d like to experience this journey, you can contact us on 0800 328 2852 or email us at sales@timelessims.co.uk https://bit.ly/2Gtu9Hu

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news

LEGAL

Sarah Austin

Austins Solicitors

The two certainties in life are death and taxes. Neither of which you can avoid but you can mitigate.

Austins is a STEP accredited practice specialising in trusts, estates and wills. We use our specialist skills to draft bespoke deeds, trusts and wills.

This enables our clients and their families to better organise their property and finances.

WILLS Without a valid will, assets could pass according to the intestacy rules that automatically apply. This could lead to misunderstandings, claims or even leave the estate vulnerable to expensive court proceedings. As you would not have provided your specific instructions on anything from your funeral arrangements, to charity donations or trusts for children or gifts outside your family.

Your spouse or civil partner doesn’t automatically inherit all of your estate.

Unmarried partners have no automatic rights at all under the intestacy rules.

Depending on your circumstances, they may have to share the estate with other relatives. So a professionally drafted Will is a valuable and considerate asset.

It ensures succession certainty and tax efficiency.

We offer will drafting for a fixed fee and discounts are offered where we draft two wills at the same time. So you can dovetail your wishes.

Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) Following on from that theme Lasting Powers of Attorney LPA) are an essential tool to be considered at the same time as your wills. As you can only draft a LPA if you have the mental capacity to do so.

It enables you to instruct an individual (attorney) to act on your behalf, in respect of your property and affairs or regarding your health and welfare.

It can last a lifetime or until you cancel it. You have the power to authorise your choice of individuals to assist you if you are temporarily or permanently incapacitated by illness, dementia or mobility issues.

Our clients find it reassuring that their affairs can be managed efficiently and without delay when required. During the current pandemic it has been even more in demand and used extensively.

Without a LPA your family would need to apply to Office of the Public Guardian to apply to act on someone’s behalf. It is a costly and lengthy procedure that can take months, when you most need assistance. You don’t get to control who manages your affairs and in exceptional cases the applicant can be a local authority.

Again Austins can guide and assist you to prepare a bespoke LPA according to your wishes and needs for a reasonable fixed fee.

Sarah Austin TEP

My name is Christophe and I am a freelance web designer and developer based in Brentford. I entered the web “sphere” with a first hands-on experience 10 years ago working for an online magazine and loved it.

A few years working in other areas, happy but definitely missing my computer - I took the decision to rethink my career and become a full time web designer and developer. Each project starts with a new world to discover and understand, in order to translate as accurately as possible the business identity into a successful digital product. So far I have worked with clients in the public and private sector, from artists and artisans, small businesses and charities, to larger commercial operations.

While I can work alongside customers to build tailored websites, another option I offer is the purchase of templates as a ‘readymade’ and cheaper solution for the businesses that will then just need to upload their content and make the chosen design their own with minimum effort. Whether I work for a business’s website from scratch or via the building of templates, I use marketing tools that will make your digital presence as powerful as possible.

Here are a few key points to remember if you want to go live: 1. Look professional. Your website is your business card and reflects your identity and work ethos.

2. Know your audience. Whereas some cutting-edge designs might be a great idea for creative businesses they might not suit your customers expectations if you are a more traditional company 3. Take control. This is a great time to rethink your identity and what you want to communicate, so make sure that you actively contribute to your digital adventure.

+44 7435 296 807 christofcamara@gmail.com Building 3 Chiswick Business Park 566 Chiswick High Road, Chiswick, London W4 5YA Tel: 0800 3777716 (+44203 858 0041) Fax 08456 583635 | www.austinsandco.co.uk

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www.christophecamara.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophe-camara/

news National recognition for financial services specialist Neelkanth Safe Deposit has been recognised as a leading player in the safe deposit industry after being invited to participate in a parliamentary review on financial services.

country prepares for life after Brexit from early next year.

The company was highlighted as an outstanding example of best practice in the sector, as the

The philanthropic zeal at the heart of their philosophy led them to direct any profit from the business to the

Chamber member, Neelkanth Safe Deposit was established by the late Chandrakant Pujara and his nephew Kumar Pujara in 2014, when they opened an affordable safe deposit locker facility in the heart of Southall, West London. Their idea was to build a series of safe deposit centres around London to provide local communities with secure facilities where they could keep their valuables safe at affordable rates.

community by donating to the Sarjudas Foundation, a charity that supports diverse community initiatives.

