Southwark Business Today December 2016

Southwark

BUSINESS TODAY

Issue 11: Winter 2016

Lordship Lane

Preserving the character of Lordship Lane

• Trading with India

So much future potential - page 10

• Profile

Sunil Chropra Southwark Businessman helps local young people - page 13

• Canada Water Masterplan Creating a location for a wide range of businesses to prosper - page 16

- page 16

Welcome to

Welcome

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

Contents

The Southwark Chamber of Commerce magazine for all Businesses in Southwark Southwark at Regus’s offices within the News International Building (the Baby Shard). I spoke about property values in the area and was followed by a very informative speech from Terry Holt MRICS of Frederick Holt & Co about business rates. In some cases Southwark rateable values are going to increase by 300% in April 2017. Terry was able to explain how the system worked and what one can do to appeal, if appropriate.

Looking back to the last issue of Business Today the dust was still settling on Brexit.

I am pleased to now report that generally the shockwaves have abated and whilst the vote to leave has not helped business this year, neither has it pushed us over a cliff. At a recent meeting of London Chambers of Commerce in The Bank of England the general tone was upbeat with if anything the main reservations appearing to come from The Bank itself.

Of course we have not yet left Europe and the economic outlook for 2017 is less clear than it would have been, but generally we are experiencing increased confidence, and factors like Apple taking 500,000 sq ft of space on the Southbank at Battersea, are good news for South London.

The Chamber has continued its active course of meetings with a sell-out evening diner at the Mayflower, to talk about the Mayflower leaving Rotherhithe 400 years ago come 2020. Alongside speeches from Southwark Cabinet Members for Business Johnson Situ and Paul Cowell, Robert Hulse delivered a particularly good speech in which he managed to plug Rotherhithe at least 40 times.

We had a very informative meeting on Wellbeing in business, with two excellent speakers, Diana Powley focusing on hypnotherapy and Ginette Hogan, from Southwark Council, covering stress in a workplace. We had a well attended meeting on property and rates in

Disclaimer

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4 5 6-8 9 10 13 14 16 18 22 24 25 26 29 30 31 32 33 33 34 Enquiries

Upcoming events include a networking lunch at 805 Club, a Nigerian restaurant in the Old Kent Road. This is intended to encourage the chamber to reflect the rich diversity within the borough. A Virtual Brewery tour, kindly supported by Southwark Brewing, on the evening of 14th December. For next year we have our annual winter tour of the House of Commons planned on 28th January.

This is always well attended, and as I said before may be the last one for some years since the Palace is due to close for refurbishment.

We have had a healthy intake of new members with 14 new companies joining in the last few months. Many people think the Chamber just represents small business; actually we have many big members and particularly welcome Lendlease as new members, and thank British Land for volunteering to participate more actively by sending a representative to our executive meetings.

This is the last issue being produced by my predecessor former chairman, Barry Martin, and I am sure I speak for all the Chamber in thanking him for the enormous amount of work that he had done whilst Chair, but more recently in setting up this high quality magazine. I hope he will continue to contribute his cage rattlers, even if we may have a healthy difference of opinion on some issues, that I am not going to go into now (watch next issue!).

I wish all our members Seasonal Greetings, prosperity in 2017 and look forward to seeing you then.

Southwark Business Today is mailed without charge to all Chamber members and distributed to businesses in the Borough.

All correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at Southwark Chamber of Commerce.

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Richard Kalmar

Chairman Southwark Chamber of Commerce Views expressed in publication are not necessarily those of Southwark Chamber of Commerce. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission of the Editor. © 2016.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published

Brexit Economy Up Front Education International Trade Profile Smart Energy Spotlight on Lordship Lane Up Close Women in Business Business News Voice from Westminster Business News Finance Legal Health & Wellbeing Chamber Events Last Word New Members Chamber Membership

Southwark Chamber of Commerce Southbank Technopark 90 London Road, London SE1 6LN 020 7403 9922 Email: admin@southwarkcommerce.com Web: www.SouthwarkCommerce.com

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John Dean Email: deangriss@btinternet.com

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Published

December 2016 © Benham Publishing

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Brexit

Brexit reflections, four months post-referendum Adam Marshall, Director General British Chamber of Commerce No one, least of all myself, can yet predict either the political endgame or the ultimate economic impacts of the transition that lies ahead.

Most of the pronouncements we have seen and heard so far are little more than political warning shots, with the heavy artillery and the precision weapons held in reserve for later. They may make waves in the British and international press, but until Article 50 is triggered by the end of March 2017, and the exit process is well underway, many of these positions are just speculative.

There are a number of areas that are of areas of prime importance to business.

TRADE There is universal agreement across government that Britain's future is as "a trading nation". Yet that is where the consensus ends. Many Brexiteers want a full exit from the EU customs union, eschew access to the single market, and favour the conclusion of free trade agreements with our traditional allies and the Commonwealth. Others speak more cautiously about maintaining single market access, particularly in sensitive sectors like financial services, and prioritising an in-depth agreement with the EU over free trade agreements elsewhere.

There are a number of nations who will want to do a trade deal with the UK in future - although most are careful to say that this can only take place after we leave the EU. Even where there’s a will, there is caution - which will likely keep talks informal for now.

What's most interesting is that, in this era of protectionism and conflicting interests, many also express a private belief that doing a trade deal with the UK will be easier than doing a deal with the EU, as one country is easier to reach agreement with than 27.

So there are some who believe that there is a real opportunity to increase the flows of two-way trade between the UK and a range of other countries, something that we must continue to explore. Our growing network

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Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

of British Chambers and business groups in markets around the world will be key partners in helping to seek out intelligence and opportunities in this regard.

LABOUR MARKET Of all the Brexit-related subjects we're dealing with, this is the most pressing one for many of the UK and multinational firms we speak to, and possibly the most frustrating for me. We continue to call for guarantees for existing EU workers in the UK. It's the right thing to do for our businesses, for the economy and for the individuals concerned.

Ministers, even those sympathetic to our arguments, demur. They insist on their responsibility to British citizens living elsewhere in the EU, and that formal guarantees can only be made when both issues are resolved. The issue with this “bargaining chip” approach when it comes to existing EU workers is that businesses are left with unacceptable levels of uncertainty about their workforce planning.

My present worry is a short-term crackdown on non-EU skilled workers and students - so that ministers can say they are making progress on migration. We will have to fight this as a business community, to protect both the interests of our firms and the universities and colleges that serve as anchors for many local economies and as links to many markets around the world.

REGULATION Good news here. Regulatory stability, at least in the short-to-medium term, looks to be the order of the day. Businesses around the UK, and those they trade with around the world, cite potential regulatory instability during the Brexit transition as a key concern. Ministers have, to date, sensibly spoken of maintaining regulatory equivalence for a period of time, including bringing forward a Great Repeal Bill, to transpose all existing EU law into the UK statute books before we leave the European Union.

The early talk is of making regulatory change as painless as possible - a good aspiration when compared to the long

history of burdensome, resource-sapping regulatory change that businesses have often faced.

EU FUNDING Here, the Chamber Network has already had a significant - if incomplete - win.

Following on from our protests about the impact of the potential withdrawal of EU funding for key local growth projects, research collaborations and infrastructure schemes, Chancellor Philip Hammond responded with a swift Treasury guarantee for all projects signed off by Autumn 2016.

This will keep many local projects, as well as match-funded schemes for trade with other countries, going until the end of the current parliament in 2020.

TAXATION AND CUSTOMS Indirect taxes, such as VAT, and questions of origin, are important concerns for UK companies doing business across Europe and beyond - during the Brexit transition.

While the UK itself is very likely to adopt much of the EU Union Customs Code as a point of departure, there will be opportunities to sharpen and improve some elements of this in the interests of our importing and exporting firms.

While it is still very early days, the Chambers of Commerce plan to engage at both political and technical levels to achieve a good outcome for businesses and the Chambers that support them.

The Prime Minister and her team have a real chance to craft a bespoke set of arrangements that are both advantageous to UK firms and acceptable to our trading partners in the EU and beyond.

The diverse businesses in the Chamber Network are – rightly – focused on the impact of our transition on their own business models and prospects. They expect HM Government and the Bank of England to deliver stability of markets, further clarity on the timetable for transition, and firm action on those matters that are entirely within Westminster’s gift. Calm, rational consideration is the order of the day.

Economy

Whatever happens with Brexit, start-ups will continue to flourish

Speculation over what a hard Brexit might mean for the UK is inevitably going to cause a period of economic uncertainty for British businesses, but Dragon's Den star Nick Jenkins is confident that ‘the future is bright for British business.’

Speaking in his role as judge for The Startups Awards, he scrutinised the shortlist of 52 of the UK's most promising new businesses and was confident that they will continue to adapt and flourish through the challenges of Brexit.

But what about the entrepreneurs behind these hot new start-ups? How do they anticipate Brexit affecting their businesses, and how are they adapting in preparation?

The period of uncertainty: There is an overwhelming consensus amongst Startups Awards finalists that their size can actually make them more adaptable to successfully navigate the challenges of Brexit.

"We know that we may need to make changes once the government concludes Brexit negotiations, but that's over two years away, which is a long time in the life of a startup, and far too long for us to put our plans on ice while we wait and see what happens," said Aron Gelbard, CEO and Co-founder of Bloom & Wild, shortlisted in three categories, Product, Venture-Funded and Retail Business of the Year.

Brexit also should not deter budding entrepreneurs, argues founder of digital agency Climb Online and 2014 winner of The Apprentice, Mark Wright: "If you're thinking about starting a business, stop thinking and just do it! Yes, Brexit will bring new challenges, but if you want your business to work, you will find a way of achieving success."

