The Masthead July 22 by Benham Publishing Limited

masthead the

ISSUE 23

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE FOR SOUTH EAST LONDON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

SKILLS London South East Colleges needs your teaching talent

SPORT What can the world of Sport offer business?

INTERNATIONAL Overseas trade can get Economy back on track

THOMAS SANDGAARD Plans Charlton Athletic’s route to the top

Where Where Where Careers Careers Careers are are are Made Made Made Croydon Croydon Croydon University University University Centre Centre offers Centre offers expert offers expert small expert small group small group teaching group teaching teaching withwith highly with highly competitive highly competitive competitive tuition tuition fees. tuition fees. It isfees. a It supportive is It a is supportive a supportive and andand inclusive inclusive inclusive environment, environment, environment, based based inbased Croydon in Croydon in Croydon College College College campus campus campus in in in the heart the the heart ofheart the of town. the of the town. town. Degree Degree Degree Courses Courses Courses available: available: available: (Validated (Validated by (Validated theby University theby University theofUniversity Roehampton) of Roehampton) of Roehampton) Adult Adult Nursing Adult Nursing Nursing

ChildChild Nursing Child Nursing Nursing

Business Business Business & management & management & management Criminology, Criminology, Criminology, Psychology Psychology Psychology & & & Social Justice Social Justice Justice EarlyEarly Childhood Early Childhood Childhood Studies Studies Studies Social Public Public Health Public Health &Health Social & Social &care Social carecare Higher Higher Education Higher Education Education Level Level 4 Level HNC 4 HNC Courses 4 HNC Courses Courses Business Business Business & Management & Management & Management Construction Construction Construction & the & Built the & the BuiltBuilt Environment Environment Environment Engineering Engineering Engineering Site Site Supervisor Site Supervisor Supervisor Teacher Teacher Teacher Training Training Training Diploma Diploma Diploma in Teaching in Teaching in Teaching & Education & Education & Education Level Level 4 Certificate Level 4 Certificate 4 Certificate in Education in Education in Education & Training & Training & Training

Apply Apply Now Apply Now at Now at at croydonuniversitycentre.ac.uk croydonuniversitycentre.ac.uk croydonuniversitycentre.ac.uk

CONTENTS

WELCOME

ince the last issue of Masthead, there have been many changes within Local Government following the elections on Thursday, 5th May. SELCC covers the boroughs of: Royal Greenwich, Lewisham, Bromley, Bexley and Croydon. Many boroughs saw many changes to Ward Boundaries and the councillors within. It is good news to see so many new, younger councillors and SELCC looks forward to working with the new teams. We saw a new Leader of Royal Greenwich elected and you can find out more about Cllr Anthony Okereke on Page 11. Croydon Council took the route taken by Lewisham in 2002 of a directly elected mayor, responsible for the executive function of the borough. Mayor Jason Perry is the first holder of this role in Croydon, and you can read about his plans on Page 9. At long last, the Elizabeth Line has opened and there are two new stations within our area, Abbey Wood and Woolwich. The latter is on our Strategic Partner’s Berkeley Homes East & West - Royal Arsenal Riverside. It is interesting for everyone to plot how from your own home/workstation you can link into London’s latest world class transport infrastructure – have a go, as it is good fun! We are delighted to welcome Charlton Athletic Football Club as a SELCC Strategic Partner and this month’s Big Interview is with the recent new owner, Thomas Sandgaard. Finally, awards are in the air, and I wore the ‘gong’ and presented a Sponsor’s prize at LSEC’s recent ceremony in Orpington and at the launch of the Best of Royal Greenwich Business Awards at Woolwich Works (via the Lizzie…) Finally, as I write this, the SELCC/Visit Greenwich Golf Day at Royal Blackheath Golf Club is still to take place, and this will be covered in the next issue of Masthead. Have a good summer… Helen McIntosh FCIPR President

Editorial and General Enquiries South East London Chamber of Commerce Unit TW/145, Trinity Wharf, Harrington Way, Warspite Road London SE18 5NR Tel: 020 8317 3365 Email: office@selondonchamber.org www.selondonchamber.org @SELondonChamber @SELondonChamber South East London Chamber of Commerce

Chamber News

28-31

Sport

Digital

Past Events

Focus on Lewisham

Forthcoming Event

Focus on Croydon

Focus on Greenwich

Best of Royal Greenwich Business Awards 2022

12-13

Visit Greenwich

LSEC Student Awards

Focus on Bromley

36-37

LCCI - Richard Burge

Focus on Bexley

Economy

Sidcup Partner

42-43

Health & Wellbeing

Technology

44-45

Property

20-23

Education & Skills

New Members

26-27

The Big Interview

And Finally…

Publisher Ian Fletcher Benham Publishing Limited Aintree Building Aintree Way, Aintree Business Park, Liverpool L9 5AQ Tel: 0151 236 4141 Fax: 0151 236 0440 Email: admin@benhampublishing.com Web: www.benhampublishing.com Published: July 2022 © Benham Publishing

Advertising and Features Karen Hall Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: karen@benhampublishing.com Production Manager Mark Etherington Tel: 0151 236 4141 Email: mark@benhampublishing.com Media No. 1914 Disclaimer The Masthead is published for South East London Chamber of Commerce and is distributed without charge to Chamber members.

All correspondence should be addressed tothe Editor at South East London Chamber of Commerce. Views expressed in The Masthead are not necessarily those of South East London Chamber of Commerce. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission. © 2022 Please note that submitting an article does not guarantee publication. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in this journal, Benham Publishing and its agents can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributions in advertising or editorial content. Benham Publishing cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in web or email links supplied to us.

Chamber News

Charlton Athletic latest signing for South East London Chamber

South East London Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome Charlton Athletic Football Club as its latest Strategic Partner. 4

Apart from brief spells at other venues, Charlton Athletic have been based at their Valley ground for over 100 years now. The club has always sat at the heart of the local community, with fans drawn from a large catchment area. And as current owner Thomas Sandgaard explains in this issue of Masthead, CAFC is focused on engaging with local businesses based in the Greenwich borough in order to boost the regional economy.

LOCAL EXPERTS SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES Commercial Property Commercial Law Company Law Commercial Disputes Debt Recovery Employment Law

Providing expert legal advice to businesses across Bromley and the South East. Tel: 020 8290 0333 www.judge-priestley.co.uk Offices in Bromley, Beckenham and Blackheath

Digital

The world M is ones and zeros

any businesses have already converted or invested in new business models. For example, look at communication, music, eBooks, food delivery and online shopping. This change will not spare any industry. Businesses have always needed to adapt to stay viable and in today’s digital world, businesses do not have a choice but to embrace new technology and new practices.

and there is no going back Businesses all over the world are changing their operations to be digitally compatible. 6

Now more than ever, business owners need to stay up to date with the fast-paced digital environment. They must be able to quickly respond to shifts or disruption in the market and new opportunities. Businesses should be agile enough to make rapid direction changes when needed and in order to do this, agile techniques should be adopted and new practices learned so that when business processes are required to change, they can adapt quickly. Although we generally resist change, there are many positive benefits to adopting E-Business practices in your organisation. For example, better and faster decision making will come because we can access more comprehensive information obtained from e-accounting systems which all UK businesses must adopt by 2024 under the new Make Tax Digital rules. Making accurate, timely decisions can only be good for your business.

We need to grow our customer loyalty with regular communications, after all consumer habits have changed beyond recognition, most of us will not decide before consulting Google for information about a holiday, a new TV or Microwave or even a meal out with friends and family. Using social media enables us to send out consistent messaging, allowing us to target the right audience by using the most appropriate platform, Facebook, still the world’s number one or Twitter for quick sound bites, Linked In for professional services and Instagram for more visual products or use a combination of all of the platforms and automate your messaging using Hootsuite or Buffer to reduce the workload. With the right messaging your business can engage customers at each stage of the buying process. If businesses optimise their messaging for search engines like Google, they will obtain better conversion rates and drive more traffic to sales. With free tools to measure results using analytics, it is not going to be long before a business can gain real credibility for their brand. The great thing about digital is that it is predominantly free or low cost. We simply cannot afford to ignore it. By Tony Goldstein, Managing Director South East Enterprise Ltd E: tg@seenterprise.co.uk

FreeEmployment EmploymentLaw LawHelpline HelplineService Serviceand andWorkshops Workshops Free It Itis isnonosecret secretthat thatemployment employmentissues issuesin inthe theworkplace workplacecan canbebecostly, costly,time-consuming time-consumingand andreputationally reputationally

Free Employment Law Helpline Service and Workshops damaging damaging forfora abusiness. business. Our Our expert expertteam teamofofemployment employment lawyers lawyerscan canassist assistyou youthrough throughour ournew newfree free Employment Employment Helpline Helpline service. service. It is no secret that employment issues in the workplace can be costly, time-consuming and reputationally damaging for a business. Our expert team of employment lawyers can assist you through our new free The TheEmployment Employment Helpline Helpline service service can can bebeused used bybyany anybusiness business forfor allallaspects aspects ofofemployment employment law. law.The The Employment Helpline service. Helpline Helpline is is free free forfor upup to to one one hour hour each each month. month. It is It is specifically specifically designed designed forfor HR HR professionals, professionals, line line managers, managers, senior senior managers, managers, business business owners owners oror anyone anyone involved involved with with recruiting recruiting oror managing managing employees employees oror making making HR HR The Employment Helpline service can be used by any business for all aspects of employment law. The decisions. decisions. Helpline is free for up to one hour each month. It is specifically designed for HR professionals, line managers, senior managers, business owners orup anyone involved with recruiting or managing employees orthe making HR We We are are also also here here to to help help you you keep keep up toto date date with with key key legal legal requirements requirements and and best best practice practice in in the workplace workplace decisions. through through interactive interactive Workshops. Workshops. The The Workshops Workshops are are also also free free ofof charge, charge, upup toto three three sessions sessions a year. a year. We are also here Law toLaw help you keepinclude up to date with key legal requirements and best practice Our Our Employment Employment Workshops Workshops include the the following following topical topical areas areas ofof employment employment law: law: in the workplace through interactive Workshops. The Workshops are also free of charge, up to three sessions a year. • • Data Data protection protection Our Employment • • Recruitment RecruitmentLaw Workshops include the following topical areas of employment law: • • Coronavirus: Coronavirus: employment employment issues issues • • Data protection Equality Equality and and diversity diversity training training • Recruitment •We Coronavirus: employment issues We can can also also offer offer a Workshop a Workshop onon a subject a subject ofof your your choosing. choosing. • Equality and diversity training arrangeananappointment appointmenttotouse useour ourfree freeHelpline Helplineservice serviceorortotobook booka aWorkshop, Workshop,please pleaseemail email ToToarrange We can also offer a Workshop on a subject of your choosing. employment@grantsaw.co.uk contact the team 020 8858 6971. employment@grantsaw.co.uk oror contact the team onon 020 8858 6971. To arrange an appointment to use our free Helpline service or to book a Workshop, please email employment@grantsaw.co.uk or contact the team on 020 8858 6971.

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020 8858 6971 06/07/2022 16:40:01 06/07/2022 16:40:01 employment@grantsaw.co.uk www.grantsaw.co.uk

Focus on Lewisham

Nominations are open for the Mayor’s Business Awards 2022 The Mayor of Lewisham’s Business Awards celebrate the achievements of local entrepreneurs who have made extraordinary contributions to the borough.

ntries are now open for this year’s Mayor of Lewisham Business Awards and people are being urged to go ahead and nominate their favourite local entrepreneurs by the closing date, Friday 19 August.

The awards are an annual opportunity to celebrate the fantastic achievements of all the small, independent businesses and sole traders across Lewisham and provide a platform for their widespread recognition. Businesses might be nominated based on their great customer service, amazing product range, incredible levels of craftsmanship, or how much they give back to the community. There are 14 exciting new categories - with a nod to our year as London Borough of Culture 2022 - across a variety of sectors, ranging from best visitor attraction, to best tradesperson, to best pub. They offer a perfect reflection of the diverse range of businesses based in Lewisham.

