TopicUK December/January Edition 2019 by Yorkshire BusinessWoman & TopicUK

A C R O S S

Y O R K S H I R E

D E C E M B E R - J A N U A R Y

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No35

BUSINESS

BI-MONTHLY

• BOEING OPENS NEW AIRCRAFT FACTORY IN YORKSHIRE • LET’S BANISH THE COPPERSAURUS FROM HUDDERSFIELD • HS2 AND THE NORTHERN POWERHOUSE

HISTORY OF BOARDING SUCCESS TopicUK talks with Ackworth School Headmaster Anton Maree

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WAS IT YOUR LUCKY DAY TODAY? DID SOMEONE FIND YOU ONLINE? Do you rely on digital marketing and social media because it’s a cheap option? Do you rely on your website for sales? Ask yourself this question. If you have a product or service that I don’t know about, how can I search online for it? We all know when we need to buy new shoes, double glazing or a software package to run our accounts, we head to Google to find a solution. But what about those products and services that people don’t know exist, they can’t be searched online for. You may have an amazing solution to my business problems but I don’t know that it exists, so I don’t know I need it! When that product or service is printed it is seen. In print, not only do you remind people of your brand, you might just be telling someone something they never thought to look up online!

Had we seen it in print, we would `have visited the website

An example recently was when we visited a company who told us about something they sell that we were unaware of. “But it’s on our website they said” but we didn’t know you sold that product, so why would we look on your website was our answer! Ask today about becoming a TopicUK partner and have the best of both print and digital across Yorkshire for less cost than you think!

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To Partner TopicUK 07711 539047 - 07803 851593

Contents & Comments This Issue Leeds next in line PAGE 10

IoD Announce winner PAGE 16

pound refurb 30 years 06 celebrating 08 Multi-million for Yorkshire attraction of Yorkshire Awards

Second Annual Food Awards PAGE 47

HS2 and the Northern Powerhouse PAGE 64

Kirkgate Station is ‘Grand’ again PAGE 80

Cover: Anton MAREE Image: Ackworth School

of boarding revisits 24 History success Raithwaite Estate 46 TopicUK

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 to this magazine 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. Law pages are written by Chadwick Lawrence & Ramsdens Solicitors LLP and TopicUK is not responsible for any advice given.

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from its partners means the magazine continues to thrive - and grow. Thank you to every business, individual and reader that supports what we do.

Editors notes By Alex Mason

Hi everyone, Hi everyone, and welcome to the final edition of TopicUK for 2018. The year seems to have flown by, and it’s certainly been an exciting one here at TopicUK Towers. As you know, due to ever-increasing levels of interest in the magazine and the amount of great content we were receiving, our founders Gill and Rob took the decision to take TopicUK ‘Yorkshire-wide’ earlier this year. We condensed our Wakefield, Kirklees & Calderdale and Leeds magazines into one publication, and rolled copies out right across the region, meaning we’re now reaching more people than ever before with your stories of business success. However, none of this would be possible without our TopicUK partners. As you’ll likely have heard, times are tough for many print publications as the competition from digital alternatives grows, but the support TopicUK receives

There’s also a new face on the team as we welcome the brilliant Mandy Taylor who joins us as Business Development Executive. I’m sure many of you will already know Mandy through her many charity projects, and if not, I’m sure you’ll bump into her very soon. In the meantime, catch up on Mandy’s appointment on page 7. We’ve got a great mix of news and features for you this issue, including our in-depth interview with Pontefract’s Ackworth School headteacher, Anton Maree, who tells group editor Gill about his journey from teaching in Africa to his current role. You can catch up with some of the region’s latest appointments on page 22, and read our Young Entrepreneur feature on page 96 to find out how 20 year-old Aimee Bowed from Sheffield hopes a new registered qualification in fitness and mental wellbeing will give people a lifeline when they need it the most.

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Group Editor Gill Laidler

Editor Alex Mason Design Rob Blackwell

Illustration

Buttercrumble

Business Development Mandy Taylor

The Arts

Murray Edwards The Grand Theatre

Legal Matters

Ramsdens Solicitors Chadwick Lawrence

Food & Drink

Kevin Trickett MBE Create Restaurant

Recruitment

First Choice Recruitment Stafflex

Paul Heigham, Bellingham It

Education

Wakefield College

Banking

Barclays Bank

Distribution

James Longbottom

To Partner TopicUK

Tel: 07711 539047

Wishing all of you a very happy Christmas and prosperous 2019! Alex

For a full list of where you can pick up your free copy visit our website: www.topicuk.co.uk

Printed By: Charlesworth Press Wakefield

It was a fantastic night at the 30th Yorkshire Awards The Yorkshire Society was honoured to organise this year’s Yorkshire Awards, the 30th year these prestigeous awards have taken place and honoured once again to be amongst this year’s guests was TopicUK Group Editor Gill Laidler.

be proud of. Cast in bronze and standing on a base of solid slate, the awards are hand-finished making each totally unique and a truly prized possession. Next year, a 2+ metre high version will be installed as a permanent exhibit in Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

The winners of this year’s Yorkshire Awards were: •

A new look was unveiled to mark this milestone and a new format for the night saw a Gala three course Dinner, followed by the Awards Ceremony, both preceded by a video presentation to set the scene and the mood.

•

Business Enterprise Award: Polypipe Limited

Kay Mellor OBE, a Society vice president, was one of the big winners on the night receiving the well deserved Lifetime Achievement Award.

•

Arts and Entertainment Award: BBC and ITV (Jointly) who are both celebrating 50 years of broadcastin this year Sporting Achievement Award: Jack Laugher MBE

Another Society vice president and host of the awards ceremony itself, Harry Gration MBE, presented Kay with her award. The night was the first opportunity for our new official Town Crier, David Hinde, to add something special to one of our events, and he certainly did. As master of ceremonies he really stood out and made himself heard.

•

Woman of the Year Award: Baroness sayeeda Warsi

•

Man of the Year Award: Ben Davis

•

Lifetime Achievement Award: Kay Mellor OBE

News Update

A new award has been created for the Yorkshire Awards; symbolising the proud nature of the Yorkshire people and recognising that winners are people and organisations the county can

•

Special Award: Welcome to Yorkshire Community Hero Award: Sarah Hinton (Shine West Bowling, Bradford) Richard Whiteley Award: Mark Gregory

•

The management and staff at the Hilton Leeds City hotel, where the awards were held in, entered into the spirit of the occassion and provided an excellent dinner and facilities. Plans are already in hand for the 2019 awards and this year’s event has set the bar high!

Above LtoR: Amy Garcia, Sir Rodney Walker and Christine Talbot

NEW BUSINESS WINS FOR PR FIRM Leeds creative marketing agency Brass has celebrated a flurry of new business wins by expanding its PR team with four new hires. The agency has secured business from Aquaclean, an advanced fabric protector for upholstery, Snaptrip, an online platform dedicated to last minute holidays and short breaks, Westfield Health, a leading provider of health and wellbeing solutions and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) that is a partner in the Sector Skills Council for the UK construction industry. Kiran Watson has joined as account director, Danielle Stott as an account manager and Jenny Marston and Cathy Skelton as account executives. Lucy Baird, Head of PR, said: “This latest influx of new business wins has given our flourishing PR client portfolio at Brass an additional boost and we’re thrilled to be working with these four brands as they each embark on pivotal campaigns. “Brass has experienced exceptional growth this year with a number of wins across the business. The PR team, in particular has landed a number of exciting wins which in turn, has led to our four new recruits and a significant increase in revenue on the previous financial year. I’m delighted to welcome them and look forward to delivering high impact PR campaigns alongside them.”

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Mandy joins TopicUK team and editor is recognised in awards TopicUK are delighted to welcome Mandy Taylor to the TopicUK team. Mandy joined the magazine at the beginning of November as Business Development Executive covering the whole of the Yorkshire region. She will be responsible for engaging with both new and existing partners as well as building relationships with our distributors across the region. Many companies, particularly in Kirklees will know Mandy from her time working at Huddersfield Town Foundation, a project she set up alongside Dean Hoyle, Chairman of Huddersfield Town Football Club. She is involved with numerous charity events, many of which she hosts and is a supporter of the Jo Cox Foundation. “I am delighted to be joining TopicUK at this exciting time a they are expanding rapidly, taking TopicUK Yorkshire wide,” said Mandy. “I love the fact that they are genuinely passionate about helping businesses across the region, not just in print, but digitally and at the many partner events they are involved with.”

are pleased that Mandy has joined us. We are expanding rapidly and we know that with her experience, knowledge and contacts, she will quickly become a valuable asset to our team. “TopicUK readership is now reaching up to 50,000 businesses across Yorkshire on a regular basis with, our 100 page printed magazine, and during 2019 this will be accompanied by a number of partnerships and networking events such as Brand Yorkshire and the Mortgage Expo Show. “We would also like to congratulate our editor Alex Mason who was recently shortlisted in the Huddersfield Examiner Young Entrepreneur Awards. Sadly he wasn’t a winner on this occasion, but to be shortlisted from hundreds of entries to the last three whilst his PR company is less than two years old is quite an achievement.”

Agency appoints two new team members A Leeds-based digital design agency has appointed two new members of staff to support its continued growth with both national and global clients. Andrew Wood (top left) has joined Tall agency as senior account manager with several years’ experience in client services. Working with global brands across diverse sectors, Andrew brings an impressive digital acumen to the firm. Commenting on his appointment, Andrew said: “I am delighted to be joining Tall and I am looking forward to getting stuck into some fantastic client projects. I have a passion for bringing ideas to life and Tall is an agency that champions this.” Joining the industry as a developer and progressing to becoming an agency owner, Daniel Maw has 10 years’ experience across a wide variety of clients and projects. He brings a vast amount of technical and project management knowledge to the firm, as well as curiosity to push digital further. Daniel comments: “I’m excited to be joining a firm that is committed to producing exceptional, cutting edge work. I’ll be using my decade of experience to help develop and build client projects and can’t wait to see what the future holds.”

Commenting on Mandy’s appointment, Group Founding Editor Gill Laidler said: “We TopicUK December/January 2019

Multi million pound refurb for Yorkshire attraction 08

Yorkshire’s biggest indoor visitor attraction is set to celebrate its 15th birthday this month with a multi-million pound makeover. Xscape Yorkshire will benefit from a mall refurbishment worth around £2 million which is proposed to start in 2019. The centre opened its doors in October 2003 on the former colliery site and has seen a whopping 53.3 million people through its doors, who come to ski on real snow, trampoline, climb, fly, play golf, watch movies and dine. The Landsec-owned venue now employees around 700 staff, an all-time high, and has seen four new activities added to its offer this summer, further increasing its positive impact on the Wakefield and Yorkshire tourism economy. They include the UK’s highest and Yorkshire’s first sky coaster plus

urban climbing, VR lounge and escape room experience. The refurbishment will see redecoration throughout the centre; new flooring, ceilings, lighting, lift cladding and a new sign on the centre’s frontage which has become an iconic fixture for the millions of commuters driving up and down the M62. Jason Warren, Xscape Yorkshire’s General Manager, said: “We’re proud of where we are today and to be able to offer our customers a

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Cllr Barry Collins

B RIGHT F U TU RE FO R B RIGHO U S E O PE N M ARKET Brighouse open Market has been run by a private company for over 100 years; however the current operator, Northern Markets, no longer wishes to do so. The land on which the market operates is leased from the Council. The Council is now considering a number of issues in relation to the market’s future, including whether to find another operator or to manage it through the Council’s Markets service. place to escape from everyday life to a day of pure fun. In a world where memory-making and experience is front of mind, we’re the perfect spot for customers to do just that. “The Xscape offer continues to diversify to the benefit of the Yorkshire tourism economy, the local area and the people who both work and visit here. The proposed mall refurbishment will help to further enhance our customers’ experience and we cannot wait to get started on this next phase.” Julie Garsden, Landsec Senior Portfolio Manager, said: “When

we took over the scheme we saw its potential and since then we’ve seen Xscape Yorkshire grow and flourish even further. New lettings, improved visitor experience and a new brand have put the site in great shape. The mall refurbishment works will continue that momentum and cement Xscape Yorkshire’s place as a major destination in England for visitors whether they want to take on fun activities or enjoy a familyfriendly day out.” Located in Glasshoughton, Castleford, Xscape Yorkshire opened in 2003 after a £56m investment and covers a size close to six football pitches.

TopicUK December/January 2019

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Economic Strategy, Cllr Barry Collins said: “This is an exciting time for our markets. They’re at the heart of our communities and are one of the many things which make each of our towns distinctive. “ We ’ v e a l r e a d y m a d e improvements to the markets in Todmorden and Hebden Bridge, and a major programme of investment is underway at Halifax Borough Market. “Now we have a real

opportunity to think about the future for Brighouse open market and we’ll work closely with the Brighouse Town D evelopment Board and local Councillors to consider a range of options. It’s a wellsupported market which has a lot of potential. “The Council is investing in markets to help them play an even bigger part in the economy and in people’s lives. “Local markets are an important part of Calderdale’s Vision2024, helping the borough stand out by making the most of its distinctive heritage features and boosting economic resilience. “The year 2024 marks Calderdale’s 50th birthday. Where do we want to be by 2024? What’s our ambition and what will be different?”

Get involved with the debate on Twitter with #VisionCdale2024 and find out more at: www.calderdale. gov.uk/v2/council/vision-2024

Leeds next in line FOR MULTI-MILLION POUND FULL FIBRE TRANSFORMATION

With work in Leeds due to start in the New Year, CityFibre and Vodafone are accelerating Britain’s shift away from copper, bringing full fibre infrastructure to one million UK homes and businesses by 2021.

Leeds has been named as one of the first UK locations to benefit from citywide full fibre connectivity following the announcement of private investment totalling nearly £120m from CityFibre. This future proof infrastructure is expected to deliver millions in economic benefits for the city including £192m in boosted productivity and innovation, £92m in new business start-ups and £255m in increased housing wealth. CityFibre is working closely with Leeds City Council to plan and co-ordinate the build so it maximises the benefits of full

fibre for the wider community. The new infrastructure will build on CityFibre’s existing Gigabit network in the city, which spans over 117km and already connects hundreds of organisations including Leeds Beckett University Business Centre, West Yorkshire Playhouse and St Georges Crypt. Full fibre connectivity will enable people across the city to receive superior and more reliable broadband services, capable of Gigabit speeds (1,000 Mbps). Vodafone will use CityFibre’s network to bring Vodafone Gigafast Broadband to customers, delivering affordable fibre connections - retailing for as little as £23 - all the way to their home or business. Greg Mesch, CEO at CityFibre, said: “We are committed to making Leeds one of the best-connected digital cities in the UK. Building on our existing investment,

which has connected schools, businesses and public sectors across the city, we are now committed to bringing this digital capability to homes and businesses throughout Leeds.

“The full fibre age is taking hold across the UK with CityFibre leading the charge. Britain has outgrown its outdated copper infrastructure and now needs fibre to take it into a digitally competitive economic future.” Vodafone UK Chief Executive Nick Jeffery added: “Overhauling the nation’s broadband is a vital undertaking that we’re proud to be a part of. By bringing the benefits of full fibre to more and more cities and towns, from Stirling to Southend-on-Sea, one million homes across the country can benefit from this world-class technology.”

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With the full support of Leeds City Council, work on installing the new full fibre infrastructure will begin in the New Year. CityFibre will use modern build techniques to deploy the network quickly, while minimising disruption to residents. Once completed, almost all businesses, and for the first time, homes, in Leeds will have full fibre access. Cllr James Lewis, Leeds City Council’s executive member for resource and sustainability said: “Leeds City Council is delighted to hear about CityFibre’s ambitious plans to develop a new full fibre network in Leeds. Encouraging and facilitating investment from private sector providers like CityFibre is an important part of our strategy to help us realise our ambition that all premises in the district, residential and commercial, are able to access gigabit capable services and take advantage of new technologies and new ways of living and working.

Luke makes the grade Commercial finance broker Luke Rodgers has been awarded the Certificate in Business Banking and Conduct (Cert BB&C) from The London Institute of Banking and Finance.

“Our Inclusive Growth Strategy sets out our ambitions for Leeds to be recognised as a digital city where a strong economy ensures that everyone in our city can reach their full potential. CityFibre join other key institutions who have made pledges to signal their ongoing commitment to Leeds and to investing their time and resources to make it the best city in the UK to live, work, study and do business.”

Luke, who works at ABL Business in Cleckheaton, passed the exams set by the industry-recognised body, after studying for a year as part of his company’s Continuing Professional Development programme.

Construction has already commenced in the partnership’s launch cities – Milton Keynes, Peterborough and Aberdeen – and services are now live for the first customers in Milton Keynes, with Vodafone already taking orders for its Gigafast service.

Focussing on lifelong learning, it aims to equip people in the sector with the right knowledge, skills and qualifications to better meet the needs of businesses, individuals, and society. Through its educational programme it aims to make banking and finance more accessible and better understood, enhancing social inclusion through financial capability.

To find out more about CityFibre and its Fibre to the Home roll-out, visit www.cityfibre.com/residential To find out more about Vodafone’s Gigafast Broadband service, visit www.vodafone.co.uk/gigafast

The LIBF was established in 1879 to advance banking and finance by providing outstanding education and thinking.

T h e L e v e l 3 C e r t i f i c a te i n Business Banking and Conduct is

TopicUK December/January 2019

designed to develop and enhance understanding of FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) regulations in relation to business banking customers and provides essential knowledge of the sector to set an independent standard in customer service excellence. Aged just 21, Luke deals with applications for business finance and manages relationships with his company’s growing client list. He specialises in Asset Finance, sourcing money for entrepreneurs who want to borrow against vehicles, property and invoices and on an unsecured basis. He joined the business straight from 6th form at Lightcliffe Academy, starting out as an apprentice then progressing through the ranks, first completing AAT (Association of Taxation Technicians) qualifications to become a finance broker.

He said: “This is a real achievement for me and key to the next big step in my career. “ABL Business have been very supportive throughout and I feel that this approach of enabling you to learn on the job has helped me to grow and become more confident in what I do. This, in turn, equips us to provide the best possible service to our clients.” Joint Managing Director Alex Beardsley said: “We’re committed to s u p p o r t i n g C o n t i n u o u s Professional Development for all our team members, which strengthens the support that we can provide to businesses. We’re very proud of what Luke has achieved in such a short time. He’s a real asset to the team and his efforts in constantly developing his skills within the sector are much appreciated by his clients.”

SAINSBURY’S TRINITY WALK HOSTS LAUNCH EVENT FOR NEW CHARITY PARTNER STAFFLEX INSTALLS COMMUNITY ACCESS DEFRIBRILLATOR

ecruitment agency, Stafflex has installed a Community Public Access Defibrillator (CPAD) outside its office which will be accessible 24/7 to anyone in the area. A defibrillator is a device that gives a high energy electric shock to the heart through the chest wall to someone who is in cardiac arrest. This high energy shock is called defibrillation, and it’s an essential life-saving step in the chain of survival. The defibrillator will be used for those who call the emergency services within a 600m (0.37 miles) radius of the Stafflex office and the cabinets have a key code lock which can only be accessed by calling 999 and obtaining the code ensuring the device remains secure at all times. There are over 300,000 cardiac arrests every year with only 30,000 surviving out of hospital but the defibrillator increasing the chance of survival from a staggering 10% to 75%. Over recent years there has been a large increase in the number of public access defibrillators across Yorkshire, rising from 35 in 2014 to 1,353 in 2018. No formal training is needed to operate them which is a huge bonus as people can often be overwhelmed when faced with this difficult situation.

Sainsbury’s Trinity Walk has officially launched a partnership with its new Local Charity of the Year, Wakefield Trinity Community Trust. Wakefield Trinity Community Trust was chosen by Sainsbury’s customers by a public vote in store and online in June. The charity will now receive a year’s worth of support through fundraising and awareness raising from the store.

again as the store’s new Local Charity of the Year as the partnership will help us to utilise the power of sport to engage with people, especially, though not exclusively, those who are disadvantaged or deprived and divert them towards more healthy, fulfilling and positive lifestyles.

Representatives from the charity joined Sainsbury’s colleagues over the weekend to kick start the partnership by speaking to customers and raising awareness of the work Wakefield Trinity Community Trust do in the local community.

Phil Butterfield, Store Manager added: “We had a very successful launch and I’d like to thank all of our customers for their support and can’t wait to see how the partnership develops over the next year.”

Craig Shepherd, at the Trust, said: “Thank you to everyone who came to support us at Sainsbury’s Trinity Walk over the weekend. We’re really excited to have been chosen

The Local Charity of the Year scheme is now in its ninth year and has raised over £13 million to support local charities since 2009.

Abigail Stahelin, Compliance and Operations Director said: “Public access defibrillators save lives and with our office in such a prime location near town on Chapel Hill, we felt a responsibility to care about the safety of the residents and visitors in Huddersfield. “This defibrillator compliments the existing ones at the Parish Church and Police Station. “We have maintained a defibrillator in our office since 2014 but it’s fantastic that it is now outside and available for the public to use.” John Spikings, Community Defibrillation Trainer at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust said: “We thank Stafflex for supporting this initiative.” John has since conducted several training sessions with staff to give them the skills and confidence to use the defibrillator and perform CPR.

Pictured – Wakefield Trinity Stars, Pauli Pauli, Max Jowitt and James Batchelor joined Sainsbury’s colleagues Steve Scriven and Michelle McWhirter.

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PRINT MARKETING FIRM MR FLYER CONTINUES GROWTH WITH NEW APPOINTMENT appointment will now enhance the existing service offering at Mr Flyer, giving clients the opportunity to have their print work designed in house.

Huddersfield based print marketing firm Mr Flyer has appointed a new Graphic Designer allowing for further business growth. Roger Dumisani joins the team as the firm’s first Graphic Designer and is a familiar face at the

business, having pre viously worked as their first ever leaflet distributor over 7½ years ago. His

South African born Roger Dumisani has successfully completed a Diploma in Art and Design at Batley School of Art and Design and is currently studying towards a BA (Hons) Graphic Design and Animation from the University of Huddersfield. The appointment comes as a result of Mr Flyer’s significant year-on-year growth and recent partnership with national print firm, Printing.com. The business this year alone has seen growth in

profits of over 33% and has further growth plans for 2019 and beyond. Director at Mr Flyer, Andrew Robinson, comments “It’s a real pleasure to have Roger back with us again. It really shows that Mr Flyer is a great company to work for.” “Roger will play an important role in the growth of the business and open up new doors in terms of his creativity and skills that he can offer. We are very excited to bring our growth plans to fruition over the coming months”.

USED CAR EXPERT BLAZES TRAIL FOR WOMEN Independent car auction specialist G3 Remarketing is gearing up to mark its 10th birthday with an impressive track record of gender equality among its team. A total of 44.4% of staff at the Leeds company are female, bucking national and international trends which show that the motor industry continues to be one of the most male-dominated sectors. Women power all departments of G3 including account management, payment processing and yard-based vehicle inspection. Statistics show this proportion is almost three times the average of 15.8%. The numbers score highly against targets set by the UK Automotive 30% Club, a voluntary group of automotive chief TopicUK December/January 2019

executive officers and managing directors who want to see 30% of leadership positions in the sector filled by women, by 2030. G3’s female team members start from the top with director and owner Amanda Holtby and include several key roles within the business. Amanda said: “From the very beginnings in 2008, we knew we wanted to do things differently. We recognise the skills, experience and expertise that women have to offer the motor industry, and we would never allow a large gender gap in our business even though it is the norm in the sector. We are proud to stand out as a good example. We can count women in every department, up to and including board level.”

Recent statistics from London-based gender diversity consultancy 20-first show women make up just 17.6% of the UK’s wholesale and retail motor trade workforce and 15.8% of those who work in the manufacturing of vehicles. While some other European countries – such as Germany and Italy – fare slightly better, none come close to G3’s more equal gender split.

DCS JOINS RESELLER NETWORK Boston Spa-based Deans Computer Services (DCS) has strengthened its cloud technology portfolio following a new appointment to act as a reseller for Advanced. DCS has signed an agreement to join the Advanced TruePartner programme which is designed to reward resellers for their Cloud-first strategy, ensuring it provides the training, skills transfer and ongoing support with SMEs to drive joint success for its Cloud-based ERP solutions. The UK’s third largest provider of business software and services, Advanced provides close collaboration with resellers to develop market and sector insight through TruePartner. DCS will be focusing on Advanced Business Cloud Essentials, a single, fully integrated business platform which includes financials, customer relationship management (CRM), stock control, supplier and operations management, sales and opportunity management, payroll and dashboard reporting. The platform is delivered as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) which is easily accessible through any web browser and enables a pricing model that allows businesses to scale their usage as required. Patrick Clayton, Managing Director at DCS, commented:

“TruePartner accreditation underlines our established commitment to helping SMEs to accelerate their transformation to the C l o u d . It w i l l e n h a n c e the DCS Cloud offering, alongside our own Cloud backup solutions, and will complement our expertise in software support, cyber security and value added services.” Janette Martin, Managing Director of Strategic Partnerships and Alliances at Advanced, welcomes its new partner: “We know that there is an incredible opportunity as more and more SMEs look to embrace Cloud technology across their organisation. However, to ensure this is successful, they require support on this journey– from implementation, training and support through to future planning. “DCS has demonstrated its strengths and ambitions in this area. By joining the TruePartner programme, DCS is enviably positioned to realise the benefits a Cloud subscription service can deliver in terms of recurring revenue, client retention and client acquisition.”

