TopicUK Wakefield edition Oct 2017

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WAKEFIELD & DISTRICT Nยบ 29

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B U 2017 SINESS NOVEMBER

- WWW.TOPICUK.CO.UK

BUSINESS TYCOON

THE OTHER SIDE OF

VISITS AWARD WINNING CHARITY

PETER BOX

DESIGNER FASHIONS SUPPORT VITAL CARE

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PACKAGES TAILORED TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS 2 STARTER ANIMATION 2 STARTER LIVE ACTION 2 WANT SOMETHING SPECIAL ?

Call us to find out how a live action video can benefit your business : 07711 539047 www.topicuk.co.uk

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editor@topicuk.co.uk

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Contents &Comments DE TAI LS O F T H I S M O N T H ‘ S TOP IC U K , YO UR LO C A L B U S I N E S S CO M M U N I T Y M AG A Z I N E

EDITOR GILL LAIDLER

CREATIVE DIRECTOR ROB BLACKWELL

LOCAL HEROES EDITOR

THE ARTS MURRAY EDWARDS ARTS & BUSINESS CONSULANT, YORKSHIRE SCULPTURE PARK

LEGAL MATTERS RAMSDENS SOLICITORS

FOOD & RESTAURANT REVIEW GILL LAIDLER

RECRUITMENT ANDY TURNER, FIRST CHOICE RECRUITMENT

SOCIAL MEDIA

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Advanced Skills & innovation Centre Opens

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The other side of Peter Box

SINEAD SOPALA, RAMSDENS SOLICITORS

IT PAUL HEIGHAM, BELLINGHAM IT

EDUCATION ACKWORTH SCHOOL

BANKING BARCLAYS BANK

Cover: Peter Box Image : Andrew Matheson

For Advertising Sales

Tel: 07711 539047 4

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Designer fashion supports vital care

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From open mic, Skinny Living was born

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Editor’s Notes

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

by Gill Laidler

For Advertising Sales Welcome to the November edition of TopicUK Wakefield.

Tel: 07711 539047

This issue I would like to welcome Sophie Hale to TopicUK. Sophie is an award winning journalist and professional blogger as well as coowner of video production company; Evoke Media. Sophie will be working on all TopicUK titles and will become editor of our Wakefield edition.

In addition, alongside her husband Chris and partners from House of Koko, Sophie has also taken over the franchise for the Hepworth Cafe and we wish her luck in that new venture.

This year, we were the proud media partners of Brand Yorkshire who held their 8th annual conference at The Pavilions in Harrogate on 5 October. We were just one of a hundred stands exhibiting and due to the high number of visitors, our extra print run of over 1200 magazines were quickly exhausted. Congratulations to Richard and Mona Norman (who incidentally were married just a few days after the conference and are on their honeymoon as I write this) on such a fantastic event, hope to see you again next year.

Our charity of the year, award winning humanitarian charity Penny Appeal welcomed a very special guest recently, when businessman and former Dragon’s Den Entrepreneur James Caan visited their offices on Wood Street. I was lucky enough to be invited along and witnessed James declaring, ‘I’m in’ as he agreed to work

alongside the charity on future projects.

Read the full story on page 10.

There has been lots going on in Wakefield Council just recently, so we decided to catch up with council leader Peter Box who features on our cover. And with the departure of Joanne Roney to head up Manchester Council as CEO, I met with Merran McRae, the new CEO for Wakefield.

Read about Merran’s plans for the district on page 13.

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 Ramsdens Solicitors LLP and TopicUK is not responsible for any advice given.

As a music fan of all kinds, I was delighted to catch up with up-coming Wakefield band Skinny Living. They have some fantastic music available on iTunes with a new release due as we publish. Read their journey on page 56.

It still seems a long way off, but as our next issue is published the first week in January, may I take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and prosperous and healthy New Year and hope to catch up with some of you at the WACCL in December.