The importance of acting quickly and decisively is a view shared

by James Davidson, co-founder and CEO of Tails.com: "In times of change and uncertainty, small dynamic companies are often the ones who can thrive.

At tails.com, we'll make sure we are set up to make the most of Brexit by planning well, taking calculated risks and acting quickly. One of our values is ‘nimble' and I'm sure Brexit will test this."

"We are proud of our European roots," said Jas Bagniewski, CEO of finalist in 3 Startups Awards categories, eve Sleep.

"What we must do now as a business is, in the nature of any start-up, to prepare and adapt to the changing economic environment."

Freedom of movement: Perhaps the biggest concern amongst the start-ups is how Brexit might affect access to talent.

Young Entrepreneur of the Year nominee, and founder of Cornerstone, Oliver Bridge said: "Of our team of 20, eight are not UK citizens. If we're not able to pick the best people to come and work for us, we won't be as successful - it's quite simple!"

Jamie Keeble, co-founder of Heck Food, shortlisted for both Product and Venture-Funded Business of the Year awards, also supports this view: "We are one big European family and some of our team have been with us since the beginning.

While we're encouraging young people to join the business and trained up, it's important we maintain the current knowledge in the business. We don't know yet how it will affect our labour, and hope we can still get the best people out there to make our food."

Weak pound: While the weakening pound presents challenges for many, it is also providing opportunities that nimble start-ups are capitalising on.

"The weakening of the pound has fast-tracked some of our plans. Our products are now much more competitive in the

euro zone so we're pushing on export to Norway, Holland and UAE in order to get a natural hedge over the currency.

Whilst the UK will continue to be the primary market, pushing forwards on some of the export markets will be a great opportunity to start establishing our presence overseas," said Pip Murray, Founder of Pip & Nut who is shortlisted as Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Product Business of the Year and the Women in Business categories.

Oppo Ice Cream, shortlisted in the Crowdfunded and Innovative Business of the Year awards, are another start-up using their size to their advantage, as co-founder Charlie Thuillier explained: "Our attitude has always been that any challenge can and must be turned into an opportunity.

We source ingredients from across the globe. This obviously exposes us to fluctuating exchange rates: as the pound

falls our costs increase. Hedging when you're small is not a luxury we have, but it does mean we can adapt quickly."

Trade agreements: The nature of the trade agreements reached, not only with the EU, but also other trading partners, is likely to have a significant impact.

"70% of UK gin is exported, so the impact of EU trade agreements will be critical" said Will Holt, Director of Pinkster Gin, shortlisted in the Crowdfunded Business of the Year category. "We're bullish as initial export territories for Pinkster include Australia, Hong Kong and the USA. This truly international perspective bypasses any Brexit bother, allowing us to build our brand on a global scale. We'll drink to that."

For more information on the awards and a full list of the finalists, go to www.startupsawards.co.uk

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Up Front

News UK acquires Wireless Group News UK has completed its acquisition of Wireless Group.

Along with talkSPORT, the leading sports radio networkin the UK, and the recently relaunched Virgin Radio, Wireless Group is the largest local radio operator in Ireland and has a network of stations in the North West of England and Wales and two digital businesses, Tibus and Simply Zesty.

Robert Thomson, chief executive of News Corp, said: “This acquisition eloquently illustrates our belief in the United Kingdom as a place to invest and do business.

“The strength of Wireless, with its digital and international capabilities, especially in sports coverage, will help our publishing brands engage with readers and advertisers.”

Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of News UK, said: “The acquisition of Wireless Group brings together two highly complementary businesses with brands that have a track record of creating compelling content and attracting engaged and loyal audiences. It will allow us to bolster our products by sharing the best journalistic content and broadcasting talent in the industry.”

Scott Taunton, chief operating officer of Wireless Group, said: “News UK’s proven track record of investing in engaging content will significantly benefit our listeners and advertisers and the excellent strategic fit will provide great opportunities for Wireless Group employees and talent.”

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New cancer centre opens

A new £160 million Cancer Centre at Guy’s Hospital, which has been designed by patients for patients, has welcomed its first patients.

Dr Majid Kazmi, Clinical Director of Cancer Services at Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: “It is fantastic to welcome the first patients to our new Cancer Centre.

It is the culmination of more than 10 years of planning and working in partnership with our patients to create a building to transform cancer care.”

Alastair Gourlay, Cancer Centre Project Director and Director of Asset Management, Essentia at Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: “There’s a real sense of realising the Trust’s vision of creating ‘a hospital that doesn’t feel like a hospital’.

“By working with our partner organisations, we have successfully delivered the project on time and without causing disruption to either the local community or patient appointments at Guy’s.”

The new Cancer Centre at Guy’s brings together most treatment

under one roof. Previously, cancer care was provided in 13 locations in eight different buildings on the St Thomas’ and Guy’s sites.

It is the first cancer centre in Europe to provide radiotherapy treatment above ground level after patients said this would make a huge difference to them.

The new Cancer Centre at Guy’s also brings together treatment and research in an Innovation Hub. Professor Peter Parker, Head of the Division of Cancer Studies at King's College London, says: “Expanding our Experimental Medicine Programme will enable us to grow our capabilities in designing and conducting clinical trials for new treatments.

“Our vision is for the Innovation Hub to cross-fertilise ideas between researchers and clinicians so that potentially impactful discoveries can be advanced rapidly and successful

approaches for one cancer type can be tested quickly in others.”

Largely funded by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, the Cancer Centre at Guy’s was made possible by a grant of £25 million from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity and a £15 million grant awarded to King’s College London from the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund, which is managed by the Higher Education Funding Council for the Innovation Hub.

Living Wage campaign gathers pace Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced an increase in the London Living Wage from £9.40 to £9.75 per hour.

He said that another 309 employers had signed up to pay their staff the Capital’s hourly rate over the past 12 months.

That brings the total number of accredited businesses in London to 1,033 and means that London accounts for more than one third of businesses paying the Living Wage in the United Kingdom.

Since 2011 the London Living Wage has increased by 17.5 per cent and more than 60,000 workers in the Capital have benefited.

The Mayor said: “Our economy continues to grow and for the first time in London’s history we now have over one million

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

businesses based here. It’s essential that hard-working Londoners, who keep this city going, are rewarded for their integral role in this success.”

Southwark Council is promoting the Living Wage.

The council has paid all its employees, including contractors, the London Living Wage since 2012 and supports local businesses, both large and small, to follow its example.

Earlier this year, the council brought together key voices in the Living Wage debate in London for a Living Wage symposium at the House of Commons. More than 50 people attended, ranging from employers, business groups, local government, trade unions, community groups, charities and think tanks, to debate some of the key issues around the Living Wage.

They concluded that there are benefits for employers who pay a real living wage, including improved quality of work from employees, positive customer perceptions, lower absenteeism and a better quality of candidates for jobs.

Cllr Johnson Situ, Cabinet Member for Business, Employment and Culture, said: "Southwark is a trailblazer when it comes to the living wage and, from working with local businesses, we know what a challenge it can be for others to follow suit.

However, the benefits that can come from simply offering a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work are there to see for companies that offer London Living Wage including more committed and motivated staff and a higher quality of work."

Up Front

Bridge overview and update

Produced in collaboration by reForm Architects and Elliott Wood engineers, the concept design for the Rotherhithe Bridge, or ‘Boomerang Bridge’ as it is popularly known, started life as an idea on how to improve connectivity for a borough poorly served by public transport.

It was, it transpired, also an idea shared by Sustrans, which in June 2015, asked reForm and Elliott Wood to assist them in identifying the feasibility of a Thames pedestrian and cycling bridge, connecting Canary Wharf and Rotherhithe.

The team examined the numerous technical challenges involved in constructing and operating a bridge in this location, using its pre-existing design as a means to test whether these could be met and, in doing so, prove that it could be delivered. The unique design involves the largest

span for an opening ‘bascule’ bridge in the world. It would be the first opening bridge to be built on the Thames since Tower Bridge in 1894 and the first ever dedicated pedestrian and cycle bridge to cross the river. The design was prepared in consultation with Transport for London (TfL), London Underground, the Port of London Authority and the Canal & River Trust.

Analysis by Sustrans has predicted that by 2020, there would be approximately 2.1 million bicycle journeys each year or 10,500 per day across the bridge and more than 1 million by foot.

The good news is that Sadiq Khan is a supporter, confirming in October that plans for the bridge were to be accelerated, followed by the launch by TfL of a market engagement exercise, designed to help determine a ‘cost effective solution’ and inform its approach to the delivery of a crossing.

Competitive procurement is due to start in March 2017 with the Mayor proposing that, subject to funding, availability of land and relevant approvals, the new bridge could be open by as soon as 2020.

Elliott Wood and reForm Architects are continuing to bang the drum for the Rotherhithe Bridge, meeting community groups on either side of the river, keen to know more about their design, and private investors and companies that could potentially help fund its development.

For more information, please contact Robert Pine at Robert@ing-media.com

Housebuilding continues apace

Despite uneasy economic times, Southwark Council has seen no stall in construction, with 227 new homes completed since the summer.

The most recent wave of completions will contribute to the council’s target to build 11,000 new council homes by 2043 and 1,500 by 2018.

All the new homes will be 50% local lettings, meaning local residents in housing need can bid for them.

What was formally known as the Masterman House site on Elmington Estate has now been named Piper Court after the local artist John Piper. The site, in Camberwell, which was designed by PRP Architects, comprises 25 units – 15 council homes, one intermediate rent and nine private to help pay for

the scheme and to ensure the council homes can be let at target rent.

