Southwark Business Today June 20 Southwark Chamber of Commerce

Southwark

BUSINESS TODAY

Issue 29: Summer 2020

Professor Tim Wray Warwick Business School A global business school with a footprint in a global city. Page 18

The road to recovery As we approach the halfway point of what already seems like a long year, the world is moving cautiously from lockdown to recovery mode. Page 22

• LSBU Harnessing students’ skills in the business environment. Page 16

• Planning for a return to the office. Page 21

• Full speed ahead with 1Gb Broadband. Page 15

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Welcome Contents

Welcome to

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY The Southwark Chamber of Commerce magazine for all businesses in Southwark with one another and this freedom has temporarily been removed.

However, we must focus on the future. The government has begun to cautiously ease lockdown restrictions so families can meet (albeit with social distancing still in force). Businesses and staff are getting back to work and thoughts are turning to the new normal and what it might look like.

It has been three long months since lockdown was imposed in the UK. Since then, millions of people have had to make sacrifices – notably, socially distancing and self-isolating from friends and loved ones.

Companies are currently reflecting on the way they will do business going forwards. Many will have to stagger work shifts, continue to encourage remote working and make workplace modifications to ensure their premises are COVID-safe. They will also be anxious to see the impact of the pandemic on their balance sheet (good or bad) and on landlord-tenant relations and costs.

This has been an incredibly difficult time; as humans, we are hardwired to interact

Another key issue to consider is IT infrastructure: is it set up to enable remote workers to

Focus on the future

access database systems and communicate effectively with colleagues and customers?

Do all employees know how to use it and, if not, what training provision and support has been put in place to ensure they can?

Here at the Chamber, we’re doing all we can to support businesses through this difficult time. Our webinars provide advice on a range of crucial issues, including networking, business support, finance, HR and health and safety.

The UK government website is also a good source of up-todate advice on the pandemic.

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4-5 Up Front 6 Legal 7 Economy 9 News 12-13 British Land 14 News 16-17 Skills 18-19 Big Interview 22-23 Business Recovery 24 Skills 25 Arts & Culture 26 News 27 Voice from Westminster 28-29 Remembering When…

30-31 Health & Wellbeing 33 Last Word 34 Join Us

Enquiries

Southwark Chamber of Commerce 169 Walworth Road, London SE17 1RW Tel: 07477 581977 Email: admin@southwarkcommerce.com Web: www.SouthwarkCommerce.com

Editor

Jez Davison Email: jez@benhampublishing.com

Contributing Editor Susan Isaacs

As we continue to move out of lockdown, it’s important to keep communicating with colleagues, family and friends to reduce stress, boost morale and improve wellbeing.

Publisher

We will get through this together. Stay safe.

Advertising and Features

Les Johnson

Chairman Southwark Chamber of Commerce

Benham Publishing Limited Aintree Building, Aintree Way, Aintree Business Park, Liverpool L9 5AQ Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: admin@benhampublishing.com Web: www.benhampublishing.com

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June 2020 © Benham Publishing Karen Hall Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: karen@benhampublishing.com

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Mark Etherington Email: mark@benhampublishing.com Media No.1759

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Disclaimer 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. 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. © 2020. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material

published in this journal, Benham Publishing and its agents can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributions in advertising or editorial content. Benham Publishing cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in web or email links supplied to us.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY 3

Up Front

London’s culture and creative firms receive £2.3m boost

Congestion charge rises to fund £1.6bn TfL bailout

Transport for London (TfL) has secured £1.6bn in emergency funding to keep tube and bus services running until September. done the right thing and stayed at home – so there simply isn’t enough money coming in to pay for our services.”

Under the terms of the bailout, Sadiq Khan must also end his four-year freeze on fares – meaning above-inflation price increases for London bus and tube tickets from January.

An emergency £2.3m fund has been launched to support culture and creative industries at risk due to the impact of the coronavirus.

The Music Venue Trust, the LGBTQ+ Venues Forum, the Creative Land Trust and BFI are working with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to help venues and artists across the capital through the new Culture at Risk Business Support Fund.

A total of £450,000 will be provided to the Music Venue Trust to support up to 147 grassroots music venues and a further £225,000 will support up to 56 LGBTQ+ venues in partnership with the LGBTQ+ Venues Forum.

Meanwhile, £1.5m will go to the Creative Land Trust to support thousands of tenants across 200 artist studio workspaces, and £150,000 to the BFI to help up to 25 of London’s treasured independent cinemas.

Organisations set to benefit are those most at risk of falling into administration and unable to benefit from government schemes. This will be supported by an investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies.

The coronavirus is having a significant impact on London’s arts scene and night-time economy, with countless shows, events and concerts scrapped or postponed, and venues having to shut their doors and potentially face permanent closure. Many artists and performers are also self-employed and unable to benefit from the government’s support programmes.

The culture and creative industries are worth £52 billion to the capital’s economy a year and account for one in six jobs. Grassroots venues and organisations have been the foundation of this success, giving a stage for artists to develop their talents and playing a key role in the night-time economy.

Justine Simons OBE, deputy mayor for culture and the creative industries, said: “Now more than ever our worldrenowned grassroots music venues, LGBTQ+ venues, cinemas and artists need support. They are facing a huge challenge to maintain their existences, and through this fund we will do all we can to support them through these challenging times.”

But London’s congestion charge will increase by 30% as a result, with enforcement extended from weekdays to the whole week and for longer hours.

However, he added: “This is not the deal I wanted. But it was the only deal the government put on the table and I had no choice but to accept it to keep the tubes and buses running.

The bail-out comes after TfL reported a 90% fall in income as journeys on public transport in the capital dried up during the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

The deal, a grant of £1.1 billion and a loan of £505 million, runs until October 2020.

“In the last few years, London has been the only major city in western Europe that hasn’t received direct government funding to run day-to-day transport services since it was cut by the last government.

This means we rely very heavily on passenger fares to pay for the services we run. Fares income has fallen by 90% in the last two months because Londoners have

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said the deal was necessary because of the catastrophic impact of COVID-19 on TfL’s finances.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “People should avoid using public transport and work from home wherever possible, but as measures are slowly lifted it is vital that Londoners who need to use TfL services feel safe and secure. We must drive an increase in services to support social distancing and ensure our capital keeps moving, driving the economic recovery of this country going forward.

“This deal will encourage a real move towards greener and healthier walking and cycling options, ease pressureon our public transport and provide certainty and stability for London’s transport services in the future.”

London has big role to play in fight against climate change The London Assembly has published a report on what the current and future mayors need to do to combat the climate emergency in London.

The report makes several recommendations including: • The mayor should work with the boroughs and other partners to develop a lobbying strategy for a range of tasks from central government.

• The mayor should increase funding for feasibility studies and set-up costs for community clean energy programmes.

This should be backed by the provision of expert support to help ensure projects get off the ground.

• The mayor should establish a workstream within Skills for Londoners, focused on building skills and workforce capacity in the retrofit and energy efficiency sector.

The London Assembly said the effects of the climate emergency were already being felt in London, and that the capital needed to build its resilience to severe weather events whilst reducing its carbon emissions.

4 Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

Caroline Russell, chair of the London Assembly environment committee, said: “This report underlines the need to shape future action that will not only make London more resilient to heatwaves, floods and extreme weather but will also help rebuild a resilient economy.

“Our climate is already changing. Like the rest of the UK, London’s average summer temperatures are becoming progressively warmer. London is already vulnerable to flooding, drought and heat.

“Action to prevent climate change, and adapt to its effects, can bring positive changes to people’s lives, especially for some of London’s poorest communities. This action could include fitting homes with energy efficiency measures that in turn make them more comfortable and affordable to heat.

“The Mayor of London has a vital strategic role to play in all of this. Over the next ten years, London’s mayors need to make bold decisions, work collaboratively and use their powerful voice to push national government into action.”

Up Front

Retailers urged to make face coverings available Southwark retailers are being encouraged to stock non-medical face coverings in all of their stores to help in the battle against COVID-19.

Although Londoners should continue to stay at home as much as possible, the government has updated its guidance on the use of face coverings, advising the public to wear them in enclosed public spaces where it is difficult to maintain a safe distance from others, such as in shops and on public transport.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has written to supermarkets in the capital and other retailers urging them to stock reusable, non-medical face coverings in all of their London stores.

The British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) has also urged its members and the wider retail sector to stock up on re-usable face coverings to keep the public safe as the country transitions out of lockdown.

Andrew Goodacre, CEO of BIRA, said: “Independent retailers want to play their part in keeping customers safe and giving consumers confidence to return to the shops as and when they open.

“As they tend to sell PPE, we want to ensure local hardware stores ramp up supply to keep the public safe, to help people avoid needing to travel to the larger, more populated, out-of-town DIY stores to buy masks.