In 2014, the company enlisted the services of Anant Barchha as senior executive to take the business from a single proprietary unit to a multibranch corporate structure. He brought with him 30 years of senior experience in international banking, of which two decades were spent working with large global custodians in a variety of senior roles. Anant has been the driving force behind the development of Neelkanth Safe Deposit into a leading institution within the financial services industry.

The Southall facility now has a capacity of 15,000 lockers and is one of Europe’s largest safe deposit centres. A second facility, which opened in Croydon in September 2019, has a capacity of 7,000 lockers to support communities in South London and plans for further branches are in the pipeline.

For further information, visit https://www.neelkanthsafedeposit.com/

Chamber member, Credit union payroll partners bring business benefits

By Mukesh Malhotra, chair of Thamesbank Credit Union Payroll partners are employers who work with their local credit union to offer a range of financial services to the workforce as a perk of employment. Credit union payroll partners link with organisations large and small, demonstrating their commitment to social responsibility and their staff’s financial wellbeing. By becoming a payroll partner, employers support the financial welfare of their staff by encouraging them to save or borrow responsibly.

union to allocate deposits to the staff member’s credit union savings account • Staff request withdrawals direct from the credit union • There is no cost or risk to the employer

One of the key services offered to the workforce is the payroll savings scheme. This allows staff to save money by having a nominal sum of money taken from their salary and placed into a savings account – before they have the chance to miss or spend it.

Along with savings, your staff will also be able to access credit union loans should they need them. By borrowing from a credit union, staff are accessing a service with affordable interest rates, helping them to avoid high-cost credit and payday lenders.

Payroll saving can be an incredibly effective tool to ensure there’s money set aside for a planned event or an unexpected bill.

As credit unions are not-for-profit community savings and loan providers, the money saved benefits the members, local community and economy, not third-party shareholders.

Here’s how payroll savings work: • Staff set the amount they wish to save and written authority is provided to the payroll processor in the organisation • This amount is deducted from payroll each month and a schedule sent to the credit

By joining their credit union, staff may also access perks such as free life insurance. They may also have rights to have a say in how their credit union is managed and, profits permitting, receive an annual dividend.

For more information visit https://thamesbank.org/

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membership

5 Reasons to Join

Joining one gives you membership of two Chambers (Hounslow Chamber and West London Local Chambers) for three boroughs; Hounslow, Ealing and Hammersmith & Fulham. We are made up of active and successful business people from a wide range of sectors, who are based in the three boroughs who believe in our part of west London and wish us all to prosper

1 2 3 4 5

Regular networking events/webinars/conferences

Signposting & introductions

International trade missions & export documents

Lobbying

Annual Business Awards / Festival of Business / Regeneration Conference

Find out how to join and learn how others are benefiting from their membership.

For more information telephone: 07879 813817 Email: sallysmith@hounslowchamber.org.uk or go to our Website: www.hounslowchamber.org.uk

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chamber

events

CHAMBER BUSINESS AWARDS Wednesday 9th December ONLINE ONLY

As with the Regeneration Conference we have had to make the decision to hold the Awards online rather than as a live event. They will now take place online on Wednesday, 9th December at 6.00 pm.

We are proud to announce Mark Ramprakash, the cricketer and “Strictly” winner, will be our guest speaker.

Regeneration 3.0 SAVE THE

DATE

February 2021 ONLINE

We have had to take the sad but sensible decision to hold the Regeneration 3.0 Conference online, rather than as a live event. It will now take place via Zoom during February 2021.

We are working on the details and will be in touch as soon as they are finalised.

The Regeneration Conference is a chance to learn more about the exciting developments/ projects across the borough. Join us to hear presentations from: • Ballymore • Barratts London • Berkeley Group • Bugler • EasyBuild Construction Software • Fairview New Homes • Hounslow Highway • West Thames College

Events are being added and changed all the time, especially during these difficult times, so please check our website for more details Please contact Sally Smith on sallysmith@hounslowchamber.org.uk or 020 8326 6416 | 07879 813817 or www.hounslowchamber.org.uk for more information. let’s talkbusiness

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profile

Building bridges with the Middle East Samar Whitticombe has had a remarkable journey. Born in Iraq, she came over to the UK on a business trip in 1990 at the height of the Gulf War – and has been here ever since.