Printed By: Charlesworth Press Wakefield

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Wakefield & District NEWS

UPDATE

TopicUK brings you a full round-up of business news and events and what’s been happening in our region over the last couple of months.

Education partnership New owner sought for local pub restaurant Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has been instructed to sell a closed pub and restaurant with sixteen refurbished en-suite rooms, situated near Castleford in West Yorkshire.

Formerly an independently owned business, The Bridge Inn sits on a generous plot on a commercial business park, surrounded by residential areas and countryside.

Just a 20 minute drive from Leeds and a 30 minute drive from York; the property benefits from a 75 cover pub and a 50 cover beer garden with an outside heated terrace. It also has a license to perform civil ceremonies, with two function rooms that can accommodate between 50-100 guests, as well as a 20 space car park to the rear.

With contemporary and stylish surroundings, the property also has a three bedroom apartment and a bedsit. Current owners, Geoff and Norma Wilkinson, have decided to sell after closing the business in January 2017 to focus their attentions on other business interests.

Sam Ashton, Business Agent at Christie & Co’s Leeds office comments, “This sale presents a great opportunity for a licensed and leisure sector operator to invest, with huge development potential and optional business usage.”

The Anglo-Continental Teacher Training Centre is proud to announce its partnership with m2r Education. m2r Education is a leading education recruitment specialist that will be teaming up with Anglo-Continental to support its newly trained CELTA teachers to find roles worldwide!

Students who complete their CELTA course with Anglo-Continental will be given the opportunity to contact the m2r Education team for advice and support with regards to where to go after obtaining their teaching qualification.

Established in 2001, m2r Education is a multi-award winning UK based firm offering a quality and ethical recruitment service to overseas organisations within the education and training sectors. m2r Education has links worldwide and is therefore perfect for newly trained CELTA teachers looking for overseas roles.

Munir Mamujee, Managing Director at m2r Education commented, “Having met Matthew on a recent Training Gateway Trade Mission to the Middle East, it was clear that we could offer significant assistance to their CELTA graduates and I am delighted that conversations between our companies have led to the creation of this business partnership.”

Matthew Scott, Business Development

Coordinator at Anglo-Continental, has expressed his support for the partnership stating that: “m2r Education’s customer experience focus means that our newly qualified CELTA trainees will get the highest level of support in finding their first overseas job. We are always striving for quality and, by partnering up with m2r Education, we are adding value to our Teacher Training Programmes.”

Anglo-Continental is an approved Training Centre for the University of Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) and has both full-time and part-time courses on offer throughout the year. The CELTA Qualification is the essential qualification for native English Teachers entering the English Language Teaching profession. The course does not assume any previous teaching experience. The scheme is administered by the University of Cambridge Examinations which ensures that the regulations and fundamental aims of the scheme are implemented.

The asking price of £499,950

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Sainsbury’s Trinity walk hosts launch event for new local charity partner 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 through 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.

Representatives from the charity joined Sainsbury’s colleagues over the weekend tokick start the partnership by packing bags, collecting money and raising awareness of the trust.

The Government and ACE have acknowledged the imbalance, but argue that it is because the major national institutions are based

Craig Shepherd, General Manager at Wakefield Trinity Community 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 as the store’s new Local Charity of the Year as the partnership will help deliver valuable projects in the local community from grass roots through vulnerable adults. We take great pride in affecting lives positively

TopicUK proud to be working with...

through the work we do and we are grateful to have the support of Sainsbury’s Trinity Walk for the next year.”

Dee O’Brien, Store Manager added: “We had a very successful launch andI’d like to thank all of our customers for their support on the day.

“I can’t wait to see how the partnership develops over the next year.”

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.

or who can afford it. The report also points out that had Londoners won a comparably disproportionate number of Lottery prizes compared to people in the rest of England, equival

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Further expansion for IT firm Wakefield based business IT specialists Bellingham IT are continuing to grow with the addition of Nathan Hutchinson as Operations Manager.

ventured into the world of IT five years ago driven by a love initially of hardware and then software.