Entrants will be shortlisted by a judging panel which includes the Mayor of Lewisham and local industry representatives. The finalists are due to be announced in September before a public vote is held to decide the winners in each category, which will be revealed in a ceremony this November. The awards are free to enter and open to all independent businesses and contractors based in the London Borough of Lewisham. Many businesses will be eligible to enter more than one category. Nominations can be made by customers, suppliers or partners, or even come from the business themselves. Damien Egan, Mayor of Lewisham said: "Nominations are now open for the 2022 Lewisham Business Awards. Lewisham has one of the highest proportion of independent businesses in London and these awards are about celebrating and promoting their success. "This year we‘ve introduced new categories including Best Hair and Beauty, Best Café and Best Tradesperson. Nomination is really easy and doesn’t take more than a minute. You can nominate online, or write to the Lewisham Business Awards team. "Good luck to everyone!”

Register for our Ready to Supply programme We continue to deliver a package of practical support to Lewisham’s businesses, as part of our ongoing strategy to ensure local entrepreneurs are in the strongest possible position to recover from the economic effects of the pandemic. We are offering Ready to Supply as part of that package. It’s a free programme to help local SMEs bid for public sector and construction projects, which is delivered in partnership with East London Business Place (ELBP). The programme provides intensive guidance and support, ensuring Lewisham’s business have all the tools they need to be able to bid competitively for works and contract

opportunities. Both with the Council and other large public and private sector organisations. We are encouraging local businesses to register. The benefits include: •

one-to-one mentoring from a dedicated ELBP business a dvisory team

•

a bespoke series of capacitybuilding workshops

•

webinars and events

This is all designed to help local SMEs become better equipped to meet the supply-chain entry, purchasing and procurement requirements, and the standards of a range of prospective clients and buying organisations.

For more information and to sign up to the Ready to Supply programme, visit our website lewisham.gov.uk/BusinessSupportProgrammes

Mayor of Lewisham Business Awards 2022 categories 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

Best visitor attraction Best green business Best online business Best community contribution Best new business Best in creative sector Best independent high street business Best café Best restaurant Best bar or pub Best hair and beauty Best independent food retailer Best tradesperson Best market

You can find more details and submit nominations through our website lewisham.gov.uk/businessawards

SIGN UP for our Lewisham Business Resilience and Growth Programme The Lewisham Business Resilience and Growth Programme offers eligible Lewisham-based businesses access to a wide range of support to help them recover from the impact of COVID-19. Delivered in partnership with Goldsmiths, University of London (NX Hub), the focus is on growing local businesses and sustaining that growth.

Remember to

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Focus on Croydon

Increase your career prospects with Croydon University Centre

Mayor Perry – listening

to Croydon

Restoring pride in our borough is a priority for residents and businesses and it’s right at the top of my agenda.

irst, we need to get the basics right – which means the council doing all it can to ensure that our streets are clean, safe and welcoming. I’ve listened to residents, businesses and community groups’ concerns about safety and at Cabinet next week I expect to begin the process of reintroducing a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in the town centre, with potentially other areas to follow. A PSPO gives the police additional powers to tackle antisocial behaviour on our streets and in public places. This kind of closer partnership working between the council, the police and our community is exactly what we need to keep our streets cleaner and safer. Cracking down on crime and cleaning up our streets is an important first step, but Croydon needs investment and our town centre regeneration plans need to be put back on track. I’ve said before I want Croydon to be at the front of the queue for all external funding and that’s why we’ll be bidding for £19m from the Government’s Levelling up Fund to kickstart our town centre regeneration. We continue to work with The Croydon Partnership to put new energy into plans for Croydon’s future and we hope to be able to share exciting news about the former Allders site shortly.

I’ll progress my pledge to get Purley Pool and Leisure Centre open, looking at how we can put the funding the council gets from developers to good use by investing in this much-loved local leisure centre. It’s not just about fixing the pool – I want us to look at how we can make this a really great facility for everyone locally, and protect its future for generations to come. Finally, I want to congratulate Danielle Denton, who was elected as Councillor for South Croydon ward at the recent by-election. I know she will do an excellent job representing her constituents and I look forward to working with her over the coming years.

Jason Perry Executive Mayor of Croydon

❛❛Cracking down on

crime and cleaning up our streets is an important first step, but Croydon needs investment and our town centre regeneration plans need to be put back on track.

❜❜

Croydon University Centre has an exciting range of courses available to students looking to increase their career prospects from the very heart of Croydon. In partnership with the University of Roehampton, one of the top universities in London, Croydon's degree and higher national courses incorporate important employability elements alongside essential academic skills. The Centre offers high quality, affordable university degrees and higher national courses directly to those both in the local community and from further afield. Students can take advantage of everything that Croydon has to offer, including 120 parks, popular restaurants, bars and pubs and one of the largest street art collections in Europe - the Croydon Collection, all just a 20-minute train journey from Central London. There are more than 14,000 businesses in the borough, giving new graduates a great place to start their career, whatever their profession. Higher Education can be life changing. Studying a higher education course at Croydon University Centre not only leads to qualifications but also offers the opportunity to change lives by opening up career opportunities and broadening students' horizons. Lecturers and tutors are approachable, knowledgeable and experts in their subjects. Many of them have valuable industry experience, giving students an insight into real world scenarios. Tuition is offered in small groups in a supportive and inclusive environment, making the Centre a truly unique place to study. Courses include: Construction and Engineering, Business and Management, Computer Science, Counselling Skills, Criminology, Public Health & Social Care, Nursing (both Adult and Children's), Teacher Training and more. Find out about the University Centre's full offer at www. croydonuniversitycentre.ac.uk. Studying at degree level is a challenge and takes hard work and dedication. Every student has access to a personal tutor to guide them on their academic journey. At Croydon University Centre, students are supported throughout their studies.

Now Nowopen openfor fornominations nominations Best BestofofRoyal RoyalGreenwich Greenwich Business BusinessAwards Awards2022 2022 Whether Whether you’re you’re a start-up, a start-up, a small a small enterprise, enterprise, or or an an established established company, company, enter enter thisthis year’s year’s awards awards forfor FREE FREE to to getget your your business business thethe recognition recognition it deserves. it deserves. Across Across 13 13 categories, categories, we we reward reward thethe outstanding outstanding organisations organisations providing providing quality quality products products or services or services in Royal in Royal Greenwich. Greenwich. OnOn 7 October 7 October we’ll we’ll be be celebrating celebrating thethe winners winners at the at the prestigious prestigious awards awards ceremony, ceremony, in association in association withwith U+IU+I andand supported supported by South by South EastEast London London Chamber Chamber of Commerce, of Commerce, withwith champagne champagne reception reception andand Mayor’s Mayor’s charity charity raffle raffle sponsored sponsored by by JB Riney JB Riney andand Lovell Lovell respectively. respectively. “The “The search search is on is on for for Royal Royal Greenwich’s Greenwich’s bestbest businesses. businesses. I encourage I encourage all company all company owners owners andand managers managers to nominate to nominate themselves themselves to raise to raise their their profiles, profiles, build build their their networks networks andand be be in with in with thethe chance chance of winning” of winning” Denise Hyland CllrCllr Denise Hyland Interim Cabinet Member Inclusive Economy, Business Interim Cabinet Member for for Inclusive Economy, Business andand Skills Head Judge of the 2022 Awards. Skills andand Head Judge of the 2022 Awards.

Categories Categories 1. 1.Best Best of Royal of Royal Greenwich Greenwich Award Award sponsored sponsored by Willmott by Willmott Dixon Dixon 2. 2.Greener Greener Greenwich Greenwich sponsored sponsored by IKEA by IKEA 3. 3.Made Made in Greenwich in Greenwich sponsored sponsored by Grant by Grant SawSaw 4. 4.Workforce Workforce Development Development London London South South EastEast Colleges Colleges (LSEC) (LSEC) 5. 5.Young Young Award Award (under (under 30)30) sponsored sponsored by University by University of Greenwich of Greenwich 6. 6.High High Street Street Retailer Retailer Award Award sponsored sponsored by Hindwoods by Hindwoods 7. 7.Tourism Tourism andand Culture Culture Award Award sponsored sponsored by Peabody by Peabody 8. 8.Health Health andand Wellbeing Wellbeing Award Award sponsored sponsored by GLL by GLL / BETTER / BETTER 9. 9.Best Best New New Business Business Award Award (in (in thethe pastpast twotwo years) years) sponsored sponsored by Berkeley by Berkeley Homes Homes 10.10. Technology Technology Innovation Innovation Award Award sponsored sponsored by Alcatel by Alcatel Submarine Submarine Networks Networks (ASN) (ASN) NEW NEW 11.11. Best Best Food Food andand Drink Drink Venue Venue sponsored sponsored by Drury by Drury TeaTea & Coffee & Coffee NEW NEW 12.12. Market Market or or Mobile Mobile Trader Trader Award Award sponsored sponsored by London by London CityCity Airport Airport NEW NEW 13.13. Digital Digital Award Award sponsored sponsored by Digital by Digital Cities Cities Limited Limited 10

2022 2022 Why Why enter? enter? Diego Diego Gomes Gomes Fast Fast Shield Shield Packaging Packaging winner winner of the of the Business Business of the of the Year Year Award Award 2021 2021 “It was “It was a huge a huge confidence confidence booster booster andand great great feeling feeling to have to have ourour work work recognised recognised by the by the wider wider community. community. It’s It’s easyeasy to apply to apply so ifsoyou if you are are on the on the fence fence about about whether whether to take to take partpart I’d say I’d say go for go for it!” it!”

Michael Michael Geissler Geissler Mo-Sys Mo-Sys Engineering Engineering winner winner of the of the Business Business of the of the Year Year Award Award 2020 2020 “We “We know know first-hand first-hand the the value value thatthat thisthis acknowledgement acknowledgement brings brings in raising in raising the the profile profile of of the the business, business, boosting boosting staffstaff morale, morale, strengthening strengthening business business relationships, relationships, andand generating generating newnew business. business. Based Based on our on our experience experience we we would would encourage encourage all all locallocal businesses businesses to consider to consider entering”. entering”.

Rachel Rachel Hubbard Hubbard Deaf Deaf Umbrella Umbrella winner winner of the of the Business Business of the of the Year Year Award Award 2019 2019 “Winning “Winning gives gives everyone everyone a boost a boost in morale, in morale, it it makes makes youyou realise realise thatthat the the decisions decisions youyou make make are are the the rightright ones. ones. It makes It makes youyou strive strive to be to even be even better better andand gives gives youyou confidence confidence to aim to aim higher. higher. In the In the firstfirst yearyear since since winning, winning, we we sawsaw a 20% a 20% increase increase in business, in business, duedue to the to the achievements achievements at at the the business business awards awards andand the the trusttrust thisthis instils instils in your in your service service users”. users”.

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Focus on Greenwich

New Borough Council Leader focused on local business boost

Councillor Anthony Okereke became the Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich in May 2022.

e had previously served as Cabinet Member for Housing. But the 32-yearold’s links with the area go back a lifetime, he was born and raised in the borough in Woolwich to be exact.

Greenwich and Ravensbourne (an industry-focused university on the Greenwich Peninsula).

His background and experience mean he is well placed to comment on the strengths and attributes of the south-east London business community.

Accessibility by public transport is a huge boost to the area too. As Okereke emphasises, the Elizabeth line opening is a game-changer for the south-east. “It’s made us a better-connected borough and given our businesses a wealth of valuable new opportunities”.