“We also want to help protect the NHS supply chain by ensuring the public are sold face coverings that are not those used by the NHS and other health service key workers.

“The GLA and retailers want shoppers to feel safe and follow government guidelines so that we can effectively transition out of lockdown and re-start the economy.”

£2m hardship fund for small firms Southwark Council has announced it will invest a further £2m in small businesses that do not qualify for government schemes - a support package believed to be the first of its kind nationally from a local authority.

Many small businesses are struggling because they do not qualify for the Government’s Small Business Grant, the Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Grant or for Self-employment Income Support.

to eligible businesses, depending on the size of the business and level of need.

The support comes after Southwark Council provided a £390,000 community grant for charities and voluntary organisations.

If these businesses are in hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and they are not entitled to support from these schemes, they may be able to access a grant under the council’s new Business Hardship Fund. Grants of up to £2,500, £5,000 or £10,000 are available

“Many of them don’t have the safety net of the businesses which the government is offering financial support to, including many of Southwark’s smallest, locally run businesses.

Councillor Stephanie Cryan, cabinet member for jobs, business and innovation, said: “We are making every effort to support our fantastic local businesses but the fact remains that many are still likely to fall through the cracks in terms of financial support, and we want to

“I would ask the government to recognise this and make the investment in them via councils, so we can get the help to where it’s needed. I wish all of our local traders the very best, and I want them to know we’re thinking of them too.”

make sure they are able to carry on now and beyond this crisis.

Businesses can apply for the fund at www.southwark.gov.uk/businesshardshipfund

Mental health hub opens its virtual doors

A mental health service has gone virtual to provide help and support for young professionals in Southwark.

In January this year, Southwark Council announced that it intended to open a young people’s mental health hub in Peckham. Under the plans, the hub would provide a welcoming environment where young people aged 13-25 could access extra support to boost their mental health and wellbeing.

Due to the coronavirus and the introduction of social distancing rules, what will now be called The Nest has had to evolve into an online and phone-line support service for the time being, before the council is able to fully realise its ambition to launch a face-to-face support service.

Young people will be able to ring a dedicated number to speak to someone, have a video call or use an online chat service to connect to experts in mental health. Other online resources will help them take the first steps to feeling better or getting further help if they need it.

The new service will be run in partnership with Groundwork London, which has more than fifteen years’ experience of supporting disadvantaged children and young people in Southwark.

Graham Parry, director of youth, employment and skills at Groundwork London, said: “All Southwark’s young people deserve safe spaces in real life and online where they can talk about their mental health and well-being with people who can really help.

Groundwork is excited to be launching The Nest on behalf of Southwark Council, a service that has been designed with young people to offer mental health support in the way they have told us they want it.”

Councillor Jasmine Ali, cabinet member for children, schools and adult social care, said: “During this time of great stress and disruption, we must forge ahead with our efforts to support young people with mental health problems, which are hugely exacerbated by the current health crisis.”

For more information visit www.thenestsouthwark.org.uk

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY 5

Emerging from Lockdown As lockdown rules are gradually eased, thoughts of employers inevitably turn to the question of what needs to be done to ready the workplace for returning staff and what problems this might throw up.

The first thing to consider is whether to have staff back at all; government guidance is still to the effect that if work can be done from home then it should be. Asking staff to return should therefore only be appropriate when work cannot otherwise be done.

Assuming the workplace is to be opened up though, it is important to keep in mind the duties which are imposed on employers. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, explicit obligations are imposed on employers to protect both employees and non-employees from harm. Failures to comply may lead to criminal prosecutions.

Similar duties are imposed through the law of negligence and may lead to claims from staff who suffer injury at work; whether physical or psychiatric. And the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations impose an obligation to carry out risk assessments of all workplaces.

Against that background, it will come as no surprise that the first thing an employer needs to do before allowing staff back is to carry out a comprehensive risk assessment to identify the risks involved and how to mitigate those.

There is a wealth of guidance available both about how to carry out this type of risk assessment and the steps which employers should be taking to try to keep workplaces safe. Specific guidance for different types of premises has been issued by the government which is available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/workingsafely-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

Return to work guidance from the government stresses the importance of sharing the results of your risk assessment with staff and then of publishing the final outcome. This contrasts with the strict legal position which is that risk assessments were for internal use only, and that for employers with fewer than five employees they do not even need to be in writing.

concerns and to show the workplace will be as safe as reasonably possible.

Even so, you may have staff who refuse to come back for fear of infection.

This will force you to make difficult decisions. In principle, if an employee refuses to come into work they are guilty of misconduct and may be dismissed.

However, the law protects those genuinely concerned about safety by prohibiting employers from dismissing or subjecting to any detriment an employee who refuses to come to work for fear of a ‘serious and imminent danger’ to their safety.

The steps needed to mitigate the risks may be difficult to implement and take time, so it is important to start that work now even if you do not plan to re-open yet.

Provided you have followed government guidelines it is unlikely that fear of such a danger would be reasonable.

However, acting in haste could have serious repercussions so I recommend that you try to be tolerant if at all possible and take advice before going down a disciplinary route.

Besides meeting your legal obligations, this work will be crucial in reassuring your staff that it is safe to return. It may be hard for staff who have been furloughed for a long time to adjust to coming back to work, but all staff may be anxious about becoming infected. It will be important to heed their

Finally, in light of the changed times thrust upon us and the lessons learned, it will be advisable to give all your existing policies a thorough review to test how they stand up in the new world. Most are unlikely to have contemplated all we have been through and are likely to need updating.

Our experts will be pleased to advise you.

Please contact Nick Hanning on nick.hanning@anthonygold.co.uk 6 Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

Economy

Firms ready to embrace “new normal” Firms are ready for a gradual reopening of the economy but will need continued, adaptable government support during a phased return to work.

That’s the headline conclusion from the latest British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Coronavirus Business Impact Tracker.

The survey also revealed that: • More than 70% of respondents have furloughed a proportion of their staff • Nearly three quarters of these firms have submitted a claim to the furlough scheme and received payment • The Job Retention Scheme has prevented redundancies for the vast majority of respondents The BCC’s tracker poll, which serves as a barometer of the pandemic’s impact on businesses and the effectiveness of government support measures, received 601 responses.

The vast majority of respondents continued to report high levels of readiness to restart operations as and when the government eases restrictions, with 89% requiring three weeks or less to reopen.

The survey also revealed how firms were prepared to implement measures to protect

staff and continue operations during the “new normal” as restrictions are eased.

• 75% agreed they could implement social distancing measures • 70% agreed they could make provisions for remote working, with 20% saying this was not applicable to their business • 61% said they could stagger arrival times, with 29% saying this was not applicable to their business Commenting on the results, BCC director general, Dr Adam Marshall, said: “Government guidance signals big changes for the way that many businesses operate, and some firms will now need time to plan and speak to their employees so that they can return to work safely.

“Alongside this guidance, businesses urgently need clarity on the future of government support schemes, which must be adapted to help those firms who need to remain closed for an extended period or face reduced capacity or demand.

“The Job Retention Scheme has been successful in its aim to protect livelihoods and its extension will come as a huge help and a huge relief for businesses across the UK. “The government should continue to listen to business and evolve the scheme in line with what’s happening on the ground.

Further phased support may yet be needed for companies who are unable to operate for an extended period, or those who face reduced capacity or demand due to ongoing restrictions.”

The survey showed that more than a third (36%) of respondents have either

“The Job Retention Scheme has been successful in its aim to protect livelihoods and its extension will come as a huge help and a huge relief for businesses across the UK.”

attempted to use the Bounce Back Loan Scheme or have plans to access it. However, 62% said they had no intention of applying for a loan from this scheme.

Reasons for not attempting to access the scheme varied between firms with more than three months’ cash reserves, and those with less than three months’ reserves. Overall, 19% of firms stated they had concerns about repaying the loan. However, this figure rose to 28% among those with less than three months’ cash in the bank, and fell to 14% for those with more than three months of money in reserve.

Adam Marshall said: “The Bounce Back Loans Scheme has made an encouraging start and will provide help for smaller businesses that are struggling to stay afloat.

“However, as our research reveals, many smaller, cashstrapped firms are unwilling or unable to take on more debt.

Government must therefore be ready to further expand existing grant schemes to ensure that as many businesses as possible get access to the support they need.”

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY 7

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Voice Over IP (VoIP) telephone systems have allowed businesses to route their calls to the home office in an instant.

Online, secure storage services have allowed teams to continue collaborating even while miles apart. Cloud based software has ensured that critical systems are accessible 24/7 and continuously maintained. Low cost (or even free!) video conferencing facilities have helped to maintain morale and team cohesion.

Most of these facilities would have been out of reach for SMEs just ten

years ago, but because of them, in 2020, we have seen so many companies continue their work almost without missing a beat.

