CloseUp Kirklees and Calderdale Edition May 2018 by Yorkshire BusinessWoman & TopicUK

MAY 2018

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF MID YORKSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE-KIRKLEES AND CALDERDALE EDITION

IN ASSOCIATION WITH TOPICUK

FOR BUSINESS

kirklees biggest conference Business of the Month EATON SMITH PRESENTS THE LATEST WINNERS

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bramleys 30 WESTGATE, HUDDERSFIELD HD1 1NX

4/5 GREENSIDE, CLECKHEATON, BD19 5AN

TO LET

• Prominent Showroom/ Office Premises • 174.09 sqm (1,874 sqft) • May split • Prominent corner position • Large display windows with return frontage • Grade 2 Listed Building • Available for immediate occupation • EPC Asset Rating N/A

• Office/Medical Premises with Car Park • From 8.21 sqm to 136.06 sqm (88 sqft to 1,465 sqft) • May split • Suitable for a variety of ancillary medical uses or office uses, subject to planning • Possibility of converting the 1st floor into residential • EPC Asset Rating D

Industrial & Commercial Property Consultants

28 JOHN WILLIAM STREET, HUDDERSFIELD HD1 1BG

TO LET

• Town Centre Retail Premises • 116.7 sqm (1,256 sqft) • Prominent location within the town centre with nearby occupiers including McDonalds, Paddy Power, Nandos and Lloyds Bank • Good display frontage • EPC – Exempt Listed Building

UNITS A, B & C HOLLIN PARK COURT, CALVERLEY, PUDSEY LS28 5QE

1ST FLR, 675 LEEDS ROAD, HUDDERSFIELD HD2 1YY

TO LET

• Single Storey Workshop Premises • 676.8 sqm (7,285 sqft) • With good yard space and car parking for approx 25 cars • Large loading door with security shutter • 3 Phase electricity • Accessible for Leeds (within 9 miles) and Bradford (within 5 miles) • EPC Asset Rating B

• Retail Premises • 25.46 sqm (274 sqft) • With Ancillary Accommodation to the Upper Floors • 41.15 sqm (443 sqft) • Prominent main road position • On-street car parking to the front • EPC Asset Rating D

• Good Quality 1st Floor Office Suite • 70.98 sqm (764 sqft) • Situated in a prominent position fronting Leeds Road (A62 • Good on-site car parking • Good quality office accommodation with central heating, intercom entry system • Available at an all inclusive rent • EPC Asset Rating D

14 St. George’s Square, Huddersfield HD1 1JF

01484 530361

91 WESTBOURNE ROAD, MARSH, HUDDERSFIELD HD1 4LG

Offices also at Mirfield, Heckmondwike, Elland and Halifax

commercial@bramleys1.co.uk bramleys.com/commercial BRAMLEYS COMMERCIAL AD_188x132_140318.indd 1

14/03/2018 12:09

WELCOME Welcome to the May edition of Close Up for Business, from all here at the Chamber and our magazine associates, TopicUK.

I am delighted to welcome two new directors to our board. Jason McCartney, Head of Public Affairs at the University of Huddersfield, and Stefanie Hopkins, Founder and Managing Director of Faith PR, join the team bringing valuable communications experience. Their appointments strengthen the Board of Directors and help to steer and guide the Chamber as we aim to continue to deliver quality services that connect, support and represent our members across our region. The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has recently launched its campaign for ‘No More Not Spots’, with the aim of ending ‘not spots’ for voice coverage where UK phone users live, work, travel and play. The Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce fully supports this campaign; we are therefore urging all businesses to share and report your mobile not spots via www.

mycci.co.uk. So that together we can take action to improve coverage for the future. Time is also running out to get your entry in for the Chamber Business Awards 2018. Entries will be accepted until midnight on Friday 29th June. This year’s winner of the Business of the Year award will have the chance to open the market at the London Stock Exchange, a rare opportunity for any business. Finally, I am pleased to confirm that over 550 people attended Kirklees Business Conference which took place on Wednesday 21st March at The John Smith’s Stadium. We have received some fantastic feedback and I would like to thank everyone who was involved in making this event a success, our sponsors, partners, exhibitors and speakers, and all the delegates who attended during

the course of the day. We are now preparing for our Wakefield Conference, which will take place in October as part of Wakefield Business Week. We hope you enjoy reading this edition of Close Up. Martin Hathaway Managing Director Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

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Contact Us Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce The John Smith’s Stadium Way, TopicUK is a free Stadium, publication and available Huddersfield, HD1 6PG across the region. from a number of outlets G RO U P

E D I TO R

County Hall, Bond Street, Gill Laidler Wakefield, E D I TO R WF1 2QW

Contents &Comments

Alex Mason

C R E AT I V E

D I R EC TO R

Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre, Rob Blackwell Halifax, HX1 5ER B I G I N T E R V I E W M A R I E G I LLU LE Y L EG A L

M AT T E R S

Managing Director Chadwick Lawrence Martin Hathaway

Students gain insight into match day

Design to overhaul Halifax train station

Marketing Manager H OW I T ’ S M A D E Rebecca Walker Dugdale Bros & Co… Membership Coordinator M A R K E T I N G U P DAT E Rachel McDerby KC Communications 01924 311605 CO M M E RC I A L

P RO P E RT Y

Mark Hanson Event and Sponsorship Coordinator Rory Bourke G O O D

FO O D

Gimbals

Students gain insight into match day

Cover: Marie Gilluley

FOR ADVERTISING SALES

TEL: 07711 539047 By: PrintedPrinted By: Charlesworth Charlesworth Press Press Wakefield Wakefield

Cover: Marie Gilluley MAY 2018 4

Direct Mail appoint Apprentice

Design to overhaul Halifax train station

18 years of business VII Celebrating

Contents &Comments ‘Really Wild’ trip for

Ritchie Clark

D E TA ILSKirklees O F THI S M O NTH‘S CLO SE UP FO R B USI NE S S THE M AG A ZINE College students Voiceover artist FO R T HE M I D YO RKSHI RE CHA M B E R O F CO M M E RCE

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Editor’s Notes Hi everyone, Thanks as always for picking up your copy of TopicUK magazine and for your continued support of the publication and the businesses across our region.

We’ll be amalgamating our three current editions in to one, wider-reaching magazine and taking in additional news from Bradford, Harrogate and further afield for the first time. For our readers this means we can bring you business news, views and features from a much wider area, and our partners will reach a much wider audience to showcase their products and services across the whole of Yorkshire. Please continue to send your Kirklees & Calderdale news to myself, and the deadline (as many of you have asked) will remain as the 20th of each month. If you are interested in becoming a partner and getting on board with our new, widerreaching magazine, please email Gill Laidler (group editor) on editor@topicuk.co.uk or call 07711 539047. Back to this month’s issue, and we’ve

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Pick Up Your Copy

by Alex Mason

I wanted to start with some news about an exciting change afoot at ‘Topic Towers’. From the next edition due to publish at the end of June, you’ll see an increase in pagination and news will be spread over a much wider geographical area, as we cover the whole of Yorkshire.

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The John Smith's Stadium

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Stafflex Recruitment

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Costa Coffee

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Sainsbury’s Market Street, Huddersfield and Brighouse store

caught up with Kirklees College Principal, Marie Gilluley in our Big Interview to find out more about what’s in store for the college and Marie’s time at the helm so far. Have a read of her story from page 30. We’re also celebrating five years of Huddersfield’s 3M Buckley Innovation Centre with our feature on page 18, and you can find out more about the organisers behind Kirklees’s first ever Yoga and Wellbeing Festival on page 28. Have a read of our Young Entrepreneur interview to hear from Huddersfield-based voiceover artist, Ritchie Clark, who has been the voice of everything from Yorkshire Tea to the on-board announcements for Jet2.com. More from Ritchie on page 34. I hope you enjoy this edition, and I look forward to hearing from you all as we start work on what’s set to be a bigger, better TopicUK.

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Heritage Business Centre

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Ramsdens Solicitors

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Chadwick Lawrence Solicitors

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Holiday Inn Brighouse

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Cedar Court Hotel Huddersfield

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Elsie Whiteley Business Centre

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National Coal Mining Museum

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Yorkshire Sculpture Park

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Leeds Bradford Airport

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Big Shots Cafe Brighouse

plus many more outlets see website for details

For Partnership opportunities

Tel: 07711 539047 The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those held by the publishers and therefore, no responsibility can be held by the publisher for misinterpretation. Reproduction of this magazine without the express permission of the publisher is prohibited. Whilst every care is taken in the production of this magazine, the publisher/ editor and staff cannot accept any responsibility for errors in articles, advertisements or programme schedules. To subscribe contact 07711 539047 or email editor@topicuk.co.uk. Published by Ghost Publishing Limited, Paragon Point, Paragon Business Village, Red Hall Crescent, Wakefield WF1 2DF. TopicUK is also not responsible for any advice given by contributors.

MAY 2018

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Students gain insight into Premier League match day Students from Kirklees College got an insight into the inner workings of a Huddersfield Town match day at a recent ‘takeover’ game against Swansea City. This ‘takeover’ game gave the students a valuable understanding of what goes on at the John Smith’s Stadium ahead of and during a Premier League match day. Students got to look at a number of different aspects of the Club and match day operations to help them plan for their future careers, as well as helping to make the Town supporters’ match day experience a little different. Kirklees College’s Animal Care team introduced children and

families to snakes, ferrets, dagos and cockroaches, and face painting took place in the Fantastic Media Stand. Students were also on hand in the Stadium Superstore helping ahead of the match day, whilst pupils from the Public Service course helped steward different areas of the Stadium as well as the hospitality areas. Sport students were outside the Revell Ward Stand with a rickshaw which was available for photo opportunities, and also ran a

‘keepie-uppie’ competition, giving supporters an opportunity to win a signed Premier League football. Kirklees College had also put chocolate gifts in the hospitality areas and there was a specially created Snapchat filter for supporters to use during the afternoon, and performing arts students showed off a special dance routine for supporters on the Britannia Rescue side of the John Smith’s Stadium at half-time. Huddersfield Town senior

commercial manager, Tracy Nelson, commented: “The fourth annual Kirklees College ‘takeover’ game was another success, for both the College’s students and Huddersfield Town supporters. “The activities that the Kirklees College students provided added to the match day experience for our fans, whilst also giving them valuable insight into the inner workings of the football club. “I’d like to thank Lydia Butterworth, Helen Rose and

Leading glassmaker appoints Elland-based Smith Brothers for grid connection Elland-based power engineering contractor Smith Brothers has been appointed by Europe's leading flat glass manufacturer Saint-Gobain Glass, to connect its East Riding industrial site to the Northern Powergrid. Part of the Saint-Gobain Group – a global designer and producer of construction materials and solutions – Saint-Gobain Glass is the principal supplier of coated glass worldwide, with its UK base in Eggborough, Goole. With the manufacturing facility currently supplied via a private-wire network, the high voltage specialist has been enlisted to

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connect it to the local distribution network via a turnkey scheme of works. Acting as the Independent Connection Provider, the firm will be responsible for all required electrical and civils elements, from initial design through to final commissioning. Smith Brothers’ engineers will also take care of commissioning the entire system and integrating

it into both the Northern Powergrid and SaintGobain Glass networks. With work having commenced in November 2017, Smith Brothers is set to energise the site in June. Project manager Ryan Smith said: "For any manufacturing facility like this one, minimising operational disruption is a key priority for both the client and our team. There are always significant challenges involved, especially when there's limited space for the construction of the compounds and buildings, as is the case with the Eggborough assignment.

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Accountants expand into commercial finance sector Yorkshire-based Pierrepont Accountants has expanded into the commercial finance sector.

Vicky Dacre from Kirklees College, who worked with the Club to put the game together.” Lydia Butterworth, Head of Sales and Marketing at Kirklees College said: “The takeover game is such an exciting and dynamic collaboration, a local college winning multiple-national awards and a local football team earning promotion to the Premier League – creating the ultimate dream team! “It provides our learners with an excellent opportunity to showcase a tiny slice of some of the education and training we offer. “We are so grateful to everybody at the Club – particularly Tracy Nelson, for making this possible.” "But through condensing the site where possible, and tackling obstacles with our trademark efficiency and professionalism, we're aiming to complete the Saint-Gobain connection with zero system interruptions."

The Holmfirth-based company has traditionally specialised in providing accounting, taxation and payroll services to small businesses, helping them to improve their profitability and grow. The new business arm enables Pierrepont to offer a fully-rounded package of financial services, providing end-to-end support for clients. Additional services will include support in areas like accessing commercial property finance, business loans and venture capital along with alternative finance options such as asset-based lending and peer-to-peer lending. Pierrepont director, Jonathan Hill, said: “We’ve always prided ourselves on offering a friendly, personalised service, which builds up a strong relationship of trust. Recently we’ve had a lot of clients who are ready to grow their business asking for advice on how to access the necessary finance. Others have needed help to overcome cashflow problems identified through our forecasting process.

“At a time when face-to-face contact is widely being replaced by automated services, we’ve found that many business owners are uncomfortable about sharing their sensitive financial information with numerous, often unfamiliar, organisations. In a nutshell, they prefer to talk to one trusted individual with a single central point of contact. “So, we decided to respond by introducing this additional function into our business mix. This now enables us to accompany our customers along the whole of their journey and allows them to obtain all their financial support in one place. We have expert advisers in place with access to over 120 finance companies available to meet each customer’s individual commercial funding needs.” Pictured L-R: Accountants Dan Smith and Carole Pierpoint, Trainee Accountant Katie Walden, Director Jonathan Hill and Payroll and Pension Administrator Amy Robison.

The company has also been contracted to carry out works for other household names including Land Rover, Kellogg's and United Utilities. Managing director Nick Gudgeon added: "Our reputation as a leading Independent Connection Provider in the UK is steadily growing, and being enlisted by renowned companies like Saint-Gobain Glass is testament to this. "Our ongoing investment in people, training and equipment means that we're able to provide a turnkey service that is trusted by leading names nationwide. And with plenty more complex projects on the horizon, we're set to further cement our position in the market in 2018 and beyond."

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Fireplace Firm Rises like a Phoenix from the Ashes

Q&A with Lesley Adams, Chair of Brighouse BID Steering Group

A Huddersfield based fireplace firm is celebrating success following the acquisition of a company which entered administration in 2011. Aurora Fireplaces, which is now wholly owned by Fired Up Corporation, has seen a 400% increase in turnover since it evolved the business, which had previously been known as Aurora Marble. It is on track to increase turnover by a similar proportion in line with the company’s 2020 targets. Identifying the potential to return Aurora to profit, Fired Up Corporation utilised its experience from previous turnarounds including Adam Fireplaces and Corby of Windsor. Following a business restructure and investment in machinery, the firm now employs over 100 staff across two sites in Huddersfield. It has also invested significantly in online activity to promote its online presence. Future plans include introducing a range of new products to market this year, in response to

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the evolution of the interior design market, as well as plans to expand its showroom partner footprint. Jonathan Bradley, Fired Up Managing Director said: "Our customers' requirements have set the direction for the Aurora brand and our team at Fired Up are successfully delivering. We know that the incredible value of an Aurora product needs to be seen to be believed. We also know that the owners of independent showrooms want to compete offline and away from national resellers. “We have a vision to make Aurora the leading Fireplace brand within the independents market. Everybody involved has bought into this vision, and it has been fantastic to see each person take ownership of their part in the plan – the perfect blend of an ambitious team working towards a customer focussed long-term vision, is fuelling Aurora's success".

A consultation on whether Brighouse should have a Business Improvement District (BID) is currently underway. We spoke to Lesley Adams, owner of the town’s Simply Flowers and chair of the BID Steering Group to find out more about what it is, what it could mean and why businesses should get involved.

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What is a BID? BIDs are part of the Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long-term strategy, to encourage partnership working between a Local Authority and the business community. A BID is a defined area within which rate-paying businesses decide on new improvements to help transform their area - and then vote to agree the investment. This money is then ring-fenced to provide the improvements agreed through the BID strategy. There are over 300 BIDs in the UK now with many now in their second term, some in their third. The majority of these had a greater turnout and an even greater vote in favour than the first time of voting. They see improvements to business profitability and turnover which would not have happened without a BID. BIDs can be developed in towns, cities and industrial estates. Essentially a BID is designed to be for the businesses, controlled by the businesses. Why is a BID being proposed for Brighouse? In recent years our town has seen a revival, thanks to a regular calendar of successful events and a good mix of retail and other businesses. But lifestyles are changing rapidly, businesses in Brighouse need sustainable support to take advantage of its important strategic location, and lively town centre atmosphere. The events for which our town is known regionally (and even nationally) have been delivered very well attracting huge numbers of people to the town, but this is currently done on a voluntary basis and as costs rise, there may be a need to review this provision. This would not only be about the events programme though, through the BID, businesses could implement changes that they choose, to help improve the profile

of businesses in the town, improve links between the different commercial sectors, and encourage people to visit more often and stay longer thus sustaining a more vibrant economy across the whole town and its surrounding area. What would a BID deliver for Brighouse? The vision and objectives of the BID will be determined by businesses as part of the consultation process. They will be outlined in the Business Plan that the town votes upon. The action plans drawn up during the BIDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifetime will all relate back to these objectives. The BID will deliver the changes and improvements that businesses in Brighouse identify - these might include targeted street cleanups, improved signage, promotions and continuation of the excellent events programme that Brighouse already has. All of

which will help to drive customer visits and encourage longer stays. It might also be group buying initiatives which reduce costs and increased support with skill development and training, or specific targeted campaigns to support retailers and the leisure sector or professional services, commercial and industrial sectors. So, what happens next? Once the BID strategy has been drawn-up, businesses will be asked to vote on whether they would like it to go ahead. For the BID to proceed, those who vote in favour must represent a majority of the vote by number of votes and aggregate rateable value. You can keep up to date and find out more via our website www.BrighouseBID.co.uk

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Stafflex partners Fair and Funky to bring ‘smoothie bike’ to local schools Huddersfield recruitment agency Stafflex has partnered with eco-educators Fair and Funky to build a custom made smoothie bike to promote healthy eating, Fairtrade, exercise and environmental awareness in schools across West Yorkshire. conferences, festivals and other Fair and Funky, based in Huddersfield, delivers a range of educational workshop programmes around recycling, the environment and fair trade to schools in the local area. The ‘smoothie bike’ is a custom built, stationary bicycle fitted with a special blender which spins when the bike is peddled to mix up fruit into a ready-todrink smoothie. Fair and Funky plans to use the bike within schools,

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events across Kirklees and Calderdale to promote sustainable lifestyles. Helen Robinson co-founder at Fair and Funky said: “Engaging students with sustainability issues is key to empowering people to take their own little steps to change the world. The smoothie bike creates an opportunity for us to start conversations about saving

energy, cycling, and local and global food sourcing.” Rosie Stahelin, education team manager at Stafflex said: “The smoothie bike is a fantastic interactive tool to physically demonstrate to children the link between healthy eating and exercise. “We want to help fairandfunky

deliver a strong message not only to school children but also to their parents, siblings and neighbours about the importance of a sustainable lifestyle.” The bike’s first outing was at a Fairtrade conference for secondary schools at Honley High School in March.