MANOR HOUSE LINDLEY AWARDED COVETED FIVE GOLD STARS

Following a multi-million pound renovation and restoration, Huddersfield venue Manor House Lindley has been awarded Five Gold Stars by The AA after opening its doors earlier this year. The AA Star Rating system was introduced in 1912 and classifies thousands of hotels across the British Isles every year. The Gold Star Award is the AA’s supreme accolade for guest accommodation and awarded to only the very best of properties with the highest levels of hospitality.

Georgian manor that lies in the heart of Lindley in Huddersfield.

Manor House is a Grade II listed

The interior design was overseen by

The property boasts a restaurant, three bars, a roof terrace, a bistro, a gym and a wedding and events space plus ten bedrooms and a luxury apartment.

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MOVE FOR DIVA Award-winning B2B telecoms provider, Diva Telecom, embark upon their next ambitious chapter, following their move to new larger premises in Thorner, Leeds. Set in beautiful green surroundings at Bramley Grange, the new office offers more space to accommodate Diva Telecom’s projected business growth and recent starters. Delivering exceptional customer support is a key ethos to the business and has resulted in a transformation of Diva Telecom’s customer support department in 2018, with the recruitment of Alexia Martin and Sarah Mallinson. The latest member to support Diva’s growing customer base is Neil Bircumshaw who brings with him 32 years of telecommunications expertise. The team is led by Operations Manager, Lyndsey Smith. Diva’s recent recruitment drive has also seen the sales department expand with Senior Account Managers Darren Mitchell and Dave Ballard

joining the team of consultants, who bring with them in-depth telecoms knowledge in Business Mobile, Inbound Numbers and Call Management, Traditional Lines and Calls as well as Broadband and Connectivity. Erica Lewis, Managing Director said, “Over the last few years Diva Telecom has seen ongoing growth and not just in relation to new team members, we’ve also massively extended our product portfolio with new launches – most notably, Gigabit Fibre, Diva Cloud and Diva Mobile. All we needed was a space with extra growing room and now we have that, we’re ready for the next step. It’s been great to roll up my sleeves and get hands on with the office design, and now that we’re moved in, I’m looking forward to seeing what’s around the corner.”

owner Sara Presley, influenced by her travels to the Far East, and has been impressing guests since Manor House opened its doors in April 2018. General Manager Mark Ayre commented: “This award is the result of hard work, dedication and a team effort from all of the staff here at Manor House. We are thrilled to be awarded Five Gold Stars and look forward to continuing to provide this level of service to our guests.” The award, which covers the guest accommodation of the hotel and restaurant, was announced by The AA who described Manor House as “Excellent quality throughout the bedrooms and public areas. A charming old building brought back to life.”

TopicUK December/January 2019

IoD announce winner of the UK Director of the Year

the inclusive way that we run the business. Everyone is part of the family and everyone can share in this success. It also sets a benchmark for the next generation of colleagues coming through.” Judge Gareth Loye, chief executive of M&M Contractors, said: “The Parklane Group story was inspirational. The entry showed clear vision and strategy for the company. In turn, the MD provided guidance and leadership through a recession.” Stephen Martin, Director General of the IoD, said: “My congratulations go to all of our winning directors for the exceptional work they have put in over the year, contributing not just to the economy, but to society as well. Whether it be in private enterprise, charity, or the public sector, great leadership is immensely valuable, and our award-winners have set the bar in this regard, and well deserve to be recognised.

Naveen Ahmed of The Parklane Group has been named the UK’s top director of a family business by the Institute of Directors (IoD). He received the award at the national finals of the IoD’s Director of the Year Awards, held at The Royal Horticultural Halls, London. Over the last four decades, Leeds-based The Parklane Group has become a market leader in property and leisure, owning and operating leading brands including Roomzzz aparthotels and IconInc student accommodation. Naveen has more than 30 years’ experience in the property industry. As managing director, he is as hands-on as possible, from construction and appraisals to refurbishment projects, while leading the wider growth of the business. Naveen said: “Winning such a prestigious award and being recognised in this way is fantastic for everyone in the team. It gives us a real buzz and focus. We pride ourselves on

“An attribute shared among many of this year’s winners is the ability to harness emerging technologies, often for wider social purposes. The essence of business leadership lies in grappling with new ideas and understanding how these can fuel the success of your organisation, and our award winners set a great example.”

Celebrating Yorkshire’s Young Achievers

ight young stars from across the region were recognised for their talent and determination at the 26th Yorkshire Young Achievers Awards at Leeds United’s Centenary Pavilion in November. Multi medal-winning Leeds gymnast Nile Wilson was named Personality of the Year in front of more than 330 guests, while the Youngster of the Year title went to a young Mirfield girl triumphing in taekwondo after losing both legs as a baby. The Awards, sponsored by McCormicks Solicitors, mark the achievements of young people from the Arts to Sport, and are organised by the Yorkshire Young Achievers Foundation which has now raised more than £1.25m to support young people in Yorkshire. The Chairman of the Awards, Peter McCormick

Entries are now open to business leaders in Yorkshire and the North East for the Director of the Year Awards 2019. New categories have been added to recognise the Young Director of the Year and the leading director of a business with a £50 million-plus turnover. The winners will be celebrated at a black-tie dinner in the Principal York Hotel on 4 July 2019. They will go through to represent the region at the UK finals. To view all the winners from the national finals, visit http://www.iodawards.com/ welcome/national-director-of-the-yearawards-winners If you wany to enter the 2019 awards, visit www.iodawards.com/yorks-northeast YYAA Liz Green, Carol Bridgestock and Mandy Taylor

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OBE, said: “We heard some great stories about all our winners, including what it takes to be a young achiever in the arts and in business and about how overcoming adversity helps to produce some truly inspiring winners. These wards are also our main fundraiser of the year and none of this would be possible without the support of our sponsors and our guests, many of whom have been with us almost since the beginning.”

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• Previous winners, including soprano Lizzie Jones, Premier League referee Martin Atkinson, young disabled triathlete Bailey Matthews and young Emmerdale cast members Alfie Clarke, Daisy Campbell and Amelia Flanagan were on hand to watch the proceedings. • The full line up of winners was: • Personality of the Year, sponsored by Rudding Park: Nile Wilson of Leeds, multi-medal winning gymnast, • Yo u n g s t e r o f t h e Ye a r, sponsored by GMI Property: Maisie Catt, nine, of Mirfield, who had both legs amputated at five months old and has

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TopicUK December/January 2019

been picked for a national GB Taekwondo Para-Poomsae academy squad. Achievement in the Arts, sponsored by Barclays: Amara Okereke Of Adel, Leeds who has made history by becoming the first black actress to play the role of Cosette in Les Misérables and is currently starring in the production at the Queen’s Theatre West End of London. Achievement in Management and Enterprise, sponsored by The Wetherby Whaler Group: Rose Dyson of Silkstone, Barnsley, who started her own business, Pura Cosmetics, at the age of 15 and has been recognised as one of the most promising CEOs in the country. Achievement in Sport, sponsored by Leeds United Football Club: Ellen Buttrick of Leeds, a member of the GB Para-rowing squad who won gold in her first international event at the World Rowing Championships. Achievement in Education, sponsored by Positive Tax Solutions: Devan Witter of Market Weighton who set up his own anti-bullying project and created a website of information for teachers. He is also one of the youngest recipients of the British Empire Medal. Unsung Hero, sponsored by Lunchbox Theatrical Productions: Cameron Osburn of Harrogate who has cerebral palsy and set up a football training group, Adversity United, for disabled under 12s. Special Award, sponsored b y Walsh Taylor: Jessica Mayho of Cononley, North of England Senior Hammer Throw Champion 2018, who has tirelessly supported the Yorkshire Young Achievers Foundation since receiving a grant towards her training.

£100,000 investment for engineering firm Swallownest Engineering Ltd, a South Yorkshire-based specialist provider of precision engineering solutions, is on track to grow its workforce and increase its turnover by a further 15 per cent this year following a £100,000 investment from UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE). For over thirty years the leading engineering provider have been servicing a wide range of businesses and industries with the ‘complete engineering solution’. The investment from UKSE, a subsidiary of Tata Steel committed to investing in businesses looking to grow,

has enabled business owners Ian McCrossan, Steve Sample and Mike Smith to press ahead with business plans which will see turnover reach over £2.2m this year, a £500k improvement over the last 2 years. Currently a team of 26, the funding has provided working capital for the appointment of three engineering specialists over the last four months, with plans to appoint more skilled machine workers later in the year. UK Steel Ente rprise is a subsidiary of Tata Steel. UK Steel Enterprise provides equity and loan finance to growing companies.

Yorkshire firm receives Discover England funds Following a five month application process, Real Yorkshire DMC, a newly launched specialist B2B travel company based in Leeds, is one of a number of successful projects to receive funding from the UK government’s £40 million Discover England Fund. Real Yorkshire DMC will sell luxury, fully-escorted Yorkshire tours via the travel trade in North America and other key international markets. The Fund is administered by VisitEngland and involves a programme of activity to ensure that England stays competitive in the rapidly growing global tourism industry, by offering world-class English tourism products to the right customers at the right time. The Fund is a central government funded programme of activity, supported by match funding by partners in the public and private sectors.

getting under the skin of Yorkshire’s Roman & Viking heritage, Norman castles, Tudor houses, stately homes, medieval abbeys, Jurassic coastline, breathtaking national parks, TV locations, film sets and famous Yorkshire folk - more and more of Tim’s clients are coming from across the Atlantic.

According to VisitBritain , the number of inbound visits to the UK in 2017 grew 4% to a record 39.2 million. The value of spending by inbound visitors increased by 9% in 2017 to £24.5 billion – a new record. VisitBritain research also shows that there were 1.3 million inbound visits to Yorkshire in 2017 with inbound visitors spending £567 million in the county. Yorkshire is gaining popularity as a global tourism destination in its own right and Real Yorkshire DMC wants to capitalize on this, as well as attracting visitors to London who might want to see more of rural England also. Director and co-founder of Real Yorkshire DMC, Tim Barber, is an official Yorkshire Blue Badge Guide and owner of Tim Barber’s Real Yorkshire Tours, which offers luxury private day tours of Yorkshire. Tim is a Historian-come-Yorkshire-storyteller whose mission is to expose his clients to ‘the proper Yorkshire’ - really

Established to sell tours internationally via the travel trade, the business does not sell direct to the public. The packaged tours - all of which showcase the best of what Yorkshire has to offer will benefit from the global travel marketing expertise of Real Yorkshire DMC’s co-founder - 38 year old Lyndsey Thomas from Leeds, who is also the owner of Leeds-based tourism marketing agency, All About the Story Ltd. Above: Lyndsey & Tim

VisitEngland Chief Executive Sally Balcombe said: “The calibre

of submissions to the Discover E n g l a n d Fu n d r e f l e c t s t h e innovation in product development thriving across the country’s tourism landscape. The successful projects will boost international and domestic visitor growth creating a step-change in the industryand spreading the economic benefits of tourism across England.” Sir Gary Verity DL, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire added: “Yorkshire had a record 2017 for overseas visitors and all the signs are that 2018 is set to be another bumper year for inbound visitors with visitors already hailing from Australia, Singapore, Brazil and Canada to name but a few. It’s great news that Real Yorkshire DMC has received funding from the VisitEngland Fund to develop these new and exciting packaged holidays to Yorkshire to keep attracting those overseas visitors.”

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When we talked to businesses in Yorkshire about what they need from their future connectivity, we found that quality digital infrastructure was paramount to commercial tenants, and that poor broadband speeds often had a profoundly negative effect on staff morale, as well as their bottom line. Yorkshire’s employers are savvy about how integral broadband is for business today. According to a recent report conducted by Censuswide, nine out of 10 IT decision makers wouldn’t even consider signing the dotted line on a new lease before checking out a premises’ connectivity first. A solid 59 per cent of local businesses wouldn’t even view a property without ensuring it ranked well for broadband speeds. Why does it matter so much? When companies have poor connectivity, the negative impacts are huge. More than two thirds of the companies contacted (68 per cent) said they’d suffered reduced productivity during internet outages. Two fifths (43 per cent) had even lost customers due to an inability to access services during service drop outs. Bad broadband is clearly bad for business. These findings make a strong case for bringing an end to the country’s dependence on its ageing, capacity-constrained copper networks and supporting an accelerated rollout of full fibre, which has the benefits of great reliability, speed and symmetry. However, this can currently only be accessed by less than 4 per cent of the UK, highlighting

Poor connectivity will be a thing of the past for Yorkshire businesses By Andy Starnes, Head of City Development at CityFibre the need for investment in new infrastructure across the UK. Our economy runs on the internet now and the interview runs best on full fibre. Yorkshire’s digital future is bright When we dug into the research a bit more to see what difference this investment in new infrastructure would make to Yorkshire’s businesses, half told us it would increase productivity and around the same percentage said it would help the m to improve customer service. A further quarter said it would boost collaboration. This shows the distinct correlation between connectivity and the potential for growth and innovation in the Coventry workplace. Thanks to our existing networks in Huddersfield, Leeds, Bradford, York, Hull, Sheffield, Doncaster,

TopicUK December/January 2019

Rotherham and Wakefield, the Yorkshire region is already a beacon for digital transformation in the UK. However, Huddersfield is its shining light. This small town is leading Yorkshire into the digital age as it becomes the first town in the region to benefit from CityFibre and Vodafone Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) programme, which will make it possible for almost every home and business to connect to full fibre services. Huddersfield has embraced its Gigabit City status since Kirklees Council partnered with CityFibre in 2014 to provide future-proofed full fibre services to public sector sites. This initial investment has delivered the 52km spine network required to build out to other internet users in the town, such as businesses, who have been able to connect through a range of ISP partners.

T h i s n e w p h a s e o f p r i v a te investment totalling £30m will position Huddersfield on a par with the best connected locations in the world. The full fibre network will provide extremely fast and reliable broadband services, capable of Gigabit speeds of 1000Mbps – transforming the lives of the many residents and workers who depend on digital connectivity to access services, employment and entertainment. Construction work to extend the network is set to commence this winter, with the first services going live in the Spring. To find out more about the Gigabit City infrastructure in Huddersfield and Yorkshire visit: cityfibre.com or follow @GigabitHudds.

manufacturers often felt overlooked, but in Wakefield it was one of the fastest growing, high value sectors employing skilled people. “The shortlist is just a snapshot of the diversity of manufacturing in Wakefield District with many other companies making components that are shipped around the globe for mission-critical industries including automotive, aviation, medical, agricultural and energy,” he said.“Following the success of this year’s awards we look forward to them being a regular part of Business Week.” Amy Johnson, of Conservatory Outlet, which was named Manufacturer of the Year, sponsored by Pure Technology Group, said: “We have invested heavily in new product ranges and expanding our distributor network to ensure the business remains sustainable for our 130 employees in Wakefield and this award is fantastic recognition of our commitment,” she said.

Conservatory team smash glass ceiling Wakefield conser vator y manufacturers smashed the glass ceiling at the inaugural Wakefield Manufacturing Awards to win Manufacturer of the Year 2018

diverse and offered real careers for the next generation in industries ranging from food, glazing and state of the art technology and had a healthy supply chain network extending around the globe.

The all-female team from the Conservatory Outlet collected the glass gong at a lunch to celebrate the sector, which employs 18,000 people and contributes more than 30 per cent to the district’s Gross Domestic Product, in the city during Business Week.

And while some at the lunch were concerned that the shadow of Brexit would impact the local economy, Adrian Brooks of Production Park said that while his creative hub was almost completely international he had no intention to relocate but invest further in the former South Kirkby pit village.

At the same lunch, manufacturers were urged to be brave and tell decision makers what they need to make Brexit a success, by Mark Ridgeway CEO of Group Rhodes. Addressing the district’s diverse manufacturers who were celebrating a year of success he reminded them that the sector was dynamic,

The Wakefield Manufacturing Awards were organised by the Wakefield Manufacturing Forum to recognize and pay respect to an important sector in the District. Shortlisted industries included traditional engineering, textiles and companies from the fast growing creative and arts sector. Tim Mee, chair of the WMF said that

Chris Rosindale of Rostech Engineering, which was named Best Start UP, sponsored by Ad:Venture said that the award would spur the business on to fast forward its growth plans of doubling staff numbers within two years of its launch. Matt Orford, of Yorkshire Lasers, which was named Best Exporter sponsored by C4 Salesforce Group said that it was a fantastic award for a team who made boxes and brackets that were shipped around the world for use in telecoms, fire safety, automotive and offshore projects. Full shortlisted companies included: Best Start Up: Rostech Engineering, Nationwide Curtain Makers, Riverside Coatings. Best Exporter: Yorkshire Lasers, Production Park, Fusion Products Limited. Best Overall Company: Conservatory Outlet Ltd, Brilliant Stages, Advanced Diesel Engineering Ltd.

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Developer and asset manager MEPC, celebrated the topping out of Buildings 7 & 8 with a steel signing event – marking a major milestone in the build of one of Leeds City’s most anticipated new commercial properties. Once finished, the modern, fit-for-purpose office space will accommodate HM Revenue and Customs and NHS Digital. The two organisations will share the space as part of the Government Hubs Programme to transform the Civil Service into a modern employer. Attended by representatives from HMRC and NHS Digital in addition to contractor, Wates Construction, and the team at MEPC Wellington Place, the celebration marks not only the completion of the steel frame construction, but also the start of the next phase of the build with the installation of the façade, helping to visually cement its position in the Leeds city skyline. Once built, 7 & 8 Wellington Place will become home to the new 378,000 sq. ft. Government Hub, which holds the record as the largest ever office pre-let in Leeds. The move is part of the Government’s plans for building a strong Civil Service base across the UK, with the Leeds hub accommodating multi-departmental workforces.

Final steel added to Leeds Government hub

Paul Pavia, Head of Development at MEPC, said: “The steel signing is always a significant milestone in a building’s development, as it is at this point we can truly see the scale of what’s to come. We’re incredibly excited to be welcoming the new regional government hub, and this celebration marks the next phase in its completion. Not only is it fantastic news for Wellington Place, but also the wider city, with the move expected to welcome 6,000 civil servants to the development.”

In addition, they will also benefit from a great range of facilities and additional activities, which are available to members of the Wellington Place community. I am confident this will become a great place to work.”

“We’re proud to be part of this significant investment which underlines our long-term commitment to Leeds.”

Dorothy Brown, HMRC’s Senior Sponsor for the Leeds development, continued: “This is a significant milestone in the creation of HMRC’s Leeds Regional Centre. In the space of one year, we have gone from a hole in the ground to a seven storey building and can now start to visualise how the space will work for our people. The modern and bright environment will mean they

Carl Vincent, Chief Financial Officer at NHS Digital, added: “We are hugely excited about our move to the new hub in a couple of years’ time and this is a significant milestone towards that. As one of Leeds’ major digital employers, having the opportunity to consolidate our estate and have our people working collaboratively together under one roof that is designed for modern technology

Meanwhile, work continues across the development, with 4 Wellington Place now on site. 4 Wellington Place is due to complete in November 2020 and will offer a further 156,000 sq. ft. of prime commercial office space to the city. 4 Wellington Place will finalise the eastern part of the wider Wellington Place masterplan, as the ninth building on the development.

TopicUK December/January 2019

can work collaboratively with other teams, to increase our effectiveness in collecting taxes.

delivery, will provide big opportunities to make us an even more effective and efficient organisation, delivering transformational digital change for health and care.

our region

On The Move New Appointments throughout 22

COMMUNICATIONS FIRM STRENGTHENS TEAM Marketing consultancy KC Communications has appointed two new PR & Marketing Account Managers, Kirstie Wilson and Anna Goddard. Their appointment comes after a year of impressive growth for the company, which has seen increased turnover of 41% and gross profit by 76%. The growth is a result of increased client retention and winning a number of key accounts. With a Professional Diploma in Direct and Digital Marketing, Kirstie is able to provide innovative ideas and has her finger on the pulse of the industry. Previous account management experience in telecoms, tech and retail has enabled Kirstie to work with a range of industries and organisation types, from multi-national banking corporations to local takeaways. With 15 years’ marketing and communications experience in both clientside and full-service agency backgrounds specialising in online/digital projects and customer relationship management (CRM), Anna has helped public and private sector organisations - from local farm shop to blue chip - build successful brands that deliver maximum return on investment.

HIRE BOOSTS SHULMANS’ TEAM Shulmans LLP, has appointed a new partner to head up its construction team. Sarah Wilson joins as head of construction from Watson Burton LLP where she was a partner for eleven years. Sarah boasts over 20 years’ experience in the sector, advising in contentious and non-contentious matters for heavyweight projects on behalf of developers, contractors and consultants alike. Her expertise spans a range of sectors – including chemical works, energy, utilities, waste and house-building. As a Legal 500 recommended lawyer and member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, she has an impressive track record in dispute resolution. Also, she regularly provides external training and delivers workshops and seminars on construction-related matters. Tim Halstead, managing partner said: “We are delighted to welcome Sarah to our real estate team. Her experience and profile in the construction and engineering sectors will provide even greater support to our ever-growing client base.”

NEW STRATEGY DIRECTOR FOR DIGITAL AGENCY Larissa Green has joined Blueclaw’s senior management team as Strategy Director, following 10+ years as a global agency and client-side digital performance specialist. Most recently Head of Digital at Carat, Larissa joins the Leeds-based agency to “deliver more award-winning work for our clients, and take performance to new heights”. “In the past seven months our client work has resulted in wins in the SEO, content marketing and PR categories of the European Search Awards, UK Search Awards, Drum Search Awards and Northern Digital Awards,” explains Blueclaw CEO and founder Fergus Clawson. “With Larissa onboard, we’re looking forward to delivering further value for clients, and (of course) building strategies and campaigns that win more global recognition. “We were looking for an industry-leading Strategy Director with experience across all of the digital disciplines that we work in; the timing was perfect for Larissa to join the team,” Clawson concludes.

Commenting on her new appointment, Sarah added: “Shulmans has an enviable reputation, with year on year growth Katrina Cliffe, Managing Director said, and an impressive portfolio of regional, “they join us at a very exciting time. Aside national and international clients. The from the recent account wins, we have a culture of the firm and its approach to number of new business opportunities recognising and nurturing talent really in the pipeline and a strategy to grow resonated with me and I look forward to the business further over the next 12 helping shape and grow the team further.” months.” T  /topicuk-magazine T @topic_uk T  www.topicuk.co.uk T  /topicuk.co.uk

AMBITIOUS YORKSHIRE TECH FIRM EXPANDS WITH SIX NEW RECRUITS Huddersfield tech firm, yboo, has recruited six new staff as the company continues its ambitious growth strategy to bring the money saving app to 60m smartphone users in the UK. Loren Birkett, Keely Robinson, Josh Hoyle, Helen Cullinane, Mike Constantinou and Phil Kershaw all join the firm to raise the profile of yboo in the UK and launch a range of new features within the app to help Consumers understand more and get the right mobile deal for them. Loren, a graduate of Huddersfield University, joins as Social Media Manager. Keely, a graduate of Cardiff Metropolitan University, becomes Affinity and Affiliate Campaign Manager. Josh joins as Project Developer, leading a website redesign and Helen, who has 20 years’ experience in the telecoms industry, is appointed as Head of Delivery. Mike and Phil are talented developers with a passion for solving real problems using cutting-edge technology to process and understand millions of events and bring real value to Consumers and Mobile Operators alike. Founder and CEO Martyn Gould said of yboo’s new recruits: “I’m absolutely delighted to welcome the new yboo team. Each person brings something different, new skills and new views. We now have a great blend of experience and talented youth as yboo continues its rapid ascendancy. The firm continues to recruit for additional staff to support its future development strategy which includes the delivery of an insight portal launching in early November. The portal will provide anonymised data to enable mobile network operators to fix blackspots in network coverage and build dynamic products to bring better value to the Consumers they wish to target. TopicUK December/January 2019

APPOINTMENT FOR TECH FIRM A fast-growing Leeds-based digital design house, has appointed a digital marketing and events manager to its growing team. LightStart, formed in 2016 by Simon Edwards and Dan Akers are thought-leaders at the forefront of the digital community in Yorkshire. Joe Lawson joins the rapidly-growing company with experience in brand management, previously establishing digital communication channels and implementing digital strategy. Joe has also helped deliver digital content for various partnered projects, such as: Leeds International Festival; Welcome to Leeds & The Audio and Radio Industry Awards. LightStart builds digital products including mobile apps, web apps and the underlying platforms that drive them. Joe commented: “I am absolutely delighted to be taking on a role with one of the most exciting tech firms in Yorkshire. I am really impressed with the business culture and ethos. The role presented a step up in responsibility and I’m looking forward to embracing this stimulating challenge.” LightStart’s client base ranges from digital start-ups through to £60M turnover businesses. The firm is also behind a series of free of charge digital-focused events held in Leeds.