“I believe that collaborative action, building connections and innovation are three key ingredients to the success of our business community. He adds: “South-east London is home to a diverse array of businesses that want to work in partnership with the council to drive economic growth. Royal Greenwich has a long history of co-operative development, dating back to the very start of the movement in the 19th century. “This fits well with the council’s support for developing alternative models for growth, from co-ops to social enterprises, to enable a more inclusive and sustainable economy - a borough where everyone can thrive”. Innovation also runs deep in the DNA of southeast London, according to Okereke. He points to two digital production clusters emerging in the Design District, Plumstead and Abbey Wood, with companies like Mo-Sys setting up training schemes and developing links with the University of

“Creating a truly digital borough is key to our strategy. We’ve set up an innovation company, DG Cities, to work alongside our in-house team, Digital Greenwich, to collaborate with universities and businesses”, he explains.

OFFERING LOCAL BUSINESSES SUPPORT As the borough enters its next phase of economic recovery, supporting local businesses has never been more important, according to Okereke. “We have a broad range of support on offer and collaborating closely with our network of business support agencies is crucial to this”. He adds: “We’re proud that several initiatives which started out as pilot projects in Royal Greenwich have been successfully implemented across the region and London-wide. For example, the council has worked with South-East Enterprise (SEE) to develop the original model of their e-business programme, helping businesses maximise their potential online. The East London Business Partnership’s Building Legacies programme provides an innovative,

tailored service for SMMEs to enable them to become ‘fit-tosupply', through workshops, networking, meet-the-buyer events and one-to-one coaching and mentoring. And through free programmes like Start-ups in London Libraries (SiLL) and Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency (GCDA) (training provider), the council is giving aspiring entrepreneurs the skills, know-how, and access to funding, to turn their business idea into reality. The council have also been keen to promote initiatives like the Shop Local: time well spent campaign, the Greenwich One Card discount scheme and the new Enjoy Local website, launched with Visit Greenwich. The goal is to encourage spending in local shops, markets, cafes and restaurants, to reinvigorate town centres and help high streets to bounce back. “And, of course, there is our prestigious annual Business Awards , which offers a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talent and skills of businesses within the borough”. Entries are now open. Anyone who owns or manages a business in Royal Greenwich can enter and shine a spotlight on their organisation.

GREEN INITIATIVES Addressing the climate emergency is one of Okereke’s priorities as council leader, and the support of the local business community is crucial to tackling this.

“We’re working closely with South East London Community Energy co-operative (SELCE) to deliver the Greener Business in Greenwich programme, helping businesses to reduce both their energy costs and carbon emissions through fully-funded schemes”.

VISITORS RETURNING The tourism and hospitality sector have had a particularly hard time in recent years – with lockdowns temporarily closing venues and overseas tourists unable to travel. Tourism is a hugely important sector for the borough, which attracts 20 million visitors per year and supports 17,000 jobs. Skills and recruitment are the biggest barriers to helping the sector recover, with the effects of the pandemic and Brexit adding to the problem. To respond to the challenge, the Greenwich Local Labour and Business team (GLLaB) is working in partnership with other organisations to enable people to get training and up-skill and match them with local job opportunities. Okereke explains that while overseas tourism slowly returns, the council has been working with Visit Greenwich to promote the borough to local tourists, from the rest of the UK, through the Escape the Everyday campaign, which has just reached 4 million people. “We’re also supporting the Mayor of London’s Let’s Do London campaign, with the goal of encouraging international markets to return quicker, focussing on the US, France and Germany, he says.

How can the Council help your business? In Royal Greenwich, professional advice is available on many aspects of running your business, from tendering for contracts to recruitment and marketing. We also run an e-business support programme to help businesses reach their potential online, which includes free workshops and seminars. To find out more about advice and support for businesses in Royal Greenwich, visit

royalgreenwich.gov.uk/businesssupport

Visit Greenwich

Credit: Timothy Soar

Credit: Luke Dyson

Greenwich - from survival mode to summer of hope

No matter how blessed a city is with attractions and must-see sights, when a pandemic strikes and lockdowns ensue, tourism and hospitality grinds to a halt.

s Barrie Kelly, CEO of Visit Greenwich, explains - local businesses in the borough suffered greatly and for the last few years many have been in survival mode.

Visit Greenwich, along with its partners, has worked hard to support local firms, detailing grants and support packages available and making it easier to access funding at both national and local level. Thankfully as lockdowns have been lifted a sense of normality has returned to Greenwich and visitors are returning to appreciate all this historic area has to offer. Is it a case of business as usual or is anything different post-Covid?

According to Kelly there was, understandably, an increased focus on local (or at least UK-based) visitors when airports were closed and the overseas market dried up. “With the numbers down significantly those more local to the area saw Greenwich in a different light. We have continued to focus strongly (post-Covid) on this domestic market and those favouring a ‘staycation’ in the summer months.” He adds that from a sustainability perspective, attracting visitors from closer to home (who do not leave a hefty carbon footprint via long-haul flights) has much to recommend it. Another challenge is to encourage those who traditionally visit central London’s major sites to venture a bit further east and see what Greenwich and its surrounding towns have to offer.

TRANSPORT TRANSFORMATION The big game changer for many attractions in the borough is the improved transport links from central London – notably the Elizabeth Line tube. “The development of the Elizabeth Line has been transformational for the area and it is in addition to existing good links via National Rail, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and river boat services,” Kelly explains. A rejuvenated Woolwich has been an obvious beneficiary of the improved transport offered. There has been major investment in the old Woolwich market areas, and the town is now a thriving venue for bars and restaurants, tempting visitors with a diverse mix of food and drink. Standout attractions include Woolwich Works – which Kelly describes as being like a big Ronnie Scott’s. As a live venue, it provides music, comedy and poetry – showcasing talent from all over the world. Punchdrunk's The Burnt City, a richly designed, inventively choreographed immersive experience about gods and monsters, has been a hit with tickets selling fast. Those who remember Woolwich’s cultural hub of the early 1990s, The Tramshed, will be pleased to see it back up and running and ready for a refurb.

Visit Greenwich

❛❛While visitors to Greenwich from the US, France and Germany have recently joined UK tourists, and are already double what they were last year, they are still 30% below what they were pre-Covid.

Credit: Nathan Turner While Kelly concedes that there is still a long way to go in terms of investing and developing the town centre itself, these live venues, bars and restaurants have breathed new life into Woolwich. He also explains how these attractions compliment what is offered elsewhere in the borough. “The cable car on the Greenwich Peninsula which has enjoyed a record year, really appeals to youngsters taking selfies on TikTok. The live venues really appeal to millennials, whereas The World Heritage sites have more appeal to foreign visitors.” One of the few positives from enforced closures during Covid was that they did provide a chance to upgrade some of Greenwich's historic attractions. For instance, at the Old Royal Naval College, the Nelson Room was developed during the pandemic. Other recent projects include the opening of The Cutty Sark Rig Climb Experience. For the first time since arriving in Greenwich in 1954, visitors to Cutty Sark are now able to climb the famous ship's masts and enjoy views over the Thames and London, before abseiling back down to earth.

The Nelson Room

FROM SUMMER INTO WINTER Greenwich – both the town and the borough – is set for a busy summer period but as Kelly points out, it is estimated to take until 2024 for visitor numbers to reach what they were in 2019. While visitors to Greenwich from the US, France and Germany have recently joined UK tourists, and are already double what they were last year, they are still 30% below what they were pre-Covid. Kelly is confident visitor numbers will continue to rise and new ideas will continue to attract people outside of the busier summer months. “There are plans in place to light up the town centre streets and increase the number of winter events. The Queen’s House ice rink, with some of the best views in London is coming back, which is great news.” The future looks bright for Greenwich but there is one challenge that is not going away any time soon for local businesses in the hospitality industry – and that is recruitment.

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© Julian Abrams are finding it hard, the pressure in the hospitality sector is particularly acute.” The job vacancies are across the board, from trained chefs and kitchen staff to hotel cleaners and caterers. Supply chain disruption is making life difficult too. Kelly concedes that there is some benefit here for local suppliers – who may be more expensive but are far more accessible and using more local produce is good news from a sustainability perspective. He stresses that events have not been cancelled due to staffing issues and there is no problem with demand for hospitality – it is just finding the right people to ensure businesses can run at maximum capacity. Let’s hope by 2024 when visitor numbers are projected to be back to pre-Covid levels, local businesses have been able to source staff with the skill sets they need to deliver to the highest standard.

www.visitgreenwich.org.uk

Kelly elaborates: “The hospitality industry has had the double whammy of Brexit and Covid. A lot of people left the country as a result of both and while many industries

CELEBRATING SUMMER AND THEN BEST OF BROMLEY BUSINESSES

“It has been a busy year so far in Bromley. Our new brand has launched and been well received by businesses and consumers and our new website is proving popular for those planning their trips to Bromley. We welcomed thousands of visitors to our town as we celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with events for the whole family and we have plenty more in store as the summer holidays approach. We’ve also enjoyed seeing the town get behind local tennis star, Emma Raducanu as she competed at The Championships, Wimbledon.”

Frances Forrest BID Manager Your Bromley BID

Focus on Bromley

BROMLEY COUNCIL looks to local community to help shape Orpington’s future New planning guidance for development in Orpington town centre has received input from over 1,000 residents and businesses who have provided their views to ensure local priorities are reflected.

iews were sought on the Orpington Town Centre Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), which once adopted will guide future development in the town centre. A 16-week consultation was held by Bromley Council about the SPD, running up to early July. This consultation sought residents’ and businesses’ views on the proposed planning guidance and their priorities for development in Orpington. Bromley Council’s Executive Councillor responsible for Renewal, Recreation and Housing, Councillor Yvonne Bear, said: "Orpington is an important town centre for our borough and beyond, so it is essential that we consider very carefully how we shape future development in the town. It is crucial that we represent local views, so I am delighted by the level of interest we saw around this extensive consultation. It is clear from the feedback that there is plenty of passion about Orpington and its future. I would like to thank everyone who contributed their views for taking the time to make sure our guidance reflects the priorities of those who live, work, and spend their leisure time in Orpington.”

Orpington SPD seeks to protect and enhance character of the town centre Orpington town centre has a wide range of shopping and leisure facilities, while also hosting a good number of local businesses. The town centre lies to the Southern end of the Cray Valley and has a major influence over a large part of the London Borough of Bromley. The SPD supports existing planning policy set out in the Local Plan and the London Plan and will help to protect and enhance the vibrancy and character of the town centre to enable it to adapt and thrive.

Focus on Bexley

Next stop Ebbsfleet! Abbey Wood is not the end of the line for Crossrail Twelve trains per hour are running from Abbey Wood across central London to Paddington. Through services to Heathrow and Reading will follow in the Autumn and the full network will be operational by May of next year. However, both Estuary Envoy, Kate Willard, and Bexley Leader, Councillor Teresa O’Neill, are clear that the story doesn’t end there.

he long-awaited opening of Elizabeth Line services and the huge opportunity for levelling up that this brings has been welcomed by Kate Willard OBE, Estuary Envoy and Chair of the Thames Estuary Growth Board, and Teresa O’Neill OBE, Thames Estuary Growth Board Member and Leader of the London Borough of Bexley. Both are calling for the original plan to take the service to Ebbsfleet in Kent to be realised to support hard-pressed communities in Bexley and North Kent.

Welcoming the new service, Kate Willard, government-appointed Estuary Envoy, commented: “Bringing the new service to Abbey Wood is a game-changer – but we now need to complete the vision and connect Ebbsfleet and communities in Bexley, Dartford, Gravesham and - through greater connectivity - coastal East Kent, which are amongst the Government’s top priorities for levelling up. Completing the line would bring new capacity, resilience, and rail destinations to some of our hardest pressed Estuary communities.”

at the beginning of 2020 and submitted a strategic outline business case to ministers in October of last year. This detailed study looked at a range of different schemes and concluded that three options should be shortlisted for further work, two of which incorporate the eastward extension of Elizabeth Line services. In its submission letter the Partnership confirmed that one of these Crossrail options is its preferred choice and has the potential to deliver significant new growth as part of carefully designed places. Councillor O’Neill said: ‘The Government is yet to respond to the submission but the Partnership considers that the celebrations around the opening of the Elizabeth Line are just the right time to kick on with the project.