He has been working in the IT industry for more than three years, specializing in security, compliance, Cloud based services and general technical knowledge.

MD Paul Heigham said that Nathan was joining the firm at a good point in its development and he looks forward to Bellingham IT benefitting from his skills and experience.

“Historically our focus has been on providing SMEs with high quality bespoke IT advice and implementation but it’s my vision to now extend this to larger businesses. Nathan brings additional expertise which will add value not only to our existing clients but will make us more attractive to the larger end of the market too,” he explained.

“Nathan is very knowledgeable and hands-on. He will be involved in the day to day running of the business, looking after clients and providing training and mentoring to staff. He has good management skills and some useful ideas for improving our internal procedures. This will help us improve the way we work with our clients and

become more customer centric,” said Paul.

“This will free up some of my time to focus more on the strategic side of Bellingham IT and drive forward and develop services like iClaritate which will not only be of benefit to existing clients but of interest to new.”

Nathan, from Ripon, started his career as a plant mechanic and

“I am pleased to be joining the team at Bellingham IT. I am looking forward to providing support for not just for current customers but new ones and staff members. I hope to bring an added layer of professionalism, new and complementary skills and a personable touch to the company,” he said.

Outside of work as well as playing the guitar and drums Nathan enjoys skiing and travelling and has recently returned from five weeks traveling around Columbia.

SME'S suffering because of culture of slow payments Two thirds of UK SMEs are of the opinion that there is a culture of slow payments in the UK. The results were obtained from the Close Brothers Business Barometer, a quarterly survey that questions over 900 UK SME owners and senior management across a range of sectors and regions.

“Late payments are a very real issue for SME business owners,” said Neil Davies, CEO, Close Brothers Asset Finance. “In some cases directors are having to defer their own salaries, increase their overdraft or pay their own suppliers late to ensure they remain liquid, causing the vicious circle to continue.

“This is clearly a national issue that spans both regions and industries.

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For example, 78% of Transport firms are affected by this issue, along with of 74% Manufacturing

businesses and 73% of Printers.”

The effects of late payments are multiple, ranging from damage to the supply chain and business reputation to impacting credit ratings and consequently the ability to access further funding.

“We should also not forget the very real human impact because, in many cases, the ability to pay staff in full and on time is a consequence of late payments,” continued Neil.

One in four firms in the UK have been forced to seek legal advice because of slow payments, while in the Republic of Ireland the figure is significantly higher at 41%.

“In the sectors we serve the figures are, in most instances, higher than

the national average,” said Neil.

“Construction (30%), Engineering (38%), Manufacturing (37%) and Transport (33%) all track higher than the rest of the UK.” Not only are many SMEs seeking legal advice, but 74% don’t feel that suitable legislation exists in support of SMEs to counteract slow payment by debtors, with firms in the East (85%) and West (84%) Midlands feeling particularly strongly about this issue.

“What these results confirm is that late payments are not merely a regional or sector issue, but one that is felt across the SME community,” concluded Neil.

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Wakefield & District IT rooms and business incubation spaces where local entrepreneurs can bring their business ideas to life.

Wakefield College Principal, Sam Wright added: “The official opening of our new ASIC is another huge milestone for the College. The new facility is already proving popular with our professional and university-level students who are making the most of the modern teaching and learning environment.

“I want to see this new facility at the heart of rethinking high-level skills in the district and for it to become a hub for innovation, enterprise and entrepreneurship to help drive economic growth and help transform lives through learning.”

Advanced Skills and Innovation Centre formally opens Wakefield College’s new £7M Advanced Skills and Innovation Centre (ASIC) was officially opened

by Wakefield MP Mary Creagh and the Leader of Wakefield Council, Cllr Peter Box CBE. Mary and Peter were joined by senior College staff, students and other partners as they unveild a plaque to mark the occasion.

