Well Connected January 2023

SPOTLIGHT ON THE CITY

Faye Dyer tells us why hosting this year’s Eurovision Song Contest at the M&S Bank Arena will provide the ultimate spotlight on the city

INSIDE...

• Why we need to focus on business opportunities for 2023

• How Liverpool Businesses are transforming mental health support with cutting edge approaches

• Take a look at how Liverpool’s iconic waterfront is changing

The Plaza will take you to a whole new level.

The Plaza has been an iconic presence within Liverpool for more than 50 years.

Today, the newly re-imagined space seamlessly marries these two eras together, elevating its exemplary status and the innovative business community that resides within.

At The Plaza, functional will be transformed into inspirational. The communal spaces have been specifically designed to harbour connections with like-minded individuals and encourage its thriving and ambitious community to work collectively.

Lifestyle spaces, including a cafe, bar, restaurant and fitness studio have been created to enhance your everyday experience and wellbeing. All workspaces on our brand new third floor also have a private balcony as well as a large communal space.

Here, you’ll have the opportunity to grow from a single desk to an international household name. No matter what kind of workspace you’re looking for, you’ll find it within the walls of The Plaza - and whichever space you choose, you’re sure to be in good company.

Find Inside 4-5 Economy 7 Message from CEO 8-9 Membership Update 10 Members News 13 Patron News 15-16 International Trade 19 & 21 Members News 22 Patron News 24 Skills and Employability 25 Members News Chamber News Cover Feature Ask the Expert Digital Innovation Members News Transport Members News Events Charity Staff Directory

Enquiries

Liverpool Chamber Suite G08 – G10, Cotton Exchange Building, Bixteth Street, Liverpool, L3 9LQ t: 0151 227 1234

e: membership@liverpoolchamber.org.uk w: www.liverpoolchamber.org.uk

Publisher Benham Publishing Limited, Aintree Building, Aintree Way, Aintree Business Park, Liverpool L9 5AQ t: 0151 236 4141

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Published January 2023 © Benham Publishing Media No. 1974

Editorial Content Manager Jessica Miller

Jessica.Miller@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

Advertising and Features Karen Hall Tel: 0151 236 4141 e: karen@benhampublishing.com

Well Connected is mailed without charge to all Chamber members and distributed at all Chamber events. All correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at Liverpool Chamber. Views expressed in publication are not necessarily those of Liverpool Chamber. Reprinting in whole or part is forbidden except by permission of the Editor. © 2023. 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. CONTENTS Liverpool Chamber @LpoolChamber @LiverpoolChamber

7 16 26 28 40 50 34 @LiverpoolChamber Liverpool Chamber

Advertising Sales Catherine McCarthy e: catherine@benhampublishing.com Studio

Business conditions show no signs of recovering following a big drop last quarter. The BCC’s Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) for Q4 2022 – the UK’s largest independent survey of business sentiment and a leading indicator of UK GDP growth – shows key economic indicators have stabilised at concerningly low levels, following significant declines in Q3

BRITISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE LOOKING AHEAD

Overall, 33% of respondents reported an increase to domestic sales, largely unchanged from Q3, which itself was a significant drop on previous quarters.

Hospitality firms were the least likely to report an increase in domestic sales (26%) and among the most likely to report a decrease (36%).

Overall, 21% reported an increase to plant/equipment investment in the past three months, while 57% reported no change, and 22% reported a decrease. This is unchanged from Q3.

As measured as a percentage balance, the manufacturing sector stands at +5% while the service sector stands at 0%, among the lowest levels since Q1 2021.

The survey of over 6,400 firms, employing more than 800,000 people, points to continued stagnation amid rising business costs and a slowing global economy. The balance of firms reporting improved cash flow – a key indicator of the health of businesses – remains very weak across both manufacturing and service sectors. Indicators for improvements across investment and business confidence also show continuing downward trends.

BRITISH

Despite a slight improvement, the percentage of respondents expecting profitability to grow in the next 12 months (34% overall) has held at Covid-crisis levels.

OF COMMERCE LOOKING AHEAD

CHAMBERS

The survey of over 6,400 firms, employing more than 800,000 people, points to continued stagnation amid rising business costs and a slowing global economy. The balance of firms reporting improved cash flow – a key indicator of the health of businesses – remains very weak across both manufacturing and service sectors. Indicators for improvements across investment and business confidence also show continuing downward trends.

More firms overall (36%) still expect a decrease. As measured as a percentage balance, both the manufacturing and service sectors stand at -1.

The percentage expecting their prices to rise (60%) remains at record highs, although is showing mild signs of easing.

As measured as a percentage balance, the manufacturing sector stands at +68%, slightly down on Q3, while the services sector stands at +55%, unchanged from last quarter.

“Our electric costs will rise from £34,000 per year to around £250,000 from March and there is so much uncertainty. We want to invest to make us more efficient and reduce our electrical usage, but there are no grants on offer to help.”

Small services services firm in Somerset

“The cost of raw materials is 400-500% higher and is consequently affecting our sales.”

Small manufacturer in the East Midlands

“We are desperately short of semi/unskilled workers. We could increase business by about 20% if we could employ. We are turning away work as we are struggling to meet current requirements with the staff we have.”

Small services firm in Sussex

“We are still suffering from the pretty much total loss of our European export trade. This is directly as a result of Brexit and shipping difficulties, including factors such as double duty payments. This has reduced turnover by 50%.”

Micro retailer in Norfolk

T H E A R C H L I V E R P O O L

WELCOME TO THE WINTER EDITION OF ‘WELL CONNECTED’

The Liverpool Chamber of Commerce’s publication showcasing activities, insights and intelligence from our members.

We enter the New Year with a renewed sense of purpose, hope and expectation amidst the most challenging economic conditions faced in a generation.

The Chamber is determined to ensure we play our part as the network of support, partnership, connectivity and growth for the businesses in our network and city region.

In this issue, we have purposely focussed upon the opportunities and positive impacts that our businesses have generated and achieved. None of us can avoid the negative ripples of the current economic situation but championing and celebrating good business practice, as we did at our Innovation in Business Awards in November, is crucial to help us remain focussed on what we do so well –especially in the city region.

The hosting of The Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, on behalf of Ukraine, is a seminal and once-in-ageneration event which will provide us with an opportunity in the global spotlight, with an estimated 161 million viewers of the competition. The host venue of the Contest, the Arena & Convention Centre Liverpool, was in many ways the key catalyst for the regeneration of Liverpool in the mid2000s. Along with Liverpool ONE, the Arena stimulated a hugely important

boom in the city’s visitor economy and brand perception and its expansion to incorporate the Exhibition Centre Liverpool has maintained its status as a crucial anchor organisation now and for the future. In this issue, we explore the ACC Liverpool contribution and its strategic plans for growth.

Beyond Eurovision, we continue to collect and inform business intelligence through our quarterly economic survey and our work developing the Local Skills Improvement Plans for Liverpool City Region. The clamour for new skills amid a changing economy has been at the cornerstone of our work and this edition of the magazine again highlights some of the positive outcomes achieved by businesses in their work with education partners including schools, colleges and universities. The talent pipeline for Liverpool City Region provides great opportunities for our future but requires a concerted partnership focus to ensure the best and brightest can be developed and retained in our region.

2023 will be a really challenging year for many businesses, given high levels of inflation and uncertainty around support for business on energy costs beyond April. This year is also likely to be the final full calendar year of the current government so we can expect considerable activity in business-related policy areas for which the Chamber will be ensuring an appropriate business voice is included in the development and response to such announcements.

The development of the Liverpool City Region Freeport will also take a leap forward this year and we will see positive opportunities for businesses created by the establishment of this key piece of infrastructure. The delivery of the city region’s export strategy will focus upon creating and growing the quality and quantity of our internationally trading businesses. Some great examples of international business best practice are also featured in this issue.

Capitalising upon the innovative practice and collaborative potential between our business community is a crucial ingredient to enable a successful future for the city region. We look forward to engaging with our members over the coming year, supporting them to take advantage of these opportunities and working on their behalf to make sure business is central to all policy development, local and national, and not an afterthought.

MEMBERSHIP UPDATE

Hear about what the membership team have been up to throughout the past quarter

Chamber strengthens team to support ongoing expansion

Liverpool Chamber has made a number of appointments in response to continued membership growth.

Chamber’s membership and policy teams to understand and respond to the needs of businesses in the Liverpool City Region.

Parker Business Engagement Officer

Vicky Rooney has joined as Events Manager, responsible for planning and overseeing a range of Chamber events including its annual Innovation in Business Awards, monthly Well Connected networking events, Chamber-Business Networks and a series of engagement, training and wellbeing events.

James Parker has been recruited as a Business Engagement Officer and will work alongside the

If

The raft of new appointments follows a period of sustained growth in new members, Patrons and Strategic Partners at Liverpool Chamber, which has undergone significant transformation over the past 18 months. It recently appointed Alison Lobb as its new Chair and Chris Waine as Deputy Chair.

Paul Cherpeau, Chief Executive of Liverpool Chamber, said: “Recent years have

seen the Chamber go through a period of unprecedented change and modernisation, which continues to culminate in significant expansion of our membership and reach within the city region as businesses come to understand the positive impact that the Chamber can have.

“At such an important time, we are pleased to be able to add to the dynamic talent within our team. We look forward to welcoming our new recruits and seeing them offer further support to our members and develop our role as the authentic voice of local business.”

jordan.rhoda@liverpoolchamber.org.uk or james.parker@liverpoolchamber.org.uk.

Liverpool Chamber Innovation in Business Awards: A Thank You to our Sponsors!

We were delighted that this year’s Innovation in Business Awards, in partnership with Blok ‘N’ Mesh, were such a huge success, and would like to extend a huge thank you

to the sponsors who made the event possible.

More than 15,000 votes were cast by over 2,000 business people across Liverpool and Sefton, while

demand for table bookings and sponsorships vastly exceeded previous records, with over 450 guests signed up for the awards ceremony, which sold out three months

prior to the big day. We were very grateful to welcome a raft of sponsors to the event whose vital support ensured that our guests had an unforgettable evening.

James

Jordan Rhoda

Membership and Business Growth Manager

Liverpool

With over 80% of A massive thank you to:

Liverpool Chamber

and

given that The Liverpool Chamber Innovation in Business Awards sold out over three months before the

we can guarantee that this event will sell out very soon.

MENTAL HEALTH AND THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS – IS YOUR BUSINESS DOING ENOUGH TO SUPPORT ITS WORKFORCE?

As we start a new year, we normally look forward with a whole host of New Year’s resolutions and plans for the year ahead, but this year many workers will return with worry and concern about what lies ahead.

Christmas is a period when many of us spend a lot on presents, food and festivities, but with the economy teetering on the edge of recession, energy and food prices rising and mortgage rates at their highest since 2008, many employees will be harboring real and genuine concerns about their financial wellbeing.

According to a recent survey of 500 HR professionals by Liverpool based health insurer Medicash, 82% of businesses have seen an increase in employees taking time off work for mental health issues in the last two years, with one in four saying that they’ve seen a large increase in this area.

The survey, which also looked into the views of 2,000 employees, found that two in five employees didn’t think their employer was doing enough to support their mental health in the workplace.

With the current cost-of-living crisis it’s unsurprising that nine in ten HR professionals expressed worry about the impact that this will have on staff wellbeing, with 41% saying that they were very worried about this.

Commenting on the findings, Paul Gambon, sales & marketing director at Medicash said: “Although much is being done by businesses and HR professionals to help support the mental health and wellbeing of their workforce, more still needs to be done as many employees still think that mental health support is only for those who are stressed in their job or worried about their workload.

“There is still a need to educate workers so they understand that mental health benefits, such as employee assistance programmes, cover so much more than just work-related issues. In fact, these packages cover many areas outside of the workplace

such as debt and relationship advice, family and eldercare, and so much more.”

Medicash offer a range of corporate health plans which can help employees to cover their everyday healthcare costs and reduce the financial burden of these, whilst offering access to a range of digital health tools. This includes mProve YOURSELF, a meditation, relaxation and fitness app with a series of self-help guides and short courses to help individuals improve both their physical and mental wellbeing.

Gambon continues: “Medicash has seen significant growth over the last couple of years, as more and more businesses see the benefit of investing in the health and wellbeing of their workforce. Medicash can help businesses of any size to introduce an employee assistance programme and other wellbeing benefits. These can help support the everyday health essentials of their workforce, and all the benefits that brings with it, from reduced absence, increased productivity and better staff retention.” www.medicash.org

A LIFELINE IN LIBRARIES

by Geraldine Fuller, BIPC Liverpool

advice on patents, trademarks, domain names or copyright matters for example.

There’s a wide range of other business services and resources available too and Business & IP Centres (BIPCs) are rapidly becoming hotbeds of entrepreneurial activity in libraries all over the UK.

In Liverpool Central Library, the BIPC is located on the first floor. Every Thursday, Entrepreneur in Residence Clinics are run by successful business owner and former Lord Mayor Gary Millar FLJMU. He and his team of volunteer professional mentors provide free, impartial advice to anyone who comes in wanting to talk about their business.

programme of online and physical events. Sessions focus on business topics including IP, cash flow, freelancing, marketing, sales and social media. There are also regular networking events which are designed to allow businesses of all sizes and stages to connect with each other, share ideas and be inspired. We cover practical, everyday business topics, but we also run some special high-profile events featuring internationally renowned speakers who have helped shape how people think and improve the way they do business. The community of BIPC businesses and professional advisors is growing fast.

BIPC Liverpool City Region has become a lifeline for thousands of people starting and growing a business.