Councillor O’Neill explained: “The original vision for Crossrail was that it continues through Bexley and into North Kent. It was only dropped because of uncertainties over growth and worries about delays. We think we have shown in our recent work that these are no longer significant issues.”

“The Elizabeth line is a world class transport system that will blow people away but we can’t stop there. We have got to make sure that we make the most of all this knowledge and investment and that we spread the benefit as widely as possible. The opening of the line offers a unique opportunity to commit to doing that and show we are not content to rest on our laurels.”

The C2E Partnership received government funding to explore transport improvement options between Abbey Wood and Gravesend

The Partnership will be writing to government ministers urging them to use the recent opening as a launch pad for further work on C2E.

High Streets for All – supporting town centre recovery

he council is working with local partners, including the BID, to bring forward an innovative high street vision focused on the Bexleyheath Broadway area with a series of events and activities taking place to test new approaches to revitalise the town centre. The High Streets for All programme is trialling a monthly night market event from 6pm–10pm on the last Friday of each month. Following a well-attended first event on 24 June, the partners are working to adapt and improve the next events which will take place on 29 July, 26 August, 30 September and 28 October. These will involve local traders as well as key London traders and if successful will become a long-term activity for Bexleyheath town centre, supporting its businesses to open at later hours and driving footfall in the town centre. A vital part of our High Streets for All programme is also to understand young people’s needs and aspirations in Bexleyheath. A series of engagement activities for young people are taking place that aim to re-interrogate the existing offer available to young people and initiate better cross generation relationships, and test ways of using the public realm and surrounding areas.

Engagement activities with young people include:

1. Intergenerational Co-design Workshops Students from various local schools have joined a series of workshops with elderly residents to discuss their experiences of the high street. The workshops opened a dialogue that focuses on bringing different generations together to codesign solutions for the high street.

2. Youth Enterprise Challenge The Youth Enterprise Challenge teaches young participants the basic principles of business and marketing. The skills learned will be put into practice, by selling their new products at the Night Market events on the 29 July. The products will be created using local manufacturers, building connections, and engaging with local businesses.

3. Young Curators Workshops A group of young people from local schools and youth groups, are co-curating an event which will be part of the 30 September night market event. The group is learning how to design, curate, and promote a two-hour event. This will support young people to engage locally and be part of Bexleyheath's town centre’s life.

S I D C U P PA R T N E R S B U S I N E S S P R O P O S A L 2 022–2 027

FUTURE PLANS We survey businesses annually to identify their priorities to ask what is going well and what needs to be improved. We also use feedback to identify and shape new projects. The market research we regularly carry out has shaped our proposed future plans and if you vote yes will be delivered during our second five-year term under four main headings. 01.

02.

03.

04.

01. CLEANER AND GREENER Businesses want us to continue with the seasonal floral displays, hanging baskets, barrier baskets and troughs. • WE WILL extend the displays by adding more troughs outside individual premises. • WE WILL add some pocket parks, small green spaces with seating dotted around the town, to create space to sit, meet friends, or reflect. We will develop the Green Trail to join up spaces around the town in a coordinated way and will produce a map for visitors to plan their route. • WE WOULD aim to create a reactive response team who can deal with reported issues within 24 hours. This would cover additional street cleaning, pest control, removing fly tipping and repairing acts of low-level vandalism to keep the town looking presentable at all times. • WE WILL always be conscious of the impact we have on our environment. Any of the activities we run we will aim to help reduce our carbon foot print. We will shop local and use recycled products where we can. • WE WILL continue to encourage the elimination of single use plastic. • WE WILL work with the Council to improve air quality by pursuing installation of public electric charging points for vehicles. • WE WILL help businesses with creating sustainability plans. 02. SAFE AND SECURE • WE WILL exploit the recently launched DISC scheme to help prevent shop lifting and give added confidence to businesses so they can communicate quickly and efficiently with each other. • WE WILL provide training on fraud prevention and cyber security.

03. MARKETING PROMOTIONS & EVENTS Businesses highlighted the importance of promoting themselves and the town as a whole. • Sidcup Partners WILL encourage businesses to develop their business profiles on social media and add links to the Sidcup Partners online directory so they can promote offers, opening hours and new services. • WE WILL continue to provide Christmas lights and use lamp columns for promotional banners. • WE ARE working with Lamorbey & Sidcup Local History Society to install town signs and murals in appropriate locations around the town. • WE WILL further develop regular and visiting markets as they have proved to increase footfall. • WE WILL continue to arrange regular events such as the annual Fringe event. • WE WILL work closely with landlords to utilise vacant space in imaginative ways. 04. SERVICES TO BUSINESSES • WE WILL continue to offer sponsored training courses to businesses and source more bespoke training to meet the needs of levy payers. • WE WILL procure services from local suppliers where possible and use recycled materials where we can. • Business networking WILL BE a regular feature of the calendar, encouraging business to share ideas and work more closely for mutual benefit. • WE WILL produce a guide to cafés restaurants and bars and support the evening economy by having evening entertainment and events. • WE WILL look at repurposing spaces created by vacant businesses. • WE WILL work with restaurants to help them in reducing food waste. WWW.SIDCUPPARTNERS.CO.UK

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Technology

LP Networks’ expert guide:

How password hygienic are you? with Lee Pepper, Owner LP Networks

Where do you keep your passwords? In a book? On your phone? In your Internet Browser? Do you use the same password for more than one account? In a recent analysis by cybersecurity researchers, it was discovered that there are currently 24 billion usernames and passwords for sale on the Dark Web. Let that just sink in for a second. Alongside this, researchers also discovered that there had been a 65% increase in usernames and passwords being sold and traded. Could you confidently say that yours isn’t one of them? The need for good password hygiene has never been more relevant. Most of the people whose login details have been stolen are probably oblivious, and unaware that having them for sale on the Dark Web could have dangerous consequences. This can be predominantly when people use weak passwords or reuse passwords. We’ve all been there and reused passwords for multiple accounts and platforms, it’s because passwords made up of complicated

numbers, letters, and symbols are difficult for us to remember. Basically, we’ve developed systems that now make passwords hard for us to remember but, unfortunately, easy for computers to guess. The thing is, that reusing a password that you might use to shop online through an account/device on a corporate network for example, can open a business up to a potential data breach. Having access to a business’ IT network could mean the loss of sensitive client information, financial information, or the opportunity for cybercriminals to plant malware and ransomware. Here’s another worrying statistic, 60% of small businesses close within 6 months of a data breach. How can you maintain password hygiene, keeping your personal and business details safe from being sold on the Dark Web?

online identity, they also mean that you don’t need to remember passwords anymore and can create a digital inheritance (access to your family or whoever administers your estate when you pass away). While password managers aren’t bulletproof, they do use intensive encryption to keep your passwords as safe as possible. This means that their track record for keeping data secure is excellent. When you consider how sensitive the data that you hold within your business is, it makes the most sense to keep your passwords as safe as possible, not relying on staff members to maintain their password hygiene. And, if a breach does happen, at least you can stay assured that you did everything you could to keep your data and passwords safe.

The best way is to use a business grade password vault and management tool. A password manager takes all your passwords and stored them on an encrypted database. It can also generate complex passwords for you, ones that are difficult for a computer to guess. Aside from protecting your

0800 970 8980 enquiries@lpnetworks.com

Discover how to improve your online password security 19

Education & Skills

To encourage teachers into the FE sector, we are offering English, Maths and STEM specialists a four-day compressed working week. The ground-breaking pilot scheme will offer candidates the opportunity to compress their full-time hours into four days. Timetables will be developed to fit this working pattern, supporting teachers with an improved work-life balance. In addition, the college is offering competitive salaries and a generous annual leave package. Commenting on the innovative approach to recruitment, College Principal Asfa Solail, says: “By introducing the option of a compressed four-day week, alongside the many other benefits on offer, we hope to increase the number of potential candidates and secure the talent we need to continue delivering high quality maths, English and STEM teaching. “As an organisation, we are committed to the mental health and wellbeing of all staff. Work-life balance and managing workload are a huge part of this – so we hope that offering a four-day working week will be an attractive option for many people. “Going forward, we are keen to explore further options for more flexible working across our whole workforce – including home-based and hybrid support roles. We must support people’s changing lifestyle needs while meeting the needs of our business and, ultimately, our students and communities.” Recruitment events for prospective English and maths teachers will be taking place at London South East Colleges over the summer and vacancies can be found here: www.lsec.ac.uk/work-for-us To find out more and to discuss the career opportunities on offer, contact the College’s HR team at: HR@lsec.ac.uk

Greenwich Adult & Community Learning

London South East Colleges needs your teaching talent London South East Colleges delivers further and higher education to over 12,000 students at its eight campuses across Bromley, Bexley and Greenwich. We are looking for motivated, committed and talented staff to fill a wide range of vacancies at all our campuses. 20

London South East Colleges offers a wide range of short courses across its campuses in Greenwich. These courses help people learn new skills, progress at work or into a new career, start or grow a business or just meet new people and do something they enjoy. Learning is proven to improve wellbeing; keeping people active and helping them to explore their creativity. The affordable courses and activities on offer span a wide range – from art, construction and jewellery-making through to digital skills, languages and English & maths. For more information about these courses, visit https://www.lsec.ac.uk/acl-courses

Case study: Susan Cavell Adult student Susan decided to use her spare time to develop a new hobby in which she could develop some new creative skills. At this time Susan had also inherited several pieces of Chinaware from her mother and decided that she could put them to good use by repurposing them, which is when she signed up for the part-time mosaics class at Greenwich Park Centre.

Making social action part of our sector’s DNA

Education & Skills

The Platinum Jubilee celebrations not only recognised the Queen’s incredible 70-year reign but brought together communities in a unique and heart-warming way.

treet parties, fetes and parades up and down the country – including many events held by colleges – gave people an opportunity to join their neighbours and celebrate together in a way we haven’t seen (or been able to) for a long time. Volunteers’ Week also happened to fall across this special week of royal celebrations and again, is something in which so many people in our sector have played an important part. Colleges sit at the very heart of their communities; something which became very clear when we launched the Good for Me, Good for FE campaign at exactly this time last year. Within weeks, well over 100 colleges around the country had pledged their support and wanted to be involved.

One Year On… One year on and we have far exceeded our collective target of generating £1m of social value. The volunteering and fundraising activities carried out by FE staff and students across the country have been immense, providing tangible value to the communities we serve and delivering positive, measurable and cohesive impact locally and nationally. The concept of being a civic institution is spoken about frequently but actually operating as one requires a genuine desire to put social change and social mobility at the heart of a strategic operating plan. It also requires a huge commitment from individuals within an organisation. A personal connection to the causes being supported is needed in order for employees to champion local community action and sustain involvement. This was our Corporation’s ambition when we decided to move to a social enterprise operating model. We looked at how we could focus our wider Once engaged with the class, Susan was quickly hooked on creating imaginative art for the garden, concentrating on exotic birds and flamingos, incorporating lots of vibrant colours. It wasn’t long before Susan’s confidence grew, and she started experimenting with other, more complex and unusual materials. Inspired by the beautiful orient, Susan recently created a large Chinese dragon – a piece of work which features three Koi carp fish and a beautiful dancing Geisha girl.

Feel inspired to develop your creative skills? Visit www.lsec.ac.uk/acl-courses to see what’s on offer and apply today.

college endeavours on delivering greater social value for our local community and realised that the concept of moving towards being a ‘business with social objectives’ was a natural fit for our organisation. This direction of travel was also very much in line with the Independent Commission on the College of the Future, which advocates colleges to act as anchor institutions. According to Sladek (2019)… “Everyone knows by now that colleges and universities are “anchor institutions”: important place-based engines that play key roles in local economies. But the raw facts of size and place are just the beginning of the story; what matters is not just the fact that anchors have an impact on communities, but what kind of impact they have, and on what terms. It is one thing to be an anchor institution. It is another to consciously and intentionally adopt an anchor mission, leveraging all available institutional and operational resources for community benefit.” As we’ve progressed through this journey, it has become clear that the social impact work we are supporting and advocating for is already being carried out by staff and students – and indeed always has been.