Technology has often allowed us to do more- maybe, finally, it is also allowing us to do things better! With the right solutions and advice, businesses of all sizes should now be able to benefit from tools like these that are revolutionising the workplace.

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COVID-19 will widen health gap between the most and least deprived London has been the hardest hit region in the country by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The 11 local authorities with the highest mortality rates are all London boroughs, the analysis showed, with Southwark among the boroughs with a death rate of more than 100 per 100,000 people.

However, Southwark’s rate of 104 per 100,000 people was not as high as Newham (144), Brent (142) and Hackney (127).

The London Assembly Health Committee has written to the Mayor of London, outlining how dealing with the capital’s health inequalities is more important than ever in light of COVID-19.

The committee has urged the mayor to fast-track work on addressing this complex and cross-cutting issue, as the disparity is likely to be further exacerbated by the pandemic.

The committee has also asked the mayor and his health advisors to monitor developments closely and to consider necessary action to address the most challenging determinants of health inequalities, such as employment, housing and early childhood experiences.

Dr Onkar Sahota, chair of the health committee, said: “London is already blighted by a number of major health inequalities, especially when it comes to marginalised and vulnerable groups.

“In light of COVID-19, the need to address the root causes of unfair health differences, such as poverty, inadequate housing and poor work, is more pressing than ever.

The mayor can’t solve all this on his own but he can lead the way and encourage others to step up.

“COVID-19 will further exacerbate existing physical and mental health inequalities.

Before the pandemic struck, we already knew that if you are poor, you are more likely to have a health issue and die earlier. This virus compounds this and we will continue to see disproportionate harm for poorer Londoners, those from a BAME background and those with underlying health conditions.”

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY 9

Grown Up Recruitment Here at Amdas, we measure success by end results. These are the results we deliver to clients and candidates. Our results are generated by the four core values of our company culture.

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Expert Cyber Security Q&A with Daniel Malkoun

... get cyber ready!

Q1. What have companies had to consider in terms of data privacy during the Covid-19 isolation?

A number of actions have had to be taken by employers, including the management of sensitive staff data surrounding redundancy, furloughing, and secure home working.

Redundancy and furlough both require the staff’s personal data to be kept with additional security, as must any “Covid-19 data”, which may be needed to understand travel history and who has tested positive.

Dark Web – Government sponsored and covert. Used by spies, whistle-blowers, journalists, Drug dealers, arms dealers and child pornographers.

• Doorstep Dispensaree Ltd fined £275,000 for failing to ensure the security of special category data.

The Dark Web is where hackers and even opportunistic cleaners sell, and scammers buy email addresses and passwords. Everything there has a price in BitCoin - hence its rise in value. We can search the Dark Web for you to see if you have been compromised.

• Perform a GDPR gap analysis and implement the results

Q7. How can I stay safe and become GDPR compliant?

• Become Cyber Essentials certified

Q4. How many SMEs are GDPR compliant?

When you consider the National Fraud & Cyber Crime Reporting Centre recorded, ‘a rise in cybercrime of 400%’ in March 2020, companies need to secure home working infrastructure from phishing and online shopping scams.

Recently, TrustArc found that only 20% of businesses believe they are now GDPR compliant. (TrustArc, 20th Apr. 2020) So, if you are not compliant or haven’t reviewed your GDPR this year, you are not alone, but you are at risk of a fine.

Q2. How would you know your cybersecurity has been compromised?

Q5. Will the GDPR still apply when we leave the EU?

Typically, data breaches aren’t detected until 206 days after the event because Hackers like to lurk and covertly build up a profile of their victims before using the data.

As per the ICO guidance, the default position is the GDPR will be brought into UK law as the ‘UK GDPR’, but there may be further developments about how we deal with particular issues such as UK-EU transfers.

For more information please review: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/dataprotection-and-brexit/information-rights-andbrexit-frequently-asked-questions/

If Ransomware has been used, it’s not picked up until a pop up demand for BitCoin payment locks all your machines.

Q3. What is the Dark Web? It is 1 of 3 layers of the Worldwide Web: Surface Web – comprised of search engines and all freely available information.

Deep Web – all the data deliberately hidden from the public.

Q8. How much does it cost to become GDPR Compliant?

As shown in the graph, about 60% of businesses spent less than £10,000 on compliance. We estimate it would cost roughly half that for a reasonably run SME business.

Q6. What are the fines for GDPR? The less severe infringements could result in a fine of up to €10 million, or 2% of the firm’s worldwide annual revenue from the preceding financial year, whichever amount is higher.

The more serious infringements go against the very principles of the right to privacy and the right to be forgotten that are at the heart of the GDPR. These types of infringements could result in a fine of up to €20 million, or 4% of the firm’s worldwide annual revenue from the preceding financial year, whichever amount is higher.

Some recent fines in the last 6 months: • Black Lion Marketing Ltd fined £171,000 for making unsolicited direct marketing calls.

• DSG Retail Ltd fined DSG Retail Limited (DSG) £500,000 after a ‘point of sale’ computer system was hacked, affecting at least 14 million people.

• Have a Cyber Attack Plan in place and understand how to recover and escalate any data breaches.

We have a simple baseline questionnaire to help you understand where you need to invest to become compliant.

GDPR Baseline Questionnaire allows a full report with recommendations, which we will refund from any further work, will cost £500.

We estimate it will take, on average, 5 to 10 days to become compliant.

A Cyber Attack Plan would cost you less than £1,000 for the audit and recommendations.

A Dark Web Report would give you the reassurance your company has not been hacked, which costs £50 for each time we run the report. But gives good peace of mind.

To guarantee you never have ransomware issues, we use Sentry Defender, which ensures you will be covered by a ransom guarantee. This cost is £14.97 pcm per machine.

For more information please look on our website https://privacy-specialists.com/keeping-you-safe/or contact us at DanielMalkoun@amdas.co.uk

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY 11

British Land

An update from the Canada Water Masterplan team which we have detailed planning permission, and we hope to begin enabling works this year. Together, the first plots will deliver: • Workspace to support around 2,300 office, retail and estate management jobs, with targeted training and employment programmes to support local people to access these opportunities.

• New public spaces, including a new pedestrian link from Lower Road to Canada Water Dock and a new square in the Dock Offices courtyard; • A new leisure centre with an eight lane, 25m swimming pool, gym and four court sports hall; • Three new buildings providing a total of 265 new homes with 35% affordable housing (70% of this at social rent and 30% as intermediate affordable)

A NEW TOWN CENTRE FOR SOUTHWARK, PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOUTHWARK’S BUSINESSES

Illustrative view of one of the 16 new streets to be created

We are pleased to share with you that on 29 May Southwark Council granted unconditional planning permission for the Canada Water Masterplan, following the signing of the Section 106 agreement by British Land, Southwark Council and Transport for London.

The Section 106 is a legally binding agreement that sets out the infrastructure, facilities and wider benefits that the Masterplan will deliver, including the levels of affordable housing, planned transport improvements, and our support for local employment, education and discounted retail and workspace.

THE NEXT STEPS FOR THE MASTERPLAN Now that unconditional planning permission has been granted, we will look to discharge the pre commencement conditions and relevant obligations in the section 106 agreement. This will allow us to start work on the first plots for

12 Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

The Masterplan is a c.15 year project that will deliver a new mixed-use town centre for the borough, with new shops, homes, offices and public spaces, including a new high street, town square, and network of pedestrian streets that connect into the local area.

We are committed to supporting a thriving community and economy both inside and outside the Masterplan ‘red-line’ boundary, so that the project brings economic, social and health improvements for all in the local area.

This includes a focus on supporting local businesses (both existing and new) to grow, and last year we launched Thrive, a business support hub and low-cost workspace for Canada Water’s small businesses and local entrepreneurs.

Many have already benefited from Thrive, with 30 new members signing up for discounted workspace in the first six months of operation. Going forward, we plan to also set up other initiatives to deepen our partnership with local businesses, such as establishing a Local Business Network.

This will help local businesses access the significant amount of affordable retail and workspace that the Masterplan will provide. For example, 7,000 sq m of workspace will be made available at 75% of market rent for 15 years, which equates to space for around 500 people working in companies with their rents reduced. We will also be allocating nearly 5,000 sq m of retail space at discounted rent for 10 years, with incentives to support business growth for local and independent retailers.

What’s more, upon completion, the Masterplan will be home to c.20,000 jobs, bringing career and employment opportunities for local people of all ages across a range of sectors and skill levels.

Another key focus will be to support those from the local area to access these opportunities and to help grow a skilled employment base in the borough.

Alongside delivery of the first detailed plots, we will be providing career and training opportunities for Southwark and local residents in construction roles, with training courses and opportunities to gain apprentice and NVQ-level qualifications, as well as roles within the new offices, retail and estate management which will accommodate around 2,300 permanent jobs.