In the north of the borough, in Long Lane (Villiers Court), underused pieces of land and old council buildings have made way for 21 new council homes and one commercial unit, all designed by Levitt Bernstein. The homes will be included in successful Tenant Managed Organisation Leathermarket JMB, allowing new residents to effectively self-manage.

In Surrey Docks, on Fisher Close, the first block of eight council rent units completed in May and the second block of

15 have finished. Ten shared ownership homes were handed over for sale in September.

In the south of the borough, soon to be completed are new homes on Cator Street in Peckham, designed by PRP Architects and now called Tayo Situ House after the late Mayor of Southwark who passed away in 2011. This will include 42 extra care homes.

In East Dulwich Estate, nine more social homes at Gatebeck House and Southdown (ten council, eight shared ownership), both designed

by Bailey Garner, will complete by the end of the year.

Football ground deal agreed Southwark Council has announced that Millwall Community Trust have been appointed to manage the new football ground at St Paul’s Sports Ground, Salter Road.

The recently completed facility, which has undergone a £1m investment programme since planning permission was agreed in 2014, has also become the new home of local football team Fisher FC – who played their first home game at the site last month.

Dan Feeney, Interim Co-Chairman of Fisher FC, said: "We look forward to developing the natural synergies we already share with Millwall Community Trust to ensure that Fisher FC and St Paul's Stadium become the true community assets which we have always worked towards."

The project has been funded through the council’s Section 106 planning agreements with Fairview homes, as well the Southwark Council’s Legacy Fund.

The project, in partnership with property developer Fairview homes and Fisher FC, also received input from Kings College, Sport England, and London Football Association.

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Up Front

Cage Rattlers Letters from members •••

London Bridge Restructuring

Royal Opening of the Brunel Museum Rotherhithe Grand Entrance Hall HRH Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, officially opened the refurbished Grand Entrance Hall of the Brunel Museum in Rotherhithe on the anniversary of the first Tunnel Banquet.

- for better or worse?

Probably unfair to criticize before the completion in 2018, but hopefully a nudge on the shortcomings as seen now, may lead to some improvements.

A forecourt the size of Wembley Stadium - Yes a massive forecourt but why? There is nothing there, not even a chair to sit on for those who are frail and cannot walk far without resting, or those waiting to meet someone.

A big empty hanger, cold and dismal with little comforts. Where are the Food and Drink outlets and bars like they have at other large stations and airport terminals.

And where are the retail outlets?

We understood that the development was to be a shopping centre as well as the Station.

The departure/arrival boards are in the wrong places, nowhere near the entry barriers.

Try and read the electronic departure board for platform 6 and 7 from the ticket barriers - you need a pair of binoculars unless you go through the payment side of the barriers!

The Escalators and lifts spew passengers onto one area dangerously close together on the most narrow part of the Platforms causing serious overcrowding. Getting off the escalator at busy times is a nightmare with crowds in front of you so that you cannot step off onto the platform.

An accident waiting to happen.

They are still switching trains from Pl. 7 to Pl. 8 at the last minute. A mad dash reduced to a crawl, back down the escalators and up the next escalators with everyone else who is trying to catch the train – only to miss it while you battle down the escalator, across a busy throng of people and then up another escalator!

The Taxi drop off and pick-up area is still a mess and no sign in the plans of any improvement.

And the worst sin, no bar anywhere for that one for the road, or when you missed the train due to last minute platform changes,no more congenial chats with your fellow passengers.

The London Bridge Station restructuring closed down 6 bars and have been replaced by NONE! Bring back the Oast House.

The twin Bore tunnel joined Rotherhithe to Wapping.

When opened in 1843 the Thames Tunnel was described as the 8th Wonder of the World and people came from far and wide to see the first tunnel under river.

On the first day it opened to the public 50,000 descended the staircase and paid a penny to walk through the tunnel.

By the end of the first three months this had risen to risen

Barry Martin

What’s rattling your cage?

Write and let us know

Email at admin@southwarkcommerce.com

The opinions expressed here represent those of the individual and not those of Southwark Chamber of Commerce or Benham Publishing.

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Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

to one million. In the age of horse drawn coaches people came from all over the world, bought souvenirs and listened to the entertainers in the cross tunnels between the two main tunnels. The port of London was the busiest port in the word at this time and there were up to three thousand tall masted ships on the river every day, the original idea was for the tunnel to move cargo across the river without interfering with the passage of this shipping up and down the river.

No one had had tunnelled under a river before Marc Brunel, who had invented the Miners’ Cage tunnelling shield, started to dig the tunnel in 1925, but the work proved to be very dangerous and the workmen could only work in four hour shifts and suffered from being showered by raw sewage and flames from ignited methane gas.

The Tunnel flooded five times during its construction and in the worst flood six men drowned and Isambard Kingdom Brunel Marc’s son a teenager at that time barely escaped with his life.

By the time the tunnel finally opened Brunel could not afford to build the ramps to get the cargo into the Tunnel on horse drawn carts and so it was opened for pedestrians only.

The Tunnel was bought by the East London Railway Company in 1865 and started operating as a railway in 1869, pulled by steam engines. It was electrified in 1913 and became part of the London Underground between Rotherhithe and Wapping until the 1970’s and is now part of the London Overground network.

The Thames Tunnel was an engineering success, but a financial failure for its investors, having cost £454,000 to build and £180,000 to fit out, but is an example of the rich history we have in Southwark.

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Being one of the leading laundry service providers, we know our customers’ mindset.

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So, we have an array of services to make things easy

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partnership between us.

You can drop your clothes and collect them from our locker in your apartment.

The way the clothes are carefully cleaned, folded and packaged shows the painstaking way in which our efficient cleaners tend to wow you.

Most importantly, the services are affordable and don’t pinch your pocket as we charge reasonable rates.

Education

Winning recognition for our local College - from the student voice There’s nothing more honest than student reviews to assess the performance of a College!

On 24th November, at the first LOOP awards, our local college – Lewisham Southwark College - walked away with one win, and three shortlisted awards.

The College, which has been a partner of LOOP, the student-led ratings and review website, since it was set up in 2014, was shortlisted for awards in Practical Learning, Support, Safety, Careers Advice, Teaching Quality and College Life.

Colleges are shortlisted based on reviews and ratings, and

winners then decided by a student judging panel.

The LOOP Awards are aimed at celebrating institutions that are raising standards in education through high quality student feedback. Since the launch of LOOP, over 10,000 students have given their views and helped drive forward over 500 educational improvements.

Jayne Morgan, Director of Quality and Improvement at the College, says: “We’re so proud to have won awards as voted by our students! We’ve been

involved in LOOP from the start of this exciting and innovative project which students and the college have benefited from.

LOOP training upskills students, makes them partners in improvement and gives the college valuable insights into their experience.”

This adds to awards won by the College this year including Training Provider of the Year from Creative & Cultural Skills, Gold Status with Smart Assessor, winner of the HE category for the AJ Retrofit Awards for the Southwark

campus, and the first college in London to have its student run restaurant given an AA Rosette Award.

The new £41million campus on The Cut is now complete, and the College will soon have an official launch – where all local businesses will be welcomed to see the impressive new facilities. The campus will be opened up to Southwark businesses for a wide range of activities in 2017 – making sure it works with and for the needs of local people and businesses.

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International

Trading with India

By Kevin McCole, Chief Operating Officer at UK India Business Council

The UK and India’s “current trading relationship is strong but, more importantly, there is so much future potential”. These were the words of the UK’s International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox MP, on a visit to India in late August.

The fact that Prime Minister Theresa May chose India as her first non-EU bilateral trip, highlights the renewed focus on the importance of this economic relationship.

As the UK sets about exploring new trading partnerships with

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the rest of the world, it will be starting from a position of strength with India.

The UK has long been the largest G20 investor in India, with over 500 British businesses employing almost 700,000 people in India, with

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

an estimated total revenue of US$54 billion. India is the third largest investor in the UK, while Indian companies invest more in the UK than the rest of the EU combined.

In addition to this, more than 800 Indian companies currently operate in the UK,

employing more than 110,000 people,a Grant Thornton report has shown.

Additionally, with the increasingly positive momentum in the Indian economy there will be continued growth in UK exports to India.

International

Setting up in India

“The UK has long been the largest G20 investor in India, with over 500 British businesses employing almost 700,000 people in India, with an estimated total revenue of US$54 billion.”

The current landscape UK-India bilateral trade grew by 170% between 2004 and 2014. Yet, India’s overall trade grew by 800% in the same period.

So it would appear that the UK and India should be trading more.

In 2015-16, the UK was just India’s 12th largest trading partner. India trades more with Indonesia, Germany and Japan, than with the UK. Plus, despite the UK being the second largest exporter of services in the world and India having the

second fastest growing services sector with a CAGR of 9%, UK-India services trade is disappointingly low.

In 2014, the UK imported over 10 times more services from the US than it did from India, and the UK’s service exports to India makes up just 7% of its total service exports to Asia.

Why India?

For UK companies, India is increasingly open to FDI and it is moving up the ease of doing business rankings. It offers great potential and an improving

regulatory regime, as has been seen with the gradual relaxation of FDI regulations and import duties in the last decade.

Just as importantly, there is a rising demand for UK goods, services, technology, and know-how to help achieve the goals set out in programmes such as Make in India, Digital India, Skill India and Swachh Bharat.

And there are several areas where more bilateral trade and investment can bring near term benefits to both countries.

Cont on next page

India can be a complex market. Here are our top tips for succeeding there: 1. Thorough research is a must.

You have to do your homework.

