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ON GEORGE’S CASE
SERVICED APARTMENTS
PLASTIC FANTASTIC
What you want from this pre-election Budget – pages 8&9
From small building in Bristol to £30 million turnover – page 5
Manufacturer creates jobs after Bristol move – p3
bristolpost.co.uk
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18
MAR 2015
BIG INTERVIEW
WHAT’S IN STORE FOR NEW BOSS I’ve 900 partners to meet, says Lucy Ramseyer, new head of branch at John Lewis Cribbs Causeway
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www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Taxation
Bristol Post Business Awards 2015
Take part in review into business rates
Big ambition Pension firm targets staff expansion after office move
● THE Bristol Post is calling on business owners to take part in a comprehensive review into business rates, the tax businesses pay based on the value of their property. The review, which the Bristol Post had campaigned for under the banner #RealRatesReform, was first revealed in last year’s Autumn Statement. Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander launched the review, which will report back for the Budget in 2016. It will then be down to the new government to take it forward. The Post is urging business owners in the Bristol area to take part in the review to make sure the Government is forced to make real reforms to the outdated and unfair tax. Business rates generate more
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than £20 billion for the Treasury but the system was designed 30 years ago, long before online and tends to penalise high street traders. The Post is calling for greater control over spending the tax take to be devolved locally, to end the disincentive for firms to grow caused by the current property link and to create a tax that doesn’t lag behind the economy. Throughout the recession and recovery, Bristol firms have been paying rates based on pre-recession property values. The review appears to be looking at those issues. It is asking business owners whether a property based tax is fair; and what are the alternatives; how the tax could give local authorities more incentives to drive business growth; what impact rates have on how competitive the UK is; how the system could be changed so as not to penalise firms that invest in their property. The Chief Secretary said: “Our system of business rates was created nearly 30 years ago. Since that time the worlds of commerce and industry have changed beyond recognition. “I’ve been impressed by the representations made by the business community and I know business rates are a considerable cost. “The Government has taken measures to help businesses by capping rates and introducing reliefs for smaller businesses. But now the time has come for a radical review of this important tax. “We want to ensure the business rates system is fair, efficient and effective.” Business owners can email views to businessrates.review @hmtreasury.gsi.gov.uk.
“It has shaken up the industry and some people in the industry are not ready for it,” he said. Rupert has worked in Bristol for some time, previously as managing director of IPS in Old Market, and decided the city was the right place when founding Curtis Banks six years ago. “Bristol is a financial services centre,” he said. “That means there is a talent pool we can recruit from.” The firm wants to supplement that by creating a graduate and A-level leavers scheme. “When you are growing it is always a challenge to get enough good quality employees through the door,” said Rupert. “Profile is important and ours is not where it should be so we are looking to develop that so that people in our industry know who we are and think, ‘maybe I should go to see them for a job’.”
Gavin Thompson Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk
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ENSIONS provider Curtis Banks has moved to new offices in Temple with room to expand its 100-strong Bristol head office team. The firm, the third largest SIPPS provider in the UK, wants to raise its profile to aid that recruitment drive. That’s why the company will be entering this year’s Bristol Post Business Awards. Founded in 2009, the company expects to turnover more than £10 million this year, meaning it will be entering the Large Business category. Managing director Rupert Curtis said the firm’s niche is at the top end of the market, offering bespoke products for high net worth people with pension pots of around £500,000 or more. “We offer SIPPs, like Hargreaves Lansdown does but we are at the other end of the market,” said Rupert. “We are very service driven, we offer a high level of professional service.” The approach appears to be paying off, as the company now has 27,000 clients.
● Curtis Banks managing director Rupert Curtis Much of the growth has come through acquisitions of other companies or buying their pension books and the firm plans to continue that strategy.
Sponsor profile
THE CATEGORIES
● Jordans presents the start-up business prize to last year’s winner Kingston Barnes
‘Helping start-ups grow at heart of what we do’ THE South West consistently leads the way for innovation and new start up businesses. And helping fledgling businesses grow is at the heart of what we do. Jordans is the UK’s leading company formation service provider, based in Bristol, assisting thousands of businesses each year to take that crucial next step to becoming a limited company. Whatever their reasons for doing so – commercial kudos, business and financial growth or name protection, we make sure the company they form is right for them. And the support we provide doesn’t end there. There are legal obligations to running a limited company and hundreds of businesses turn to Jordans to make sure they remain compliant, leaving them free to concentrate on growing their business.
Like most pensions firms, it is also creating new products for the more flexible pensions market created by the changes in the last Budget which come into force next month.
● Winning a prize at the Bristol Post Business Awards would certainly help. The awards take place at the Passenger Shed in Brunel’s Old Station on June 25. Entries close on April 17. To find out more, visit bristolpost.co.uk/businessawards. When talking about the awards on social media, please use #PostBizAwards.
Even businesses that choose not to operate as a limited company need to consider certain legal issues. And here, our law firm provides all the support they need in relation to data protection, terms and conditions, website compliance and employment matters. The Bristol Post Business Awards celebrate the success of local businesses, whether they are well-established or just starting out. So it will come as no surprise that Jordans are delighted to once again have the opportunity to further support businesses in the region. We are proud to be sponsors of the Start-Up category at the 2015 Awards.
● Innovator of the Year, sponsored by Aon ● Export Award, sponsored by Mazars ● Marketing Campaign of the Year ● Best Creative or Technological Business, sponsored by Next Generation Data ● Young Entrepreneur of the Year, sponsored by Renishaw ● Lifetime achievement award, sponsored by Punter Southall ● Retailer of the Year, sponsored by Broadmead Bristol BID ● Family Business of the Year, sponsored by BOM Group ● Large Business of the Year, sponsored by Smith & Williamson ● Small Business of the Year, sponsored by Lloyds Bank ● Start-up Business of the Year, sponsored by Jordans ● Environmental Business Award, sponsored by Nuffield Health ● Contribution to the Community, sponsored by First Great Western ● Customer Service Award, sponsored by Destination Bristol ● Leisure and Tourism Business of the Year, sponsored by QBE
www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Manufacturing
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Property
Tax office will be student digs CONSTRUCTION firm Beard has started a £5.3 million refurbishment of Norfolk House - the former HM Revenue and Customs tax office in Water Lane, Bristol, which is being transformed into student accommodation. Beard is working with Stamford Goldhawk and architects Stride Treglown to develop the office building into 152 studio apartments with en-suite showers and fitted furniture. The four-storey building will also house an on-site gym, cinema and private study rooms with high-speed broadband and wi-fi throughout. Energy-saving measures include the installation of solar panels to the roof of the building,
which will help to reduce the residents’ carbon footprint and lower the cost of energy bills. Beard contracts manager Martin Courtney said: “There is a desperate need for high quality student accommodation in Bristol and this hi-spec refurbishment will make a valuable contribution to meeting this need. “We’re delighted to be working with Stamford Goldhawk and Stride Treglown in the delivery of this important student housing scheme which will provide university students with a comfortable and purpose-designed home away from home during their studies.” The scheme is due for completion in July 2015.