We are committed to continuing to work with Southwark Council and organisations such as the Southwark Chamber of Commerce to ensure that we are doing all we can to ensure that local businesses and those seeking employment are aware of the opportunities that are being created.

To find out more about the Canada Water Masterplan please visit our website - www.canadawatermasterplan.com You can also follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to get regular updates on the project.

Should you have any questions or would like to be added to the mailing list to receive direct updates about the project, please get in touch by emailing team@canadawatermasterplan.com

Working with the Southwark Council to create a vibrant, inclusive, mixed-use development at Canada Water

Find out more at: www.canadawatermasterplan.com www.britishland.com

Up Front

Bold Streetspace plan set to overhaul London’s streets

Transport for London (TfL) and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan have unveiled their London Streetspace programme designed to transform London’s streets and encourage more walking and cycling when lockdown restrictions are eased.

Under the plans, more space would be given to new cycle lanes and wider pavements to enable social distancing, while landmark locations would benefit from temporary bike routes.

At the heart of the plan is a desire to create a clean, green and sustainable travel network and reduce pressure on the tube and buses. It is estimated the scheme would result in a ten-fold increase in cycling and five-fold increase in walking compared to pre-COVID levels, once lockdown restrictions have been lifted.

Working with London’s boroughs, TfL will make changes to focus on three key areas: • The rapid construction of a strategic cycling network, including new routes aimed at reducing crowding on London Underground and train lines, and on busy bus corridors

• A complete transformation of local town centres to enable local journeys to be safely walked and cycled where possible.

Wider footways on high streets, with people having space to queue for shops and enough space for others to safely walk past while socially distancing • Reducing traffic on residential streets, creating low-traffic neighbourhoods across London to enable more people to walk and cycle as part of their daily routine, as has happened during lockdown Sadiq Khan said: “The emergency measures included in our major strategic London Streetspace programme will help those who have to travel to work by fast-tracking the transformation of streets across our city.

Many Londoners have rediscovered the joys

of walking and cycling during lockdown and, by quickly and cheaply widening pavements, creating temporary cycle lanes and closing roads to through traffic we will enable millions more people to change the way they get around our city.”

Stephen Edwards, director of policy and communications at Living Streets, the UK’s everyday walking charity, said: “The pandemic has highlighted the LIGHT importance that walking plays in our lives, with huge numbers of Londoners walking as part of their daily exercise and for local shopping trips. Walking and cycling have a key role to play to take the pressure off public transport as we emerge from the lockdown, so it’s great news that TfL are looking at helping walkers and people cycling to travel safely.”

London’s COVID-19 recovery plans announced

LIGHT

LIGHT

LIGHT

Government ministers and the Mayor of London have joined forces to plot a roadmap out of lockdown into the next phase of recovery.

Robert Jenrick, secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, and Sadiq Khan have announced plans for how the capital’s transition out of the COVID-19 crisis will be managed.

Both are co-chairs of the new London Transition Board, which will remain in place until the end of 2020 to co-ordinate local response to trends, issues and risks as the capital emerges from lockdown and begins to reopen its economy while controlling the virus.

The London Transition Board will be made up of senior leaders from across the city and provide strategic direction for the next phase of response and restart, focusing on the key issues which London will face over the coming months.

These include infection control, phasing in and out of varying levels of lockdown, and the impact on public services such as transport.

Robert Jenrick said: “I want to thank all of those across London who have worked in partnership

14 Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

with the government since the start of the pandemic to protect Londoners and keep essential services running.

“Now we are past the peak, it is right that we focus on safely reopening the capital, taking the necessary steps to control the virus.

“Through this new transition board, we will carefully build on the extensive planning already underway to get life and business in London – the most dynamic capital city in the world – safely back on track.”

Minister for London, Paul Scully, said: “As we fire up the UK’s economic engines again, we know that the capital will be pivotal to our national recovery. Supporting London’s extraordinarily diverse and dynamic businesses in getting back to work while keeping Londoners safe is essential. This plan gives us a roadmap for those efforts.”

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Skills

‘Students are actively looking for placements as part of their course, keen to develop their skills and gain practical experience. Having already adapted to remote working for their studies, students across LSBU Business School have skills in a range of business areas; accounting, finance, marketing, planning and marketing – to name but a few.’

Business needs and students providing solutions 16 Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

Skills

At LSBU Business School, Lyn Hamblin leads Commercial Student Experience, working closely with the local business community. In recent weeks, she has been working with businesses as they seek to find solutions to overcome challenges in their businesses in these unusual circumstances.

Lyn has found that businesses are valuing placement opportunities our students are actively seeking, finding that these well-equipped students can provide interim solutions businesses can benefit from.

In particular, she has noticed increased demand for placements for students in delivery and logistics, recruitment, accounting and financial technology.

Students working remotely As teaching has moved online, our students have continued to develop their academic skills, whilst also learning how they can best work remotely. Talking about the students at this time, Lyn says she is “excited about the opportunity for businesses to utilise students’ skills, digital expertise and enthusiasm in shorter through to year-long placements”.

Harnessing students’ skills in the business environment Students are actively looking for placements as part of their course, keen to develop their skills and gain practical

experience. Having already adapted to remote working for their studies, students across LSBU Business School have skills in a range of business areas; accounting, finance, marketing, planning and marketing – to name but a few.

Lyn explains “these enthusiastic, costeffective, committed, technically-minded students offer a way for businesses to take on staff for a short term solution – with many also keen to continue working on a part-time basis afterwards, giving some businesses the flexibility they are looking for”.

ICU departments in a London hospital, Alister has helped with a range of accounting activities during COVID-19; “I work across areas including accounts payable, accounts receivable, stock take, financial systems, for example. I’ve been able to meet people already in the field who taught me valuable lessons”. Keen to help where he could, he also took on working 12-hour night shifts to support on the frontline “I was able to play a part in trying to help different teams during this uncertain time”.

Supporting the NHS

Placements and Internships

Current BA (Hons) Accounting and Finance student, Alister D’Souza is on a finance placement with the NHS in London. Working in the A&E and

Many of our students are actively looking for work placements and experience – particularly summer internships at the moment. Typically, internships are 1 – 3 months long, ending by September and year-long placements next start in August 2020 (and later, January and May 2021).

Get in touch To discuss your business needs and find out more about our talent pool, please contact Lyn Hamblin, Commercial Student Experience, at lyn.hamblin@lsbu.ac.uk

To find out more about studying with LSBU, please visit lsbu.ac.uk, or join us at a virtual Open Day.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY 17

Big Interview

The business school with a global outlook When Professor Tim Wray received the offer of a job at Warwick Business School (WBS) in 2018, he had no hesitation in snapping it up.

“It was a bit of a head-turner,” recalls Tim, who holds the dual titles of professor of practice (leadership and organisational change) and director of executive education at WBS. “I knew I’d be walking into a globally recognised institution ranked by the FT as one of the top five business schools in the UK. I was immediately struck by their primary assets – great faculty and research, world-class facilities, and a respected brand. For someone with my background it was a bit like walking into a sweet shop.”

Some of those facilities are based in London’s flagship building, The Shard, where a range of executive programmes, diplomas and degrees are delivered to professionals from all over the globe.

One of the programmes is focused on behavioural science in practice – very topical in the current pandemic, with scientists and politicians furiously debating the human response to lockdown restrictions. The programme is run in conjunction with The Behavioural Insights Team, a global social purpose company backed by the UK government.

“People on our courses at The Shard travel from afar and it’s a great cultural experience for them,” says Tim. “We’re a global business school and we wanted a footprint in a global city.

That’s why we took space in The Shard.”

WBS also runs customised programmes for companies seeking to gain

competitive advantage in their market, increase their value proposition, sharpen their entrepreneurial instinct or develop a corporate mindset that can generate positive social or economic change.

“There’s a saying that you become much more aware of your cultural identity when you step out of it,” he says. “I got to understand this when I moved from Belfast to Dublin.”

As an experienced practitioner, consultant and executive educator in leadership and organisational change, Tim is well positioned to add value in these areas, helping to shape and deliver WBS’s development programmes for professionals and companies.

After graduating he landed a job at a subsidiary of state-owned Eircom – Ireland’s equivalent of BT – and his aptitude for relationship-building saw him quickly progress to the position of head of internal communications.

In 1997 he completed an MSc in organisation behaviour, winning the Sir Charles Harvey Award for outstanding academic achievement, before becoming executive education director at the Irish Management Institute (IMI) – the place where he studied for his master’s degree.

He says: “There are three core areas where companies need assistance: leadership, strategy execution and digital capability. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of the latter; companies will need to work out how they can use tech innovations, such as robotics and data analytics, to make their business more agile, adaptable and able to withstand unexpected events.

“There is also likely to be a strong focus on management survival and business continuity. What do companies need to do to survive and thrive as we come out of the pandemic? What sort of job roles will be needed once the furlough support has ended? These are the issues that company owner-managers will be grappling with.”