As the name suggests, Business & Intellectual Property Centres offer expertise around the protection of IP. BIPCs can provide free, professional help to allow entrepreneurs to protect their ideas and turn them into a commercial reality. This might involve legal

The BIPC’s powerful databases are a hugely valuable tool. They can be used to research markets and trends, perform due diligence or find out company information on a supplier or competitor. There’s also a collection of useful ‘How To’ guides on a vast array of business areas from becoming a pub landlord to setting up as a personal trainer.

You don’t have to visit the library to access BIPC services. We also offer a rich

Nearly 6000 businesses have received BIPC support over the last five years. There are now BIPC services available in libraries across Liverpool as well as Wirral, Knowsley, Halton, St Helens and Sefton. All the services are free. Anyone with a business idea, start-ups, existing, growing (and struggling) companies, sole traders and professional advisors is welcome to come and take advantage of what is on offer.

To find out more about BIPC events and services email libraries.enquiries@liverpool. gov.uk or call 0151 233 5825 Follow us on Twitter BIPC Liverpool LinkedIn BIPC Liverpool City Region

SEAN KEYES, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SUTCLIFFE:

Having celebrated their 35th anniversary in 2021, civil and structural engineering firm Sutcliffe went into the new year full of hope and expectation for the year ahead and after boasting a plethora of new high-profile project wins throughout the last 12 months, with these projects representing over £500 million worth of construction work in the North of England, Sean Keyes is now looking forward to the year ahead, as he said...

2022 started off strong for many and there was plenty of positivity in the air, the economy recovered well post Covid and despite the complications of Brexit and a post pandemic world, spirits were high. Unfortunately things out of our control in the UK, including the war in Ukraine brought complications and the changing political landscape also brought uncertainty, but as we always do, we kept pushing forward!

Contrary to what the press is reporting, the economy will improve from Spring 2023

THE SCHOOL SPENDING SOLUTIONSUPPLYWELL’S MONEY SAVING SUBSCRIPTION

Saving the education system thousands and putting power back into school budgets, SupplyWell’s supply subscription is ethical and cost effective.

Over a quarter of LCR schools are already benefiting from the ed-tech solution that puts money back into the school ecosystem. SupplyWell is an easy to use app that provides schools access to a quality assured and trusted workforce when they need it most. Pairing the best quality local supply staff with schools without a premium fee, means that SupplyWell is helping schools save money while paying teachers fairly.

Made by school leaders for school leaders, wellbeing is at the core of the SupplyWell mission with teachers, teaching assistants and cover supervisors being properly supported, valued and paid what they deserve.

SupplyWell is the solution to the ongoing issue relating to financial transparency and ethics within the supply agency industry. The invoices schools receive from agencies often lack transparency and it’s unclear where exactly the money goes. Far too frequently large proportions of the fee incurred by schools goes directly to the agency, with the teacher receiving an unfair wage. With SupplyWell, schools are charged a one time transparent fee to access the quality assured supply marketplace.

The SupplyWell subscription means that while schools save money, teachers are also paid fairly. Co-founder and CEO Michael Heverin is an ex senior leader and understands the highs and lows of working within the education industry, and how hard it is to source excellent supply teachers to help continuity in the classroom. The ed-tech company is proactively helping improve the lives of educators in the region, as an organisation with a financial consciousness and through offering wellbeing support regarding the current cost of living crisis.

onwards and the construction sector will help to lead this, especially in the North of the country, with the Liverpool City Region and various other northern hotbeds continuing to attract high levels of output through construction.

I also predict that high energy prices and inflation will start to drop as we go through the new year and we can look back in 12 months time on a year that we thought would be tough, but improved and brought out the best in a lot of people and businesses. In the Liverpool City Region, we are all looking after each other, there is a lot of generosity and charity giving, especially throughout the festive period and at Sutcliffe we are playing a big part in this and giving back to the local community that has supported us since 1985.

On the theme of charity, my highlight of 2023 will be the Sutcliffe Ball in April, which aims to raise £50,000 for the Liverpool University Hospitals Charitythis will be the highlight for the Liverpool City Region construction sector and something that we are already counting down the days until!

The SupplyWell school subscription means that schools will save money and have access to the highest quality teachers. Supply staff are paid properly and fairly with SupplyWell’s industry leading pay scales. It is SupplyWell’s goal to have more teachers teaching happily, going into schools fulfilled and improve outcomes for schools.

If you are interested in learning more and finding out how SupplyWell can help your school save money, improve outcomes and save you time so that you can focus on what really matters within your school, please contact SupplyWell on 0333 305 0601 or email us at hello@supplywell.co.uk and a member of the team will be in touch.

STYLISH VENUES ICONIC SETTINGS

Hosted by National Museums Liverpool offers spaces for a wide variety of events, from dinners to conferences. Enjoy first-class food and service surrounded by history and culture at our venues.

For more information and to book please contact venuehire@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/venuehire

TAKE THE LEAP: EXPAND WITH INTERNATIONAL TRADE SHOWS

The City of Liverpool embraces growth at its very core. With an historically eclectic urban infrastructure reimagined by young businesses, Liverpool is a magnet for innovation-driven startups that represent diverse sectors in technology, game craft, robotics, virtual reality, medical technology, smart manufacturing, and more. Growth is an essential part in the life of any business and the possibility to leap from start-up to prosperous international powerhouse is a dream come true.

Opportunities to expand globally into new markets are not out of reach. Global growth is not only for larger businesses with large budgets at their disposal to penetrate international markets. One of the best ways to expand globally is through participation in International Trade Shows made affordable with the use of an ATA Carnet. Carnets level the playing field so that “the little guy” can compete equally and take advantage of opportunities overseas.

The ATA Carnet is an internationally accepted customs document for temporarily exporting tradeshow displays and materials, merchandise, goods, commercial samples, or professional equipment. It allows cross-border movement of your goods import-duty

and -tax free into any of the 87+ carnet countries and territories for up to a year. Businesses can travel to multiple countries, multiple times during the carnet’s validity period, up to a year, exhibiting at multiple international trade shows and cultivating valuable prospects and customers. The ATA Carnet, a unified international trade tool, affordably enables all-sized businesses to connect international markets with their goods.

Trade Shows are in-person events once again and are one of the best ways to reach prospects directly with your goods or services. They are an entrée to new relationships that can lead to lucrative contracts. Trade Shows can open doors to collaborations in countries hungry for your technology and innovations. The 2023

Exhibitor Magazine calendar lists nearly 4,000 trade shows already scheduled. Think outside your borders in this new year.

Boomerang carnets® UK, through its partner the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, issues ATA Carnets to businesses throughout the United Kingdom saving those businesses money while increasing their profits.

Boomerang welcomes Ben Kelliher and Richard Waring, new to join the Carnet and Export Documentation teams at The Liverpool Chamber. Together, we strive to work with businesses to grow and expand into new markets for a more prosperous and profitable future. A visit to our website will provide additional details www.boomerangcarnets.co.uk

LIVERPOOL CHAMBER CONTINUE TO DELIVER BCC ACCREDITED COURSES IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) is playing an important role in aiding businesses to grow their knowledge to avoid costly mistakes in international trade.

Liverpool Chamber hosts accredited courses on a monthly basis, if you opt for the accreditation, you will be given a series of revision exercises to complete based on the training you have received via our one-day course. These will then be assessed and candidates achieving Pass or Merit will receive a certificate. Those who pass six courses achieve a nationally recognised “Foundation Award in International Trade”.

The ‘core 10’ courses are individually and collectively relevant to SMEs who wish to improve the skills and competence of their staff.

‘core 10’ courses consist of:

We can organise bespoke courses, or consultancy sessions to discuss your international trade concerns at short notice. Not every company has the same training needs and we work with partners to help you to answer basic queries to more complex issues.

Are you implementing specific Customs facilities? Or applying for specific regimes & status, Authorised Economic Operator (AEO), Inward Processing (IP), Customs Warehousing (CW) We can help.

Time and costs required for each stage depend on each company, and its particular requirements.

THE CHAMBER’S GLOBAL NETWORK IS YOUR DOORSTEP TO NEW MARKETS

These have been developed following demand from employers as a solution to the exporting skills gap.

Further information on the International Trade Training Programmes delivered by Liverpool Chamber can be found on our website: www.liverpoolchamber.org.uk or by contacting export@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

NEW MARKETS 2

With a collective 40 years in the education sector, having previously held positions of Assistant Head and Deputy Head Teacher roles, John and Liz have taught thousands of students across the Liverpool City Region. On the back of their experience and involvement in projects around teacher recruitment, they co-founded Teacherfolio.

Over the last 18 months, school leaders in the UK have been benefiting from an increased insight into their candidates by bringing their job applications to life with Teacherfolio - instead of reading about what type of teacher their candidates say they are, they can see them teach, and much more too. The platform facilitates asynchronous video interviewing and school leaders are empowered to curate a bespoke recruitment process that delivers the insight into their candidates to ensure

We welcomed Chris Wren, Executive Director of BritCham Indonesia on the 19th December.

Indonesia is a group of islands located near Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Australia. The country has a population of over 270 million, making it a large potential consumer base. It is the largest economy in Southeast Asia and is one of the emerging market economies. As a middle-income country and member of the G20, Indonesia

they always recruit the teacher that is the best-fit for their school.

With the capacity to facilitate a remote, but more insightful recruitment process, the features of Teacherfolio are a perfect fit for the ever growing international school recruitment market. A challenge that the co-founders faced was establishing an effective route to this international market.

Liverpool Chambers New Markets 2 campaign assisted the co-founders in exhibiting at the Bett UK Show, which is the biggest education technology show in the world. This provided a platform for the cofounders to showcase Teacherfolio to key decision makers in the international school market. As a result of this initial brand exposure, Teacherfolio’s client base has expanded from the UK across Europe and is set to be used by international schools in South America, Europe, The Middle East and Asia in 2023.

is classified as a newly industrialized country.

The top 5 goods exported from the UK to Indonesia in the four quarters to the end of Q2 2022 were: Ships, Metal ores & scrap, Cars, Pulp & waste paper and Medicinal & pharmaceutical products.

The top 5 goods imported to the UK from Indonesia in the four quarters to the end of Q2 2022 were: Wood & cork manufactures, Footwear, Clothing, Other manufactures (consumer) and Furniture.

A full day of meetings with SMEs was positively received with excellent feedback, it allowed companies to assess this market more closely and enabled them to include it in their export strategy where appropriate. Pre-shipment inspections, health certificates, restrictions, safeguard duties, licensing and other trade barriers were discussed in depth.

Our Global network of Chambers can help our members to get clarity and overcome some of the challenges in the current global trade environment.

For further information on Britcham Indonesia or on any other chamber in our network contact export@liverpoolchamber.org.uk

You can follow John and Liz’s edtech journey on Linked In @Teacherfolio and learn more about the Teacherfolio platform by visiting https://teacherfolio.com/

Are you looking to grow your business into New Markets? Contact Ian.bulmer@liverpoolchamber.org.uk and see how we can support you with your overseas plans!

A BOOST FOR LIVERPOOL IN 2023

All eyes will be on Liverpool in 2023, and Liverpool BID Company is working hard to make sure the city showcases the very best it has to offer. With strategic investment, funded by the city’s levy payers, Liverpool BID has looked to see how it can help to make the city a place to thrive, for business and individuals alike. The investment is designed to make the city more attractive, to animate it and encourage more visits as well as enticing inward investment.

In May, the Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Liverpool M&S Bank Arena. With a pledge to honour Ukraine, unable to hold the contest because of ongoing conflict, the city’s plans are in full swing. Liverpool BID has been behind the city’s ambition to host the contest and make sure it is a success from the very beginning.

When Liverpool announced its intention to apply to be host city, BID invested in the city’s application providing much needed funds to help showcase everything from the city’s cultural offer, its facilities and people. With continuing challenges facing the public purse, as a not for profit company and over 1,000 levy payers across the city centre, BID recognised the value of bringing one of the world’s largest festivals to the city in 2023. BID is also investing a six figure sum in the celebrations, including the fan park which will be at Liverpool’s Pier Head.

Liverpool’s BID’s support is based on an understanding of an economic return for the city. Eurovision is a major international event, with millions watching on the night, as well as the key events that take place in the run up to the night itself. That opportunity to sell Liverpool on the international stage has been compared with the city’s year as European Capital of Culture in 2008.

The economic impact is incredible, says Bill Addy, CEO of Liverpool BID Company, and while Liverpool’s visitor economy is buoyant and recovering post-pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis means that there may be some impact on how much people spend on leisure in 2023.

“This is such a significant boost. It will be a boost for not just the city centre but the whole city region.”

He added: “When we understand the full cost of this we will realise that it is actually a significant investment in the medium and long-term future and it’s about securing jobs, it’s about securing opportunities for the whole of the city.”

As well as Eurovision, Liverpool BID has been working strategically to see how that medium and long-term future can be further supported. In early 2023, the first board meeting will be held of the city’s new Accommodation BID after a successful ballot in 2022. Representing a £4.3m investment, the Accommodation BID is the first one in the UK and is designed to support the hotel and serviced accommodation industry as well as attracting major events to the city, like conferences and festivals.

Over the past two decades, Liverpool’s visitor economy has grown substantially. In 2019, before Covid, there were 37.06m day visits and overnight tourist trips to Liverpool. These visitors helped the visitor economy to be worth £3.35bn, and supporting over 36.9k jobs.