● Dan Wright, Managing Director at Phineas Group and Nick Golding, Business Growth Manager at the Manufacturing Advisory Service
Jobs boost as firm brings production home to Bristol Gavin Thompson Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk
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SPECIALIST plastics manufacturer has created five new jobs and secured a £100,000 tooling order after reshoring the manufacturing of six products to the UK from China. Phineas Group makes plastic hangers for things such as shoes. Managing director Dan Wright said: “We decided it would be ideal if we were able to manufacture more of our products in the UK to satisfy growing demand. “However, we needed support in developing a clear plan for the future direction of the business and sustaining the new manufacturing facility.” The firm, based in Hengrove, won a £100,000 grant from the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership’s Growth Fund – backed by the Bristol Post’s Going for Growth campaign – last year. It opened a new 18,000 sq ft state-of-the-art plastic injection moulding factory. But it needed more support to put its plans into action and get help from the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), which forms part of the Business Growth Service, after encountering some problems maintain-
Shopping
Homewares store creates 92 new jobs at retail park
and running and we are delighted to welcome our special guest to open our doors for the very first time. “We are confident our new Bristol store will play a big part in the continued success of the company and look forward to introducing local shoppers to our diverse homewares offering.” The firm has a range of 20,000 home furnishing products from bedding to furniture, including made-to-measure curtains, blinds and accessories, as well as a reserve online and collect in store service. The new store will be opened by Barney Bear, the official mascot for Barnardo’s, Dunelm’s at 9am on April 9.
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● HOMEWARES chain Dunelm is opening a new store in Bristol, creating 92 new jobs. The 44,606 sq ft store opens at the Tramway Retail Park in Brislington. Chief Executive, Will Adderley said: “We are always excited about the opening of a new store. “It takes a lot of hard work, investment and commitment getting a new store up
ing operations. Dan said: “We participated in a strategic management programme led by MAS, which brought our management team together. “It identified that we needed to restructure parts of the workforce in order to ensure the right skills were in place to sustain and improve production. “This resulted in the recruitment of staff for five new positions.” MAS also help as the company sought to streamline production. Dan added: “MAS helped us look at the automation of our assembly process, ensuring we had a cost effective way of running ‘lights out’ production. “By automating our set up, we have been able to re-shore the manufacturing of six products previously made in China to our factory in Bristol. Off the back of this, we won a significant contract with a UK company in the medical sector.” Nick Golding, business growth manager at MAS, said: “It is great to see a business bringing production back to the UK and enhancing the British manufacturing brand. “With our support in developing a clear growth strategy, Phineas Group is successfully competing against a number of international rivals in low cost countries.” Phineas Group has a turnover of £5 million and employs 14 people.
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www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
COLLEGE PROFILE
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Tech
Business rates
Deadline nears to claim for overpaying
Richard Walker Business Development Manager for Science, Engineering and Transport City of Bristol
Richard has worked closely with local employers for many years to offer training solutions and create career opportunities for young people. Q What support facilities are available for the engineering sector in the South West? A The South West region is a hub of advanced engineering activities. These are supported by the excellent engineering training facilities across Bristol including City of Bristol College’s Advanced Engineering and Transport Centre at Parkway, the Robotics Centre at UWE, Bristol and Bath Science Park and National Composite Centre (NCC) both located in Emersons Green. At City of Bristol College we have relocated our Engineering and Transport provision to Parkway. The £12m Advanced Engineering Centre at Parkway opened in September 2013, and a further £5m extension is planned for 2016. The centre is located within this engineering hub to assist with the training needs of the engineering organisations in the area. Q What support do you provide for businesses in the region? A We work closely with employers to support the development of young engineers who are needed to sustain growth in Advanced Engineering for years to come. The average age of engineers working in the UK is 51; so many companies are reducing the age gap by recruiting young engineers into their businesses through apprenticeships. This is fully supported by Government initiatives and there are fully funded apprenticeships available for 16 – 18 year old applicants. Further funding is available for small to medium sized companies employing no more than 50 staff. Growth in the Engineering industry is also supported by the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership. They have access to regional growth funds specifically aimed at the advanced engineering sector. They assist organisations in accessing funding for training existing staff and for the development of apprenticeships. We are currently working with many engineering sectors to offer training and apprenticeships including Aerospace, Defence, Oil and Gas, Packaging Industries, Robotics, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Composite Research and Manufacturing.
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Q Where can employers go for more information? A We are working in partnership with the NCC to promote apprenticeships, composite training and employer ownership funding which is an initiative available through the Airbus and GKN aerospace supply chain. We are inviting employers to engage with us at a breakfast event at the NCC on Wednesday, March 25, 7.30-10.30am. City of Bristol College is also holding an engineering and transport Open Evening at the AEC at Parkway on March 23 from 5-8pm, open to employers and potential students. We look forward to meeting you. ● If you would like more information on recruiting apprentices or training opportunities for your existing employees contact our Employer Advice team at City of Bristol College on 0117 312 5020 or email employers@cityofbristol.ac.uk.
“ It was a complete
● THE deadline is fast approaching for companies to reclaim overpaid business rates for the past five years. Businesses which think their properties may have been over-valued or the valuation had changed in that time must submit their appeal by March 31. Property advisers Colliers believes firms could miss out on big sums if they don’t appeal in time. The firm has looked at the sums from appeals it has successfully made and believes industrial property businesses could claim up to £127,000, hotel operators up to £19,000 per hotel and office occupiers and landlords up to almost £4,000 per office. Ben Batchelor-Wylam, head of rating at the Bristol office, said: “These three markets have reasons to seriously consider appealing their business rates – but not much time.”
surprise to receive a letter from the Prime Minister,It is extremely humbling to be recognised and rewarded for all the years of hard work involved in setting up my own business. Emma Sherry
Chorus of approval PM hails woman-led IT firm Gavin Thompson Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk
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N IT services company has been named as one of the top ten fastest growing women-led small businesses in the UK. Chorus, based in Portishead, has grown 118 per cent in the last three years, ranking it ninth in the Fortuna 50 Index. Its turnover was £1.7 million of the year to April 2014. Managing director Emma Sherry said she learned the news in a letter from David Cameron. “It was a complete surprise to receive a letter from the Prime Minister,” she said. “It is extremely humbling to be recognised and rewarded for all the years of hard work involved in setting up my own business.” Chorus has been a growing success story, recently moving to a bigger premises at Portishead’s
Marina. The business was founded in 1999 with two employees as an IT support company, helping businesses with Microsoft software. Now the firm, which employs 40 people and continues to expand, offers IT services, cloud technology, CRM, SharePoint, web design and development and creative design services. Emma said: “Coming from a family of entrepreneurs and business owners, I always knew I wanted to start my own business one day, so to have received this sort of recognition is fantastic. “I started my own business in graphic design in my 20s which has evolved over the years into digital online solutions such as websites, CRM and SharePoint as well. “Our key to success is our staff – we have an extremely talented, enthusiastic team of experts who, through their great work and dedication, have enabled us to grow massively, even in a recession. “Attracting the right talent to the business is key but keeping that
talent is the most important part of our business which is why we make motivating and rewarding our staff a priority.” She added: “I am very excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for Chorus.” In his letter of congratulations, the Prime Minister wrote: “Fortuna 50 showcases the great variety of businesses that are run by women in the UK, inspiring others to do the same, and we are determined to do everything we can to help even more women with great entrepreneurial ideas turn their vision into reality.” The list is formulated from compound annual revenue growth using the last 3 years of reported Companies House data as of 25 February. The organisations on the list are the fastest growing small businesses in the UK with single or majority women listed as founding directors, have experienced positive growth in each year, and have reached £100,000 in turnover but not exceeded £5 million.