Fortunately, however, the story had a happy ending. In November 1990, Samar’s husband was released and was able to come to the UK, where the pair eventually settled and married.

Samar then embarked on a highly successful career in the UK, starting as an instrument engineer at infrastructure specialist Bechtel UK before going on to join engineering giant Amec Oil & Gas in 2002. While there she worked on a major project to rebuild parts of Iraq, which was in political turmoil due to the invasion of the country by a United States-led coalition that would eventually overthrow Saddam Hussein’s government.

In August of that year, her soonto-be-husband was not allowed to leave Iraq while Samar was in the UK. Unfortunately, due to the political circumstances she couldn’t get a flight back to Iraq so she spent the following weeks nervously awaiting her husband’s fate.

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In 2008 Samar established her own company, Somer Industrial Projects (SIP), to use her experience of Iraq to provide training and business development services to companies in the oil, gas and power generation industries. She then won a major contract with Northern Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Governate (KRG) – a contract that provided work not just for her company but also for air conditioning specialist EWA Controls in Isleworth.

From our point of view, we’ll continue to provide skills and resources for projects in the Middle East, and we’ll try to involve other West London companies where we can.

At site with EWA - the UK contractor from Feltham and Choman the Local Contracting Company Samar, who has an engineering degree, says: “We were tasked with developing a building management control system for projects in KRG, a system that could control the heating, ventilation and air conditioning plant which serves the offices and the critical electrical switchgear room for the facility.

shipping firm that provided truck transport all the way to Kurdistan Iraq.

EWA Controls provided the control panels and we carried out the system design to ensure that all project safety aspects were covered and that the system itself was designed and built to be fail-safe.”

“Over the years we have worked extensively with EWA Controls, which has more than 30 years’ experience in the field of building automation, and they became a partner for the project.

The SIP team, headed by myself, assisted EWA Controls in supplying the system and delivering it in an energyefficient manner. We provided training for local technicians and helped them to gain access to critical data that allowed them to view the status of all of the equipment in a matter of seconds.

Samar believes that this project is a great example of international collaboration between overseas firms and local companies in Hounslow borough. With the end of the Brexit transition period looming large on the horizon, companies may need to look further afield than Europe when exporting their products and services.

“It’s important that local companies consider a range of different export markets,” says Samar. “Kurdistan Iraq offers a wealth of opportunities, especially in the oil, gas, infrastructure and power generation markets, and the country is open to working with firms in the UK. “From our point of view, we’ll continue to provide skills and resources for projects in the Middle East, and we’ll try to involve other West London companies where we can. The borough of Hounslow has a diverse array of businesses that can really add value on projects such as the one we’ve been working on with KRG.”

“We also worked closely with a local mechanical and electrical contractor to ensure that the client always had a local presence. Initially we had spent a lot of time in Kurdistan Iraq to ensure we built up a rapport with the client.

It’s vital to build trust in any client relationship and we did that with KRG. “Our UK team created the workplan for the manufacture of the control panels, their testing and the software generation. All of this was done before the equipment was exported from the UK, using a West London-based

A board member of Hounslow Chamber of Commerce, Samar was awarded a Women of Excellence Award in 2017 for her work with communities. The following year, she was elected executive member of al Kindi society of engineering.

She says: “I’m determined to continue working with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and other organisations to build bridges between West London and the Middle East. The current business environment is challenging due to COVID-19 but opportunities are still out there. We just have to exploit them.”

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international

trade

UK and the EU: deal or no deal?

The COVID-19 pandemic is dominating the news agenda, with families and businesses rightly concerned about the impact of a second wave of the virus. All of this overshadows another vitally important issue: the end of the Brexit transition period on January 1 and Britain’s long-protracted exit from the EU. We should look for a balanced view of UK exports, between the EU and Rest of the World. While the UK proportion of exports to the EU has been reducing for many years, the UK has just overtaken France to become the worlds 6th largest exporter on the back of ROW exports. The other side of the coin is trade with the EU, where for months, UK and EU leaders have been in intense discussions in an attempt to thrash out a deal, but with the transition period deadline fast approaching, these attempts have been frustrated by a few key issues.