The Piece Hall is shining bright

The destination has been shortlisted for the Community and Public Realm Project of the Year Award in this year’s international Lighting Design Awards. It is one of only two UK projects to be shortlisted in this category from over 300 entries from countries across the world.

The spotlight is on The Piece Hall in Halifax once again, as the worldclass destination’s impressive lighting scheme has been shortlisted for a prestigious international award.

The awards recognise the best in quality architectural lighting of the built environment. The lighting of The Piece Hall was selected for its integrated methodology and contemporary yet considered approach to the illumination of the Georgian building and courtyard. As part of the transformation of

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A Yorkshire communications and strategy consultancy has been appointed to support the work of the National Rural Crime Network. Commissioners and a wide range of other bodies with a deep interest in community safety and rural affairs, including the National Farmers Union, Neighbourhood Watch and Crimestoppers.

The National Rural Crime Network, established in 2014, works to see greater recognition and understanding of the problems and impact of crime in rural areas so more can be done to keep people safe and make them feel safe too.

Waverley’s work will be led by director Stephen Naylor whose experience working in politics and journalism, including leading a Member of Parliament’s constituency office in North Yorkshire, was one of the key reasons behind the appointment.

It has a membership of Police and Crime

Stephen said: “I am passionate that the voice of rural Britain is not only

the Grade I listed building which reopened last August, Calderdale Council was keen to introduce new lighting to showcase the building’s classical beauty and historical features, as well as illuminating the new courtyard, steps, seating areas and water features. The lighting design was carried out by BuroHappold Engineering, and working with LDN Architects. The Piece Hall transformation was made possible by funding received from Calderdale Council, following a £7 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and support from the Garfield Weston Foundation and the Wolfson Foundation. The Piece Hall Trust, an independent charity, was set up to run The Piece Hall for public benefit and to ensure the sustainable future of the building.

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Record growth for Mirfield digital agency

Communications consultancy wins national contract

Brighouse-based Waverley will support the Network’s public relations, public affairs and engagement work over the next two years and was selected following a competitive national tender process.

heard but listened to which is why I am looking forward to working with the National Rural Crime Network. Over the next two years, we will support its aim of engaging with all who can make a difference to those who live and work in our most isolated communities. “The appointment is a further demonstration of the strength of Waverley’s communications and strategy offering to a diverse range of businesses and organisations – from sport to education, charities to community – and we are proud to be continuing to expand.”

Cllr Tim Swift, Calderdale Council’s Leader, said: “There is no doubt that The Piece Hall’s lighting has a real wow factor. International recognition of this is yet more fantastic news for The Piece Hall, cementing its place as a world-class visitor attraction. Very welldeserved congratulations to everyone involved. Nicky Chance-Thompson, Chief Executive of The Piece Hall Trust added: “The atmosphere of The Piece Hall changes as night falls, making it a wonderful place that visitors can enjoy throughout the day and into the evening. The stunning architecture of The Piece Hall lit up at night is truly magical, with the lighting playing an important role in attracting visitors here to enjoy the resident restaurants and bars, as well as to attend our exciting programme of evening events.”

Creative digital marketing agency The Bigger Boat has achieved a record 43% increase in turnover for the period 2017-18. This uplift in revenue follows significant change for the Mirfield-based company, founded in 2010 by directors Doug Main, Lee Boothroyd and Andy McCaul. Doug recently completed the Goldman Sachs ‘10,000 Small Businesses UK’ programme, after a successful application to the national scheme. Designed to provide high-quality and practical support to leaders of small businesses in the UK – the programme was established to unlock growth potential for smaller companies. Commenting on the course, Doug said: "It was fantastic to be chosen to participate and learn new skills. But the chance to liaise with – and bounce ideas off – fellow business owners has been invaluable, and left me with a real hunger to inject some fresh and forward-thinking ideas into how we run the agency moving forwards." The agency has also made a duo of key appointments, paving the way for an increase to its client base. Ruby Ribbons joins the team as a junior account manager, and Emma Heslop joins as senior account manager to lead on design and digital marketing for Little Tikes. The agency is now has plans to recruit an additional account manager in line with growth.

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for businesses with a B2C contact centre operation where security is a must. “The call recording facility will automatically stop, for example, when a customer inputs their card details. The DTMF (Dual Tone Multiple Frequencies) tones will also be masked so that the operator hears only a flat sound, then as soon as the three-digit CVC code is inputted, the recording will immediately re-start. This ensures the safe processing of extremely sensitive data.” Betfred will now produce a host of callrelated metrics that will drive performance improvements within its team. Statistics will include the number of calls missed and received, call sources, time and date stamps, and waiting durations. The flexibility of the platform will also allow Betfred employees to work from home for business continuity in the event of a disaster recovery scenario.

Yorkshire cloud tech specialist secures £1m deal with Betfred

Technology specialist Vapour Cloud has secured a contract with renowned UK bookmaker Betfred, worth in excess of £1m. Technology specialist Vapour Cloud has secured a contract with renowned UK bookmaker Betfred, worth in excess of £1m. The contract, in association with pure technology group (PTG), sees the bookmaker investing in Vapour’s omnichannel platform Höllr, as part of an extensive project to overhaul its call

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centre infrastructure. When fully deployed, the solution will encompass recordable voice, video, SMS, email and social media dialogue. A secure payment gateway will also ensure adherence to industry legislation. CEO Tim Mercer commented: “This really is a ‘next generation’ solution, particularly suitable

The phased six-month roll out follows an extensive three-month ‘proof of concept’ project, with a VIP team of Betfred betatesters. Once fully operational within the 150-strong call centre in Wigan, the platform will be implemented throughout the full network of 1,700 UK shops. Tim added: “This is a fantastic contract for us to win and it is a testament to the technological capabilities of our platform, particularly because many other industry solutions couldn’t fulfil the compliance brief. It’s also a strong example of how we work with channel partners to deliver complex solutions that may otherwise be unattainable. The client benefits from a safe pair of hands and the partner expands their revenue potential.” Betfred’s Head of Customer Services, Mark Hilton, said: “We are delighted to secure a deal with Vapour Cloud, which will greatly improve the customer experience and make us even more efficient.”

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Dentist recognised for best practice The Courtyard Dental Centre in Huddersfield has been showcased as an example of excellence in UK private healthcare in a key Government publication.

HR consultancy launches new employment training programme Huddersfield-based HR consultancy, The Personnel Partnership, has launched a new training programme in conjunction with Eaton Smith Solicitors, designed to enhance and maintain relationships between employers and their employees. The programme, which started in April and will continue throughout the year and into early 2019, is split into five modules. They will provide delegates with the tools to recruit, manage talent, deal with issues in the workplace, handle dismissals and disciplinary processes, and improve staff wellbeing. Helen Straw, founder and managing director of The Personnel Partnership said: “When a business grows and starts to employ people, it’s crucial that they have processes to ensure they recruit the right staff and manage and develop that talent, but also have the right systems in place to professionally deal with any issues that might arise. “These courses have been

designed to give businesses the tools they need to ensure their employees are happy, but also to protect their business if things go wrong and ensure all boxes have been ticked.” Kate Booth, partner at Eaton Smith, said: “Employee wellbeing and complying with employment law should be a number one priority for businesses. Often companies find themselves in difficult situations, whether it’s a disgruntled employee, regular absences, workplace bullying, or having to make redundancies or dismissals. Attending these courses will give businesses an in-depth introduction to what their rights are as employers, as well as the rights of their employees.”

The town centre practice has been featured in The Parliamentary Review – a series of documents, endorsed by Prime Minister Theresa May, with the aim of inspiring others, sharing knowledge and raising standards. Founder Marcos White and practice partner Anna Stokes attended a Parliamentary Review gala dinner at The Terrace Pavilion in the House of Commons alongside MPs and leaders from a range of industries. Speakers at the event were the MP Jacob Rees Mogg, broadcaster Julia HartleyBrewer and rugby star James Horwill. Intended as a learning tool to the public and private sector, the Review is sent to over 500,000 leading policy makers and stakeholders in industry. Theresa May commented that “this year’s Parliamentary Review follows a significant year in British politics” and this is reflected in the articles from best practice representatives. Marcos said: “We are delighted to have been included in the Review. The articles act as both a blueprint for success and a template for reform so we are proud to think that we can help to shape development and improvement in the private healthcare sector.” The Parliamentary Review’s executive director, Daniel

Yossman, added: “The Courtyard and other hardworking organisations from across the country have come together to make the Review possible. It is my belief that innovation is contagious, if only it is given the platform to spread. It is the Review’s purpose to provide this platform and I am confident we are fulfilling it.” Located off King Street in Huddersfield centre, The Courtyard is one of nine outstanding organisations across the UK to be featured in the private healthcare edition of the Review, which looks back on the year in the private healthcare sector and Westminster. The practice has invested £1/4m in dentistry technology over the past two years and its interior is designed to look and feel like a boutique hotel.

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National business award shortlisting for law firm

Brothers launch bar after £100k renovations Three brothers have undertaken a full refurbishment of Infusion Cocktail Bar in Huddersfield town centre. Joe, Reece and Scott Hester took over the bar, located on John William Street, in November 2017 and opened temporarily over the Christmas period before closing for the refurbishment. Over £100,000 has been invested on the 10 week renovation project, which has included installing luxurious booths and seating, stylish feature bars and fitting a full working kitchen. In addition to an extensive cocktail menu and drinks offering, Infusion will serve an international tapas menu Wednesday to Sunday from 4pm-10pm. Joe Hester, Director of Infusion Cocktail Bar

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commented: “This has been such an exciting project for us. When we first saw the bar, we knew straight away that it was a fantastic opportunity. It has been a tough 10 weeks in terms of the refurbishment but we’re delighted with the finished product and are really looking forward to opening our doors. “It has always been a dream of ours and we’ve all brought something different to the bar – Reece has headed up the financials, and Scott is the brains behind our Infusion cocktail menu, having worked in a number of different bars across Huddersfield as a mixologist.

A Yorkshire HR and employment law firm has been shortlisted for three national awards that recognise the contribution family-run businesses make to the UK economy.

Howarths People and Safety Management, based in Cleckheaton, has been shortlisted in the Best Small Business, Big Heart and Family Business of the Year categories at the 2018 National Family Business Awards. The firm, which marks its 15th year in business this year, was established in 2003 by chairman Andy Howarth and wife Helen, and is now run by their son and managing director, Gavin Howarth. It is on track to hit the £1million turnover mark in 2018, and last year established its own independent charity, The Howarth Foundation,

to assist the homeless back into employment. The National Family Business Awards are the UK and Ireland’s only awards dedicated to family-run businesses, and are designed to recognise and reward the achievements of outstanding family businesses across the country. This year’s awards received more than 200 entries across categories including Technology and Innovation, Best Business to Work For, and Family Business of the Year. Gavin Howarth, managing director at Howarths, said:“In the last 15 years, we’ve grown our business based on family values including trust, respect and integrity, which our clients understand and respect. “To make it to the final of these awards in our anniversary year is a fantastic way to honour these values and celebrate the hard work and dedication from every single person involved in the business.” Winners of the National Family Business Awards will be announced at a black-tie ceremony at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 14 July.

K i rk l e e s

Dugdale Bros

Company of the Month

Heritage cloth brand Dugdale Bros & Co. is celebrating its most successful year to date, following significant expansion into fast-growing international markets and the appointment of key personne. the most successful year on record for the brand. With a fast-growing presence in overseas markets – including China, South Korea, Japan and Australia, to name just a few – the company reported a 22% uplift in turnover from exports alone, compared to the previous 12 months.

Through its 122-year history, the company has become renowned within the textiles world for supplying fine worsted fabrics to Savile Row tailors and iconic fashion houses alike. And it is precisely this international reach that was pivotal in making 2017

Significant expansion was achieved within the Scandinavian and Asian Pacific markets in particular, thanks to new distribution arrangements and the addition of two full-time export team members. 2017 also marked Dugdale Bros’ first year in partnership with its new USA agent Atlas International Textiles – a key distributor in America.

Domestic growth has followed a similar trajectory, with overall company turnover up 14% on the previous year. The recent appointment of sales managers Amit Karia and Jack Rowan has been key to this steady expansion, enabling the brand to build its customer base and enhance its visibility in the competitive UK market – particularly as the popularity of modern made-to-measure tailoring increases. 2017 saw the launch of three new cloth collections, bringing Dugdale Bros’ total number of ranges up to 23 – alongside the array of trimmings and linings also supplied by the brand. Amongst these new releases was the Royal Classic Vantage series, which incorporated archival patterns from the iconic 1957 Royal Classic collection, in celebration of its 60-year anniversary. Based in Huddersfield since its

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Sponsored by establishment in 1896, the brand was taken on by chairman Robert Charnock in 2001 and is the last independently-owned cloth merchant remaining in the centre of the town. Commenting on the record year of sales, Robert said: “2017 was intended to be a year of consolidation for us, following significant internal restructuring initiated by our managing director Simon Glendenning. However, increased activity with a number of notable luxury brands has helped to bolster our figures during this period. “Dugdale Bros is undoubtedly a company with a significant legacy behind it, which we are dedicated to preserving as we take the business forward. And it is precisely this balance between celebrating our heritage – both in relation to the brand and our town – and strategically targeting new overseas markets, that has enabled us to flourish.”

Goals4Hearts strikes up international partnership Local heart charity Goals4Hearts has teamed up with Qatar based Sports Academy, Evolution Sports. Thousands of miles divide Goals4Hearts & Evolution Sports, but both charities share the same common goals of encouraging healthy, active living, spreading the awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrests and helping to get lifesaving defibrillators out into the public along with CPR training. Formed in 2007 Evolution Sports quickly established itself as a market leader in the provision of sports for children and young adults in Qatar. Already recognised as one of the leading academies in the Middle East, Evo has worked alongside the Qatar Olympic Committee, the Qatar Football Association, the Qatar Stars League and Aspire to provide a world class coaching environment where good values and sportsmanship are held in equally high regard as

winning and losing. They believe that children need physical activity every day and that participation in sports helps to fill this need. Goals4Hearts founder, Lee Orton, said: “With today's wealth of video games and increasing time spent at computers, daily physical activity is often

forgotten. Getting your child involved in any sport at Evo will help them make exercise a part of their lifestyle and increases their chance of a being a healthier adult. “It’s an honour and a privilege to be working alongside such a big organisation who already have partnerships with likes of Paris St German, one of the richest football clubs in the world and our local Premiership team Huddersfield Town amongst others.” Toyan Greaves from Evo Sports added: “The health, education and well-being of our members is paramount, and working with charities like Goals4Hearts can only be beneficial to our staff, members and community here in Qatar. We will be working hard to make sure our staff, members and parents understand the dangers of Sudden Cardiac Arrest.”

MAY 2018

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BUS IN ESS

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TALK When you’re young you watch your parents drive it looks easy. If you could reach the pedals you’d be off! Fact is you are not aware of your own complete lack of competence as a driver. When you start to learn to drive you discover that there is much more to it -gears, mirrors road signs other drivers etc. You are now consciously incompetent, conscious of the fact that driving is more difficult than it looked and will require some learning on your part. With some lessons practice and training you are able to drive but only when you are concentrating, you find it hard to talk or listen to the radio at the same time. You are now consciously competent. Eventually when you can drive and talk and listen to the radio at the same time you have reached a state of unconscious competence. You can drive without thinking about it. Be careful not to transition to overconfidence.

Unconscious competence. In each issue, businessman Mike Phillips shares insights into the learnings and experiences he and his wife Marina experienced in setting up – and later selling – a successful business in the IT/Telecoms industry.

MAY 2018

I wrote a short book last year about how to grow a business. I convinced myself that I could follow it up with a work of fiction. The process I’m going through reminds me of a concept introduced to me many years ago.

problem as I’ve read hundreds of books. I was like the child watching his parent drive, thinking how easy it was and that if only I could reach the pedals I would be off! I was unconsciously incompetent

I initially thought that writing a novel was simply thinking of a story and having the time to write it down. Constructing a plot and having characters who are interesting with things they must to do would be no

I didn’t have the first idea of what was involved in driving a car, I also knew nothing about the craft of writing. As I did eventually learn to drive I feel justified in using that process as an example of stages of learning

‘Learning how to do it’ is just as important in business. The difference is that if you can’t drive you get immediate feedback when you hit a tree. That kind of feedback doesn’t happen when you start a business and is why many businesses don’t survive. If you hit a tree you’d learn a lesson and become a more competent driver. Many businesses fail at the unconsciously incompetent phase, never knowing what they are doing wrong because in business feedback builds slowly and erupts as insolvency. If we had more feedback we might learn lessons, get help, read books watch training on the Web because we would know that we needed it. The best plan is to get the training and help to avoid hitting the tree in the first place. When a business becomes overconfident. which many do. it is the commercial equivalent of texting whilst driving. The business becomes complacent, unaware of danger and drives into trouble.