DUO OF APPOINTMENTS FOR HOWARTHS Yorkshire HR and employment law firm, Howarths, has expanded its HR team with the appointment of two new HR advisors. Cath Crane (top left) has joined the Cleckheatonbased firm from clothing and homeware retailer, Boundary Mill, where she led HR with responsibility for over 1,000 employees. Cath also has experience working with a number of national and international brands including Wm Morrisons, Unilever and Northern Rail. She will be responsible for working closely with Howarths’ client base to support SMEs with strategic HR management in line with business growth. Further bolstering the team is the appointment of Wendy Creswell. Wendy joins the firm from a Huddersfield-based firm (Pennine Business Partners) where she held the role of senior HR business partner. Wendy will help deliver remote and on-site HR support including redundancy procedures, disciplinary hearings and recruitment. Howarths managing director, Gavin Howarth, commented: “Both Cath and Wendy bring a wealth of experience to their roles, that will prove invaluable to our clients as we continue to grow our HR support offering, ensuring their HR issues and projects are dealt with in the most effective and efficient way possible.” Howarths who is a TopicUk partner was founded in 2003 by husband and wife team Andy and Helen Howarth to provide HR, employment law and health and safety support to SMEs across Yorkshire and the UK. In July, the firm was named Family Business of the Year at the National Family Business Awards 2018.

History of boarding success

leads Anton to Ackworth

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Born and educated in South Africa at Muir College and Queen’s College, both boys’ boarding schools in the Eastern Cape, Ackworth School Head Anton Maree attended Rhodes University, a residential university in Grahamstown, where he gained a BA degree in History, English and Psychology. Inspired by his mother Janet who was a Breakthrough to Literacy Specialist, he qualified as a teacher before spending an obligatory two years as a conscript in the South African Defence Force. “My mother’s methods were simple yet revolutionary and she didn’t just inspire me, but generations of teachers to help children lacking literary experience and those with special needs,” he told us. “My whole family come from an education background, my father Attie was an outstanding headtecher of two schools and head of school at just 28 years of age.” After two years helping to improve relations with the Kavango people in South West Africa and witnessing the transition to independence of the modern state of Namibia, Anton Marie started his teaching career at Sandringham High School, a large co-educational day school in Johannesburg.

Successful Anton focused on the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic era initially but developed an interest in modern history after moving to a co-educational boarding school in the UK with his wife Alison. Whilst there, Anton established himself as a tutor and then a housemaster before becoming the Director of Boarding with the challenge of redeveloping and redefining boarding. He was particularly successful in encouraging day pupils to board by making sure that it was an attractive option for all. The History department at the school provided many opportunities to travel and Anton was fortunate to visit Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Poland, and Russia as well as TopicUK December/January 2019

China, Cambodia, Vietnam and the USA. The school toured the Southern Hemisphere regularly and Anton has been on sports tours to South Africa, Australia and New Zealand many times. On one tour the school visited, all three rugby playing nations in 4 weeks, an experience worth repeating!

Passionate A keen sportsman himself, Anton played Club rugby and cricket. Appointed to another school in the UK as the deputy headmaster in 2009, Anton improved its standing as a major public school by raising pupil numbers, improving academic standards and carrying out an extensive programme of refurbishment. Aside from his teaching, Anton is a passionate learner and will always put the needs of the students first. He has a deep interest in performing arts and the use of IT in the classroom, and his love of sport is evident to all.

‘He’s bubbly and understands us!’ (Year 8 student)

‘He thinks about others’ points of view and wants us involved in decision-making’ (Year 8 student)

‘ He cares a lot about us and the school. He always greets us in the morning with a cheery ‘Good Morning! And smiling face’ (Year 10 student)

‘He’s a friendly guy , he’s polite, inspirational and cares about us as individuals’ (Year 10 Student)

He is also committed to helping international students break through the language barrier. Anton is a great believer in the advantages offered by co-education and boarding which makes him sympathetic to the challenges faced by Ackworth school today. All pupils should be encouraged to have a strong sense of social,

moral and environmental responsibility and Anton feels that pupils should be challenged and stretched at school, not just academically, but also through sports, art, drama, music, community service and adventurous activities. Engagement is what helps develop pupils to the full, both academically and as people. This is what has drawn him to Ackworth School where the Quaker foundation, underpinned by the Quaker testimonies of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship, are clearly evident. As part of this philosophy he is currently forging closer relationships with the local community; “As the largest employer in the Ackworth area, and coupled with our Quaker ethos, it is incumbent upon us to work closely with the community and provide as much access as we can to our facilities.

Proud We have worked tirelessly to provide opportunities to local Primary Schools in a range of activities including academic, sporting and cultural. It is gratifying to receive offers of support from local businesses for this Community Enrichment Programme, but we can always accept more from companies who would like to align themselves with our efforts and make a real difference to the lives of local students.” So what achievements are Anton most proud of? “I am proud that Ackworth School is now more visible within the local community. Our Quaker ethos underpins everything that we do and I am proud that we can inspire students and give them confidence to go on and achieve great things. Our students join us from all over the world, we even accepted a Syrian refugee as a pupil to enable him to complete his A-levels and advance to university. When they leave us I want each student to have initiative and respect for others, these two things, coupled with education will take them far in life. We have world champion sports people, particularly in squash and table tennis and rank the 13th best independent school in the UK with regard to sport.

BREXIT A WAVE TO SURF NOT TO DROWN IN As dark evenings are upon us, it will be two, the sun will rise in the Christmas before we know it and then having morning. endured the 4 months of gloom we will be Somehow, the business smack into March and Brexit. I recall the last almost worldwide panic as we approached the Millennium as in the Millennium Bug and the possible effect of the clocks within our computers making planes fall from the sky and operating theatres and hospital equipment shutting down to say nothing of our data on our screens dissolving in front of our eyes as the clock turned to midnight. Of course, nothing happened. It was an anti-climax, fortunately. I don’t think I am

alone in expecting the fever pitch to get worse as the Brexiteers seek to convince us that all will be well and the Remainers or Remoaners cast doom and gloom on the process and the likelihood of all of us being worse off come the 30th March 2019. There are actually only two absolutes in the result (apart from death and taxes); one, we don’t know what will happen other than the fact that nothing will change because of the Transition Arrangement and;

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community has to look beyond the uncertainty and damage which the process of Brexit is bringing about. Having attended the Examiner Business Awards I was struck by the fact that not one person I spoke to and not one of the participants or finalists nor the winners of any category mentioned Brexit. It did not feature at all. I got the distinct feeling that the business community was implying, to paraphrase Mercutio ; “A pox on both their houses.” There was strong competition

and it was very heartening to see the commitment and success of our local companies despite difficult trading conditions. Our entrepreneurs and genuine wealth creators deserve our encouragement and thanks because without them we have no NHS, armed forces or other public service. We may be about to enter the gloom of winter but judging from the event a bright light of optimism shines over many of our businesses who will not allow the process of Brexit to get in their way. Brexit will be a wave to surf not to drown in so far as our business community is concerned.

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FACE THE FUTURE CELEBRATE TEN YEARS Yorkshire-based skincare company, Face the Future, is celebrating the 10th birthday of its online store, facethefuture.co.uk. Specialising in advanced skincare and cosmeceutical products, the company has seen tremendous growth which looks set to continue to be the UK’s leading advanced aesthetic and online skin clinic. Founded after the success of the nurse-led, CQCregulated skin clinic based in Wakefield, Kate Bancroft, Nurse Independent Prescriber and Founder saw the demand for comprehensive home-treatment products that would extend

the results of in-clinic treatments, assist posttreatment recovery and improve skin overall.

unbiased advice on all things skin to help even more people achieve the best skin of their life.”

Kate commented: “We’re so tremendously proud of all that we’ve achieved over the past 10 years. I had a very clear vision for both the clinic and the online shop when we first set out and seeing it come to life through the hard work of our team is brilliant. We’re so excited for the next chapter for Face the Future and want to continue our mission to provide people all over the UK with ethical,

The company has also recently launched an online skincare test, meaning that those based outside of Yorkshire can now receive customised, unbiased skincare advice, unique to them, potentially saving hundreds of pounds on skincare that simply isn’t right for them or their skin. Since it’s launch, over 1,500 people from all across the country have gone on to take the test.

Fortune favours the bold. Businesses without design have no brand and therefore no identity. They are boring and instantly forgettable; no one wants that, right? Dare to be playful, dare to be remembered and dare to be bold.

TopicUK December/January 2019

Colour your rainbow and let’s colour your world with fun graphic design and illustration. www.buttercrumble.com

T E L ECO M

U P DAT E

NGC NETWORKS LIGHTS UP WAKEFIELD CATHEDRAL

Historic building joins ultrafast internet revolution The cathedral is enjoying faster internet speeds and greater bandwidth thanks to the investment in Wakefield’s digital infrastructure. CityFibre has partne red with business communications specialist NGC Networks to delive r the ultrafast full fibre connectivity to local businesses in Wakefield. NGC is also helping to deliver gigabit internet speeds to companies in Huddersfield, Leeds, Bradford, York and Hull. Full fibre internet connectivity provides businesses with a range of benefits including increased productivity enabled by faster speeds, greater bandwidth and more efficient business processes. NGC Networks director Nikki Guest said: “Our role is to connect businesses to the Gigabit City networks, enabling them to take advantage of new technologies to improve the way they do business. Our partnership with CityFibre provides a cost-effective internet connectivity solution to meet their technical and commercial requirements.”

Nikki Guest

Wakefield Cathedral is one of the first organisations to benefit from ultrafast, full fibre internet connectivity delivered under the new Wakefield Gigabit Cit y banner.

Wakefield Cathedral is built on the site of a Saxon church, and a church in Wakefield is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1096. The cathedral’s 247ft spire is the tallest in Yorkshire.

reliable and cost-effective internet service at the cathedral. We’re very pleased.” Several other local businesses are also benefitting from Wakefield Gigabit City. They include Sheridan Fabrications in Normanton; CCL Labels, Castleford; Hawkswell Kilvington Solicitors, Calder Park; and Major Recruitment, Wakefield. Wakefield-based NGC Ne t w o r k s p r o v i d e s b u s i n e s s telecommunications and internet connectivity solutions to companies across the North of England. It has reported £6m turnover this year, up 16% year on year. Employing 40 people, the company’s growth has come from new client wins and organic growth. NGC’s expanding portfolio of clients includes Lupton Fawcett, Freeman Grattan Holdings, Harrison Spinks, Timpson, Manning Stainton, Puma UK, The Car People and Sharp Business Systems. NGC also works with academies, schools and medical centres. Box out Digital Enterprise the government’s Gigabit Voucher Scheme provides funding of up to £3,000 against the cost of a connection. Gigabit vouchers can be used by businesses to contribute to the installation cost of a gigabit capable connection.

Neil Holland, Acting Administrator at Wakefield Cathedral, said: “Since the installation of fibre, we’re benefitting from a faster, more

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RECRUITME NT

Stafflex retains Investors in People accreditation

UPDATE

A world without recruitment agencies

Recruitment agency, Stafflex has retained the prestigious Investors in People (IIP) Standard accreditation demonstrating its commitment to developing the skills of its employees.

By Andy Turner Managing Director First Choice Recruitment

Investors in People is the UK’s leading accreditation for business improvement through people management, and provides a wealth of resources for businesses to innovate, improve and grow, with a focus on good people making great business.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

The framework is based on 25 years of leading practice incorporating the latest research and workplace trends into the assessment, which is carried out using desktop reviews, interviews, meetings and observations. Andre Macpherson, IIP Specialist Assessor commented: “It’s clear that the people at Stafflex are very happy, engaged and clearly enjoy working here. “Organisations that meet the world-recognised Investors in People Standard reflect the very best in people management excellence. Stafflex has successfully achieved accreditation through demonstrating the evidence requirements of the IIP indicators.” Abi Stahelin-Hall, Deputy MD said: “We’re extremely proud to retain the Investors in People accreditation. It’s evident that our values, ethos and dedication have shone through in the assessment. “We first achieved the accreditation in 2003 and through continuous improvement have embedded learning and development into our culture and values allowing our staff to flourish.”

making an internal appointment and set the same criteria against the decision.

Like many other industries, recruitment can get a bad press but it’s not always justified. When we were discussing this recently we decided to take a step back, what would a world look like without recruitment agencies? Some might say it would be a blessing and it would leave them to find the recruits that were right for them, but perhaps this is a slightly misguided judgement given that the clients that we work with can have hundreds of positions to fill and often at short notice. Perhaps the question is more about choosing the right recruitment agency for your business. Without good recruitment agencies, with the experience to match the right candidates with the right positions, many industries would end up in chaos. It would mean that internal staff would be tasked with identifying the roles that exist, marketing them, speaking with each individual, creating a shortlist, arranging a formal interview process and making the final appointment. Knowing how busy our customers are, there is no way they could fit this level of work into their day job. Then consider that it could be multiple positions with differing and often specialist skill sets that are required and you have a real nightmare on your hands. Rather than blaming the recruiter, we would advise that businesses find an agency that they know and trust. Treat the process in the same way that you would when you were

TopicUK December/January 2019

A cultural fit. If you are relying on someone to make appointments to your team it is essential they understand your business. This will give them a far better chance of finding a candidate that meets with your needs but also are the right cultural fit for the organisation.

Experience is vital. In the same way a company wouldn’t consider a candidate without a CV, the same should be said for an agency. Ask about their background and what they feel makes a good recruiter.

Cheap isn’t always cheerful. There are many recruiters that cut costs but this often means that they cut corners too, which can leave a business with a real headache to contend with. Paying a percentage once is certainly better than paying it three times, so think the fee through before making your final decision.

Remember, it’s your reputation. Despite handing the responsibility over to a third party, the impression that the recruitment agency gives to others is a direct reflection of your business. Make sure you trust them to do the job and to do it well.

Long lasting relationships. Like most industries, recruitment relies on longlasting relationships between clients and candidates. It’s a fact of life that times change but loyalty does have a value and it could save you money in the long term.

Leeds firm designs hat for boxing champion his AJBXNG embroidered logo on the back.

Pay to park with plastic bottles

Founded by designer Rhian Ke m p a d o o -M i l l a r i n 2 0 1 3 , Kempadoo Millar has several other celebrity fans including HRM The Prince of Wales and awardwinning actor Idris Elba.

The Merrion Centre in Leeds has come up with a novel way to pay for parking, with plastic bottles!

The brand specialises in unique flat caps and baker boy caps and operates out of the renowned AW Hainsworth’s mill in Pudsey, Leeds.

The pilot scheme, which ran through October by CitiPark, has been very well received. How it works is simple, for every empty bottle of at least 500ml handed in, 20p is knocked off the parking bill.

Rhian Kempadoo-Millar commented: “It was such an honour to be approached by DAZN to work with them for the filming ahead of Anthony’s Joshua’s most recent fight. Of course, we’re absolutely thrilled to make Anthony his own custom-made hat, as this is one of the unique elements of a Kempadoo Millar cap. We love to design the hats to fit the individual’s personality and style.

Hundreds of bottles have already been handed in at the 950 space car park and the company hopes that the programme will be kept on long term.

A Leeds-based designer of British-made headwear has been commissioned to design professional boxer, Anthony Joshua a bespoke flat-cap to wear during filming for an American TV sports channel. Headwear brand, Kempadoo Millar was approached by DAZN

US earlier this year, to create the unified heavyweight world champion a custom-made hat, that was presented to him before his fight against Alexander Povetkin in September. For his personalised flat-cap, Anthony Joshua opted for a blend of the British and Nigerian flags digitally printed on the lining, and

“Anthony absolutely loved his and we had a real blast making it for him.” News follows the recent launch of the brand’s current collection, known as Express Yourself ’18; a colourful collection of rich tweeds and peacock bright accents which was photographed on professional dancers to add flair & movement to the images.

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Bradford garden centre promotes from within The management team at a Bradford garden centre has announced six new roles, all of which have been filled internally. Tong Garden Centre has created the new roles to support the next phase of growth and expansion within the business that includes a £3.5million investment in the Tong Lane site over the next three years.

Housebuilder wins industry award Leeds-based housebuilder, Park Lane Homes, is celebrating a major industry accolade after winning Single Unit Development of the Year at the Premier Guarantee Excellence Awards. The company’s Providence House detached property in Collingham, near Wetherby, won the award ahead of thousands of eligible developments nationwide which were inspected by Premier Guarantee, one of the UK’s leading new home warranty providers. Providing exceptionally spacious and luxurious living, the bespoke design was completed and sold earlier this year. S a l e s D i r e c t o r, J a m e s C l i n k , commented on the award: “We are absolutely delighted to win Single Unit Development of the Year. The Premier Guarantee judges had high praise in their feedback comments over all aspects of the project. It is fantastic to be acknowledged for all of the hard work that goes in throughout the project by all involved - on site, in the office and across our suppliers and TopicUK December/January 2019

design partners. There is a little piece of each of them in this award too.” Park Lane Homes will be looking to set the same award-winning standards with the launch of two new developments in 2019. Plans are in place for a range of six detached homes in Boston Spa and three detached homes in Menston. The company is nearing completion of two conversion farm properties at Hill Top Farm, near Bardsey, to create two unique detached homes.

Former Centre Manager Andy Mears has been promoted to the newly created role of General Manager and assumes responsibility for managing the entire site, property, warehousing, buildings, health and safety in addition to the retail team and shop floor. Supporting Andy Mears in the role of Assistant General Manager will be Andrew Tyers, promoted from Food Hall Manager, and bringing a wealth of garden centre management experience to the position. The garden centre sees a new tier of management introduced with two positions created to lead all aspects of the retail team. Promoted to Indoor Manager is Dennis Keen with responsibility for garden

sundries, giftware and the Food Hall as well as seasonal ranges including outdoor furniture and Christmas. His equivalent is Outdoor Manager Dave Clayforth, promoted from Plant Supervisor, to lead the plant team and oversee plants, pots, compost and landscaping. The business has also appointed Phil Hemmings, with over 10 years of garden retail experience, to the newly created role of Garden Sundries and Christmas Buyer and Clair Spencer has been promoted to the new role of Inventory Controller responsible for stock control and management. In addition, there have been three internal promotions with James Tolson moving to Sundries Supervisor, Ann Smith to Senior Customer Services Advisor and James Beaumont to Marketing Assistant. Tong’s Commercial Director, Sharon McNair is delighted with the appointments: “These promotions are very well deserved and I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone grows into their new roles as we embark on our next phase of growth in the business.”

The Premier Guarantee Excellence Awards are held annually and internally nominated by Premier Guarantee Surve yors. P re mie r Guarantee works with property builders and developers throughout the UK, providing warranty and building control services for all types of residential and commercial builds.

FREE Introduction to

Considering moving or recently moved to the Microsoft Cloud with Office 365, but want to know more? Eitex are a local Microsoft Partner that works closely with local businesses to help them understand the components of Office 365. We can help explain how the different applications in Office 365 can enhance your systems (such as email, file sharing, communication, and working from anywhere). Our events aim to provide you with a greater understanding of the platform so you can make an educated decision on if this is the right fit for your organisation.

Includes breakfast! For more information or to book a session please go to https://www.eitex.co.uk/events Alternatively scan the QR code below:

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Who can apply? All VAT registered companies with a minimum quarterly VAT bill of £10,000 are eligible. There’s no maximum limit for larger applications. If you find this option works well for your business it can be renewed every three months if you choose, maintaining the payment as a regular monthly outgoing for as long as you need the finance. The benefits of VAT funding in a nutshell: • It’s quick and simple to arrange. • The rates are competitive. • It takes pressure off your cash reserves. • You can retain working capital to spend in other business areas. • Fixed monthly repayments ease cashflow peaks and troughs.

How VAT finance tackles taxing issues Alex Beardsley is joint Managing D i re c t o r o f A B L B u s i n e s s , Commercial Finance Brokers based in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire.

Do you set aside some money throughout the year to cover your VAT payments? If not, you’re certainly not alone. There’s always some other pressing expenditure cropping up which has to take precedence and may draw on those precious cash reserves.

should always be a priority. Failing to pay the VAT you owe on time could land you with surcharges and penalties running into hundreds of pounds; and the longer you leave it, the more these will escalate. The rate increases each time you default again during a surcharge period. Fortunately there’s a perfect solution to this taxing issue.

Stock purchases, seasonal turnover, unpaid invoices – these can all leave you struggling when your VAT bill is due. Perhaps you do have enough money in your account, but handing it all over in one go to pay a tax bill could leave your business vulnerable in the future.

More and more businesses are turning to VAT Funding which enables you to spread the cost of your quarterly return by dividing it into three manageable payments. HMRC gets the whole amount upfront, then you only have to draw a third of the money from your account each month to repay the funder.

One stark word of warning: If debts do pile up, payments due to HMRC

Interest is charged at a fixed rate, from 3.9% of each quarterly VAT bill.

TopicUK December/January 2019

• You are not tied into a long-term contract. VAT funding is becoming an ever more popular way to manage cashflo w. Business o wne rs may have the best intentions of saving for VAT returns and other tax obligations but often the VAT quarter comes around faster than expected. The ability for businesses to spread VAT payments over three months instead of paying in one lump sum eases cashflow and stabilises outgoing expenditure throughout the year.

HOW TO WORK SMARTER AND NOT HARDER WHEN YOU START A BUSINESS

Many of us are familiar with the phrases ‘you need to work on the business and not in it’ and ‘don’t be a busy fool’ but when you launch a start-up there are so many things to consider and to manage that these comments can quickly become a reality. Most business owners believe whole-heartedly in the product or service that they are offering otherwise they wouldn’t be putting in the hours, hard work and resource into trying to create a brand, but this passion can detract from developing and embedding the processes and procedures that will give them long-term sustainability.

criteria to meet. What this means though is there is no cost to young organisations that are often conscious of every penny they spend. Engaging with businesses that are based across the Leeds City Region there are some great examples of companies that have accessed support and achieved great success as a result.

The truth is that most people starting a business are not experts on everything, they are hoping that they will learn along the way. Finance, HR, governance, IT, marketing and networking are just some of the things that start-ups need to focus on. The good news is that there is more support now than ever before. Start-ups and young businesses have access to professional organisations that offer topical and practical courses, workshops, events and networking to teach them how to put the theory into practice and reach their potential sooner. Whilst this often sounds too good to be true, AD:VENTURE is just one example. This ERDF and regional partner funded programme not only provides practical advice and guidance from experts but it also has a match-funded grant programme that could support the investment that a business needs to take it to the next phase of its journey. There is no catch when you work with AD:VENTURE, though as with most programmes and accelerators like this, there are eligibility

Stephanie Moran Couture is a bridal designer from Tadcaster that gives brides the chance to ‘be the perfect you’. Business owner, Stephanie, comments: “I was working as a freelance and although I was securing commissions I was finding it hard to work out how to take my business to the next stage. That’s when I was informed of AD:VENTURE and I realised that with some support I could put my plans into practice. “I knew that my real ambition and longer-term goal was to open a couture bridal boutique with studio and showroom, thanks to the opportunity to gain funding, I was able to do this.”

Wildcraft Gluten Free Bakery is an awardwinning bakery that develops a range of products and free from gluten concepts. Business partner, Sam Havis, comments: “A business advisor had made me aware of some of the support that is available for small and start-up businesses and when I looked into it there was quite a few options, which was great, but I needed something that would be accessible for me and the time I could commit. “The Business Growth Collective and Leadership events delivered by AD:VENTURE were great. I really liked the idea of talking to others in the same position, sharing experiences and using our collective knowledge to tackle each challenge. It certainly helped to refine my thoughts.”

Growing Better is a social enterprise that provides urban farming for better mental health. Founding Director, Rob Moores, comments: “Accessing practical support from AD:VENTURE allowed us to build up our business plan and in turn to consider other options. We realised that we had the potential, with funding support, to commit to appointing three new members to the team over 2018.” For details about the AD:VENTURE programme and how it supports start-up and young enterprises throughout the Leeds City Region please visit: www. ad-venture.org.uk and for regular updates follow on Twitter, Linked In and Facebook .

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TopicUK December/January 2019

DIGITAL ASSETS AND YOUR WILL

We live in a societ y where more and more people appreciate that it is impor tant to make a Will to ensure that your wishes are carried out following your death in relation to your assets and indeed any funeral wishes.