With a levy paid by those with a rateable value above £45k, it is predicted the Accommodation BID would help create jobs and increase the economic performance of the city, with 200 jobs created in year 1 and £10.6m created economically, rising to 311 jobs in year 5, with £16.5m added to the city’s GVA.

That first Board meeting will see the individuals from the industry selected to manage the investment over the next few years.

Towards the end of 2022, Liverpool BID announced that it has committed £577k to help attract visitors and investment to Liverpool, as part of a three and a half year tourism fund. The multi-million pound fund and subsequent campaign seeks to support the recovery of Liverpool City Region’s tourism and visitor economy post-Covid.

The fund sees BID joining organisations from the Liverpool Visitor Economy Network, including Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, Liverpool ONE, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Liverpool Football Club and Everton Football Club, to help the city region attract more visitors in 2023.

The visitors attracted to Liverpool spend within the city’s hospitality and leisure businesses, in cultural organisations and attractions and within hotels. With a vibrant visitor economy Liverpool can attract inward investment and the city becomes an attractive proposition offering opportunity for business.

2023 promises to be a year with both highs and lows; there will be moments of celebration like Eurovision but there are also challenges ahead like the continuing cost of living crisis which impacts on individuals and businesses alike. Liverpool BID’s work is to ensure the city remains as strong and attractive as it can be, making it a place to thrive.

There is no instruction manual on being a leader. The way you think, act and behave needs to attract people to you. You need to know yourself and be able to read other people. How do you develop impact as a leader and who supports you?

Common leadership dilemmas where offering a space to think has helped include:  Entrepreneurs with growing businesses who are unsure how to best lead their growing team and keep everyone happy and engaged  Business owners who realize that the management style they adopted as a startup isn’t working that well as the business evolves, recognizing they need to evolve as leaders  People curious as to what more they can do to have an impact, and how their personality traits, values and strengths influence how they show up

Research shows that cascading solutions onto others is less effective than enabling people to think and create their own solutions. My life as a coach began when colleagues and friends began coming to me for advice on how to manage others, how to influence, how to get a better work-life balance and how to live their values. As Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the construction sector, I learned that people want to be empowered to make their own choices and forge their own path, they don’t need ‘saving’!

I DON’T HAVE TIME!

Giving people the time and safe space to think is a passion of mine. My favourite moments in coaching are when people ‘suddenly get it’. They have thought about a problem and can see a solution or an alternative path. When teamwork has led to creative thinking and new ideas – you can feel the vibrancy and passion in the room.

WHO SAID BEING A LEADER WAS EASY?

Interestingly, more and more leaders are working with a coach for fresh perspectives and to challenge their own thinking. Time to think is not always comfortable, but often leads to significant personal & business growth. It takes courage and curiosity to focus on yourself when there are fires to put out, clients to please, financial targets to reach and employees to manage. Giving time for personal development may seem like a luxury. It isn’t and shouldn’t be.

MY PEOPLE & CLIENTS COME FIRST

Great leaders want their people to grow, often prioritising the learning and development of their employees over their own. When budgets are tight, isn’t it prudent to train your best people to make sure they stay? Indeed it is, but to maximise leadership impact proactive leaders invest in their own development and wellbeing.

I AM UNIQUE

Personal growth and development are just that: personal. Time you give to personal development needs to be worthwhile, and something that actively influences your thinking, actions and behaviours well after the training event is over.

Impactful learning can include:

 Personal Development: personality trait work, one to one coaching.

 Team Development: action learning, team coaching, design thinking.

 Business Development: strategic planning, bespoke learning modules

 Community Impact: connecting investment in learning with community benefits aligning personal vision to community prosperity and wellbeing.

STRENGTHS AND VALUES

Most people set up their businesses based on personal core values, values often held since childhood. Similarly, employees seek out employers where business and personal values match. My business embraces my values of:

 Authenticity  Creativity  Uniqueness and  Community

Throughout my own career, including roles as a public sector strategist, charity campaigner, local authority researcher and global corporate director of social impact and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, integrating my values around empowerment for social good has been central.

IT’S PERSONAL

I believe that following your true passion is the root to contentment. It isn’t easy as you see people appearing more successful, more confident, more dynamic. Coaching was a natural step for me, but it still took courage to set up a business. I have done time on the HR circuit, I have gained valuable coaching accreditations and I am comfortable that I have made a positive contributed to societal and business benefit throughout my career. I ensure I surround myself with people who can support and challenge me, including a coach or two!

I am always open to connecting with people who want to make a bigger impact, people responsible for the growth and wellbeing of others, and those who are curious to know more about how to lead with impact. Having someone in your corner who is there to listen, encourage and nurture your thinking can have a significant impact on how you show up every day.

For more insight on leading with impact and the potential power of coaching visit www.gleecoaching.com

Barbra Carlisle

PRICES ARE RISING - GOOD PROCUREMENT TO THE RESCUE!

It may seem counter-productive to talk about ‘investing’ during a time when prices seem to be ever-increasing, but now is precisely the time to be thinking smarter about your company’s procurement.

Effective procurement can help steer your organisation to ensure that costs are controlled and supply remains secure.

What are the risks if your company has no strategic procurement?

• Spend is a free-for-all

• Little visibility of spend or contracts

• You will be losing money

• Staff are wasting time

• Reputational damage

If this sounds a little dramatic then it’s meant to. Procurement is a serious business and without a reasonable handle on it, the risks are significant, and compound with time. Traditional ‘good faith’ agreements between buyers and suppliers are often insufficient to cope with the demands on modern supply chains.

How can you save money by investing in your procurement?

It seems counter intuitive but procurement is responsible for up to 70% of an organisation’s revenue – cost reductions can have huge impact on income and surplus.

Getting better visibility of your spend and contracts is an essential part of your journey to procurement maturity. Who you are spending with, what you are spending on, categorising which of those spends are in or out of a formal contract is key.

Conducting a spend analysis categorises data to provide you with a comprehensive report on where you are spending, with whom, what spends are critical to your organisation, where there is duplication, and where there are potential savings to be made.

A contracts register tool is a very useful starting point to begin to populate with your existing contracts to highlight those spends which are ‘out of contract’ and therefore are at high risk. This simple ‘visibility’ exercise is incredibly powerful and will help you and your

stakeholders to understand where the gaps, risks and opportunities are.

Then it is time to act upon the intelligence gathered and put in place solutions to meet that need. Those solutions could be:

• Re-procurement of strategically critical spends

• Establish ‘corporate’ contracts and solutions for all staff to follow

• Create an organisational procurement policy

• Re-negotiate with suppliers and get robust contract terms in place

• Establish procure2pay processes and reporting

• Investment in procurement training

Procurement maturity does not happen overnight and requires the winning of hearts and minds across the business to truly embed.

Get in touch with 2buy2.com or email Geraint.williams@2buy2.com to find out how we can help your organisation start its strategic procurement journey. (2buy2.com)

With You is a National charity providing free, confidential support to people experiencing issues with substances

In Liverpool we use our expertise to deliver support and raise awareness around drugs and alcohol. We work with our people to help them make and reach their own goals, whether that’s staying safe and healthy, making small changes or stopping an unwanted habit altogether.

We give people support in a way that’s right for the people of Liverpool whether that is face to face, in their local service, in the community, or online. Our clients will often have multiple needs and problems so we know that we can’t work with them in isolation, we need the expertise and input of other organisations for the best possible outcomes.

So, we had a partner networking event in our Central Liverpool Office in Henry Street to learn more about other services and what they do. We invited a range of agencies who work with us, and with our clients, to join us for an interesting day of networking, information sharing and learning. Over ten agencies attended on the day as well as some of our service users.

We kicked off the day with some breakfast pastries and hot drinks and we listened to a welcome address before breaking into groups for some learning and taster sessions.

Our participants experienced the different learning/taster sessions consecutively which included an introduction to Intuitive Thinking’s Intuitive Recovery; a display and discussion of drug boxes; a Mindfulness session; and Questions and Answers about the counselling process with our counsellor, Ashlie.

We had great feedback from our participants as we chatted over our lunch and looked at the stands displaying information about the wider services that we offer.

This was such a success that we have decided to do this all over again in January 2023. We cordially invite you to join us on Friday 27th January 2023 starting at 10am for coffee and light breakfast in our central Liverpool office at The Foundry,

36 Henry Street, Liverpool, L1 5PS we will have a delicious lunch provided at 12 noon.

Tickets for our event are available for you to book on eventbrite already, so go online to book your place now. We would love for you to join us, come along and find out more about what we do and how we do it, and don’t forget to bring some information along to share with us about your great work as well. We’d love to learn more about what you do.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ 483822324597

There will be some of our service users joining us on the day who will also be interested to hear from you and learn about your service. Do you have service users who would like to attend? They are welcome to come along with you. Also if you would like to have a stand or host a taster session please let us know – the more the merrier! Just contact us to book a free table. Ring our Henry Street office to arrange on 0151 706 7888. Please note that spaces are limited for a table so it’s first come first served!

Partner with us

If you would like to partner with our IPS services, please speak to Sue Pridmore sue.pridmore@wearewithyou.org.uk or visit our website www.wearewithyou.org.uk

MSP

GLOBAL SIGNS AUDIO TECH PARTNERSHIP WITH

NEXO

Production, AV and live events specialist MSP Global has made a significant investment in the world-class NEXO P+ sound system, the first of its kind in the North West of England.

NEXO is part of the Yamaha Corporation and has a global reputation for highspecification audio equipment that is used at a variety of live events across the world, from conferences and public spaces to theatres and sports stadia.

The first phase of investment has seen MSP Global complete the acquisition of a range of NEXO P12 and L15 point source loud speakers and M10 compact line array systems ideal for speech and music events with larger audiences.

As part of the agreement, specialist staff from NEXO engineering support team in Paris continue to deliver training to the MSP Global team and will provide ongoing support to ensure the maximum application of the new system.

MSP Global first explored the partnership with NEXO prior to the pandemic, when the business was able to pivot to live streaming and remote event production as events were restricted. The agreement was eventually reached following

meetings earlier this year and the Aintreeheadquartered firm plans to make further investments over the coming months.

Colin Reader, founder and managing director of MSP Global, said: “We began to explore options to invest in our sound equipment inventory before the pandemic, and I’d always remembered what a strong product NEXO was from my time living and working as a professional musician in South Africa in the 1990s.

“Once the impact of the pandemic began to recede, we invited NEXO to talk to us in Liverpool about a potential partnership. During discussions, they demonstrated the P+ SERIES and quite frankly we were blown away by what the technology has to offer. After a second meeting and critical listening sessions at the NEXO campus in France, we immediately knew that NEXO would be our next technology partner.

“Its quality will be particularly important at conferences, where speech intelligibility is needed during the day and music becomes

more prominent in the evening. We can now use NEXO sound for the attendees in the room, while continuing to reach thousands more remotely with a live stream, as and when our clients require.

“From this first investment, we hope to build a relationship that endures for many years and continues to provide industry-leading audio technology for our clients.”

Rich Soper, NEXO UK sales manager, said: “With more than thirty-five years’ experience in the live events sector, and having navigated the economic impact of the pandemic, the team at MSP Global know all about the importance of being adaptable and offering the highest quality support to client events.

“We are delighted to be working with Colin and his highly-skilled team to develop a new partnership and strengthen our shared connections in the North West to provide services to clients in the region.

“We look forward to supporting the firm as it invests in new inventory and aims to expand an impressive client list that already includes the likes of Matalan, United Utilities, Speedy Services, Jaguar Land Rover, Santander, Monster Energy and Everton Football Club.”

IS YOUR HOSPITALITY BUSINESS READY FOR 2023 AND LIVERPOOL’S 35M+ VISITORS?

Eurovision, Elton John, Andre Rieu is just a few of the major events happening this year in Liverpool in 2023.

In fact, with the Eurovision song contest arriving in Liverpool, and all the other events taking place, this year could be the biggest and best year for the hospitality sector in Liverpool ever

So, if you have a hospitality business are you ready to entertain and do you have the right internet connection for folks when they arrive at your venue?

Here are some simple stats that may help you understand the size of the opportunity and why it is so important.

The average client needs at least 5Mps of internet to surf the net, watch videos, check eMails, and meet their ever-increasing social media requirements.

87.4% of the UK are active social media users and that’s nearly 60 million.!

HOW SEVERE IS PHONE ANXIETY IN THE WORKFORCE?

Face for Business a UK’s leading call answering answer provider surveyed over 2000 UK workers regarding phone anxiety and the report highlights the following: -

• 65% of UK office workers experienced some level of phone anxiety in the last 12 months

• Younger workers (18–34-year-olds) were more likely to experience anxiety than their older counterparts

• Nearly two thirds of office workers have avoided answering a work call due to anxiety

• Fears over a confrontation with an angry customer and being overheard and judged by managers were among the main reasons office workers experience phone anxiety

• 40% of employees say working from home has increased their anxiety of answering the phone

Flexible working means many over 72% of your clients will still want to be connected to work whilst on vacation.

According to the office for national statistics Liverpool will receive 35M+ visitors in 2023 and that will be up circa 40% on 2022.

Whilst many large venues have Wi-Fi and connectivity this wrapped up already, when we look at the smaller hospitality venues such as Airbnb, small/micro hotels, restaurants and pubs, there are still large discrepancies between venues with easily available Wi-Fi.

The risks are clear - if you are one of the hospitality venues that are falling behind, you risk future business, poor reviews and managing disgruntled customers. However, you also risk not capturing future marketing information when they log into your network, and not allowing people to check in at your venue and or share stories/pics whilst at your venue on their favourite social media platform.