“We are now in a much stronger position to help bridge the region’s skills gap and give young people and employers higher level educational and employment opportunities right on their doorstep.”

Mary said: “I was delighted to be involved with the opening of this new centre. It will provide higher education for students as well as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship in Wakefield.

It will allow students to access exciting new opportunities without having to move away from home.”

Cllr Peter Box CBE, Leader of Wakefield Council said: “2017

The new centre, based at the College’s City Campus, has already welcomed its first cohort of students and promises to transform high-levels skills delivery in the district.

marks a new era where higher level education and innovation can be delivered from within the City.

“It has been a personal priority to see this delivered for our younger and older people, who now have the opportunity to access, close to home, the learning and training they need to reach their full potential.

The centre includes general teaching facilities, specialist engineering labs, a 90 seat lecture theatre, a modern Apple Mac suite,

Roger Marsh OBE, Chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: “By investing more than £3.3m into tis project and the LEP is helping to tackle skills shortages in priority areas so that the City Region economy can grow and flourish in the long term.

“The business incubation space will also create a centre for local firms to advance and progress, harnessing new technologies and ways of working that will ensure Wakefield and the City Region remains at the forefront of the innovation age.”

The ASIC project has received £3.3M investment through the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Growth Deal – a £1 billion package of government investment to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.

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NGC Networks hits £5m turnover The Wakefield-based business telecommunications specialist NGC Networks has achieved £5.2m turnover in its latest financial year, an increase of 13.5 per cent year-on-year. The company’s workforce has grown to 32 people.

NGC Networks provides business telecommunications and internet connectivity solutions to companies across the North of England.

The impressive performance has resulted from organic growth, with several new companies added to NGC’s client roster. Customers include Moores Furniture, The Funding Corporation and law firm Lupton Fawcett along with academies, schools and medical centres.

NGC, which is run by directors Nikki Guest and Dean Harrop, is also seeing the benefit of ongoing investment in business development, CRM and marketing.

Nikki said: “We have put time and effort into growing our customer base and that is reflected in our increased turnover figure. Effective and reliable communications are fundamental to businesses and organisations of all sizes and we are proud of our track record in providing competitive solutions married with fantastic customer service.”

This year, NGC Networks announced a partnership with alternative infrastructure provider City-Fibre to deliver ultrafast, full-fibre internet connectivity to businesses in Wakefield, Bradford, Leeds and Huddersfield.

NGC is also seeing growth through its hosted telephony

proposition, which provides businesses with cost savings and full resilience in the event of failure via cloud-based technology.

Dean said: “Our cloud-based solution provides customers with a wide range of communications facilities without the need to purchase an actual on-site telephony server, providing efficiency gains, cost savings and business continuity.

“Flexible finance enables capex and opex models where customers can rent the service

Hitting the market for £1.1m Walker Singleton, the West Yorkshire property consultant, has been instructed to market a Knottingley industrial estate with a guide price of £1.1m.

Fernley Green Industrial Estate, which has a rich boat-building heritage, is being sold on behalf of property company Hansteen Holdings Plc. The estate comprises of 22 industrial units totalling nearly 28,000 sq ft, plus a compound and slipway. The estate is part-let and has a potential for an estimated rent of approximately £122k per annum.

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from us and still have the option to the title of the software and any associated hardware upon completion of the term.”

NGC clients also include mail order business Freeman Grattan Holdings, The Family Fund, Timpson, Manning Stainton Estate Agents, Puma UK, Lowell Group, The Car People and Sharp Business Systems.

NGC Networks has been shortlisted for the Yorkshire Post Excellence in Business Awards 2017 (companies up to £10m turnover).

This site, by the Knottingley and Goole Canal, was formerly the home of Harkers Boat Builders which constructed more than 300 boats there from 1929 to 1979.

Various units on the estate continue to be used for boat-building and repair.

Jonathan O’Connor, Director at Walker Singleton, commented: “We expect strong and swift levels of interest in the site.