INSIDE Chamber News .......................I Chamber Policy......................IV Member News ..........................V Chamber Events ....................X Business of the Month ..........XII

Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commmerce

News www.mycci.co.uk

Over 550 Attend Kirklees’ Biggest Business Conference Business professionals from across the region gathered at The John Smith’s Stadium on Wednesday 21st March for the 2018 Kirklees Business Conference (KBC). The free one-day conference, organised by the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, gave delegates the chance to connect with over 50 exhibitors and learn from a number of fantastic speakers on the engaging seminar line-up. A discussion panel took place where expert panellists highlighted how the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which comes into force from 25 May 2018, will aﬀect the way organisations hold and process personal information, and how businesses can best prepare for the changes. Delegates also had the opportunity to hear from keynote speaker Graham Leslie CBE, a self-made businessman who established Galpharm International in

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Huddersfield which rapidly grew to become the UK’s biggest supplier of non-prescriptive medicine. This year the event was sponsored by; AD:VENTURE, All My Systems, Wilby, Calder IT, Crowther Chartered Accountants, 3M Buckley Innovation Centre, Stafflex, RRG Group, MyUKVisas, and Juice Personnel. KBC was also supported by key partners; Kirklees College, Social Progress, John Steel Photography, The Design Mechanics, The John Smith’s Stadium, TopicUK, Merlin Tickets and Virtual Huddersfield. Rachael Thurlbeck, Business

Adviser at AD:VENTURE commented: “We were very proud to support the Kirklees Business Conference 2018 as headline sponsors. The planning, set up and interaction throughout the day was excellent and we thoroughly enjoyed the day. “There was a real buzz in the exhibition hall and we spoke to several great businesses not just from Kirklees but from further aﬁeld as well. It was great to see lots of networking, businesses connecting and educating via the seminars.” Rory Bourke, Events & Sponsorship Co-ordinator at the Mid Yorkshire Chamber said:

“We’re delighted with this year’s event; the feedback from both delegates and exhibitors has been excellent. “The business community in Kirklees is striving and we will continue to work to develop the reputation of the Kirklees Business Conference as a way of bringing together local businesses. I’d like to thank our fantastic sponsors and partners for supporting the event. With members continued collaboration we will be able to not only strengthen the Kirklees Business community, but also encourage businesses from further aﬁeld to choose Kirklees as a place to do business.”

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Mid Yorkshire Chamber News

Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce appoints two new directors to its board Jason McCartney, Head of Public Affairs at the University of Huddersfield, and Stefanie Hopkins, founder and managing director of Faith PR, will join the team to build on the Chamber’s work supporting businesses in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. After being the Member of Parliament for the Colne Valley between 2010 and 2017, Jason McCartney joined the University in October 2017. His current remit at the University is to strengthen its relationship with opinion formers and policy makers, with a particular focus on establishing the UK as a world leader in rail technology via the University’s Institute of Railway Research. Stefanie Hopkins is the founder of Brighouse-based award winning public relations agency, Faith PR. The agency, which last year celebrated its 10th anniversary, specialises in advising companies on PR strategy and delivering results-driven social, digital and traditional media content. Stefanie has over 15 years’ experience across a wide range of B2B and B2B sectors representing brands including Twisted Automotive, Premdor, Kirklees Council and Vorwerk. The pair will take the current board to seven members, joining Martin Hathaway, MD of Mid Yorkshire

Chamber, Brian Stahelin, MD of Stafflex, Gareth Hunt, MD of Copiserv, Andy Turner of first choice (recruitment) and Tim Welton of Williams & Co. The Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce aims to protect and develop the interests of business in the metropolitan districts of Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. It also provides a range of services and benefits to help businesses grow, give members a voice, and help to understand policy issues and legislation that impacts on businesses in the region. The role of the Board of Directors is to advise, challenge and ensure the business of the Chamber is run in a sustainable way for the long-term

beneﬁt of members, and act as ambassadors and representatives for the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce. Brian Stahelin, Managing Director of Staﬄex and Chamber Chairman said: “We are delighted to welcome Jason and Stefanie to the board. They are both dedicated and experienced business people who will bring valuable communications experience to the board. “Their appointments will strengthen the Board of Directors and help to steer and guide it as it aims to continue to deliver quality services that connect, support and represent businesses across our region.” The prestigious competition is one of the showpiece events in the business calendar, recognising and promoting the best of British business through a series of regional heats, culminating in a Gala Awards Dinner, which will take place at Tobacco Dock, London on 29 November. Entries will be accepted until midnight on Friday 29 June. This year’s winner of the Business of the Year award will have the chance to open the market at the London Stock Exchange as a prize, a rare opportunity for a private business.

Time running out to enter Chamber Business Companies can enter nine categories covering; Awards 2018 Businesses from across the region are invited to compete in the ﬁfteenth annual Chamber Business Awards – hosted by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

exports, small business, exemplary employers, technology, high-growth, customer commitment, partnerships with the education sector, digital communications, and workplace wellbeing. Sponsors of this year’s awards include Bibby Financial Services, DHL, Legal and General, The London Stock Exchange, Qdos Consulting and RADA in Business.

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Mid Yorkshire Chamber News

Share and report your mobile not spots The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has launched its campaign for ‘No More Not Spots’, with the aim of ending not spots for voice coverage where UK phone users live, work, travel and play. The UK’s leading business group has launched the campaign to bring together business communities and those involved in delivering coverage to identify challenges and work through solutions to improve poor mobile coverage. Not spots, and areas of partial not spots hamper UK businesses. A recent survey by the BCC of over 1,400 companies, found that a fifth (21%) of firms say the UK mobile phone network doesn’t meet their needs in accessing new and existing customers, suppliers and employees. Despite welcome investment in geographic coverage for voice and text, not spots still exist, even in dense commercial centres, road and rail corridors where access issues, the built environment, and the economics of new infrastructure can combine to weaken coverage and frustrate network rollout. The campaign will mobilise Chamber member businesses and wider local communities to identify and report gaps in coverage to the BCC. It will bring together all those involved in delivering coverage with local business communities to Francis Martin, President of the British Chambers of Commerce said: “Businesses are the driving force of the UK economy, generating jobs, prosperity and growth. Every year, the Chamber Network celebrates the best of British business, and recognises their contribution to both local communities and the wider economy. “Every time I visit Chamber member businesses I’m struck by the time and resources they invest in developing the technology and talent of tomorrow. The Awards acknowledge the relentless efforts of these businesses and their talented employees. “Each year the calibre and diversity of applicants to the Chamber Business Awards surpasses our expectations, and we look forward to seeing the scope of great companies that apply this year.” To enter online, to go www.chamberawards.co.uk or for further information you can contact the Chamber Awards team on 020 7654 5800 or e-mail awards@ chamberawards.co.uk.

identify priorities for action. The campaign is part of the BCC’s wider call for a greater focus on ‘fixing the fundamentals’ of the UK business environment to remove barriers to growth. Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), commenting on the campaign said: “A reliable mobile phone signal is one of the most basic requirements for any business, as more and more conversations and transactions take place while people are on the go. Unfortunately, dropped calls and poor signal remains an issue in many areas across the UK. “The Chamber network is now campaigning for an end to mobile phone ‘not spots’ all across the UK, so that businesspeople can connect to customers, suppliers and staff – and so that local communicates can better connect, too. “Our campaign will be constructive and focused on solutions. While we’ll press for investment and services improvements, we’ll work with mobile operators and all parties with a stake in getting this right across the UK. Working together, business, communities and operators can identify key gaps in coverage and find shared solutions to resolve the realworld connection problems many business communities face.

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“Our message to all businesses is simple: share and report mobile not spots – so that together we can take action to improve reliable coverage for the future. The UK’s future prosperity depends on getting the fundamentals right here at home – and a push for reliable, dependable and consistently improving mobile connectivity is the perfect place to start.” Steven Leigh, Head of Policy and Representation at the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “The Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce fully supports the BCC’s ‘No More Not Spots’ campaign which was launched recently. The BCC Survey on mobile telephone signals has confirmed what many businesses knew already - that telephone reception difficulties are still quite common. Where this is the case the BCC is collecting evidence in an effort to produce a co-ordinated response to the ‘Not Spot’ problem. “The No More Not Spots initiative will be instrumental to prioritising action to repair and enhance telephone services in parts of the country which suffer from service deficiencies, and hopefully help to get them fixed! “Businesses and the general public have come to depend upon mobile phones, and it is therefore essential that telephone reception and signals are functional at all times, in all areas of the country. In order to compete on the global stage, the UK needs to have fully operational and fit-forpurpose supportive infrastructure which encompasses road, rail, and all telecommunications systems. “This campaign is a proactive initiative by the Chamber network which can contribute to improved business efficiency and national prosperity, and we urge all businesses to support it.” To log your not spot please visit www.mycci.co.uk

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Mid Yorkshire Chamber Policy

Apprenticeships

up-skill workers at every level of the workforce.

Sometimes, when new business initiatives are introduced, the eﬀect can unfortunately produce the opposite results to those which were intended. Disappointingly, this appears to be the case with the Apprenticeship Levy.

“Apprenticeships are very much part of the solution, but the restrictions and complexity around the use of the Apprenticeship Levy have made it more difficult for firms to use it to train staff and plug skills shortages. Since the Levy was introduced almost a year ago, we have seen a worrying fall in the number of new Apprenticeships being commenced – and this could impact on business competitiveness. Something must be done urgently to reverse this trend.

In fairness, nobody predicted that this would be the eﬀect of introducing the new Levy. But the decline in numbers has continued, and ﬁgures released in late March by the Department for Education disclose that the latest take-up

ﬁgures for Apprenticeships in England dropped by nearly a third over 2017 (from 24,000 to 16,700), and the target of three million people starting Apprenticeships by 2020 is now nigh-on impossible. Businesses say that the Levy is too complex,

and that it should be made more flexible. Moreover, many employers have rejected the Levy – and criticised it as being unwieldy and difficult. Recognising the problem, in his Spring Statement, the Chancellor acknowledged that there are problems with the Levy, and he announced that £80m would be directed towards SME’s to assist them to take advantage of the new system. Chambers’ of Commerce are anxious to help fix these problems, and on behalf of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), spokesperson Jane Grattan observed: “With BCC research showing three quarters of businesses facing skills shortages, it is vital that employers can recruit young people into their businesses and

“The Government urgently needs to liaise with businesses to find ways to make the Apprenticeship Levy work better for everyone, and ensure that the UK economy has the skilled staff it needs. Some quick fixes include giving firms more time to source Apprenticeship training, introducing more flexible payment schedules and doing more to help SMEs access Apprenticeship funding.”

THE INFLUENCE OF CHAMBERS’ OF COMMERCE In March this year, Adam Marshall, the Director-General of the BCC, attended the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Council, representing the Chamber Network. In attendance at the Council Meeting were leaders from major ﬁrms and business organisations, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Business Secretary and Brexit Ministers. The focus of the Meeting was on the overall state of the UK economy, ongoing Brexit

negotiations, and on Industrial Strategy. Adam MarshalI actively participated in the discussions, which were pragmatic, positive and focused on solutions. On behalf of the Chamber Network, Adam re-emphasised the importance of the domestic business environment, and the need for as much focus and eﬀort to go into delivering the fundamentals for economic growth as is being expended on Brexit.

Steven Leigh Head of Policy and Representation Call: 07809 658 533 Email: steven.leigh@mycci.co.uk

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Mid Yorkshire Chamber Member News

Family solicitor joins Brighouse Legal Practice Brighouse law firm Wilkinson Woodward Bearders has announced the appointment of family lawyer and mediator Mark Green. Mark brings with him over two decades of experience in handling all aspects of relationship breakdown including finance, property and arrangements for children. After studying law in Leeds in the 1980s, Mark’s legal career began as an articled clerk with Holmfirth based Heap, Marshall and Heeley.

Direct Mail specialists announce Apprentice appointment West Yorkshire based, Propack Direct Mail are delighted to announce they have recently appointed Sarah Mann as an Apprentice Account Executive within the Client Services Department. With production facilities in Huddersﬁeld, Propack are a marketing services provider and specialise in Digital Print, Direct Mail, Print Management and Postage. The ﬁrm boast many major blue-chip clients including; Sky Bet, Travis Perkins and GHD.

further enhance the customer service offering. The National Business College in Huddersfield is facilitating the apprenticeship scheme which allows Sarah to work towards a Level 2 certification in Business Administration.

It’s great to gain real experience of the world of work...

Sarah commenting on her appointment said: “I was delighted to accept the apprenticeship with Propack. It’s great to gain real experience of the world of work whilst also remaining in education and working towards a qualiﬁcation.”

Limara McDermott, Senior Account Manager at Propack said: “Having previously experienced challenges recruiting the right candidates we decided to pursue the Apprenticeship avenue.

The ﬁrm’s decision to join the apprenticeship scheme came as a result of a number of new client wins. This immediately followed the recent appointment of Emily Parkinson and Nicola Gautry as Account Managers to

I would urge any ﬁrm looking at their recruitment options to seriously consider taking on an apprentice. It’s very satisfying to support someone on their ﬁrst steps into work and we’ve been delighted with Sarah’s approach and enthusiasm for the role.”

He qualiﬁed as a solicitor in 1987 and has specialised in family law for the past 25 years. Mark is a trained collaborative solicitor and an accredited family mediator. Mark, who lives near Holmﬁrth and is married with three grown up children, said: “I am very proud to be joining Wilkinson Woodward Bearders, a long established and trusted name in Calderdale and Kirklees.” Managing Director Maureen Cawthorn extended a warm welcome to Mark commenting: “Wilkinson Woodward Bearders continues to attract legal professionals of the highest calibre and we’re delighted to welcome Mark Green to our growing Brighouse team. His appointment forms part of our continuing plans to expand in Calderdale and Kirklees.”

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Mid Yorkshire Chamber Member News

Double celebration for Wakefield accountancy firm! our approach to meeting client needs and helping them and their businesses to grow! Jan Szczepanski, SFB Director said “With our new identity, we are excited about growing the Wakefield office and working closely with the Wakefield business community. We specialise in supporting businesses across a wide range of sectors including legal, creative, digital & IT. The expertise of our team means that a growing number of Polish businesses use our services too!”

Members of SFB Group’s Wakefield team L-R: Anna Trochanowska, Jan Szczepanski, Thomas Szczepanski, Weronika Dolezal and Marie Szczepanski

A Wakefield based firm of chartered accountants, wealth managers and business growth specialists have double reason to celebrate as they launch their new brand and expand their team. SFB Group, which incorporates established Wakefield firm Sanders Geeson, have recently recruited a number of talented individuals. Anna Trochanowska, who has recently passed her AAT

exams, has taken on the role of accountant and Weronika Dolezal has been recruited as a trainee accountant. The team expansion coincides with a complete company rebrand, which has been rolled out across the whole business. The new branding reﬂects the ﬁrm’s vision and EPIC values. SFB promotes a culture of enjoyment in the workplace, shows integrity and professional excellence in all that we do, provide innovative solutions for clients and are commercial in

SFB Group provide a wide range of services including accountancy, wealth management, tax advisory, corporate finance, forensic accounting business advice and marketing services. SFB also has offices in Nuneaton, Leicester, Hinckley, Coventry & London. To celebrate the rebrand, SFB Group are giving away a valuable tax card to all Wakefield based Chamber members. The tax card, which contains all the latest tax rates for 2018/19 is enclosed with the Wakefield Edition! For more information on SFB Group and how the firm can help you achieve your business and personal goals, please contact Thomas Szczepanski by emailing thomas.szczepanski@sfb.group.

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Mid Yorkshire Chamber Member News

West Yorkshire web designer comes out on top in London

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ongoing collaboration, a website partner to work with us now and in the future. Webbit was the obvious choice because they oﬀer more than just a website.” Gavin Stevens founded Webbit around an innovative Pay As You Go oﬀering. This allows smaller businesses and serious start-ups to have a professional presence without a big capital outlay.

Webbit Managing Director, Local web design ﬁrm, Webbit, based in Denby Dale, Gavin Stevens, explained: has won the contract to “We’ve found most of our design and build the website customers need help to for education-technology understand their business (Ed-Tech) start-up Going proposition, and in turn their Mobile in London.

Celebrating 18 Years in Business Five Talents Creative Design and Marketing celebrated 18 years in business in Halifax recently. The creative agency, founded by local creative designer Ade Prosser in 2000, chose to host their birthday event at The Piece Hall, the heart of Halifax’s arts and culture. The Five Talents team brought together many of their national and local clients, colleagues, friends and family to celebrate their 18th birthday in style. Local artist Peter J Chapple created a live art pieces and local band Got It Covered provided

the music whilst guests enjoyed local cheeses and wine.

Going Mobile provides tablets with educational speciﬁc software, full support and training, into primary schools to enhance learning and development. Webbit will design and build their website and help set up their social media presence. Jim Anderson, MD at Going Mobile, said: “We need more than just web design; we need

basic brand. Only then can a proper website be created, but obviously it will also evolve just like we did!”

Already Webbit’s involvement has made a diﬀerence to Going Mobile, as Jim continued: “We’re now totally clear about our values, and have begun identifying the basics of our brand. I’m looking forward to seeing all this incorporated in the website.”

Commenting on the celebration, Ade said: “What a way to celebrate 18 years, it was great to be able to thank my team, clients, friends and family for their support over the years. It’s not always easy but it’s been a great journey. I am proud of the work we do, and long may it continue. I would like to thank everyone for their continued support and for coming to Halifax to help us celebrate.”

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Mid Yorkshire Chamber Member News their chemotherapy treatment at home. In the US, the family run company have developed a unique sales approach which involves pay-per-treatment and personal cap to ensure a more affordable scalp cooling option for patients. This approach has involved setting up a HQ in Houston, a call centre, pharmacy and logistics (collectively the Paxman Hub), technical services and employing US training specialists who support providers and patients throughout their scalp cooling journey from start to finish. Paxman place scalp cooling systems on a low-cost lease with healthcare providers but directly bill the patient through the Paxman Hub for their scalp cooling cap and pay-per-use tokens. It is the only scalp cooler in the world to offer a single patient use cooling cap to each user.

Paxman awarded prestigious British American Business award for its US success UK scalp cooling expert Paxman, have been awarded the BritishAmerican Business TransAtlantic Growth (TAG) Award Small Gold Export Award for its US success. In less than a year since gaining oﬃcial clearance by the Food and Drug Administration; Paxman has installed or signed delivery agreements in the USA for 250 of its pioneering scalp cooling system at 121 cancer clinics. Hair loss is consistently ranked as one of the most feared and a common side eﬀects of chemotherapy treatment and often people will refuse it because they do not want to lose their hair.