Every time someone wants to use your WiFi for the first time, it is not unreasonable to have a small portal that captures their contact details, providing you with future marketing opportunities.

Easy math’s can work out the size of the connection you need and then a simple Wi-Fi set up and portal can help you ensure that not only can you provide the internet required but you can benefit from the marketing information captured for years to come.

So, If you’re not ready for your share of the 35M+ visitors we will receive this year, get yourself ready to delight your visitors and to keep them coming back for years to come.

If you wish to discuss this further, please don’t hesitate to call your BT Local Business office on 01704 898210 and we will be happy to advise.

Perhaps one of the most worrying things our research about phone anxiety in the workforce has uncovered, is the severity of the anxiety being experienced by some workers.

Overall, more than a third of employees surveyed in our study (35%) said they rated their anxiety levels between very and extremely anxious when thinking about dealing with work calls.

Clearly the millennial workers who are not used to answering the phone and would rather text, WhatsApp or interact digitally suffer more than the “Old School” brigade when it comes to answering the phone.

Helen Christian, Head of Service Delivery, at Face for Business explains that this phone anxiety is costing UK businesses when callers don’t get an answer or clients feel unloved by the lack of response to calls made to businesses.

Face for Business grew by 71% last year because of businesses recognising this challenge and outsourcing their callanswering to us, to ensure that clients always get to speak to someone.

Some clients bring us in to answer all the calls, so they know that everyone will get answered in the same professional manner and then transferred on or a message taken. Whilst other clients send the calls to their teams first and then divert unanswered calls to us as a backup.

Either way businesses are starting to realise that no answer means their business can appear unprofessional and ultimately start losing clients.

Helen suggests that business owners should trial calling their own company at times and checking phones are answered and not sent to voicemail, and or sitting with people and asking them open and honest questions regarding how they feel about answering the phone, trying to get understand what training maybe required to reduce the anxiety surrounding answering calls.

For more information Helen has provided below the link here to explain better the findings from the survey https://ffb.co.uk/ blog/phone-anxiety-business-fearsphone-calls-holding-businesses-back

Face for Business can be reached on 01704 898400 or at www.ffb.co.uk

LJLA RECOGNISED AS A GOLD INVESTOR IN PEOPLE

After winning awards and high praise for how it looks after its passengers over the past 12 months, Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) has started 2023 with another award – but this time for being a great company to work for, having now received the We Invest In People Gold Accreditation award.

Investors in People is the international standard for people management, defining what it takes to lead, support and manage people effectively to achieve sustainable results, enabling organisations to benchmark against the best in the business on an international scale.

Having previously achieved the Silver accreditation in 2019, the Airport Company has continued to improve how it develops and supports its employees. This latest Gold accreditation recognises this further progress and that LJLA has an engaged workforce who are positive about their work and proud to work for the airport.

LJLA directly employs just over 200 staff across a number of disciplines including, operations, fire and rescue service, engineering, air traffic control and administration.

Carol Dutton, Liverpool John Lennon Airport’s HR and Community Director commented:

“On behalf of the Airport we are delighted to have achieved the We invest in people gold accreditation.

“This is testament once again to all the hard work of colleagues from across all departments and demonstrates how our staff are involved in supporting each other and doing their best to make working here better for everyone.”

Ande Macpherson from Investors In People added:

“Liverpool John Lennon Airport has shown a real commitment to improving the culture in the business over recent years. Despite all the challenges for this industry, leaders took bold decisions to prioritise people through the pandemic. It was clear that this approach and the established people and culture practices are paying dividends. This is a business which people are proud to work at – as one staff member said to me “I feel like I’ve won the lottery by working here.”

Congratulations to Liverpool John Lennon Airport for achieving Gold in the We Invest in People assessment.”

Liverpool John Lennon Airport were the winners of Liverpool Chambers 2022 Customer Excellence Award at the Innovation in Business Awards.

Graduate LJMU

Connecting SMEs to Graduate Talent

Are you a Small to Medium-Sized Enterprise located in the Liverpool City Region looking to scale-up or expand your business? LJMU Graduate Futures is a £2.4m project designed to talent match businesses with student and graduate talent from 250 degrees across a range of subject areas.

We provide one-to-one business support that is tailored towards your individual company need. We will also manage the recruitment process bringing an additional cost-saving to your business.

Our support package provides two options so you can find the best fit for you:

❙ 140-hour student internships paying 100% salary costs for a specific project or product development, allowing you to generate fresh ideas without the expense

❙ Longer-term full-time graduate placements paying 50% salary costs allowing you to grow your business as you nurture the next generation of future leaders

Contact us now at graduatefutures@ljmu.ac.uk can support you, or visit www.ljmu.ac.uk/graduate-futures

SUPPORTED BY:

THE IMPORTANCE OF INVESTING IN ADULT LEARNING

Laura Rowan, Director of Education for Adults at The City of Liverpool College

Adult education remains as fundamental a part of further education (FE) as ever, with over 1.5 million adults enrolled into FE or skilled training in the UK in 2021/22. Whether people are looking to upskill in their current career, start a new venture or change direction entirely, adult education is more popular than ever.

At The City of Liverpool College, we believe everyone should have access to quality education and training, whatever stage of life they are at. The benefits of adult learning are plentiful, not only for people, but for communities, businesses, and the economy.

Here are just a few reasons why investing in adult education is so important.

Helps build a solid career

Demand in the UK’s labour market is growing. Employees are now expected to know a little

bit about a lot of things relating to their industry and workplace. Adult education is a great way to achieve that.

At the College, we are focussed on developing our curriculum around sustainable careers, not courses, embedding the development of wider skills, knowledge and behaviours into teachings to support successful entry into employment.

Enables people to keep up with changes

With new technologies emerging almost daily, the world of work and the skills required to thrive in it continue to change. Understandably, it can be hard to keep up. Adult courses offer a highly effective way of learning and staying up to date with the latest developments, giving adults the opportunity to keep informed of trends and remain in tune with the forever changing working world.

Addresses skills shortages

The UK has a growing problem with adult

skills shortages, which are more apparent in technical areas. Access to higher education, apprenticeships and vocational courses for adults provide a fruitful resource for upskilling, retraining, and creating skilled workers who are prepared for a smooth transition into industry.

Supports social mobility

To increase social mobility, we need to look beyond schools and universities, and invest properly into adult education.

If the labour market is to work for everyone, those with lower skills and qualifications need to be able to improve their career prospects and realise their ambitions through access to FE and training opportunities. Colleges and educators must be enabled to continue to provide high quality education and skills training for adults.

To find out how your business can benefit from adult education at The City of Liverpool College, visit: https://www.liv-coll.ac.uk/ course-finder/adults/

USING PRO BONO LEGAL ADVICE FOR COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

a University. It is hoped that this investment in community economic development will benefit the small businesses and entrepreneurs themselves, the students at LJMU and ultimately the residents of the city region.

Advice Centre have found that barriers to this include the affordability of legal advice for early stage entrepreneurs and start-ups and also the awareness of when legal advice is required.

Liverpool John Moores University (“LJMU”) are investing in the future economic growth of the city by expanding their free legal advice offering to local small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Whilst the Legal Advice Centre at LJMU continues to offer legal advice to individuals in areas such as family law, employment law, civil disputes and housing law, it recognises that the economic development of the city is an important part of its civic duty as

The early stage of a business’ journey can be littered with difficult legal challenges, some of which if not addressed could be fatal to the survival of the business or could lead to expensive litigation in the future. Common examples include a failure to protect the intellectual property a business generates, failure to put in place a shareholders’ agreement at the outset of a venture or having inadequate contracts/terms of business in place.

Often small business owners and entrepreneurs, understandably, want to jump straight into trading and operating their business but it is always worth considering the legal aspects of the business at the outset. The staff at LJMU’s Legal

The service operates by providing clients with an interview led by students followed by a letter of advice within 14 days. The advice is supervised by a qualified solicitor.

LJMU hopes to overcome these barriers by offering free legal advice to those entrepreneurs and small businesses who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it and also by raising awareness through providing public legal education sessions to early stage entrepreneurs and small business owners. Through this investment it is hoped these businesses will thrive, as will the economic growth of our region.

If you require any further information on this please contact Paul Twigg on p.j.twigg@ljmu.ac.uk.

COLLABORATION FOR CHANGE: TRANSFORMING MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT IN THE LIVERPOOL CITY REGION

The Liverpool City Region is world-renowned for devising cutting-edge approaches to complex challenges, especially in health and wellbeing.

At present our region has a few big problems at hand – challenges that cannot be solved by one sector alone. The Civic Data Cooperative (CDC) want to work with a range of people and organisations to lift the lid on these challenges, hear different perspectives and find new ways to address them.

Following a successful pilot in 2022, CDC are bringing back ‘What’s Your Problem’ for 2023 to focus on the region’s growing mental health crisis, taking a closer look at men and students. There is so much happening in our region to support people; however, insight shows the gaps, the disconnects and the scale of the issues impacting local people experiencing these difficulties every day.

‘What’s Your Problem’ is a four-part programme specifically designed to remove barriers between all those involved in health, care and community product & service design, creating the space to

find solutions that truly work. Those who participate will be invited to a series of events which provide an open forum to pick apart these problems, gather problem-solvers around them and light the spark for ideas that create new possibilities for people in mental health crisis – along with the opportunity to access up to £60k seed funding to make these ideas a reality.

Through this programme, CDC want use the collaborative energy of the LCR for the greater good. For product and service designers, this is a unique opportunity to

connect with the frontline workers and public sector leaders who have insight into the scale of the problem, to gain an in-depth understanding of the reality of the mental health crisis, and to apply this knowledge in creating or repurposing products around the needs of those who will utilise them.

To find out more, and register for your place at our ‘Problem Pick Up’ event on 2nd February, go to https:// civicdatacooperative.com/whats-yourproblem-2023/

BEWARE BOUNCE BACK LOAN OBLIGATIONS

IF YOUR BUSINESS IS STRUGGLING

If your business is facing difficulties and you are considering routes such as insolvency, it is important to understand the reality around the government’s Bounce Back loans sch eme.

In recent months, I have encountered a common misconception among some business owners who believe that they can write off or avoid loan repayments if their business were to fold or dissolve.

However, that is simply not the case. Owners and directors will remain liable to make repayments following insolvency and the Insolvency Service will investigate any suspicion of misconduct, such as providing false information on the loan application, the loan being used for personal benefit rather than to help the business or by

dissolving your company to avoid repaying the loan.

In that event a director may end up being disqualified from being a director of other companies and may have to compensate the company.

Unfortunately, the number of businesses facing difficulties next year is likely to grow, according to recent data from the Insolvency Service, so it is worrying to see that many company directors are dangerously unaware of their obligations.

The government spent hundreds of millions funding Bounce Back loans, and the clue is in the name – loan – so they will be fully expecting businesses to repay their debts.

It might be possible to negotiate with the lender to repay a Bounce Back Loan over a longer period and take a payment

holiday but it will not be written off.

It is important to seek professional advice and look at every potential eventuality if you do decide to take steps towards closing a business.

Donal Bannon, commercial partner at Morecrofts Solicitors

ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO 2023?

over the place. Those qualities will help us navigate the coming challenges and come through even stronger. After all, we’ve had to do so often enough!

We live and work in an amazing city region, with the potential for a work-life balance far better than elsewhere. It is for that reason Liverpool has topped the latest City Liveability Index and has recently been declared the best place to live and work in the UK. We scored highly on pace of life, career prospects, opportunities and cost of living, with 75% of residents reported as happy to be living here. With the prediction that there will be a rise in “internal migration”, we need to be ready to welcome new businesses into the city, offering them opportunities to thrive, create local jobs and boost our economy.

I wouldn’t blame you if you were considering the business equivalent of hiding your head under the blankets, with the negativity we are bombarded with.

We are all brutally aware of the challenges posed by inflation, cost of living increases, energy costs, supply chain issues, export difficulties, and the list goes on… This is on top of emerging from a global pandemic and trying to rebuild parts of our economy, whilst dealing with the knock-on impacts of war in Europe, which I am sure many of us never thought we would see. We are constantly surrounded by stories of how tough life is for everyone.

You may therefore think I am slightly mad when I say that I AM looking forward to 2023. There’s always a “fresh start” feeling in January, it’s a great time to look at new strategies and implement change. It might

be time to make some bold decisions, or to appreciate and nurture what you have, and invest in the future of your business in whatever way you can.

We live in interesting times, but not all news is negative. The Liverpool City Region is no stranger to tough times. Our people show levels of resilience beyond those seen elsewhere. When you knock us, we get up again, dust ourselves down and make a fresh start.

We have demonstrated an incredible ability to bounce back. Post lockdown, footfall figures showed more shoppers returning to our city centre than in any other city. Whilst many businesses in our commercial district have successfully embraced flexible and hybrid working, the area is still busy and thriving, unlike some other city centres. There are plenty of business success stories, some, no doubt, within these pages. Liverpool people and businesses have long bucked trends all

The Chamber has a diverse membership, from micro-businesses, to multi-national corporations, and aims to provide support and opportunity to all of those members in whatever ways they need. The team will be reaching out to all our members and asking for your views, and I would urge you all to respond. One major advantage of Chamber membership is its national lobbying function. Those of you who came to the AGM and heard from the Director General, Shevaun Havilland, will know that she meets regularly with the Business Secretary and other politicians, and so as members we are just one step away from sharing our views with government, and we really do have the opportunity to make our voices heard where it counts. It is an opportunity we need to harness as much as we can, particularly in difficult times, and that is why it is important that our members respond when asked for opinions, such as in the Quarterly Economic Survey, the responses to which are reviewed nationally and form a key driver of business policy.