Staff Contribute to their Communities The contributions staff make to their communities outside of work have been astonishing to see. The scope of activity is vast: from ongoing fundraising challenges through to scout group leaders, football coaching and hospital volunteers. Local and national charities have joined us on this journey and we have together had a far greater reach and influence than we dared to imagine just 12 months ago. We also recognise and are most grateful to own internal volunteer board members. The sector would be unable to operate without its own army of volunteer supporters. Our governing boards, trustees and local community governors are not always thought of as ‘volunteers’ but they most certainly are, with many giving significant hours of their time over the course of an academic year. We know that this is the tip of the iceberg in terms of volunteering contributions. Yet the importance and impact of people giving up their time to help others in a vast range of contexts is not recognised or celebrated enough. Colleges (and FE as a whole) struggle to articulate the impact and value of this type of work though. Every college is generating millions of pounds of social value every year without really knowing or thinking about it. Using Social Value Portal’s National TOMS framework, we have been able to convert this ‘social currency’ into an equivalent monetary value, enabling us to better communicate the exceptional impact that colleges provide to their communities.

We Need to Take this Further Now, as a sector, we need to take this further. Volunteers’ week provided a great opportunity to showcase some of the brilliant work that college staff and students do, but it goes far beyond one single week of activity. FE colleges have the capacity to link up with local and national charities and community networks – providing longer-term volunteering opportunities for staff and students and supporting vital causes. This is no different from the strategic partnerships colleges are so good at striking up with businesses to help support students into employment.

Good for Me Good for FE Good for Me Good for FE has highlighted the phenomenal amount of interest in social action and volunteering within our sector. We must now harness this, particularly in the difficult times we are living, with so many people in need of emotional, financial and mental health support. It is time for colleges to make sure that social impact becomes an intrinsic and evidenced part of their DNA – something we are now well on the way to delivering, with the tools needed to measure and monitor our impact. We are proud to be pioneering this work, leading with our founding partners at Loughborough and East Coast Colleges, a network of 140 colleges nationally that have all made the decision to have a wider impact on lives and local communities. We all stand together and draw strength from the unity we have created. The benefits of the Good for Me Good for FE network to the individual, the college and the local community of the G4ME network is far greater, far more inclusive and far widerreaching than we could have envisaged this time last year. I am immensely proud of each and every volunteer and participant college and the network we have created. I am looking forward to celebrating our sector-wide progress in the coming weeks as well as launching our collective future ambition. By Dr Sam Parrett CBE, Group Principal and CEO, London & South East Education Group

Croydon’s

GOING PLACES

That’s why LSBU are here and committed to this area. Our new campus is the latest in a string of exciting developments in one of London’s most ambitious areas. Home to big businesses, start-ups and a uniquely South London buzz: we’re playing our part in its future.

Our new home will be in a Grade II listed building, Electric House, in Croydon town centre. With its original purpose of empowering local people to explore new technology in mind, we aim to build on this mission by allowing our students to engage with the latest innovation in technology and build digital innovation. LSBU is here to meet the need for an exceptional civic university powering the future workforce, building sustainable and engaged communities and boosting the region’s standing on a national and global stage.

Find out more

www.lsbu.ac.uk/croydon 22

We’re providing ambitious, business minded Londoners with a brand new business hub, brimming with entrepreneurial spirit, where students, staff and our Croydon community alike gather to share knowledge and ideas. As well as Undergraduate programs in Business Management and Accounting and Finance, LSBU Croydon offers CPD and upskilling short courses, designed to help the local community get into careers and improve their job prospects.

Skills EDUCATION & SKILLS

Boost your business with HELP TO GROW at LSBU Croydon London South Bank University (LSBU) aids the growth and recovery of SMEs in Croydon with its government subsidised Help to Grow programme. The impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic have been challenging for all businesses and led to sharp a drop in economic activity in the UK, with SMEs being hit the hardest and now requiring the most support in their recovery. There are six million SMEs in the UK which account for over 99% of all businesses, 33% of employment and 21% of all turnover – so the effect on the UK economy will be felt for a long time unless they are prioritised in receiving support. Over recent years there has been increasing demand for fairer government funding and investment in south London, coming from the public, the council and members of parliament. LSBU is taking action in supporting business growth in south London and the Croydon area with this subsidised programme, designed and delivered around the needs of business owners. Participants of Help to Grow receive multi-faceted training to develop strategic skills to increase their business’ long-term productivity, resilience and capacity to innovate. Some of the key beneﬁts to business leaders include peer support, one-to-one mentoring, a hybrid learning environment and access to an alumni network. Let’s explore what the programme entails.

Accessible Training

The fact that Help to Grow is a 90% government funded programme means that specialised business growth training becomes accessible and affordable, especially in the wake of unprecedented disruption when SME debt has increased signiﬁcantly.

Expert-Led

Participants will learn directly from industry-leading facilitators, trainers and support leaders, who have been handpicked based on their knowledge and understanding of the challenges faced by SMEs. All have extensive experience in either leading small businesses to success or are experts in their particular business discipline, meaning business owners will ﬁnd the support they need to achieve their individual business goals.

Peer Support

Peer group sessions provide an invaluable opportunity for business owners to share ideas, challenges and successes in a conﬁdential and supportive environment. Peer collaboration allows participants to gain insightful and objective viewpoints that help tackle problems from a different perspective and feed directly into plans for business development.

One-to-One Mentoring

Navigating an ever-changing economic climate is more challenging than ever, so receiving tailored advice to reach individual business goals can vastly impact success. Each participant receives 10 hours of dedicated support from an experienced mentor to develop a business growth plan unique to their needs and ambition.

Flexible and Hybrid

Designed with business owners in mind, the programme is manageable alongside full-time work and fits around busy working schedules. The combination of virtual and face-to-face learning allows flexibility whilst retaining the same level of high-quality teaching. In times of uncertainty, business owners need to equip themselves with a robust business plan that mitigates risks, accounts for varying scenarios, and keeps operations agile and resilient against external influences. The Help to Grow programme takes participants through the four key stages of Innovate, Market, Build and Grow, to create a realistic and valuable Growth Action Plan specifically for their business. Current participant Liam Oliver has already seen the benefits of attending the course and says: “The whole course has been invaluable in changing my mindset towards the growth of the company. We move into this year with natural growth but the course has changed the conversation between myself and the other directors, enabling us to start planning strategically. The sessions with the mentor have been extremely useful in focusing on a strategic growth plan for the business.”

To invest in your business visit www.lsbuhtg.co.uk 23

WE ARE LOOKING FOR PARTNERS

Shooters Hill Sixth Form College based in Royal Borough of Greenwich is seeking employers who are willing to offer their learners work placement experiences. The college prides itself on the range of courses and levels that they offer to young people. They have an inclusive support system in place to ensure that all students progress both academically and personally, no matter their starting point. Work placements can vary in length to suit what the organisation is able to offer. The college has a highly experienced team who support organisations from planning to completion of placements. Work placements have mutual benefits to both the learners and organisations. Learners gain meaningful industry insight. Organisations can use it as an opportunity to identify a potential pipeline of future talent and can help support current staff development through developing skills such as

managing, inducting, mentoring, coaching etc. Learners will undertake pre-placement preparation to ensure they arrive at work placements fully prepared and ready to learn. The college is also looking for organisations who can contribute to the wider careers curriculum through career talks from guest speakers, skills demonstration workshops, attendance at careers fairs, networking events, mock interviews and employer forums.

The college would welcome the opportunity to discuss what opportunities your organisation may be able to provide. Please contact us by emailing workplacements@sch.ac.uk

No end-of-year exams Career-focused courses Learn one subject at a time Competitive course fees Finance options available

The Big Interview

robably not many, but the club's name is indeed engraved on the famous trophy having won it in 1946/47. There have been other high points too. In the mid-1990s and early noughties Charlton Athletic more than held their own in the Premier League. However, since 2006 the club have struggled both on and off the pitch. In 2020, the club was sold to Thomas Sandgaard a Danish businessman based in Colorado. Sandgaard’s is the owner and founder of Zynex, a medical devices manufacturer. So, what attracted a successful businessman in the US to Charlton FC and the stresses and strains of football club ownership? As Sandgaard explains it was not a straightforward route to South-East London. “I looked at a number of clubs including Sunderland, Coventry and Wigan. But none of them ticked enough boxes in terms of long-term potential and then I looked at Charlton and saw massive revenue potential due to the huge fanbase the club has”. The size of the challenge in boosting revenue and bringing top-flight football back to The Valley (Charlton’s home ground) is not lost on Sandgaard but he is convinced the club is now heading in the right direction.

Danish owner planning

Charlton Athletic’s route to the top

If you were asked to name London football clubs that have won the FA Cup – how many people would include Charlton Athletic in their list? 26

“Charlton had been mismanaged for two decades and it had been sold so many times. In many ways a football club is just like any other business. Charlton FC is a turnaround challenge and in business I have been involved with many turnarounds before – it is about getting the right people on board and ensuring the right culture is in place.”

Local talent spotting Bringing in the right players is clearly a priority, though as with all clubs this can only be done in specific transfer windows during the season. Alongside astute transfer business there is the opportunity to spot and develop young talent – especially in the local area.

The Big Interview

“It takes time to get all the pieces in place,” Sandgaard explains, “to gather players in the squad that fit the playing style”. But having one of the best academies around, and drawing from a large area within the capital, means Charlton is well-placed to bring players through from schoolboy level to first team regulars. Women’s football is another area that Sandgaard has been keen to promote and support. In 2007 when Charlton Athletic were relegated, the board of directors at the time effectively scrapped the women’s team. The Charlton Athletic Community Trust kept the team going initially and then local businessman and Charlton fan Stephen King stepped in. After more than a decade as separate organisations, King agreed terms with Sandgaard to bring the women’s team under the same ownership as the men’s team. for the first time since 2007. The Charlton Athletic women's team has a proud history and were one of the leading teams in domestic women's football during the early 2000s, winning the FA Cup and League Cup. Sandgaard believes that the future looks good for the squad now that they are part of the club again and fully professional.

❛❛Having one of the best academies around, and drawing from a large area within the capital, means Charlton is well-placed to bring players through from schoolboy level to first team regulars.

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Community spirit While Charlton Athletic might not have the global appeal of clubs like Liverpool or Chelsea, on a local level, supporters have just the same sense of belonging. A football club sits at the heart of a community and it has incredible pull – which is why association with local charities and organisations can be so productive. In Charlton’s case it is proud of the work the club’s community trust which works, to change lives by improving health, education and employment as well as reducing crime. The club also looks to develop ties with local businesses, as Sandgaard reveals CAFC is currently looking to partner with a local brewery and catering company so fans can enjoy high-quality, locally produced food and drink.

The matchday experience is another area he is looking to improve. The atmosphere generated by a full stadium is something all fans enjoy. However, Sandgaard felt the ticketing system was far too complex and was not exactly encouraging locals to come to games. “The different price levels which meant some matches were cheaper than others, was confusing and needed to be simplified. We want as many people in the stadium as possible for all games. If you have a full stadium at a more attractive game, then the atmosphere is better and people are more likely to return for the next match”. In another effort to improve the fan experience, the club recently launched its own live-streaming TV channel. Previously a similar but inferior service was offered via the EFL but this channel now provides pre and post-match comments from Charlton favourites such as ex-manager Alan Curbishley.

It also offers advertising and promotional opportunities for local businesses. Being a London club with a modern stadium has distinct advantages in terms of boosting revenue from non-football activities. If you remember flares and platform shoes you might remember The Who playing a couple of gigs at The Valley in the mid-1970s. Next summer, the stadium plans to reclaim its status as a large-scale concert venue. And staging such events is not something entirely new to Sandgaard. Before starting Zynex, he built and worked in recording studios and organised large venue concerts. “This fits in with my background and I am really excited that we will stage some great events at The Valley”. Sandgaard’s ambitious plans both on and off the pitch sound like good news for both sports and music fans. Watch this space!