The damage that chemotherapy causes to the hair follicle can be alleviated by using the scalp cooling treatment, also known as the 'cold cap'. It works by reducing the temperature of the scalp by a few degrees immediately before, during and after the administration of chemotherapy. In the UK, Paxman works directly with the NHS and private healthcare providers, including those who oﬀer patients the opportunity to receive

CEO Richard Paxman, said: “It is a privilege to be presented with this prestigious award. The US market is the largest in the world, so we are incredibly proud of the progress we have had in our first year since receiving FDA clearance. Our success in the US market, which is key to our global expansion, is also testimony to the growing understanding of the importance of scalp cooling as a way of improving quality of life and giving patients increased control during chemotherapy treatment. I would also like to thank all the team in the US and UK, my family and partner for all their support enabling us to achieve this success.” Currently the Paxman Scalp Cooling System has received market clearance for use during chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. The company have also filed an application for use of its scalp cooling system during treatment of patients with solid tumours. The expanded FDA clearance will substantially increase the company’s accessible market in the US. Paxman has already reached its initial target set for the US market – a total of 250 scalp cooling systems that are either installed or covered by signed delivery agreements – during the first year following FDA clearance.

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Mid Yorkshire Chamber Member News

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Mid Yorkshire Chamber Events ○ WHEN?

○ MORE INFO:

First Thursday of the month 09:30–11:00 ○ WHAT?

○ WHERE?

Join us for light refreshments and an opportunity to make some valuable new contacts. Delegates get the chance to introduce their business in a short elevator pitch and follow-up new business leads. It’s a great way to make new contacts in a friendly, but focused way. You are also welcome to bring your company literature and banner stands.

We rotate the location within the Mid Yorkshire region:

It’s FREE for members and just £20.00 plus VAT for non-members.

• Thursday 7th June, Calderdale – University Business Centre – Halifax, Piece Mill, 25-27 Horton Street, Halifax, HX1 1QE

Book your place online at www.mycci.co.uk/events

MY NETWORK WAKEFIELD

• Thursday 5th July, Wakefield – ASIC, Wakefield City Campus, Margaret Street, Wakefield, WF1 2DH

○ WHAT? A very informal networking opportunity, come along and make some new contacts in a relaxed setting and enjoy a drink on us! Run in partnership with Barclays, Copiserv, First Choice, Ramsdens Solicitors LLP, Northern Media and the Wakeﬁeld Trinity.

○ WHEN? Second Friday of the month 12:30-13:30

Tel: 01484 483 679 Follow @MidYorksChamber and #ConnectionsCount on Twitter

○ MORE INFO: No need to book, just turn up! Follow @MidYorkshireNet and #MYNetworkWakey on Twitter.

○ WHERE? The Hop, Bank Street, Wakefield, WF1 1EH.

○ WHAT?

○ WHEN?

○ MORE INFO:

A fantastic opportunity to network in an informal environment, making some great new contacts for your business.

Third Wednesday of the month 09:00–11:00

No need to book, just turn up!

Run in partnership with Ramsdens Solicitors LLP, Better Telecoms, Social Progress and The Media Centre.

○ WHAT? Monthly lunchtime business networking meeting: have a chat, mingle and make some new contacts. Run in partnership with Barclays, Cresswells, and Ramsdens Solicitors LLP.

Follow @MidYorkshireNet and #MYNetworkHud on Twitter.

○ WHERE? The Media Centre, Northumberland Street, Huddersﬁeld, HD1 1RL

○ WHEN? Last Friday of the Month 12:30–13:30 ○ WHERE? Gin Lane The Piece Hall Blackledge Halifax HX1 1RE

○ MORE INFO: No need to book, just turn up and the ﬁrst drink is on us. Follow@LastFridayClub on Twitter

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Mid Yorkshire Chamber Events

Local Business Forums ○ WHERE? ○ WHAT? We rotate the location within the Mid Yorkshire region Enjoy a light breakfast and the opportunity to have your say about • Wednesday 27th June, Calderdale – The Room pressing business topics which are @ Town Hall Dental, The Old Town Hall, facing the local business community. Thornton Square, Brighouse, HD6 1EA ○ WHEN? Monthly, 08:00-10:00

• Wednesday 27th July, Kirklees – venue tbc

○ MORE INFO: It’s FREE for members and just £10.00 plus VAT for non-members. Places are limited, book your place online at www.mycci.co.uk/events or contact steven.leigh@mycci.co.uk Tel: 07809 658533

Courses in exporting The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has ten nationally accredited core courses in exporting and international trade. Together the courses create an export curriculum, providing invaluable basic exporting skills for small and large companies alike. By completing six courses, candidates achieve a nationally recognised foundation award in exporting. The courses are suitable for both experienced and inexperienced exporters. Courses are priced individually. A discount can be oﬀered when booking 6 or more modules or booking 3 or more delegates on the same course

The next courses are as follows: •

Import Procedures (Including Inward & Outward Processing) Thursday 14th June 2018 09:30 - 16:30 £270 (+ VAT) members and £310 (+ VAT) for non members.

•

Incoterms Thursday 19th July 2018 09:30 - 12:30 £125 (+VAT) for members / £140 (+VAT) for non-members

•

Methods of Payment Thursday 19th July 2018 13:30 - 16:30 £125 (+VAT) for members / £140 (+VAT) for non-members

For more information and to full our full export events calendar please visit www. myexporthub.co.uk/events

All of the courses will take place at The John Smith’s Stadium, Stadium Way, Huddersﬁeld, HD1 6PG.

Wakefield Business Conference 2018 ○ WHAT? Part of Wakefield Business Week, which aims to drive economic growth in the district, and get more businesses in the Wakefield community connected. Wakefield Business Conference features an Expo and engaging speakers, attracting hundreds of business people and industry leaders.

○ MORE INFO:Register your interest as an exhibitor or sponsor to rory.bourke@mycci.co.uk or tel: 01484 483 679

○ WHEN? October / November 2018 ○ WHERE? TBC

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Business of the Month

The Eaton Smith Business of the Month Award is open to ﬁrms in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakeﬁeld. Each month a new winner is chosen and all 12 then go through to the annual Business of the Year award. For your chance to win the Business of the Month award visit www.businessofthemonth.co.uk or contact Eleanor Cummings at Eaton Smith on 01484 821430

Photo L-R: David Hodgson – NatWest, Steven Leigh – Mid Yorkshire Chamber, Annie Bradley – DIT, David Busﬁeld – Crowther Accountants, Chris Taylor – Partner, Eaton Smith, Mike Roberts – PMG, Ellie Roberts – PMG, Alison Gibson – PMG, Martin Kearton-Smith – PMG

JANUARY AWARD WINNERS

The company manages nationwide campaigns across all types of media and formats, ensuring clients meet tight deadlines and that projects are delivered cost effectively. Furthermore, it takes measures to ensure its practices and processes are entirely renewable and Birstall-based PMG Print Management recyclable, with 94% of its paper coming uses innovative and cost-effective from Europe, in areas of forest that are solutions to deliver clever ideas expanding year on year. through numerous creative services, from finding the best print solutions Chris Taylor, Partner at Eaton Smith and managing campaigns, through to and member of the judging panel storage and distribution services. commented: “PMG has demonstrated innovation in order to stand out in a crowded marketplace. The dedication

PMG Print Management

the company shows in employing clever print management solutions to save clients both time and money should be commended. As a result of this, PMG continue to grow from their Yorkshire base which is fantastic for the region.” Mike Roberts, Management Director of PMG Print Management commented: “We are delighted to have won the Business of the Month Award. We have a fantastic team at PMG who are instrumental to the success of the business. This is a great start to 2018 which I believe will be a year of outstanding growth for PMG.”

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Business of the Month

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Photo L-R: Mike Hall, Paul Philmore – Philmore & Co, Phil Clarke – Partner, Eaton Smith, Katie Mallinson – Scriba PR, Louise Jagger – Scriba PR, Paige Catton – Scriba PR

FEBRUARY AWARD WINNERS

Scriba PR Scriba PR is a technical PR agency founded by Katie Mallinson in 2013. The PR industry is very competitive but the Scriba PR found a way to stand out by specialising in PR for technical B2B ﬁrms and focussing on briefs that most agencies shy away from. Phil Clarke, Partner and member of the judging panel said; “Scriba

PR stood out as a company that has grown through an innovative oﬀering in a crowded marketplace. It is clear that there is continual reinvestment in the business both in terms of developing systems and technologies and staﬀ training and well-being”. Katie Mallinson, MD of Scriba commented; “I am so proud of our team and client growth over the past couple of years and it is a great achievement for the business’s progress and hard work to be recognised with this accolade.”

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New Chamber Members

Chamber membership gives you access to a wide range of benefits including ways to raise your profile, save on company costs and get involved in policy at both local and national levels. Two of our newest benefits, exclusive to members, include:

Members can access a range of documents, including templates and advice, through an online library and also have access to a dedicated advice and support line 24/7 365 days a year. Also included is a comprehensive package of essential legal expenses insurance. There’s no extra fees the above is included in the cost of your membership!

Four services for all members Provided by fellow member, QDOS Consulting, the newest member service encompasses the following: • Chamber Tax • Chamber Legal • Chamber Health & Safety • Chamber HR

Energy Management For a number of years the Chamber has worked closely with member Kinect Energy Group formerly Orchard Energy who are based in Elland to provide members with access to cost savings against their utilities; These services and savings include: · Discounted HIA for Gas, Power and Water

New Members

Avitus Group Ltd www.avitusgroup.co.uk professional services

· · · · · · · ·

30% instead of 40% Free kVa review Free energy eﬃciency walk around 10% discount on full technical audit, Data Management Portal, EPC’s and DEC’s Free legislative advice Dedicated Energy Consultant Invoice Validation Query Management, COT’s, and Terminations Independent Market News

To ﬁnd out more about membership and beneﬁts please contact Rachel McDerby, Membership Coordinator, on 01924 311605 or by email, Rachel.mcderby@mycci.co.uk

Aeroservices Ltd www.aeroservicesltd.com

Burton Safes Ltd www.burtonsafes.co.uk wholesale & retail trade

CW Dix Limited www.chrisdixaccountants.co.uk accounting

And Words Ltd marketing and public relations

Dutton Construction www.duttongroup.co.uk construction

Expert Locums Recruitment Ltd www.expertlocums.co.uk other business activities

Firebox Global Logistics www.ﬁreboxglobal.co.uk transportation & logistics

Global Diversity Positive Action www.globaldiversitypa.com registered charity

Kirkwood Hospice www.kirkwoodhospice.co.uk registered charity

Stoelzle Falcconage Ltd Manor House Lindley www.manorhouselindley.co.uk hotels & restaurants

RAM Mobile www.rammobile.com wholesale & retail trade

Rhubarb Revolution www.rhubarbrevolution.co.uk marketing

www.stoelzle.com manufacturing

Ventas Sales Torchbearer Interactive www.torchbearerinteractive.co.uk computer and related activities

Unity Hall and Business Space Ltd www.unitybusinessspace.co.uk other business activities

www.ventas-sales.com business management consultants

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Chamber Member Offers

MemberOffers CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP GIVES YOU ACCESS TO EXCLUSIVE BUSINESS DISCOUNTS, OFFERS AND FREE PUBLICITY! What? A heavily discounted service offered exclusively by members for members. Benefit from free publicity as a host or gain huge savings by utilising our Member Offer of the Month benefits. Why? We understand that members have a business to run, through hosting a Member Offer of the Month, you can save time on marketing and benefit from free publicity. By using members offers, save money on valuable services for your business. How? To discuss how your company could take advantage of the Member Offer of the Month and other publicity opportunities:

CONTACT RACHEL - 01924 311605 For details on our current Member Offer of the Month, please visit our website www.mycci.co.uk/get-connected/member-offers

Chamber Connect Card ENJOY EXCLUSIVE LONG TERM BUSINESS DISCOUNTS! What? Access a range of long term discounted offers, negotiated for your business as part of your membership package. You can also participate by offering your own discounted products and services to fellow members.

Why? Your Connect Card is a value added service that could represent signiﬁcant savings for your business. By participating as an offer provider you can gain increased brand exposure and create new business opportunities.

How? Log into the MY Chamber at www.mycci. co.uk/my-chamber to redeem and view all Connect Card offers. To discuss how your company could participate in a connect card offer, contact Rachel on 01924 311605

All Connect Card offers can be viewed on our website, some current offers include:

Eureka is offering Chamber members 10% off all corporate event bookings including; Teambuilding & Away Days, Function and Room Hire, Product Launches and Promotions and Event Sponsorship.

Avanti Corporate Solutions

Kerry Logistics (UK) Limited are offering a 20% discount to new Chamber members on all their Export and Import services.

We are offering a complimentary mystery shop and consultation to any Chamber member who would like to receive this valuable insight into their business.

Discount on IOSH Accredited Training Courses. Members can benefit from a reduced rate of £440+VAT (a £50 discount) for the Managing Safely Course and a £10 discount on the Working Safely course.

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Chamber Patrons Update

Is your Will up to date? So, you have a Will, is that it? No! You need to make sure your Will is up to date. A recent case highlights this: The deceased had made a Will following her divorce from her husband. As she didn’t have any children she made her best friend her executor and sole beneﬁciary. Years passed and the deceased lost contact with her friend and began a new relationship with a new partner and the new partner

sold his property in order that they could live together in her home. The deceased passed away suddenly and had not updated her Will. The result was that her estranged friend was not only the sole beneﬁciary of her estate, but also responsible for dealing with her assets including the property. The partner of the deceased was not mentioned in the Will and therefore brought a claim against the estate. An agreement was

reached at a lengthy delay and cost to the estate. So ask yourself; have there been changes to my relationships or Charlene Vilia, family that are not reﬂected in my Senior Solicitor Will? Have there been changes to at Eaton Smith the value of my assets? Does my Will reﬂect changes to tax laws? Finally, do I also need to have an LPA? Our team of expert solicitors in our Private Client team will make sure you have the documentation in place so that your estate is distributed according to your wishes. Contact us on 01484 821 300.

Pitch Refurbishment and Stadium Tours Our annual pitch refurbishment takes place in May, at the end of the football season. This is scheduled in and around Huddersfield Giants’ matches. The Stadium’s ground staff have a very short window to carry out the major refurbishment, which will include extending the pitch width by 1 metre 10cm to conform to Premier League guidelines. Huddersfield Town Football Club has

also purchased 3 pitch growth lights, so now the Stadium has 9 lights in total. The ground is maintained by 3 regular ground staﬀ and the grass is cut to a length of 25-30mm during the season. Why not take a look behind the scenes? Our tours of The John Smith’s Stadium are not to be missed. The tour will give you access to the usually restricted areas, reserved for players and oﬃcials. Along the way you will visit the various

stands of the stadium, the Town and Giants dressing rooms, the players’ tunnel and the dug outs. Your tour, together with a tour guide will include a full insight into the day – to – day activities of the football and Gareth Davies rugby clubs. Managing Director For more information or to book a Stadium Tour please contact our Reception Team on 01484 484100 or email reception@ksdl.org.uk. Visit our website http://www.johnsmithsstadium.com.

Opening of Piece Mill in Halifax Following the launch of our Wakefield Business Centre earlier in the year, Leeds Beckett University are now looking forward to the opening of their newest venture in Halifax. Located in the historic centre of Halifax, Piece Mill is an impressive converted mill providing open plan, affordable office and meeting space plus a range of business support which will be home to around 200 businesses. We offer everything from virtual office and co-working through to private offices accommodating businesses with up to 33 employees. Piece Mill will also benefit from Halifax’s first multi-Gigabit internet

connection, capable of achieving speeds of up to 5,600,000Mbps, providing an ideal base for digital and technology businesses. Our University Business Centres also provide businesses with advice and mentoring, professional training and development as well as access to knowledge transfer and research expertise. Through our Centres in Leeds, Wakeﬁeld and Halifax we also oﬀer access to additional training and support via our ERDF funded AD:VENTURE project. This support is available even to businesses that are not physically located in

our Centres. Eligible businesses are invited to contact the team for an initial diagnostic assessment which will examine your needs and current performance resulting in a personalised action plan to help you identify key areas to help your business increase turnover, create jobs and develop products or services.

Katie Rigarlsford UBC and Regional Development Manager

To ﬁnd out more about our University Business Centres and the support we can oﬀer visit www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/ universitybusinesscentres, email universitybusinesscentres@ leedsbeckett.ac.uk or call 0333 555 8855.

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Design to overhaul Halifax train station discussed Early designs showing how Halifax train station could be transformed into a world-class facility, improve access to the town and boost economic growth were discussed at Calderdale Council’s Cabinet meeting in March. As one of the main gateways into Calderdale, the proposed major upgrade to the station and surrounding area would bring farreaching benefits to the borough. Cllr Barry Collins, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Strategy, said: “The massive amount of regeneration in Halifax and across Calderdale is putting our area on the national and international map.

Northern and other organisations. The concept design being recommended for Cabinet approval includes a proposed new station at platform level, a transport interchange combining all modes of travel to and from the station, replacing the station access bridge with a landscaped entrance, and a new car park and drop-off point. It would also see the reopening of third platform in front of the ‘1855

building’, and new areas for shops and food and drink businesses. Step-free access is also a key feature of the design, as well as blending old and new to include a modern glass façade for the main building, combined with preserved historic features such as the existing stone arches supporting the access bridge. The transformation of the station

is part of the Council’s work to invest in transport infrastructure using the Leeds City Region’s £1 billion West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund. The fund is being invested over 10 years in more than 30 transport infrastructure schemes across West Yorkshire and York, designed to create around 20,000 new jobs and add £2.4 billion a year to the economy by the mid-2030s.

“Around two million people use Halifax train station every year, and we have an ambitious target to see 50% more rail trips in 2026 than in 2016. Improving the station and the way people access it would help meet future demand. It would also improve the travel experience, create a more attractive environment and boost the local economy by increasing investment, jobs and tourism. “This is part of Calderdale’s Next Chapter, which will see major developments in transport, public spaces and business premises.” The Council says it has considered a number of design options in partnership with Network Rail,

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3M BIC celebrates five years businesses and network members. Over 20 students from the University of Huddersfield have secured placements at the 3M BIC, over half of which were employed by tenants, with many taking on permanent roles. Professor Liz Towns-Andrews, 3M BIC’s CEO, influenced the creation of the centre. She had a vision to create a one-stop-shop where businesses could access all the tools they needed to grow.