Technology
Research looks at gaming opportunities ● RESEARCH is being undertaken to ensure Bristol capitalises on the opportunities the future of gaming, animation and visual effects will bring. The survey follows the first SouthWest VR Conference in Bristol, which threw a spotlight on the world of virtual reality in film, games, TV and animation. The survey, commissioned by inward investment agency Invest Bristol & Bath and the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, is designed to identify the skills, training and recruitment needs of the sectors.
Technology
3D for dentists ● ENGINEERING firm Renishaw has developed a new 3D printer for the dental industry. The firm, based at Wotton-under-Edge which employs hundreds of people from across Bristol, has been 3D-printing metal dental devices for some time. Now it is supplying the equipment for others to use, as well as the cobalt chrome powder used in production.
Smart technology
‘We need to act quicker on internet of things’ THE internet of things could become an enabling technology on a par with the internet or electricity. But Bristolians and government needs to move faster to get to grips with the privacy and data protection issues. Those were the key messages from a panel discussion on smart cities held in Bristol on Monday. Chi Onwurah, shadow cabinet office minister for smart cities, said: “The internet of things is a step change in technology that has the power to be an enabler in the way electricity was an enabler. But the word is could. The focus needs to be on people.” Vinnett Taylor, head of internet
of things at 02, said machine-to-machine communications had been around for a while but the internet of things was when you start to pull together information from different sources and put it to use. “If you have a black box in vehicle it reports that an accident has taken place,” she said. “That’s machine to machine. But wouldn’t it be helpful if it also took data from another source about what the weather was like at the time? It’s when you use that data to do something intelligent, that’s the internet of things.” Paul Wilson, managing director of Bristol is Open – a world first open network being created jointly
by the city council and Bristol University, said the city was a global leader in this area but people needed to think about the issues involved. “It is so very complicated that the current legal framework is not adequate,” he said. “We need to have a very mature and rapid discussion on this topic.” Emma Wright, a partner at law firm Bond Dickinson, agreed. “Consumers are frightened of security and hacking because everything will be in one central database,” she said. “It’s difficult for legislation to keep pace.” She recalled having her email hacked last year, which took four weeks to sort out. “I’m not sure
about the idea that I’m going to connect more things to my phone after that, so someone else could access my heating or transport plans,” she said. New data protection laws will require businesses to be more proactive about protecting people’s data, and that might improve consumer confidence, Emma said, but it comes down to who people trust. Speaking afterwards, Darren Jones, Labour Parliamentary candidate for Bristol North West who was chairing the debate hosted at Bond Dickinson’s Temple Quay offices, said he hoped smart technology could help improve Bristol’s transport systems in future.
www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
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Property
Success storey Serviced apartments are booming Gavin Thompson Assistant Editor (Business) gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk
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T began with a piece of leftover development they didn’t know what to do with. Now, 18 years later, SACO is a £30 million turnover business success story. Co-founder Lesley Freed said: “We had been travelling in Australia and stayed in serviced apartments with our children who at that time were very young. It was a revolutionary way to stay with children.” David Freed, who was a property developer at the time, added: “After we came back I was developing an office block for an insurance company. We had a piece of the site left which we didn’t know what to do with. Lesley said ‘Let’s open a serviced apartments business’. “So we did. We have gone from that one little building in Bristol to being a £30 million turnover business this year.” In that time the firm has carved out a new sector providing accommodation in serviced apartments for the business traveller as an alternative to hotels. It has 200 employees across the UK, with 50 of them based at its head office in Clifton. Growth has been steady but strong. Ten years ago the firm went from operating its own apartments to also running an agency sourcing other apartments so it could cater for clients who wanted to say in more towns and cities. Now the business is stepping up a gear again following a merger with the service apartments arm of US equity firm Oaktree Capital Management. Lesley said: “When we started there was virtually nothing in serviced apartments outside London.” David said: “It has been an education process. It still is to this day, some people still look quizzically when you say serviced apartments. Then you explain it’s a great alternative to hotels that’s more like a home
from home where you can relax in comfortable surroundings instead of the hotel bar.” He compared the sector to the rise of the student accommodation market, also pioneered in Bristol. It was new and investors were very wary to now it has matured and offers good returns which are attractive to big institutional investors, as the Oaktree deal shows. The new combined company, which will operate under the SACO name, will include both
Oaktree and SACO’s existing serviced apartment offering and the new Beyonder ApartHotel. It will have a portfolio of 1,645 apartments, including two sites in Bristol, West India House in Welsh Back and a larger site in Broad Quay. There is a strong pipeline of developments too in cities including Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dublin and London. Nothing new in Bristol, though. Not yet anyway. David said: “We are on the look out to find other opportunities to build more apartments in Bristol.”
MILLENNIAL TRAVELLERS ● SO-called Millennials, people born after 1980, are the future of business travel but their demands are different from the generations before. This generation has been raised on diet of choice and immediacy, where almost anything can be accessed or arranged with the right online tools. Research commissioned by the firm found that Millennials are less swayed by loyalty cards but more interested in
value over price. It found a good bed is the most important consideration for business travellers of all ages but younger travellers rate good connectivity over good food as the second priority. But while Millennials expect to be connected online, perhaps surprisingly they are twice as likely as their older peers to see travelling as an important networking opportunity (14 per cent versus seven per cent).
Health
Affordable gym chain in peak fitness The Leeds-based firm has 91 clubs across the UK which will rise to 120 by the end of the year. The chain’s success has been down to scrapping long term memberships that tie people in and replacing them with flexible options where people can sign up for a day, week or month. They can have a rolling monthly membership but they can walk away when they want to. Humphrey said the other element of the company’s offer was price, but without cutting back on quality. “We invest around £1 million to £1.2 million in each club we open,” he said. “People come to us to work out so we give them as much space as we can to do just that.