SarahPower - Family Law

nsuring that you have a legally binding Will means that you are able to direct who will deal with your estate (your Executors) and who will inherit any personal items, specific amounts of cash, your property and the residue of your estate (any assets not specifically mentioned in the Will). Your Will also gives you the opportunity to appoint guardians for any minor children or make provision for a favourite charity. However, as society moves forwards we are entering a new age where digital assets are now a feature of many of our lives. So, what is a digital asset? There is no legal definition in the UK for digital asset, however in the US they define these as “a record that is electronic” with this definition now being adopted worldwide. There are three types of digital assets, tangible personal property – something that can physically be given to your Executor or Personal Representative following death, for example

a hard drive or memory stick, intangible personal property – such as rights associated with information which may be transferred to your Executor or Personal Representative such as social media, email etc and finally contractual rights – these are usually digital assets subject to an agreement, for example an iTunes account.

If no directions are given in your Will regarding any digital assets they will be disposed of as part of your residuary estate...

According to a survey by the Office of National Statistics in 2017 89% of adults in the UK had, in the last 3 months, accessed the internet, whilst only 9% said they had never used the internet. You may be wondering how you can protect any digital assets in

your estate. It is advisable to keep a note of your login details and passwords on a offline storage device or in paper form, ensuring that your Executors are aware of the whereabouts. However, it is imperative that your login details be kept separate to your passwords to avoid the possibility of them being stolen. When making a Will when your estate contains digital assets, you should consider appointing a Digital Manager or Digital Executor, whilst these terms are not legally binding it is an expression of your wishes. Many of us have social media accounts, sometimes on multiple platforms. You may now be aware that some of these now have an option for Memorialisation. Facebook has a memorialisation mode which keeps your account visible after death as per your privacy settings, and your ‘friends’ can share memories of you to your profile. A Legacy Contact would have to be

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Legal Matters

appointed and they are able to change your profile picture and add posts, for example if a memorial service were to take place. The account can be deactivated by your Legacy Contact at any time. Whilst in this mode your profile would not be seen publicly, nor would it appear on ‘people you may know’ banners. Cryptocurrency is also rising in popularity, this includes such as Bitcoin and Paypal. Balances on accounts such as Paypal can be gifted in your Will as a digital asset. However, it is important to remember that many of your rights relating to digital assets will be subject to terms and conditions of the service provider. Sue Preece, an Associate at Chadwick Lawrence states “For example, if you have accounts such as iTunes or Kindle you have entered into an agreement with them whereby you don’t own the content but rather you are in effect leasing it from them, this of course ends on your death as per their terms and conditions. If no directions are given in your Will regarding any digital assets they will be disposed of as part of your residuary estate.”

Child Contact Arrangements: The Night(mare)before Christmas For most people Christmas is a time for festivities and goodwill to all. However, spare a thought for separated parents, Christmas can often be a fraught and emotional time. It is understandable how the thought of spending Christmas away from your children can be upsetting. Most of the parents we meet are fortunately able to reach amicable agreements which focus on meeting their children’s needs and ensure that they enjoy Christmas celebrations with both parents. Although some parents choose to share Christmas Day, others prefer for the children to spend Christmas Day with one parent and Boxing Day with the other.

TopicUK December/January 2019

Unfortunately though, some parents are simply not able to reach any agreement at all. When that is the case, these are the options to consider:1. Set out your proposals in writing as early as possible, preferably giving a few options. Give a reasonable deadline for them to respond. If you leave this too late then you might find that the other options which are available now might. It be the closer you get to Christmas. 2. Another way to establish a positive line of communication is through family mediation. This involves both parents meeting with a neutral third party mediator who can guide you through your discussions to reach a conclusion which is best for your family and meets your children’s needs.

3. If the two previous options fail then the only option left is to either issue an application at Court or go to Arbitration. You will need to bear in mind that you need to issue your application as soon as possible to ensure that you do not run out of time before Christmas. These are by far the costliest options but for some it is the only way to achieve an outcome, although this might not necessarily be the exact outcome that you want. If you are in doubt over your Christmas contact arrangements then it is important to take advice as soon as possible. Our team of experienced family law experts and divorce lawyers can provide you with specialist advice regarding any area of family law.

Ramsdens Solicitors

Legal Matters

LANDMARK COURT DECISION ON MIXED-SEX CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS

In 2004, the government introduced the reform that same-sex couples could enter into a civil partnership offering greater legal protection and financial security. In 2013, the government introduced that same-sex couples would be able to get married in the UK. In June 2018, a landmark appeal made by Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan at the Supreme court, was won, entitling mixed-sex couples to enter into civil partnerships. Over the course of four years, the couple demanded that the law recognise the requirement for mixed-sex couples be allowed to enter a civil partnership, offering them the same protection and financial security currently applicable in same-sex relationships. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favour of mixed-sex couple’s having access to civil partnership as an alternative to the legal recognition

provided by marriage. The court said that the Civil Partnership Act 2004 was in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights.

NEW ACAS GUIDANCE ON EMPLOYEE SUSPENSION

At present, the Supreme Court judgement does not oblige the government to change the law, although we hope that the government will act soon. It appears that the potential changes to the law have been left to a Private Members Bill although the government may decide to review this sooner and put the changes into effect.

ACAS has published new guidance for employers in relation to suspending employees from work.

There are currently 3.3 million couples out of a total of 19 million, in the UK who are unmarried and half of those families have children.

Although the guidance is not binding it is recommended that employers follow it. The main points to consider in the guidance are as follows: • An employer should only consider suspension from work where there is:

Z medical

serious allegation of misconduct grounds to suspend Z a workplace risk to an employee wwho is a new or expectant mother.

Theresa May said that reforms will provide opposite-sex couples to have greater legal recognition and security in their relationships and therefore, greater financial security for their children. When couples enter into a marriage they get certain financial entitlements that those who are not married or in a civil partnership have access to.

•

Those benefits include Inheritance Tax, marriage income tax allowance, pension transfers to widowed and inheritance of their partner’s estate and home upon death.

Suspension should not be an automatic approach for an employer when dealing with a disciplinary matter. Most disciplinary procedures will not require suspension. An employee will usually be able to continue during their normal role whilst matters are investigated.

•

An employer considering suspending an employee should consider all options. In circumstances where there are reasons to consider suspension, temporary adjustments to the employee’s working arrangements may remove the need to suspend the employee.

•

There should be no assumption of guilt associated with a suspension F

When couples are not married they do not automatically benefit from these financial entitlements that married couples and those in civil partnerships are afforded. Therefore, this can and does leave respective partners and their children at financial risk.

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and suspension must not be used as a disciplinary sanction. If suspension is necessary, the reason for the suspension should be kept confidential. •

The guidance provides details on what should be included in a suspension letter for example the reasons for the suspension and how long it is expected to last.

•

An employee should usually receive full pay during a period of suspension.

•

A period of suspension should be kept as brief as possible and regularly reviewed to ensure that is necessary. The employee should be kept updated about their suspension, the ongoing reasons for it and how long it is likely to last.

Employers should suspend with caution. Whilst the ACAS Guidelines are just that: guidelines. However, these guidelines come on the back of a number of cases where employees have challenged suspensions on the basis that the mere fact of suspension had made continuing employment impossible where there is an impact on reputation. Ill-considered suspensions can lead to a breach of contract particularly if there is no contractual right to suspend. Advice is recommended in these situations. TopicUK December/January 2019

What to consider when buying a home Buying a home can be stressful. But having a list of things to consider can help to reduce the hassle. Read our list of top tips from our Head of Residential Conveyancing, Karen James.

Can you afford it? Before applying for a mortgage, you need to know whether you can afford the monthly repayments. Mortgage lenders will look at your income and outgoings to see if you can keep up with repayments today, and if interest rates rise or your circumstances change. What kinds of property are available? Once you know what you can afford you need to establish if the type of property you want is available in the area that you want it. In most cases, buyers will have to compromise a little. Talk to estate agents and look online to get a better idea of what’s available. Is the location right for you? No matter how much you love a home, you should always check the surrounding area. Look at the state of the streets, pubs, shops, parking, etc. Be sure to visit at different times of the day (and night) to see if there is any change in noise/traffic levels. You should also consider how an area might change in the future. Have you assessed a property’s suitability? You’ve found somewhere you love - and can afford – but you need to make sure that it works for you.

Consider things like: • Whether your family and friends are nearby • If it is convenient for work • Whether you can access the facilities you need/want (e.g. shops, restaurants, parks etc.) • What the car parking situation is like • How good the local schools are • If there is enough space (for now and in the future) • What crime is like in the area • How noisy it is. Do your research and always ask sellers why they are moving. You should also ask the sellers if there have been any problems and what potential noise there might be. How the value might change The value of any property will change over time. Consider the following factors to make sure you are making a wise investment: • New developments in the area (both residential and commercial) • Transport links • Businesses moving into/leaving the area • If the property has a short lease The Land Registry has detailed information on completion prices so you can get an idea of whether prices are rising or falling in an area.

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Lifetime achievement for Ben Ben Davis from Harrogate has been gifted with a lifetime membership of the prestigious Yorkshire Society, in recognition of his epic run around the border of Yorkshire. Ben set off from Scarborough on Yorkshire Day, running the equivalent of a marathon every day for 18 consecutive days, with his camping equipment on his back to raise funds and awareness for CALM, the Campaign Against Living Miserably, a movement taking a stand against male suicide. He eventually completed his loop of the county back in Scarborough having covered 470 miles and 41,000 feet of elevation. His achievement raised £23,600 for the charity.

“The idea came to me whilst running around The Stray in Harrogate, a place I have run c o u n t l e s s t i m e s , ” B e n to l d TopicUK. “I wondered what was the biggest lap I could run around my hometown, then I thought, why not a lap of Yorkshire!” As recognition of this achievement, a presentation was made to Ben at Leeds Civic Hall by the Lord Mayor Leeds, accompanied by Yorkshire Society Chairman Sir Rodney Walker and Lady Anne Walker and members of the society executive.

Light refreshments followed including a tour of the building. The Mayor and Lady Mayoress were also presented with free membership to the society.

In addition, Ben also won Man of The Year Award at this year’s Yorkshire Society Awards held at the Hilton Hotel Leeds.

Industrial & Commercial Property Consultants 47 THE KNOWL, MIRFIELD WF14 9RN

1ST FLOOR EMPRESS HOUSE, ST THOMAS’ ROAD, HUDDERSFIELD HD1 3LJ

7 HOLLOWGATE, HOLMFIRTH HD9 2DG

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WORKSHOP/FACTORY BENT LEY MILLS, HUDDERSFIELD RD, MELTHAM HD9 4AP

FORMER TUNEHALL GARAGE, 2 NORTH STREET, DEWSBURY WF13 2EL

TO LET

FOR SALE

Ground Floor retail Premises 48.49m² (522Ft²) • With Lower Ground Floor Office/Stores 46.47m² (500ft²) • Good display frontage and fully refurbished to a modern standard • Outskirts of Mirfield town centre in a popular location close to residential housing • Suitable for a variety of retail/commercial uses, STP • EPC Asset Rating C

retail/oFFice Premises • 31.70m² (342ft²) • Refurbished to a modern standard • Positioned in a central location within Holmfirth town centre close to a wide range of local independent businesses and retailers • EPC Asset Rating C

modern oFFice accommodation • 253.12m² (2,725ft²) • With Excellent Car Parking Provision • Edge of Huddersfield town centre with good access to Huddersfield Ring Road • Self-contained 1st floor office suite with excellent natural light and finished to a modern specification, with air conditioning and central heating • EPC Asset Rating C

sinGle storey WorkshoP/storaGe Premises • 869.6m² (9,360ft²) • Popular industrial location • 3 Phase electricity • Good accessibility for Huddersfield town centre and Junctions 23 & 24 of the M62 motorway network • EPC Asset Rating TBC

Warehouse/ manuFacturinG Premises • 3292.6m² (35,421ft²) • Large warehouse/ manufacturing premises with 3 loading doors and 2 storey office • 3 Phase electricity and gas supply • 5.5 miles to the southwest of Huddersfield town centre in an established industrial location • May divide • EPC Asset Rating D (on part) remainder TBC

Former GaraGe Premises With First Floor stores • 117.06m² (1,260ft²) • With secure surfaced yard • Positioned approximately half a mile to the south of Dewsbury town centre, 4 miles to the west of Junction 40 of the M1 motorway network and 4 miles of Junction 28 of the M62 motorway network • Established industrial location • EPC Asset Rating D

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

01484 530361

Offices also at Mirfield, Heckmondwike, Elland and Halifax

commercial@bramleys1.co.uk bramleys.com/commercial BRAMLEYS December/January COMMERCIAL AD_188x132_131118.indd TopicUK 2019

14/11/2018 07:08

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TopicUK December/January 2019

TopicUK revisits

Raithwaite Estate as they announce exciting expansion plans

TopicUK group editor was delighted to accept an invitation recently to visit the beautiful Raithwaite Estate near Whitby to learn about their exciting new expansion plans.

have visited Raithwaite before, staying in a elegant room in the main hall with its own roof terrace and enjoying dinner in their French themed restaurant. It was in early 2018 during winter and as you can imagine, very cold, but this time I visited during the unusual hot summer we have just enjoyed and stayed in one of their delightful 2-bedroom cottages. This also gave me an opportunity to view the extensive award-winning grounds and gardens in full bloom.

On arrival, we were greeted by a warm, friendly receptionist who quickly checked us in and the conceirge showed us to our cottage a short stroll from the

hotel with car parking space right outside. From the moment we entered, we decided we didn’t want to leave. Furnished to a very high standard with every amenity, the cottage was elegant, beautifully furnished and a short stroll from the main hotel and its excellent facilities. The cottage boasts an elegant sitting room with large screen TV and comfortable furniture, a fully fitted dining kitchen which included all crockery, cutlery, glassware and linens with stylish worktops, dining area with flat screen TV and patio doors leading to an outdoor sitting area, where I enjoyed morning coffee watching the squirrels playing in the garden. As well as the

usual hospitality tray of tea and coffee sachets, there was a lovely espresso coffee machine with a selection of pods, a nice change from instant coffee! Upstairs, there were two beautifully fitted bedrooms, both with en-suite including bath tubs and showers and again both bedrooms had large flat screen TVs. Bathrobes, slippers and quality toiletries were all included. A third washroom was located on the ground floor. A nice touch was the welcome handwritten note and a box of chocolates. Our meals were booked in the main hotel so we didn’t get the chance to use the kitchen, but had we stayed longer I’m sure we would have found cooking a pleasure in such a lovely space. At breakfast the next morning we were shown to our table where we were served

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tea and coffee and chose from the extensive menu ranging from full English or porridge to Whitby kippers or eggs benedict. There is also a full continental buffet selection of fruit juice, cereal, fruit, cheese, meat, crossiants and toast. We all tucked in as we knew we would be skipping lunch as we had a sumptious afternoon tea booked in later. Following a trip into a very busy Whitby just a couple of miles from the estate, we returned to enjoy a delightful afternoon tea, in the main bar, with ‘real’ tea leaves in glass teapots, timed with little egg timers so we could be sure each pot was perfectly infused. Cake stands were delivered to the table, which were in fact crafted from the shell of wooden draws, very elegant and unusal. Each stand was filled with perfectly cut sandwiches, elegant cakes and of course delicious scones served with jam and clotted cream.

settlements and villages such as Staithes and Runswick Bay and will be clustered to look like they have developed over time. A mix of traditional and contemporary materials will be used to make each apartment building unique,” Helen continued.

It was then time to meet with Estate Manager Helen Blower, who shared with us the exciting plans they have in place including building lodges, cottages and apartments and a new restaurant at the entrance to the “There will be 71 new holiday cottages as part of the new estate. development, built using local “We have plans to build 37 cutting materials to compliment the coastal edge lodges on the estate,” Helen villages.” told me, “these have been designed to be supported on columns with A new 80 seat restaurant is minimal impact on the landscape. proposed, which will be built into Each lodge will offer a unique the hillside near to the entrance of opportunity to experience nature the estate, designed to be almost up-close. Sustainability will be invisible at first glance, but with embedded in the designs to ensure glass frontage to take advantage that the impact of these buildings of the spectacular sea views. and the others proposed, on the environment is reduced as much “This unique investment in Whitby will create a high quality holiday as possible. destination that we believe will “Our plans include building 82 enhance tourism in the district,” holiday apartments, the design Helen add, “whilst generating a of which will draw upon local real economic boost for Whitby. We TopicUK December/January 2019

envistage the estate will not just be used by holiday makers but by local residents too and some of the new cottages, apartments and lodges will be available for purchase.” When built, these new dwellings will compliment the existing main hall, the keep and of course exisiting cottages. TopicUK will keep readers up-todate with ongoing developments and plans.

Food & Drink

Parsnip, apple and caramelised onion wellington The festive period is upon us! We at Create Café hope that you all have a lovely break and enjoy some wellearned time with friends and family. The cocktail this month is perfect for an after dinner pick me up, and the food recipe is a great (and super easy) vegetarian option for a Christmas lunch or any other day really! It is also on our Christmas menu so why not bob down and try it first?

Ingredients

Method

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1 pack ready rolled puff pastry

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3 Onions

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Table spoon sugar

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2 Large parsnip

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1 Bramley apple

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Teaspoon wholegrain mustard

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2 Tablespoons honey

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Bunch parsley

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1 Egg

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• •

•

Slice onions and cook on a lowmedium heat until they start to break down, this should take about an hour. Add the sugar when they start to brown and stir through. Cook until dissolved. Peel and core the parsnips and apple, then dice into 1cm cubes. Sweat the parsnips down in a little oil until soft, add the apple and cook slowly for five minutes. Add the honey, mustard and parsley and mix thoroughly. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Take a puff pastry sheet, and use a saucer to cut out two discs. Put a good dollop of the parsnip mix into the centre of one of the discs. Place the other disc on top and crimp the edges shut with a fork. Beat the egg and use it to wash the pastry then bake in the oven on 160 for about 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a good spoonful of cranberry sauce.

Espresso Martini Great as an after dinner wake up drink, or a pre dinner wake up drink. Or a mid-afternoon wake up drink….! Either way if you need a quick boost go for an espresso martini - a great way to liven up if you’re feeling a little sluggish!

Ingredients 25ml Espresso (You can use instant, half a teaspoon with 25ml boiling water should do it) 35ml Absolut Vanilla vodka (or normal vodka, whatever your preference) 15ml Espresso liqueur 12ml Sugar syrup Pour all ingredients into a shaker, add ice and shake very hard for about 10 seconds. Strain straight away into a martini or coupette glass, and top with three coffee beans for garnish. You should end up with a nice, frothy top!

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SECOND ANNUAL FOOD ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS

The Garbutt + Elliott 2019 Food Awards, with TopicUK sister publication UrbanMarket as media partner, opened for entrants in October, celebrating the wonderful food and drink offerings in ‘God’s Own County’. The awards highlight the county’s growing position within the national and even international marketplace and were set up in recognition of entrepreneurs and businesses from across Yorkshire who have been part of creating the county’s great food industry. With a strong client base in the food and drink sector, Leeds and York based accountants, Garbutt + Elliott wanted to celebrate the industry and encourage small and large producers, manufacturers and retailers to showcase their successes, within a supportive and collaborative awards scheme. Announcing the launch, Managing Partner, Russell Turner, said: “We are looking for the cream of the crop and the cherry on the cake! Every business has a story to tell and we look forward to entrants from businesses that do things differently, be them producer, manufacturer, grower or seller.” The regional food and drink sector is growing both in size

•

Best Innovation

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‘Deliciouslyorkshire’ Taste Award

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Growth Business of the Year (sponsored by Urban Market)

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Best Partnership

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Young Business of the Year

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Best Yorkshire Exporter

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Best Yorkshire Brand

• and recognition and Garbutt + Elliott are excited to be a part of a movement positioning Yorkshire’s plethora of businesses at the front of the game. Garbutt + Elliott see first hand, on a daily basis how forward-thinking and innovative the regional food and drink sector is. With clients, in the sector ranging from microbreweries, to national producers and high-street retailers, it makes perfect sense for them to celebrate all that Yorkshire has to offer. All areas of the industry are covered within the award categories, which are sponsored by regional food champions, and include:

TopicUK December/January 2019

Yorkshire Grit Resilience Award The deadline for entries is January 25, 2019. A shortlist will be announced in February 2018 on the Garbutt + Elliott website and via social media. Winners will be announced at an awards event on March 7, 2018 at Kirkgate Street, in the Castle Museum. Businesses can enter by simply providing basic company information, submitting 300 words for the chosen category and sending any supporting documents before the deadline. It is also possible to nominate other businesses for a category. To find out more or to nominate yourself or someone else please visit www.garbutt-elliott.co.uk/ food-awards.

Brand Yorkshire Conference the biggest ever T h e n i n t h B r a n d Yo r k s h i r e Conference that took place on 4 October in Harrogate, has been hailed the biggest and most successful ever by organisers. Held at the popular Pavilions, the conference goes from strength to strength. “Brand Yorkshire continues to grow year on year,” said Mona Norman. “We were delighted with the response this year, footfall was the biggest we have ever seen. This is testament to the booming economy Yorkshire is enjoying.” “This is the second year we have been media partners,” added TopicUK group editor Gill Laidler, “and from the moment the conference opened, we knew it was going to be busy. We had hundreds of magazines with us which were all snapped up within hours, generating lots of enquiries for ourselves and our partners. When we spoke with other exhibitors, they all confirmed they were having a brilliant day with lots of companies doing business.” Next year is the tenth anniversary and work on the conference booked for 3 October 2019 is already underway. To be sure that you don’t miss out, book your place early by emailing mona@brandyorkshire. com

Food & Drink

Corarima

the true taste of Abyssinia comes to Wakefield

Kevin Trickett MBE, President of Wakefield Civic Society, continues his circumgyration of world foods (without leaving his home city …)

We’re all being encouraged to eat a healthy diet these days. ‘Diet and exercise’ is the mantra of the moment as well as being put forward as the cure-all for all ills. As a vegetarian of over 30 years who likes to keep fit, it’s sometimes hard to resist the ‘told you so’ refrain…. One advantage of this focus on healthy eating is that it has become easier than ever to follow a vegetarian, or even a vegan, diet and still eat out enjoying good food. Gone are the days (mostly) when you’d be lucky to find even one ‘choice’ of vegetarian dish on the menu of your local restaurant. Today, you should find most restaurants worthy of your consideration will offer a choice of dish. And there’s also much more awareness now of the needs of people who have to follow special diets for medical reasons, such as the glutenfree diet, and chefs worthy of their salt will rise to any challenge. Meanwhile, vegetarian and vegan diets are seen as being good for the planet as they help people to reduce their carbon footprint. This emphasis on healthy (or healthier) eating has also seen the rise of the ‘flexitarian’, someone who chooses to eat less meat and to experiment with the vegetarian and/or vegan diet on at least a part-time basis.

Imagine then my deep joy then when I saw that Wakefield was to get its first ‘vegetarian restaurant’! Yes, Wakefield can now boast it has a restaurant that is dedicated to serving healthy vegetarian, vegan and gluten free food. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Corarima – not only Wakefield’s first exclusively vegetarian and vegan restaurant but also our first-ever Abyssinian eatery. Corarima is a brand new venture set up by husband and wife team Asamnew Asres and Rahel Bein together with their friend Bizunesh Kebede. Their mission is to offer customers the opportunity to taste “the sensational flavours of Abyssinian cuisine – lovingly prepared by Ethiopian and Eritrean chefs who know how to conjure up the authentic taste of Abyssinia”. Having now had the chance to sample some of their dishes myself, I can report mission accomplished. Transforming what had been an empty shop unit in a 1970s office block, the trio have created a little oasis of calm and tranquillity where you are assured of both a very friendly welcome and delicious food. My partner and I were greeted by Asamnew who showed us to our table – it didn’t take much finding: with a capacity for just 24

or 25 customers at any one time, you also get very personal service at Corarima.

Corarima L to R: Bizunesh-Rahel - Asaminew

The restaurant doesn’t serve alcohol (but, if you book in advance, you can take your own bottle of wine which they will serve to you for a very modest corkage fee of just £1.50), so we chose our drinks from a list of smoothies and juices. Asamnew recommended we try the Telba and the Beso, so we ordered one of each. (Sometimes, you just have to go with the flow and be daringly experimental!) Telba, it turned out, was a creamy and refreshing drink made of toasted and ground flax seeds while the Beso was another creamy drink but this time made of barley and honey. Both, we were assured,

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Having ordered our food, more of which shortly, Asamnew brought us something to nibble on – crudités with homemade hummus – while we listened to his story. Back in Eritrea, he was a structural engineer, running his own company which employed 15 staff. However, in 2007, he and Rahel and their three children found themselves fleeing their country and in the UK as asylum seekers. They were ‘allocated’ to Wakefield where, Asamnew said, they were made to feel welcome and helped to settle in. Over the years, they have come to regard Wakefield as their home. Asamnew found work in his profession in Leeds and Wakefield but meanwhile, Rahel’s passion to open a restaurant burned deep inside. Earlier this year, Asamnew gave up his job to work on the restaurant project full-time and the result is Corarima. As Asamnew explained, they wanted to open their business in Wakefield, the city that had taken them in; they wanted to give something back. Corarima takes its name from the Ethiopian spice korarima (corarima), also known as Ethiopian cardamom, or false cardamom, one of the ginger family.

were very healthy and good for us! Now, I don’t profess to have any prior knowledge of Abyssinian cuisine so I had a steep learning curve to follow but Asamnew proved

to be a worthy and expert coach as he explained the menu and helped us to choose our food. We opted for the milder dishes – if you don’t want hot and spicy, do say so, as recipes can be adjusted to taste.