The 3M Buckley Innovation Centre (3M BIC) has made its mark as an exemplar of SME support on a regional and national level. It celebrates its official fifth birthday this May, as it makes plans for the future following a recent significant investment in technology. Designed to support regional regeneration, open up academic collaborations, and provide businesses with commercial support and access to pioneering technology, the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre (3M BIC), based on Firth Street in Huddersfield, has made a substantial impact on the growth of many local and regional businesses. The 3M BIC was set up as a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Huddersfield, built as a business for business, funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Kirklees Council

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up until 2013 to aid regional economic development. Although its first tenant arrived in January 2013, the Duke of York officially opened the Centre in May that year, alongside Sir Patrick Stewart, the University’s former Chancellor, and the 3M BIC’s namesake, businessman Sir George Buckley, alumnus of the University of Huddersfield and former CEO of the multi-national 3M corporation. Since then, the centre has accommodated 55 tenants, as well as supported 64 associate

“Universities are often seen by businesses as impenetrable and I wanted to change that. It’s a two-way thing. Through the 3M BIC, businesses have access to the University’s research centres, whereas the University benefits from commercial capabilities. “The 3M BIC is a very simple model. It’s about understanding what businesses need to succeed and giving them access to the key ingredients. It’s more than just office and lab space, it’s the technology, the unique eco system, and the support structure that goes with it.” Universities are using the Centre as a blueprint to replicate on their own campuses. Sir Andrew Witty recognised the 3M BIC as an exemplar of SME support and innovation in his report ‘Encouraging a British Invention Revolution: Sir Andrew Witty’s Review of Universities and Growth’ in 2013.

It also featured in the Government’s independent review of industrial digitalisation, Made Smarter Review 2017, led by Professor Juergen Maier, CEO Siemens UK, as a Digital Innovation Asset in the North West region. “We provide SMEs with access to technology that would usually be out of reach due to budget constraints, whether it’s to produce prototypes, limited manufacture, visualisation for marketing purposes, or metrology to detect faults in new and existing products.” Adds Towns-Andrews “Complemented with the commercial support through our Business Engagement Centre, companies can pretty much take their business from concept right through to taking their first product to market.” It celebrates its official fifth anniversary in May, and has a bright future ahead having recently invested in new technology, funded through the Huddersfield Innovation and Incubation Project (HIIP), a £2.9m grant from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Growth Deal – a £1bn package of government investment to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region. Significant investment in equipment and building works took place at the 3M BIC earlier

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several industries, from medical and healthcare, pharmaceutical, games development, software, bid writing, metrology and IT services. Dr Henry Brew, CEO at Here2Grow Cosmetics & Homecare Labs, specialising in product development, analytical testing and regulatory services, set up its base at the 3M BIC in 2013. “We have been able to invest into our own cosmetics and homecare labs and equipment, whilst we have been experiencing significant growth. The 3M BIC has been a good base providing us with additional access to collaborations and business networks.” Ionix Advanced Technologies, a manufacturer of high temperature piezoelectric ceramics and ultrasound devices and spin out from the University of Leeds, moved to the 3M BIC in 2015 and has experienced accelerated growth since.

3M BIC 300 businesses supported VIP visitors include 6 royals, 5 MPs 1 Hollywood actor Average tenant occupancy 5 years

this year enhancing the Centre’s and the University’s unique technological and business support offering for tenants, network members, associate businesses and wider regional industries. Towns-Andrews continues, “Over the last five years, cutting edge

81% of tenants research has been at the heart of our have experienced business growth centre, with many of our tenants and associate businesses working on ground-breaking projects. We are helping them bring their expertise and products to the fore in what is a tough and uncertain economy.” Current 3M BIC tenants stem from

Dr William Vickers explains, “Since being at the 3M BIC, we’ve more than doubled our staff, expanded our equipment and grown our ceramics and devices capabilities, which enables us to keep up with growing demand for our products. “We will be expanding our production to meet demand which may include a move into larger premises, whilst still maintaining a presence at the 3M BIC for R&D. We are also introducing new technology platforms, such as flow transducers, to expand and diversify our product offerings.” Fast forward five years and you can see the impact that the 3M BIC is having on the local and regional economy, but also making its name at a national level. As technology evolves, so will the 3M BIC as it endeavours to keep up with new developments in the technical and digital world. We can’t wait to see what the next five years hold for the centre. Happy 5th Anniversary!

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Ramsdens acquires York law firm Ramsdens Solicitors has acquired Burn & Co Solicitors in York, effective 23 March 2018 and has a plan for further growth to meet the increased demand for its services, particularly in North Yorkshire. The deal makes Ramsdens one of the largest full practice law firms in Yorkshire. Paul Joyce, Ramsdens Managing Partner said: “We are delighted with this latest acquisition which strengthens our offering in the North Yorkshire legal market. Burn & Co is a long-standing, highly respected firm with 2 offices in York and Easingwold. This acquisition is part of Ramsdens’ ongoing strategic growth plan and gives us the additional geographic coverage we’ve been looking to

achieve as part of our plan. “Like Ramsdens, the firm has a reputation for providing straight forward, results-driven advice and this deal will benefit both clients and staff. Together, we will work to ensure that the firm continues to achieve excellent financial performance and deliver strong growth.” Claire Rutter, MD of Burn & Co commented: “The whole team are delighted to be joining forces with Ramsdens. We are looking forward to continuing working with our valued clients in North Yorkshire whilst benefitting from

the support and expertise of a much larger network.” David Bradley, Chairman at Ramsdens, added: “This is a good match for Ramsdens with culture and values very closely aligned and the complement of Burn & Co staff boosting expertise across departments

will see Ramsdens continue to grow from strength to strength.” The deal immediately increases headcount at Ramsdens to 266 and the number of offices to 14 across Yorkshire offering businesses across the region access to a wider range of expertise, experience and a more comprehensive service.

Ventas partners SalesStar to drive UK expansion

A sales transformation company is progressing its UK expansion plans after entering into a strategic partnership with an international sales training organisation. Ventas, based in Huddersfield, has become a certified partner of SalesStar, a sales development company based in New Zealand and operating globally.

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The partnership will support Ventas’s ongoing UK expansion strategy and plans to triple its client base in 2018. Ventas founder and managing

C H AR IT Y

U PDATE

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Mirfield luxury manufacturer opens door to bespoke showroom Mirfield-based doormaker Deuren has opened a new on-site showroom in readiness for further growth and the unveiling of its latest product lines.

Pictured L-R: Steven Singh, Mark Burn, Claire Trueman, Claire Rutter, Richard Dean and Graeme Burn

Since bringing its manufacturing operations in-house in 2014, the company has crafted more than 7,000 doors, with the new showroom opening marking the latest significant phase in the company's in-house expansion. Spanning 2,000 sq ft, the display space will showcase 26 products from Deuren's luxury internal, external and garage door ranges. As well as highlighting the material, configuration, hardware, finish and security options on offer, the showroom will enable customers to interact with the doors and test the different mechanisms available. Commenting on the new showroom, founder and managing

director, Pete Evans, commented: “The SalesStar model is about putting the science into selling. By using their content, methodology and training, we will be able to help companies better predict sales potential and future performance, then implement practical strategies to increase their sales and deliver a measurable return on investment. He continued: “Expanding our existing set of sales transformation tools and

director of Deuren, Ian Chubb, said: "With our

customer base expanding both nationally and internationally, the need for a dedicated display space for our doors couldn't be ignored for much longer. "Before, it was only at exhibitions that customers could really test our doors, but now they can visit our site and truly get a feel for our products and the craftsmanship that goes into them."

partnering with such a well-renowned, global sales training organisation, will give us a competitive edge and help us to fulfil our ambitious growth plans in the next 12 months.” Paul O’Donohue, CEO at SalesStar, added: “We have been looking to expand our distribution channels globally, and have identified that working through accredited partners is a good route to market. We are delighted to have Ventas on board as

The company has also enlisted neighbouring digital marketing agency The Bigger Boat to overhaul its website. Commenting on the website overhaul, The Bigger Boat creative director, Doug Main said: "The main objective was to put more focus on the design of the doors themselves, in order to increase visual impact online. Alongside the new showroom, the website is another key avenue for prospective customers to see the quality and luxury of Deuren's products.

a UK partner, and look forward to working closely with Pete and the team through regular coaching and support as their business grows.” Pete concluded: “The partnership has already had a massive impact on our business. It is allowing us to pitch for work that we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to get, and I am confident that our growth plans will be realised.”

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‘Really Wild’ trip for Kirklees College students

and on a bush walk had the chance to look at local ecology using animal tracking. They also visited Kruger National Park where they observed and studied wild animals on safari, and were given an insight into how one of Africa’s greatest wildlife areas is managed. The 12-day trip ended at the Somkhanda Game Reserve where they had the chance to track rhinos and enjoyed a boat cruise on Lake Jozini. Charley Halliwell, studying HND Animal Management, said: “The trip completely exceeded all expectations. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that allowed us to have hands-on experience with animals and see animals in their natural habitat. This trip has further increased my passion for animal and conservation management.” Steven Lowrie added: “The trip took me out of the classroom and into the world of conservation. Seeing elephants, lions, leopards, giraffes and African wild dogs in their natural habitat was a once in a lifetime experience. I enjoyed it so much, and found it so valuable, that I have booked to return in summer for the African Insight internship.”

Animal Care students from Kirklees College had the chance to view some of the world’s most amazing animals in their natural habitat in Africa. The students, who all study Level 3 or HNC/D Animal Management, had the chance to get up close with elephants, lions, leopards, giraffes and African wild dogs on the trip of a lifetime. The trip, which was organised through African Insight, began in Johannesburg

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travelling to Moholoholo via the Blyde River Canyon to visit natural beauty spots knows as God’s Window and Bourke’s Luck Potholes. The students learned about wildlife rehabilitation and endangered species conservation at the rehabilitation centre,

Alex Wilford, from Cowersley, said: “The trip was amazing. We definitely got an experience we did not expect. Going from seeing animals being rehabilitated to getting up close and seeing wildlife in their natural environment, there was so much to take in and learn. It was an inspirational trip that will stay with me forever.”

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Kirklees College top in West Yorkshire for apprenticeships Kirklees College is the top further education College in West Yorkshire and the 10th in England in the Government’s latest figures for apprenticeships. The Department for Education’s National Achievement Rate Tables were compiled using statistics from apprenticeship completions for 16 to 18 year olds in 2016/17. The figures measure the percentage of students enrolled at each college that achieved their targeted qualification within the agreed time frame. Kirklees College is one of the largest apprenticeship providers in West Yorkshire, currently training around 2,800 apprentices each year in over 30 subjects. The results show apprentices training with Kirklees College are getting good results – and finishing their courses on time. Principal Marie Gilluley said: “We are so proud and delighted that our college has once again been recognised for the quality of our apprenticeship training nationally. “These results show that the quality of the service we provide both for the employers and their apprentices is consistently high and that we are getting the students through their apprenticeships within the agreed timescales. “We are really grateful for all the hard work and support our employers give us so that we can provide such great options to young people when it comes to apprenticeships.”

The Pivot Academy scores‘Good’ A local independent school has achieved a ‘good’ OFSTED rating in less than a year of being open, reinforcing its commitment to improving outcomes for young people across the region. The Pivot Academy, launched last year by educational and social care consultancy The Pivot Group, was awarded ‘Good’ following an OFSTED inspection at its two sites in Cleckheaton and Bradley. The Pivot Academy provides a 50-place provision for 14-16 year olds. Its Cleckheaton site, which opened in September 2017, caters for Key stage 4. There are two buildings on the Bradley site, the ‘bungalow’, which opened in December 2017 and caters for pupils in Years 8 and 9, and ‘Pivot 6’, a Day 6 temporary provision for pupils who have been permanently excluded from their school and are waiting to start a new one. OFSTED looked at The Pivot Academy’s effectiveness of leadership and management, quality of teaching, learning and assessment, personal development, behaviour and welfare and outcomes for pupils, all of which we were rated ‘Good’. The inspection identified that Pivot is ‘highly committed to ensuring that pupils flourish both academically and

personally’ and noticed ‘improvements in pupils’ attendance and behaviour after they joined the school’. The school also provides an oasis of calm for pupils who have previously experienced disruption to their schooling, making a significant difference to their personal development and welfare. The Pivot Academy’s acting head, Andrew Kitterick, said: “We set out to be categorised as a good school in our first year, so achieving the grade in less than a year is testament to the hard work and determination of the team to get both sites up and running and providing high quality education. “As an Alternative Provision and Day facility we deal with young people with very complex needs that have experienced significant disruption to their education. However, we’ve recruited the right team that have experience working in environments such as ours and share our passion at Pivot to support young people back into full-time education or employment to develop a realistic and sustainable pathway in life.”

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Huddersfield organisation launches sex trafficking awareness training Huddersfield-based Community Interest Company (CIC) Invisible Traffick GB (ITGB) has launched a “trauma training” programme for local statutory services.

teams, the programme is designed to increase understanding of sex trafficking and how to support its victims by educating individuals who are likely to come into contact with survivors. According to statistics from the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for the last quarter of 2017, of the 400 cases reported in England of trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, 106 of these related to individuals from the UK. Commenting on the programme’s launch, Alison said: “Having firsthand experience of working with sex trafficking victims through the safe house, we have more understanding than most of just how rife this problem is in our local area. “It was a difficult decision to switch our attention solely to focus on the trauma programme, but we identified a huge gap within the referral process for victims that we simply had to address. When the very people on the front-line of support aren’t aware of what these survivors have been through – and therefore can’t empathise with how they need to be treated – something needs to be done.” The organisation enlisted the support of Huddersfield strategic brand consultancy The Engine Room to overhaul its identity and simplify its key messages.

Established in 2014 by former nurse Alison Ellis as an extension of the Northern Ireland charity Invisible Traffick, the organisation became a CIC three years ago. It works to highlight the scale of sex trafficking and provide support to victims. After running a safe house for

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women and girls who endured sexual exploitation through human trafficking, ITGB identified a lack of awareness surrounding the issue within government services. Aimed primarily at statutory agencies including police divisions, health services, education specialists and safeguarding

Alison continued: “Our fundamental aim is to ‘remove the invisible handcuffs’ from victims, which we needed our brand to capture. We’re hoping that through our new bold, interrogative branding, our audience will sit up and take notice.”

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Accountants’ dinner raised over £3,000 for charity The annual Huddersfield & District Society of Chartered Accountants Annual Dinner has raised over £3,400 for Kirkwood Hospice. The event was hosted by society President, Carolyn Atkinson, director at Huddersfieldbased chartered accountancy practice, Sheards. The evening, which took place at Cedar Court Hotel, was attended by a record number of guests with over 270 in attendance from across the Huddersfield business community, including VIP guest, Deputy Mayor of Kirklees, Cllr Gwen Lowe. Eve Pollard, renowned broadcaster and former national newspaper editor, delivered the after dinner speech in which she addressed the new era for women in business in light of the recent ‘Time’s Up’ and ‘Me Too’ campaigns. Kirkwood Hospice is Sheards’ charity of the year, and funds raised will go towards

a specialist mattress – a vital piece of equipment for the wellbeing of the residents. Carolyn Atkinson commented: “I want to say a huge thank you to all those that attended and helped us to raise such a fantastic amount of money for Kirkwood Hospice. This year the Hospice is celebrating its 30th anniversary and it has been such a huge part of the community during that time, so it’s fantastic to support them. “As President, I have worked to engage with women as well as students and younger members of the professions in the events that the Society carries out. It was an absolute honour to have Eve Pollard in attendance; it was important to me have a female as the after dinner speaker and Eve was the first female to have ever given a speech at this particular event.”

Stafflex partners Huddersfield University Students’ Union Huddersfield recruitment agency, Stafflex, has teamed up with The University of Huddersfield Students’ Union to provide a source of part-time jobs for the students. Stafflex recently offered advice to undergraduates at the Student Union’s part-time jobs fair, which sparked an interest for part-time work. Students are now able to access and apply for a range of part-time vacancies on the University Career’s JobShop website, varying from receptionists to pickers and packers on warehouse production lines. Stafflex Office Team Leader, Sarah McDonagh said: “Matching job seekers with potential employers is what we do every day and it is no different for students. Many students tend to stick around throughout the summer so there are opportunities for them to work in a temporary part-time roles, and it’s great that we can help them out.” For more information about the jobs at University of Huddersfield, visit: careers.hud.ac.uk.innovation

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Pictured L-R: Daniel Krigers, Neil Wilson, Sarah Power, Paul Campbell and Dan Hirst.

Chadwick Lawrence announces new equity partners Yorkshire’s Legal People, Chadwick Lawrence, have announced three new equity partners following a year of exceptional growth and performance, and as part of the Firm’s wider succession planning. Daniel Krigers, Sarah Power and Dan Hirst have each taken an equity share in the business and will focus on further implementing the many investment and development plans across their teams in the year ahead. Daniel joined the firm in 2006, completing a part-time

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degree and post-graduate course and qualifying in 2013. Daniel heads up the employment team and wider commercial services arm of the Firm, along with sitting on the Operations and Marketing boards. Sarah Power has been with the team at Chadwick Lawrence since 2008, where she started as an Assistant Solicitor. Since then, Sarah has developed her specialism in Family Law with a particular emphasis on the financial aspects of divorce and separation. She regularly represents professionals, business owners and their spouses and is experienced in dealing with business interests, pensions and off-shore assets in Family Law cases. In addition to this, Sarah is a trained Collaborative Lawyer, the Secretary to the Huddersfield Incorporated Law Society and a member of the regional Resolution Committee. Dan Hirst joined the Chadwick Lawrence team in 2012 following the merger between the firm and

Godloves Solicitors. He is recognised as a leader in his field in commercial litigation having had a number of high profile successes. Neil Wilson, Managing Partner commented: “The last twelve months have been incredibly successful for the firm, and we delivered against some very ambitious plans. “Whilst those achievements in the past have facilitated the offer of equity to Daniel, Dan and Sarah, this is merely the start of the next chapter of the Firm. We have developed the next phase of our strategy with extremely challenging and ambitious growth plans, with a view to building revenue, profitability and reputation, and making Chadwick Lawrence the employer of choice in the legal sector. A key part of the strategy is to secure the long term future of the firm through the delivery of a carefully considered succession plan”

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TopicUK strengthens partnerships with brand new look TopicUK is changing so we can bring to you much more business news, reach a wider audience and spread your news, views and services right across the Yorkshire region. From 1 July we will amalgamate all our editions that cover Leeds, Wakefield, Kirklees. Calderdale into one, creating a big issue, that will include regions we have not published and distributed before, such as Harrogate, Sheffield and Bradford. As we have just passed our fifth Birthday, demand for TopicUK is growing. We receive business news from all over the country, far too much for us to share with you, but with this new magazine, we will be in a position to

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Our partners receive much more than an advert in each edition. Their press releases are given priority over others, we promote them at the many conferences and exhibitions we partner with such as Brand Yorkshire and Institute of Directors, they can have as much space to publish their news and events on our website as they want and over the course of the partnership, usually 12 months, there is a possibility that they will also feature on one of our covers. In addition, we can cover full PR requirements if needed, using other media sources.

bring you so much more. This is a double bonus for our existing partners, many of whom joined us when we launched our very first edition in Wakefield in 2013. Not only will their business receive greater exposure across a wider area, it will not cost them any more financially. Add to this our new look website and digital edition and our total reach across Yorkshire is up to 50,000*.