2. Spend time in India.

India is big and complex - make sure you pick the eighth region, taking a methodical approach to assess partners and locations against your key criteria.

3. Be flexible and adapt.

Your business model may not translate to the Indian market the way you expect.

Don't be put off by this. Adapt and siege opportunities.

4. Pick the right partner.

This may seem like vague advice, but it easy to get this wrong. Don't rush into a deal and make use of your contacts to do due diligence.

5. Understand the business culture.

Keep in mind that India moves at a difference pace to the UK - sometimes faster, sometimes slower. It is not one country. Be aware of the cultural diversity and don’t make assumptions or generalisations 6. Hire good local staff.

Utilise the skills and expertise in India.

7. Take advice from objective experts.

You don't have to go it alone. The UKIBC and other organisations have the expertise and knowledge to help you succeed in India.

8. Take a long term view of the market, persevere and commit.

Those that have a long term plan are more likely to succeed.

9. Hierarchy plays a key role.

Decisions are made at the highest level and roles are well defined.

10. Build Relationships.

Indians place great value on relationships: take the time to develop contacts and relationships.

If you are interested in making the most of the great opportunities available in India, please speak to one of our advisors by calling 0800 0196 176 or +44 (0) 207 592 3851 or contact enquiries@ukibc.com and start your Indian business development journey today.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

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International

India paves the way for stronger links with UK businesses Written by Siddharth Mukne,

Regional Business Advisor, UK India Business Council

Prime Minister Theresa May made her first visit to India recently, a visit that shows that the country is viewed as a strategically high priority for the UK following the Brexit referendum.

Cont from previous page

With over 1.3 billion people, of whom over 600 million are under the age of 24, India is currently the country with the biggest youth population in the world.

This represents a large portion of society joining the workforce in coming years.

Rising income levels and the change in consumer choices are creating a greater demand for white goods, cars, mobile phones, leisure items, travel, and Western fashion and beauty brands. India matters, with millions of affluent people and a growing middle-class, presenting significant opportunities for UK businesses.

In addition to growing consumer demand and favourable demographics, India continues to offer investors a cost advantage, with costs of manufacturing, land and labour much lower than those in Western countries.

There can be no doubting that India is the UK’s key post-Brexit opportunity. With both governments focused on making this relationship, in Prime Minister Modi’s words, truly “unbeatable,” there has never been a better time to do business in India.

“India matters, with millions of affluent people and a growing middleclass, presenting significant opportunities for UK businesses.”

UK and India have longstanding economic relations and powerful investment ties; the UK has been the largest G20 investor in India and India is the third largest investor in the UK, Indian companies invest more in the UK than the rest of the EU combined.

Following the Brexit referendum, the UK Government says that the relationship needs to be strengthened more than before.

Prime Minister Modi has already taken the initiative in making it easier to do business with India with the country’s government taking significant steps towards cutting red tape, reducing corruption, liberalising various sectors and announcing various programmes like ‘Make in India’ to boost the country’s economy.

Since Mr Modi came into power in May 2014, the Indian economy has accelerated past China with an annual growth at 7.5% and is leading the league of foreign direct investment (FDI).

Lower inflation, lower interest rates and egovernment programmes, together with a new bankruptcy law, have all helped to boost business

and consumer confidence.

The Indian government has given more autonomy to state government to boost co-operative federalism.

The Indian government has also announced an introduction of the growthboosting ‘Goods and Services Tax’ (GST) in April 2017.

This is a major step towards creating a single market across 29 states in India. GST will abolish all invariable taxation and remove tax complication across the country. In another recent development, Prime Minister Modi took a bold decision to demonetise Rs.1000 & Rs.500 notes and crack down on the black money market.

This decision was followed by the Prime Minister’s People Money Scheme for Financial Inclusion in affordable manner to encourage people for legal transactions.

At the same time, he is addressing internal issues by announcing various campaigns. The announcement of major projects like 100 SMART cities across India, DelhiMumbai industrial corridor and many more initiatives creates huge opportunity for UK businesses across different sectors.

UK India Business Council (UKIBC) is the premier business-led organisation promoting bilateral trade and investment between the two countries. Its mission is to facilitate an increase in trade between the UK and India through business to business dialogue.

UKIBC plays an influential role in creating and sustaining an environment in which free-trade and investment flourishes. Through the facilitation of partnerships, and with an extensive network of influential corporate and individual members, UKIBC provides the resource, knowledge and infrastructure support vital for UK companies to make the most of emerging opportunities in India.

For more information please visit www.UKIBC.com and follow @UKIBC on Twitter.

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Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

Profile

Successful businessman seeks to help young entrepreneurs A well-respected Southwark businessman is using his extensive experience to help young people in the area launch their own businesses.

Sunil Chopra ran his own business in Rye Lane, Peckham, for nearly 35 years, selling clothing, prams, pushchairs, cots, toys and other nursery goods.

He was the first independent retailers in Rye Lane selling nursery goods and also worked importing and exporting nursery goods.

The First Indian Councillor in Southwark and the First Indian Mayor, as well as a patron of the Bede and UK Asian Business Council, he said: “For more than 34 years I ran a successful business. While running this business I had to travel to various countries,

including China, Taiwan, Thailand, Poland, Germany, US and South America, to source, negotiate and import goods to comply with British standard.

“Being a businessman I had to recruit various staff members to support my business and to be able to make it successful.

“I am trying to use that experience to help and mentor young people to start their business and build their confidence.

“I am an innovative thinker and have a knack for developing creative solutions.

I have a compassionate nature and specialise in community service, with years of experience in human

resources, education and being an entrepreneur.

“I have excellent administration and leaderships skills, particularly in programme implementation and management. I am involved in providing community support to various groups and forums in our borough. “ Sunil, who is also one of the founder Trustee of Southwark Hindu Centre and is now the President, works hard to celebrate the diversity of the area.

He said: “I recognise the value of events to bring various communities together.

We meet once a month at Red Post Hill Church.

Activities include Yoga, talks on how to live active and healthy and musical programmes then we serve Indian vegetarian meals to all the guests.

“We do get lots of Indian senior citizens to our function.

It give them chance to come out, share their problems and issues and gives them opportunity to meet many people.

“It is all self-funded. People from different faith and paths of life come to our events.”

If you would like Sunil to help your business, you can contact him on 07930343360 or email kinderworld@hotmail.com

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Claire Maugham, director of policy and communications at Smart Energy GB, explains what the rollout of smart meters means for small businesses in Great Britain and why you should be asking your supplier for one.

Getting a grip on your energy If I asked what your business’s monthly energy bill was the chances are you’d reply, “I have no idea.”

Most small businesses could tell you how much the lease costs for the shop or store they operate from, and how much they spend on employees’ salaries.

When it comes to energy however, many do not have the accurate information they need to understand exactly how much it is costing them to keep the lights on and stay trading, despite the fact that energy bills form such a significant chunk of the average small firm’s total expenses.

Indeed for small retailers and suppliers, the cost of energy is one of the biggest concerns when operating a business, with Citizens Advice reporting that nearly half (46%) of small business owners cite mains electricity as their most significant worry.

But while energy costs are seen as an issue, engagement among small businesses remains low. The CMA’s landmark investigation into the energy industry found that nearly half (45%) of microbusinesses were still on the default electricity tariff that their provider had set them up on.

Energy bills are daunting for small businesses. Searching around for the best deal armed with estimated bills can prove complex and confusing. But there is now a significant development that means small businesses can finally take control of their energy use.

The government has said that energy suppliers must offer small businesses, (with fewer than ten full time employees) along with every household in Great Britain, a smart meter by 2020. Smart meters will mean an end to this system of estimated billing, which is a symptom of an analogue energy network.

Instead of relying on estimates or manual meter readings, smart meters will communicate usage data to your energy supplier directly and digitally.

This means your supplier will have more accurate, up to date information and therefore you will get more accurate bills. There will no longer be any need to worry about meter readings (which will be consigned to history) and no need to worry that you’re paying too much. And the fear of a bill will be greatly reduced as you can see how much you are spending in pounds and pence.

The result for small businesses will be less confusion and fewer questions when the bill comes through the letterbox.

The overall benefits small businesses can expect to realise as a result of the rollout of smart meters are about £1.44bn.

Smart Energy GB is the national campaign for the smart meter rollout.

It is our job to communicate with small businesses and householders, across the country about smart meters, helping them to understand how smart meters can benefit them.

If you would like more information about smart meters go to smartenergygb.org.

Energy Doctor prescribes smart meters for small businesses Small businesses can get their energy health in check with the help of a smart meter.

This is the message from Dr. Paul Swift, an energy consultant from the Carbon Trust.

Many small businesses struggle to keep track of how much they spend on energy, and which equipment or activities are causing unnecessary waste.

Dr. Paul has created an energy health checklist to help microbusinesses get on the road to energy health. (See below) Dr. Paul Swift has helped businesses around the world save energy. He said: “When you have the right information and you pay attention to it, it’s simple to find ways to take control of your energy use. Many microbusinesses feel they can’t make energy efficiencies, because they think they have to invest lots of money into new equipment to make a dent.

“But with the help of a smart meter, it’s easy to identify what is using the most energy, at what times, and take action - big or small - to cut down. Every penny saved on energy is a penny saved on the bottom line.”

The Energy Doctor’s energy health checklist for microbusinesses

1. How much are you spending?

• Speak to your supplier about getting a smart meter 2. What’s using the most energy?

• Identify the energy hogs – a smart meter and plug-in watt meters will help 3. Have you got your timings right?

• Switch high wattage items on later, or turn them off earlier. Use plug in timers so you don’t forget 4. Do you need new equipment?