Tim’s ability to analyse and manage cultural change is, perhaps, a consequence of his early upbringing.

He grew up in Belfast in the 1970s during a turbulent period before moving to Dublin.

18 Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

In 2009 he joined Nottingham University Business School, where he successfully delivered executive development programmes at senior levels for leading international companies, including Walgreens Boots Alliance and Tarmac, as well as high-fliers in large public sector organisations.

A few years dabbling in consultancy followed before the lure of WBS proved too tempting to resist.

“It was too great a challenge to turn down,” says Tim. “We’re a business school with a global outlook and we’re well respected by businesses and professionals across the world.”

Big Interview

Inside story Tim Wray:

“There are three core areas where companies need assistance: leadership, strategy execution and digital capability.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of the latter; companies will need to work out how they can use tech innovations, such as robotics and data analytics, to make their business more agile, adaptable and able to withstand unexpected events.”

u Favourite food? Definitely an Indian Balti! u Favourite tipple? I’m Irish so it’s a bit stereotypical to say it – but a pint of Guinness and I’m happy u Favourite holiday? Long walks on empty beaches with stunning scenery in the west of Ireland u Describe your family life? Wife, three kids, two dogs, two hamsters and a fish!

So, busy bordering on chaotic probably captures it! u How do you spend your downtime?

I’d like to say something intellectual or creative but those that know me best will point out that I spend a seriously disproportionate amount of my time watching all kinds of sport u What are your key strengths as a manager? More for others to say but I like to think my leadership style is a collaborative one and that I welcome contribution and challenge from everyone. Also, I prefer to be on the front foot, driving new agendas u And your limitations?

I confess to a tendency of having several ideas and wanting to do them all at once. Prioritising, creating focus and ensuring delivery is the conscious discipline I have to apply u Best thing about doing business in the borough?

Our participants come from all over the globe. The diversity and vibrancy of the area is a huge draw and adds to the rich experience people enjoy when they attend one of our programmes at The Shard u Famous person you’d most like to spend dinner with?

Lots of contenders but I’d settle on Bishop Desmond Tutu. Faith, leadership, societal transformation and a huge sports fan! Stopping the conversation would be the challenge! u Most interesting fact about yourself?

I dabbled in politics in the past and led the youth wing of one of the main political parties in Ireland

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY 19

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Planning for a return to the office?

With the Government guidelines changing all the time, most organisations are starting to consider when and how they will return to their office environments and what that looks like.

Most organisations will be changing the way they work in some way from part time remote working to complete virtual offices. It is not just your IT infrastructure that needs to be robust enough but the solutions you use, have you considered where your data is stored and accessed and whether your Telephony is as seamless as it can be?

With a tiered approach expected when we return to the office, this will mean the ‘new norm’ of remote working will become more of a permanent feature within a lot of organisations.

The ability to work anywhere at anytime has never been so important With the cloud becoming a common factor, many organisations want scalable infrastructures as their business changes or grows, without high costs, whilst ensuring productivity remains high.

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Changing the way you work

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Complete I.T. provide market leading IT support to over 700 SME clients, we have the highest levels of technical expertise and accreditations to resolve your issues, but we also become a part of our clients teams getting to know them and their goals and offering support and advice meaning you can focus on your day to day job.

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Whether you have no in-house IT expertise, or you are an IT Manager looking for additional help, we will provide you with the advice and guidance that you need to take advantage of ever evolving technology and help you to plan your IT Roadmap.

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Southwark BUSINESS TODAY 21

Business Recovery

‘The long-term economic impact of the pandemic is, at this stage, difficult to quantify and there are widespread fears that the road to recovery will be a long, arduous one.’

Many businesses have begun trading again after a prolonged period of inactivity, staff are getting back to work and the government has set out plans to gradually reduce its financial support for workers and companies.

The next few months promise to be anything but business as usual. Strict social distancing rules are still in force and, with scientists confirming that COVID-19 is still very much in circulation, many consumers are concerned about returning to shops and offices. The long-term economic impact of the pandemic is, at this stage, difficult to quantify and there are widespread fears that the road to recovery will be a long, arduous one.

The road to recovery As we approach the halfway point of what already seems like a long year, the world is moving cautiously from lockdown to recovery mode.

22 Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

However, recent easing of lockdown restrictions in the UK mean that the first, tentative steps forward on this journey can begin. Locally, in Southwark, preparations to ensure that work environments are as safe as possible for staff and customers are underway. Borough Market, London’s oldest food market which has been serving the people of Southwark for 1,000 years, has been able to open up more of its space, with more traders operating and limited hot food and coffee available for takeaway only. Green Market and Three Crown Square remain open but have been repositioned to meet social distancing guidelines, and ground markings have been drawn to help customers stand two metres apart from each other. Also on view is clear signage on the importance of shoppers remaining apart.

Business Recovery Cllr Stephanie Cryan, the council’s cabinet member for jobs, business and innovation, says: “The coronavirus pandemic has hit businesses hard and is having a significant and farreaching impact on businesses and the economy.

Darren Henaghan, managing director of Borough Market, says: “Given Borough Market’s status as a charitable trust, we have a longstanding commitment to providing a service to the local community. Since March, we have remained open for fresh food and store cupboard essentials, with all traders in the Three Crown Square area to avoid shoppers spending unnecessary amounts of time at the market.

“For those who haven’t been able to get to the market, we introduced a wider delivery area of seven-mile radius for Borough Market online, as well as a drivethrough collect-by-car service so that traders could still provide their produce to customers.

“We also spearheaded a campaign, Feed the Frontline.

Borough Market trader Turnips delivered free fresh fruit and vegetable bags to frontline staff at four London NHS hospitals, with recipe cards in the bags to provide inspiration for cooking at home. Turnips has been out delivering twice weekly since the start of April and to date 35,000 bags have been delivered.

“Restaurant and hot food providers from the Borough Market Kitchen who have had to close have provided hot meals for NHS staff. These include Arabica, La Tua Pasta and Phil Juma from

Juma Kitchen, who are cooking fresh meals every Friday and delivering to frontline workers.

“For the wider online community, we launched a community Facebook group in March, ran a digital Easter Extravaganza festival, and since then have hosted regular free Instagram cook-alongs, demos, digital cookbooks and recipe tips and swaps. We have also run a Borough Talks series of free inspiring food-related discussions featuring chefs from around the world, hosted on Zoom, to inspire and connect those at home.

“Like many people and businesses, we can’t wait to see the market return to its usual hustle and bustle, but for now our main priority is to keep all of our staff, traders and customers safe and help prevent a second wave of the virus. We will continue to follow government guidelines on social distancing and provide essentials for our local community.”

It’s clear that Borough Market is very much focused on looking forward, not back. Southwark Council, too, has both eyes firmly on a future economic revival in the borough, where businesses get back on track and trading levels rise to something approaching normal.

“Many businesses in Southwark have kept going through the pandemic, providing vital services to residents, including NHS staff and key workers. I would like to thank those businesses for their work in keeping our communities going through this crisis. Significant changes have been required to operate in these unprecedented circumstances, and we appreciate all those businesses which have followed public health guidance and helped to save lives.

The council has distributed more than £58 million in government grants to businesses and applied 100% rate relief to the retail, leisure and hospitality sector for 12 months. We know that some businesses have not been able to access funding from government, so we also introduced a £2 million Business Hardship Fund for businesses missing out on national support.

“Looking forward, we are already developing plans to support Southwark’s economic renewal. We are committed to reviving Southwark’s economy and local businesses will be instrumental in this. We want local businesses to help shape the recovery work and economic planning, so we will be working with business networks towards this goal.”

One of those networks is Southwark Chamber of Commerce, which will continue to help businesses build strong commercial connections within the borough and beyond.

“Southwark Council has been supporting local businesses through this unprecedented challenge. Communication with the business community has been key and since the start of the pandemic, the council has handled more than 1,300 enquiries from local businesses on a wide range of issues.

We’ve sent out regular updates to over 5,000 businesses with new information as it has been released, including links to financial and other support.

Les Johnson, chair of the Chamber, says: “We know that businesses have been through a very tough period and it will take some time before things get back to normal. However, businesses in Southwark are well known for their resilience and now the focus must be on kick-starting an economic recovery.

“The Chamber will be supporting these businesses every step of the way as we all adapt to a new normal while staying as safe as possible and your Chamber is here to help and support where we can.”

‘Looking forward, we are already developing plans to support Southwark’s economic renewal. We are committed to reviving Southwark’s economy and local businesses will be instrumental in this.’

For more information visit www.southwark.gov.uk/coronavirus, https://boroughmarket.org.uk/ and https://southwarkcommerce.com/

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY 23

Skills

Is that a spider on the ceiling - or video conferencing for beginners?