TopicUK December/January 2019

We were now ready for our main courses, delivered to us with a flourish by Asamnew and Rahel. I had opted for the Aubergine Stew (fresh aubergine cooked with onion, tomato and rich flavoured spicy herbs) while my partner had ordered the Mushroom Stew (mushroom cooked with garlic and seasoned with assorted spice). We also ordered side salads. Both dishes came with injera, a flatbread made from teff flour (teff, we discovered was high in fibre, iron, protein and calcium and being a very small grain, is easy to cook). The bread had a

slightly spongy texture but was an ideal accompaniment to the stews which were spicy but not too hot (I speak as someone who has never acquired the taste for hot and spicy dishes!). Lurking at the back of the table we saw a couple of stuffed chilli peppers. I regarded these somewhat suspiciously – I’ve been caught out before! But after some prompting from Asamnew, I took a small forkful – and moved a little further along the learning curve: it was deliciously sweet! We finished the meal with coffee and small chickpea biscuits topped with sesame seeds and honey – they don’t do puddings – but it was the perfect end to a really enjoyable evening. All that was left was to take some photos and to gather up my notes as we said our farewells. I have a feeling that we’ll be going back. We still have lots to learn! Finally, if you’re in Wakefield at lunchtime, you can eat in or you can try the Corarima Lunchbox. Four just £3, you can pick up a lunch box between 12:00 noon and 2:00pm each day containing the chef ’s selection of vegetable and pulse stews served with rice or injera bread.

Kevin and his partner dined as guests of Corarima.

Need to know: Open Monday to Saturday from 12 noon to 9 pm Corarima - 10 Cross Street, Wakefield, WF1 3BW Tel: 01924 695713 Email: sales@corarima.co.uk Website: www.corarima.co.uk Twitter: @Corarima Also on FacebookFollow Kevin on Twitter @MrTrickett

Santa’s on the radio and he’s live from Wakefield* When Wakefield-based voiceover artist, Guy Harris, spotted a gap in the market to give Father Christmas his very own radio station, SantaRadio.co.uk was born. Broadcasting from Alverthorpe, the online station combines non-stop Christmas classics with festive jokes and laughter. TopicUK caught up with Guy (or should we say Santa?) to find out more.

TopicUK: Where did the idea for Santa Radio come from? Why did you think it would be a success?

on regular stations, the chance to broadcast non-stop Christmas hits, combined with fun jingles and Santa making joke, would actually make great radio. We’d all been working in radio for

that we’ve created something special.

TopicUK: What is your background in broadcasting and voiceover work?

TopicUK: When is your audience at its peak?

Guy: We have all worked in radio over the years, either in promotions or production and presentation, including at what was Real Radio, broadcast out of Tingley. I am a full-time voiceover artist now and you hear me on the radio, on TV, in shops and all over the place.

many years and, knowing how the industry works, had a good idea of how to programme the station to make the music flow sound awesome too. As a voiceover artist myself, I called upon some of the producers I know to design a jingle package for Santa Radio. Santa approved it and we made the trip to the North Pole to record Santa and install a microphone and mini studio next to his workshop. Now Santa can drop in and record

Guy: Everything kicks in in October and once Halloween is out of the way. That’s when the numbers go up daily. We were hitting over 2,000 visits a day on the website last year and are excited to see the numbers this year. TopicUK: How can people listen?

TopicUK: So where exactly is Santa Radio based? Guy: Although the man himself presents from the North Pole, it’s actually being streamed straight from Alverthorpe in Wakefield, putting WF2 on the map for Christmas! It’s funny to think Wakey is responsible for this extraordinary product. TopicUK: How has the station developed and grown since it started?

*disclaimer: this article should be read with a little creative licence!

Guy: Myself and a couple of friends - all fans of Christmas thought it would be fun to set up an online radio station dedicated to Christmas. We knew that due to the high number of commercials

bits for us and present live shows too as it gets closer to Christmas!

Guy: The moment we clicked broadcast, and Tweeted it, we picked up a handful of listeners. We pushed it on social media too (with zero budget) and soon had a following. Year-on-year it has grown, and now has more listeners than any other online Christmas station. As we get Towards mid-December, we have several-thousand listening at any one time, which is rare for an online station. We pick up listeners from all over the world and every year the following on social media grows. The ‘shares’ on Santa Radio’s Facebook page show people are telling their friends about us. A recent online mention by UniLad was a real boost for us, showing

We are available on everything including Apple iOS devices, Sonos, iPads, Amazon devices, Apple TV, Tablets and even the Apple Watch. We’ve tried to cover all bases. The Apps are really cool. The Apple iPhone app is stunning and has loads of fun features. TopicUK: Can people get in touch with Santa via the station? Guy: Yes, we built a ‘Record Me’ feature in the App. Listeners can record a message and send it to us. The first year we had over 3,000 audio clips sent in. Listening through, we pick our favourites and put them on air in a show called Santa’s Little Helpers. The app also lets you message Santa and he actually does reply to 99% of them! TopicUK: Do you have a Christmas message for TopicUK readers? Guy: We are so proud to be based in Yorkshire and we hope you have a listen and enjoy Santa Radio this year. Santa has told us Yorkshire is now his first stop when he comes to the UK, and he and us wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Upper Calder Valley Renaissance - Networking in the Calder Valley

CALDER VALLEY INITIATIVE TO IMPROVE DIGITAL AND ONLINE BUSINESS SKILLS

any established small and medium businesses have still not grasped the importance of having some level of online presence, and those that have may have chosen the media that they feel most comfortable with rather than that which is likely to be most effective, says Stephen Curry, Chair of Upper Calder Valley Renaissance (UCVR). Stephen, who also runs his own hospitality business, explains that in recent years he has been to a number of business networking events with speakers talking about how to do Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Linkedin. “All have their merits but the brief talks still leave many wondering which one or combination is right for them”, he says. “There is also a resistance by older established

businesses to spend the time needed on these constantly moving platforms for promotion. Unfortunately we can all become complacent and rest on our laurels. Social media and online promotion does keep you busy thinking of what to tell your client or followers next about your business. All of this makes the initial steps daunting and sustainability of self-promotion seemingly laborious.”

TEAMING UP WITH GOOGLE DIGITAL SKILLS In an attempt to demystify and help business owners choose the most appropriate online platform

TopicUK December/January 2019

for their businesses and also to get some instructive tips on how to write interesting content, UCVR has teamed up with a Google Digital Skills provider and will be offering the various Calder Valley networks members intensive workshops over the next six months. The first workshop took place in Brighouse in November. Geoff Matthews, of Cansquared financial advisors, who attended a previous event said: “As well as offering an enjoyable networking opportunity, I appreciated how accessible and interesting the information was, with excellent trainers and clear presentations addressing the key skills needed for small businesses”.

for you and without the pain of the learning curve, is to pay someone else to post online for you.” Karen Mara of ‘TownTweets’ who offers such a service, says: “It’s important to work with someone who takes time to understand your business and customers otherwise the content put out there will not attract clients and may even damage your reputation. Writing succinct, interesting content is a skill and it takes time to learn the tricks of the online trade. For details of future Google Digital Skills workshops in the Calder Valley contact: info@ucvr.org.uk or call 01422 417286. Visit www.ucvr.org. uk or tweet @UCVR_

Stephen continues: “Another way in which to try the various social media platforms to see what works

YORKSHIRE’S YOUNG PEOPLE HONOURED

The 8th annual Children of Courage Awards Dinner was the culmination of a year of planning which is dedicated not only to celebrating the achievements of courageous and determined young individuals, but also to raising funds for the St. James’s Place Charitable Foundation. This year’s Awards were presented by Louise Minchin, BBC Breakfast presenter, who frequently hosts numerous charity dinners up and down the country. A star-studded line up of personalities from the worlds of entertainment, business and sport attended to lend their support to a fast moving, fun filled evening, compè red b y the extre mely entertaining Jon Hammond. Event Ambassadors Jack Carroll and Hannah Cockroft MBE were also present as well as Chuckle Brother Paul Elliot. Entertainment for the 700 guests was provided by the very popular Yorkshire swing and jazz band, the Mini Big Band, with contributions throughout the evening from QEGS Junior School

Choir and Junior Frood a past winner, award winning street dancer and anti-bullying campaigner. A magnificent Indian banquet was provided by the award winning Aagrah Group of Restaurants. Special thanks go to the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillors Graham Latty, representing the city of Leeds and the newly elected Leeds’s Children’s Mayor, Rio Abbott, carrying out his first official duty. They were joined by Charlotte Newman, Ambassador to the Teenage Cancer Trust, Sir Gary Verity and Claire Young from the worlds of business; Eorl Crabtree, Antony Cotterill, Rob Jones and Bob Bowman representing sport in Yorkshire along with Jack Downham who plays Noah Dingle in Emmerdale.

In addition to raising funds for St. James’s Place Charitable Foundation. Every pound raised is matched by St. James’s Place Wealth Management with funds dedicated locally to make significant differences to the lives of children and young people in the Yorkshire region.

Saturday providing 500 rebound/ hydrotherapy sessions each term for children with additional needs, along with play time for the whole family. The families learn from each other, build networks and friendships and pay just 25% of the cost. SNAPS receives no Council funding.

This truly unique Awards Dinner has grown in stature and popularity and attracted a large number of nominations for some truly inspirational children and young adults this year whose lives have often been affected by illness or extreme adversity. They were honoured in two age categories - up to 12 years old and 13 to 18 years old, for their courage, caring, sporting achievement, fundraising activities and Outstanding Bravery.

Tim Willis, Head of Location at St. James’s Place Leeds and a member of the Foundation Committee, commented on behalf of the organisers: “We were extremely proud to host an amazing evening recognising the courage and achievements of some of Yorkshire’s finest young people, whilst at the same time raising funds for our Charitable Foundation.

The Group Award for the most deserving charitable organisation, decided online by the public was presented to SNAPS, a Leeds based charity opening every

We were, as ever, thankful to our commercial sponsors and the SJP Leeds Partners without whom we could not continue to evolve this amazing event. Nights like this make so many of us realise just how lucky and privileged we are”.

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TopicUK December/January 2019

Mission to end food waste A Rotherham-based online supermarket which is tackling the issue of food waste, has moved into a new premises in Matrix Business Centre, Dinnington following rapid expansion fuelled by a national marketing campaign which saw the business more than double its customer base within a matter of weeks. Founded by friends and former Business Development Managers James Barthorpe and Paul Simpson, Food Circle Supermarket is a unique business that specialises in selling healthy, in-date, surplus food at less than half of the normal retail price.

ACTOR RECEIVES NTA NOMINATION YAFTA Talent Agency actor, James Moore has been shortlisted for a National Television Award for Best Newcomer following his ground-breaking role as Ryan Stocks in Emmerdale. James is Emmerdale’s first actor with cerebral palsy, cast in a lead role and has proved a favourite since his first appearance in June. On hearing his nomination James said: “I couldn’t believe it when I first found out, especially with so much talent in my category. I’ve had such a brilliant time on set and working with the Emmerdale team this news is just fantastic.” Charlotte Armitage, Managing Director of YAFTA Talent Agency and the Yorkshire Academy of Film and Television based in Leeds added: “We are so proud of James and the impact he’s

made on screen in such a short time. He’s a fantastic actor and great role model. We will all have our fingers and toes crossed he brings the trophy home.” YAFTA is leading the way in changing on-screen representation of diversity. Alongside James, YAFTA has also placed Downs Syndrome actor, Liam Bairstow as a regularly character on Coronation Street.

As part of an ambitious growth strategy, they rolled out a comprehensive online and social media marketing campaign with the help of funding from a UK Steel Enterprise (UKSE) Kickstart grant in September; securing a raft of new clients and solidifying Food Circle Supermarket’s presence as the only retailer of its kind in the UK. Growth for the firm also follows a spate of recognition for its innovative approach to reducing the volume of produce that ends up in landfill unnecessarily, having recently won the Hallam Enterprise Award, and being nominated for a Sheffield Business Award. Co-Founder James Barthorpe, added: “We’ve been in contact with UK Steel Enterprise since we pitched for their investment as part of the Y-Accelerator programme in March 2018. Since then, the team have been very pro-active in offering their advice and support which has added a lot of value to our business.

“We were also given access to a UKSE Kickstart grant of £500 which we put towards our first ever proactive marketing campaign which has helped us to reach more new customers and grow our business significantly over the last couple of months.” The new location is ideally situated in terms of distribution, making it easier to ship stock to customers across the nation as well as having more room to store the increasing product range. Alan Stanley of UKSE commented: “I’m delighted that James and Paul’s hard work and dedication has been recognised in their nomination for a Sheffield Business Award and would like to congratulate them on behalf of everyone at UKSE for their Hallam Enterprise Award win. “It’s excellent to see that the Kickstart grant has been of great help to Food Circle Supermarket, allowing them to reach out to their target market and promote the importance of diverting surplus food away from landfill.” UK Steel Enterprise also provides equity and loan finance up to £1M to growing companies.

The 2019 NTA winners will be announced on 22nd January at a glittering ceremony at the O2 in London following a public vote. Vo t i n g c a n b e m a d e a t www.nationaltvawards.com

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WHY THERE’S NO LONGER A PLACE FOR THE ANNUAL APPRAISAL ALONE

HOWARTHS MD UPDATE

by Tracey Hopkins, finance and operations director at Howarths.

IT’S A FACT; THE TRADITIONAL ANNUAL APPRAISAL IS WIDELY USED IN MOST BUSINESSES AS A WAY OF MANAGING PERFORMANCE. But all too often, an appraisal is viewed as an administrative burden, a meaningless exercise, an opportunity for managers to give subjective feedback and terribly time consuming, both by managers and those being appraised. And to be perfectly honest, I tend to agree. Using and relying solely on the annual appraisal to effectively manage performance is a huge mistake in my opinion. CONTINUOUS FEEDBACK Staff are the biggest asset and key to the success of most businesses, yet so many companies – especially SMEs where time can be short and resources tight - don’t dedicate enough time on a regular enough basis to nurture their people with the TLC they need to lead, inspire and support their colleagues to do the best job possible. Instead of being viewed as a box-ticking exercise once-a-year, effective performance management should revolve around continuous on-going conversations and feedback. It’s about recognising and appreciating each member of a team, the value of their role, how they contribute to the organisation’s success and providing relevant training, resources and support to enable them to be the best that they can be, at work. We’re all human, and we all like to know we’ve done a good job. Feedback should be given regularly and in-the moment, not just saved until that one ‘important date’ in the diary. If somebody has done a great job, tell them. Like most things in life, if we do something well and get told so, we’re more likely to do it again. Translate this to a business context, and providing regular feedback reinforces positive behaviour and performance, encouraging employees and making it more likely that your employee will repeat their performance. In the same way, if employees aren’t meeting standards, unless you let them know it is unlikely their performance will improve any time soon.

in meetings or when facing a client in a meeting, why would you potentially wait a year to tell them that at the risk of damaging your business and brand reputation? A great manager would address this straight away, by taking some time to discuss the issue and deliver the feedback to ensure it is nipped in the bud now, rather than a year down the line. AN INFORMAL CHECK IN PROCESS In 2012, software company Adobe decided to abolish annual appraisals and move to a more informal ‘check-in’ process where staff met with managers once a quarter to talk through expectations, feedback, growth and personal development. The company says it has since seen a 30% decrease in employees leaving their jobs and recovered thousands of hours managers and employees had been spending on preparation and delivery of annual reviews. So, is there still a place for the annual performance appraisal at all? As a standalone performance management tool, the answer is no. But combine appraisals with regular opportunities to deliver feedback throughout the year, and they are one of many tools that help to ensure that employees’ performance contributes positively to business objectives. Used as part of a wider performance management framework, they can - and do - add significant value to any business by improving employee engagement, job satisfaction, and retention of key talent which can significantly enhance company performance and profitability. For more information and support with structuring appraisals and informal reviews, contact tracey@ howarths-uk.com or call 01274 864999.

A B R AND N EW LOOK TO MAR K OU R 15 th YEAR I N B USIN ESS 2018 has been a year of successes here at Howarths. We celebrated our 15th anniversary in business, won two awards - including Family Business of the Year - at the National Family Business Awards, and have welcomed new faces to the business with several new additions to our growing team. To celebrate these achievements and prepare us for what’s next, we wanted to change things up a little. So, it’s with great pride that we introduce a new brand identity for Howarths. We’ve overhauled our logo, and a refined colour palette has been rolled out across our website, social media and all things ‘Howarths’ to ready us for our next phase of growth and reflect our commitment to supporting Yorkshire’s businesses through our award-winning team. If you’re a client of ours, you may just notice some changes to Howarths HQ next time you visit us, and if you don’t already know us but we sound like a company you’d like to work with, we’d love to show you round and see how we can support your HR, employment law and health and safety needs. I hope you’ll enjoy seeing the new-look Howarths out and about - we’re certainly looking forward to seeing what the next chapter brings. In the meantime, we’d love to connect with you on Twitter @HowarthsLaw. Gavin Howarth, Managing Director

If you work with an employee who is quite abrupt TopicUK December/January 2019

TOWNGATE PLC

In this edition, TopicUK catches up with Julia Ford, marketing manager at Towngate PLC, to find out how the company puts CSR at the heart of its operations.

Picture shows: Towngate’s Stephen Guy and Julia Ford at Kirkwood Hospice following the donation of funds enabling them to purchase a much-needed patient hoist.

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Why is CSR important to the way you run your company?

truly care about, it’s easy to get everyone passionate about it.

Within our team we have worked extremely hard to create a culture around CSR – it is never just a side thought. We believe strongly in giving something back to the community in whatever way we can, whether that be a donation or organising an event to raise funds – which is why CSR has become fundamental to the running of our business.

Being successful in our events and activities – including sponsored runs, raffles, tennis tournaments and fashion shows, for example – and witnessing the results generated from our donations, provides plenty of incentive for the team to get involved.

What is the latest CSR project or fundraiser you are working on and what do you hope to achieve? Where do I start? We have so much going on! We continuously support local charities, including homeless initiatives, Kirkwood Hospice, Gledholt Male Voice Choir, The Welcome Centre (Food Bank) and Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice, to name just a few. The funds we raise provide equipment for hospices and go towards improving the overall wellbeing of patients and those in need. Towngate has also recently become a member of the Forget Me Not 99’ers club, which supports children with life-shortening conditions and their families; something we are so proud to be a part of.

How do you decide what causes to support through CSR activity? We have a committee where we collectively decide which charities we would like to make a donation to, or support in other more hands-on ways. We also encourage and welcome all of the Towngate team to share with us the causes they hold close to their hearts, and how they would like to support them. Primarily, we try to help facilities local to us as we love seeing first-hand the benefits and results achieved from the funds we donate. But having said that, no cause is too far away – for instance, we have also helped a child and adolescent mental health charity Young Minds which is based in London.

How do you gain the buy-in of your team and get them involved in CSR activities? We have never had to actively persuade anyone to get involved in any of our CSR initiatives – we are lucky to have a team full of like-minded people who want to give something back. I think because we support an array of charities that colleagues TopicUK December/January 2019

If another company asked you how to go about starting or increasing their CSR activity, what advice would you give? Don’t ignore someone’s ideas, whether for an event or charity fundraising drive – include and consider everything. Starting a committee will also allow the team to come together to brainstorm ideas, which will get everyone’s creative ‘juices’ flowing, and capture their interest.

How do you decide how much time your business dedicates to CSR activity? This is entirely dependent on individual workload. In addition to setting aside specific time for quarterly committee meetings, we all try to give up a few hours – in and out of work – to do something. For example, our property manager Tom Lamb recently took part in the CBRE bike ride challenge, cycling 100km for Action for Children, and we are currently looking for further opportunities to carry out voluntary work for local charitable organisations.

To date, how has your CSR activity helped your company to expand its business networks? All of our CSR activities have helped us to expand our business networks in some way, but the Forget Me Not Hospice 99’er club meetings have been really useful for us to connect with other like-minded people. But, more importantly, I believe supporting these worthwhile causes says a lot about the type of company we are and our values – something that will continue to be a part of our culture for many years to come.

Towngate PLC is a Brighouse-based commercial and industrial property lettings specialist, with a growing portfolio of warehouse and office units across Yorkshire and the North West of England.

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and the highlight for me was the impromptu and unexpected welcoming committee at Ramsden Street, at the end of an epic day.” Solicitor Jane Holroyd, commented: “I would like to pass on a huge thanks for all the support at every office we visited. Each office plied us with cake and well wishes which really helped push us along the more difficult parts of the ride. It was a great day which was made even more rewarding by the fact that we smashed our target for the Laura Crane Trust. Whilst I really enjoyed the day and the team spirit from all of us, I was quite happy to be finishing my leg of ride at Brighouse after doing 65 miles. Well done to the others who made the full journey!”

TOUR DE RAMSDENS SMASHES CHARITY TARGET

amsdens Solicitors’ team of superheroes took on the Tour de Ramsdens 120 mile cycle route across their 14 offices, starting in Easingwold, York at 5am and finishing at the Ramsden Street office in Huddersfield at 7:45pm, in aid of The Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust.

The super team, Jonathan Cornes, Director of Risk and Compliance, Rhys Craddock, Solicitor, Jane Holroyd, Solicitor, Katie Sharp, Associate Solicitor and Jack Ellis, Conveyancing Assistant, have raised an amazing £1,160 for the charity, smashing their original target of £400.

The Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust invited individuals across the region to do something Spectacular this September and join the fight against cancer.

Jonathan commented: “Our day in the saddle and spending time with the other riders was fantastic. Getting to see everyone, and their enthusiasm for what we were doing, was really enjoyable,

Helen Mervill, Fundraising Manager at the Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust added: “We dedicated this year’s Spectacular September to the real life superheroes that we meet through the work of the charity. These heroes include our young patients who face the harshest of realities every day with courage, the researchers and medical teams that are investing in the future of all young cancer patients and hospital staff that do all they can to make days brighter for those they care for. We are extremely grateful to the Ramsdens team for orchestrating this fantastic challenge , they all did amazingly well and the money raised will help make a spectacular difference here at the charity.”

Picture L-R Two of Ramsdens cyclists Jonathan Cornes, Jane Holroyd and Rhys Craddock

UK CONSTRUCTION GIANT MARSHALL SIGNS MULTI-YEAR DEAL TO GO CASHLESS WITH SUBSIDIARY COMPANY

Yorkshire-based national commercial construction giant, Marshall, has signed a multi-year deal to introduce card payment solutions across its group of companies as part of a trial move that could potentially eliminate cash payments across the business.

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Company of the Month

Sponsored by Th e a wa rd - wi n n i n g p u b l i c re l a t i ons bu si ne ss s p e c i a l i s i n g i n B 2B c o m mu ni cati ons

More Ability unveils new showroom with a big splash A Leeds-based home improvement specialist has expanded its Harrogate showroom and introduced More Ability to the area, providing a safe and stylish bathroom solution for local residents. Following the successful acquisition of Charms Bathrooms of Harrogate in 2017, Passmore Group predicted the move would secure an additional £1m of revenue in the first year. After 12 months of rapid growth within the area, this is a target the firm has now surpassed. The £6million turnover business – which has a 53-year heritage and incorporates More Bathrooms – has been offering the More Ability service for over a quarter of a century. The

of specialist equipment and products to combat this. And with a staggering 80% of falls in the home happening in the same place, the brand exists to provide a stylish solution to the elderly and less-abled.

existing 3,000 sqft space will now also showcase stylish yet accessible bathrooms, which aim to improve the independence of over 65s and the less-abled. It will also create up to 10 jobs for local fitters, installers and surveying staff, as well as aid the firm in implementing its plans to grow the business to £10m in the next five years. Commenting on the latest showroom launch, managing director Tony Passmore said: “We have grown to become the leading bathroom installer and designer in the region, so further expansion in Harrogate after a fantastic 12 months seemed like the next logical step.

“To help prevent accessibility issues whilst allowing people to remain independent, we offer a wide range of equipment, including walk-in baths, easy access showers and wet rooms. 60% of our customers put their bathing problems down to a form of arthritis. With 10 million people in the UK consulting their GP each year for arthritic related conditions, we have witnessed a gradual increase in need for the More Ability bathrooms.” Statistics reveal that one-third of people over the age of 65 tend to slip and fall in the bathroom at least once per year, highlighting the importance

“The Harrogate expansion signifies our desire to provide a fantastic bathroom experience to as many Yorkshire customers as possible,” adds Tony. “We don’t believe any customer should have to sacrifice a style of design, whatever their requirements.” To celebrate the showroom launch of More Ability, Passmore is running a competition throughout the remainder of 2018 and into the new year until 25th January, where the firm will be giving away an easy access shower room up to the value of £6000. Full details about the entry process can be found at: https://www. moreability.co.uk/competition Headquartered in Wortley, Leeds, the 50-strong company services customers within a 40 mile radius of both its showrooms.