Sport

What can the world of sport offer business?

People talk about mixing business with pleasure but what about mixing business and sport? 28

Sport

❛❛It seems business can learn a lot from sport and a host of sports names, from Sally Gunnell and Steve Cram; to Roger Black and Mark Foster regularly provide insight to business audiences on how their focus and application led them

❜❜

to worldwide success.

an business learn anything from the sports world? The answer is a resounding yes. There is significant crossover and it is of little surprise that so many sportsmen and women are asked to give motivational and leadership speeches to the business community. From the world of rugby, former England captain Will Carling and World Cup winning coach Sir Clive Woodwood have for many years provided inspirational talks to the business world on teamwork, strategy, communication, planning and execution. UK-based, human performance experts PlanetK2 point out that as much as 90% of an elite athlete’s time is spent preparing and just 10% doing the job. Clearly no company could duplicate this, but according to PlanetK2, there’s still too much of an obsession with ‘doing’ in the business world at the expense of planning and understanding. Rather than be innovative, too often the preference within a company is to play safe and do things as they have always been done.

It seems business can learn a lot from sport and a host of sports names, from Sally Gunnell and Steve Cram; to Roger Black and Mark Foster regularly provide insight to business audiences on how their focus and application led them to worldwide success. In the same way as an athlete will methodically plan to achieve a desired result; so too should a business. The same attributes – resilience, nerve, commitment and clarity of purpose that apply in sport are essential in both the boardroom and the workplace.

Unlocking potential Managing people is a skill that applies on both sides too. Anyone who has seen Sir Alex Ferguson’s presentation to Harvard Business School will know just how insightful the former Manchester United manager is when it comes to reading people and unlocking potential. If you haven’t seen it, give it a watch. He talks about managing fear (something that despite the tough guy persona applied as much to him as anyone else); of having a clear philosophy but at the same time being able to play different roles at different times. One approach of player management might be suitable for one person but not for another. It is about grasping what makes people tick and then acting on that knowledge.

Cont. >>

Sport

“No matter what industry you are in, whether football or finance or a doctor in a hospital, leadership qualities are similar”.

❛❛In terms of recruitment morale and retention of staff. Companies that provide facilities for sport and support team competitions often

❜❜

have a head start over others. Motivation is at the core of people management and though we are familiar with the tales of players being the ‘hairdryer treatment’ when they did not perform to an expected standard; Sir Alex stresses the importance of praise and recognition. “You have to recognise the contributions made on a regular basis by the people, in a way, you depend on.” He also talks about complacency being the ‘biggest disease’ to success in both sport and business and he uses the Ryder Cup in Medinah in 2012 as an example of complacency taking root and then spreading at speed.

The US team were leading 10pts to 6pts going into the last day and only needed 4 ½ points to win out of a possible 12 points. But they ended up losing. As Sir Alex explained the sole focus for the European team was simple – win the first match – that was all they could do, start well and see what pressure they could then exert. The message was kept simple – the rest is history. But what Sir Alex was keen to point out was that clarity of purpose at key moments and good leadership can often achieve amazing results.

Insights are clearly transferable, evidenced by the fact that Sir Alex was drafted in by Paul McGinley to give his Europe team an inspirational talk before the Ryder Cup in 2014. But it is not just transferable between sports, Tony Blair when Prime Minister called on Sir Alex (a long-term Labour supporter) to impart advice on leadership.

Sport Olympic heptathlon champion Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill publicly supported an e-bike share project in Leicester sponsored by Santander for who Ennis-Hill is a brand ambassador. Working together Ennis-Hill and Santander were able to provide a tangible benefit to a local city.

Loyalty and wellbeing Sport also plays an important role within a company. In terms of recruitment morale and retention of staff. Companies that provide facilities for sport and support team competitions often have a head start over others. This is by no means a new phenomenon. There are works teams throughout Europe. Manchester United used to be called Newton Heath, and the team originated from a group of employees who worked for the Carriage and Wagon department of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. Arsenal were originally a team made up of armaments factory workers in Woolwich in southeast London. And West Ham were formed by a foreman at the Thames Ironworks & Shipbuilding Company. Given the size of these workforces, it is not surprising that they were able to put together such strong teams that would ultimately become professional outfits.

Getting people’s attention Sound advice on communication, teamwork, trust, empowerment and commitment (as well as a host of other attributes) can be provided by people from all backgrounds but a widely admired sports star is likely to have more pulling power than, say, the marketing director of Epsom Salts PLC. Also, in terms of promotion of a brand or specific product, sportsmen and women are able to provide huge recognition partly via endorsements but also acting as ‘brand ambassadors’

Fast forward to 2022 and many companies still have ‘works’ teams, whether they be insurance companies, banks, British Airways, BBC or even the House of Commons with its· All-Party Parliamentary Football Club Group. Not only is this beneficial in terms of health and fitness but it also helps to break down barriers and improve communication within an organisation

– employees of different pay grades and different departments coming together in a non-office environment.

Symbiotic relationship Sport and business can clearly learn from one another but to a large extent they are reliant too. Many involved in minority sports are dependent on sponsorship deals – otherwise they simply couldn’t compete let alone train. The flipside is that large corporates fight over sponsorship and advertising deals for major sports team or events – the global exposure a brand receives at an Olympic Games or a World Cup is colossal. But it is not just about global branding building, in many instances it is about local relationships with both fans and businesses. In this issue of Masthead, the owner of Charlton Athletic, Thomas Sandgaard talks about how football clubs and sponsors can partner more effectively, identify new growth opportunities and significantly boost revenue and profile.

❛❛You have to recognise the contributions made on a regular basis by the people,

❜❜

in a way, you depend on.

Past Events

Making the right connections Each month the Chamber hosts a variety of events which offer members a superb opportunity to meet and chat to fellow business people. Here, we review a few of our past events. Croydon Business Breakfast Tuesday 26 April 2022 A pleasure to welcome attendees to our business breakfast kindly sponsored and hosted by Croydon College. We heard from the Mayor of Croydon – Sherwan Chowdhury, Julie Agbowu – Board member & Croydon Lead of the SELCC and Rajan Amin Cert CII – Director of Coversure Insurance about how the local area, and small businesses have a vital role to play in levelling up Croydon before enjoying breakfast with informal networking.

Powers of Attorney for Individuals / Business Owners with Thackray Williams Tuesday 17 May 2022

Thursday 28 April 2022 Sarah Wilkinson of Thackray Williams LLP prepared us to engage the workforce of the future. Updating us on developments and how upcoming legislation, the proposed introduction of a new single employment enforcement body, and employment trends could affect both staff and employers in 2022 and onwards. Sarah’s webinar tackled a wide variety of employer concerns including working from home, menopause leave, flexible working, and Covid in the workplace. You can view a recording of this webinar at www.selondonchamber.org/business-support

Introduction to Legal Services for Start-Ups Webinar with Thackray Williams Wednesday 8 June 2022

Zahra Kanani and Elliot Lewis of Thackray Williams LLP guided attendees through the impact and importance of having sufficient Powers of Attorney in place to plan and ensure the smooth operation of business in the event of either personal or associate incapacity. Explaining the ins and outs of Powers of Attorney as so that you can take control over what happens to you if you have an accident or an illness and cannot make your own decisions.

In this webinar, Dr. Saverio Salandra of Thackray Williams LLP took us through how start-ups can get going without becoming bogged down in legal mire. Running attendees through which way to legally establish and structure your business for maximum benefit to you, whether this is to emphasis dynamism, achieve long term goals or to ensure stakeholders returns. Dr. Salandra also explained the common contracts needed to start up, including terms of use, business purchase agreement, and confidentiality agreement- and how to use resources effectively to keep paperwork to a minimum.

You can view a recording of this webinar at www.selondonchamber.org/business-support

GreenwichB2B Link 'n' Drink Tuesday 7 June 2022

Chambers of Commerce

River Thames Boat Party Wednesday 22 June 2022

Greenwich B2B in association with the South East London Chamber of Commerce lead their Link ‘n Drink regular informal networking event at the Greenwich Tavern, open to businesses in the surrounding areas. Mike Jelves from Jellyfielder Studios who presented about the Ice Cream Model - designed to help small businesses simply build organic marketing strategies that work for them.

Employment Law Update for 2022 with Thackray Williams

Southwark Chamber in association with South East and Southside Chambers hosted our annual Boat Party, where we enjoyed an evening of beautiful views as we drifted along the Thames aboard the MV Golden Sunrise while enjoying a glass of fizz and a delicious buffet. Truly the most wonderful way to meet new people and make new connections.

Forthcoming Events

FORTHCOMING EVENT

SELCC Summer

BBQ

Join us at the beautiful Clarendon Hotel this August for a summer feast!

Montpelier Row Blackheath

We would like to extend the invitation to members, partners and colleagues, both old and new to join us in the sun while networking and enjoying an extensive BBQ selection, food and refreshments!

at the Clarendon Hotel London SE3 0RW

Thursday 25 August 2022 12:30 - 14:30

We will once more be firing up the grill and hosting our annual South East London Chamber of Commerce Barbecue this summer at the wonderful Clarendon Hotel in Blackheath Village.

£35 +VAT Member £45 +VAT Non-Member

Best of Royal Greenwich Business Awards 2022

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN for the Best of Royal Greenwich Business Awards 2022

RBG Business Awards 2022 - Sponsors and Judges, taken outside the launch event at Woolwich Works

ntries are now open for south-east London’s most prestigious business awards, organised by the Royal Borough of Greenwich, in association with U+I and supported by the South East London Chamber of Commerce. The Council is encouraging all businesses in the borough to nominate themselves by the closing date, Sunday 14 August. The awards are free to enter, and open to anyone who owns or manages a business in Royal Greenwich.

Martyn Evans of U+I - Headline Sponsor of RBG Business Awards 2022

Now in its fifth year, this annual celebration is an opportunity to recognise and showcase local businesses and their outstanding contributions to Royal Greenwich.

Across 12 exciting categories, and the overall winner’s prize, we reward all types of businesses, from high street retailers to social enterprises, offering outstanding products and services to residents and visitors. New categories this year include the Market and Mobile Trader Award, Best Food and Drink Venue and Digital Award, to recognise the diversity of businesses in Royal Greenwich. Nominees will be shortlisted by a judging panel which includes Councillor Denise Hyland, Interim Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Business and Skills and Councillor Mariam Lolavar, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Business and Skills as joint head judges. Guest judges this year include Carolina Correia from Berkeley Homes, Bradley Hemmings MBE from FESTIVAL.ORG, Sunita Bhuwanee from Ravensbourne University and Barrie Kelly from Visit Greenwich; all local industry leaders were chosen for their wealth of experience and expertise across different fields and for their contributions to the borough. The shortlist is due to be announced in September, with nine of the category winners, and the overall winner, chosen by the judging panel. Best Food and Beverage, High Street Retailer, Market & Mobile Trader will be selected by public vote, which is due to open on 16 September. The winners will be revealed in a sparkling ceremony this October.