How I moved 150 language students to virtual lessons with one day’s notice.

by Susan Isaacs Director of Languages Beyond 2000 “I’m getting a good view of your ceiling,“ said one of my students helpfully. She was too polite to mention the spider’s web skilfully embroidered just above my favourite watercolour of Spanish dancers.

“Can you move your screen so that we can see your face?”

“Oh no, let’s leave it like that,” I said hastily, “you don’t need to look at me, let’s just concentrate on the French.”

I’ve yet to meet someone over the age of forty who really enjoys looking at themselves close up on a video conferencing screen, and I am vainer than most. Perhaps this video conferencing lark wasn’t for me.

When the lockdown was announced on March 23rd part way through my term, I had a grim choice.

Move to video conferencing, or lose my students and business, perhaps forever. I teach languages to students in many of the top banks and law firms in London.

However, within a day or so, and thanks to the kindness of students who offered to train me, I was able to transfer over one hundred and fifty students in French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Portuguese, in twenty - two separate classes to video conferencing. And they loved it. If the price is seeing close ups of bits of my face which I would rather not look at myself, so be it. Shall I re-phrase that? I am a fervent supporter of video conferencing.

It has saved my business, and so very many others, from ruin and opened all sorts of other doors. All my students came back enthusiastically, and lots of students I haven’t seen for years.

Former students who live in Brighton, Glasgow, and even the Canary Islands, have been able to re-join my London based classes. So I really can’t have looked that bad.

Let’s raise a loud cheer for Messrs Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype and Jabber and every other video conferencing company on the planet.

I am eternally grateful to you.

But, the course of true love never did run smooth, and there were, and still are plenty of hiccups on the way. First of all there was the small question of people seeing each other. I eventually realised that I needed to prop up my Ipad into a perpendicular position to stop people focusing on my ceiling. I tried a mixture of heavy dictionaries, and a large jar containing spare euros from France, Italy, Spain and Germany.

Sadly they blocked the beautiful line of thumbnail student images which lay along the bottom edge of my screen. You would have thought the combined weight of coins and words would have kept the Ipad stable.

Well sort of. For a while. But then the jar and dictionaries took on a mind of their own and my Ipad went careering wildly all over the place, cutting off my students in their finest discourses in whichever language we were speaking. Never have I felt twenty quid was better spent, than when the slim silver Ipad stand I ordered from Amazon arrived the following week. It solved all of those problems simultaneously.

But there weren’t just problems with people seeing the teacher, there were problems with the teacher seeing the students. Everyone would greet each other enthusiastically as one by one little rectangles would appear on the screen, containing someone blinking and waving.

24 Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

But some wouldn’t. Sometimes there would be a black rectangle with no-one inside it. Often the black rectangle would have a name attached to it, but often it wouldn’t.

So I could be faced with a line of non-responding blank images and would have no idea who I was addressing, or what they were thinking. I swiftly learned to make a quick register of who was present, listing them by their position on the screen. Even that method had its faults as they didn’t all see each other sitting in the same order as I did.

Have you ever heard of bandwidth?

I had never heard of bandwith before, but the available amount became the nerve centre of my life, like the pollen count for hayfever sufferers. Was the count high or low today? Without a sufficient amount, students would appear and disappear like shooting stars in a nightsky. IT specialist students were my knights in shining armour in this battle for survival. I bowed to their advice that everyone should mute their microphones when not speaking. But of course this too led to problems as many of the icons led peole to believe the microphone was off when it was on, and vice versa. So my most eloquent students would be left mouthing words noone else could hear. Like newly weds my students and I were learning to

navigate new terrain, and quickly.

By the end of the term we could all mute and unmute a microphone at the touch of a button.

I can see all sorts of possibilities for this exciting new medium. I can hold virtual parties for my students every week, without budging from my sofa. I can teach students from all over the world in one class simultaneously. Whereas before a late evening class might have been a drag for people to attend, now it is a cosy sociable thing to do in your pyjamas before bedtime. I can use the on screen chat facility, so that someone can write something on the board and we can all discuss and improve it together. No-one can convincingly plead that they couldnt attend because there are attending their grandmother’s birthday party.

After all, if they are keen enough, they can attend both simultaneously.

If there is one up-side to this grim situation we all find ourselves in, it is that we have all now been forced to move over to video conferencing. We have all become experts in a matter of weeks.

And the possibilities are incredible.

To find our further information email Susan at susanelizabethisaacs@icloud.com

www.languages2000.co.uk

‘Everyone would greet each other enthusiastically as one by one little rectangles would appear on the screen, containing someone blinking and waving.

But some wouldn’t. Sometimes there would be a black rectangle with no-one inside it.’

Poverty, Sickness, and Genius Wasted, a rock musical about the Bronte Family, streamed by Southwark Playhouse

By Susan Isaacs Arts and Culture critic A rosy cheeked blonde girl stands in the centre of a barren dark stage, coyly confiding, in a strong Yorkshire accent, that she is expecting a baby.

She is Charlotte, the oldest surviving sister of the Bronte girls, and went on to win fame with her novel, Jane Eyre. Then a bleak chorus of her sisters and her wildeyed brother strike up an insistent rock band of a chorus. There is no way we can forget who they are, sisters Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and their brother Branwell. They are the BRONTES, a genius family of writers who lived in poverty and sickness in a desolate parsonage, Haworth, on the Yorkshire moors.

The life they describe is grim.

People defecate in the streets, rats gnaw at human beings, and their older sisters, their mother, their aunt, and then all of them, eventually die before the age of forty. For the girls, the only prospect in life is to marry. Given their isolated location and their poverty,

their choice is extremely limited.

They may not meet anyone at all.

The fierce sounds as they sing of the misery rattle around the stage, and musicians with wild hair and leather jackets amplify the effect.

Siobhan Athwal plays Emily Bronte, a death obsessed pessimist, who wrote Wuthering Heights, and bears more than a passing resemblance to Kate Bush. Molly Lynch plays Anne, the calmest of the girls, author of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Matthew Jacobs Morgan, looking wild eyed, unshaven, and dissolute, is perfect for the part of their brother Branwell Bronte. He died aged 31, addicted to alcohol and laudanum.

The show seems to project nothing but misery. But when the girls and their brother gather round a collection of tin soldiers, they spark into writing of a mysterious land of Gondor. Suddenly the whole play takes on a new atmosphere of hope and excitement, and the drama begins.

This musical is just one of many over the years, breathed into life by Southwark Playhouse.

The theatre plays a major part in the Southwark Community and reaches out to involve schools and colleges. Many aspiring writers and directors got their first break

at the theatre, and one hopes this can continue. By streaming some of its productions, the Playhouse is keeping its spirit alive in the heart of Southwark.

Let us hopeit can continue to produce new and fresh production for years to come.

Shiver Me Timbers,

the Crew Know the Ropes. Treasure Island, streamed by the National Theatre

By Susan Isaacs Arts and Culture critic

Batten down the hatches, as you watch this wonderful production of Treasure Island, adapted by Bryony Lavery from the famous novel by Robert Louis Stevenson.

The story opens as a menacing seaman, Captain Bones, (Aidan Kelly) arrives at the inn run by young Jim Hawkins and his/her grandmother. With his tattooed head, and menacing behaviour he terrorises the inhabitants of the inn while drinking himself to death on grog.

Jim is played with tremendous energy and vitality by Patsy Ferran, in a very contemporary interpretation of the play. When she is asked

by Bones, “be you boy or girl?” she replies

tartly “that’s my business.” A series of former shipmates of Bones attack the inn, but Jim and her grandmother salvage the map to hidden treasure, concealed in an old sea-chest.

Together with a local squire they charter a ship, The Hispaniola, to find it.

The stage ship has a wonderful wheel to steer by, a magnificent barrel for Jim to hide in and overhear conspiracies, and a whole series of ropes to climb up, and view the sea and sky.

One of the most memorable scenes is where Jim, and the Machiavellian anti-hero Long John Silver, gaze together at the star studied sky.

Mutiny, murder, and treasure await, and we watch Jim changing from an uncertain girl on the cusp of adolescence, to a courageous young person. At one stage she sails the ship singlehanded, manoeuvres her way between different packs of bloodthirsty pirates on the doom-laden island, and brings the treasure home.

Arthur Darvill is another star performer.

He plays the seemingly amiable ship’s cook Long John Silver, with long dark hair, bowler hat, and ragged clothes.

We, like Jim, are bemused as to why hardened seaman Captain Bones, spoke with such terror of a one-legged man, even when Silver, unruffled, sticks a knife into his own wooden leg.

He genially produces a series of bedraggled sailors as crew members and then takes the sea - struck Jim under his wing as ship’s boy.

But the depths of his villainy become apparent on the island when he nonchalantly slips a knife into the back of a threatening shipmate.

Then he suggests to Jim that they kill off six of the remaining sailors so that they have more treasure between the two of them.