• Decide how long you’re prepared to wait for new kit to pay for itself. Check the Carbon Trust’s Green Business Directory of accredited suppliers and look into specialist energy efficiency financing 5. Are your staff on board?

• Focus on the changes that save the most. And don’t preach 6. Can you stop heat (and money) from escaping?

• Check for drafts. Insulate lofts and walls and add foam strips and brush fixings to doors and windows

Why switching to a smart meter makes sense

Smart meters are going to transform the way that businesses buy and use their gas and electricity – and anyone in any doubt should ask the team at London law firm SW19Lawyers LLP about the benefits they have seen since making the move to the new technology.

SW19Lawyers LLP provides advice on employment and commercial law issues to both individuals and a wide range of businesses. The firm became part of the national rollout of smart meters when they had theirs installed, and the decision has proved itself a great success.

Belinda Eriksson, a founding partner of SW19Lawyers LLP, said the move was simple to make. She said: “Changing over was very easy. Our energy supplier arranged an appointment to replace their previous meter with a smart meter. We can log into our account to access accurate consumption data to aid in cutting usage where possible.”

There are many advantages to having smart meters, not least the way they provide domestic consumers and business owners with accurate bills.

No nasty surprises!

The accuracy of smart meters helps you see what you are spending on gas and electricity in pounds and pence, in near real time, allowing greater control over usage. You can work out which appliances are guzzling the most energy.

With accurate readings and bills, there is no longer the confusion of estimated bills which make it difficult to work out usage properly.

Belinda said: “SW19Lawyers LLP receives accurate bills without estimations or having to provide readings. The firm has saved 18% to date on our bills in 2016 compared to last year. “ Such savings are easy to make with a smart meter. Many small businesses across the country who have made the switch to smart meters are also finding the potential cost savings an added bonus to claiming their meters. By being able to monitor how, where and when

their energy usage is at its most, they are able to adjust their working methods and save money.

As users are better informed, there is also a huge knock-on benefit for the environment because a greater awareness of energy usage tends to encourage more efficient energy use.

As smart meters mean no more estimated bills, you only pay for the gas and electricity that you actually use. Through better understanding of accurate usage, savings are easy to make while also benefiting the environment.

Between now and 2020, many small businesses across England, Scotland and Wales will be able to claim their smart meter from their energy supplier.

Indeed, more than 4 million smart meters have already been installed in GB homes and businesses.

Increasing numbers of people are agreeing that the move makes sense and smart meters are rapidly replacing the traditional meters that most of us still have in our homes and businesses in an upgrade that is unprecedented in its scale as it rolls out nationwide.

To find out how you can get a smart meter from your energy supplier, please visit smartenergyGB.org/smallbusinesses

“Between now and 2020, many small businesses across England, Scotland and Wales will be able to claim their smart meter from their energy supplier.”

Spotlight on ...

Preserving the character Lordship Lane is one of those places that remind us what shopping areas should be in a world dominated by international conglomerates and retail chains. Much work is under way to ensure that it stays that way.

Among council initiatives has been Fantasy High Streets, an art trail in shop windows and within high street business premises in Lordship Lane.

The project was supported by the Big Lottery and the Arts Council as well as Southwark Council’s High Street Challenge, funding that aims to increase footfall and spend in Southwark’s high streets and town centres through helping inspiring and innovative projects.

Fantasy High Streets supported local businesses with advice and training to increase their appeal to customers.

The overriding theme for the area is the personal touch and the popular and distinctive town centre is blessed with many independent operators and a range of shops along with cafes, bars and restaurants.

A number of organisations, including Southwark Council, are working with the local community to further improve the area, based not on new

16

development but more on preserving and supporting the unique quality of what is already there.

The work forms part of a council strategy for East Dulwich, a pleasant and popular place to live where local residents have good access to local shops along Northcross Road and Grove Vale and a wider variety on Lordship Lane.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

The art trail included a family fun weekend to engage new customers and promote Lordship Lane as a ‘go to’ cultural location with a broader pool of visitors plus live performances and workshop activities to animate the street.

Walk round Lordship Lane today and you will find that a lot of the qualities that have characterised its history have survived – personal service, a friendly approach and distinctive surroundings.

Remembering when East Dulwich was a village in Surrey

by Ken Hayes Honorary Secretary

East Dulwich was transformed from fields and market gardens to Victorian suburbs by the arrival of the London Chatham and Dover Railway in 1863 to Lordship Lane Station which opened in 1865, on the branch line to Crystal Palace.

East Dulwich was a rural area of Surrey up until this time and was originally part of the Parish of St Giles Camberwell, a Surrey County Council Parish Council, which was one of the Parish Councils that came together to form the metropolitan Borough of Camberwell in 1900 and in 1965 joined with the Metropolitan Boroughs of Bermondsey and Southwark to form what is now the London Borough of Southwark.

Lordship Lane is the oldest street in East Dulwich, which was developed on land owned

Spotlight on ...

of Lordship Lane “Walk round Lordship Lane today and you will find that a lot of the qualities that have characterised its history have survived – personal service, a friendly approach and distinctive surroundings.”

by Alleyn’s College between 1865 and 1885 and there were 5,000 houses built between 1871 and 1881.

St John’s Church Goose Green was built in 1865 in open fields by the village Green.

In 1885 Horse-drawn Trams arrived in East Dulwich, which were electrified in 1906.

There is a very historic house at 549 Lordship Lane, the so called Concrete House, which was built by Charles Drake of the Patent Concrete Building

Company in 1873. He had patented this non-traditional building method in 1867, which used iron panels instead of the traditional timber shuttering.

By the 1980’s it was vacant and although it was Grade II listed, had fallen into major disrepair. It was put on the Heritage at Risk Register from 1990 until 2013 when it was successfully restored and turned into five housing association flats.

Another historic house is 352 Lordship Lane, where In 1897 Enid Blyton, author of the children’s books, Noddy, the Famous Five, the Secret Seven and the Adventure series of books, to name but a few, was born.

The house now has a blue plaque in her memory.

Another more recent resident of the area was ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

In the second half of the 19th century Lordship Lane developed into a thriving ‘High Street’ business location as the area developed and today it still has a thriving small business community of Shops, Bars, Restaurants, Coffee shops, Butcher’s shops etcetera, in spite of the growth of out of town shopping centres and on line shopping.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

17

Up Close

“William Rose, an independent, family-owned butchers, was founded in Vauxhall in 1862 and moved to East Dulwich in August 2005.”

Early start in one of London’s oldest butchers Few working days start as early as that of David Isaacs, the Managing Director of one of the oldest butchers in London.

For David, who heads up the team at William Rose in Lordship Lane, the day begins at 4am at Smithfield Market where he talks to his suppliers.

He said: “The first couple of hours are spent checking with our suppliers on what will be coming that day.

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“Most of our meat is pre-ordered but we still check what is coming. Among our customers are schools and restaurants so we like to make sure that we can fulfil their orders.

“After leaving Smithfield, I am normally in the shop by 6am ready for it to open at 8am.

“We use those two hours to make sure that the window display is right. The display changes with the seasons and during Autumn/Winter it is based on game including game, venision and partridge.

It can take several people to make sure that we have got it just right. The shop opens from 8am and it is busy pretty much from the off.”

That is because the business has had more than one hundred and fifty years to develop its offer.

William Rose, an independent, family-owned butchers, was

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

founded in Vauxhall in 1862 and moved to East Dulwich in August 2005.

Since making the move, it has continued to develop a loyal customer-base. The shop and its expert team offer customers the highest quality specialist meats and complementary products and stocks many rare breeds such as Longhorn and Red Poll beef, as well as Blythburgh free range pork and salt marsh lamb.

The Saturday queues demonstrate customers’ confidence in the quality and value they provide and The Carnivore Club is run to help customers to make the best of the meat they buy, giving them knife skills and the

confidence to tackle more complex challenges at home.

David, who is now part-time and works in the shop on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and does his administrative work on Wednesdays, said: “I am involved in everything when I am in the shop.

“I am everything from chief bottlewasher and salesman to working on the counter meeting our customers.

“My working day tends to finish at 3pm but I do not go home to catch up on my sleep.

My bedtime tends to be 10pm.

After 46 years of doing the job my body has developed a pattern to cope with the early starts!”

You can find out more about the shop at www.williamrosebutchers.co.uk/media/ You can contact them or make an order on 020 8693 9191 or 07525 590947 (between 8am - 5.30pm)

Print Solutions

Your local single source office provider “Our business is built on trust”

Chamber member Copytech Group provide a single point for all of your office requirements. Someone who can be relied on. Dealing with a locally based business is more convenient, friendlier and greener.

Kevin Kelleher – Sales Director at Copytech in SE1 has been in the business of supplying and supporting office printers and copiers for more than 3 decades.

We’ve been around for over 30 years, 28 of them at our current location in SE1.

People trust us to give them good advice and a straightforward deal, competitive pricing and equipment that does what it says on the tin and more to the point does what our customers need it to do.

Over the years the business has built on its core offerings and evolved to become a single source provider or “one stop shop” providing almost anything businesses need from printers and copiers to Business printing, office furniture and general stationery.

Regardless of the product category we’re often told that customers find salespeople in this industry to be overly aggressive and that it is difficult to navigate the competing claims as to which brand has

the best quality, greatest reliability or lowest cost of ownership. What stands out it that there is a lack of trust.

At Copytech we like to think we do things differently. We take a much longer view than the average and look to develop sustainable relationships with our customers.

What this means in practice is that our business is built on trust.

Every time we do business with a new or existing customer it needs to be a “win win”. It's got to be good for the customer every time – because that’s what makes customers come back time after time.