When you become a TopicUK partner, not only do you promote your own business, you become part of the local business community that promotes itself to a much wider audience.

For none partners, our annual rate will increase to reflect this wider area, but if you’re quick, you can take advantage of the low current rate enjoyed by our existing partners. Reserve your partnership with us before 20th May and we will honour our existing rate.

We are rapidly earning a reputation as the best place to promote your business.

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On Saturday 11th August at Standedge Tunnel and Visitors Centre in Marsden, Huddersfield will welcome its first ever yoga and wellbeing festival.

Huddersfield’s first yoga and wellbeing festival #HuddsWellFest is the brainchild of Kelly Thistlethwaite, founder of Yorkshire Yogi, and TopicUK spoke to her to find out more. After getting her degree in Sports Rehabilitation and working with sports clubs, private injury clinics, at the military’s Centre of Excellence for Rehabilitation, Kelly founded Yorkshire Yogi in Richmond, North Yorkshire. Since starting the business, she has been delivering wellbeing, mindfulness and yoga workshops to school children of various ages, as well as corporate wellbeing packages, retreat days and workshops across the whole of Yorkshire.

instructor, I’ve got a great depth of knowledge and understanding of both physical and mental health. My aim is to inspire people to learn and to understand themselves, and to give them the tools to nourish their mental and physical well-being. This is the essence of what the first #HuddsWellFest is all about.” The event is being organised and brought to life by Kelly, who has teamed up with other yoga instructors and professionals from across Yorkshire to create “a programme that will deliver quality, inspirational and honest workshops to nourish physical and mental wellbeing”, says Kelly.

She comments: She adds: “As a wellbeing coach and yoga

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“We’ve designed the festival so there is something for the whole family, and the grounds at the Standege Tunnel are so peaceful as they sit in the valley bottom alongside the water, creating the perfect environment. They’ll be lined with chill out areas and stalls such including vegetarian and vegan food vendors, plus Punch

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Bar and Tapas, The Suns of the North Coffee shop and BLOC. Kelly’s desire to raise awareness of mental health issues has also meant that a large part of the festival we be devoted to mental wellbeing, a topic that is close to her heart. She adds: “We’ll have talks covering topics such as anxiety, stress, men’s mental health, menopause, exam stress for teenagers, the worries of parenthood, understanding emotions and much more. “I also really want to take advantage of

the location, so there’ll be events in the surrounding woodland like mindful walks, forest bathing, mindful drawing, arts and crafts and meditation. “I’ve also ensured that there will be various charities present throughout the day to provide more information about wellbeing support that is available including Help for Heroes, the Samaritans and Kirkwood hospice just to name a few.” And with a workshop programme including more than 60 sessions to try, Kelly certainly isn’t holding back with the first #HuddsWellFest. She says:

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“We have worked hard to put on lots of different sessions that aren’t just all about yoga. People will be able to try Pilates, CrossFit, circuits, nutrition talks, dance and Zumba. With a capacity of over 2,000, the event has already sold 85% of its VIP tickets, so it seems as though #HuddsWellFest is set to be a hit. General tickets are on sale now and cost £5. To book, or for more information about sponsorship opportunities, visit yorkshireyogi.com or email kelly@ yorkshireyogi.com

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THE

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INTE R VIE W

Marie Gilluley

TopicUK Kirklees & Calderdale editor, Alex Mason, spoke to Kirklees College Prinicpal & Chief Executive, Marie Gilluley, to find out more about her career journey to date and her plans for the continued success of one of Huddersfield’s iconic educational landmarks. Tell us a little bit about your career background and career to date? Where did you start your working life and how have you ended up as Principal at Kirklees College? I trained as a Chartered Engineer and worked in various engineering roles for 10 years, specialising in Automation and Control in manufacturing. I then moved into a lecturing and industrial liaison role in a college. I had many opportunities to develop and worked on a range of projects, gaining my teaching qualification. What makes you passionate about what you do? What is your reason for getting up in a morning and going to work? Further Education supports individuals to develop and progress in their careers and also supports businesses with their skills needs. We have the privilege of being involved with individuals, businesses and communities across Kirklees and to really make a positive impact in improving skills levels and productivity. It is inspirational to see how lives can be changed in this way. What changes have you implemented at Kirklees College since joining and across what areas? How do you feel these changes have made a difference to the college? The college has always provided great levels of support to ensure that all

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individual students can flourish and achieve. We now are working hard to ensure that we can support businesses and fully meet all their training needs, whilst also ensuring that we are financially sustainable in the long-term. The college is heavily involved with local businesses through commercial partnerships and placing students into work experience with local companies. Why do you feel that this is so important and what do you feel that it adds to the college as a whole? All full time students at college are given the opportunity to undertake meaningful work placements. Not only have our students gained new skills and experience, but employers are very often given the chance to work with a student before considering them for more permanent employment opportunities or an apprenticeship opportunity. We are the top FE college in West Yorkshire for the number of apprentices we train, which is almost 3,000 per year, and 10th in the country for the outcomes of our young apprentices. We offer apprenticeships across 30 subject areas, and much of this growth has come as a result of our partnerships and close working relationships with local, regional and national employers. A great example of partnership success is the college’s process manufacturing skills centre on St Andrews Road, which came about

as a result of employer skills gaps and was developed in conjunction with the LEP to provide specialist facilities to support the skills needs of those working in those industries. The support from employers was phenomenal, and the sponsorship from industry towards the cost of the capital equipment and fit out was central to the successful delivery of the project. The college recently won the TES FE Support for Learners Award recognising the great level of support given to students. How was that for the college as a whole and can you give us an example of the type of support you provide that goes above and beyond? We’re particularly proud of the wide range of support we offer, particularly to those who are at risk of underachieving. In the past three years, we have introduced effective transition programmes to support at risk students in the move from the school environment to FE, and we also offer peer support and one to one interventions for students who have a clearly identified need. As a result, there has been a 12% increase in pass rates for those students who are most at risk due to their complex backgrounds and their retention at college is now in line with students across the college. That’s an improvement of almost 23% over three years.

Fact file:

Age: 60 Job title: Principal & Chief Executive Commenced current role: February 2017

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We’ll also be opening a new vocational 6th form centre this September and have been reviewing and refreshing the curriculum as a result of feedback from young people, schools, parents and employers. The Pioneer Centre will be an adult and HE skills Centre and the initial building work is being carried out by the local authority due to its heritage and specialist nature. The new buildings will enable the college to develop more appropriate curriculum with modern and bespoke facilities which it has not been able to do previously and we are very excited about them all Outside of your role as Prinicpal, what are your hobbies and interests and how do you ‘switch off’? I don’t have much time for hobbies, but do enjoy travel when I get the chance. I like holidays which involve a bit of adventure, and usually a lot of walking and exploring! What do you feel makes Kirklees a great place for the college to be based and why do you love working here? Kirklees College is truly at the heart of the town. Wherever I go, I meet people who have great stories to tell about the impact that their experience at the college has had on their family, themselves, or someone they know. We try to share those stories wherever possible to show how further education can be a life changing experience. Both staff and students are passionate about what they do, and when you enter any of the college centres this passion is something you can feel.

The Springfield and Pioneer Centres at the new Dewsbury Learning Quarter are well underway. Can you tell us a bit more about the journey and reasons behind those centres replacing the current provision and the processes you’ve had to go through to get to where you are now? The centres in Dewsbury are key to the

college’s strategy and working with the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, and the local Authority. We put together a successful bid for financial support to develop the two new centres, with a focus on delivering a curriculum that leads to outcomes which meet both the LEP and Local Authority Skills needs, leading to the creation of more jobs across the region.

Can you give us a brief glimpse into any future plans for the college and what might be to come over the next few years? We’re currently focused on ensuring we move forward on a strong financial footing and are working hard to ensure the curriculum we offer will meet the broadest range of needs. We hope to continue improving the experiences of all our students and to become an outstanding college in everything we do.

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MA RKETING

U PDATE

GDPR: It’s here… now what? By Katrina Cliffe - Managing Director – KC Communications This is the final time I’m going to write about GDPR. I appreciate it’s a topic (no pun intended) that people are getting quite bored of and indeed frustrated with.

GDPR has, after all, been brought in to protect our rights as individuals. Put the shoe on the other foot and think about how you would want your business to handle your data.

But as our news feeds have been dominated by news of Cambridge Analytica, Facebook and data breaches, I felt it was worth revisiting one last time.

Regardless of the updated law on data protection (GDPR is just an evolution of the existing Data Protection Act), you owe it to your customers and your business to act ethically with their data. A clear indication of your GDPR compliance will instil trust in your business and will ensure potential customers choose you over your competitors and keep coming back.

While the data breach by Cambridge Analytica and Facebook are of an unimaginable scale to most, this does not mean it’s a topic businesses should overlook. Although the Facebook scandal was on a premeditated act, small businesses need to understand the data they hold on their customers and more importantly, consider the position they might they find themselves in should that data be breached. Where to start? If you haven’t even started to think about GDPR yet, you’re not alone. Although by the time you read this, the new laws will likely be in force, so it’s high time you do something about it. If you haven’t already, visit the ICO website, which has a great checklist to get you started. The FSB has also launched a GDPR data hub, full of informative content, specifically for small businesses. Consider your customers

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Improve your ROI Once you are GDPR compliant, you might find that you can save money on your marketing spend and that your ROI improves, especially if you’ve been paying for a huge mailing list that the majority of people trash! There’s some good news! The ICO Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham has confirmed that small businesses will not be targeted for non-compliance of GDPR, but don’t get too comfy, as it doesn’t mean small businesses are exempt from being compliant. While GDPR might seem like a headache, getting it right will streamline your business processes, enabling you to be more productive and more profitable.

Yorkshire Period Property Unveiled as Boutique Restaurant with Rooms A former Victorian mill owner and philanthropist’s residence in the Huddersfield village of Lindley has undergone a £4.5m investment to transform a Grade II listed Georgian period property, known as Manor House, into a boutique restaurant with rooms. Manor House has undergone a radical transformation, restoring the building to include 11 individually designed bedrooms, two restaurants and three bars. A roof terrace bar has also been created, allowing for views of neighbouring St. Stephens Church. The opening of Manor House has created 30 jobs, with a further 20 recruits expected to

join the business by the end of the year. The venue has already attracted experienced staff, many with backgrounds in top five-star hotels across the UK. Manor House recently opened its Clock Tower Lounge, Lantern Room restaurant and bedrooms the Coach House, which will host weddings and events, will be fully operational from this month. Mark Ayre, General Manager at Manor House commented: “It’s been a pleasure to open our doors to such a wonderful reception from the local community who have been exceptionally patient and supportive during the renovations. We are extremely proud of what has been created at the Manor House and with such a unique offering, we expect to welcome visitors from far and wide to the area.”

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R E C R UI T M E N T

Stafflex Recruitment News update Every month, our experts comment on the biggest and most interesting recruitment news across the country. In this edition, Sarah McDonagh, Office Team Leader looks at how the ICO has been flooded with calls about GDPR, employers named and shamed for underpaying minimum wage workers and a recent report which shows work has a negative impact on self-esteem.

Lee Biggins Managing Director of CV Library said: “Providing constructive feedback after they’ve finished a task and having regular one-to-one catch-ups can go some way towards helping to build your employees’ confidence in the workplace.”

71% of people say work has negative impact on their selfesteem.

It is important to maintain a good work life balance as neglecting can be damaging to an individual’s mental well-being.

According to research from CV Library, one of the UK’s leading independent job boards, 71% of the 1,200 UK workers surveyed said that their career has had a negative impact on their self-esteem with a further 55.7% feeling that they place too much importance on their job.

ICO receiving over 1,500 calls regarding GDPR per week The Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham recently revealed that her office has been receiving around 1,500 calls a week

about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which is due to come into effect on 25 May 2018. GDPR is a new regulation aiming to strengthen and unify data protection for individuals, placing added responsibilities on businesses to be more accountable for data protection. The government has promised hefty fines for businesses that do not comply so this is not something to be taken lightly.

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Almost 180 employers named and shamed for underpaying thousands of minimum wage workers As well as recovering backpay for the 9,200 workers, the government also fined the employers a total of £1.3 million in penalties for breaking national minimum wage laws. The most prolific offending sectors were retailers, hospitality businesses and hairdressers. It is vital that businesses adhere to the minimum wage laws as it raises the earnings of low-wage workers so they spend more and ultimately boost the economy. But also from an ethical point of view they have a direct responsibility to care for their employees.

There is already a raft of information accessible online to help businesses through the process, in particular on the ico.org. uk website.

Crafty Kids expands to new premises Award winning craft venue ‘Crafty Kids’ has moved premises to The Pot House Hamlet, Silkstone to a bigger and better venue.

The venue also has an outdoor space filled with sand trays, chalk boards, mud kitchens, a construction area and a seating area.

Crafty Kids is a craft venue for children which launched in Denby Dale in 2016. The facility provides a range of craft materials for children and a creative environment for families and friends to meet.

Founder, Jessica Wood, said: “As a busy working mum I struggled to find an environment offering a great alternative to soft play and allowing children to make fun crafty projects taking the hard work out of messy play at home. With my nursery nurse experience and child care qualifications I am very passionate about allowing children to try new things and learning in an environment such as Crafty Kids where anything is possible!”

The business recently moved from Denby Dale to the Pot House Hamlet in Silkstone to allow for expansion, and offers activities such as pottery painting, bear stuffing, canvas painting and baby prints.

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E NTR E PR E NE UR

Ritchie Clark

Voiceover artist

Ritchie Clark has been the voice of Yorkshire Tea and the on-board announcements on Jet2 planes. TopicUK spoke to him to find out more about his career as a voiceover artist.

TopicUK: Hi Ritchie. First of all, can you tell us your age? RC: I've just turned 34, but was 28 when I started as a full time voiceover artist. TopicUK: Tell us a bit about how you came to be running your business?

QA &

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RC: It all started when I was 16 and began working at Huddersfield Hospital Radio and local radio station, Huddersfield FM (which then became Home FM and then later Pennine FM). They let me make tea, answer the studio phone and stuff like that, but during college and after college my first job was working as a tech-op, which consisted of me running the studio, playing the music, jingles – pretty much everything but talking on the microphone! I took a little sidestep when an audio engineer took a week’s holiday and left me in charge of producing client commercials. That was a huge light bulb moment; I enjoyed the whole process and hearing my production on the radio, so that became an extension of the operative side.

I learned a lot very early, which has been fundamental as a voiceover and gives me the confidence to just concentrate on the voicing side. At 23, I got the opportunity to work as the S&P producer at Classic FM in London. A few years later I moved to Leeds and began producing commercials for instore radio stations. It was there when the voiceover idea clicked. So in 2013, I pulled the plug on the day job and since then I've been recording full time. TopicUK: What areas of voiceover do you specialise in? RC: I'm a full service voiceover, so I voice TV and radio commercials, corporate and promotional video, narration and even ‘On Hold’ phone messages. I provide the audio direct from my professional home studio, or sometimes in person at a studio of the clients choosing. TopicUK: Who has provided you with help and support throughout your business journey?

been there for me, and I've been fortunate to work with some very knowledgeable and supportive people. Most of them were older so they gave great advice and had real world experience to share. When I branched out into voiceover, I reached out to a couple of voiceover talents I'd been hiring over the years who were able to offer tips and industry knowledge. There have been some bumps along the way, but it's all been invaluable.

RC: My father has always

TopicUK: How many clients/

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TopicUK: In contrast, what has been the most rewarding? RC: I love my job, that's a reward in itself. My industry is very completive, so I'm grateful for every script, and it's incredibly satisfying to know that a client or producer trusts me with their project. Plus, when I get new business through a recommendation, it's an amazing feeling to know my work has been recognised. TopicUK: Do you use social media for your business and if so, to what effect? RC: Absoultely, my job is 90% marketing. Twitter, LinekdIn, Facebook and Instagram all serve different purposes but are equally crucial in my ability to be found and seen by the right people. Having an online presence is a necessity and a full time job in itself. I like to share the great projects I've been working on and use social to connect with the clients and businesses I work with, and build relationships. TopicUK: What advice would you give to another young entrepreneur starting out in business? RC: Rule number one; be nice, you're never too important to be nice to people. Number two; be authentic. And number three; love what you do as being an entrepreneur is not a 9-5 job.

customers do you currently look after? Tell us a bit about them? RC: I work with businesses of all sizes across the UK and worldwide. As a Yorkshireman, I was proud get an opportunity to voice an online video campaign for Yorkshire Tea, and for a few years I was the on-board voice on Jet2 planes! My accent means I do a lot of commercial and video work for local colleges, universities and businesses. But thankfully, accents are now being recognised nationally too and used in lots of big campaigns. I've recorded voiceovers for the likes of Dominos, Sky, Argos, Hyundai and Adidas.

TopicUK: What would you say has been the most challenging part of growing/running your business so far?

Surround yourself with like-minded people, network, and stay true to yourself. TopicUK: And finally, where do you hope to see the business in five yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; time?

RC: I was cautious about moving into voiceover and trying to make a living full time, and probably hung on to my day job for too long, which affected my ability to start building a client base sooner and get noticed. Nowadays, it's all about finding clients, building relationships, and retaining clients in a very saturated market. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got to be on hand day and night, and continue to deliver a great service. But I wouldn't change a thing.

RC: More and more of my work is broadcast online and in five years' time, I'd hope to have a copywriter and maybe a videographer helping me raise my online profile further. I can only see the indsutry becoming more and more digital... I could be the voice of a household applicance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; who knows! I'd love the opportunity to work with a local business, be the voice of their brand and help it grow into a nationally recognised company.

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LEGA L

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M AT TE R S

CVA

that a CVA binds:

the terms of the CVA?

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Creditors that voted against the CVA.

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Creditors that attended the creditors’ meeting called to consider the CVA proposal, but who did not vote.