“We don’t use the space for reception desks and cafes. That means we can fit more members in and therefore keep the prices down.” Typically, established gyms such as the one in the Harbourside have 5,000 to 6,000 members. On average 55 to 60 per cent of those are men and 60 per cent under 40. The gyms are 24-hour operations, with a manager on site during the day and usually self-employed personal trainers on hand at other times. In the small hours if even the cleaners aren’t around, CCTV cameras monitor the sites. People join online, although there are kiosk in the gyms where that can be done.
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● Humphrey Cobbold, chief executive of Pure Gym
AN affordable gym chain is preparing to open its third club in Bristol this summer, with more set to follow. Pure Gym opened in the Harbourside in January 2013 and in Union Gate, Broadmead, earlier this year. Now it plans to open a third gym in Barton Hill. Chief executive Humphrey Cobbold, who only took the helm of the company this month, told the Post the chain has big plans for the Bristol area. “I would be surprised if we don’t end up with five, six or maybe seven gyms in the Greater Bristol area,” he said. “We think the proposition works well here.”
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www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
The Big Interview
NEW BOSS GETTING TO KNOW HER Gavin Thompson meets the woman who has taken the helm of Bristol’s John Lewis store and finds out what she has planned for the iconic department store
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HEN you’re the new boss, it’s important to get to know the team. For the new woman in charge of the John Lewis store at Cribbs Causeway, that will be quite a challenge. The store has about 900 staff, or partners as they prefer to call them. But it’s a challenge 35-year-old Lucy Ramseyer is up for. “My ambition is to meet all 900 partners individually,” she says. “I’m having one-to-ones with the leadership team and with all our partner voice partners (elected employee representatives). “But the best way to meet people is get out on the shop floor, getting your head into stock rooms and see what’s going on. It’s hard to say, but I feel like
Vital statistics Name: Lucy Ramseyer Age: 35 Born: Southampton Job: Head of branch at John Lewis Cribbs Causeway Education: English literature degree at Southampton
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First job: With John Lewis Partnership on the graduate scheme, starting on the shop floor in the fitting room
I’ve met most of the partners in the first five weeks.” She admits that she has asked the staff to bear with her, however. “There are a lot of names,” she says. “We wear badges which helps me a lot but my eyesight’s not brilliant. The reality is once you get a conversation going and you remember something about them, the name sticks. But I’ve been honest with them and said there’s one of me and 900 of them so they have to be a bit patient. But I’m getting there.” Lucy believes that the staff ownership model of John Lewis makes it even more important that she gets to know the team. “They are as important to me as I am to them,” she says. The new boss is well versed in the John Lewis principles, having worked for the partnership her whole career. She started at the Peter Jones store in Southampton, doing her time on the shop floor in the women’s wear fitting room. As she climbed the career ladder she embarked on a 12-year nationwide tour of seven different stores, including three years heading the Trafford Centre branch in Manchester, before being seconded to lead the firm’s 150th anniversary celebrations last year.
Now she’s taken on Cribbs Causeway and, having just sold her house in Manchester, is on the look-out for a new home in the Bristol area. So far, she’s impressed by her new team. “All our shops are very different but you walk into a John Lewis and you know, without seeing a sign, that it’s John Lewis,” she says. “There’s a feel to it. “This particular shop has a real family feel and a real loyalty. It feels anchored in the community. I feel very privileged to run a shop like this. It’s bigger than me. I’m head of branch but it has a heritage and a future and for a number of years I get to be at the helm of it so that’s a real privilege.” Lucy says it’s too early for her to have plans for big changes, stressing that the firm’s approach is always to focus on the long term. “There are two key areas,” she says. “One is investing in our partners because that then invests in our customers. The second is customer service and understanding at every touch point are we delivering the level of service that we pride ourselves on.” John Lewis has an enviable brand. Bosses of firms up and down the country talk about aspiring to be “the John Lewis” of their particular in-
My working day Start: I’m an early bird so I like to get in early, about 7.30am, so that I can get my head round the day before the team start to come in. Go home: The store is open until 8pm and I go home sometime after 6pm. If I don’t feel like I’ve had enough time on the shop floor because other things have happened I’ll stay a bit later. We have a weekend and late nights rota as well which I am on. Typical day: There’s no typical day. I try to spend as much time on the shop floor as possible. Inevitably when you are new there are more meetings, one-to-ones and getting to know people. But I think there’s a good balance. It’s got to be about partners and customers. I’m not a massive fan of meetings so as few of them as possible.
dustry. “The really important thing is we are never complacent,” says Lucy. “We never say, OK we’ve nailed it. It’s that consistent desire to do more and push further and healthy competition internally to want to keep pushing for more. The retail climate is as exciting as it’s every been and you can’t take anything for granted.” She welcomes long-term plans from the owners of the Mall in Cribbs to expand, even if it brings more competition in the shape of a new anchor store.
“Anything that develops the area and draws customers to us can only be a good thing,” she says. “We have to deliver the best service and best products when they get here so they want to keep shopping with us.” Part of the draw for customers is the famous “never knowingly undersold” promise to match any high street competitor’s promotion on the same goods. But is that realistic in the changing retail landscape, where we can all shop from a huge range of sellers online?
“It as at the very core of our customer proposition and has been for decades,” says Lucy. “It’s about giving our customers that reassurance and trust. In the world of omni-channel shopping we have to constantly assess what that means but that’s our challenge and we just need to be really clear with our customers about what our never knowingly undersold policy means.” How do they keep tabs on what their rivals are up to? “We have a central team constantly out and about and trying to understand what’s going on nationally,” explains Lucy. “Locally I have team members who are just checking what’s going on in the market. When we know there’s something going on we will go out and about to check it in person but we do more online these days. And sometimes a customer will just tell us. We’ll check it and then we’ll match it.” The partnership released its annual results last week, including its annual profit-share staff bonus which saw workers benefit from about six weeks’ extra pay. The performance suggests the store is managing to meet the demands of modern shopping. Lucy says: “Customers are shopping in very different way but the fact
www.bristolpost.co.uk/business
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
900 PARTNERS
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Women in Business
Events firm lines up dream gallery party
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N EVENTS company which is in the running for the Bristol and Bath Women in Business Awards has announced its latest spectacular. Bristol-based Paradise Hotel is staffed by a team of stage designers, prop makers and technicians meaning it can stage events with real theatrical flair. Its next big project, called Dream Garden, will be a collaboration with the Royal West of England Academy in Clifton. The event will be what the organisers call an “immersive party” held at the art gallery on the May Day Bank Holiday. The team will transform the RWA into an ethereal wonderland. Guests will be invited to view the gallery’s exhibition Drawn and Drawing On over welcome drinks before being entertained with dancing, cocktails and music from the renowned Bedmo Disco DJ. Ballet dancers and circus performers will be performing among the crowds with life drawing and poetry readers also on offer. The event follows a previous sold out ball at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery. The company was founded by former showgirl and cabaret performer Keda Breeze. Keda said: “Working with historical venues always is always an honour and privilege, especially as no one before us has ever created these types of events in public spaces.” Paradise Hotel also organises corporate events and is a finalist in for the Innovation Award at the Bristol and Bath Women in Business Awards run by the Bristol Post and Bath Chronicle in association with UWE Bristol.
in association with
● Paradise Hotel’s previous event at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery Pic: Ed Stone
GUEST SPEAKER ● ENTREPRENEUR and marketing expert Claire Harper will be the guest speaker at the Bristol and Bath Women in Business Awards on Thursday night. Claire has led the marketing for successful brands including Ocado and Mammas & Papas before forming her own kids’ clothing brand IndiaCoco in 2011. ITV West presenter Ian Axton will present this year’s awards. The local newsreader was a big hit with the audience at last year’s Bristol Post Business Awards and we hope he will be just as warmly received at the Women in Business event. If you’re posting about the awards on social media, please use #WIBA.