Those who heard what I had to say at the AGM may remember that I urged you to share this message, to tell your contacts about your Chamber membership, and how it has helped your business, and so to help the Chamber grow too. The Chamber strengthens with every increase in its membership base and by working together we can all give our city’s economy every boost it needs. I look forward to working with you all, to do that.

BOARD

Chris Waine Vice Chair

I am delighted to move into my new role as Vice Chair of the Board, working with Alison as the new Chair and the rest of the Chamber team. I am particularly looking forward to engaging with the new Board members and at a hugely exciting time for the Liverpool Chamber. The market remains volatile, but it is great to see more and more companies actively and positively engaging with the Chamber, so that their business can prosper in these unpredictable times. As an SME business owner myself, I know it can be a lonely place, and the Chamber continues to offer valuable business-related support and a safe place for a conversation.

Mel Cheung-Turner Non-Executive Director

Having worked in the corporate world for over 20 years for some of the biggest and leading retail and professional services brands, and now running my own business for nearly 5 years, I’ve experienced both sides of the fence, and can see how the support of the Liverpool Chamber and its resources and network can really help connect businesses, to enable them to thrive together in the Liverpool City Region. I’m looking forward to working with the Chamber Board and team to drive growth and support our members as they navigate through these challenging times.

Sean Keyes Non-Executive Director

Sutcliffe Structural Engineers/ Surveyors have been long-time supporters of the Liverpool Chamber. I am delighted to be a newly appointed NED and will continue supporting the Liverpool City Region. Undoubtably, there will be many challenges and exciting opportunities which I look forward to. Approaching 30 years within the company Sean has become the dynamic leader he is today. In that time he has developed a forward-thinking, pragmatic approach to problem solving which allows him to lead the team with strength and direction.

Sue Patterson Non-Executive Director

I’ve been a Board Director for the Liverpool Chamber for three years and I’m excited to be working with a team of equally passionate people who are keen to engage and offer support to help Liverpool organisations thrive. After 20 years working in construction, I’m now delighted to be working for The Manufacturing Technology Centre as Industrial Liaison Lead.

I’m passionate about growing Liverpool’s economy and as champion for the Liverpool City Region Future Impact Board I’m proud to give a voice to the future generation of the city region bridging the gap between the City Leadership and the youth.

Neil Willcox Non-Executive Director

Apart from a year in London, Neil has spent his working life in Liverpool. Beginning his career in Marketing, he joined an international firm of Chartered Accountants,

qualifying and then becoming an audit senior and manager. More recently, Neil has been involved in IT and for the last 25 years, most recently as the Managing Director of Resman Limited, an infrastructure, hosted services and software company which supports small and medium sized organisations in the private and public sector. Neil is most looking forward to helping the Chamber develop its strategy and supporting the Executive Team to deliver on a challenging agenda.

Jessica Parry Non-Executive Director

I’m delighted to have been appointed to the board as a Non-Executive Director. It’s an exciting time for the Liverpool City region. I’m looking forward to seeing the Chamber’s excellent initiatives help local businesses thrive and reach their full potential. Jessica is an experienced property litigator at Brabners who handles all aspects of contentious property work. Her practice encompasses both commercial and residential property disputes, including lease renewals, adverse possession, break notices, dilapidations, forfeiture, rent reviews, arrears claims and vacant possession strategy advice.

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THE CHAMBER

INCLUDING OUR NEWLY APPOINTED BOARD MEMBERS AND VICE CHAIR.

EUROVISION FRENZY ALREADY TAKING HOLD OF LIVERPOOL

Dyer, who joined The ACC Liverpool Group in 2019 as corporate services director and deputy chief executive following eight years at Manchester Central, is keen to emphasise that winning the bid was down to the entire city and there will be opportunities for the region to get involved.

exhibition centre in 2015, and adjoining hotel Pullman Liverpool, in 2016.

Faye will have been in post just over two years when one of the biggest global entertainment events on the planet rockets into the venue.

And as managing director of The ACC Liverpool Group – operator of ACC Liverpool and Exhibition Centre Liverpool as well as the M&S Bank Arena – Faye is well aware of the Eurovision frenzy already taking hold of the region.

“We were really ecstatic to win the bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023,” says Dyer. “As soon as it was confirmed that the event would come to the UK, we knew we had to throw our hat in the ring as we’ve been bringing people together to enjoy fantastic live events for the past 15 years. Creating memorable experiences is central to everything that we do.

“We wanted to show our solidarity to Ukraine and put on a show that they would be proud of. The whole city has a really strong track record in working together to deliver successful events. We were therefore quietly confident, particularly when we were shortlisted –but we really didn’t know the outcome until just before it was announced to the world.”

“Winning the bid was a combined city region effort and we are truly grateful for everyone’s hard work and support to bring this to Liverpool and to our campus.

“We hosted a stakeholder event together with the City Council in our venue in November – it was fantastic to see just how passionate and excited everyone is about it.

“It’s a great opportunity for everyone to get really creative and maximise this brilliant event – for example the city will host a cultural festival alongside the contest and there’s a school and community outreach programme underway.

“It’s so much more than one night – we are hosting not just one event but nine public events including two semifinals and a series of dress rehearsals before we even get to the grand final. I certainly had no idea about the extent of Eurovision until we started looking into hosting it. Whilst the public shows will take place in the arena, the event will utilise our entire campus incorporating our interconnected convention centre and Exhibition Centre Liverpool. The scale and flexibility of our campus was a key factor in the success of our bid.”

The arena and convention centre (ACC Liverpool) opened in 2008 followed by the

Since then ACC Liverpool has hosted thousands of events including the Labour Party Conference four times; a range of international associations and corporates such as BBC Worldwide Showcase. Tens of thousands of delegates come to Liverpool from all over the world purely for a conference, with many of them then returning with their families to explore the city for leisure.

“We’re proud that we have helped to put Liverpool on the map. While it’s often the arena that grabs the headlines, there’s so much more going on across the campus and our bread and butter is conferences.”

ACC Liverpool has been named Best UK Conference Centre at a coveted industry award - beating stiff competition from venues across the UK – seven times.

During the pandemic, ACC Liverpool was the host venue for a government science-led research programme to reopen the cultural and business event sectors. The Events Research Programme was used to provide key scientific data into how events for a range of audiences could be permitted to safely reopen as part of Step 4 of the roadmap out of lockdown. The review was crucial to how venues could safely operate as the country slowly emerged from covid restrictions. The ACC Liverpool Group’s ticketing agency, Ticket Quarter, also provided the complex ticketing arrangements for a nightclub event and an outdoor music festival as part of the programme.

We spoke to Faye Dyer, managing director of The ACC Liverpool Group, about how the ultimate spotlight will be shining on the city when the Eurovision Song Contest comes to the M&S Bank Arena in May

“We were honoured to be the host venue for the only ERP business conference and really wanted to do everything we could to help get live events back on their feet, explains Dyer. “The industry was hit really hard so we worked alongside event industry associations and partners to lobby the government for answers and timelines.

“For ERP, we worked closely with the city; the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; the University of Liverpool and Public Health to bring the event together. It was actually quite emotional – after so many restrictions for over a year, it was such a joy to be able to network without wearing a face covering or social distancing. Delegates didn’t want to leave the event as it meant going back out into the real world where there were still a number of restrictions.”

The ACC Liverpool Group takes its position in the community extremely seriously. In 2022, it undertook a thorough strategic review of the business, with the aim of addressing significant changes in the operating environment of the company and its shareholder – Liverpool City Council – and to identify and harness opportunities for development and growth.

Alongside undertaking extensive market research and analysis, the organisation consulted and actively listened to stakeholders, holding engagement sessions with key clients and community groups as well as service, destination, visitor economy and city region partners.

Plans already underway include an ethical charter aligned to Liverpool City Council’s charter which includes ethical decision making, actively engaging with communities and supporting Liverpool as a socially conscious city.

“As part of the strategic review, we are in the process of setting up a Community Advisory Group which will help ensure we make decisionsincluding those around the application of our ethical charter - on a fully

informed basis. We’ll also work with this group to develop and deliver our strategic plan and Social Value Impact Plan. We are proud to be a cornerstone of the city’s business and leisure tourism offer so it’s important to us that we are One Team and work with and for the benefit of the entire city.”

Community is also an important factor in its Social Value Plan which it launched in 2021, aimed at creating positive social, economic and environmental impact. The strategy focuses on five key areas – community; environment, sustainability and climate action; procurement with purpose; event industry impact and people.

Community aims include delivering more than 200 hours of volunteering in the community each year via its Staff Volunteering Policy; a series of donations to local foodbanks, charities and community groups - either financially through its charitable Foundation, food items or lost property. The company also plans to deliver educational and career support sessions with higher education institutions and has created a number of new apprenticeships.

Environmental commitments include supporting the delivery of the government’s pledge to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 with projects already underway to achieve this including the elimination of single use plastics.

“We are part of a complex, fast moving, international industry, explains Dyer. “The world of events is constantly evolving and we want to be in the vanguard of businesses using these developments in the most positive way. We plan to adopt areas and ideas from across the most relevant global, industry and regional plans to create something which is unique to us, deliverable and rooted in who we are, the things we care about most and is most impactful to the environment, people and communities around us.

“For example, we are supporting and assisting our clients to build a social

value element or objective into their events. The plan is about looking at success in different ways such as what it can mean for society on a global and local level – not just about profit and loss.”

In addition to the arena and convention centre, Exhibition Centre Liverpool has proved a success story since it opened with a range of consumer and trade exhibitions. Comic Con Liverpool recently confirmed it will return twice a year for the next three years, attracting tens of thousands of visitors.

Meanwhile, Ticket Quarter – its full-service ticketing agency - has serviced more than 200 different events and attractions across the North West including Southport Flower Show, nationwide Comic Cons and St George’s Hall.

As well as Eurovision, 2023 is set to be a monumental year for the campus as it celebrates 15 years since opening.

“We are immensely proud to have been instrumental in boosting Liverpool’s image as a city in which to live, work and invest, adds Dyer.

“We know we have a busy few months ahead planning Eurovision, in addition to a packed event programme either side, but our team are ready and really excited. Delivering fantastic, successful events is what we do best and we can’t wait to show the world how Liverpool can party.”

We’re proud that we have helped to put Liverpool on the map.

Connect has been changing the digital landscape in Merseyside and beyond for over 25 years.

A specialist provider of digital solutions, Connect provides an end-to-end service, supporting clients from consultancy, specification and design through to development, hosting and support.

Connect builds and hosts websites, intranets and apps for many high-profile organisations, winning prestigious awards along the way for its work. They are experts in auditing websites for accessibility, a legal requirement for many public sector websites.

Connect’s success lies in its ability to employ its expertise in meeting client requirements: 100% of Connect’s customers return for further work, a testament to outstanding client relationships. HMRC, HM Treasury, DVLA, Welsh Government, Hewlett Packard, NHS organisations and East Sussex County Council are just a handful of its current customers.

Connect is particularly proud of one recent project which has been not only incredibly successful but fantastically rewarding; the Northwest Air Ambulance charity commissioned Connect to design, build and host their new website.

The charity’s helicopters and vehicles operate 365 days a year. It is funded entirely by public donation and covers 5,500 square miles and over 8 million people. The importance of an impactful website, through which the charity can raise awareness and funding, can’t be overestimated.

Connect drew on its wealth of experience and technical expertise to deliver a website that reflects the work of the charity and supports its goals. The site is welcoming, yet powerful, with a modern accessible design, responsive to all devices including mobile and tablet. The site reflects user needs, with their requirements at the forefront at all times. Impactful messaging embedded in the website draws attention to critical fundraising activities.

The website has won multiple awards including the Good Web Guide award for Best Charity Website and a Gold Medal at the Digital Impact Awards for Best Corporate website. Sarah Naismith, Income and Engagement Director for the North West Air Ambulance Charity, said: “Developing our website alongside Connect Internet Solutions has helped us spread our message, tell the stories of those we’ve helped and continue to raise vital funds for our lifesaving charity”.

To help support the incredible work that the Northwest Air Ambulance charity does, take a look at their new site here: www.nwairambulance.org.uk

If you have a project that would benefit from Connect’s expertise, get in touch, they would love to hear from you.

If 2022 has taught us anything, it’s that marketers need to be prepared for whatever is thrown their way. The pandemic and the ever-changing economic climate has changed the game for many businesses, and now more than ever it is essential to have a strong marketing strategy in place.

But where to start? What should the focus of your goals be? What are the priorities and the most important areas of focus when it comes to setting your marketing strategy for 2023? Let’s take a look.

FOCUS ON ROI

With the current economic climate being so uncertain, it is important to focus on return on investment when creating marketing campaigns. Make sure you are focusing on tactics that will give you the highest return on investment with the least amount of effort. Although it can be tempting to spend less on marketing in challenging times, businesses can attract more customers by committing to a marketing plan. However at a time when costs are rising, you need to make sure you’re getting the most out of your budget. Consider using platforms such as Google Ads or Facebook Ads to ensure your campaigns are seen by the right people and generate leads quickly.

CONTENT MARKETING

Content marketing should also be a major focus in 2023. Content is king when it comes to digital marketing, so it pays off to invest in high-quality content that resonates with your target audience. This means investing in SEOfriendly content that is optimised for organic search as well as social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Additionally, content should be kept up-to-date and relevant; if it’s still relevant after six months or so, consider repurposing it rather than creating

WHAT ARE YOUR NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY?

something entirely new from scratch each time.