I will not spoil the ending. Keep a weather eye open for what is coming next from the National Theatre. Their collection is superb.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY 25

News

UK publishes new global tariff The government has announced a key policy change that will affect Southwark firms engaged in international trade.

“While the new tariff regime will provide the government with some leverage in future trade talks, it also demonstrates the importance of reaching a UK-EU agreement to avoid substantial increases in costs for businesses on both sides of the Channel.”

From January 1, 2021, the UK will apply a UK-specific tariff to imported goods.

This UK Global Tariff (UKGT) will replace the EU’s Common External Tariff, which applies until December 31, 2020, the day when the Brexit transition period ends.

The UKGT will apply to all goods imported into the UK, unless an exception such as a preferential arrangement or tariff suspension applies. In particular, the tariff will not apply to goods coming from developing countries that benefit under the

26 Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

Generalised Scheme of Preferences, or to goods originating from countries with which the UK has negotiated a free trade agreement (FTA).

The UKGT is designed to make it easier and cheaper for businesses to import goods from overseas.

Commenting on the policy, British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) director general Adam Marshall said: “The publication of the UK Global Tariff provides welcome clarity for businesses as they prepare for life outside of the EU.

“While the new tariff regime will provide the government with some leverage in future trade talks, it also demonstrates the importance of reaching a UK-EU agreement to avoid substantial increases in costs for businesses on both sides of the Channel.

“With any tariff changes, there are both winners and losers.

Support will be required for the industries, places and people affected by tariff changes at what is already a difficult time.”

Voice from Westminster

VOICE from WESTMINSTER Standing up for businesses in Southwark Neil Coyle MP I know for many businesses in Southwark, large and small, this will have been an extremely difficult few months. Sadly, I have been contacted by some people who are seeing their whole livelihoods, businesses which they have built from the ground up, teetering on the brink but facing a still very uncertain future. On behalf of all constituents, I want to thank you all for the tremendous sacrifice you have made in this national crisis and to make an offer of support for those who still need it.

Within days of the business grants scheme being announced by the Treasury, many local businesses realised with horror that they were not going to qualify. In fairness, the Government scheme was pulled together very quickly but it only offered support to businesses who paid rates directly. Many Southwark firms, in railway arches, indoor shopping areas and at Borough Market, were excluded initially because they pay via their landlords or through a management organisation and not directly.

I highlighted this anomaly with the Treasury and was extremely glad when they acted swiftly to close the loophole and extend £617m worth of grants for businesses who previously were denied access. In Borough Market alone this has benefited some 120 traders, and, alongside Government

support, it is fantastic that Southwark Council have also created a £2 million hardship fund for small businesses to help protect our local economy. I have been working with local firms to access support so let me know if I can help.

Whilst it is understandable that it wasn’t possible for the Government to rapidly come up with a scheme which would cater for all eventualities, it is disappointing to hear that nearly three months on, other holes in the safety net still haven’t been fixed. I know there will be many out there who are unable to claim grants due to the £51,000 rateable value cap. This is another example of one size not fitting all which has hit businesses in London particularly severely due to high land values in the capital. Fixing this could give over 19,000 business in London alone access to £25,000 grants, aiding the recovery as we begin to move out of lockdown.

It is also deeply disappointing that the Government have used the crisis to punish Londoners, by forcing Transport for

London (TfL) to increase the congestion charge and travel fares in exchange for providing emergency financial support.

A staggering £4 billion in revenue for TfL has been lost due to the lockdown. It is outrageous that, instead of helping our capital city by ensuring we are ready to be the economic driver of the nation once things return to normal, Ministers have chosen to play politics in a way which I fear will have a negative impact on businesses here in Southwark.

There are still positives out there, and I continue to be struck by the outpouring of community spirit this crisis has brought with it. Families, friends, neighbours, and businesses have all pulled together to help each other and I hope that sense of community will be sustained as the lockdown measures are eased. Your patience, resilience, and commitment to keeping us all safe has been amazing to witness and, as the economy begins to bounce back, I will continue to stand up for businesses in Southwark.

‘Whilst it is understandable that it wasn’t possible for the Government to rapidly come up with a scheme which would cater for all eventualities, it is disappointing to hear that nearly three months on, other holes in the safety net still haven’t been fixed.’

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY 27

Remembering when...

Remembering when... isolation and infection prevention measures were carried out during previous Pandemics

By Ken Hayes - Honorary Membership Secretary Medieval societies learning from the experience of ancient civilisations realised that the spread of contagious diseases could be prevented by isolating new arrivals to a city or country.

The first recorded quarantine was imposed in the city state of Dubrovnik in 1377. New arrivals had to spend 30 days on an island before being allowed to enter the city. This was later increased to 40 days.

Quarantine and isolation have been used during pandemic infections since then.

The development of modern medical science in the 19th Century with research into infectious diseases and epidemiology, studying the nature and spread of pandemics as they developed. This along with the training of nurses and doctors to avoiding the spread of disease by improved hygiene when treating infected patients in hospital to prevent patient to patient disease transfer.

Florence Nightingale was a pioneer in this respect. She raised funding to build a new St. Thomas’ Hospital and Nursing School on the

south side of the Thames at Westminster Bridge, moved from its previous location at London Bridge. This opened in 1870 at a time when the Bubonic plague had returned for a third time.

The Influenza pandemic which began in the second half of 1918 and continued until 1920 and was called the Spanish Flu was caused by the HINI strain of influenza spread world-wide and is estimated to have caused between 50 - 100 million deaths world-wide.

Measures to prevent the spread of the disease were imposed by the authorities.

Elementary Schools, Theatres, Moving Picture Houses and Places of Worship were closed, and people were instructed to self-isolate if they had contacted the disease.

The economic downturn caused by the pandemic put the UK into recession until 1924. The HINI influenza virus reoccurred again in 2003 when we had a vaccine to help prevent it.

I came across a poem written in 1869, author unknown but which is which is timeless.

28 Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

And people stayed at home And read books And listened And rested And did exercises And did art and played And learned new ways of being And stopped and listened more deeply Someone meditated, someone prayed Someone met their shadow And people healed And people began to think differently And in the absence of people who lived in ignorant ways Dangerous meaningless and heartless The earth also began to heal And when the danger ended And people found themselves They grieved for the dead And made new choices And dreamed of new visions And created new ways of living And completely healed the earth Just as they were healed Pandemics have over history changed how people live their lives.

Widespread media coverage of pandemics is not new nor is the spread of information

and misinformation which is almost instant today. I do hope that when we come out of this pandemic that we learn lessons from it rather than play the blame game.

Remembering when...

‘The Influenza pandemic which began in the second half of 1918 and continued until 1920 and was called the Spanish Flu was caused by the HINI strain of influenza spread world-wide and is estimated to have caused between 50 - 100 million deaths world-wide.’

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY 29

bodytonic clinic

Let’s talk headaches and 8 TOP TIPS for anyone suffering from one...

By Bethany Elliott Headaches… we have all suffered from them, in fact, headaches are one of the world’s most common conditions. There are over 150 different types of headache ranging from persistent debilitating migraines to headaches caused by veisalgia, more commonly known as an alcohol hangover!

So you may ask, what are the most common types of headache and what can I do to prevent them from occurring?

This article will briefly explain the two most common types of primary headache and will share some top tips on how to keep those nasty headache pains at bay.

Tension Type Headache Tension type headache is the most common type of primary headache.

It affects both sides of your head and can be described as mild to moderate in intensity.

The headache can feel like a dull or squeezing type pain, lasting anywhere from 30 minutes to several days. For some, tension type headache is also accompanied with a feeling of tension behind the eyes and/or in the neck and shoulders.

The most common causes are linked to there being an increase in the strain on the muscles of the back of the head and neck, such as: • Poor posture • Stress & anxiety • Jaw or dental problems

Migraine A migraine is best described as a one sided headache that can create a pulsating type sensation. It can last anywhere from 4 hours to 72 hours and the intensity of a migraine can vary from episode to episode and from person to person. The most common symptoms associated with migraines are nausea,vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound.

Some also suffer from a type of migraine that gives them a ‘headsup’ before the migraine starts. This is known as a migraine with aura.

The cause of migraine headaches is poorly understood. However, recent research has demonstrated genetics to play a crucial role in migraine development. It has been speculated that individuals can be genetically predisposed to be more sensitive to certain migraine triggers.

These triggers include: • Dietary triggers such as alcohol, coffee and dehydration.

• Physical triggers such as poor posture, neck and shoulder tension.

Here are 8 top tips for anyone suffering from migraine or tension type headache: 1. Visit an Osteopath Problems with the musculoskeletal system are one of the biggest reasons for tension type headaches.