Sponsor profile
● Spire ‘The Glen’ Hospital Bristol, Redland Hill, Durdham Down
My downtime Hobbies: When you do a job like this it’s all-consuming but in a good way because I chose it. Sometimes if I have time off I’m quite happy with a book and cup of tea or maybe a glass of wine on the sofa. I do run, I’m training for a 10K at the moment. Exercise is a good one for me. I’ll pick up a new hobby and invest in it and then do something else. Climbing I’ve done; it’s running at the moment. Books, film and TV: I’m an avid reader. I’d love to pretend it’s all high-brow stuff but it isn’t. I love film. I try to pick a film a week to go and see. My favourite film of this year is Whiplash. It’s brilliant.
‘We are proud to recognise fantastic work women do’
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PIRE Bristol Hospital is delighted to be sponsoring the Award for Innovation at the Bristol Post Women in Business Awards. We are proud to take part in these awards which recognise the fantastic work women do in business. As a healthcare provider we know the value that innovation can bring to the workplace, and that is why we have chosen to support this inspiring award. We believe that women play a huge role in
Bristol’s business sector, many of whom run and own successful organisations throughout the city. We are lucky to have a team that is made up of lots of highly trained female staff and consultants, who together help make us one of the leading private hospitals in the South West. The Bristol Post Women in Business Awards recognise the city’s amazing businesswomen, and we are proud to help share and be a part of that success.
WOMEN IN BUSINESS AWARDS SPONSORED BY... ● Whiplash
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we are omni-channel is very important to them. “We know they are shopping in store then going home and ordering online, or doing research online and then coming into the shop or they order online and come in and click and collect. “You can imagine there are hundreds of different customer journeys but what’s important is there are those choices, we can’t just strip them away and say it’s only this way. That’s where the future is and omni-channel is at the heart of the proposition for us.” The company has been growing its sales but choosing to invest a lot of the profits into its IT and logistics. Lucy says that’s about thinking long ter m. “Because we are employee-owned we are a long-term business; we don’t have to think about tomorrow, we have to make sure the business is fit for future generations of partners and customers so that’s where we’ve got our eye,” she says. “We recognise that this is a period of change for us but in 10 or 15 years time we will be able to open the bonus envelope because we have invested now in our partners and our customers.” By which time. Lucy should just about know all 900 names.
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Focus on start-ups | Sponsored by THEME SPONSOR’S NAME HERE.
Budget preview
LOOMING ELECTION POSES TACTICAL As George Osborne prepares to deliver his final Budget before the election, Gavin Thompson reports on what’s expected and what business wants to hear
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ODAY’S Budget will be more of an early glimpse of the Conservative general election manifesto than a serious exercise in managing the UK’s economy. With polling day less than two months away, there is little time to enact big changes and certainly not to see their impact. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be worth watching. For those who enjoy politics, it should be a good show. There’ll be lots of taking credit for good news in the economy but warnings that things could easily turn with a more careless hand on the tiller. Business owners and entrepreneurs will be hoping for at best a few last-minute measures to help them and at worst no major new hurdles or red tape. Karen Kirkwood, Bristol-based tax partner, said: “With this Budget announced in the dying embers of the coalition, this event will be somewhat of a novelty. “We are looking at a different kind of Budget that will inevitably reflect on the Chancellor’s successes over the past five years. “But with the election just around the corner the Chancellor is faced with a tough decision. “Will he press ahead with key announcements, and share them with his Coalition partners, or save any pre-election giveaways for the Conservative Party’s manifesto?” Details of the previously announced business rates review were outlined on Monday as part of the Budget. The review, which this news organisation had campaigned for under the banner #realratesreform, has been widely welcomed. But what other tax changes might be in store for businesses? The tax regime now is generally regarded as more competitive for business and that is likely to go on. “The Annual Investment Allowance is due to revert back to £25,000 this year,” said Karen. “We expect the Chancellor to prolong the £500,000 extension, or even to increase it, to allow the policy to further support the economy’s expansion. “To stimulate and support spending on critical infrastructure, we may also see the introduction of a capital
What you want from the red briefcase...
● Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne is expected to focus on this government’s economic successes
We asked a number of business people around Bristol what they want from today’s Budget. Here’s what they said: Martin Thatcher, of Thatcher’s Cider: Cut cider duty 2 per cent and retain exemption for small producers “Our industry contributes £30 million every year into farm incomes and the more than 7,000 jobs supported directly and indirectly. “The innovation and investment of cider makers has delivered some success, however that progress is fragile and our scale is still small compared to other sectors, hence the need for a duty reduction in this Budget and the development of a long-term policy for our industry.” Bonnie Dean, chief executive of Bristol & Bath Science Park: Keep R&D tax credits and be clear on long-term science funding “We hope that the Government will continue to further develop its Science and Innovation Strategy and that this budget will provide greater clarity and detail about science funding beyond
allowance taking us back to the good old days of industrial buildings allowances. These allowed businesses to claim a tax deduction for a proportion of the cost of certain buildings.” She said there may also be a new tobacco levy, based on a company’s market share – something that wouldn’t impress Bristol-based Imperial Tobacco. “We will be keeping an eye out for this announcement as it may be the
2020-2021. This will provide a more secure environment for the science and technology sector to prosper and plan effectively for the future. “To achieve a return on the natural investment in science and technology the UK needs to enhance significantly our natural capability to translate scientific discoveries into scalable products and services. “The R&D tax credit, en-
Chancellor’s way of laying the foundations to expand similar levies to other sectors in the future,” said Karen. We may well hear more on devolution, too, although the focus is likely to be on the so-called Northern Powerhouse around Manchester, which seems to be very popular in Government right now. Karen said: “In the Autumn Statement the Chancellor announced that Northern Ireland would have control
hanced capital allowances, emphasis on research impact and catapult centres are all positive measures and need continued support so that industry has the confidence to invest in taking new products to market.” James Preece, national offices director of Colliers South West: Extend Annual Investment Allowance limit “I hope that the Budget will extend the Annual Investment Allowance
over its Corporate Tax rate. This raises questions as to whether corporate tax will be devolved to Scotland, among other powers, and what that means for the English regions.” Phil Smith, managing director of Business West, which represents the local chambers of commerce, said the politicians needed to avoid wagering hard-fought economic progress in order to score temporary points in the polls. “We will hear a crowd pleasing
of £500,000 for another year. “This will help encourage businesses to invest in expansion and spend money on upgrading and modernising their premises. Businesses in the office market need a budget that is going to
speech, but this must not come at the cost of the measures we need to boost skills, exports and access to finance,” he said. “In the past year we have seen unemployment plummet, the UK climb out of a damaging recession, and our local business survey showing that business confidence in our region was 65 per cent to close out a strong 2014. “There are still significant hurdles in the way of long term growth, and