The terms of the CVA will deal with this in most cases. The CVA will often provide that, on the debtor company’s default:

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The supervisor may petition for the company’s liquidation.

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The creditors of the debtor company cease to be bound by the CVA, allowing them to pursue the debtor company for the balance of the debt due.

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The supervisor must distribute any assets that he holds in partial satisfaction of the company’s debts.

Company Voluntary Arrangements

A Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) is a formal procedure used by a company in financial distress to come to an arrangement with its creditors.

•

• The Corporate Recovery and Insolvency team at Chadwick Lawrence LLP offer a realistic commercial solution to all your business and personal financial affairs. With varied experience and expertise in all aspects of both corporate and personal insolvency our team, who work closely with licensed Insolvency Practitioners, can offer you a strategic answer to solving and re-structuring your financial affairs in a reliable and cost effective manner

Each issue Chadwick Lawrence, Yorkshire’s Legal People, share with our readers information to keep us all within the law. MAY 2018

What is a CVA? A CVA is a procedure that allows a company: •

•

To settle debts by paying only a proportion of the amount that it owes to creditors. To come to an arrangement with its creditors over the payment of its debts.

When and how does a CVA come into force? A CVA comes into force from the date that the company’s creditors approve a CVA proposal made for that company. The approval of a CVA by a creditors’ meeting requires a majority of over 75% (by value) of the creditors attending the meeting (in person or by proxy) to vote in favour of it. What is the effect of a CVA on creditors? Once approved, the CVA binds all the unsecured creditors of a company entitled to notice of the CVA proposal. This means

Creditors that did not attend the creditors’ meeting called to consider the CVA proposal. Creditors who did not receive notice of the creditors’ meeting called to consider the CVA proposal, despite being entitled to be notified of the meeting.

Does the company proposing a CVA have the benefit of a statutory moratorium? Where a CVA proposal is made for a small company, the company can obtain a moratorium, which is similar to that which applies to a company in administration.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of a CVA? Advantages •

A CVA is an informal insolvency procedure which does not involve the court. It is therefore cheaper than formal insolvency procedures, which may mean more money for the creditors.

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There is an optional moratorium available for small companies to protect the company from creditors’ actions while the proposals for a voluntary arrangement are being put in place.

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In the absence of the optional moratorium for small companies, it

How can a creditor challenge a CVA? A creditor that was entitled to notice of the CVA proposals and feels unfairly prejudiced by the CVA may apply to the court for an order revoking the CVA or convening more meetings to consider a revised CVA. A CVA can also be challenged on the grounds that there was an irregularity in the conduct of the meetings called to consider the CVA proposal. What happens if the debtor company does not comply with

K i rk l e e s is possible to combine a CVA with an administration, which brings with it the benefit of a statutory moratorium. The administrator may be able to put together a suitable set of CVA proposals to persuade the creditors and save the company. Disadvantages •

The main weakness of the CVA procedure is that there is no automatic statutory moratorium preventing creditors from taking action. The optional moratorium only applies to small companies, and even then it depends upon obtaining the consent of secured creditors for the moratorium to work in practice.

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CVAs are not binding on secured or preferential creditors.

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CVAs have proved difficult to implement. Only a small percentage of corporate insolvencies involve voluntary arrangements because of the difficulties associated with them.

What is an IVA? An IVA is a procedure that allows an individual to: - Alleviate creditor pressure by setting out a clear and affordable repayment plan that both the debtor and the creditors find acceptable.

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- An IVA must be approved by 75% of creditors by value and will be managed by a licenced and regulated Insolvency Practitioner acting as a Supervisor.

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Following payment of the final instalment and providing the terms of the arrangement have been adhered to, the remainder of the debt will be written off and the debtor will be free to carry on unencumbered from their previous liabilities. Typically an IVA will last around 5 years, though this can change depending on various factors.

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When to use an Individual Voluntary Arrangement

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Some debts are not included, such as; Student loans, fines, secured debts and Child maintenance payments

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An IVA may negatively impact your credit rating

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You may need to try and re-mortgage your home towards the end of the arrangement if there’s equity in your home. An IVA is subject to the approval of the Creditors, if they do not approve they can block the IVA’s implementation.

An IVA is a flexible way of legally managing individual debt and can drastically improve the lives of debtors by removing creditor pressure and allowing them to repay what they can afford over a period of time.

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- The debtor has sufficient income to bear the financial cost of the monthly contributions in addition to other monthly expenses such as household expenditure - The debtor must owe money to at least 2 creditors, in order for a valid vote to take place and a majority decision to be made. - An Insolvency Practitioner will also take into consideration the amount of money owed by the debtor, as IVAs are most effective for total debts exceeding £10,000 or where there are numerous creditors.

The use of an IVA prevents creditors who are threatening the use of Bailiff action. An IVA will allow repayments to be made based upon what is affordable for the debtor and acceptable for the creditors. The debtor will often be able to retain possession of their home and mortgage repayments are factored into the equation when determining affordability, depending upon available equity. Any remaining debt at the end of the repayment terms will be legally written off. The repayments involved in an IVA will be consistent and regular, allowing for easy budgeting and financial planning.

What are the Disadvantages if an IVA?

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An Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) is a formal procedure used by an individual in financial distress to come to an arrangement with the creditors.

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- Once agreed, this will halt any creditor action and allow the debtor to make affordable monthly contributions in order to repay what they can.

Certain factors will be considered by the Supervisor:

Individual Voluntary Arrangements

What next? Our specialist lawyers in the Dispute Resolution team at Chadwick Lawrence would be delighted to discuss matters with you to allow them to gain a complete understanding of how we can assist your business. If you would like to receive some further information, please call 0113 225 8811 or e-mail zoeallen@chadlaw.co.uk

What are the benefits of an IVA? •

Provided that all terms of the agreement are abided by arranging an IVA will halt unsecured creditor action and help alleviate pressure

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‘All Things Resilience’ Conference Mytholmroyd - 22nd June 2018

As part of their business network development for Calderdale Council and in association with the Incredible Festival of Ideas programme, Upper Calder Valley Renaissance (UCVR) is bringing together the various strands which encompass the practicalities and spirit of being a resilient business community. The emphasis here is naturally related to flooding which has caused long-term economic effects, physical destruction, and community and individual traumas in the valley. Conference organiser Katherine Wackerbarth said “at our day of ‘All Things Resilience’ we aim to provide an insight into how our businesses coped with the flooding, the physical, social and economic clear up in addition to the long-term efforts of seeking both preventative solutions and recovery strategies which we can all learn from for future events. Events which many feel are inevitable with climate change and increases in extreme weather conditions”. To present the experiences, actions taken, lessons learned

and the future strategies, the UCVR are gathering both members of the local business community and those with wider expertise to present on a range of measures which will develop the concept of holistic resilience. Topics covered will be: · Economic Impact Assessment · Support for Resilience · Technology Resilience · Personal Resilience · Physical & Adaptive Resilience · Community Engagement · Building for Resilience · Flood Related Health Precautions

Chair of the UCVR Stephen Curry said “this was always a planned event to both update local businesses, and those who support businesses, on resilience measures they can take, ranging from a plan of action when floods are likely to recovery strategies based on good preparation and positive actions to alleviate such things as breaks in the supply chain. They can also learn about robust IT systems to get them back up and running, from alternate premises or just online if required”. Stephen added “we have learned a lot in the Calder Valley about coping with adversity and the

ongoing disruption flooding can cause, so this is also a great opportunity to showcase the resilience shown by the people of the valley as an inspiration to others around the county who have been or could be affected by extreme events”.

For more information contact Katherine at the UCVR info@ ucvr.org.uk Or visit the UCVR website www.ucvr.org.uk For more details of the Incredible Festival of Ideas see www.incrediblefestival.org.uk Twitter: @_IFOI, @UCVR_

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Fine worsted cloth

Huddersfield has long been renowned as home to the world’s finest cloth, but how did textiles become so woven into the fabric of the town? We unpick the illustrious history of clothmaking in the region with Simon Glendenning, managing director of Huddersfield’s last remaining independent cloth merchant, Dugdale Bros & Co… There are certain things that Huddersfield is famed for around the world – being the birthplace of rugby league, the first female Doctor Who and Felix the station cat are just a few. But long before these iconic events, it was the town’s booming textiles trade that brought it international recognition. And thanks to the prevailing popularity of Huddersfield-made cloth across global markets, this renown continues today. Situated in an imposing Victorian building on Northumberland Street – known as ‘The Towers’ – cloth merchant Dugdale Bros & Co. has been working with weavers and finishers in the local area since 1896, to supply premium quality fabrics to tailors and fashion houses throughout the world. Acquired in 2001 by Robert Charnock, the company was previously owned by his father Keith, who worked there for 20 years before buying the business from the last remaining Dugdale. Managing director Simon Glendenning was brought on board in 2015, and maintains that the company still remains true to the original values and motto of its founders Henry and Frederick – ‘with pride, with passion, with integrity’. “It’s no secret that we’re proud of our heritage and independence,” Simon elaborates. “Dugdale Bros was established from humble beginnings, and even though

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our cloth has become a mainstay within the cutting rooms of Savile Row tailors and luxury fashion houses around the world, we still see ourselves as a boutique Huddersfield cloth brand.” So, what is it that made this modest town such a hub for cloth production in the first place? It all began with the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. Thanks to its unique geography, the region’s water provided optimum conditions for washing wool – almost all impurities are filtered out by the millstone hills of the Pennines, which enables the fibres to retain their lustrous quality and soft handle. Mills began to spring up in the surrounding valleys and as technology, techniques and skills advanced, Huddersfield-made worsted cloth became known for its unbeatably fine finish. Although the number of working mills in the area has diminished in recent years, Dugdale Bros still collaborates with neighbouring historic weavers Taylor & Lodge and eminent finishers W. T. Johnston & Sons, to produce its fine fabrics. “We work closely with our trusted partners at every step of the process to ensure the highest standards are achieved,” explains

Simon. “Firstly, we source the best class of merino wool available from growers in New South Wales, Australia, which is then shipped to the UK. Next, this is transformed into the highest quality yarns by some of the industry’s finest wool processors – also located in Huddersfield – before being transported down the road to be woven into

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cloth. Finally, the fabric is washed and finished nearby, to achieve the premium quality we’ve become renowned for.” This elemental process has been at the heart of the company’s operations since its establishment. Having crafted over 2,000 different fabrics within this time, Dugdale Bros currently has 26 collections available, ranging from legacy cloths to innovative highperformance textiles. According to Simon, it’s the company’s dedication to authentic craftsmanship that has

enabled it to continue thriving today. He explains: “Within the modern fashion industry – where a throwaway attitude to clothes seems to have erupted – we remain advocates for taking the time and putting in the effort required, to create something that’s both stylish and longlasting.” And time, it seems, is the thread that holds the entire process together. Not only has the history of fine worsted cloth taken centuries to unfold, but the manufacturing itself is something that can’t – or at least shouldn’t – be rushed.

“When you look at how cloth is made, it’s more a matter of evolution than a step-by-step process,” continues Simon. “Centuries of development and the gradual enhancement of techniques all play a part in the collections we’re producing today. And that’s precisely why we choose to work with local artisans, who have unparalleled experience and the ability to keep up with the latest advancements. All in all, our yarns and worsted cloths are processed within a 20mile radius of our Huddersfield base.” Although slowly achieved, these refinements are most obviously apparent when it comes to the weight of the cloth. Whilst the average would have been around 540g in 1915, just over a century later the standard sits at approximately 280g. Technical developments are largely to thank for these lighter, finer fabrics, which are proving particularly popular overseas. Fulfilling the evolving needs of its international market has been pivotal in recent years, explains Simon: “As demand has risen

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for more functional fabrics that perform well in warmer, more humid conditions, we’ve listened and tailored our cloths to meet these requirements. Along with our recently developed lightweight Travel Flannel, for example, we have also expanded our range of linens with the launch of two new collections – Lisburn and Crommelin.” And with three further ranges set to be unveiled later this year, Dugdale Bros’ cloth production shows no sign of slowing. “Pride in the legacy of this town’s illustrious textiles history is woven into each and every cloth we produce,” comments Simon. “And it’s this heritage – combined with the quality of the materials and craftsmanship at every stage of the manufacturing process – that makes our ‘Made in Huddersfield, England’ selvedge so highly regarded around the world.”

For further information about Dugdale Bros & Co., visit www. dugdalebros.com.

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Infusions Bar and Tapas, Huddersfield By Alex Mason - Editor

By Alex Mason -Editor

Joe, Reece and Scott Hester recently launched Infusions Bar & Tapas on John William Street opposite Huddersfield train station. The three have invested over £100,000 on the renovations, which include booth-style seating, stylish feature bars and fitting a full working kitchen to serve a tapas menu. TopicUK went along to try it out. Arriving at Infusions on a Thursday evening, we were greeted by one of its three owners, Joe, who showed us to our table and gave a friendly welcome. Joe explained how he had spent time with his family growing up in the Caribbean, before moving back to West Yorkshire and taking the plunge to follow his dream of opening up a cocktail and tapas venue with his siblings.

gin bar at the back of the restaurant, and on the day of our review, Joe explained to us that he’d be trialling a variety of different gin cocktails that will be arriving on the drinks menu shortly at Infusions. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon, eh?

Having been to the bar in its previous lives, it was easy to see where the trio have spent their investment, as the décor has been completely overhauled with a new, subtle colour scheme, suede-lined private booths for seating and – naturally – a well-stocked bar to the front of the building.

After taking our seats, we were very promptly presented with a drinks and tapas menu by an extremely polite and efficient waitress, who advised us after asking that three tapas dishes each to share would be more than enough for the two of us. It’s always refreshing when the staff give an honest answer to the ‘how much should I order question’, when they could quite easily tell you more than what’s need just to push up the bill!

The brothers have also added an extra touch by installing a speciality

We opted for ‘Inside Out’ chicken wings, duck infused spring rolls,

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Moriclla & Pasticcio croquettes, duck infused Jambalaya, Iberico crusted cod loin, and a side order of halloumi bites. The food arrived all around the same time after about 15 minutes, and we began tucking in to the plates in front of us. After starting with the halloumi bites which were very tasty, we moved on to the duck infused Jambalaya, which was definitely our favourite dish. The flavours really came through and there was a decent amount of duck among the rice so no skimping on portion sizes! Unfortunately, we weren’t keen on the Moriclla & Pasticcio croquettes, as we hadn’t realised this was a black pudding and olive filling which is then deep fried, but we probably should have asked! The ‘Inside Out’ chicken wings came as a generous portion if a little too much, but they were tasty and the sweet chilli-style sauce they were served with complemented them well. The duck infused spring rolls were again stuffed full with duck so lots of taste came through, and the cod loin was also tasty and generously sized. Unfortunately, with it being a ‘school night’, we weren’t able to sample the extensive drinks menu which includes creations such as ‘Infusion Ice Tea’, White Chocolate Pina Colada and Rum Runners, as well as all your regular bottles and draught lagers to choose from. To book call 01484 427368 or visit infusionbar.co.uk

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Huddersfield Town joins forces with Umbro as main kit sponsor Colleagues at Sainsbury’s Trinity Walk are celebrating after raising £659 for Sport Relief. The team took part in a variety of fundraising events, including a visit to St Austin’s Academy, where the kids iced and decorated Sport relief buns, during the weeks leading up to Sport Relief’s big finale, which took place at the end of March. Huddersfield Town and Umbro will join forces again next season as the world-famous footballing brand teams up with The Terriers ahead of the 2018/19 campaign as the Club's main kit supplier. The Terriers, who wore Umbro kit as recently as the 2011/12 & 2012/13 seasons when the team was promoted from League 1 into the Championship, will once again wear the distinctive double-diamond logo. Umbro will supply bespoke kit, replica and training wear for an initial four-year period, beginning with the 2018/19 campaign. The Manchester-based firm currently supplies kit and training wear to more than 150 professional teams around the world, including fellow Premier League sides AFC Bournemouth, Everton and West Ham United.

Speaking about the deal, GLD Group General Manager Michail Scholz said: "We're delighted that Huddersfield Town will be wearing the famous doublediamond again from the start of next season. "They're an exciting club and there has been recent history between our brand and the Club, during some successful years, and we hope that we can again create more memories for the fans on and off the field. "I'm sure the passionate fans will love the bespoke kits we've created in partnership with the Club, and we're all looking forward to seeing them being worn by fans and players in the coming months." "This is an exciting and important deal," explained Huddersfield Town's Commercial Director, Sean Jarvis.

"Umbro is known for producing high-quality kits for both international and domestic sides, and our supporters can look forward to unique designs which have been created specifically with them in mind. "I am delighted that we will be working together over the next four years as I believe Umbro are the perfect fit to support our growth as a club. "The partnership has already developed and grown through a design process which has seen us finalise what we feel will be very popular home and alternative kits, accompanied by a high-quality range of training and leisurewear. We know that the quality and look of the kits are important to our fans and that has been at the forefront of our decision making." Huddersfield Town's partnership with Umbro begins at the start of the 2018/19 season, with the Club's new kits being unveiled in the coming months.

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The BBC Good Food Show The BBC Good Food Show Summer heads back to Birmingham’s NEC for a delicious day out between June 14 17th, packed with live entertainment, top chefs and experts and fresh new seasonal flavours. TopicUK has teamed up with the BBC Good Food Show, to give you the chance to be one of 5 lucky winners of a pair of tickets to the show which includes BBC Gardeners’ World Live*. Get into the spirit of summer with recipe inspiration from a sensational line-up including Michelin Masters Michel Roux Jr, Tom Kerridge and Raymond Blanc, Show favourite James Martin, queen of baking Mary Berry and the entertaining Hairy Bikers! Plus, get up close and personal with interviews and book signing sessions. Don’t forget, you can explore BBC Gardeners’ World Live as part of your ticket too!

Be inspired

Head to the Summer Kitchen to see Chris Bavin and a host of famous faces sharing top tips and fresh summer

VIP Experience

Discover our VIP package and enjoy front block Big Kitchen seats, VIP lounge access, goody bag, cookbook and more. Our VIP packages are selling out fast so head to the website to find out more! Or for the ultimate day out, treat yourself to the VIP Luxe package and have your day planned for you. To be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is head over to Twitter and Tweet the message: recipes. Dr Rupy Auja of ‘The Doctors Kitchen’ joins the line-up, along with Melissa Hemsley, Tommy Banks and Chantelle Nicholson. Plus enjoy live interviews, demos and BBQ masterclasses.