The firm has invested in a deal with Brighousebased independent card payment specialist, Yorkshire Payments, to introduce telephone payment facilities at its head office in Elland.

to make transactions more secure for both the customer and ourselves, all new contracts with Calder Valley Storage now state that the company no longer accepts cash as means of payment.

Marshall. Like any company, large or small, they came to us looking for the most cost-effective card payment solution and I’m pleased we have been able to work together to deliver it.”

The system will initially be rolled out for primary use across Marshall’s subsidiary company, Calder Valley Storage in Halifax.

“As a business, we are responding to the move towards an increasingly cashless society, while streamlining our own payment procedures at the same time and trialling a solution which may eventually see us become cashless across the entire Marshall group of companies.”

Yorkshire Payments processed transactions totalling £470 million through its systems over the last 12 months in what has been a record year of growth for the business.

Karen Donnelly, financial controller at Marshall, said the investment was part of a strategic move to eliminate cash transactions from the firm’s site at Luddendenfoot. She commented: “As part of a strategic move TopicUK December/January 2019

James Howard, managing director at Yorkshire Payments, said: “We are delighted to be working with such a nationally recognised brand as

Founded in 2013 by Mr Howard, the company provides payment solutions to leading Yorkshirebased brands including global online travel company, icelolly.com, baked goods supplier Lottie Shaw’s and Snickers Workwear.

HS2 plans for Leeds Station

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HS2

A brief look at one of the country’s biggest infrastructure projects

PUBLIC LAUNCH FOR CONSULTATIONS ON PLANS TO EXTEND THE RAILWAY NORTH Construction of the Phase One route between Birmingham and London is now well underway with 7,000 jobs already supported through the project. When construction peaks, as the full network progresses, that figure is forecast to rise to 30,000. HS2 destinations on the Phase 2b route will benefit significantly from the jobs and business growth that HS2 will bring to the region. Around 2,000 companies have already been awarded contracts working on the project, and we expect that number to increase significantly as plans for Phase Two of the railway progress. 2 ne w public consultations have bee n launched on the Phase 2b route, which will serve communities between the West Midlands, Manchester and Leeds. The 10 week consultations, which close on 21 December, will give communities the opportunity to formally respond to HS2 Ltd’s designs and proposed mitigation

measures for the Phase 2b route. Responses are invited from the public on HS2 Ltd’s: • working draft Environmental Statement, which describes the design of the railway and reports on the impacts of its construction and operation, alongside the measures proposed to reduce and monitor these impacts; and • the working draft Equality Impact Assessment Report, which considers the potential effects of the construction and operation of the railway on people with protected characteristics. The public consultations will be

TopicUK December/January 2019

image copyright courtesy of the Department for Transport

supported by a programme of community events, which will see teams from HS2 Ltd visit locations across the eastern and western legs of the Phase 2b route to talk to people about the design plans and the benefits that Britain’s new high speed railway will bring. Leonie Dubois, HS2 Ltd’s Head of Consultation and Engagement, said: “HS2 is coming to the north and it will reap significant benefits as a result. High speed rail will play a crucial role in rebalancing Britain’s economy; driving business growth, stimulating investment and creating jobs right across the country. “Through the public consultations, we are providing a more detailed

account of how we propose to build the railway and minimise its impacts during construction and operation. We actively encourage people to have their say on the plans we have published today.” https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ hs2-launches-public-consultations-onplans-to-extend-the-railway-north

Residents and businesses across the Phase 2b route are invited to view the latest designs and respond to the public consultations. A new online resource has been created to help people find information about HS2 in their local area.

The Government has concluded that action is needed to meet the future travel needs of Britain and ‘doing nothing’ is not an option... HS2 - WHAT IS IT? HS2 IS THE GOVERNMENT’S FLAGSHIP TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT TO BUILD A HIGH-SPEED RAIL LINE FROM LONDON TO MANCHESTER AND LEEDS, VIA BIRMINGHAM, THE EAST MIDLANDS, SHEFFIELD AND CREWE, TO BEGIN OPERATION IN 2026 AND BE COMPLETED BY 2033. HS2 is the Government’s flagship transport infrastructure project to build a high-speed rail line from London to Manchester and Leeds, via Birmingham, the East Midlands, Sheffield and Crewe, to begin operation in 2026 and be completed by 2033. Thus far there have been two Acts of Parliament¹ and eight Statutory Instruments providing for the scheme, with a further Bill currently being considered by Parliament. Supporters claim that the line is urgently needed to meet projected future demand; to tackle the capacity constraints on the West Coast Main Line; and to deliver wider economic and regional benefits. O ppone nts maintain that these claims are overstated; future demand and capacity requirements can be met via other, cheaper means; and that the ultimate costs of HS2 are far in excess of the official budget. The scheme that became HS2 was floated separately by the

three main parties in 2008-09. In January 2009 Geoff Hoon, then Transport Secretary in the Labour Government, set up HS2 Ltd. with the principal aim of advising the Secretary of State on the development of proposals for a new railway from London to the West Midlands and potentially beyond.² The scheme taken forwards from 2010 was based on the outcome of the work conducted for the Labour Government by HS2 Ltd. It was initially proposed by Labour in its March 2010 command paper and was taken up by the Conservativeled Coalition Government after it assumed office in May of the same year.3 In the May 2010 Coalition Agreement the new Government confirmed its decision to build the new line in two phases, due to “financial constraints”. 4 It was later confirmed that Phase 1 would take the line from London to the West Midlands by 2026 while Phase 2 would take the line from the West Midlands to the north of England by 2032-33.⁵

It was not until January 2013 that a decision was taken as to the configuration of the route from Birmingham north to Manchester (via Crewe) and Leeds (via the East Midlands and Sheffield).⁶ The Government ran a consultation on Phase 2 between July 2013 and January 2014.⁷ In November 2015 the Government announced its intention to bring forward the route to Crewe (now called Phase 2a) before the remainder of the route to Manchester and Leeds (now called 2b). In November 2016 the Government announced its preferred Phase.

AND THE NORTHERN POWERHOUSE... Over the past four or five years there have been a flurry of proposals to upgrade the rail network across the North of England. Different names have been attached to these proposals, which began to coalesce around the idea of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’. Initially there was talk of ‘High Speed 3’ (HS3) – a plan to build a new ‘high speed

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TIMELINE Timeline information for HS2 Phase 2b of the project between Crewe to Manchester and the West Midlands to Leeds.

Late 2016 Government confirms route Late 2022 Main civils design work commences

Early 2024 Main civils construction work commences Mid 2031 Delivery of first trains for infrastructure testing

Late 2033 First passengers travel on full HS2 services

rail’ connection across the Pennines, from Manchester to Leeds. Gradually this morphed into a wider concept of ‘Northern Powerhouse Rail’ (NPR), extending beyond the initial idea of HS3. In terms of what this means in practice, in December 2015 the then Transport Minister in the Lords, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, explained: The Northern Powerhouse Rail network develops the HS3 concept to offer a vision for radically improved journey times and service frequencies between the major cities of the North, building on the substantial rail improvements to which the government is already committed. NPR now goes beyond the single transTopicUK December/January 2019

Pennine line originally designated HS3 and is generally used to refer to the wider programme of strategic rail projects across the North. Therefore when the Government, Transport for the North (TfN) and others talk of integration between HS2 and NPR they are not only talking about closing that trans-Pennine link between the HS2 terminial in Leeds and Manchester but about other linkages across the north. The idea of the trans-Pennine rail upgrade is now sometimes referred to as ‘Crossrail for the North’ (XR4N). In August 2017 a group of Northern leaders wrote to the Prime Minister, equating NPR and XR4N, though this has not appeared in any official reports.

1 High Speed Rail (Preparation) Act 2013 and the High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Act 2017 2 DfT, The role and funding of High Speed Two Ltd., 14 January 2009 3 DfT, High Speed Rail, Cm 7827, March 2010; and: DfT press notice, “Proposed high speed rail network North of Birmingham confirmed”, 4 October 2010 4 HMG, The Coalition: Our Programme for Government, May 2010 5 DfT, High Speed Rail: Investing in Britain’s Future – Consultation, February 2011, p16 6 DfT, High speed rail: investing in Britain’s future – Phase Two: the route to Leeds, Manchester and Beyond, Cm 8508, January 2013; detailed route maps are available on the DfT archive website 7 DfT, High Speed Rail: investing in Britain’s future - Consultation on the route from the West Midlands to Manchester, Leeds and beyond, July 2013

KIRKLEES COLLEGE OPENS UP A WORLD OF MANUFACTURING POSSIBILITY

Kirklees College has hosted and event aiming to showcase the benefits of manufacturing as a career choice. The college’s Engineering Centre hosted the Calderdale and Kirklees Manufacturing Alliance ‘Make it in Manufacturing’ event, which was attended by over 11 schools, 162 students and 13 manufacturers s h o w c a s i n g t h e v a s t a r r ay o f engineering roles available in this diverse and stimulating career pathway. The event was split up into an ‘Inspiration Zone’ with videos and young ambassadors, a ‘Meet the Manufacturer Zone’ giving the opportunity to have a chat with local businesses about what they do, and an ‘Interactive Zone’ where people could get hands-on with activities and kit. Ian Brierley, part of the CKMA steering group and Chairman of John L Brierley, Art & Craft Factory and SCM Turbomotive, said of the event: “Engineering is an exciting and innovative industry with fantastic employment prospects. The number of roles within this field is vast and extensive and we hope this event

demonstrates to the engineers of the future just what opportunities are out there and how students can progress in this career.” The event included a virtual welder, hydraulic arms and machinery parts that have been used in space. Students were introduced to manufacturers and potential future employers to learn about different roles that exist within the industry. Robert Farrell of Reliance Precision Ltd said: “It was a great event to get students engaged in engineering from an early age and help them start thinking about a career in this industry. “We actively recruit apprentices into our company and to get them excited about what they can achieve and allow them to physically see what they could be creating, really gets their imaginations flowing and can be the first step they need to dip their toes into the wonderful world of engineering.”

Iconic music venue contract for Access North Structures Huddersfield based working at height specialist, Access North Structures, has secured a three-year contract to oversee the ongoing maintenance of iconic Welsh music venue, Llangollen Pavilion. The town of Llangollen plays host to one of the world’s most inspirational cultural festivals every summer, where around 4,000 performers and up to 50,000 visitors converge within its international pavilion for the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, a significant milestone on the global choral calendar. The firm’s latest maintenance contract follows a successful oneoff project for the same venue in 2017, when the company carried out inspection, maintenance and installation work on the temporary extension of the world-famous setting and added new fire doors to help increase capacity.

It will now be responsible for overseeing the assembly and disassembly of the 1,000m² te n s i l e f a b r i c a u d i to r i u m extension until 2020. Supported by 12 steel struts that extend from the main pavilion, it takes around two weeks to build the vast 10m high arena annexe, using primarily rope access techniques. Berenice Northcott, managing d i r e c to r a t A c c e s s No r t h Structures elaborated: “The care we took with the setup of the extension to ensure its condition was retained during the build – plus the methodical process we followed when disassembling the structure – means the installation will be even more efficient next year.”

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Time to celebrate the region’s most talented directors

I recently spent an evening in the company of the UK’s top directors. I was part of a Yorkshire delegation in London for the national finals of the Institute of Director’s (IoD) Director of the Year Awards, held at The Royal Horticultural Halls. The event was made even more special when Naveen Ahmed of Leeds-based Parklane Group was named Family Business Director of the Year. The Parklane Group is a market leader in property and leisure – its

brands include Roomz aparthotels and IconInc student accommodation. Naveen is to be congratulated for his clear vision and strategy which has seen his business grow successfully over the last four decades. Navee n and all the winne rs were honoured not just for their contribution to the economy but to society as well. That is what elevates a successful director into an inspirational business leader. So do you have the attributes to become a Director of the Year? Entries have now opened for our Yorkshire and the North East Director of the Year Awards 2019 in association with TopicUK. New categories have been added for 2019 to recognise the Young Director of the Year and the leading director

TopicUK December/January 2019

of a business with a £50 million-plus turnover.

•

The winners will be celebrated at a black-tie dinner held in the prestigious Principal York hotel on 4 July 2019. They will go through to represent the region at the UK Director of the Year Awards later in the year just as Naveen did.

• •

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• The judging panel will be chaired b y Simon Walton, managing partner at Berwick Partners/ O dgers Berndtson, Leeds. The categories are: • Director of the Year – NonExecutive • Director of the Year – Innovation • Director of the Year – Young • Director of the Year – Public/ Third Sector • Director of the Year - Family Business

Director of the Year – Inclusivity Director of the Year – Corporate Social Responsibility Director of the Year – Start-Up Director of the Year – SmallMedium Business (up to £50 million turnover) Director of the Year - Large Business (more than £50 million turnover) Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Director and Board Practice

To enter the awards, go to www.iodawards.com/yorksnortheast Or you can nominate by emailing us at iod.yorkshire@iod. com. And, you can find out more by joining us at our popular Meet Up Mondays in Leeds at Iberica on December 3rd, January 7th & February 4th. Simply book on line www.iod.com or email us as above.

By Murray Edwards - Art and business consultant Wakefield

I was very interested to read of a new initiative in Bristol spearheaded by Bristol Music Trust, that is seeking to try and remedy the relegation of creative arts subjects in the curriculum.

‘Live to digital’ screenings aren’t diversifying audiences Screened versions of live performances are mostly made by large organisations and consumed by those that would attend the arts anyway. These findings emerge from two separate pieces of research: a report for Arts Council England by MTM consulting, assessing the overall state of live to digital arts across England, and a review of an 18-month project by Cinegi, a digital distribution service, providing cultural content to venues outside mainstream cinemas. A Growing Trend The growing trend of digitally capturing live arts performances and showing them online or in cinemas, community centres and village halls around the country is not yet attracting audiences different to those that attend similar events in person, new research has found. These ‘live to digital’ screenings – which happen either at the same time as the actual performance, or afterwards – were nevertheless found to be popular. Organisations hosting the screenings and the people attending them expressed an interest in this continuing – although a wider take-up is challenged by ongoing capacity and technological barriers across the sector. Unfilled desires MTM’s report covers a broad range of arts including opera, music, dance, and museums, but it excludes theatre, which was examined by a previous study in 2016. Both the new reports note a desire among arts organisations to use the technology to reach larger and more diverse audiences – and in particular, to reach people put off attending arts events because of cost and a requirement to travel large distances. While audiences for screening overall were found to be slightly more female, rural and socially diverse than those at live events, the MTM report concludes that people consuming ‘live’ arts and culture and film screenings are demographically very similar. Similarly, although over two-thirds of Cinegi

screenings were held in areas with lower access to arts venues, the report concludes that audiences for screenings “were as likely to engage in live opera and plays as the national average” – and were mostly white and retired The 2016 Study ‘Arts organisations have nothing to fear from live screenings and streams, which signal “neither the death nor the salvation of live theatre”, the report claimed. The research, conducted by AEA Consulting and funded by Arts Council England (ACE), The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre, assessed whether streaming and screening discourages live theatre attendance; whether it impacted on touring patterns; strategies for developing new audiences; and what support organisations needed. It found ‘streamers’ are younger and almost 10% more diverse than audiences for live theatre or screened performances. Both streaming and screening – but particularly screening – were credited with diversifying audiences by providing a more affordable and open experience for rural and older audiences. In addition, it found that the majority of theatre organisations “have not reported a decline in the touring market over the past two years,” and concludes that the Live-to-Digital experience “does not seem to correlate with any decline in touring”. I’m not sure that this is necessarily true today, however, as continuing cuts in funding are making it more and more difficult for companies to find venues where they can get a realistic ‘deal’ that recognises both organisation’s operating costs. Concerns The 2016 report acknowledged, however, that 20% of arts organisations said there had been a reduction in touring. It also noted that organisations with a budget of under £200k were significantly less likely than those with a budget of over £1m to say that screening and streaming

had positively affected their organisation. The data showed that theatregoers are neither more nor less likely to attend live theatre if they experience it digitally, although those who stream are slightly more likely to attend live performances more frequently than the average theatregoer. Among potential creators and exhibitors of liveto-digital work, a particular area of interest, the report found that there was a desire to enter the market, but that there were significant barriers in the form of poor technology, a lack of funds and a low awareness of available content. 40% of organisations that had not yet entered the market pointed to a “lack of understanding” about how to do so. Where does it happen? Screenings were found to be more prevalent among performing arts organisations. Music, theatre, dance and opera lend themselves to digital capture, whereas museums and galleries “have to work harder”, says the MTM report. Online platforms such as Facebook and YouTube were the main methods of distribution, used by 96% of organisations who engaged in live-todigital activity in 2016/17 – followed by showings in physical venues and on TV. Organisations engaging in the practice were mostly larger, with a turnover of over £100k per year. Echoing the study of live to digital theatre in 2016, MTM’s report concludes there was little concern about screenings “cannibalising” audiences, with no organisations that offer live to digital content saying audiences attended fewer of their real-world performances. But the report does not cover the views of organisations that do not screen their own work, yet find themselves competing with screenings for bookings at venues offering live-to-digital activity. These were the organisations that expressed most concern about potential conflict Under-performance “The major players in live-to-digital theatre have proven that there is a market, but getting everyone incentivised to participate still remains a challenge to realising the full potential of digital to showcase artistic content throughout the UK,” concluded Nesta, one of the research partners in the most recent report. If there is a way to combine the best of live and digital arts, recognising that each has its own and different strengths, rather than using digital as a “cheap” alternative to the real thing, then perhaps that is what we are all looking for!

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Boeing opens new aircraft parts factory in Sheffield

BOEING IS CELEBRATING THE OPENING OF ITS NEW FABRICATION FACTORY IN SHEFFIELD. THE FACTORY, THE COMPANY’S FIRST MANUFACTURING SITE IN EUROPE, MAKES ACTUATION SYSTEM COMPONENTS FOR THE 737 AND 767 JETS FROM RAW MATERIALS SOURCED IN THE UK. At full capacity, Boeing Sheffield will produce thousands of parts each month, which will be shipped for assembly in Boeing’s Portland plant in Oregon, United States. “We appreciate all the community support for Boeing’s new advanced manufacturing factory in the UK. This is a fabulous example of how we are engaging global talent to provide greater value to our customers,” said Jenette Ramos, Boeing senior vice president of Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Operations. “In Boeing Sheffield, we are building on longstanding relationships and the region’s m an uf a c tu r in g e xpe r t i s e to enhance our production system

and continue to connect, protect, explore and inspire aerospace innovation.” Boeing Sheffield manufactures more than 100 different hightech actuation components for the 737 and 767 wing trailing edge. Actuation systems move the flaps at the back of the wing to provide extra lift at low speeds during takeoff and landing. The 6,200-squaremetre facility represents a Boeing investment of more than £40 million, placing the world’s largest aerospace company at the heart of Sheffield City Region’s growing Global Innovation Corridor. A total of 52 employees, including experienced mechanics, engineers

and more than 20 apprentices, make up the current Boeing Sheffield team. Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary Greg Clark said: “Boeing choosing the heart of South Yorkshire as its first European home is testament to our capabilities, talent pool and strong manufacturing supply chains which are vital to job creation and creating value for local economies. “We are leading the world in UK aerospace manufacturing and through our modern Industrial Strategy, we, along with industry have committed to invest £3.9 billion in aerospace”

Dan Jarvis, Mayor of the Sheffield City Region, said: “It’s excellent news that Boeing has opened its first European factory here in the Sheffield City Region. Boeing’s choice of location is a strong sign of confidence in our advanced engineering excellence, confidence in our workforce and strong manufacturing heritage, and confidence in the cutting-edge collaborations between university and business that enable us to lead the world. “Boeing Sheffield will also be a key part of our region’s ‘Global Innovation Corridor’, creating a connected set of research and business interactions based on the advanced manufacturing and

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Growth for IT solutions firm Leeds-headquartered pure technology group (PTG) has recorded its largest annual revenue growth in the Group’s history.

engineering strengths we have here in the region, and linking people, places and ideas. The opportunities for our communities, for businesses, for researchers and for the workforce of the future are limitless. “This opening of this new facility is hugely significant for South Yorkshire, the wider Northern Powerhouse, and indeed for the UK.” Cllr Julie Dore, Leader of Sheffield City Council said: “The Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre is a world class facility at the heart of our region’s economy. It has seen fantastic success and we are delighted to be home to Boeing’s first European facility. Boeing Sheffield will manufacture more than 100 different components for its 737 and 767 aircraft here.” TopicUK December/January 2019

The 23% organic uplift comes as the firm’s second year of its ambitious three-year growth plan reaches a close, meaning that PTG ends the 2017-18 financial year on £27.8m. But the IT firm is aiming to increase this further to £40m. Contributing to this bottom-line boost is the company’s substantial investment in its existing suite of services, expansion to London, noteworthy achievements in the contracts market, inclusion in the UK Government’s G-Cloud 10 framework and an industry-leading tech expo. Extensive development of the organisation’s newest service concepts – pureVR and pureIoT – will play a crucial role in strengthening its competitive advantage in the digital tech arena. Existing services have led to a roster of successful projects

with customers such as BetFred, JCT600, SuperBreak and RSPB, in 2018 alone. Positioning itself as an innovator in the tech sector, PTG also held its annual tech expo pt18 – the largest event of its kind in the North of England. Over 600 professionals attended, with keynote speakers including Jamie Bartlett, Sarah Shields, Neil Sawyer and Will Greenwood – all sharing trailblazing tech insights with likeminded IT experts about key findings from the dark web, hyper-convergence technologies and assisted reality advancements. Planning is already underway for pt19 – with an Artificial Intelligence theme – which aims to be bigger and bolder than the company’s three previous events. The Group’s COO Cliff Fox explained: “We’re an incredibly people-centric business, dedicated to innovating with emerging technologies and digital trends – as well as being driven to deliver

tailored solutions that meet an everaccelerating customer demand. “Our Augmented, Assisted and Virtual Reality products aim to revolutionise the way training is carried out across every sector and also optimise business operations – especially where productivity and bottom-line benefits are concerned.” PTG’s spearhead approach to technology sees the firm hold a chain of global partnerships with many global tech brands – including DELL EMC, HP, Huawei, Lenovo, Microsoft and Mimecast – and it is one of only three UK partners authorised to distribute Toshiba’s pioneering dynaEdge smart glass solution. Further expansion and investment of the firm’s existing product offering will be key in driving forward the business’s ambitious growth targets in the coming year, as well as further acquisition and continued investment in its core success and biggest asset – its people.

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STRENGTH BEATS ADHD TO BUILD SUCCESSFUL CAREER

Another favourite of Ryan’s is the growing popularity of Comic Con, where he attends with a film crew which led him recently to host the Only Fools and Horses Convention in Hull, with many of the original stars attending. Fans from far and wide turned out to meet their favorite Only Fools and Horses stars as a little piece of Peckham arrived in Yorkshire. Ryan was invited to to interview the cast celebrate the show’s annual convention, now in it’s 21st year and the first time ever in Yorkshire

A s a y o u n g b o y, R y a n Swain from Malton, was told he would never achieve anything in life as he had ADHD that went undiagnosed until he was 21. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects children and teens and can continue into adulthood. It is the most commonly diagnosed mental disorder in children. Children with ADHD may be hyperactive and unable control their impulses. Or they may have trouble paying attention. Ryan’s parents knew something was wrong but in the late 90’s the condition was unheard of. “At 15, I was expelled from school for being disruptive and was put on a REOTAS program (Reeducation Other Than At School) alongside ex convicts and young

offenders that was very degrading as I have never been in trouble with the law or hurt anybody,” Ryan told us. “I did however achieve good grades in my GCSES and found a vocational course of Performing Arts where I earned a distinction.” This set Ryan on the path to his entertaining career. Today, Ryan is one of the hottest emerging talents from the North East and has shared the stage with some of the biggest names in showbiz. Over the past ten years he has presented television, radio and countless live events across the UK, including music festivals and functions. “My entertainment career began at Flamingo Land Resort when I received a call from the head of entertainment offering me a job. I accepted immediately and enjoyed a happy three years there. O ne of my first major gigs was what management called ‘Party in the Park’, which is a live, interactive music and

TopicUK December/January 2019

“Growing up I felt vulnerable and was told I would never achieve anything. If I hadn’t been strong and had the family support I did, battling mental health from a young age, I could have ended up in a lot of trouble!” entertainment concert that now runs monthly during the summer, attracting celebrity guests and performers from all over the country to perform on the specially built arena,” he said. “This made me a major face in entertainment in the area and with visitors.” Ryan has been a DJ on the club scene for much of his career and as former class clown his energy and sense of fun led him to the comedy circuits, where he has worked with Keith Lemon, Rory Bremner and Patrick Monhan. “I also raise lots of funds for charity, particularly for Mental Health Aweareness,” he added. “It is important we all help others less fortunate and this has led me to do some crazy stunts including skateboarding 54.4 miles in a record time of just 4 hours and taking part in a full monty!