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Social media has become an essential tool for all kinds of businesses, enabling them to reach out directly to their target audiences at any time of day or night. Utilizing platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok helps brands foster relationships with their audiences while also increasing visibility and engagement levels across different channels. Developing a cohesive social media strategy is key here – make sure you know who your target audience is so that you can tailor your posts accordingly. Paid advertising can also help drive traffic and conversions if done correctly; just remember that ROI is still key here too!

SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

It’s 2023. There’s no doubt that consumers are more conscious of the social and environmental impact of who they buy from and what they buy. For many small businesses, this presents an opportunity to explain more about your social or environmental purpose in your marketing. For example your business may use recycled or recyclable materials, limit packaging, or promote longevity to reduce things being thrown away. Alternatively, you could give some of your profits to a charitable cause or volunteer in the local community. There is no reason why these benefits can’t feature in your marketing campaigns. However, it’s important to make sure that you are not ‘greenwashing’ – misleading customers to be perceived as eco-conscious.

UPDATE YOUR WEBSITE

If you haven’t already, make sure to upgrade your website in 2023! A modern website design can do wonders for user

experience, which can lead to increased conversions and sales. Additionally, make sure to incorporate SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) into your website if you don’t already have it; this provides an extra layer of security and trustworthiness, which can go a long way with customers. Lastly, if there’s any training needed for employees who use the site regularly make sure they get proper training so they’re up-to-date on best practices when managing the website.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to digital marketing. Each business is different with its own unique and idiosyncratic challenges and opportunities so it’s important to assess your current situation before moving forward with any changes or initiatives. A successful marketing strategy requires careful planning and execution based on data-driven insights – something which is even truer now than ever before.

Whether it’s SEO or PPC campaigns; content creation or social media marketing; website development or paid advertising; email marketing or lead generation – the possibilities are endless when it comes to achieving success in 2023!

With a bit of hard work and dedication, you should have no problem reaching those goals. For more tips feel free to contact us at The Social Desk. Here’s wishing everyone luck on achieving their New Year’s resolutions, Happy 2023!

It’s a New Year and that means it’s time to start setting goals and resolutions for ourselves—and our businesses. After all, if you want to stay competitive in the market, you need to be constantly striving to improve your marketing.

Glass Ceilings®

Change Management

Would you like ongoing support with your people issues?

Are you looking to streamline your HR processes, to save costs and make best use of resources?

Have you been meaning to revise your people policies, or implement new ones, to provide a better work-life balance and improve inclusivity?

Are you looking for a non-judgemental, professional service to partner with you to solve people problems, respond to the Cost of Living crisis or work differently since the outbreak of the pandemic?

If so, Class Ceilings® Change Management could offer just what you’re looking for!

We will partner with you so outsourced HR will feel in house.

We will ensure that all the advice and support you receive will be grounded in the realities your business and people working in it are facing during the difficult times we are living through.

Our Employment Relations Division provides:

People Advisory Services

Independent Investigations

Policy – review, development, and implementation

Working with Trade Unions & Collective Bargaining

Stress Awareness and Management, MHFA 

Packages of specialist advisory support on key people issues, including Cost of Living and Covid Business Recovery.

Our Change Management Division provides Leadership of change projects: 

Organisation design – team, divisional, or organisation-wide  Organisation development – devising inclusive performance and development approaches, tailored to organisation and sector 

Leadership development – all levels of leadership, including Future Leaders and Inclusive Leaders 

Governance – supporting Boards and Senior Leadership Teams to put in place effective governance of organisation structures aligned to people strategy, policy, procedures, and practices.  Inclusion & Belonging Strategy

Finally, Class Ceilings® aims to be at the forefront of national debate and conversations on key issues, influencing national policy and interventions, to make positive progress on wider trends. Our Policy and Research Division engages on key issues that create barriers in employment and raises awareness, with the aim of breaking down those barriers through:

Speaking

Professional Networks

If you think we can help, get in touch to arrange a free, no obligation discovery call: enquiries@glassceilings.co.uk

SCOPING FOR SUCCESS

The start of a new year often means the start of new projects designed to improve business efficiency, profitability and working environment for staff. Digital tools are frequently at the heart of transformational projects, from a new website or the automation of day-to-day processes, to the creation of a whole new platform to meet a business need.

so those managing the process don’t always know the right questions to ask or what level of detail is needed in a brief.”

Mashbo client the EFL Trust is one such organisation that the software development company has assisted through its scoping services. The EFL Trust had drafted an initial project brief for the tender to appoint a digital agency that could deliver the migration of its Official Soccer Schools website to a new ecommerce platform, but it wanted to ensure that it was comprehensive enough.

Using this approach, it took just five weeks from Mashbo receiving the initial brief to the new digital agency being appointed, and a pool of potential candidate agencies for future EFL Trust projects has also been created.

Planning a Digital Project in 2023?

Although every scoping session delivered by Mashbo is bespoke to clients, there are four questions that are always asked. If you’re planning a digital project, you should ask them too:

1. What business problem does the project resolve?

2. Do you have the technical expertise inhouse, or do you need an external supplier?

It can be an exciting time, but also the point at which foundational mistakes can be made, risking turning projects into complex and expensive headaches. The old adagefail to prepare, prepare to fail - rings true here.

Gavin Sherratt, Mashbo MD, said: “Sometimes even bringing in the right suppliers to deliver a tech project can be fraught with risk. Tendering to bring in a tech supplier usually means that resource doesn’t exist in your business already,

Mashbo used its experience to identify a number of gaps in the brief and anticipate and answer the kinds of questions agencies would come back with, minimising time spent on questions and clarifications. It also used its understanding of the EFL Trust’s company culture, the technical requirements of the project and its knowledge of other agencies in the sector, to identify a shortlist of suitable candidate agencies, rather than just putting the brief ‘out in the wild’ and hoping for the best.

LCR CONNECT’S COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING THE CITY REGION’S COMMUNITIES

Under Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) prioritised investment in a city region-wide digital infrastructure to transform access to next-generation futureproofed and cloud-enabled technologies. This led to the formation of LCR Connect in 2021, a Joint Venture 50%-owned by the LCRCA, in partnership with North West-headquartered full fibre provider ITS Technology Group, the lead commercial partner on the project, working alongside construction partner NGE.

LCR Connect is delivering a 212km full fibre network spanning the six local authority areas of the Liverpool City Region on target to be completed later this year. Its purpose is to underpin economic growth, innovation, inward investment, and job creation – experts estimate that, with 100% full fibre coverage across the city region, the economic boost could be worth up to £1bn, creating thousands of local job and training opportunities.

The LCR Connect Social Value Fund was launched over a year ago with a mission to help drive digital inclusion and support communities across the city region. Over the last twelve months this fund has been put to good use – from connecting community hubs to help local people get easy access to fast internet, to refurbing laptops. In addition, the JV visits junior and senior schools to inspire

the IT superstars of the future. Since the start of this academic year, the LCR Connect team has so far volunteered approximately 31 hours visiting eight schools across the Liverpool City Region with many more events planned into this year.

Marie Steele, Social Value Manager at JV Partner ITS Technology Group said:

“We believe passionately that every business has a responsibility to the communities that they impact. ESG (environmental, social, and governance) represents the three areas where businesses can improve their social impact overall while also reducing any negative impact.

“At LCR Connect, we are implementing this through our Social Value strategy with our Joint Venture partners prioritising social inclusion, particularly digital inclusion, and the environment. We want to get as many people as possible connected to gigabit-capable services and equipped so the digital divide is no longer a barrier.

“Ultimately, the more people that can access affordable and reliable broadband, the more options and opportunities they will have – businesses will be more efficient, and services can be more reliable, boosting local economies and creating better environments. We are working to deliver a

3. Will the new tech work with our current/ legacy software?

4. How are your employees/customers currently using your IT systems and digital tools?

Want to chat a project idea through? Interested in learning more about scoping sessions?

Contact Mashbo on studio@mashbo.com or 0151 708 1924 or visit mashbo.com

social value programme for the Liverpool City Region that is sustainable so we’re not just helping today but also for the future.

“Our Social Value activity has already made an impact across the six local authority areas – through its commitment to visiting schools and colleges to inspire young people on the opportunities that a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics can offer and challenging gender perceptions through our partnership with InnovateHer and St Helen Chamber’s ‘Learning to Work’ Programme.

“Last year, Make CIC became the first of many community hubs across the Liverpool City Region to benefit from an ultrafast connection as part of the Social Value Fund, known as ‘LCR Connect Community Hubs’. Make’s hubs range from affordable office space for small businesses, to workshops, event space, a café and shared garden, and are a place that people from the local community can visit to get online.”

For more information about LCR Connect or the Social Value Fund contact hello@lcrconnect.com

90%

Our Individual Placement Support (IPS) employment service works with local people and businesses to support those with mental health difficulties to gain meaningful paid employment.

■ We work in partnership with local businesses

■ We link people to the right job match for them

■ We secure paid employment

■ We provide ongoing support for client and employer

Working in partnership with us can assist your business as well as local communities in Liverpool, Warrington, Halton, Cheshire, and Wirral.

Over 300 job seekers have accessed our services since April 2022.

Take a look at our recent job outcomes, success stories, and get in touch with The Life Rooms IPS Team to find out more: www.liferooms.org/support/IPS

of people with a severe and enduring mental illness want to work, but only 8% are in paid employment

DEVELOPED

A NEW SECURITY PRODUCT FOR THE NATIONAL GRID

Around six years ago, the National Grid was looking for a temporary but secure fencing system as they embarked on a major upgrade of substations around the country. In addition to wanting this product to be more secure than standard mesh fencing, they also specified that all the components, including the ballast, needed to be hand portable as many locations would not be accessible by a forklift. Step forward Blok ‘N’ Mesh with Defender™.

“It was a system that was already being called for by customers” explained Head of Product Design, Tim Stewart. “We had the industry standard temporary fencing product which you’ll see on most construction sites, whilst at the other end of the scale, we had developed a very high security product called PolMil® for the 2012 Olympics and has since been approved for use at all manner of sensitive locations such as airports, government facilities and licensed nuclear sites.”

The National Grid’s engineers and security personnel twice visited Blok ‘N’ Mesh’s factory and test facility in Knowsley during development of this new, intermediate product. This included physical attack testing by simulated mobs! Once the design was finalised, the National Grid approved

2.4 and 3m high versions with 200kg of ballast every 2.5m giving optimum balance between security and portability.

Since 200kg is far from being “hand portable” the system used individual 50kg, plastic coated ballast blocks, which are a two-person lift. Four of these blocks stacked together provided the 200kg ballast required.”

As an approved system, contractors for the National Grid were naturally early adopters, indeed many are reusing the same components they bought five years ago, however contractors working on high profile or sensitive civil engineering projects are frequently drawn to the flexibility of the system combined with the extra stability and security it provides.

HMS HELPING PEOPLE GROW, LEARN AND ACHIEVE – A CELEBRATION OF APPRENTICES

Ahead of National Apprenticeship Week (6 – 12 Feb 2023) HMS, one of the leading North Westbased construction, repairs and maintenance companies, has launched a campaign to provide even more sustainable training and employment opportunities for people in the Liverpool City Region.

Dedicated to supporting people in the communities they serve into productive, long-term training and employment, HMS has, year on year, increased the availability of apprenticeships in a wide range of specialisms from Quantity Surveying to Joinery.

As an organisation with many former apprentices now in managerial and leadership roles, including Managing Director, Paul Worthington, HMS is a proactive advocate of the benefits apprenticeships can provide in giving people their first step onto their chosen career path.

Discussing apprenticeships, Paul said: “Since starting HMS 12 years ago, apprenticeships have been integral to the business’ success and it’s been fantastic to see people work their way up the ranks and take everything they learned during their apprenticeship and reinvest their skills and knowledge back into the company.

“Apprenticeships are a part of our DNA as a company and, during the current cost-of-living crisis, it’s more important than ever to ensure that these opportunities remain available to people across our communities, which is what we are doing and contin ue to d o.

Starting from January 2023, the range will see its first major update, with, among other improvements, a simplified range of fixings, redesigned posts and more flexible stackable base units.

As Tim explains “This is simply a result of customer feedback. The changes will enable quicker and simpler installation.”

With over 20 offices and depots in the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe, Blok ‘N’ Mesh is a market-leading manufacturer, supplier and installer of temporary fencing, site hoarding and barriers. Every year it manufactures more than 1.6 million units, leading the industry in both innovation and sustainability to suit a wide range of industries, from construction to security. For further information go to www.bloknmesh.com

“Since 2019 we have worked with local training providers to help train over 100 people in their chosen specialism. We take on two cohorts of trade and business apprentices each year, with successful applicants joining the business in March and September and applications for the next round of apprenticeships is opening next month.

“The organisation has recently secured a repairs and maintenance contract locally worth over £450 million and our next cohort will be integral in helping us to deliver the high-quality services our clients have come to expect from us, moving forward.

“I would urge any company not utilising apprenticeships to rethink their current approach to expanding. By improving the skills and experience of their workforce, only will they benefit, but so will the wider communities that they serve.”

Please visit https://www.hmsworks.co.uk/working-for for further information

JOINING UP OUR CITY

ONE PIECE AT A TIME

As Organisation Development practitioners we are interested in how things get done, in a community, business or organisation. Increasing complexity brings it challenges, but not impossibilities.

Here is a story to get us thinking …. Once upon a time, and closer to home than you can imagine, there was a village alongside a river. The tribe leaders worked together to run the village, developing skills, trades and a thriving community spirit, or so they thought …

Each evening villagers would come together around a campfire to share their experiences.