Businesses will be able to nominate themselves for up to two of the following categories: 1. Greener Greenwich sponsored by IKEA 2. Made in Greenwich sponsored by GrantSaw Solicitors 3. Workforce Development sponsored by London South East Colleges (LSEC) 4. Young Award (under 30) sponsored by University of Greenwich 5. High Street Retailer Award sponsored by Hindwoods 6. Tourism and Culture Award sponsored by Peabody 7. Health and Wellbeing Award sponsored by GLL - Better 8. Best New Business Award (in the past two years) sponsored by Berkeley Homes 9. Technology Innovation Award sponsored by Alcatel Submarine Networks 10. Best Food and Drink Venue sponsored by Drury Tea and Coffee 11. Market or Mobile Trader Award sponsored by London City Airport 12. Digital Award sponsored by DG Cities Limited Councillor Denise Hyland, Interim Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Business and Skills at the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: “The search is on for Royal Greenwich’s best businesses. Don’t miss your chance to gain the recognition your business deserves – for free! We want to hear from businesses, old and new, that go above and beyond, whether that’s by providing outstanding customer service, enriching the local community or offering exceptional training and development for their staff. “I encourage all company owners and managers to nominate themselves to raise their profiles, boost staff morale, build their networks and be in with the chance of winning. It’s free to enter so there’s absolutely nothing to lose – Good luck to everyone nominating themselves!” Councillor Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: “We are accepting nominations from all businesses within Royal Greenwich. The borough is home to over 11,000 businesses and the Best of Royal Greenwich Business Awards have become an icon in our calendar, celebrating how diverse our businesses are. They offer us an opportunity to highlight the crucial role businesses play in providing sustainable growth. By nominating their business, we encourage business owners and managers to take a step back and reflect on their successes and celebrate their achievements”. “If you know a business which deserves to win an award, encourage them to enter before nominations close on 14 August so that they’re in with a chance winning”. Celebrity entrepreneur and The Apprentice star Tim Campbell will be hosting the awards held at the InterContinental O2 Hotel on 7 October 2022. By taking part in the awards businesses will have the chance to win a £3,000 marketing budget, courtesy of Wilmott Dixon, JB Rineys is sponsoring the champagne reception, Lovell is sponsoring the Mayor’s Charity Raffle.

For more information about the Best of Royal Greenwich Business Awards or to make a nomination visit royalgreenwich.gov.uk/businessawards

LSEC Student Awards 2022

LSEC Student Awards 2022 South East London Chamber of Commerce were delighted to attend our Strategic Partner, London South East Colleges Student Awards 2022, recognising and celebrating a year of truly inspiring student achievements across the organisation.

e were thrilled to be among over 100 guests who received a warm welcome on the red carpet at a glamorous reception in the excellent BR6 Restaurant & Bakehouse, before heading across to the Odeon Cinema in Orpington where SELCC President Helen McIntosh proudly presented the SELCC Sponsored “Employer of the Year Award” to Matthew Jones of Price Waterhouse Coopers LLP.

Addressing attendees on the night, CEO and Group Principal, Dr Sam Parrett CBE, said: “To finally be able to come together in person to celebrate our students’ achievements is absolutely wonderful. It’s been such a challenging time for so many people but the success stories we have heard tonight shows some amazing determination and resilience. Further and higher education provides a route to so many exciting jobs and opportunities. Our fantastic tutors and staff work hard to support students, but it is the drive of the student themselves that leads to the most success."

Read more about all the winners and categories plus the other award sponsors in attendance at the ceremony here - https://www.lsec.ac.uk/news/3479-student-awards-2022

#Recognition #StudentAwards2022

Richard Burge LCCI

Overseas trade can get economy back on track Richard Burge is used to travelling the world, sometimes for business, sometimes for pleasure. In the last few months, his business trips have taken in Washington, Ottowa, New York and Toronto, as he seeks to build relationships with Chambers of Commerce and other key organisations in these localities.

ichard, who’s the CEO of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), says: “Toronto in particular is very impressive. It’s a city on the up with a global outlook, very much like London. It’s amazing that when you travel the world, you discover synergies between London and other places – synergies that might not otherwise have been apparent from a distance. “That’s the advantage of going to these places; you can build links and find people you want to invest in and vice-versa. From an international trade perspective, you need to eye-ball people and not just spend your days on Zoom calls.”

Richard is currently on a mission to strike formal agreements with Chambers of Commerce in 30-35 cities around the world. The idea is to sign memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with each Chamber and then embark on three-year engagement plans that will, hopefully, boost trade between London and each of these overseas cities. The current trading environment will make this task more challenging, with soaring inflation heaping cost pressures on businesses and the war in Ukraine exacerbating already sky-high energy prices. “The immediate effect of the Ukraine crisis is that many businesses are looking at the strengths and weaknesses in their supply chains,” says Richard. “It has taught businesses the need to be resilient, to know their markets and understand the vulnerabilities in their supply chains. “With inflation going through the roof, it’s good to see that the UK government

has made a u-turn and imposed a windfall tax on oil and gas companies. I’d also remove all planned tax increases because consumers are already nervous and starting to hoard money, which will inevitably have an adverse impact on the economy.” Despite a highly uncertain trading climate, with many analysts predicting that the UK will tip into recession, Richard believes that opportunities provided by international trade can help to boost economic growth. “We’ll continue to build bridges globally,” he says. “Just because there’s a war going on and the economic situation is difficult, international trade doesn’t stop. London is still viewed as a global destination and already holds a strong appeal to many individuals and businesses across the world. “In my role as CEO of LCCI, it’s my job to seek new opportunities for London businesses to trade with other companies across the world. If anything, building overseas trade connections makes war less likely. It demonstrates that the world of free, equitable trade should continue. “The world is in a parlous state but we’re out of the pandemic now. Economic long COVID is fading and the impacts of economic long Brexit and economic long Russia are becoming clearer. There are still many challenges in ensuring that barriers to trading with the EU are removed. “The one thing that Brexit has done is encourage companies to look further afield. The world doesn’t stop at the borders of Europe. Many London companies are trading successfully with companies in places such as the US, Asia and South America. “We have to keep our collective chins up and look outwards, not inwards. A tough economic climate can provide just as many trading opportunities as challenges.”

Richard Burge LCCI

❛❛With inflation going through the roof, it’s good to see that the UK government has made a u-turn and imposed a windfall tax on oil and gas companies. I’d also remove all planned tax increases because consumers are already nervous and starting to hoard money, which will inevitably have an adverse impact on the economy.

❜❜

Construction

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Economy

TAKE THE FIRST STEP

on your start up journey British Business Bank is the UK’s economic development bank. Our mission is to drive sustainable growth and prosperity across the UK, and to enable the transition to a net zero economy, by improving access to finance for smaller businesses.

ur programmes are designed for businesses at three stages of growth: Start Up; Scale Up and Stay Ahead, working with more than 180 delivery partners. British Business Bank programmes are supporting over £10.8bn of finance to over 93,000 smaller businesses (as at end of December 2021). When you are trying to start a business, finance can be a key to getting your idea off the ground. The British Business Bank Start Up Loans programme provides government backed loans of up to £25,000 per individual and up to a maximum of £100,000 per business. In addition to finance, successful applicants receive 12 months of free mentoring and advice.

As of May 2022, Start Up Loans programme has delivered nearly 20,000 loans to SMEs in London, worth over £180m. Here are just a few of the companies that have been supported: Booheads Ben Caspary launched Booheads in November 2020. His company makes sustainably made and biodegradable bamboo toothbrush heads for consumers seeking an alternative to the disposable plastic versions that end up in landfills.

Paterson and Hill Arabella Hill and Flavia Paterson set up Paterson and Hill, a clothing brand for women working in manual jobs in January 2020. Arabella noticed that, unlike her, the men working on the construction site were amply dressed in suitable clothing. She wanted clothes made for women in skilled and outdoor jobs, clothes that are durable, practical, flattering and sensitive to the environment.

Vinkind Alex Habachi set up Vinkind in 2016, an online platform that helps people discover and buy wine, and get recommendations, much like you’d get from Netflix or Spotify. Alex received funding and 12 months of

free mentoring support through the Start Up Loans scheme, via delivery partner X-ES.

Nice Jeremy May secured Start Up Loans funding in February 2020. He had worked in the food and drink industry and came up with the idea for NICE after discovering an American brand of canned wine on Instagram and became immediately obsessed with the concept. NICE sold close to half a million cans in its first year.

Pip&Henry Jeroo Doodmal secured a loan in December 2021 to launch her sustainable Children’s footwear brand Pip & Henry, having noticed a gap in the market for sustainable, organic, and fair-trade children’s footwear options. 80% of their shoes are made of environmentally sustainable materials, setting a high standard for the children’s footwear industry. David Woods, Senior Manager for London at British Business Bank

For more info: www.british-business-bank.co.uk & www.startuploans.co.uk 41

Health and Wellbeing

COVID response plan needed to help businesses The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is urging government to provide a clear framework for businesses on living with COVID as high levels of absence rates and infections continue to disrupt firms.

Health and Wellbeing

ow that free testing in England has been removed, businesses are still reporting absence rates of up 20% and say advice on how to protect vulnerable staff and customers, including pregnant women, is still far too vague.

Hannah Essex, co-executive director of the BCC, said: “Research by our Chamber Network has found that many firms are still struggling to get to grips with the way ahead. “Business leaders are keen to get back to pre-pandemic trading conditions and full capacity in the workplace, but they are worried about their legal responsibilities and liabilities once the working safely guidance is removed and replaced with general public health guidance. “Businesses need crystal clear guidance, especially smaller firms who don’t have their own HR departments to help them manage these sorts of issues. “For many firms, living with COVID really means living with disruption. One positive COVID case in a workplace has the potential to be hugely disruptive if it causes several other colleagues to become ill and need time off work. “Firms are also concerned about how to protect their vulnerable members of staff when the removal of free testing means either not being able to identify COVID cases or incurring additional costs for tests that they can ill-afford in the current climate. “If the government is not prepared to provide tests for the workplace, then it must at least look to secure low-cost options for hard-pressed firms that are already facing a rising costs crisis. “Businesses also need to understand how the government will respond to further variants of concern – or any future pandemic – and what support would be put in place if new guidance or mandatory restrictions are introduced that have a negative impact on the economy.

❛❛Businesses need crystal clear guidance, especially smaller firms who don’t have their own HR departments to help them manage these

❜❜

sorts of issues.

“Firms will only truly be able to live with COVID when they are confident that a plan is in place for future outbreaks. Otherwise, uncertainty will put a brake on investment and the shadow of the pandemic could continue to loom over our economy for months to come.” Companies have been hit by soaring energy bills as the war in Ukraine intensifies, as well as higher raw material costs in some cases. They have also had to cope with a rise in employer national insurance contributions, from 13.8% to 15.05%. Research conducted by the BCC shows that more than four out of five employers (81%) say they have been impacted by the increase in national insurance contributions.

Property

POSITIVE UPLIFT AND REGENERATION for Woolwich’s property market By Jason Morris Director/Broker JT Clarke London 44 44

Property

❛❛Average residential prices have already risen by 69.8% around Woolwich station since the announcement of Crossrail in 2010 and are expected to rise by 15% in the

❜❜

next 5 years.

Since the announcement of the new Elizabethan line and proposed cross rail extensions in Woolwich back in 2006, there was no doubt that this region of southeast London would be set to experience a positive uplift and major surge of investment and regeneration.

his coupled with the Berkley groups amazing Royal Arsenal development, a diverse range of uniquely built houses and apartments, creating a perfect and seamless fusion of historical and contemporary residences of the highest standard, has only served to fuel consumer interest in this southeast London suburb, neighbouring the ever popular and sought-after areas of Blackheath and Greenwich. As a result, the average price of a home in the area is now a staggering £481,384 with a 100%+ increase on some homes since 2006 with signs and scope for further growth. In fact, as a personal account and example, I can share that I purchased my first property in Woolwich back in 2006, at a price of £153,000. That same property I then sold in 2021 at an accepted figure of £300,000 attesting to the increase and desirability of this area decorated with an array of period homes, open spaces and leafy treelined roads.