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Wednesday, March 18, 2015
In association with
DILEMMA FOR CHANCELLOR raise awareness of the massive economic and social benefits these businesses bring.” James Turgoose, director at strategic communications consultancy JBP: Stability “Like many other SMEs, we will be following the Budget extremely closely. The most important thing for business is certainty and stability which creates the time and space to grow and expand. “Therefore we hope that, despite the inevitable politicking that will occur on Wednesday, the UK economy continues to grow and that all political parties recognise the contribution that small businesses make.” Marcus Plaw, director of planning at Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH) in Bristol: Relax planning rules
keep the positive momentum going.” Jim Duffy chief executive of Entrepreneurial Spark which has just launched a new business ‘hatchery’ in the city with NatWest: Appoint a Minister for Entrepreneurs “Start-up businesses and a new generation of entrepreneurs are bringing billions of pounds into the UK economy, creating thousands of jobs and making a
the final budget of this parliament has the chance to give business reason for optimism ahead of one of the most unpredictable general elections in modern memory.” Phil said the priorities should be skills, exports and support for small and medium sized businesses. “Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high,” he said. “In the Autumn Statement George Osborne abolished employer’s National Insurance for young apprentices
huge contribution to communities across the length and breadth of Britain. But there is so much more they can do with greater support at government level. We have a Minister for Business but the needs of start-ups can be very different from those of large and established firms or giant multi-nationals. “They deserve, and Britain would benefit hugely from, a Minister at Cabinet level who can influence legislation to provide greater support for start-ups and
which was applauded by business, but more must be done to ensure that young people have the work-ready skills to contribute to business success. “On exports, the latest figures show the UK’s trade deficit widened last year to £34.8 billion. “To address this, the government has set a target to double exports to £1 trillion by 2020 and here in the South West we have launched our #GetExporting campaign to encour-
“The government’s approach to simplifying the planning system has not delivered supply anywhere near what is needed – nor is it likely too given forecast population growth coupled with the Government’s commitment towards sustainable economic strength. “Changes to the planning system to enable the developments to go ahead swiftly must continue but I would also call upon George Osborne to use his final budget before the general election as a platform to propose legislative changes to speed up local plan making and planning application decision making processes.”
age 2,020 more firms to export in the same time frame. “Back in December the Autumn Statement fuelled new optimism with a focus on export promotion, but this hasn’t yet translated into the statistics. Greater government attention to executing its ideas is required if we are to meet these targets.” Phil said challenges of access to finance continued to hurt small firms trying to grow.
“We have seen action taken to boost small business growth but access to credit remains persistently difficult for many high growth fir ms,” he said. “Over 99 per cent of the 87,000 registered businesses in our region are SMEs and we must see further intervention to give them the confidence to expand and create the jobs of the future. “This budget threatens to be remembered more as a plea to voters than a statement of long term financial planning. Businesses do not get a vote in May and their confidence should not be risked by a hyper-political budget. Instead of pulling vote pleasing rabbits from hats, the Chancellor should focus on the hurdles that hinder long term business growth such as skills, exports and access to finance. “Politicians still have more than 50 days to convince the electorate and we must hope that the budget will focus on growth not votes.”
PERSONAL TAX While support for business is the way to long term growth, cutting personal taxes is the quickest way to the pockets of most voters. So what personal tax changes are in store? Here’s what Jennine Way, director of private client services at EY, predicts: ● 60% chance “We are likely to see an increase in the inheritance tax nil rate band with the Chancellor even promising to raise the threshold to £1 million by 2020. This will help families take their homes outside the inheritance tax net.” ● 30% chance “We know that the personal allowance will be increased to £10,600 and there will be a repeat of the promise to raise this to £12,500 by 2020. The Chancellor, however, may spring a surprise by setting out on his path to reach £12,500 earlier than expected by raising the personal allowance again. However, it would be more helpful to the lower paid to increase the threshold at which national insurance is paid.” ● 10% chance “There is a slim chance that the Chancellor will announce an increase above the £11,100 level already scheduled for 2015/16 in the Capital Gains Tax allowance. We may see changes to Capital Gain Tax entrepreneurs’ relief, which ideally would be amended so that it offers more encouragement to serial entrepreneurs.”
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Expert eye Karen Kirkwood Tax partner EY in the South West
Majority happy with tax system changes
O
VER the last two parliaments, the UK’s tax system has undergone a major transformation that has led to the creation of one of the most competitive regimes in the G20. According to a recent EY survey, the vast majority of businesses (68%) are happy with the changes the Chancellor has introduced to the tax system and indicated that they regard the UK’s tax system as more competitive than it was five years ago. There’s no doubt that the Gover nment’s changes to the corporate tax system have significantly enhanced the UK’s attractiveness as a place to do business – with corporation tax rates, changes to patent box and R&D relief listed as key reasons driving the improved competitiveness of the UK. However, there are still outstanding elements, in particular around investment allowances, support for SMEs and business rates. As the UK is coming out of a challenging economic period, the business community is now looking for fewer surprises and more stability to drive greater success. The focus now needs to be beyond tax alone and on integrated policies that will create opportunities to make up the lost ground and fulfil the ambitions of the workforce across the UK. Reshoring of manufacturing businesses is a prime example of how changes to the tax system can stimulate further investment and help equip the UK to succeed. Infrastructure is another example. All the main parties appear to recognise the need for long term, strategic and integrated planning for infrastructure – including in the South West, where it can support economic rebalancing. However, it remains to be seen whether the Chancellor uses his Budget to lay out concrete funding plans, tax incentives and further powers to encourage the delivery of transport and integrated smart city initiatives, and potentially reinforce the Government’s commitment to create a thriving regional economy. Lastly, new funding to support regional growth projects in the South West and other UK regions to complement devolution is also high up the in the region’s wish list. This could involve handing over some control for decisions around spending to support local businesses, developing skills and improving transport infrastructure in all its guises, as well as potential powers to give leaders a say in securing future energy needs.
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Business diary
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
In pictures Chinese New Year party
Walk & Swim Netwalk for Women in Business: Meet at the Lido for coffee then walk towards the gorge, along the Promenade to Clifton Downs and returning to the Lido around 10.30am for coffee. Then a swim and sauna pass and stay for a couple of hours. March 19. Book via Eventbrite. Digital Marketing That Will Give Your Business the Edge: Free Business West workshop 9.30am-3.30pm on March 19, Aztec Hotel, Almondsbury. Bristol Post and Bath Chronicle Women In Business Awards 2015: The winners will be revealed at a gala awards dinner at the Bristol City Centre Marriott on March 19. If you’re talking about the awards on social medial, use #wiba.