Unlike many companies in this business Copytech has an enviable reputation for employee retention with the average member of staff having been with the company for more than 10 years.

We don’t employ here today gone tomorrow salespeople in the pursuit of growth. It’s all about continuity and great customer service.

And if you have straightforward needs for copying , printing and scanning our new quotation engine website enables customers to specify their machine/s of choice, compare them and generate an instant easy to understand quote.

Of course, if your needs are more complicated, or you just need good old fashioned advice, we are there to help.

Everything from air-print to auto-storing of scanned documents to a fully managed print service.

And you shouldn’t overlook the advantage of dealing with a local supplier. If things go wrong, we can be on site within an hour.

Run out of paper? We’re only down the road. Lost a toner - no problem.

And if you have a special job that you can’t do in house, then we can do it for you.

Copytech, your Managed Print Partner Copytech 59 - 61 Old Kent Road, London SE1 4RF

0800 163 785

www.copytechgroup.co.uk

sales@copytechgroup.co.uk Proud members of the Southwark Chamber of Commerce

Copytech have been providing printers, copiers and multifunctionals locally and across London and the South East for over 30 years.

As an independent dealer sourcing products form many of the world's leading brands we offer a single source for all of your print requirements from copiers, scanners and printers to Business Print and supplies.

• Copiers, printers and multifunctionals • Document solutions • Business print • Office furniture • Stationery and supplies

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

19

Women in Business

Successful Business Women in Southwark This issue we talk to three businesswomen who make a difference in their field

How being light on their feet helps publisher thrive Thirty one years later, with a backlist of a thousand titles, it is still a family firm, producing one hundred and fifty new books a year and has grown from a business employing two people to one with 45 staff.

Key to its success, according to managing director Lesley, is an adherence to quality and an ability to be much lighter on their feet than more cumbersome larger rivals.

Lesley O’Mara Michael O’Mara Books In a competitive publishing world dominated by conglomerates, independent companies have to work hard for their success and that is exactly what Michael O’Mara Books have done for more than three decades.

Created by husband and wife Michael and Lesley O’Mara, the company published its first book in July 1985.

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She said: “We had both been working in the industry for large companies and were frustrated at the way that they kept on making what we saw as the wrong decisions, so we decided to do it ourselves and set up the company.

“One of the reasons for our success is that we can move quickly if we need to. The big companies need a year’s leadin time to publish a book but our first publication, Alastair Burnet’s biography of the Queen Mother, entitled The ITN Book of the Queen Mother, was published a month after it was commissioned in 1985 and topped The Sunday Times bestseller list.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

“We also received an entry in the Guinness Book of Records for the quickest publication of a book when Sarah Ferguson got married on the Wednesday and we had a book out on the Saturday.

“To survive as an independent publisher you have to be light on your feet and you also have to be very commercial.

“There is a real excitement in discovering a new talent or trend but we will not publish a book which would only sell a couple of thousand. We are always commercial in our thinking.”

The company also has a strong adherence to quality, which led to it starting one of the current publishing crazes, adult colouring books.

Lesley said: “We noted that some parents were keeping our colouring books for children for themselves because they were of such high quality so we started publishing colouring books specifically for adults.

“We claim that we started the fashion. Our first one came out in 2012 and they proved very popular. We had similar success when we started publishing

Sudoko books. It is about spotting opportunities.

“Surviving as an independent publisher is a challenge. For example, we could have done without the Brexit vote. We print a lot of our books abroad and fifty per cent of our titles go for export so the thought that we may be about to go back into recession and that trading with Europe will be more difficult is worrying.”

Closer to home, Lesley is also a patron and trustee of Link Age Southwark, (linkagesouthwark.org) a charity providing friendly volunteer support to more than 600 isolated, older people in the area. They help older people stay connected with their communities, alleviating loneliness, improving health and wellbeing and making communities stronger through volunteering.

Lesley said: “The charity offers such a valuable service to older people and I would like to pay tribute to all the Southwark businesses that have offered us such amazing support.

And we are always looking for more volunteers.”

Women in Business

Why it’s good to talk

Rebekah Paczek Snapdragon Consulting

Never has there been a greater need for companies and public sector organisations to consult communities on the big decisions that affect people’s lives.

In an age of mass communication, people expect their views to be taken into account, which is why the work of fast-growing Snapdragon Consulting is so much in demand.

The business, which brings together organisations and communities on projects including business developments and housebuilding schemes, was founded in 2010 by Rebekah Paczek after a number of years working in the property, planning, SME and skills sectors.

She and her team help clients ranging from private developers to public sector organisations to communicate their intentions to communities.

According to Rebekah, it makes sense to establish good relationships right from the

beginning of a project so that communities and decisionmakers can find common ground.

She said: “People expect their voice to be heard. They do not expect a developer to announce that it is going to launch a big project then go quiet and three weeks later submit a planning application.

“In the days before social media, developers would perhaps have an article in the Press and send out a letter but the way people communicate has changed. Social media has raised people’s awareness of their rights and if they make a comment on social media they expect a reply, if not immediately then at least within a day or so.

“We advise our clients to develop relationships early on in the process.

People may have concerns about a development and we believe that the process works better if they talk to each other from the beginning.

“We also advise clients on the quiet periods that occur in every project. There will be times when companies have nothing to say but we advise them to keep communicating otherwise people think they are not being consulted.”

The 12-strong team is increasingly in demand for the way they communicate details of projects, foster relationships and keep communities and local politicians informed.

Rebekah said: “When I started the business in 2010, there was just me. Now there are twelve of us and we are very busy.”

Great customer service in London’s bankside

For Frederique Suffisseau, her recently-created job is all about making sure that customers to the hotels which she represents enjoy the very best customer service possible.

Frederique is Account Development Executive for hotel group Accor, with her responsibility being the Novotel London Blackfriars, Novotel London City South, Novotel

London Waterloo, Mercure London Bridge, Ibis London Blackfriars and Ibis Styles Southwark - Borough Market.

She started her working life in France in 1999 and underwent a two-year apprenticeship with the group before coming over to the UK where she has worked in a variety of the company’s hotels.

Her key task is to help encourage more clients to use

these hotel in the heart of London’s bankside area.

She said: “I am responsible for attracting corporate and conference clients into our hotels and developing and maintaining relationships to ensure we meet all of their needs as a guest at our hotel.

A lot of my job is going out and finding new clients which I thoroughly enjoy.”

Frederique Suffisseau Hotel group Accor

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

23

Business News

Canada Water Masterplan: the vision for business

British Land are continuing to develop plans to deliver a major urban centre in Canada Water.

Photo courtesy of John Sturrock British Land have recently completed the purchases of both the Dock Manager’s Office and 1-14 Dock Offices, behind Surrey Quays Road and Deal Porters Way, SE16.

The acquisition of these historic Grade II listed buildings, which were previously on the edge of the Masterplan site, means the Dock Offices can be integrated into the proposals. There is, however, no intention to change the appearance of the buildings and the status of the existing businesses onsite remains unchanged.

Creating a location for a wide range of businesses to prosper is a key driver behind the Canada Water Masterplan.

British Land’s vision is that major employers can thrive side-by-side with start-ups and independent stores across a range of office space, retail and food and beverage premises, bringing a range of employment and opportunities to do business that will benefit local residents and enterprise alike.

The completed scheme expects to provide up to 15,000 jobs, with around 2million sq ft of workspaces, alongside 1million sq ft of retail, restaurants and leisure.

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Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

Project update SE16 Printworks

Working with British Land, Xcite Events has recently submitted a planning application for the temporary use of the SE16 Printworks as a multidisciplinary event venue. It is envisaged that the venue will host a varied programme of cultural events, performing arts, live and electronic music, food & drink festivals, product launches and fashion events, alongside community uses, with this exciting temporary use activating the site while the wider masterplan is developed.

Consultation Hub at Surrey Quays Shopping Centre The former Apple Snow unit at Surrey Quays Shopping Centre, used for the Masterplan consultation events, has recently seen a number of works undertaken to transform it into a more flexible space. The interior had been tired and not seen significant improvements since Clinton’s Cards occupied it many years ago. Now, it will to serve as a base for continuing consultation on the Canada Water Masterplan, alongside other community activities and events when not in this use.

Southwark Career Ready Cluster

British Land has joined forces with other businesses including CITI Bank to support the Career Ready programme in Southwark.

The programme provides mentoring, work experience and employability masterclasses to 16-19 year old students from a cluster of three schools in the North of the borough; Bacon’s College, St Michaels and City of London Academy (Southwark).

British Land staff will mentor year 12 students over a year, and alongside our suppliers will host 4-6 week paid summer internships. The initiative brings together businesses, schools and the council to deliver a programme which helps young people who aspire to develop their employability and reach their potential.

Further consultation

In the upcoming months, the Masterplan team will be hosting focus sessions to explore the key themes raised in the consultation so far.

The revised Masterplan will be shared with local businesses, stakeholders and the community for further feedback as it evolves, ahead of a planning submission in 2017.

Voice from Westminster

Brexit uncertainty continues to be a concern Neil Coyle MP

The Mail will probably label me a 'Remoaner' but years before we come close to leaving the European Union if Brexit goes ahead the impact of Brexit is already being felt by individuals, organisations and companies.

Whilst the initial tourism bounce has been welcome, it comes at a high price with other jobs being lost or put at risk longer term and with uncertainty hanging over many businesses and little information being provided by a Government that seems to lack any comprehensive plan for even entering Brexit negotiations.

Whilst we wait for that crucial information to emerge, sterling has plummeted, inflation has risen millions of families are likely to be worse off. As families feel the pinch, customers are likely to cut back and the prospect of higher costs to trade

outside the EU poses a real conundrum for some local businesses.