Is Woolwich Arsenal a good investment? Royal Arsenal Riverside offers exceptional value to investors with the promise of strong capital growth and good rental yields. Overall house prices in the Borough have risen consistently – 11.5% over the last 5 years, 72% over 10 years and 237% over the last 20 years! Average residential prices have already risen by 69.8% around Woolwich station since the announcement of Crossrail in 2010 and are expected to rise by 15% in the next 5 years. Crossrail is driving price growth across London and Woolwich is set to be one of the greatest beneficiaries experiencing an exciting regeneration and transformation. With Crossrail opening, (called the Elizabeth Line) and further investment planned for the area, now is the time to take advantage of a relatively affordable area of London that offers strong growth potential and healthy rental yields. In my opinion, without question Woolwich and the surrounding areas should be explored as a sure bet worthy of investment whether as a residential purchase or as an investment opportunity as this region of the borough of Greenwich continues to grow in popularity and appeal.

www.jtclarkelondon.com 45

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Probate & Wills We pride ourselves on being experts in Probate & Wills. Our specialists are on hand to help you through your journey. • • • • • •

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Specialists in Probate & Wills a quote Your opportunity to remember the important people in your life Peace of mind for your loved ones All aspects of probate covering grant to administration including Tax Lasting of attorney either RGpower Law celebrates its 15 Year Anniversary health and or ﬁnance Legacy Check available to all RG clients

Sidcup Office 5th Floor, Roxby House 20-22 Station Road Sidcup, Kent, DA15 7EJ T: 020 8269 9901 E:quoteteam@rglaw.co.uk

Why RG

A 5-star experience A ﬁxed fee conveyancing quote A dedicated Otherconveyancer Services RG Plus warranty to cover out of Trusts pocket expenses, should your New Build transaction fall through Remortgage Purchase & Sale Inheritance Tax

York Office Stamford, Piccadilly, York, YO1 9PP T: 01904 234091 E:quoteteam@rglaw.co.uk

www.rglaw.co.uk Trustpilot

care every step of the way.

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One solution is to make an application to Tax the Court of Protection and ask the Court power of attorney to appoint aLasting Deputy. In most cases a either family health and or financeforward to member would put themselves Legacy to Check available to all RG become a Deputy handle ﬁnances and

A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) eliminates all of the above issues. It is a legally binding document which allows you to appoint somebody you trust (an Attorney) to manage your aﬀairs. There are two types of LPAs – Property and Finance which allows the person you appoint to deal with all bank accounts, income, bills and property and Health and Welfare which allows your Attorney to make decisions about your care, medical treatment, living arrangements and even Life Sustaining Treatment. The documents become legally binding once they are registered at the Oﬃce of the Public Guardian. This currently takes around 12 weeks.

property. If there is nobody available, the local council may step in and this means that somebody who does not even know you personally can start running your aﬀairs.

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New Members

Welcome to our new members As a member of our Chamber, you are joining a unique organisation with a strong campaigning voice for business to local and national government. Amaze Associates Ltd

Fiona Wedderburn-Graham Coaching hello@amazeassociates.com 24 Holborn Viaduct London 07305 007367

Andrews Smokehouse

Andrew Woodhouse Catering & Street Food andrew@andrewssmokehouse.com Ground Floor Flat 7 Bartram Road London

07878 930827

Arisekidz

Racheal Idowu Education & Training arisekids12@gmail.com 115 St Saviour’s Road London 07307 170737

Bill or Beak Ltd

Joshua Paterson Hospitality josh@billorbeak.com Unit 50 Brockley Business Centre Brockley London SE4 2PD 07914 166482

Cherry Architects

Abigail Watts-Cherry Architecture info@cherryarchitects.com Davis House Robert St Croydon London CR0 1QQ 020 3488 5419

Doogheno

Dan Smith Marketing Consultant dan@doogheno.com 52 Brightside Road London SE13 6EW 020 7097 8567

Eddies Dog Shop Ltd

John Harris Retail info@eddiesdogshop.com No 1 Homesteads Cottages Beckenham Place Park Beckenham Hill Beckenham London BR3 1SY 07702 367453

Goodness Goodies

Mandy Chowdhary Wholesale mandy@goodnessgoodies.co.uk 12 Aylward Rd London SE23 2JE 07796 932374

Grips Tyres and Wheels

Reginald Santry Automotive hello@gripstyres.co.uk 202c Verdant Lane, Catford SE6 1L

020 8697 8000

Help Save Lives Medical Training Rhona Manning Supplies Health, Wellness and Fitness rhona@helpsavelives.co.uk 313 Wickham Lane, SE2 0NT 080 2127 0210

JM Learning Skills Ltd

Jannett Morgan Education & Training jannett@jmlearningskills.co.uk Plaza Building 102 Lee High Road London SE13 5PT 07980 320934

Lifeforce Security Limited

Pius Ejionamhen Security Services pe@lifeforcesecurity.co.uk Royal Arsenal Gatehouse Beresford Square London SE18 6AR 080 8222 1920

Minerva HR Consulting

Sally Brandon Human Resources contact@minervahrconsulting.co.uk 57 Riseldine Road London SE23 1JT 07968 177052

Mny Base

Lynette Adeke Education & Training lyn@mnybase.com Flat 2, 35 Cambridge Drive London SE12 8AT 07522 613952

Morrison Financial Planning Craig Morrison

Financial Services craig.morrison@sjpp.co.uk 58 Belmont Park London SE13 5BN 07769 928868

Murray Birrell

Sam Field Construction sam.field@murraybirrell.co.uk Mortimer House 40 Chatsworth Parade Queensway London BR5 1DE 16898 98288

Noir Space Ltd

Jay Lang Business Services support@noirspacebh.com 63-66 Hatton Garden London SE13 7PX 07534 454186

On Cloud Shine

Angelina Minto Business Services angelina@oncloudshine.co.uk 27 Old Gloucester Rd 07983 804366

PRMS Ltd

Clayton M Coke Business Services info@prmsltd.co.uk 84 Buckthorne Road London SE4 2DG 020 3865 7138

Refugee Cafe

Yolanda Chirica Charity refugeecafese@gmail.com 20 Honley Road London SE6 2HZ 07984 239912

Sales Geek South West London Ltd. Jerry Meldrum Business Services jerry.meldrum@salesgeek.co.uk TMRW Davis House Robert Street Croydon London CR0 1QQ 07426 384964

SENAT Ltd Theo Nell IT Services theo.nell@senat.uk 61 Bridge Street Kington Herefordshire HR5 3DJ 020 3746 3130

Thing That Matters LTD Cem SARI Business Services csari@thingthatmatters.co.uk 139 Court Road Orpington London BR6 0PU 07553 250682

Tidylicious Hester Van Hien Coaching hello@tidylicious.com 6 Jubilee Heights Parkside Avenue London 07944 604806

Weave Strategic Communications Ltd. Sarah Thomas PR & Marketing sarah@weavecomms.co.uk 85 Great Portland Street London 07793 115883

Members can access a range of services, networking events and support to help their business do better. Importantly, they can also access other members to find new suppliers, promote your business services, or join forces on new opportunities. Find out how to join and learn how others are benefiting from their membership. For more information telephone: 020 8317 3365 email: office@selondonchamber.org

How good PR can grow your business In business, good PR is important but if it’s not your area of expertise, it can be difficult to put your finger on how to do it and do it well.

PR is about reputation – creating, building, maintaining, strengthening and protecting it. Here are some DIY PR tips to get you started: Make time to network Networking is not all about making sales! It’s your chance to present the human face of your business and make connections. People do business with people they like and can see they hold the same values as. Concentrate on being helpful to anyone you chat to at events – how can you help them? Could they help you? Be friendly and approachable and you’ll be remembered for all the right reasons, making it more likely that others will recommend you to their own contacts.

Use LinkedIn to demonstrate your expertise LinkedIn is invaluable for connecting with peers and customers, allowing you to demonstrate your credentials, and engage with conversation – virtual as it might be.

Make sure your profile is up to date and succinctly summarises what you offer. It should be written to highlight what you do and how it helps them to solve a problem, not as a CV, sharing how fabulous you are, how qualified you are and the budgets you have previously handled. Articles allow you to show your expertise and knowledge and if you’re stuck for an idea, refer to your FAQs – what do people ask all of the time?

Get a mention in relevant media Unless you’re paying for an advert, magazines and news titles only have limited space and you’re competing against thousands of other businesses, all vying for column inches or airtime.

To give yourself the best chance of success either: Contact a title with some genuinely interesting news – an amazing new product, first of a kind service or something that impacts people’s lives and solves a problem for them, or does it differently to what’s gone before – what’s your differentiator to your competitors? To judge if you think it’s a good news story, ask yourself if it’s the kind of thing you would read in that publication. Offer an expert piece, comment or interview to a trade publication – this is a title related to your industry. Titles such as this are always keen to hear from experts who can share experience and skills that will really help their readers.

If you’d like more pointers or help putting ideas like this into practice, get in touch. hello@izzypr.co.uk

Use your Chamber membership for marketing Izzy PR can help you to reach Chamber members with: • Member News: 250-word story in this magazine (£100) • Member Blog: Published on the Chamber website (£100) • Directory listing: Chamber website – to make sure you can be found (£45) • Member 2 Member offer: An advert for the Chamber website to share an exclusive member offer (£95)

£250

Full package - everything above

Get in touch today

07748 631100

izzypr.co.uk

hello@izzypr.co.uk 49

And finally...

•

...and finally

My first job was working for the computer company ICL, shortly followed by becoming a research assistant. This paid me 14K, and with my first pay cheque I bought myself a mountain bike.

•

Professor Jane Harrington joined the University of Greenwich as Vice-Chancellor in December 2019.

University of Greenwich Vice-Chancellor

What would you do with your last pound? Ensure that my family would all be OK without me providing for them any longer.

•

Before joining Greenwich, Jane was Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost at the University of the West of England, Bristol (UWE, Bristol) for five years and prior to that held the role of PVC and Executive Dean for the faculty of Business and Law.

Professor Jane Harrington

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

What is the biggest challenge facing your business? The economy and the rising costs which are resulting in so many businesses now struggling.

•

If you were Prime Minister, what would be your first decision? Given the current economic situation, I’d like to really tackle the cost of living crisis.

Jane has worked in Higher Education for over 30 years and her specific interests include teaching excellence, the student experience, widening access into higher education and social mobility. She is passionate about improving partnership working across the business and community sectors as well as working closely with her regional FE colleges and schools.

•

If you could do another job what would it be? I would be a dancer which was my first passion when I was younger, and once I was too old to do that I would dance and exercise to support people with poor mental health.

•

What book are you currently reading? Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro.

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DAY, EVENING AND WEEKEND COURSES

En now rfol Septe or mber All photos are of our classes

Develop your creativity or gain the skills you need for work and further education. Find out about the wide range of classroom based and online courses at: www.lewisham.gov.uk/adultlearning Adult Learning Lewisham

ALL

TOGETHER WE FLOURISH

C H A R LT O N A T H L E T I C D R I N K , D I N E & E N J OY F O OT B A L L

Our 2022/23 season starts on July 30th with our first home game at The Valley taking place on August 6th against Derby County The Vista Business Package - £500 +VAT • • • • • • • • •

Enjoy views of London in our modern hospitality lounge, The Vista Receive a welcome drink Light food oﬀering Cash bar Prime stadium seating on the half-way line Enjoy our Man-of-the-match presentation Participate in networking opportunities Business advert in our Matchday programme (1st advert free) Free matchday programme for guests

*Package designed for party of 10. Available for all evening league fixtures. Valid until Nov 30, 2022. For additional details or alternative packages please contact sales@cafc.co.uk

C O NTAC T US: 0 2 08 333 40 50

“

s al es@ca fc . co. uk

I look forward to welcoming you to The Valley. At Charlton, we aim to deliver a premier experience from start to finish. - Thomas Sandgaard Owner, Charlton Athletic Football Club (CAFC)

”

C H A R LT O N AT H L E T I C MEETINGS, EXHIBITIONS & EVENTS

Day delegate rates from £39.00pp inclusive of room hire, three servings of tea, coﬀee and accompaniments plus sandwich lunch Dinner packages from £35.00pp inclusive of room hire, four course meal and arrival drink Private box hire rate from £150.00pp Quote G&G Chamber of Commerce for 15% discount oﬀer valid until November 2022 * Over 200 free car parking spaces * Less than 5 minutes’ walk from Charlton mainline station * Great transport links * Superb food and drink * Stunning views across the pitch * Professional sound and lighting systems

Book your event Call 020-833 4040 events@cafc.co.uk 51

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