Sam, a newcomer, listened intently. The smouldering embers of the fire revealed ...

• Ornate parchments filled with good intentions provided little improvement to village life, and so they went unread.

• As each year passed, the diminishing pot of money forced the tribe to work smarter or become more agile.

• The transfer of knowledge and experiences started to fracture as villagers began to build their own fires.

Amidst the confusion, it was becoming more difficult to get things done.

One leader said, “Our village is like a jigsaw puzzle, we each have a piece, but no one person has the complete picture, and we have lost the lid of the box.”

One evening, Sam plucked up the courage to speak. “Why don’t we do something about it?”. One of the elders broke the silence. “Well Sam, there is a legend; beyond the village is a maze called the ‘Maze of Transformation’, and beyond the maze is a great city. Some believe the city houses a thriving community, where people live and work together for the common good and things get done!

But it’s only a legend, I doubt very much if it’s true...”

If you would like to read more follow the link

ai-cm.co.uk/joining-up-our-city-onepiece-at-a-time/

We invite you to help us build a picture for our city so we can all navigate the Maze of Transformation; to share your story, your piece of the jigsaw of complexity, so together we have a clearer view of who does what, to help us get things done.

EVERTON IN THE COMMUNITY LAUNCHES

NEW DIGITAL SKILLS LAB TO TACKLE SKILLS

GAP IN MERSEYSIDE

Based at Everton in the Community’s The People’s Hub on Spellow Lane in Everton, the lab will equip people in Merseyside with sought after digital skills and inspire an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) subjects.

The official charity of Everton FC is ensuring no child in Merseyside is left behind as it aims to combat an ever-increasing skills gap between disadvantaged young people and jobs within digital/STEAM industries. It comes as official stats show digital careers in STEAM are set to double over the next 10 years.

The launch follows research undertaken by STEM Learning, which shows 89% of STEM businesses have found it difficult to recruit staff with the required skills, leading to a shortfall of over 173,000 workers – this equates to an average of 10 unfilled roles per business.

The lab focuses on a hands-on approach to involve participants in their own learning process while developing 21st Century skills to help to prepare them for the future.

There is no ceiling as to who can make use of the Education Technology resources available at the Digital Skills Lab. Adult learners will also have full access to gain new skills and confidence that can help increase their employability and explore new career opportunities.

The Digital Skills Lab is backed by industry experts CreativeHUT and funded by a

HALCYON

Liverpool based IT Support, VoIP and High Speed Broadband Provider Halcyon have announced 35% growth during 2022, the result of their unique service level and customer-first attitude. With a 1-hour response time, no call out fees, and 30-day rolling contracts have been a major driver of growth, as a result several new additions have joined the team. Due to their unique positioning of being able offer not just IT Support and Comms but Cabling and office fit outs alongside hardware purchasing and leasing options. Businesses have been keen to streamline their service providers from five or six different suppliers to one, thus ensuring clarity and a single point of contact for all the business digital needs.

Halcyon CEO & Founder James Hamilton said, “2022 was an excellent year for growth, taking on new clients whilst also continuing

Everton in the Community has launched the region’s first communitybased Digital Skills Lab – aimed at tackling the widening skills gap for young people.

group of philanthropists known as the ‘First Steam Squad’.

Sue Gregory, CEO at Everton in the Community, said: “The launch of the Digital Skills Lab is a huge step for the E-STEAM programme which will make a positive difference to the lives of children within the Liverpool City Region.

“As we move towards the fourth industrial revolution, we are working with our partners to ensure young people in Merseyside are in the best possible positions for their futures and we’re extremely proud of just how much is on offer here. We’re particularly looking forward to seeing younger children who join us at the lab progress their skills and go onto engage with the more technically advanced activities here.”

The new initiative is part of Everton in the Community’s E-STEAM programme which launched in April 2021. The programme delivers fun and imaginative learning to children aged five to 16 in 63 schools across the Liverpool City Region, aspiring them

to service existing and long term partners. We have also undertaken several large compliance projects. One of which for our client Plus Group who provide paraplanner support for St James Wealth Management. A global task given staff are working from locations such as Spain and Bali. This piece of work, Cyber Essentials Plus, demonstrates a company’s cyber security meets certain identified standards.”

As a business, Halcyon understand the importance of providing excellent customer service, which is why they strive to provide the best I.T Support, VoIP Telephony, and high speed business broadband available. With an increased staff count, they are able to provide more comprehensive and reliable services to their clients. This was recognised with three award nominations this year.

James added “At Halcyon we pride ourselves on clear, jargon free communication for our

into careers in STEAM, and engages with adults and older groups. It has already engaged more than 1,200 participants and delivered over 200 sessions.

Jimmy Worrall, founder of Leaders in Sport and part of the First Steam Squad, said: “We wanted to deliver something which will leave a legacy in the community and we’re incredibly proud to play a part in the delivery of the lab, which we hope will inspire children to go onto pursue careers in digital and STEAM which they previously might not have considered.”

Gareth Boldsworth, founder of CreativeHUT, said: “The launch of the Digital Skills Lab is not only crucial to the Liverpool City Region, it is essential in setting the benchmark of how learning experiences can be delivered to all students across the UK. The programme will provide incredible support to pupils and teachers in helping develop the skills needed for future jobs and our shared belief of giving every student an opportunity in STEAM, no matter what their background, will encourage that.”

clients, this ensures they are fully informed and understanding the process when contacting our support desk either through phone, email or via our app.”

Social value is also of the upmost importance to Halcyon. As a business that operates nationally with it’s heart in the Northwest region. 25% of yearly profits go into Halcyon Days CIC which helps supports alternative provisions, and other social value projects in line with it’s partners.

Halcyon are looking forward to continuing their growth in the coming year, and to providing even better services to their clients.

IT’S TIME TO REVIEW YOUR BUSINESS TRAVEL POLICIES

Many things have changed since the pandemic, and possibly the biggest change is to working patterns. Permanent home-working or hybrid seem to be here to stay, which generates major changes to business travel.

Companies must think innovatively about how their people travel, and if the mobility policies they had pre-pandemic are going to work in a post-pandemic world.

Employees are commuting less, and business journeys may now involve more use of personal cars.

We know from research and experience that many privately owned cars are older, more polluting models which will fall foul of the growing number of low emission zones being created around the country. This will be of concern to companies for a number of reasons:

• Allowing employees to use their own cars and reclaim mileage allowances, known as “grey fleet,” is costly, at a time when businesses are working hard to recover.

TRANSPENNINE EXPRESS BRINGS IN NEW ON-BOARD CATERING MENU

TransPennine Express has introduced a range of new items to it’s on-train menu, with hot food available in First Class for the first time.

Customers travelling on many of TPE’s Nova trains in the morning can now tuck into hot bacon and sausage ciabatta sandwiches, delicious sausage rolls and steaming hot porridge whilst they journey in comfort to some of the North’s and Scotland’s best destinations.

And for late afternoon and evening travellers there’s curry in a naan, a poppadom dip box, sausage rolls, nuts and

• Businesses are increasingly being pressed to reduce CO2 emissions and staff-use of older cars may conflict with corporate targets and ambitions.

These issues are leading many corporates to take a closer look at their approach to business travel policies, and to set controls in place that ensure employee choices actively contribute to safer travel and a greener environment.

Enterprise Car Club is a key part of the travel policy of many businesses. Employees have access to modern, low emission vehicles and employers can choose how to structure the service to meet their needs.

The vehicles can be based at a company’s premises for exclusive use, a dedicated service, or employees can access Enterprise’s nationwide car club fleet. In Liverpool, we have a number of vehicles

sweet treats. Evening services also include alcoholic drinks, including Manchesterbased Northern Monk’s Faith Hazy Pale Ale, a selection of delicious wines, as well as tasty tipples from Edinburgh Gin.

A revamped menu is also available onboard many Class 185 trains and in standard class on the Nova fleet. To give customers the best possible choice, TPE has worked with suppliers from local communities across the North and into Scotland to offer a range of sandwiches, snacks and drinks that are synonymous with, or have close links to, towns and cities across the network.

Emma Teale, Head of Customer Insights and Improvements at TPE said: “We’re delighted to introduce our new first-class hot food to our Nova services and a revamped menu on our catered routes.

“We’ve added some new and exciting products to give a boost to our menus and we’re excited that many of these products have come from suppliers based in the communities we are proud to serve.”

around the city and work closely with the council who use this service.

Booking and access to vehicles via an app makes the process simple and convenient and means businesses only pay when a vehicle is needed.

We know that business travel is vital in driving our recovery, while at the same time transport and travel remains under the spotlight as the government presses ahead with its decarbonisation policy.

The good news is that innovation is ensuring the number of sustainable, low and zeroemission travel options are increasing.

To find out more about the Enterprise Car Club please contact Kate Jones on kate.l.jones@ehi.com

Hot food is available on Nova 1 and 2 services between Manchester Airport/ Liverpool and Edinburgh/Glasgow, Newcastle and Edinburgh, as well as Liverpool Lime Street and Newcastle. The hot food will also be available on limited Nova 3 services operating between Liverpool and Cleethorpes.

For more information on what’s available on-board, along with full menus, visit tpexpress.co.uk/travelling-with-us/ onboard-facilities/food-and-drink

NATIONAL MUSEUMS LIVERPOOL

Liverpool’s iconic waterfront is changing. The Waterfront Transformation Project is a landmark project that will transform the area between Royal Albert Dock and Mann Island, as well as revitalising all the waterfront facilities, as part of National Museums Liverpool’s masterplan of reimagining Liverpool’s waterfront. The project will link storytelling, heritage, community, and hospitality to create a rich visitor experience and will be a catalyst for social and environmental improvements in the area.

The redevelopment of this public space – the Canning Dock, will be redesigned by Asif Khan Studios and Theaster Gates, working together with communities to co-produce welcoming and thoughtprovoking places for learning and reflection.

The starting point and highlight of this transformation will be the redevelopment of the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building which will be at the very heart of the

reinvigorated International Slavery Museum, which received £9.9m funding from The National Heritage Lottery Fund. British studio Adjaye Associates has been appointed to create the architectural design, with Ralph Appelbaum Associates chosen to lead the exhibition design. A dramatic new front door will lead to spaces to explore and investigate the transatlantic slave trade and legacies. The Maritime Museum will also undergo a transformation, with

galleries on Liverpool’s maritime history being developed to integrate with the International Slavery Museum.

The Waterfront project will be the museums’ most important transformation for over a decade. Stay up to date about upcoming public consultation and how you can feed into designs here.

www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/ waterfront-transformation-project

EMPLOYABILITY SOLUTIONS LAUNCHES A LEGACY FUND IN MEMORY OF THREE FORMER STUDENTS WHO TRAGICALLY LOST THEIR LIVES

health of their peers within their local communities.

It comes as Employability Solutions celebrates its 10th anniversary with a huge ambition for the next ten years to create safer communities. Founded by Claire Cook, proprietor and Nadia Miller, director of student services, the organisation has transformed the lives of over 2,000 young people across two schools in Garston in Liverpool, and Kirklees in West Yorkshire, with 8,000 qualifications achieved in that time.

fund in the name of Bran, Danny and Jamie”. Claire added:

“10 years ago, Nadia and I set out on a mission to transform the lives of young people and promote resilience through specialist alternative education. Today, Employability Solutions has grown its impact across Merseyside and West Yorkshire, empowering the lives of over 2,000 young people to date.

Leading independent school, Employability Solutions has launched a new community fund to honour the memory of three former students who lost their lives in tragic circumstances.

The Platform for Change Legacy Fund has been set up in remembrance of three young men - Brandon Regan, 17, Daniel Jamieson, 16, and Jamie Buckley, 18. Brandon and Daniel were both victims of knife crime.

With the full support of their parents’, the new fund will award three grants of up to £1,000 each year to a young person who will promote the education, safety and mental

Speaking about the Platform for Change Legacy Fund, Claire Cook, founder and proprietor of Employability Solutions, said: “Bran, Danny and Jamie have never been forgotten by us and with the blessing of their parents Mandy, Julie and Donna, we want to make sure they are always remembered.

“We know ourselves how much investments like this can help people transform their future. Our business began with a small start-up grant, and so we are looking forward to being able to give back and afford opportunities to those who may usually miss out due to financial barriers.

We are also inviting members of the local community to contribute and invest in the

GREGORY ABRAMS DAVIDSON

EDITORIAL

“I’m Liverpool born and bred and have always felt strongly about the city. Liverpool has been good for me so I thought, why shouldn’t I play my part? And I did.” So says Gregory Abrams, chief executive of law firm Gregory Abrams Davidson Solicitors.

Raised in Garston - where he worked for his father and uncles in tailors called Abrams Brothers - and graduating from Liverpool Polytechnic (now Liverpool John Moores University) in 1976, he completed his articles and started what is now Gregory Abrams Davidson Solicitors in 1980, employing about 55 staff in three offices in Liverpool and another in London, specialising in litigation, personal injury, business, commercial and property law.

Gregory and his practice have played a major role in the ongoing renaissance of Liverpool - he was one of several prominent figures who promoted the

regeneration of Mathew Street. Although The Fab Four made it world famous, by the 1980s the area was in decline until what became known as the Cavern Quarter Initiative produced a blueprint to drive the regeneration of this and other parts of Liverpool.

He worked with others such as Robert Wade Smith and David Backhouse and the city council to create the Cavern Quarter – delivering their vision of renewal to concentrate on the name Liverpool, identify the city and build on its history, creating a safe and secure place for people to live and visit.