● Kam Wong, DPS Global is on left Simon Huang of Buffett Island
● Tony Prescott, Director of Bristol China Partnership and Lu Yang
● Diana Francombe, chief executive of West of England China Bureau
● Wai Yee Hong (also known as Joe-Wah Short)
Tweet Up Bristol: Social and business informal networking event where you can meet who you tweet. AT Revolution Bar, Bristol, 6-9pm, March 24. @tweetupbristol. Agents of Growth Summit: Guest speakers including Next founder George Davies, Alex Reilley of Loungers, and Tim Westwell of Pukka Herbs will address this breakfast event for mid-sized businesses at Tortworth Court from 8am on Thursday, March 26. Details: agentsofgrowth@uk.gt.com. Digital Challenge Final and Awards: Finalists from the hack weekend in February will compete for a £50,000 cash prize to develop a software application or game addressing one of five environmental challenges, energy, transport, food, resources and nature. Colston Hall, April 20. www.bristol2015.co.uk
Year of the Sheep City businesses flock to join Chinese celebration
20 Ways to Grow Your Business: Seminar on how to structure a business for sustainable and profitable growth. Ashton Court Mansion, BS41 9JN, 7.45am on April 22. Contact Mazars.
RISTOL’s business community celebrated the Chinese New Year with a banquet at Zen Restaurant, Harbourside. Lord Mayor Councillor Alastair Watson was guest of honour at the event organised by the Bristol China Partnership and Bristol & West of England China Bureau. Many people from the Bristol Chinese business community and those who do business with China attended. As 2015 is Year of the Sheep a sneak preview clip of the Aardman Animations film Shaun The Sheep was
The Lord Mayor’s Charity Dinner: Enjoy a drinks reception followed by a sumptuous three-course dinner, world-class live entertainment and auction, in aid of The Lord Mayor of Bristol’s Children Appeal on April 30 at the Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel. Book tickets through Eventbrite and help raise money for the city’s most disadvantaged children. Email info@galadinner2015.com for sponsorship opportunities. Email your business events to gavin.thompson@b-nm.co.uk. Events are sometimes cancelled without us being notified so please check with organisers before travelling.
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shown and Bristol-based band Transition, who have toured China three times and won a Mandarin Music Award, provided the entertainment. Dianne Francombe, chief executive of the West of England China Bureau, said: “Business links between China and this region are growing stronger by the day. “It is a great benefit for Bristol businesses to connect with this huge and growing market. “We also have a strong Chinese community here in Bristol and universities that welcome thousands of Chinese students, who will be the business leaders of the future.”
● Lord Mayor Councillor Alastair Watson was guest of honour, pictured with Tian Yang, Guangzhou Municipal Government, Foreign Affairs office
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The Bristol MBA
Find out more Open Evening 25 March, Watershed, Bristol City Centre www.uwe.ac.uk/bristolmba
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Wednesday, March 18, 2015
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In pictures Bristol Distinguished Address Series
Timpsons boss: Secret of our success? People IN 13 years since taking over the family business, James Timpson has grown Timpsons from 160 shops to 1,400. The chief executive believes the keys to that growth are the best people and a clear focus on what they do best. “We’ve got 1,400 shops, of which 500 are photo processing shops,” he said. “The business has grown dramatically at a time when a lot of our competitors have struggled or gone out of business. That’s one of the reasons we have grown because we’ve bought their shops. We concentrated on people and they spent time on strategy and got it wrong. “We focus on high margin products while our competitors filled the shops with anything that improved turnover, luggage mobile phones, anything. I could raise the turnover in our shops tomorrow by putting cigarettes and chocolate bars in but you don’t make money out of that. You can only be good at so many things so concentrate on things you are good at. We are good at cutting keys. Whatever we do we do it really well.” But James, who was talking ahead of his speech at the Bristol Distinguished Address Series hosted at UWE Bristol, said people were the most important factor. “We pick
people to work in our shops who have loads of personality and we let them get on with it,” said James. “If we have an amazing person running one of our shops and they move and we put a drongo in, we’ll drop turnover by 50 per cent. So the most important part of our business isn’t what the shop looks like, how much stock we have or how clean it is, it’s what the colleagues are like. We recruit for personality and train for skills. I only want to employ nines and tens in
our business. Sparky, independent minded, good at taking money.” He said the chain had no vacancies and a waiting list of more than 200 good people who want to join. “You’ve got to be good at recruitment because if you are desperate you won’t get the right people,” he said. But James admitted the firm’s core business of shoe repairs is a challenging one. “Shoe repairs has good margins but is a declining business,” he said. “There’s two parts of the shoe market, the discount retailers and the high end. The middle market has gone.”
In pictures Fox Davidson
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Mortgage broker celebrates big move
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A CITY mortgage broker marked its move to a bigger office with a launch party. Fox Davidson has tripled in size of staff since its launch in May 2013 and moved into Merchants House at the end of last year. Now settled in, and as the housing market rises quickly, the team decided it was a good time to celebrate the move. Co-founder Wesley Davidson said the offices had been furnished using “funky digital wallpaper” and give it a “professional yet laidback feel”. Fox Davidson now employs six people at its new offices on Wapping Road and utilises a part of Merchants House that had never been used before, the offices are directly above the archway. Thee firm, co-founded by Sarah Fox-Clinch, is a finalist in the new business category in this year’s Bristol and Bath Women in Business Awards.