Many local firms have been in touch about their workforce too and I raised the issue of uncertainty in the financial sector specifically with the Secretary of State for Brexit in the Commons last week https://goo.gl/It0V3k If your business or organisation is affected by this issue please let me know. If you would like to meet with me to discuss concerns on this or other matters, please contact me at: Neil.Coyle.MP@parliament.uk or call: 020 7232 4640.

I have been meeting the general managers of many hotels to discuss Brexit and more, including the Citizen M, London Bridge Hotel and Bermondsey Square Hotel. More than 19,000 people living in Southwark work in the hospitality industry, equating to around 8% of total employment in the area - serving the millions of tourists attracted to our fantastic part of the capital every year.

Hospitality is a key part of our national economy and it is estimated that the economic contribution to Southwark alone is in the millions. I'm proud of the local hospitality sector and keen to help it continue to thrive.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

25

Business News

Council searches for development partner Southwark Council is on the hunt for a development partner after a series of plots of land failed to attract any interest.

Southwark appoints new development partner Developing housing association, Affinity Sutton has become the latest development partner to join Southwark Council’s ongoing Regeneration project valued at £4bn.

The small plots of land have

been divided into Lot A and

Lot B. Lot A is seven sites with

338 residential units and

3,472sq m of commercial

space, and Lot B is 10 sites

with 606 residential units, and

4,129sq m for commercial use.

Lot B has already been

awarded to developing housing

association Affinity Sutton.

Councillor Mark Williams, cabinet member for

regeneration and new homes,

stated: “There were no bidders

for Lot A which covers the sites in the north of the borough…

due to changes in the property market and the uncertainty caused by Brexit.”

Williams added: “These sites

will be repackaged and we will

go back out to tender this

autumn. South Dock Marina,

originally in Lot A, will be taken

With 40% of Southwark under regeneration huge projects like Elephant and Castle (69ha), and Canada Water (18.6ha) have grabbed the headlines, but the borough has been left with numerous small sites – predominantly on non-housing land – that can be utilised for development.

To make them attractive to single developers the council grouped the sites under Lot A and Lot B called the Southwark Regeneration in Partnership Programme.

forward as a standalone development.”

The council is hoping to

appoint a new partner by early next year.

26

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

Lot A is seven sites with 338 residential units and 3,472sq m of commercial space, and Lot B is 10 sites with 606 residential units, and 4,129sqm for commercial use.

In September Affinity Sutton was awarded the contract on Plot B, while Lot A remains up for grabs. The company signed a 10-year contract, costing around £153 million with a council subsidy of £11.5 million.

Kerry Kyriacou, Affinity Sutton’s group director of development, said:

“We wanted to build on our existing legacy of investing in new homes and communities in Southwark.

We are already in the borough, with over 100 years of providing affordable housing in Southwark, and we feel ideally placed to deliver a new development in the area which local people can feel proud of and benefit from.”

Kyriacou, added quality and design are ‘at the heart of the plans we have put forward.’

“We wanted to build on our existing legacy of investing in new homes and communities in Southwark.”

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Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

Finance

There are still funding opportunities in the new financial landscape

These are uncertain times following the EU Referendum vote in June but that does not mean that business should grind to a halt and that companies should abandon the search for funding.

For a start, what has become clear since June 23 is that the departure from the European Union will not happen immediately and that means many business ventures under consideration before the referendum vote will be able to continue in this new climate.

That mindset stretches to funding. The financial markets dislike uncertainty and have experienced a few wobbles since the vote but those businesses that stay calm and carefully examine their options may well find that the money is still there to allow growth to happen, if you know where to look.

One scheme worth exploring is the competition run by Innovate UK, which is to invest up to £15 million in innovation projects in manufacturing and/or materials.

They say that they will fund projects that focus on technical or commercial challenges that lead to increased productivity, competitiveness and growth for UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Innovate UK expects projects to range in size from total costs of £50,000 to £2 million. Projects should last between six months and three years.

Projects must involve at least one SME, working alone or in collaboration with other organisations. Projects longer than twelve

months or with costs of £100,000 or more must involve working with other partners.

There are two options to apply into this competition. These are dependent on the size and length of your project and are referred to as streams. Stream 1 is for projects under 12 months and under £100,000. Stream 2 is for projects over 12 months or over £100,000.

The competition opened on 21 November and to be eligible you must register before midday on 18 January 2017 and you must apply before midday on 25 January 2017.

More information is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/funding-competitionmanufacturing-and-materials-round-2 There is also an interesting funding opportunity for companies in the scientific field who can see opportunities abroad, after Science Minister Jo Johnson announced a number of new UK-India programmes. The research programmes from the Newton Fund are worth up to £80 million and will address global challenges affecting people in India.

The new programmes take the total joint UK-India investment in research through the Newton Fund up to £200 million by 2021, bringing together the world class excellence of the two countries to address global challenges through science and technology.

They include: • A £16 million programme to support commercially focused research and development partnerships that bring innovative biotechnologies to market for cleaning, processing and using industrial waste streams • A £8.4 million programme to improve water quality • A £7.4 million programme on energy demand reduction in the built environment to improve health and wellbeing and lower energy costs for building users • A £12.6 million launch of phase 2 of Global Research Programme in Women and Children’s Health between the UK and India to study reproductive health issues facing women and their unborn children in low and middle income countries • A £13 million UK-India research programme to strengthen the global fight against anti-microbial resistance You can find out more at https://www.gov.uk/government/ news/science-minister-announces80-million-uk-india-researchinvestments For all the opportunities are out there, working your way through all the procedures and bureaucracy to obtain that funding can be daunting, however.

The changed situation means that good financial advice is more important than ever if businesses are to navigate their way through the new landscape.

Financial advisers have been working long hours to ensure that they understand the new situation and can identify where the opportunities lie, particularly since the Bank of England has been doing all it can to encourage lenders to keep making money available to businesses.

However, although going to the banks remains one way to find the money for expansion, it might also be worth considering venture capitalists, who are adept at spotting opportunities.

Even in uncertain economic times, such an approach should not be dismissed out of hand because a good idea remains a good idea and can usually attract funding to turn it into reality.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

29

Legal

Selling your business? Protect yourself from abortive legal costs

by Alan Zeffertt, Partner, Anthony Gold Solicitors

Business owners can take steps to reduce their risk of incurring high abortive legal and accountancy costs. The key is to check out the Buyer and negotiate carefully the Heads of Terms or Memorandum of Sale at the outset of the deal.

Heads of terms or memorandums of sale will usually be "subject to contract" and so not legally binding.

However certain terms can be expressed to be legally binding and will be. For example confidentiality clauses and provisions regarding payment of legal or accountancy costs if a party withdraws.

Credit checks on Buyers Before accepting an offer for your business, you should check the credit worthiness of your buyer. You could not get a mortgage, credit card or loan without having this checked so why would you start what could be a complex and expensive process to sell your business unless you are satisfied as to the financial viability of your buyer? Unfortunately, some commercial agents who market businesses for sale do not do this, as they are keen to secure a deal very quickly. But dealing with someone who does not have the finance arranged to buy the business will just result in frustration after what could be months of wasted time, energy and costs.

Proof of Funds Request proof of funds. If your buyer is a cash buyer then you should ask to see proof that the cash funds are available. Buyers often claim to be cash buyers

30

when they are not. For example, if they need to borrow money from a friend or relative, refinance their own property, are waiting for an inheritance to be paid, waiting for a bank loan etc. In other words they are not yet in possession of liquid cash but make an offer which is, in reality, conditional on their finance being made available. If the buyer is reliant on bank or other finance, then ask to see a letter approving the finance in principle.

Heads of Terms / Memorandum of Sale It is important to set out the terms of the deal early on in the negotiation. Don't rush to simply agree the sale price while leaving other important details to be sorted out later on. Having a clear set of terms with a timetable will influence the way the transaction will proceed, and guide the lawyers to work towards achieving the agreed terms.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

There are various ways of protecting yourself against wasted legal and other costs.

For example, make it a condition of the sale that if the buyer withdraws or does not meet the agreed timetable, they will pay the reasonable abortive legal and other costs.

An undertaking can be obtained from the buyer's solicitor to pay such costs and the amount can be limited to an estimated sum.

Some buyers may not wish to pay such costs until they have had the opportunity of carrying out basic due diligence and being reasonably satisfied as to the viability of the business they are buying. This is not unreasonable and so sellers' solicitors and accountants could prepare a basic due diligence pack early in the transaction and give the buyers a fixed period of time in which to consider and provide the undertaking as to costs.

Non-refundable deposit Consider requesting payment of an initial deposit to be held by the Seller's solicitors as stakeholders towards the deposit to be paid on exchange of contracts. If the Buyer subsequently withdraws for no good reason, the abortive costs can be paid out of the deposit monies. Estate agents selling

residential property frequently request such deposits and it is usual to then agree a lock-out or exclusivity agreement dealing with the terms on which such a deposit is held.

Careful drafting of suitable clauses is needed at the outset of the transaction to ensure that proper terms and conditions are agreed and the transaction gets off on a strong footing.

Landlord's costs If you are selling the assets of the business, including a commercial lease, it is usually necessary to obtain landlord's consent to assign the lease.

Less frequently this is also required with share sales where there is a major change in the share ownership. Consider therefore imposing a condition in the heads of terms that the buyer pays the landlord's legal and professional costs.

Abortive costs There are of course no guarantees that a transaction will proceed until actual completion has taken place.

But by imposing terms at the outset for the protection of the parties, the chances of incurring high abortive legal and other fees can be substantially reduced.