Your Osteopath will carry out a full postural and musculoskeletal assessment to identify the cause of your headache, followed by the most appropriate treatment to help you on your way to becoming headache free. Visit the team at bodytonic clinic to find out how we can help you through the process.

2. Practice Good Posture Poor posture can lead to a multitude of problems including putting stress and strain on certain muscles and joints around the head and neck. Taking up exercises such as Pilates is a great way to learn how to use and strengthen the muscles that support your posture.

3. Take an Eye Test Problems with your eyesight may make you tilt your head forward, putting increased stress onto the muscles and joints in your neck.

It is recommended to get your eyes tested at least once every two years.

4. Keep a Headache Diary Note down the intensity and duration of the headache and any other symptoms associated with the headache. This will then enable you to identify what triggers you should avoid.

• Environmental triggers such as stress & anxiety.

bodytonicclinic.co.uk

30 Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

6. Keep Moving A regular exercise routine can help reduce the frequency of headache episodes. Low impact exercises such as walking, swimming and cycling are great ways to get fit and reduce the frequency of headaches.

7. Reduce Stress Increased stress and anxiety has been linked to causing tension type headaches. Try some meditation or practice breathing exercises. Yoga is also a great practice to take up as it not only helps induce relaxation and reduce stress but it is also helpful in reducing muscle tension in the shoulders and neck.

8. Keep hydrated It is recommended by the NHS to drink around 1.2 Litres of fluid a day to stop us from getting dehydrated. Dehydration has been linked to causing migraine headaches. So keep your fluids up!

For more information on how to effectively work from home please feel free to contact bodytonic clinic at bodytonicclinic.co.uk and one of our team members will be happy to answer any of your questions.

10-11 Dock Offices, Surrey Quays Road, London, SE16 2XU.

0203 6060 490

5. Establish a Sleep Schedule This means going to bed and waking up at the same time.

Poor sleep habits, such as getting too much or too little sleep has been shown to be associated with tension type and migraine headaches.

Canada Water, Stratford and Wapping

Health & Wellbeing

The study from independent alcohol education charity, Drinkaware, shows that a higher proportion of people on furlough are drinking more in lockdown than the UK average (24%).

As the government’s furlough scheme extends to October and a number of people continue to work from home to avoid spreading the coronavirus, Drinkaware is warning that thousands of workers could emerge from lockdown with ingrained drinking habits. Of those working from home as a result of lockdown, one in four (26%) people said they were drinking more.

The charity is urging employers to use the lockdown to support the health and wellbeing of staff.Drinkaware CEO, Elaine Hindal, said: “As lockdown continues, many are drinking more. Employers who have members of staff on furlough or who are working from home should take note of our research findings.

“The welcome extension to the furlough scheme will be vital for organisations as we navigate the coronavirus pandemic and it is good to see employers also offering flexible working. But this new normal must not lead to an “out of sight, out of mind” mentality, particularly when it comes to the health and wellbeing of the UK workforce.

“Employers must use every opportunity to make sure their staff don’t become disconnected throughout the extended furlough period and

Furloughed workers drinking more alcohol in lockdown One in three (36%) furloughed workers are drinking more alcohol since lockdown began, new research has revealed.

“It’s concerning that many seem to be drinking more as lockdown continues. People are experiencing significant changes to many aspects of their lives and many do not have their usual work routine. Employers should communicate with their employees about the health and wellbeing support available to them, not forgetting those currently on furlough.” must plan for a return to work that prioritises employee health and wellbeing. The consequence of not doing this could result in thousands of people returning to work

with ingrained drinking habits that could have an impact on their health – both physical and mental. Drinking patterns, once established, are far harder to break.”

Dr Jill Miller, senior policy advisor at the CIPD – the professional body for HR and people development – said: “It’s concerning that many seem to be drinking more as lockdown continues. People are experiencing significant changes to many aspects of their lives and many do not have their usual work routine.

Employers should communicate with their employees about the health and wellbeing support available to them, not forgetting those currently on furlough.”

The research, conducted

by Opinium on behalf of Drinkaware, surveyed 2,001 UK adults. The study found, of those who are furloughed and drink, more than a quarter (28%) said they were drinking on days they wouldn’t usually since lockdown began.

When applied to those who are working from home and drink, the proportion became slightly smaller (26%). This is compared with 22% of all UK drinkers.

One in seven (15%) drinkers on furlough admitted to having their first drink earlier in the day since the start of lockdown, compared with a similar proportion of those who are working from home (14%).

Among UK drinkers, 12% had their first drink earlier in the day since lockdown began.

One in ten (9%) furloughed drinkers said they had had a drink in secret or covered up the fact they were having a drink since lockdown began – almost double the UK average.

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY 31

COVID-19 Coronavirus update The government have directed all leisure activities to temporarily close. We want to do our bit to try and curb the spread of the Coronavirus, and although it saddens us to have to postpone adventures, we feel it is the right thing to do at this time.

But we will be back! As soon as it is deemed safe our forest doors will be open again and we will be ready to welcome you.

Until then, we hope you and your families stay well through these challenging times.

You can find more information in our FAQs or, if you have further questions, please email

questions@goape.co.uk

5

Last Word

Reasons to Join Us

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THROUGH QUALITY NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES Our broad range of members share advice, experience and peer support for business owners who want to take their business to the next level.

diverse business demographic of Southwark.

We help our members build strong commercial connections within London.

Whether you are a sole trader, microbusiness, a mid-sized firm or part of a global organisation, our members reflect the

We support them in being part of the Capital’s community and economy.

Membership is great for networking and building your business.

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Jessica Symondson Marketing Director Complete I.T. Jessica has over 10 years experience within the IT industry after initially starting her career in Pharmaceutical PR. Joining Complete I.T. 5 years ago to head up Marketing Jessica’s job is to enable clients with the tools they need to help educate their teams on the risks associated with Cyber Crime, data security and the many tools available to them to improve productivity and collaborate effectively.

Q1. What was your first job and what was the pay packet?

My very first job was cleaning out the stables for £2 an hour and a promise (that never materialised) that I could ride the horses.

Q2. If you were prime minister, what would be your first decision?

To encourage every business owner or Director to speak with their teams about their home lives and to understand the need for a work/ life balance. Remote working has proven to me how important it is to give yourself time out, have a lunch break, a proper evening and switch off at weekends I really believe all organisations would benefit from taking a step back and understanding the importance.

Q3. What is the biggest challenge in your business?

As with all businesses at the moment remote working has thrown up challenges, we are very lucky that the technical side was not an issue in the slightest with all systems hosted in the cloud and a fantastic team to help out if we needed it. One of the areas we have put real focus on is our teams and ensuring they are happy, healthy and connected whether that is through daily virtual drop ins with their teams, weekly webinars, virtual pubs or online yoga sessions. These have really helped but not seeing the full team face 2 face means you can never be sure that everyone is getting involved and feeling like a part of the team.

Access to selected LCCI events as advertised by SCC

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The Last Word

Tel : 07477 581977 Email : admin@southwarkcommerce.com www.southwarkcommerce.com

Q4. If you could do another job, what would it be?

I would work in the not for profit sector, a lot of our clients are charities and I do a lot of fundraising outside work, I think it would be so rewarding to be able to help charities on a daily basis.

Q5. What’s your favourite London building?

It has to be St Pauls, as well as it brings back childhood memories of visiting London, I think it looks beautiful in the skyline against the more modern buildings.

Tel:01628 20552860 Tel: 07850922207 www.complete-it.co.uk

Southwark BUSINESS TODAY 33

Join Us

Join Us 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 Successfully helping Southwark Businesses for 95 Years

Our Committee Chairman Les Johnson 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

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 Small/Medium sized companies 2 to 50 employees ​​​​​​£150 per annum Large companies - 51 employees plus £300 per annum Corporate/PLC’s ​​​​by agreement.

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

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(Cabinet Member for Jobs, Business and Innovation)

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Vice Chair Peter Mantell Vice Chair Richard Kalmar Honorary Membership Secretary Ken Hayes Honorary Treasurer Karon Cook Diversity and Inclusion Shade Abdul Events Emily Bentley-Leek Corporate Membership Edward Cree Membership Katharine Glass /

Claire Shore Employment/ Apprenticeships William Harwood Publicity Susan Isaacs Small Business Parminder Kanda Tourism and Leisure James Kislingbury Education Sarah Moore-Williams Welfare Cait Wilkinson Administrator Sonia Sutton

Number of Employees: Full Name: Position: Payment Details: BANK DETAILS: Handelsbanken SORT CODE: ​40-51-62 ACCOUNT NO:​ 76489843

To join, please send your details to:

34 Southwark BUSINESS TODAY

Southwark Chamber of Commerce 169 Walworth Road, London SE17 1RW Tel : 07477 581977 Email : admin@southwarkcommerce.com www.SouthwarkCommerce.com Twitter : @southwarkcomm Facebook : southwarkcommerce

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