The fans of the show the opportunity to rub shoulders with stars including John Challis who played Boycie, Sue Holderness who played Marlene and Tessa PeakeJones who played the role of Del Boy’s significant other Raquel as well as Gwyneth Strong who played Cassandra. “It was so lovely to interview the cast and get up close and personal,” he added, “they all to told me they loved Hull and had a cushty weekend in Yorkshire.” Whilst pursuing his showbiz career Ryan has a full time job selling and marketing prestige cars mainly Porsches. “I am so lucky that the team are supportive of what I do, making allowances where necessary so I can attend festivals and concerts.” Ryan is engaged to Natalia, a professional dancer, who he met in 2012 whilst working at Flamingo Land Resort and the couple have identical twin girls Ivy-Kay and Isla-Yasmin. So what’s next for Ryan? “I love the entertainment business and have quite a few plans in the pipeline for the 2019.” We’re sure you will be seeing a lot more of Ryan very soon.

HOW CYBER-SECURE IS YOUR BUSINESS? By Paul Heigham - Director of Bellingham IT

Cyber Security and Data Breaches are common news these days and are on the increase. Technology s p e c i a l i s t Pa u l H e i g h a m o f Bellingham IT shares some best practice to help you stay up to date and safe online. Data breaches and Cyber Attacks seemingly are constantly in the news, and the bad press around those falling victim to them can last a long time. However, it’s only the household names and big companies that make the news hence and most small businesses don’t really think of this as being a potential problem. This is not true of course, with small business being increasingly targeted and vulnerable to fraud and human error it begs the question, exactly how secure are our own businesses? • •

Fortunately helping keep your businesses more secure is not a massive nor expensive task – merely a case of following basic IT best practice.

• •

A few simple tips to achieving this include: • 1.

Use the latest version of your security software. Many infections occur because outdated software remain in place. If you have a valid licence, updating to the latest version should cost nothing. Keep your security software’s virus database up-to-date. New versions of ransomware are released frequently, so it is important that computers and other company devices, including mobile devices, receive regular virus database updates. Among other precautions, this helps to ensure they are not vulnerable to ransomware infections. Keep your company desktops safe. To mitigate the risk of data loss and damage to devices commonly caused by ransomware make sure you are:

• • • • •

Backing up important data regularly Patching & updating your software automatically Showing hidden file-extensions Filtering executable attachments using advanced threat protection Disabling files running from AppData/LocalAppData folders Considering shared folders on a server Disabling RDP Using a reputable security suite Using an image of the system to get back to a known-clean state Using a standard account instead of one with administrator privileges.

Remember your company mobile devices. Malware authors are ahead of the game. Keep your mobile devices safe by training your employees, using Security Software and backing up all important data. All mobile devices should be connected to a separate wireless network from the main company wireless network as of course should guests and visitors on your network over whose devices you have no control.

Train your team. People are your biggest asset but potentially your weakest link. Make sure you have a comprehensive list of policies and procedures relating to your IT - software and hardware - and social media.

Does everyone have a copy? Have they read and understood it? If you can’t answer ‘yes’ to these questions, take time out each month for an update and to reinforce the message IT is your first line of defence. Provide cyber-security training for all your staff to help them identify potential threats and how to deal with them.

Of course, there is always more you can do to be more secure – your planning and IT Strategy already needs to incorporate a lot of this of course now we are all used to the requirements of GDPR. The secret is to plan to stay up to date, and if possible one step ahead of everyone else and don’t make yourself an easy target!!

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Are you interested in becoming a foster carer? Discover the pride of being a foster carer with Fostering to Inspire. We are a fostering agency located in Wakefield and are currently recruiting foster carers in Yorkshire.

Call us on 01924 792 184 fosteringtoinspire.co.uk Part of Prospects Services. Registered in England & Wales. Registered company number: 3042176. Registered office: 1 Red Hall Court, Wakefield, WF1 2UN

Let’s banish the Coppersaurus from Huddersfield, for good What’s old, creaking, slow and full of copper? The UK’s dated broadband, that’s what! Brought to life by the Coppersaurus… What’s that, you may ask…

and less likely you will get the speed you were promised. The second is that the world is changing and our demand for data, speed and flexible connectivity is changing with it. Earlier this year, the release of the latest broadband speed rankings placed the UK 35th globally for average broadband speeds (down from 31st in 2017 and placing us behind Romania and Madagascar) . This decline is the result of underinvestment and neglect in our digital infrastructure, and this is causing us to fall behind.

CityFibre’s Coppersaurus

Over recent weeks, many Huddersfield residents will have encountered this cheeky chap at the Kirkwood Hospice Christmas Fair. A two-metre-high copper-coloured replica of a T-Rex, he personifies the UK’s neglected digital infrastructure and out-dated broadband advertising rules, which is why we have taken him on the road as part of our campaign to get them changed. At present, the UK’s advertising rules (enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority, known as the ASA), do not require advertisers to distinguish between full and part fibre services, despite the services they provide being completely different. This means that consumers are often misled into paying for ‘fibre’ internet services, which are only part fibre and not equipped to consistently provide the speeds and services promised, because of the copper in the network slowing them down. We know this is the case from an extensive survey, which found that more than a quarter of broadband users in Huddersfield believed they didn’t

have any copper in their household internet connection, despite this only being the case for around 5% of UK premises. However, once they understood the difference between copper-based and full fibre services, two thirds of local residents thought the rules should be changed. This situation is both stifling investment in the real deal and denying consumers their right to make an informed choice. When you think about it, why would someone switch to a service they already think they have? We want the rules to change so that ‘fibre’ can’t be used to describe a service strangled by copper, which is why we took the issue to Court, challenging the ASA on its decision to let this carry on.

Ultimately, this shows that a digital economy built on copper will soon reach a point where it will not be able to deliver the speeds, bandwidth and capacity it needs to thrive. Even with fibre to the cabinet, that ‘last mile’ of copper to the premises, as it is often referred to, isn’t helping us to address this issue. Full fibre, on the other hand, can deliver the limitless capabilities today’s digital world relies upon, with Huddersfield and Leeds set to be amongst the first locations in the UK to benefit from this next generation technology. Since 2016, CityFibre has built hundreds of kilometres of full fibre infrastructure across both communities, connecting

schools, community halls, libraries and businesses. And in the New Year, we will be expanding the network in Huddersfield further through our partnership with Vodafone, enabling more businesses and, for the first time, residents, to access this gold standard in digital connectivity. Leeds will follow suit in spring 2019. A full fibre future Having acknowledged the economic and social benefits of full fibre, the UK Government has now committed to delivering full fibre coverage across the UK by 2033, with an interim goal of 15 million homes by 2025. CityFibre wants to deliver a third of this first target by delivering town and city-wide full fibre networks across 37 locations, which include Huddersfield, Leeds, Batley, Bradford, Dewsbury, Doncaster, Halifax, Harrogate, Rotherham, Sheffield and Wakefield in Yorkshire. Over the coming years, consumers will increasingly have a choice between full fibre and part fibre, which makes changing advertising rules to prevent misleading claims even more important. If you believe that your community’s future needs to be lit by full fibre and that advertising rules need to reflect our rapidly developing digital landscape, then you can support our campaign by signing the petition at www.coppersaurus.com. You wouldn’t call a hamburger a steak, so why should advertisers be allowed to call copper fibre?

Why does this matter? Many of you will be asking this question – surely it doesn’t matter what technology your provider uses, if you get the speeds they promised? There are two answers to that. The first is that old copper technology continues to degrade, making it less

TopicUK December/January 2019

A NEW FACE FOR AD:VENTURE Earlier this year the AD:VENTURE team in Wakefield welcomed Keith Evans. Keith has replaced Jim Farmery as Sector Development Manager, working with new start Digital and Creative businesses across the District. Now nearly 6 months into this role, Keith shares his achievements so far and plans for the coming months.

Describe your role in 5 words: Collaborative, informed, impactful, innovative and respectful What’s your proudest moment of the last 6 months? Supporting colleagues to deliver a £4 million funding application to DCMS. Why do you choose to live and work in Wakefield? Wakefield could not be better located for the work I do, 2 hours from London, on the cross roads of two major motorways and 20% cheaper housing. What is the next thing on your ‘to do’ list?

A proud Wakefield resident, Keith has lots of experience and enthusiasm for creative and digital businesses. Keith’s past experience includes acting as the Managing Director of the Creative Industries Development Agency (CIDA), where he worked in over 30 different countries and has advised the UK central government - and the European Commission - on innovation policy. Keith’s first 6 months have been busy. In September he supported eight entrepreneurs to complete the latest Future Start Programme in Wakefield, in partnership with Futurelabs. This series of workshops was designed to help new start businesses who are looking to develop and launch a new digital application or service. The group was lively and varied,

including entrepreneurs launching online legal services, home dining solutions and a personal leisure application. AD:VENTURE also hosted the ‘Digital Disruption’ event as part of Wakefield Business Week. The event was led by two leading Palo Alto Innovation Experts, Herman Gyr and Laszlo Gyorffy, beamed to a live audience at the Advanced Skills and Innovation Centre (Wakefield College) and also included an expert panel from organisations such as Creative England, the KTN, Leeds Digital Festival and the Data Shed. This was an amazing opportunity for businesses in Wakefield to explore digital technologies that are driving both new and established businesses in the US. There was lively discussion about future business model trends that may stem from such things as artificial intelligence, Blockchain and immersive technologies as well as lots of practical advice about

how to develop innovation within our own businesses. Next on the agenda is taking the District’s Creative and Digital sector growth strategy forward, supporting the creation of a sector specific skills pathway and in partnership with his colleague Cara Brundle, developing a PreStart and Start Up peer to peer network platform to be launched in 2019. For more information or if you are interested in joining our network of start-up businesses please get in touch: Business and professional service businesses contact Cara Brundle, Sector Development Manager by email: cbrundle@wakefield.gov.uk

Digital and creative businesses contact Keith Evans, Sector Development Manager by email: kevans@wakefield.gov.uk

Helping to spend local tax payers’ money wisely, to create high value, 21st century jobs. If you could give one piece of advice to anyone starting a business, what would it be? Develop your network!

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YORKSHIRE FIRM LAUNCHES GROUND-BREAKING NEW HEALTHCARE TECH Yorkshire-headquartered technology specialist Vapour Cloud has launched the first video tool of its kind for the UK healthcare sector, powered by a free SMS message.

SMITH BROTHERS RACES ON WITH HIGH-VOLTAGE UPGRADE WORKS AT GREYHOUND STADIUM Yorkshire power contractor Smith Brothers has been appointed by WMA Architects to undertake high-voltage upgrade works at Sheffield’s Owlerton Stadium. The stadium redevelopment project will see updates made across the venue, including a new hospitality suite and general upgrade works. Contracted to overhaul the existing high-voltage electrical infrastructure, Smith Brothers has been tasked with delivering this aspect of the project by the end of 2018 to ensure wider upgrades begin on schedule. The Elland-based contractor will be responsible for the design, supply and installation of an 11kV ring main unit. Ke l v i n Fa l l o w o f W M A Architects, explained: “Smith Brothers’ experience in this type of project gave us the confidence that the team could not only

complete the infrastructure installation, but also manage the transfer of the various existing supplies onto the new network.” Smith Brothers project manager, Emma Charlesworth, added: “Minimising disruption is key. Given the work we are doing is part of a more comprehensive overhaul of Owlerton Stadium, strict deadlines are in place to ensure the wider project can commence on time. “We are thrilled to be welcoming W M A A r c h i te c t s i n to o u r growing client portfolio and also to be working at one of Sheffield’s leading entertainment venues.”

TeleDOC will enable GPs and other medical professionals to hold secure, encrypted, recordable, geo-tagged video calls with their patients, regardless of location and device. WebRTC* technology at the heart of the product enables efficient discussion and diagnosis of health issues remotely, before storing the encrypted video file in a secure vault. Vapour’s CEO Tim Mercer explains: “So many healthcare appointments involve a patient who is either in some form of discomfort or suffering from contagious symptoms. Because TeleDOC circumnavigates the need for them to physically travel to their appointment, the benefits are clear. “The video element means the doctor have visual cues that can help diagnose and advise, and the secure post-appointment storage of the file provides a valuable point of reference further down the line.” Tim believes that existing solutions are comparatively cost prohibitive.

“TeleDOC has been purposefullydeveloped so that it is easy to use, regardless of the patient’s technical literacy,” he said. “There is also no need to download and pay for a costly app. This is an important SMS-powered service delivered by the surgery. There shouldn’t be a charge to the patient. The launch of TeleDOC follows 12 months of development and an extensive three-month beta phase. Tim continued: “We’ve seen telehealth begin to revolutionise the administration of healthcare advice in the US so, given the strain being placed on the UK’s medical infrastructure, it’s about time technology eased some of the pressures,” added Tim. “We’re increasingly using WebRTC in our personal lives, via What’sApp for instance. But the UK has been slow to adapt to the wider utilisation of this powerful application. We’re unbelievably excited to see the impact that TeleDOC has.” Established in 2013, Vapour specialises in secure network connectivity, voice communications and data storage. The fast-growing organisation has attracted £4m of investments since it was founded, and has its sights set on £12m turnover by 2020.

Smith Brothers is a high-voltage power engineering contractor and accredited Independent Connection Provider specialising in delivering turnkey network connection packages across s e c t o r s i n c l u d i n g e n e r g y, utilities, industrial and commercial.

TopicUK December/January 2019

Wakefield’s Kirkgate station is ‘Grand’ once again Rewind around eight years and if someone had referred to Wakefield Kirkgate station as anything othe r than an eyesore, you’d have laughed in their face. In fact it was once described as the worst medium-large station station in Britain by Lord Adonis. These days, as chattering passengers weave through the Taste Buds cafe and the light reflects on the restored stonework, it’s slowly cranked itself back to its former glory, albeit with a very modern spin. Built in 1854, the Grade II-listed station underwent a two-year £5.6m restoration project, managed by the regeneration charity Groundwork UK. Improvements included the new cafe, upgraded passenger facilities, a first-class Grand Central lounge and improvements to the subway. Grand Central Chief

Operating Officer Sean English was instrumental in the restoration and he now has his base in a bright, white office space within the main building. The quirky Grand Central First Class lounge is the open-access operator’s first station-based facility, with locally-sourced design and furniture. The Grand Central touches are all over Wakefield Kirkgate, from the brass band playing Jerusalem in the underpass and the Ashley Jackson murals on the walls. More accurately, these touches are pure Sean, a force of a man who cheerfully participates in and signs his staff up to charity sleepouts and soup kitchens, decorates trains for Halloween and supports a range of community initiatives from Brighouse Arts Festival to Huddersfield Town Foundation. Sean was also behind the company’s station ambassador’s scheme. Under the scheme, more than 60

Image:Tim Hill

volunteer ambassadors work with Grand Central to provide a friendly welcome to the towns along its North East and West Riding routes and helping improve operational efficiency. For Sean, it’s another way of involving communities “our award- winning Ambassador scheme has proved to be very popular with our customers along many of the stations we serve. A warm and friendly welcome greets visitors to the area from a team of local knowledgeable and professional volunteers who exude passion for their area.

Part of the Arriva group, Grand Ce ntral pro vides direct rail connections from towns and cities in Yorkshire and the North East with London and, despite some recent well-publicised operational difficulties, it regularly tops customer satisfaction polls and has gained a reputation as a peoplefirst operator. Whether it’s free wifi on the trains, art in the carriages or extra services, says Sean, “We listen very carefully to our customers and try to ensure we really give them what they need.” This extends to the local area too. Says Sean, “We really want to operate at the

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children, offering experiences traditionally out of their reach, transporting Middlesbrough children to Tim Peake’s historic space capsule at the National Railway Museum in a specially themed train. It works with charity Centrepoint to help get young people into long-term employment. “We do this because it’s the right thing to do,” saysSean, “but also because it makes business sense. We support our communities and encourage people to visit them and in turn they use our trains.” Elsewhere in Wakefield, plans have also been approved to redevelop a complex of nearby derelict grade-II listed Victorian mill buildings on the River Calder into a new arts centre. Recent council proposals include a new National Innovation Centre for the creative and digital sector based at Production Park and a new growth accelerator programme.

heart of the communities we serve and this means getting involved in festivals, events and charity initiatives as well as working to revive ailing stations.” Un d e r S e a n ’ s a u s p i c e s , t h e operator also supports a range of partners including “cultural” locations along its routes (for example the historic Piece Hall in Halifax and the Hepworth gallery in Wakefield). This, says Sean, isn’t just to do with wanting to support the arts, it’s about bringing the arts to the communities. To this end, it has worked with socially excluded TopicUK December/January 2019

“Prior to commencing our operation in West Yorkshire, we recognised that the Kirkgate area of Wakefield had clearly untapped potential,” says Sean, “It was clear that through the successes at the Watefront, Merchant Gate and Trinity Walk areas of the city, Kirkgate, the station and the wider community was prime for investment. We are pleased to see that that this regeneration is very much underway thrilled to play apart in that through not only investment within the station but offering the community a further choice in rail travel to the capital.”

All business great & small ABL BUSINESS IS PROUD TO SUPPORT SPLAT TRAINING West Yorkshire businesswoman Amy Gault, owner of Splat training, is proud to provide first aid training for Calrec Audio. Established in Hebden Bridge in 1964 as a microphone manufacturer, Calrec is a global leader in audio mixing equipment for broadcast. Operating in more than 50 territories worldwide and boasting an array of industry awards, this is an organisation with integrity, and a fair sprinkling of Yorkshire wit. “Calrec was a little family business that’s gro wn,” says Calrec’s Human Resources Manager Trish McNally. “Calrec’s reputation for build quality, reliability and audio performance has made it an industry benchmark across the world.” That family ethos is illustrated beautifully by the ‘family’ photos taken over the years and displayed in the company’s training room and

Calrec’s humble beginnings are still an important part of its makeup. Calrec is very much a part of the fabric of the local area giving charitable donations and support for events such as the Hebden Bridge Arts Festival and The Handmade Parade, as well as employing many local people. “Calrec is a big part of Hebden Bridge and that commitment filters down to people that we trade with locally,” adds Trish. So when it came to sourcing a First Aid trainer, it is hardly surprising that Calrec went local.

“Totally engaging and knowledgeable which helped to inspire confidence and learning.” Elliot, Calrec delegate.

Splat training provides “Learning That Sticks”; high quality first aid and health and safety training tailored to the customer. Splat can run training on-site, removing the need for additional travel and

meaning staff remain accessible throughout training. This kind of flexibility is a great benefit to larger companies where logistics are complex and timing can be critical. Training courses by Splat are tailored to fit the specific people and scenarios they face, making training much more engaging and meaningful. There is a distinct alignment of values between the two companies, despite the fact they operate on very different scales. “Splat delivers and interacts with the client in a very human way,” says Amy. “Splat’s values of professionalism, approachability and that same sprinkling of Yorkshire wit are closely aligned with the Calrec brand”. “Let’s remember, organisations both great and small can operate to high standards without losing that human touch, and with a sprinkling of wit and warmth for all concerned.” If you would like some training tailored to your company’s needs, contact amy@splattraining.co.uk or visit www.splattraining.co.uk for information.

ABL Business Ltd is a member of NACFB (National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers) and is regulated and authorised by FCA (Financial Conduct Authority). Find out more on www.abl-business.co.uk

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Universities combine for glass Futures The University of Cambridge has joined a consortium which includes the University of Leeds and aims to put the UK at the forefront of glass manufacturing across the globe.

Glass Futures, a not for profit company head-quarte red in Sheffield, brings together industry and academia, with the aims of increasing productivity and sustainability in the sector, and dramatically reducing or eliminating carbon dioxide emissions. Richard Katz, founder of Glass Futures, a not for profit company, said: “The addition of the University of Cambridge will bring additional strength to our future plans, complementing the research expertise of our existing academic partners in Leeds and Sheffield. By harnessing the best of industry and academia and investing in research and development we really can help the industry grow and bring major benefits to the UK economy.” As well as the University of Leeds, Glass Futures current partners include Pilkington UK, Guardian Industries, Encirc 360, Sheffield Hallam University, Siemens, Swarovski and the world’s largest glass bottle manufacturer Owens Illinois.

Glass manufacturing is said to contribute around £3billion to the economy currently. The aim of Glass Futures is to create two centres of excellence in research and development, one at the University of Leeds and the other at Pilkington Glass in St Helens, at a total cost of £50million. Half the money is expected to come from industry, with matched funding sought from Government. Professor Animesh Jha, the lead academic from the University of Leeds, said: “Bringing together researche rs across multiple universities and industry is a significant benefit of Glass Futures, so we look forward to collaborating with Cambridge’s engineers and sharing expertise which will ultimately support the growth of the sector across the country.” The University of Cambridge brings particular expertise in the development of high-performance glass for use in buildings. Dr Mauro Overend, leader of the

TopicUK December/January 2019

University’s Glass and Facade Technology Research Group, which is within the University’s Department of Engineering, will be joining Glass Future’s advisory board. He said: “The great thing about Glass Futures is that it fuses together expertise from across the UK to translate research ideas into real solutions for the problems of the future. “For example we are looking forward to working with the University of Leeds which is researching smart coatings for glass to make it

stronger. Our collaboration could lead to glass being used much more effectively in the construction of large buildings in the future; thus reducing the cost and energy required to construct and operate buildings.” More than 6,000 people are directly employed in the glass manufacturing industry at 20 or so major sites across the UK; with a further 100,000 or so jobs relying on glass, in industries as diverse as food and beverage filling lines, window installation, auto windscreens, construction of wind turbines and electronic circuit boards.

WA K E F I E L D BONDHOLDERS

NETWORK WITH PEOPLE J U S T L I K E YO U By becoming a Wakefield Bondholder you’ll enjoy the opportunity to network with other business owners. Businesses who love being in Wakefield and want to link up with suppliers and clients across our district and spread the word: ‘Wakefield is a great place to invest in’.

Our members represent companies of all sizes and sectors including manufacturing, professional services, creative and digital as well as cultural and leisure. Join us and add your voice to the conversation.

To find out more about Wakefield Bondholders and how being a member can benefit you, contact Melissa Armitage at: www.wakefieldbondholders.com or p-p-p-pick up the phone +44 (0)7377 672075

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Drax HR team’s career advice for next generation of engineers ENGINEERING students at two Northern Powerhouse universities have received valuable career advice on how to stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs from staff at the UK’s biggest power station. Human Resources (HR) staff from Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire shared tips on how to make a CV attractive to future employers during workshops with students at Sheffield University and spoke to students at Leeds Beckett University at its Graduate and Placements Fair. The final year students also discussed the importance of STEM (scie nce, technology, engineering and maths) skills in finding work when they graduate. They also learned about potential opportunities for them to work as a year in industry student, or as a graduate at Drax – the UK’s biggest renewable power generator and the biggest decarbonisation project in Europe.

there when you have to go out and find a job. We advised the students to be selective, to focus on the quality of their applications, not quantity and to apply for the jobs they really want. By explaining why they want the role, hopefully, their passion and their personalities will shine through.” She added that students were interested in engineering roles with Drax but also in a range of other roles in the company, which recently announced the acquisition of £702m worth of flexible and renewable power generation assets from Scottish Power, including pumped storage and hydro. Andy Koss, Drax Power CEO said: “Engineering excellence has been key to Drax Power Station’s transformation into Europe’s biggest decarbonisation project, but our proposed expansion into new forms of generation, such as pumped storage and hydro power, means our requirement for highly skilled STEM graduates is only likely to increase.

Resourcing specialist Shelley Lawton from Drax’s HR team, who delivered the sessions for the students, said she was impressed by how enthusiastic they were about the future, adding: “We got some really good questions from the students about how they can stand out when applying for jobs, which is obviously something on all students’ minds as their courses end.

“Taking part in these events at the brilliant universities in Sheffield and Leeds is all part of our long-term commitment to skills development. Every business in the Northern Powerhouse region has a role to play in creating opportunities for young people, reaching out to our communities and raising aspirations - encouraging them to develop the skills they’ll need in the future.

“It can be a big scary world out

“We have world-class engineers in

TopicUK December/January 2019

the North now, but we need to do more to ensure the next generation has the right education and skills, particularly in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) to carry on that legacy.” Nine engineering apprentices began their careers at the Selbybased power station in September, a 50% increase on last year’s intake as Drax continues to invest in and promote STEM skills. The energy firm also sponsors a number of PhDs at Sheffield University, producing cuttingedge research into area such as the impact of human behaviour on vehicle to grid technologies – where electric cars could store and discharge power back to the grid to support the electricity system.