Each case is different, but it is more difficult to renegotiate terms at a later stage when time has passed and each side has already incurred costs. By taking good legal and professional advice at the outset, you may be able to reduce your chances of incurring abortive costs which are a drain on your business finances.

Health & Wellbeing

New services provide medical solutions for local businesses New medical facilities in London Bridge are boosting opportunities for the local area, providing hundreds of new jobs and quick, convenient access to medical services for local businesses and their workforce.

These new facilities are further extending HCA’s London Bridge Hospital’s health campus in Southwark, which includes HCA at The Shard and a brand-new HCA facility opening in Spring 2017 at the new Guy’s Cancer Centre – London Bridge Hospital at Guy’s.

Supporting local businesses with rapid diagnostics and treatments

Modern facilities, state-of-the-art equipment and leading hospital consultants at HCA at The Shard provides a world-class, convenient and rapid health service for local businesses and employees in Southwark. The facility – which opened in the iconic building earlier this year – is designed to be fast and convenient, tailored to local businesses and employees working busy schedules.

You can book appointments for the same day or next day, and in many cases get your diagnosis during your visit. If you require surgery or further in-patient procedures, you’ll make a seamless transition to London Bridge Hospital, The Portland Hospital (for paediatrics) or other HCA Healthcare UK facilities, all of which benefit from comprehensively equipped theatres and critical and intensive care.

Fertility treatments are also provided by The Lister Fertility Clinic at The Shard, which offers initial appointments with senior fertility consultants who will arrange a personalised treatment plan and arrange any necessary treatments or investigations.

Its rapid diagnosis facilities is thanks largely to its world-class imaging facilities, which includes Dexa Scanning, CT scans, MRI, ultrasound and x-ray. Its multidisciplinary approach means that patients can have tests and scans reviewed by clinicians across a range of specialists, including oncologists, cardiologists, radiologists and surgeons.

This means patients can often get diagnoses and treatment plans for a range of conditions on the same day.

This includes the One Stop Breast Clinic, which offers patients rapid access to tests, advice, diagnosis and also treats patients with conditions concerning the breast.

Ongoing investment in Southwark

HCA Healthcare UK is continuing to invest in the local area, which recently saw more than £38 million invested in four floors of the new Guy’s Cancer Centre. This facility, known as London Bridge Hospital at Guy’s, will generate 100 additional jobs in Southwark, which adds to the 120 jobs created by HCA at The Shard.

Miranda Dodd, Chief Operations Officer at London Bridge Hospital, part of HCA Healthcare UK, said:

“We’re committed to providing fast, convenient and accessible services to businesses and employees in Southwark.

We’ve extended our health campus in Southwark to ensure that local patients can benefit from state of the art technology and surroundings as well as the personalised treatment and continuity of care – and we look forward to continuing our investment to benefit local businesses and the community.”

The 63,000 foot facility is equipped with 40 inpatients bed, an intensive care unit, four operating theatres, eight day-case beds, a chemotherapy unit, x-ray and an ultrasound.

Investment also continues through HCA UK’s ongoing commitment to providing world-leading services, which allows the world’s best medical equipment to be available in Southwark, on the doorstep of thousands of local employees.

For more information about London Bridge Hospital and its expanding healthcare campus in Southwark, please visit www.hcatheshard.com

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

31

Chamber Events

Upcoming Events Save the dates Join our informative and engaging range of events.

A perfect opportunity to make new business contacts.

Times and locations to be confirmed.

DATE

14 December 2016 19:00

EVENT

Bermondsey Beer Mile Southwark Brewery, 46 Druid St, SE1 2EZ

Experience the Bermondsey Beer Mile without having to leave the warmth of Southwark Brewing Company for our Christmas social on Wednesday 14 December at 6.30pm.

Enjoy an evening of Beer History, particularly around Southwark, and understand how beer is brewed, and the wonderful variety of tastes and flavours from the 6 breweries along the mile.

As well as sampling 6 different beers, there will be a buffet and opportunity to talk to the brewers and have a good old Christmas knees up!

27 January 2017 15:00 arrival for 15:35 tour

Tour of the Palace of Westminster (House of Commons)

A trained guide will accompany guests through the House of Lords, the House of Commons and Westminster Hall, which is expected to last approximately 75 minutes, followed by a reception in Dining Room B. A cash bar will be available.

This tour has always proved extremely popular and due to the planned closure of the House of Commons for approximately 5 years, this will be an opportunity not to be missed.

We’ve designed our events to help you broaden your network, learn something new or get involved with key topical issues for businesses in Southwark.

Our networking events are great for regular members to make and maintain useful contacts, and we always welcome first-timers.

32

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

Last Word

Southwark Chamber of Commerce welcomes its latest member companies BOROUGH BOX

ROLFE JUDD PLANNING LTD

LENDLEASE

STEP AHEAD

Food and Drink Retailer John Hopkins Corporate Sales Manager The Business Factory 100 Drummond Road London SE16 2DG Tel: 07410 984778 Email: john@boroughbox.com Susie Wilson Head of Community Development, Europe Faraday, Elephant Park 35, Heygate Street London SE17 1AZ M : 07801 621802 Email: Susie.Wilson@lendlease.com

LOVE 2 LAUNDRY

Nadeem Abbas Director Love 2 Laundry Email: nadeem@love2laundry.com

MW SOLICITORS

Solicitors/Lawyers Jat Patti Partner 58 Borough High Street London SE1 1XF Tel: 020 7407 4892 Email: jat.patti@mwsolicitors.co.uk

Fergal Shaw

Operations Director

BCM Scaffolding Services Ltd

I went to Portsmouth Polytechnic (now University) and graduated with an honours degree in Quantity Surveying.

I then worked with two large building contractors and gained my professional membership to the RICS, whilst being an Assistant and then Project Surveyor.

Later I joined BCM Scaffolding initially as a Surveyor/Supervisor but then working my way up to General Manager and now Operations Director.

I am married with three great children who are all still at secondary school. I used to play rugby but now just coach and I enjoy the odd game of golf (if enjoy is the right word!)

Planning and Architectural Consultancy Sean Tickle Director Old Church Court Claylands Road London SW8 1NZ Tel: 020 7556 1500 Email: seant@rolfe-judd.co.uk Recruitment Alan Palmer Non Executive Director 75 Farringdon Road London EC1M 3JY Tel: 020 7400 6260 Email: alan@stepahead.co.uk

Q1

THE OPERA STORY

Q2

Manuel FAJARDO Co-founder and Executive Director 36 Arlington Avenue London N1 7AY M: 0745 686 1667 Email: manuel.fajardo@theoperastory.com www.theoperastory.com

To find out more about becoming a member contact Southwark Chamber of Commerce.

Southbank Techno Park, 90 London Road, London. SE1 6LN Tel : 07477 581977 Email: admin@southwarkcommerce.com

Q3

What was your first job and what was the pay packet?

Assistant Project Q.S on a new Sainsbury’s in Romford = £700/Month

If you were prime minister, what would be your first decision?

Remove all cycle lanes

What is the biggest challenge in your business?

Health & Safety

Q4

If you could do another job, what would it be?

Q5

What's your favourite London building?

Airline Pilot

Westminster Palace

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

33

Join Us

Join Us

Our Committee Chairman Richard Kalmar President Neil Coyle MP

(MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark)

Vice President Lord Roy Kennedy (House of Lords)

Vice President Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP (MP for Camberwell and Peckham)

Vice President Baroness Jowell DBE PC

(former MP for Dulwich and West Norwood)

Patron Cllr Kath Whittam

(The Worshipful Mayor of Southwark)

Patron Sir Simon Hughes

The Chamber is made up of active and successful business people from a wide range of sectors, who are based in Southwark, believe in Southwark and wish Southwark to prosper.

Making the most of your SCC membership

Once you’ve joined us you have access to the opportunities we provide to help support you and your business. Whether you simply want to attend our networking events, run a seminar or sponsor or run an event, we’d love you to get involved. We like our members to make the most of their membership and get as involved as much as they can.

Membership Application • Sole trader

£100 per annum

• Large companies - 51 employees plus

£300 per annum

• Small/Medium sized companies 2 to 50 employees £150 per annum • Corporate/PLC’s by agreement.

• All new members pay a one off administration fee of £25 Company:

Address:

(former MP)

Council and Community Representatives Councillor Johnson Situ

(Cabinet Member for Business, Employment and Culture)

Abdul Mohamed

(Past Mayor of Southwark & Past Councillor)

Executive Members

Vice Chair Vice Chair Vice Chair Honorary Secretary Honorary Solicitor Honorary Treasurer Executive Member Executive Member Executive Member Executive Member Executive Member Executive Member Executive Member Executive Member Executive Member Executive Member Executive Member Administrator

34

Les Johnson Roger Beckett Yoko De Souza Ken Hayes Peter Mantell John Steward Sharon Achillea Duncan Field Prem Goyal Peter Hadfield Dan Harder William Harwood Susan Isaacs Nicole Leggett Barry Martin Margaret Rowse Cait Wilkinson Sonia Sutton

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

Post Code:

Telephone:

Email:

Number of Employees: Full Name:

Position:

Payment Details: BANK DETAILS: SORT CODE:

HSBC - SOUTHWARK C OF C 40-06-21 ACCOUNT NO:

21357646

To join, please send your details to: Southwark Chamber of Commerce Southbank Techno Park, 90 London Road,London. SE1 6LN Tel : 07477 581977 Email : admin@southwarkcommerce.com www.SouthwarkCommerce.com Twitter : @southwarkcomm Facebook : southwarkcommerce

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