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Wednesday, March 18, 2015
APPRENTICESHIPS
Your digest of the week in business
People ● Property consultancy Bilfinger GVA has appointed Alan O’Sullivan as associate in its energy and natural resources team. Based in its Bristol office, Alan, below, is experienced in providing property and regulatory support services to the energy industry. He joins from Provelio, a Bristol-based management consultancy, where he also worked on a number of nuclear, defence and education based projects. He said: “My approach has always been based on working closely with people, developing strong relationships, understanding where they require support and helping them in the most straight-forward way possible.” The firm was appointed by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in 2013 to provide commercial property, advisory and transactional services across its estate. ● Commercial law firm Thrings has strengthened its corporate offering with the appointment of Jonathan Morris as partner. A corporate solicitor with more than 10 years’ experience of working with AIM-listed and owner-managed businesses, Jonathan, right, joins from Bates Wells Braithwaite, where he was a senior associate. In addition to advising on public and private fundraising and he acts for owner managed businesses and corporate clients on group reorganisations, joint ventures and M&As. He will also advise issuers, Nomads and brokers on domestic and international AIM IPOs, secondary fundraisings and public offers. He said: “With a new government in place in May and a buoyant economy, certainty will return to the stock market,
● Staff have been promoted at property consultancy Alder King Pic: Martin Bennett
● Estate agency group Andrews hands £593,000 to charity prompting greater levels of activity and further significant investment opportunities.” ● Property consultancy Alder King has announced five promotions in its Bristol headquarters. Emma Smith and Tom Dugay, who specialise in industrial and office agency respectively, have been promoted to senior surveyor. These promotions reflect Emma and Tom’s success in securing a significant volume of transactions through a challenging period. Building surveyor Chris Sully, who joined as a graduate, is also promoted to senior surveyor in recognition of his contribution to the growth of the practice’s building consultancy service in Bristol and the development of its project monitoring and dilapidations markets. Catherine Norris joined Alder King’s planning team in early 2014
and has been promoted to principal planner in acknowledgement of her skills and expertise in the co-ordination of strategic projects and her strong work ethic. Genevieve Tuffnell is also made to senior planner in recognition of her hard work and commitment since joining the planning team in 2012. Alder King senior partner Martyn Jones congratulated all five, saying: “These promotions are very well deserved and are given in recognition of outstanding performance.” ● An entrepreneur is celebrating double success after reaching five years in business and being honoured in the South West Asian Awards. Adil Ayub, who has been in the property business for 10 years won the one-stop services for his Bedminster firm Lets Rent The 30-year-old said: “The awards recognise business excellence, bridge cultures and highlight businesses that have strived to serve their local communities – a business philosophy that Lets Rent would certainly agree with. “I feel honoured to have been recognised for our business efforts within Bristol and can honestly say valuable advice given to me over the years has helped me succeed and achieve five years in business.” ● Purplex Marketing has
appointed Steve Jennings, bottom, as head of creative to strengthen the company’s graphic design, creative and branding team. Steve joins Purplex from Clifton Creative, a high-end design agency. He previously worked with House of Fraser and his career spans both B2B and B2C consumer branding. He said; “Purplex is a really dynamic and innovative agency with unrivalled expertise at helping companies grow. Heading up the creative team as the company enters the next phase of growth is really exciting.”
Other ● Recycling and waste firm Sita has changed its name to Suez Environment. The firm runs household recycling services in South Gloucestershire, a large materials recycling plant in Avonmouth and commercial waste services across the region. The Suez name is being adopted from its global parent group. ● Keynsham-based estate agency group Andrews has made its biggest charity pay out for a decade. The firm is owned by three charitable trusts, the legacy of its humanitarian founder. The firm has paid a shareholder dividend totally £593,000, broken down into £421,000 for the Andrews Charitable Trust, £107,000 for the Christian Book Promotion Trust and £65,000 to the Christian Initiative Trust. The ACT has given a £70,000 grant over three years to Bristol Together, which works with ex-offenders to develop property which is then sold or leased to housing associations. Andrews chief executive Michael Robson has also become a director of the charity. He said: “Bristol Together has a vision that over the next five years it will support up to 200 ex-offenders and other long-term unemployed people to work full time on one of its projects. This is exactly the type of project that our founder Cecil Jackson Cole would have wanted to see us support.”
Opinion
We must inspire more pupils to study science
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READ a rather sad statistic the other day. It said that 50 per cent of children at the age of 12 aspire to careers that are actually only undertaken by five per cent of the population, you know the sort of thing, footballer, TV presenter, dancer, actor. It is a sad statistic because it automatically means that 45 per cent of 12-year-olds are going to fail to fulfil their dreams. However, in the context of British Science Week it is also sad because it means that 45 per cent of children will be studying subjects that close their options for careers in which they might otherwise have been very successful, such as science and engineering. That is why we need British Science Week; to give young people, and
Denise Anstey Former British Inventor of the Year
their parents and grandparents who influence them, an insight into the great things that are being achieved in science and engineering and the fantastic careers that are available in local industries that use those skills. It is an irony that at the same time as young people are chasing impossible dreams and as our politicians are agonising about the large numbers of young people who can’t find jobs, the leaders of British engineering and science industries are seriously alarmed that they are
running out of people with the skills they need. So let’s applaud the impetus that British Science Week makes in communicating to people the truth about what is great about science. However, a week a year is not enough. Local industry which involves science and engineering needs to be consistently engaging young people in their school years to give them insights into the careers and opportunities which follow from pursuing science and maths at school. Young people need to meet real scientists and engineers and to take part in projects which inspire them to seriously consider the jobs that are on offer in local companies. At Industrial Cadets we support
local employers of all sizes to design and deliver workplace experience which is of genuine value to young people in exploring careers in local industry and in helping them to develop skills which will be of value in their future careers. In this area we are already working with forward looking companies like Airbus but we need so many more to give real penetration into the local schools and to ensure that in five and ten years time our local industries have a talent pool of properly qualified young people who can fill the science and engineering jobs that will be crying out for them.
● To join in with this work contact me at d.anstey@etrust.org.uk or visit www.industrialcadets.org.uk
Patrick Mcleod Head of Offsite Delivery South Gloucestershire and Stroud (SGS) College
APPRENTICESHIPS at SGS College allow you to combine employment with training, so you can earn while you learn and achieve recognised qualifications while you progress your career with an employer. SGS offers a wide variety of Apprenticeships available at Level 2, (the equivalent to GCSEs) Level 3 (the equivalent to A Levels) and an increasing range of Higher Apprenticeships at Levels 4 and 5. The College can help you secure suitable Apprenticeship employment. All vacancies are posted on the Apprenticeship vacancy website and the College website. Once in employment, we will agree the most suitable framework, level and pathway with you and your employer. Your Apprenticeship combines work with training. As employees, apprentices have a contract of employment and earn a wage, just like other employees. The training will take place both on and off the job. On-the-job training means working alongside experienced staff to gain job-specific skills. Off-the-job, normally on a day-release basis, will usually (but not always) mean college attendance to receive formal training to achieve the qualifications that make up your Apprenticeship framework. Apprenticeships are highly valued by employers. The training is tailored to the needs of the business, so they enable businesses to have the right people, with the right skills, at the right time. Apprenticeships can take between one and four years to complete depending on the level of Apprenticeship, the Apprentice’s ability and the industry sector. Most employers pay the national minimum wage for the age group of the Apprentice but some will pay more. There is no upper age limit for Apprenticeships, but if you are over 19 when you start, your employer will have to contribute to the cost of your training. There are different entry requirements for Apprenticeships depending on the programme you apply for. Apprenticeships are open to all age groups above 16 years-old whether you are just leaving school, have been working for years or are seeking to start a new career. Employers want to be impressed, so you will need to show that you are committed and aware of your responsibilities to both yourself and the company who would employ you. You will need to be happy to work as both part of a team and individually, and be able to use your own initiative. SGS can offer free support and training for your job interview with its Suited, Booted, Recruited programme. To find out more visit the College website where you can discover our latest vacancies and read through a selection of case studies, which provide a valuable insight into the life of an Apprenticeship: www.sgscol.ac.uk/apprenticeships.