“However, our job is not done. We have huge ambitions for the next 10 years, ready to take on the challenge of creating safe communities, and we hope the local community will work with us to achieve this mission.”

As part of the anniversary, Employability Solutions have created a social art exhibition. Inspired by Humans of New York, the 20-image exhibition, called ‘Humans of ES’ was photographed by managing director, Chris Chinnock, and aims to convey the social impact of Employability Solutions through the real-life stories of those who have been supported by the school over the last 10 years.

Employability Solutions are open to investors in the fund. For more information about how you can contribute, visit the website.

Following the success of the Cavern Quarter, the council made similar improvements to other parts of the city, with locations such as Bold Street and Hope Street designated as ‘Gold Zones’. Gregory believes the rebirth generated by the Cavern Quarter contributed to the city winning European Capital of Culture in 2003 and helped to secure Eurovision 2023.

Determined to secure further progress and following a conversation with Chamber chief executive Paul Cherpeau, Gregory believes that keeping graduates in Liverpool by attracting more entrepreneurial businesses with the right careers in the right sectors and improving connectivity, including links between the city and its airport, will contribute to making Liverpool a world-class location to live and work.

www.gadlegal.co.uk

THE GUIDE LIVERPOOL

After spending the past decade working in hospitality, Abiee Lundberg feels passionately about Liverpool’s food and drink sector.

So it was only natural that she gravitated towards it when she joined the team at The Guide Liverpool.

“It’s difficult to explain to anyone who’s never worked in hospitality because it’s hard work and it can be stressful, but there’s just something special about the hustle and bustle, the people you work with and the people you get to meet.

“It feels like you’re on the frontline of the city because you experience first-hand everything that’s going on.”

Abiee, from Aintree, began her hospitality career at 19, behind the bar at Bierkeller in the city centre. She went on to Living Ventures and New World Trading, working at venues including Smugglers Cove and Club House.

“I went through the ranks and moved into a

sales and marketing role which I loved then I went to Ibiza for three summers but I always came back to Liverpool for the winter.

“When I came to The Guide to work in business development it was nice to be able to focus on the food and drink sector and to support and promote it after being in it for so long.”

30-year-old Abiee advises new and regular clients on what type of video content, editorial and social media will work best for their venue, and she sees every day how Liverpool is leading the way in terms of hospitality.

“I think hospitality plays a key part in Liverpool’s success, and it reflects how well the city’s doing because when there’s a positivity around you notice hospitality growing.

“This year we’ve seen so many independents that have opened, and big names like Hawksmoor and Gaucho who’ve come here. They’ve looked around the country and thought, Liverpool is the place we want to be which is a real sign of confidence in the city.

“If you look at Castle Street, which is one of my

favourite places, you have independents like BoBo, Castle Street Townhouse, Co.co, Bacaro and Bouchon so it’s really a big showcase for our food and drink independents, and a lot of them are Liverpool-owned.

“One of the best parts of my job is getting to know who’s coming to the city before anyone else. We get the first looks and that excites me. We haven’t just come back after the pandemic, we’re booming.”

SPACES AT THE SPINE, AWARDED BREEAM OUTSTANDING RATING

The Royal College of Physicians’ (RCP) Liverpool events venue, Spaces at The Spine, has not only celebrated its first year in business but has also achieved the highest sustainability rating attainable in the UK.

Spaces at The Spine is housed within the RCP’s new northern headquarters, The Spine, which has been awarded the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) Outstanding rating with the collaboration and support of its landlord Liverpool City Council, architect AHR, contractor Overbury and the project BREEAM assessor CBRE.

BREEAM environmental certification requirements measure the environmental performance of a building by assessing the use of healthy and low carbon materials, access to amenities, reduction of waste and water during the works and in operation. It also encourages on site monitoring of energy,

water, waste and CO2 emissions.

Spaces at The Spine’s Head of Commercial Events, Natacha Allen, says: “We are delighted to announce this fantastic accolade. Sustainability is at the core of everything we do, and we are proud to be able to say that our venue incorporates green credentials in its very design.

“The Spine has also been built according to the principles making up the WELL Building Standard, making it the healthiest building in the North West and one of the healthiest in the UK, as we are currently also targeting a Platinum rating under this framework.

“The WELL Building Standard is the premier

standard for buildings, interior spaces and communities seeking to implement, validate and measure features that support and advance human health and wellness.”

Richa Jindal, Associate Director and BREEAM Assessor for the project adds: “We are proud to have supported the Royal College of Physicians in bringing their environmental aspirations to life through the achievement of BREEAM Outstanding in their new offices and event space at The Spine in Liverpool.”

The events venue incorporates dynamic event spaces for conferences up to 350 and dining up to 184 with break out rooms for workshops and training, as well as event production services to accommodate virtual and hybrid events. In 2022 Spaces at The Spine was awarded Gold for its outstanding sustainability credentials at the Conference and Events Awards 2022.

Upcoming events

Join colleagues, members and friends at our Chamber events for fantastic networking opportunities and an insight into what’s happening in the Liverpool City Region…

#WellConnected

Informal networking and coffee morning, usually on the first Friday of every month.

Chamber Social

Monthly evening events to network with the hospitality, legal, retail, charity and young professional sectors.

QES Economic Breakfast Briefing

High-level panel events analysing the latest economic survey results along with prevalent topics within the City Region.

Chamber Business Networks

Monthly sessions focused on building relationships between members with Schools, Charities, and the Property-Construction sector.

School Business Network

Quarterly sessions partnered with the Liverpool City Council with businesses and schools looking to work with one another.

International Events

Held throughout the year covering a range of topics from within the international arena, including the International Trade Club.

#GrowMySME Workshops

Workshops designed to provide new businesses with knowledge, connections, and insights to help their business grow.

Flagship event discounts

Invitation to annual major events such as Aintree Races, Liverpool International Tennis Tournament and our Annual Awards, all at a discounted rate.

Email membership@liverpoolchamber.org.uk or call 0151 227 1234

Liverpool Chamber Day

have once again secured an exclusive

package from our friends at The Jockey Club, and guests

receive a sumptuous three course lunch, a complimentary bar and afternoon tea along with superb views of the home straight via our private balcony and lots more. Reward your team with a day of networking and meet other like-minded businesses.

INNOVATION IN BUSINESS AWARDS RAISES OVER £7,000 FOR LIVERPOOL UNIVERSITY HOSPITALS CHARITY

This year’s Innovation in Business Awards supported Liverpool University Hospitals Charity, and in particular their SWAN appeal.

We raised more than £7,000, a fantastic amount, via a range of fundraising initiatives. Upon arrival our guests were able to take advantage of a charity selfie booth in the drinks reception area, we held a silent auction with some amazing prizes, and the evening culminated with our two hosts (Ngunan Adamu and Jay Hynd) going head to head in a two minute auction battle!

The final way that guests supported us was via our envelope raffle, including incredible prizes from our generous members including Raffle Sponsor Pentone Family gin, Tempest on Tithebarn, Royal Liver Building, Fazenda Liverpool, Hilton Liverpool City Centre, Quest Apartments and Gino D’Acampo Old Hall Street. Liverpool Chamber also donate two tickets to our Silver Birch Garden Party at Aintree Grand National Thursday next year.

Aimée Clare, Fundraising Development Manager at Liverpool University Hospitals Charity said: “This Christmas, whilst most of us enjoyed time together with our family and friends, making happy memories, sadly others spent it in hospital with their incredibly poorly loved ones as they received end of life

care, or grieving the loss of somebody they loved. We launched the SWAN Appeal to support families spending time in hospital with their dying loved ones to make their very own special, unforgettable memories too.

In raising over £7,000 we have been able to provide memory boxes for the first 2,000 patients to be supported by the SWAN model, meaning each guest on the evening supported over 4 patients. Our memory boxes will contain special items like locks of hair, lip kisses, photographs and handprints, so a huge thank you to everybody that so kindly donated on the evening for making such a difference to our patients and their families.”

Our charities:

• All Saints Multi Academy Trust

• All Together Now! Ltd

• Alternative Futures Group

• An Hour For Others

• Big Help Project

• Bluecoat Limited

• Cancer Research UK

• Career Connect

• Causeway Charity Services

• Claire House

• Compass Counselling Services

• Crisis Skylight

• Directory of Social Change

• Elevate

• English Speaking Board (International) Limited - ESB

• Everton in the Community

• Expect Limited

• Freshfields Animal Rescue

• Leadership Through Sport and Business

• Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse

• Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital Charity

• Liverpool Parish Church (Our Lady & St Nicholas)

• Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

• Liverpool University Hospitals Charity

• Local Solutions

• Mary’s Meals

• Merseyside Adventure Sailing Trust

• National Museums Liverpool

• Natural Breaks Ltd

• North West Cancer Research (NWCR)

• Nugent

• NW RFCA

• Open Awards

• Paul’s Place

• Resume Foundation - Aintree Hub

• Riverside

• Royal Court Liverpool Ltd

• Salvation Army

• Sefton Women’s and Children’s Aid

• South Liverpool Homes

• Team Oasis

• The Brain Charity

• The Joshua Tree

• The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts

• The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation

• The Whitechapel Centre

• Transform Lives Company

• We Are With You Liverpool

• When You Wish Upon A Star

• Wirral Hospice St John’s

• YKids

Julie Sankey

Sarah Woolley

Michelle

Jordan

Colin Reader, founder & CEO of MSP Global

MINUTES WITH…

What does your typical day look like?

I normally get into the office at around 8am, grab a cup of tea and catch up with the team so we can run through the agenda for the day and understand any issues or challenges.

At one time, I would have attended every event, but as the team has grown it’s allowed me to share the load and MSP is now very much the wider team. However, when needed I will still jump in one of the vans and go out to a venue and I tend to be more involved with some of our more longstanding clients, such as Everton Football Club or Liverpool City Council.

Tell us about your career journey

I come from a musical background and the business began with an idea I had while I was spending less time playing with my band in South Africa. I started hiring out equipment and ultimately

had a lot of success with the business in Johannesburg.

After 18 years, I began to yearn for home so I spent five weeks back in Liverpool to scope out the possibilities. We launched in 2000, in a single office unit nextdoor to our current premises on Bridle Way, which we purchased in 2008 after securing a number of new contracts, including the recently completed ACC Liverpool.

If you weren’t in your current role, what would you be doing?

If I wasn’t doing this, I’d possibly be working as an electrical engineer, as that was my original qualification. However, who knows where life can take you? I have worked all over the world during my career, in Malaysia, Qatar, Philippines, Africa and Europe.

What are you most proud of in business?

The pandemic made things difficult for

us and those in our industry. We were shut down overnight and live events disappeared. Virtual events and investing in our studio helped to get us through, though we are still in recovery. Replacing good people who left our industry during lockdown and problems with the supply chain continue to be challenges, but we are excited about our new technology partnership with NEXO and what the future holds.

We have some really great people around us and we are very proud of the MSP brand and what it delivers to clients. We are going from strength to strength.

What is your goal for 2023?

My ambition is to continue to grow the business while looking after our clients and team members. Most clients have been with us for more than 20 years and we want them to keep coming back to us. We have close relationships, like friends or family, founded on trust and we are always growing together.

Cowgills launches new office in Liverpool

Accountancy and business advisory firm Cowgills has relocated its Liverpool city centre office to accommodate its regional team which has more than quadrupled in a year.

Cowgills has taken 1,400 sq ft on the second floor of Bruntwood’s Grade II listed Cotton Exchange, at the heart of Liverpool’s commercial district, having rapidly outgrown its existing space on Chapel Street.

Since opening on Chapel Street in 2021 with a team of just four business recovery specialists, the firm’s Liverpool presence now totals 18 employees across all disciplines including business recovery, tax and audit and accounts.

Commenting on the new office, Cowgills managing partner Paul Stringer said:

“Investing in first-class facilities for our people and clients is a clear indication of our continued commitment to the region.

“Having superb facilities for our people is essential, not just for their health and wellbeing, but to ensure that we continue to recruit and retain the very best talent.

“With o ces in key northern cities we are able to provide a full service to clients regardless of where they are based across Merseyside, Lancashire and Manchester ”

Cotton Exchange o ers a private roof garden and event space, bike storage, showers and changing facilities. The Liverpool team moved into the new space in January. They have ambitious plans to grow further in the city, recruiting more employees and continuing to grow the client base.

Cowgills was established 40 years ago in Bolton and is one of the largest independent accountancy and business advisory firms in the North West. The firm has 21 partners and 220 employees across o ces in Liverpool, Bolton and Manchester.

and challenges you face as your business grows, we will keep you focussed and provide the right advice and insight to ensure you achieve your aspirations.

Offices in Manchester, Bolton and Liverpool cowgills.co.uk

Model shown is All-New RX 500h F Sport (£74,950), including metallic paint free of charge. (£74,950). Official fuel consumption figures in mpg (1/100km): 33.2 to 34.4. Combined CO2 (g/km) 182* *Hybrid electric vehicle. Figures obtained using a combination of battery power and fuel. Figures are provided for comparability purposes; only compare fuel consumption, CO2 and/or equivalent all-electric range figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. These figures may not reflect real life driving results. Fuel consumption, CO2 produced and equivalent all-electric range can vary significantly depending on a number of factors, including the accessories fitted (post-registration), driving style, conditions, speed and vehicle load. All models and grades are certified according to the World Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). All mpg and CO2 figures quoted are full WLTP figures. More information can be found by visiting: www.vehicle-certification-agency.gov.uk/fcb/wltp.asp.