FUN WITH THE CONES: HELP CORPORATE BRITAIN EDUCATE CHILDREN

Meet The Cones! Conestance, Conerad, Cone-Vera and Conen. Yes, there are some stray ‘e’s in there – Cones need Cone names! The ‘conecept’ of the Cones was born following countless journeys up and down the M1 and sitting, inevitably, in roadworks surrounded by big-foot traffic cones. To turn this negative into a positive, author Chris Madeley, wondered what would happen if they came to life and were a force for good. We know that Cones have a life of their own – just look around and see what they get up to and where they end up when no-one is looking. In book one, Meet the Cones, Conestance and Conerad were to be the heroes of the hour, but in book two, Cones Make New Friends, ConeVera and Conen joined them to become the four intrepid Cones who are always looking for new adventures.

made and the importance of sustainability and ecology. The owners of the power station have made a nature reserve out of the waste from the process, so the Cones pay a visit and learn to respect the different environments inhabited by various creatures and to be aware of the importance of protecting endangered species. So, what has this to do with Corporate Britain, you may ask.

Chris uses the stories to also encourage children of each sex to see various opportunities for careers in areas which historically have been rather one-sided.

Chris works with corporate organisations who are fully committed to playing their part in bringing their particular sphere to the children in the environs in which the company is engaged in work. For example, Cones on Site works with a Construction company to explain what is going on, health and safety issues, the need for correct PPE. The Cones come to their own ‘coneclusion’ that this is seriously dangerous and is not a playground. Cones in the Roadworks deals with the important issues regarding respect for road workers and the need to obey signage.

Here are some examples of their adventures: they learn how to be safe on the roads. They are fascinated by water and learn to enjoy the waterfront but respect their environment and the nature around them. Cones are intrigued by the way humans travel and have great fun in a railway station and on a train, get into serious trouble and learn to keep safe both on trains and track-side. The four friends meet a Cone who has come over from America bringing Biomass to a power station. They learn how electricity is

Chris conducts hands-on research with the commissioning company/organisation to ensure that the books are factually correct. Once the commissioning company has used their book for their target audience, it is “de-branded” and available to others. Cones on Site, for example, commissioned by Caddick, de-branded at their instigation and submitted to Considerate Constructors and has been vetted, accepted and now appears on the best practice section of their website for children’s safety. This book

The four friends have Guardians who make sure they are safe. There is Police Car, a Wise Owl, New Moon, rather a mischievous character who brought them to life in the first place by sprinkling magic moon dust all over them.

is also now going to be used by another very large construction firm, the books being presented to children in schools local to where they are building and the characters appearing on their safety fencing to remind children not to enter. If you are interested in commissioning your own book or to find out more, contact chris@ theconesbooks.com

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Businesses get ready for the next generation this raised to 70% of the Yorkshire population surveyed who agreed. Not driven by money, it seems GenZ are forward thinkers, set to create their versions of the future and over half of the Yorkshire population surveyed, agree that 16-18 year olds value life opportunities and life experiences over high salaries.

•

Survey reveals how Yorkshire businesses need to evolve to attract new generation of workers Impact, flexibility and connectivity shine through as key values of 16-18 year olds.

GenZ school leavers do not want to be tied down to a 9-5 office job and are drawn to roles that offer location independent flexible working according to a new survey released from Pitman Training. Pitman Training has released these statistics as part of a campaign to support Yorkshire businesses in attracting this new generation of workers, who are predicted to make up 24% of the global workforce by 2020. * This national survey illustrated that 71% of GenZ school leavers rebuke the path of University favouring travel, volunteering or entering the workforce straight from school as impact, flexibility and connectivity shine through as key values of 16-18 year olds. A laptop generation of a wifi society, 63% of the 16-18 year olds surveyed said they are more likely to be drawn to roles that offer location independent flexible working and

Additionally, 75% of those who will not be pursuing further education agreed that their age group is keen to enter the workplace and are prepared to invest themselves in learning to support their career development. Charged with high levels of selfbelief, entrepreneurial spirit, and a global sense of belonging, the survey commissioned by Pitman Training, and conducted by Censuswide, showed that 71% of 16-18 year olds who will not be pursuing further education, agreed that their age group is on a mission to make an impact and are keen to enter the workforce to make their mark. 64% of the Yorkshire population surveyed also agreed with this statement.

of the future and supporting them in their career growth is key to our local economy and I feel passionately that we all, as business owners are creating environments that will attract the next generation”. 85% of 16-18 year olds who will not be pursuing further education agreed that their age group is increasingly keen on learning real life skills over theoretical knowledge. Claire added: “What this survey

revealed to me the most is that GenZ are ready to stand up and be counted and refuse to conform with what has traditionally being ‘the norm’. Yorkshire businesses that want to attract this new generation of workers may need to look at some of these findings and reconsider their own company ‘norms’. Creating opportunities where employees can train on the job, be a part of the bigger picture of company culture and make an impact is key.”

Big Panto giveaway TopicUK have teamed up with Theatre Royal Wakefield to offer readers a chance to win one of three sets of 4 family tickets for their amazing Christmas Pantomime production of Cinderella. This sparkling and magical tale is crammed full of breathtaking sets and dazzling costumes. Our tickets are for the 7pm performance on Saturday 15th December.

To be in with a chance of winning, just sign into Twitter and tweet: “I’m going to Theatre Royal with TopicUK to see Cinderella.” So we can inform you if you’re a winner, you must follow us and still follow at the time of the draw in November. Tickets are not transferable and there is no cash alternative. The winners will be the first drawn at random after the closing date and the editors decision is final.

Influenced by social media, over half (58%) of Yorkshire population surveyed feel that 16-18 year olds will be more globally connected and as such their visions around what they can achieve as a global citizen are vast. Claire Lister, MD said: “It is key that local businesses ensure that their new generation of employees know the impact they are having within their companies – internally, locally, regionally, nationally as well as globally as well as bearing in mind both location and flexibility in when recruiting. Recruiting team members

TopicUK December/January 2019

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Topic tomorrow

Minister of State for Apprenticeships and Skills visits Kirklees College Minister of State for Apprenticeships and Skills visited Kirklees College in Huddersfield recently. Students at the college’s Engineering Centre showcased the facilities during the Minister’s tour of the building, where she heard from students about their current apprenticeships and spoke to representatives from Reliance Precision and BASF Plc about the challenges faced within the apprenticeship sector. Katie Rankin, apprentice and graduate programme leader at BASF, said: “We are passionate about developing our teams through job-specific training and qualifications, and apprenticeships form a key part of this development.

We were delighted to have the o p p o r t u n i t y to d i s c u s s t h e key business challenges and future aspirations around skills development with the Minister for Skills and Apprenticeships.” Kirklees College Principal, Marie Gilluley, added: “Engineering crosses all sectors and Kirklees is very much seen as the place for manufacturing things and making things happen.

opportunities that exist and the fantastic support the college and students receive from local stakeholders and businesses.”

“As a college we are proud and passionate about the wide variety of engineering companies and

Points raised from the discussion included the need for employers to talk directly to the parents of

students to highlight the benefits of apprenticeships as a route of study, the 2020 apprenticeship vision and the contribution apprenticeships are making to businesses and the wider economy.

Joy for boy when his letter goes astray An eight-year-old Liverpool FC superfan wrote an adorable letter to Manager Jurgen Klopp asking him to sign him for the squad - but it didn’t turn out exactly as he’d planned. at Anfield, Liverpool stadium. Please Jurgen Klopp send the contract tomorrow.”

Ahad had asked his mum if he could have a piece of paper so that he could write a letter. His mum asked him who he was writing to and he responded “ I am not telling you, it is confidential”. Ahad went off to his bedroom to write his letter and returned to ask for an envelope. Again, he refused to tell his mum who he was writing to. His mum rummaged around in the recycling bin and pulled out an old envelope which had a Chadwick Lawrence franking stamp on it. Ahad took the envelope and ran down to the postbox at the end of the road to post his letter. Ahad Khurshid, is obsessed with the Reds - and especially with his favourite player Mo Salah. With dreams of one day playing at Anfield, Ahad decided to take matters into his own hands and send a letter to Jurgen Klopp asking him to send a contract to his home so he could sign to play for the team. The letter said: “Dear Jurgen Klopp, I will sign a contract for you, I want to play for you TopicUK December/January 2019

wrote: “Dear Mr Klopp, please find enclosed a letter mistakenly delivered to our offices in relation to a potential new signing. It would seem that the letter has been delivered here because it was written partially on the back of one of our envelopes. It worked! Ahad received a letter from LFC which was signed by all of the players. That was not the end of the story however. Dan and a team from Chadwick Lawrence took Ahad to see his first Liverpool game at Huddersfield Town. They arranged a few further surprises for him on the day. Before the game started Ahad was visited by Towns record signing, Terence Kongolo who presented him with his own Liverpool shirt with his name on the back, a signed Jurgen Klopp picture and a Liverpool calendar.

The letter arrived the Leeds office of Chadwick Lawrence rather than with its intended recipient, Liverpool Football Club. Dan Hirst a partner at the firm took it upon himself to help Ahad in his quest to contact the Liverpool manager, and with his parents’ permission they forwarded the letter on to the club. In a letter headlined ‘potential signing’, Mr Hirst

businessschool Why choose the Business School at Wakefield College? · New £7million Advanced Skills and Innovation Centre. · Courses in areas including accountancy, HR, leadership and management, customer service, retail, procurement and supply. · Your course will be accredited by a professional body such as the AAT, CILEx, CIPS, CMI, ILM and the CIPD. · An Advanced Learner Loan* could help you cover the cost of study with no upfront cost.

Visit www.wakefield.ac.uk/business-school or call our Course Information team on 01924 789111 *For more information visit: www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan

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Former student returns to buy Wakefield College site Wakefield College is pleased to announce the sale of its Thornes Park Campus to Wakefield-based, award-winning humanitarian charity Penny Appeal.

the facilities at the Thornes Park Campus will be put to great use by Penny Appeal.”

businessman and entrepreneur he is today.

Commenting on the purchase, Adeem Younis added: “I know the value and power of local investment, I am a product of it. As a businessman and humanitarian, I credit much of my success to my time at Wakefield College. Just as Wakefield invested in me, Penny Appeal is investing back. The Medina (simply meaning city or town), will be a unique landmark that represents a long term multimillion-pound strategy from Penny Appeal into the infrastructure and all communities of Wakefield. This commitment will create jobs

Founded by local entrepreneur and former College student, Adeem Younis, Penny Appeal will unveil plans for the site in the coming weeks. College Principal, Sam Wright said: “We are delighted to have agreed the sale of the Thornes Park Campus to such a fantastic charity and one with a strong community focus. Adeem’s time studying at the Thornes Park Campus, left a lasting mark on him, and I’d like to think we helped shape him into becoming the successful

“We are extremely proud of what Adeem has achieved and are delighted we have secured a deal that benefits all parties involved. We look forward to working with Penny Appeal during the transition period. Plans are well underway and on schedule for the refurbishment of the former Registry of Deeds building, as well as the formation of the Creative and Digital Arts Centre at the City Campus. I’m certain

TopicUK December/January 2019

across the region and a sustained contribution to the local economy. “The charity has a long list of strategic partners and renowned ambasasadors who will engage with the new site,” continued Adee m, “these include The Baroness Warsi Foundation, Amir Khan Foundation and a number of initiatives linked to famous singer songwriter Yusuf / Cat Stevens.

KIERAN ROGERS Huddersfield University Graduate

What is your future goal? When I was at University as a Journalism undergraduate and was looking for work placements I was pointed in the direction of TopicUK. While I ultimately didn’t do my placement there, I did eventually end up writing a few columns for them, given the chance to express my thoughts and opinions and showcase my writing style. I wasn’t getting paid for it but that didn’t matter, it was the first time that my work was getting published. It felt like a landmark moment, a milestone in my infant career. I later came to find out that as a recently graduated journalist, unpaid work is the bulk of the opportunities that you will receive. I am currently amid a three-month internship at an online music magazine, which as rewarding and enjoyable as it is, is also completely unpaid. Finding another retail or hospitality job was always going to be the reality post-university. Building my portfolio and gaining experience through unpaid work is now part of my juggling act that I have to perform in order to keep myself dying, or even worse, going over my overdraft limit. A friend recently pointed me towards a social media post looking for “freelance music journalists”. On enquiring I found that the word “freelance” had been substituted for the word “volunteer” and that this opportunity was no different to those that I am presented with on a regular basis. Due to a mixture of my hunger to succeed and establish myself and my evereroding lack of self-respect, I decided to take on the work anyway.

This isn’t something that I am bitter and callous about. I completed my degree under no illusions as to the cut-throat nature of my chosen field and am grateful for every opportunity that I get to put my work on a platform and make my tiny dent, however small. A part of me relishes the volume of competition and the graft and hard-work that must be cemented in order to achieve anything tangible, but another part would also like be sustainable while doing what I enjoy and what I have worked and paid (and will pay) through the nose to get a degree for. Hopefully, this all pays off eventually. Someday, I may look back and feel vindicated as to my straddling of various jobs and projects and deadlines. Someday, my work ethic may force somebody or something to take notice of my body of work and pluck me from the purgatory that I currently find myself in, yet I imagine that there is probably just as high a chance that I eventually realise I must let this ambition go. That I grow tired and unmotivated, and the empty word documents that stare back at me begin to resemble white flags.

TOPICUK HAS TEAMED UP WITH LEEDS CITY REGION ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP (LEP) TO CREATE A WRITING COMPETITION WHICH WILL SHOWCASE THE ASPIRATIONS OF LOCAL YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS LEEDS, WAKEFIELD, KIRKLEES AND CALDERDALE. TopicUK has a readership of up to 50,000 business professionals each edition. This gives young people (and the school) the chance to have a professionally published piece of work and to be widely recognised across the region for sharing their future goal. Students are tasked with writing a 400 word article on the career of their choice, answering the question, what is your future goal? “We are delighted to team up with the LEP on this project,” said TopicUK group editor Gill Laidler. “We created our TopicTomorrow section a couple of years ago, solely aimed at young people, entrepreneurs, schools, colleges and universities. We work with a number of education establishments to offer students an opportunity to have their work published in a professional publication, read by professionals, after all, they are tomorrow’s business leaders.

We continue to work with university students, particularly those on journalism courses, setting assignments for them to write articles for publications. This not only gives us fantastic content for our younger readers, on subjects that young people are interested in, it gives the student an opportunity to have work published, important after graduation when they are Until then I plan to throw myself at looking for full time work.” whatever I feasibly can, including reaching out to the magazine that gave The results of the competition will be published in the next me my very first opportunity, and writing edition of TopicUK where we will feature the work of the a cathartic piece about opportunities. students.

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YO UN G

E N T REP R ENEU R

Aimee Browes TopicUK: Tell us a bit about how you came to be running your business? Aimee: I started The Happiness Bootcamp after suffering from severe anxiety disorder from the age of 10. By the age of 16, I was trying to deal with hormones and growing up while putting new medication inside me every day to cope with how I was feeling. I ended up quitting my A-levels and feeling worthless,

Aimee Browes is 20 years old and the founder of The Happiness Bootcamp, based in Sheffield. She tells TopicUK why crippling anxiety inspired her to start a business that puts exercise at its core, and how she hopes a new registered qualification in fitness and mental wellbeing will give people a lifeline when they need it the most.

believing I would do nothing with my life. After years in therapy, and at my lowest point, I started a Level 2 fitness instructor award, and before I knew it was at university. From my lowest point, I’d decided enough was enough. I wanted to give people the support they deserved to have with when facing mental health issues. I arranged my first ever talk on the topic in June 2016 and had hundreds

of people interested in hearing my story. After years of self-doubt, I set The Happiness Bootcamp up in January 2018 to educate people on mental wellbeing. I never want anyone to feel alone again. TopicUK: What areas do you specialise in? Aimee: I specialise in using exercise for improving mental wellbeing, rather than for physical reasons. I

use techniques such as personal training and Pop Pilates, and we also specialise in mental health education with a difference through training days and workshops for school students, teachers, gyms and corporate organisations. TopicUK: Who has provided you with help and support along the way? Aimee: When I first knew I wanted

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on our doorsteps. There are weekly networking events and things are so much more affordable up here compared to down south, so make the most of it!

to start a business, I had no idea where to start. I attended a Business Sheffield workshop where I was pointed in the direction of Sheffield Hallam University’s Enterprise Team. They put me in touch with Social Enterprise Exchange, Rob from Sheffield Hallam’s Enterprise Team and Rose from Social Enterprise Exchange. All of them have helped me massively with starting my business journey!

TopicUK: And finally, where do you hope to see the business in five years’ time? Aimee: We are hoping to have created a qualification in fitness and mental wellbeing by the end of 2019. One in four people in the UK suffer with a diagnosed mental illness, yet in recent studies exercise has been proven to be as effective as antidepressant medications, so why not combine the two?

TopicUK: How many clients or customers do you currently look after? Tell us a bit about them. Aimee: We deal with everyone from the general public to corporate clients through our work. We currently run weekly positive reinforcement fitness classes in Sheffield with an average of 30 members of the public per class. We also deal with multiple schools across Yorkshire using our training days and workshops for their staff and students talking about mental health. We work widely with Sheffield Hallam Univeristy to promote better mental wellbeing across their students, and have worked with Bodypower and Reebok’s Be:Fit London, as well as yoga festivals across the UK to put on our fitness classes and speak publicly about my story. TopicUK: What would you say has been the most challenging part of growing/running your business so far? Aimee: Definitely my self-belief. I come from a family where nobody runs their own business, so I had never done anything like it before and never knew what I was doing at first! After attending workshops, researching and reaching out for help, seeing my little idea grow into a full business is incredible. I think so many people have incredible ideas but no idea how or where to start,

and that was my biggest struggle. TopicUK: Do you use social media for your business and if so, to what effect? Aimee: Massively! Without social media I wouldn’t have reached the audience I have in such a small amount of time or got the incredible PR I have. I started by putting my events on Facebook to attract interest organically through shares, and I’ve used Facebook Ads before but not found them all that helpful. I interact massively with everyone through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to attract potential clients and build interest in my classes. I’ve also found using social media to connect with journalists has helped hugely with getting our message across – it’s how I secured this feature! Social media is our biggest selling tool. TopicUK: What advice would you give to another young

TopicUK December/January 2019

entrepreneur starting out in business? Aimee: Believe in what you want to do. When is started I had no idea what I was doing, but I did know one thing; I had the passion to make a change. Go out there and get help to start, speak to colleges, universities career points, and find your local business help centre. When things get tough, just keep on pushing. Don’t give in, because if you have a strong enough passion, drive and belief, you can do it. TopicUK: Why do you feel that Yorkshire is a great place to do business? Aimee: I’m a Sheffield girl born and bred and I always say it’s the happiest place ever. People are so friendly in Yorkshire and we want to help each other. We have the most amazing connections up here with so many large businesses running

The Happiness Bootcamp uses fitness to educate on mental wellness and we want to create a registered qualification for personal trainers, gyms, P.E. teachers, doctors and more to be able to educate on mental wellness using fitness; something that’s brand new to this industry. In 2017/18, 7.3 million antidepressants were prescribed on the NHS, and we are constantly failing those around us with long waiting lists and no immediate help. This is what we are changing, by giving people the life line they deserve. We also hope to raise funds to set up a physical workspace in Sheffield by 2020 that will be full of positivity, yoga classes, mental health cafes and access to counselling; just somewhere that can give something positive to Sheffield and beyond. But to me, being successful isn’t making a million pounds; it’s helping a million people realise their life is worth living.

Follow @happybootcamp on Twitter

Sporting Age launches campaign to increase levels of physical activity among Yorkshire’s schoolchildren

A Huddersfield-based sports education company has invested £200,000 to launch a campaign to help primary schools across the UK tackle obesity among pupils by increasing their levels of participation in physical activity. Sporting Age has launched the campaign in line with results released in O ctobe r from the annual National Child Measurement Programme which show that one in 25 children in year six of primary school are so overweight that they are classed as obese. Sporting Age founders Shaun Fox, Andrea Springthorpe and Jonny

Nolan have created a digital platform which uses data from a series of pupil benchmarking tests to produce stage-appropriate PE lesson plans that ensure schoolchildren are being taught at the correct level of ability in PE. Mr Fox explained:“The National Child Measurement programme results show that a record number of 10 and 11 year-olds are now classed as severely obese. “We firmly believe that a lack of confidence and competence in fundamental movement skills among some children is a significant contributor to these statistics.” Ms Springthorpe added:“Many UK

primary schools conduct what are commonly known as reading age benchmarking tests. They help teachers and parents identify the correct level of reading material for each child to develop their core literacy skills during their early years. “We have developed Sporting Age in a similar vein. It will enable schools to consistently benchmark and identify levels of physical ability to ensure each pupil is participating in regular physical activity that is being taught at the correct level for them.” Mr Nolan added:“The government announced on 2 October that it will review what steps can be

taken to support schools to ensure that every child can participate in the sport and physical activity that is right for them. “However, it is unlikely that we will start to see more children participating confidently in physical activity at school unless we begin to benchmark their level of ability and deliver lessons that are set at the correct level for them. Schools have to be the catalyst for this, and Sporting Age will help them to improve the uptake of healthy, active lifestyle choices among pupils to tackle obesity and increase levels of physical literacy across Yorkshire and beyond.”

T  /topicuk-magazine T @topic_uk T  www.topicuk.co.uk T  /topicuk.co.uk

The Last Word

Rastrick students build giant sea turtle from plastic in project to combat school waste Students at Rastrick High School are set to build a giant sea turtle made from plastic bottles as part of a campaign to highlight the use of single-use plastics in the school environment. The project, named The Plastic Ocean, is being spearheaded by a group of Year 7 student leaders and was inspired by Sir David Attenborough’s ‘Blue Planet’ series, which explores the effect of plastic waste on the world’s oceans and wildlife.

“We’re now going to use the plastic bottles to create a giant turtle for our school in reference to ho w we can all make a difference to the ocean and our own environment.”

During the course of one week, students collected over 2,000 used plastic bottles from across the school during breaks and lunchtimes. The waste will now be used to design and build a giant sea turtle in the school’s atrium.

Steve Evans, headteacher at Rastrick High School, said: “The issue of single-use plastic is high on the news agenda at the moment, and it is fantastic that this has inspired out students to feel so passionately about delivering their own project to help tackle the problem.

Year 13 product design student, Amy Jagger, helped the students with the research and design of the structure. She commented:

“The group’s philosophy is ‘it’s our world, we need to act now’, and I am very proud of all their efforts.”

“Following the collection of the 2,000 plastic bottles, we conducted a survey and delivered a presentation to both students and staff about rec ycling, demonstrating the amount of plastic that could be recycled and making recommendations on how to reduce the amount of plastic waste in our school.

Rastrick High School has complemented the Turticus project with Science lessons exploring the side-effects of plastic pollution and investigating how individuals can reduce their own plastic footprint by considering the use of daily items such as drinking straws and plastic cutlery.

TopicUK December/January 2019

by Group Editor Gill Laidler I would like to start by welcoming our new Business Development Executive Mandy Taylor to the TopicUK team. Mandy will be responsible for working with both our existing and new partners and spreading the word across Yorkshire of how TopicUK can help your business thrive. Also joining the team is James Longbottom. James will be out and about delivering TopicUK to outlets across Yorkshire. Please do get in touch if you would like to stock copies. I was saddened to learn about the problems facing Johnson Press, in particular the Yorkshire Post. When I started in the media industry, I learned everything about advertising from Yorkshire Post Newspapers Limited. Let’s hope that it can no only be saved, but go on and flourish. However there was some good media news, with the announcment that Channel 4 will be coming to Leeds and also UKTV. This announcement is a credit to those who worked hard to ensure the city was chosen. We’ve had a busy month out and about, The Yorkshire Society Awards, Children of Courage Awards, Young Achievers Awards, Huddersfield Examiner Awards, it seems everyone is being honoured

for their work across the Yorkshire region. On the cover this issue is TopicUK partners, the head of Ackworth School Anton Maree. Anton and his team have worked hard raising the profile of the school that has produced some exceptionally talented students. Do read his story on page 24. As we went to press, I was delighted to be invited to the Leeds Grand Theatre for their 140th Birthday Party. An array of the great and good people from Yorkshire were invited for drinks and Birthday cake in the Emerald Grand Hall, before settling down for a performance of The Jersey Boys. I was a spectacular evening, the show was amazing and we were able to catch up with lots of friends, partners and collegues. Thank you to the very hard working team at The Grand. We have lots of exciting new plans for TopicUK in 2019 to ensure that we continue to bring you a quality magazine and digital presence. Since taking TopicUK Yorkshire wide a few months ago, distribution has increased, awareness has grown and we are now able to help even more businesses with their promotion. All that remains is for me to wish you all a very merry Christmas and peaceful and prosperous New Year.