At the time of writing, there remains a very real prospect that the UK will leave the EU without a trade deal, which is a frightening thought for the thousands of companies that export their products and services to the EU each year.

There are several sticking points over a new deal, from state aid to data protection and the Irish border. The extent to which EU fishermen can access UK waters, which they had been able to do under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), is also a bone of contention but this only relates to 0.2% of UK / EU trade.

The difference between the impact of deal and a no-deal is stark. A free trade agreement would open up tariff-free trade of most goods, allow continuity of existing agreements and perhaps create an environment in which new deals could be done.

A no-deal, on the other hand, would see tariffs imposed on most goods, with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules applied to UK-EU trade.

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It would also result in increased administration and the inevitable shelving of some existing trade deals.

• imported goods that have a relief or tariff suspension operated by the UK

In this most uncertain of climates, however, there are still things that businesses can do now to get their house in order before January 1, https://www. westlondonlocalchambers.org. uk/eu-exit-hub when the UK Global Tariff (UKGT) replaces the EU Common External Tariff (CET).

Exporters will need to secure for their goods a tariff number, or commodity code, which determines the customs duties and other charges levied on the goods. They must also check to see how the goods are classified under the Harmonised Tariff Schedule (HTS), which is in place to ensure that the goods are shipped safely and in compliance with customs, tax and duties regulations.

Companies can visit https:// www.gov.uk/check-tariffs-1january-2021 to check the UKGT that will apply to goods that they import from January 1. Advice on finding the relevant commodity code can be found at https:// www.gov.uk/guidance/findingcommodity-codes-for-importsor-exports and https://www. gov.uk/guidance/ask-hmrc-foradvice-on-classifying-your-goods.

The UKGT will apply to all goods that are imported from January 1, 2021 unless an exemption applies.

Exemptions include: • goods imported from a developing country that pays less or no duty because it’s part of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences, which was established to help developing countries alleviate poverty and create jobs based on international values such as labour and human rights • goods imported from a country that has an existing trade agreement with the UK

In the event of a no-deal Brexit, the UK government has been frantically trying to secure trade agreements with other countries (or groups of countries) to remove or reduce tariffs and other restrictions on exports/imports between them. In under two years, the UK has struck agreements with 51 countries including an historic one with Japan – widely regarded as the UK’s first major post-Brexit deal. Unveiled by UK trade secretary Liz Truss, the deal means that almost all of the UK’s exports to Japan will be tarifffree and British tariffs on Japanese cars will be removed by 2026. It is expected to boost trade between these countries by about £15bn.

Several other trade agreements are currently under discussion, and the UK government is currently pursuing an ambitious strategy of securing deals with countries that cover 80% of UK international trade within three years.

We’re in a fast-evolving landscape and this is particularly true for exporters, with the Brexit transition period set to end shortly.

All of this is relevant to exporters and importers seeking to prepare for life after January 1, 2021.

These companies should: • find out if the UK has signed a trade agreement with the country with which they intend to trade • use UK government guidance to understand changes to trading with non-EU countries from January 2021: https:// www.gov.uk/guidance/uktrade-agreements-with-noneu-countries If a trade agreement with the destination country is in place, exporters will still need to ensure they have an origin certificate for their goods to qualify for the preferential (lower) tariff rates. EU content and processing will still count towards meeting the origin threshold under “continuity” trade agreements as it does now.

Alan Rides, MD of the Chamber of Commerce and an expert in international trade, says: “We’re in a fast-evolving landscape and this is particularly true for exporters, with the Brexit transition period set to end shortly. While COVID-19 naturally dominates the headlines, Britain’s exit from the EU is just as important from an economic point of view. Indeed, there’s a school of thought which suggests that Brexit could have an even more damaging impact on UK GDP than the coronavirus.

“Having said that, it’s encouraging that the UK has secured some trade deals and the one with Japan could be particularly significant.

It’s vital that businesses are given the right support to navigate this new landscape and at the Chamber we’re doing our bit to help. We’ve organised various webinars that provide information on the latest Brexit developments and we’re signposting businesses to experts who can help them tackle key specific issues, such as how to get the correct documentation in place.