Big Kitchen

Each Super Ticket includes a seat to see your culinary heroes cooking seasonal dishes LIVE in the Big Kitchen at the heart of the Show. Get closer to the stars and upgrade to a Gold seat.

Great shopping

Sample and shop from a huge range of independent and artisan producers, pick up the latest kitchen kit plus discover exclusive Show deals from some of your favourite big brands.

“I’m going to the BBC Good Food Show with @topic_uk” and don’t forget to follow us so we can notify you directly if you are a winner. You can enter as many times as you wish. The winner will be the first five entries drawn after the closing date of May 21st – good luck! Terms and Conditions *Tickets are general admission only for the BBC Good Food Show and BBC Gardeners’ World Live, 14-17 June 2018 on any day except Saturday. Complimentary tickets do not include theatre seats but these can be purchased on the day, subject to availability. Not all experts appear on all days. Details correct at time of print. The Gardeners’ World logo and the Good Food word mark and logo are trademarks of the BBC. ©BBC. Organised and presented by River Street Events.

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The Great Escape Game LE E DS

Fancy getting locked in a room with friends or family and seeing if your relationships are strong enough to last an hour and escape?

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S P E C I A L If the answer’s ‘yes’, the Great Escape Game Leeds is just what you’re looking for. TopicUK editor Alex Mason gathered some friends and went along to try it out. We arrived at the Great Escape room on a Sunday afternoon not really knowing what to expect. The game we were to play was called ‘Submerged’, but luckily, upon arrival, there was no sign of us needing to wear any wetsuits or swimming goggles – much to the girls’ delight. The game is based around a submarine that has been struck by a missile and lost all power. There’s only 50 minutes of oxygen left to survive on, and your team must reconnect the power and release the doors to communicate the emergency back to the surface before the 50 minutes are up.

compartments to unlock the ‘levels’ and progress through the game. After a couple of minutes of utter confusion at the submarine had just been ‘hit’ at the start, we started to come across a couple of the first clues and quickly got into the swing of things. There were some additional parts to the game which added to the fun, like having to locate a spanner and unscrew what seemed like a million bolts to remove the ‘porthole’ windows so we could stick our heads through into the other compartments ant talk more clearly! What a carry-on that was! Little did we know that ‘Submerged’ is the most difficult of all the games we could have picked to play, but hey, we like a challenge.

However, as with most of the escape-type games, there’s a catch. As well as having to actually be able to communicate relatively well with your friends and family to stand a chance of working anything out(!), ‘Submerged’ split our team of six into three pairs, and each pair was locked inside one of three compartments.

Around half an hour into the game, we started to – shall we say- ‘lose track’ a little, and laughter began to get the better of us. How could we be so stupid? How did we not know how to read coordinates and realise that they were telling us a secret code…? However, clearly realising that we no longer had an idea what we were doing, Emma from the Great Escape team helped us out with a few clues that soon got us back on track.

We had to use our best organisation and communication skills to work out what the clues were telling us, reveal secret codes and then pass these codes to the other

But not for long. The complexity of the clues (we now know why only 15% of the groups that play ‘Submerged’ actually break out on time) meant we lost our way

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again and that vital skill of communication that was so crucial to our success began to feel like we were speaking a foreign language to each other. Unfortunately, I have to report that (you guessed it) we failed to break out within the 50 minutes given to us – but not without our very best efforts! Despite utter failure, the six of us did all say that we really enjoyed the game, and might even be tempted to come back and give another one a go – just maybe one that’s a little bit easier next time. Other rooms/scenarios you can play at the Great Escape Game in Leeds include ‘Abducted’, ‘Haunted’, ‘Devil’s Playground’, ‘Underworld’ and ‘King Arthur’s Secret’, and they range in difficulty. A great touch at the Great Escape Game is the snack bar area, at which you can buy drinks and food including nachos and pizza to feed your appetite before or after your game. The team were kind enough to treat us to a pizza after we’d finished, and we added a couple of beers to drown our sorrows! The Great Escape Game has locations in Leeds and Sheffield, with prices varying depending on the game you chose and the number of people in your team.

To book, call 0333 363 7602, or visit thegreatescapegame.co.uk *our game was provided free of charge in exchange for a review

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Janet and Simon Baker opened the doors to Gimbals Restaurant in 1995 with the aim of bringing simple but

sumptuous, seasonal food to the quaint Yorkshire village of Sowerby Bridge, and that remains their passion today.

Harissa leg of lamb with wild garlic and pomegranate salsa

The cooking at Gimbals is modern yet rustic using wild, organic, locally sourced ingredients as much as possible, which adds a Yorkshire earthiness to the fayre.

I don’t know a chef who doesn’t like using wild garlic. Here at Gimbals, we love that you can They create honest dishes, inspired simply nip out and get a handful of the beautiful lush leaves so easily around here. The other day I by both classic and more unusual was out foraging my haul whilst listening the loud flavour combinations, brought rapping of woodpeckers. I have to say that the together by the skills of their sound of the spitting sizzling noises from the oven talented chefs. Janet has a flair as we cook this month’s divine recipe using wild for decor and her show stopping garlic is one of the best sounds known to man! finds, such as an actual Blackpool illumination, help to create a seductively decadent restaurant Ingredients atmosphere and a unique upstairs • 2 kg leg or shoulder of lamb (boned) lounge area. Here one can enjoy • 200g Full Greek yoghurt artisan cocktails with friends, relax • 3 tablespoons rose harissa on a chesterfield with an aperitif or • 3 teaspoons crushed fenugreek seeds. sink into a sofa with an after dinner • 1 teaspoon nigella seeds coffee. • 1 teaspoon dried oregano • 3 lime leaves Whatever the occasion, Gimbals • 2 teaspoons turmeric promises to create a truly special • 3 teaspoons of dried or chopped fresh mint evening for you. • 3 crushed cloves of garlic • Zest and juice from 2 unwaxed lemons For those of you who would like to have a go at making the dish for • 1 table spoon of best honey • Pinch saffron yourself, we have listed the full • 1 table spoon olive oil recipe and all the ingredients you • Sea salt and black pepper. will need. If you would like to book a table at Gimbals, visit the website www.gimbals.co.uk or call 01422 839329

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Start by mixing all the above ingredients (excluding the lamb!) together in a food processor to make a paste. If you don’t have a food processor, just mix together in a bowl for a rougher paste.

Next, with a sharp knife, slice the lamb about 2cm deep on the top. Rub the paste all over the lamb, pushing into the cuts. Leave over night in the fridge. Now, line an oven tray with peeled, halved potatoes and red onions. Place the lamb on top. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 160 degrees or gas mark 4 for four hours. When ready, take out and leave to rest for 20 mins. For the salsa • 10 young fresh wild garlic shoots, finely chopped • 1 pomegranate de jewelled • ½ cucumber diced • 2 spring onions finely sliced • 4 teaspoons chopped fresh mint • 2 teaspoons olive oil • 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar • S+P Mix all of the above together in a bowl, saving a small handful of pomegranate jewels to scatter over the lamb. Finally, place the lamb on a meat charge with the potatoes and onions. Scatter the pomegranate jewels on the lamb, serve along with the salsa and dig in!

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Social Media sets the stage for our life performance Kieran Rogers is a third year journalist student at The University of Huddersfield. TopicUK asked Kieran for his thoughts on social media and why he thinks it is so popular with todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s generation. Social media has given my generation the means to turn everything into a performance. The coffee you bought before you started your shift is now a piece of performance art, complete with a filter and a caption, for people you vaguely know to scroll past on their commute. Your romantic getaway to Paris is now reduced to of a staged fraction of a moment, grinning in front of the Eiffel Tower, but why? We as a generation seem to want to perform our whole lives, or at least what we want people to think our lives look like, to anybody and everybody that is willing to pay attention, for absolutely no real reason at all. We all grow up being told that people are going to care about our opinions and thoughts and we are going to make a difference, but apart from a select few, people like content creators

and reality TV stars and actors and performers, we have grown up to find that nobody really cares. Social media has given us a solution to this, a platform to have an audience for everything we do, a platform to quench this thirst for popularity and validation and make us feel important. This is treated as an excuse to spew out our opinions and thoughts to a captive viewership, a cathartic way of expressing pretty much whatever we like, no matter tired and banal these thoughts may be. Once people do this well get a taste for faux-success it becomes almost addictive. The rush of adrenaline is frankly bizarre that you can receive from the Twitter likes and retweets that pour in following your witty anecdote about your trip to the supermarket. As is the constant dinging of your phone following your post of one of the 47 photos you took of yourself in your mirror once you were ready to go out, providing you with a constant aural assault that ensures that you get your fix of attention youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been craving. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all so futile and pointless; none of it matters at all, yet it is something that so many of us seem to participate in, indulging in the acceptance and gratification that our peers provide us with.

We willingly put ourselves under the microscope constantly, only whilst filtering ourselves to show our best qualities and manipulating moments to fit our manufactured ideas of ourselves. Go to any live music performance and you will see young people watching a show that is happening right in front of them through a screen, so they can regurgitate it for their followers and use it to reaffirm the idea of this character that they are trying so hard to live up to. In a twisted irony, these people are diluting their own experiences to be portrayed as the kind of person that lives these experiences.

Over time I can only see this as something that is going to get worse; children are having phones and tablets thrust into their hands, practically from birth, creating a very digitally orientated culture that is much different to the one that even my generation grew up in. Social media seems to become more powerful all of the time and shows little sign of slowing down. Everything is a performance now, when the camera is on or our fingers touch our keyboards we do our song and dance in the hope that someone, somewhere, will probably care.

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we have experienced being an open country with Europe outweighed the problems we experienced from Europe.

Hanson Chartered Surveyors was established in October 1989, by Mark Hanson BSc FRICS to service the needs of clients expecting direct and uncomplicated advice.Icid quia con rem

Brexit winning out There are those who smoke, those who have never smoked and those who have given up. Those who have given up are often convinced advocates for not smoking. Okay, I admit it, I voted to Remain but as I also subsequently admitted, had there been an “r” in the month I could have voted to Leave. Did that make me a fence-sitter? Probably but I was concerned that the good

I have since become, like those who have given up smoking, an advocate for Brexit and the more I hear of the shenanigans the more I am convinced that the 52% did us a favour. Larry Elliot in The Guardian (not noted for its pro-Brexit stance) highlighted that Britain’s annual trade deficit is £135 billion and rising. Many reasons lie behind this but Mr Elliot points out that one reason is our membership of the EU because its trading arrangements were designed to suit other countries, not the UK. Barriers to the trading of goods were swept away (great for Germany) but not services (better for the UK). We do have a surplus of services to the EU and we do sell more to the rest of the world than we buy from it but we still have a vast deficit with Europe due in part to the inequitable trading arrangements

on services. Not satisfied with playing with loaded dice, the EU would have our services too. If they pull a high percentage of services from London a £ to a penny says that the trading arrangements in services will change. As Larry Elliot said; “weighing up the pros and cons of joining a club whose trading rules amplified our weaknesses and nullified our strengths”, would we really “be gagging to join?” Meanwhile, the interim arrangements, while not ideal, are inevitable and right for business. There are those who will pull us in an extreme and irrelevant direction (like the advocates of a colour of passport we never had.....we could have kept or opted for whatever colour of passport we wanted even in Europe) but the essence of good manners, an ability to accommodate what others regard as normality which may not be our own and keen business sense will help us and the EU to a mutually advantageous outcome..........I hope.

Rebrand for print management specialist Elland-based ABS UK Ltd has revealed an extensive rebrand, following substantial business growth in the last 12 months. As part of their UK expansion programme, over the past year the firm has completed a six-figure buyout of a local IT company and the acquisition of another technology solutions company based in North Wales, expanding their service offering and adding over £40,000 per month to their total sales revenue. The company has also undertaken

a rebrand, including a new logo and website, as well new uniform for staff and distinctive designs for its delivery and service vehicles. The company says its new tagline - ‘A better way’ - reflects its belief that when it comes to printing and copying or IT support, there is always a better way; including finding more efficient ways to help customers and providing better quality service.

to lose the ‘boring’ tag which is so often associated with our industry. Through our new branding, we are looking to portray our personality and vision in an energetic and engaging way.

growth, increased service offering and rebrand, we are more likely to be able to attract new clients and show them a better way when it comes to print management services.”

ABS UK marketing and CSR director, David Lees commented: “We’re delighted with how the rebrand has gone. We wanted

“We’ve had an excellent last 12 months and we are on track to double our profits by the end of the 2018/19. As a result of our

The company says it also enjoyed a record start to 2018, contributing to its plans to recruit further staff.

K i rk l e e s

C a l d e rd a l e

Are you ready for unexpected clients to call? Do you worry about clients dropping in unexpectedly because your office is untidy or worse, needs cleaning? Impressions count and investing in a good firm to keep your office clean whilst you get on with running your business is key. Gemma and Sarah from GSC Commercial Cleaning can save you both time and money and have years of experience in providing both oneoff deep cleaning, or regular daily or weekly contracts. “We are quite often called in after builders have been in, or after a party as we have the equipment and experience to have things cleaned up and back to normal within hours,” explained Gemma. “Once the client sees the quality and standard of our work, they quite often sign up for our regular contracts.”

Covering Kirklees, Calderdale and Wakefield, no job is too large or too small. Every kind of premises are covered from offices, retail, surgeries, schools, showrooms, in fact if it needs cleaning, GSC can take care of it. Adhering to the industry’s highest standards, the firm boasts a portfolio of satisfied client testimonials and the repeat business and word of mouth recommendations speak for themselves. For an informal chat or an personal visit call Sarah on 07847 894 744 or email: enquiries@ gsccommercialcleaning.co.uk.

Contract Jason Metcalfe or Philip Deakin

Bridge Business Park Colne Bridge Road Huddersfield

9 Colne Road Huddersfield HD1 3ER

01484 432043 Salus House 83 Fitzwilliam Street Bradley Business Park Huddersfield Huddersfield HD1 5LG

TO LET 2,500 to 37,500 ft²

TO LET 8,333 ft²

TO LET 5,833 ft²

A brand new industrial park in a prime location Prominent frontage to Colne Bridge Road (B6118) Benefits from a central service courtyard Good access to junction 25 M62

Trade warehouse location close to Huddersfield Ring Road High specification office content Secure yard and on-site car parking EPC Rating: C (60)

State of the art headquarter offices with onsite car parking Out of town location on a popular business park Convenient access to J24 & J25 M62 EPC Rating: B (48)

www.hanson-cs.co.uk

Employee Management Skills Workshops

www.eatonsmith.co.uk

We're delighted to bring you our latest series of the popular Employee Management workshops in conjunction with the Personnel Partnership.

The workshops are £125 +VAT for the half day workshops and £245 +VAT for the full day workshops.

Keeping it Going!

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This module is split into 2 parts:

Part 1 – Staying One Step Ahead: Engagement, Performance, and Succession Tuesday 5 June 2018, 9.30am to • 12.30pm Eaton Smith offices

How to tackle difficult conversations that we always put off because they are too tricky to handle, we’ll give you some top tips to ensure they are never put to one side again. Investigating and responding to grievances is always a difficult process to deal with. We’ll help you ensure you get it right and are following good practice in line with the Acas Code. Dealing with short term / intermittent absence can be time consuming, especially if you have some “repeat offenders” in your business. We’ll talk you through some of the best tools to use to help you manage absence effectively. Dealing with discrimination, harassment and bullying in the workplace is one of the most difficult challenges anyone can face. Fear not – we’ll guide you through the legal framework and give you practical advice on how to manage these situations.

In our first workshop, we’ll look at “the good stuff” including how to effectively “manage your talent”: • Employee engagement is key to a successful business, we’ll take you • through how to bring this to life in your organisation • Managing employee performance is critical, you want to be sure that employees are working to the standards you set. We’ll discuss tried and tested methods of managing performance in the 21st • Century. • Training and developing your employee’s goes hand in hand with managing their performance, do your employees have personal development plans? Do you even know where to begin with assessing learning and develop The Infamous Work/ Life Balance ment needs – worry not, we’ll Tuesday 18 September 2018, 9.30am to guide you through the process. 12.30pm, Eaton Smith Offices. • Succession planning is something you need to think about to be one In this module we will look at a variety of step ahead of the game. What if a personal life issues that infiltrate the key member of your team left workplace and need to be dealt taking all their knowledge and with to ensure minimal disruption expertise with them, how would it and maximum productivity for your affect your business? We’ll help business. The module will be a busy you get your succession planning half day workshop in which we will process to the top of your agenda. focus on: • Family planning! What to do when an Part 2 – It’s Not Me, It’s You employee is expecting (or adopting) a baby. We’ll walk you through your Tuesday 3 July 2018, 9.30am to 4.00pm obligations as an employer from Eaton Smith offices giving employees the appropriate In our second workshop, we’ll look at “the written notices and carrying out risk challenging stuff” to help you keep your assessments for pregnant employbusiness on track including: ees, to understanding the rights that • How to deal with conflicts in the employees have. workplace, including conflict • Recognising and dealing with between members of staff, flexible working requests. These between an employee and their often sneak up on you and before line manager, and between senior you know it you’ve turned down a management! We’ll look at how to request for reduced hours without investigate the causes of the following the statutory procedure or conflict and methods of dealing giving one of the legally prescribed with that conflict from mediation to reasons for refusing the request. disciplinary and dismissal. We’ll show you the way through

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dealing with these flexible working requests without landing yourself in hot water. How to deal with relationships at work from family members to lovers. Relationships in the workplace can result in difficulties whether it is people needing holiday at the same time, trysts in the stationary cupboard or fights being brought into work. How might you choose to deal with them? Stress awareness and how to spot and help an employee who is struggling before it becomes a problem for your business in terms of lost productivity, time off work or stress fuelled explosions. Wellbeing – buzz words or can you really contribute to your employee’s wellbeing to help benefit your business? We’ll guide you through some of the latest thinking and look at practical things you can do to increase employee wellbeing.

Who are your trainers? Kate Booth from Eaton Smith - Kate is a Partner at Eaton Smith Solicitors and advises both businesses and individuals on all aspects of employment law. Helen Straw from The Personnel Partnership - Helen is the Managing Director of The Personnel Partnership and is also a Chartered corporate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

To book please contact Eleanor Cummings on 01484 821430 or at eleanorcummings@eatonsmith.co.uk