“We’re about to enter unchartered territory but international trade was vital to UK GDP before Brexit and will continue to be so from early next year.”

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news

Seeing, Connecting, Securing

THE ESSENTIAL GIFT THIS CHRISTMAS When I was younger, I never quite understood the gifts given by the Three Wise Men in the Christmas story. Gold I got, but Frankincense and Myrrh? Why are they so special?

FRANKINCENSE the king of essential oils

Prized in biblical times, Frankincense is still revered for its ability to support immunity, and promote cellular health.

Extracted from the resin of the Boswellia sacra tree, its earthy, woody aroma encourages feelings of peace and overall wellness.

MYRRH than meets the eye

Distilled from the resin of the Commiphora myrrha tree, Myrrh essential oil was once more precious than gold. And it’s still sought after for its perfume and skin healing properties. But it also offers welcome relief for colds, congestion, and respiratory issues.

TURMERIC the golden spice

Derived from the Latin word terra merita (meritorious earth), Tumeric is winter warrior. Its active compound, curcumin, has been shown in studies to suppress viruses — including the serious seasonal disorders. It also relieves congestion, coughs, and respiratory infection.

Ajar Technology is a successful and highlyregarded end-to-end systems integrator.

Proud of an our SME status, we have been assisting enterprise businesses across the UK through their digital transformation journeys since 2005.

doTERRA Festive Five

• Respiration: blend Turmeric and Eucalyptus to a bowl of hot water and inhale to relieve congestion • Pain: blend Frankincense, Myrrh and, Turmeric and Wintergreen for an anti-inflammatory boost • Immunity: take a drop of Copaiba and Frankincense under your tongue daily or in a veggie capsule • Fragrance: diffuse Myrrh with Frankincense, Orange and Clove for an essence of the holidays.

• Digestion: blend Turmeric and Frankincense a natural remedy for bloating, cramping, or excess gas

We deliver a full range of world-class audio visual, digital media, security system and home automation solutions as well as range of specialised integrated solutions. We also provide comprehensive design, technical consulting and engineering services, coupled with end user training and on-going support and maintenance services.

Ajar Technology partners with high quality vendors to ensure that our solutions always provide top quality and the latest cutting edge technology products. We are fast, flexible, innovative and reliable.

We have a proven track record of delivering large and complex solutions as well as rapidly delivering more standardised solutions.

We have an enviable client base, and are a long-term trusted partner to large and small enterprises in addition to many public sector bodies.

Our sectors include: Aviation, Rail, Police, Prisons, Local Authorities, Central Government, Hotels and Residential Construction.

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let’s talkbusiness

Before the use of any pure essential oils you must speak to an expert. For more information or to book a consultation contact me Alexandra Willis on 07957312237 - alex@readysteadydo.com or visit my website www.readysteadydo.com

health and

wellbeing

Home-working brings multiple benefits The rise in remote working due to COVID-19 has boosted the productivity and quality of life of workers, a new study has revealed.

The study by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) said two thirds of employers reported that home workers were more or as productive as when they were in the workplace. Improved work-life balance (cited by 61% of employers), enhanced employee collaboration (43%) and improved focus (38%) were all benefits of home-working.

However, the research also highlights the challenges of managing home workers, with employers highlighting reduced staff mental wellbeing (47%), problems with staff interaction/ cooperation (36%) and difficulties with line-managing home workers (33%) and monitoring their performance (28%). Nonetheless, the research shows that the benefits significantly outweigh the challenges, and that a large majority of employers are planning to introduce or expand the use of home-working once the crisis is over.

Peter Cheese, CIPD CEO, says: “The step-change shift to homeworking to adapt to lockdowns has taught us all a lot about how we can

be flexible in ways of working in the future. This should be a catalyst to change long-held paradigms and beliefs about work for the benefit of many. Employers have learnt that, if supported and managed properly, home-working can be as productive and innovative as working in the office and we can give more opportunity for people to benefit from better work-life balance. This can also help with inclusion and how we can create positive work opportunities across our economies.

“However, it doesn’t suit everyone and increasingly organisations will have to design working arrangements around people’s choice and personal preference over where and when they would like to work, whilst also meeting the needs of the business.

“Employers will also have to redouble efforts to introduce flexible working arrangements for staff unable to work from home, otherwise they will increasingly have a two-tier workforce of those

who have opportunity to benefit from home-working and flexibility and those who don’t.”

Hounslow Chamber of Commerce has been adapting to the current situation and its staff have largely been working from home since March.

Sally Smith, chief operating officer at the Chamber, says: “Initially I started working from the end of the kitchen table, thinking we would soon be back in the office. I was using a kitchen chair with cushions before upgrading to a proper back rest and now, since the second wave, I am based on my landing with a wonderful office chair, courtesy of Chamber member VentureX. I enjoy swivelling!”

However, the Chamber recognises that some workers are finding it difficult to adapt, perhaps due to cramped accommodation or additional costs that they can’t afford.

Sally says: “I am concerned especially about young people, in rented accommodation, who do not have the space to work from home

and will likely incur extra costs for heating and lighting. At the beginning of the pandemic there were stories of people working from their ironing board, which is clearly not sustainable.

“Working from home does bring additional challenges. For example, it means that communication has to be more organised and there are fewer opportunities to learn from your peers by just overhearing what is going on in the office.”

let’s talkbusiness

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new

members Welcome to our New Members

Welcome to our New Chamber Patron Berkeley St Edward 380 Queenstown Road London SW11 8PE Mollie Mills-O’Brien Mollie.millsobrien@berkeleygroup.co.uk

Tony (Sharanjit) Grover Ridesmart Chauffeuring Ltd 45 Springwell Road Heston Hounslow TW5 9EA 07500 830083 tonyg@ridesmart.co Farah Qureshi Farah Qureshi Flat 17 453-457 Chiswick High Road London W4 4AU 07855 651773 farah@farahqureshi.co.uk

Sandy Ganatra One Golf Club 34 Evelyn Way Wallington Surrey SM6 8ED 020 8255 2030 07973 181350 sandy@onegolfclub.co.uk

Simon Slee Fastsigns Hammersmith Unit 8 Roslin Square Roslin Road Acton W3 8DH 020 7751 1121 07867 552967 872@fastsigns.com simon.slee@fastsigns.com FASTSIGNS.872@fastsigns.com

Will Taborn Taborns 3-4 High Bolborn London EC1N 2HA 020 3745 1050 07739 016361 will@taborns.com Daniella Gluck Black Dress Code 21 Lammas Park Road Ealing W5 5JD 07983 281244 daniellagluck@blackdresscode.com

Amar Anthony Tappu Blacksmith and Brigantine Ltd 32 Threadneedle Street London EC2R 8AY 07535 015495 / 07587 298724 a.tappu@blacksmithandbrigantine.com david.gonzalez@blacksmithandbrigantine.com Jayanand Kumaraguru LG PLANNING LIMITED (Project Management) 81 Golden Grove Southampton SO14 1RA 07753 223349 lgplanninglimited@gmail.com

Ajinder Singh Bajaj Philippthomas Network (UK) Ltd 20 Langley Road Slough Berkshire SL3 7AB 07585 916946 asjinder@aol.com philippthomasllc@yahoo.com Parita Shah Parita Shah Consulting 175 Argyle Avenue Whitton TW3 2LP 07525 427918 parita@paritashahconsulting.co.uk

Majid Rajaby Pet Food Online T/A Husse UK Unit 1 180 Park avenue London NW10 7XH 07900 028545 rajaby@husse.co.uk Atif Mir Energy Contract Renewals Ltd St Stephens House Arthur Road Windsor SL4 1RU 020 3631 5541 07824 446979 atif@energycontractrenewals.co.uk

Chris Smith Meld Energy Ltd Chart House 2 Effingham Road Reigate Surrey RH2 7JN 07920 821373 chris@meld.energy huw@meld.energy Tony Flynn London Network Scaffolding Wyke Green Golf Club Syon Lane Isleworth TW7 5PT 020 7993 1220 tony.flynn@lnsltd.com KB Rafique Craneshaw Ltd Unit 5, Wallbrook Business Centre Green Lane Hounslow TW4 6NW 020 3018 0785 kb@craneshaw.com www.craneshaw.com

let’s talkbusiness

45

5 minutes

with....

Chiswick Flower Market 5 mins with Bridget Osborne, one of the directors Who are you?

Biggest achievement?

Your inspiration?

The Chiswick Flower Market CIC has been set up by a group of Chiswick residents who want to see their local High Rd flourish. The directors are Ollie Saunders, a commercial surveyor with JLL, whose idea it was, Karen Liebreich, director of Abundance London, Bridget Osborne, editor of The Chiswick Calendar, Kathleen Mitra, a Financial Director and Stephen Nutt, surveyor.

Opening the market in September! We had more than seven thousand people throughout the day, helped by a double page spread in the FT, interviews on Radio London, local media promotion, articles in Country Life and the Evening Standard, recommendations by influencers on Instagram and Time Out making us the number one thing to do in London in September. Our flower market traders sold out and local businesses told us it was the best day’s trade they’d had in ages.

People who do stuff for their local community just for the hell of it, to make it a nicer place to live.

Biggest gripe?

Persevere, and ask for help. It is amazing how much help is forthcoming if you do but ask.

What’s your business all about?

We have set up a monthly flower market on the first Sunday of every month at the Old Market Place, outside the police station on Chiswick High Rd. We have stalls selling a variety of plants, including bedding plants, houseplants, bulbs and cut flowers and a few selling garden accessories.

They range from established market traders who have come over from Columbia Rd market, to start-up businesses whose owners are turning their hobby into a business, having been made redundant during the pandemic.

Three words to describe yourself?

Chiswick Flower Market (does what it says on the tin!)

Ideal Customer?

Anyone who’d like to come and support us by buying anything from a small bunch of flowers to armfuls of plants, and then go and do the rest of their shopping and have lunch on the High Rd / Devonshire Rd / Turnham Green Terrace.

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let’s talkbusiness

Cannot think of one!

Philosophy in Business?

Do as you would be done by.

Sporting Hero?

England cricket coach Andy Flower

Biggest tip for success?

Skills Escalator - Business Skills Escalator Business Mentoring Programme SkillsSkills Escalator Business Escalator - Business Mentoring Programme Mentoring Programme Mentoring Programme Skills Escalator - Business Mentoring Programme

How to start a business without any money 17th November 2020 10:00am - 11.00am

Work Hounslow in partnership with Smarter Society are delivering a workshop to help borough residents in receipt of means tested benefits to create a business of their own.

Work Hounslow in partnership with Smarter Society are delivering a workshop to help borough residents in receipt of means tested benefits to create a business of their own, The workshop will help potential entrepreneurs in receipt of means tested benefits to start-up their business without spending any money

• The workshop will help potential entrepreneurs in receipt of means tested benefits to start-up their business without spending any money

“Learn all about how to start your business without any money – our experienced business gurus will teach you all about how to find free tools, sales, marketing, products and even business partners, placing you ahead of the game .

The session will run through the best opportunities and eligible Hounslow participants who are in receipt of means tested benefits will be able to apply for the additional business mentoring’’.

moreinformation, information, ForFor more

by

find us at eventbrite.co.uk find us at eventbrite.co.uk by searching “Work Hounslow” For“Work more information, searching Hounslow” OR

find us at eventbrite.co.uk ForFor more information, Get in touch directly;OR more information, by searching “Work Hounslow” email us at us eventbrite.co.uk findfind us atat eventbrite.co.uk Get in touch directly; skillsescalator@hounslow.gov.uk by searching “WorkHounslow” Hounslow”OR by searching “Work email usORat or call our Skills Escalator Get in touch directly; OR skillsescalator@hounslow.gov.uk Advisor 07790359392 Get inon touch directly; email us at or callGet our Escalator inSkills touch directly; email us at skillsescalator@hounslow.gov.uk skillsescalator@hounslow.gov.uk Advisor on 07790359392 email us at or call our Skills Escalator or call our Skills Escalator skillsescalator@hounslow.gov.uk Advisor on07790359392 07790359392 orAdvisor call ouron Skills Escalator Advisor on 07790359392

WORK

WORK WORK

BUILDING COMMUNITIES Berkeley Group builds homes and neighbourhoods. We create welcoming places, where people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy a great quality of life.

St Edward Homes are very excited to be working with the London Borough of Hounslow and local community to deliver a transformation of the Homebase and Tesco sites on Syon Lane, Osterley.

www.berkeleygroup.co.uk Proud to be members of the Berkeley Group of companies

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