“There is a good deal of demand for investments of this nature in the current market and we anticipate interest from throughout the Yorkshire region.”

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Business tycoon visits award winning charity Serial Business Entrepreneur, Government advisor and Investor in People with Passion James Caan CBE, has visited Wakefield, following a personal invitation from businessman and award winning charity Chairman Adeem Younis.

James spent time at the Wood Street and Cross Street offices, learning more about the work of Penny Appeal and SingleMuslim.com, meeting some of the staff and volunteers.

“It was a real honour to have James visit us in Wakefield,” explained Adeem. “When we last met, he was extremely interested in the work that we do and had no hesitation in accepting our invitation.”

Adeem first met James at a dinner in London, when he found himself sitting next to the business tycoon who was keynote speaker.

The pair had lots to talk about and Adeem found himself a couple of months later on James’ yacht for a catch-up, discussing their love of business and passion for charity.

“I couldn’t wait to return an invitation to Wakefield, home to some of the largest Muslim brands in the UK,” Adeem continued.

James, a former Dragon from the popular BBC TV show Dragons’ Den founded private

equity firm Hamilton Bradshaw (HB) in 2004, but cites his main focus as his charity work, current investments, growing HB and his appointment as Chairman of The Start Up Loans Company and mentoring entrepreneurs.

As a result of his visit, James couldn’t resist declaring: ‘I’m in!’ a phrase used from his Dragon days, when he announced he will be working with Penny Appeal going forward with a goal of helping to double the charity turnover within the next 12 months.

Beam archive research project -30 years of Beam Beam holds a 30-year project archive documenting the organisations significant public art and place-making activity, both nationally and in the Yorkshire region.

As part of Beam’s current Arts Council Grants for the Arts supported programme ‘Arts in Place Legacy, New Practice and Partnerships’ they will be conducting an

initial scoping of the archive material they hold and extracting a number of key projects to explore.

If you have worked with Beam as a client, artist, community or participant over their 30 year history, Beam would love to hear from you as part of this project. Contact@ beam.uk.net or call 07718 564 376.

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Wakefield Bar takes on the big players

One of Wakefield’s leading leisure brands has been shortlisted for a prestigious award that sees it take on major players from other top UK locations and raises the profile of the city as an aspirational night time destination.

The Establishment in both Wakefield and Doncaster have been shortlisted for the best late night brand award in the ALMR Awards.

They face competition from

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Establishment The

brands who run bars in London, Manchester and overseas and have been running late night quality bars for many years.

The Establishment prides itself in offering quality service and drinks to a more mature audience.

Recognising that they are the outsiders in the competition, Billy Muirhead, said he was delighted that Unity Bars and Clubs, owners of The Establishment, had been

shortlisted and the recognition it brings to our home city.

“The Establishment opened in December last year but has already become a firm favourite with discerning customers looking to spend quality time in a well kept and run entertainment location.

“All our bars and clubs are managed placing service, customer care and safety as a

priority with close attention to staff training so that customers feel they are knowledgeable about our products,” said Billy.

“Being included in this short list highlights the work that we have put in to our venues and our brand and the added value it brings to the locations we operate in.

It is also good for the city of Wakefield which has long been known in Yorkshire for its choice and range of evening entertainment destinations,” he concluded.

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Wakefield & District Following a nationwide search, Merran McRae has joined Wakefield Council as the new Chief Executive, following the departure earlier this year of Joanne Roney OBE. Terran, who’s family are originally from Hull, Middlesborough and Scotland, started her career in Hull in housing management. moving into economic development with Hull Council. From there, Merran moved to Leeds, taking up the position of Chief Executive for Aire Valley Homes, a position she held for six years.

Another move saw Merran head to Kirklees where she worked as Director of Wellbeing and Communities and Director of Housing at Kirklees Council.

Her final role before joining Wakefield Council was Chief Executive of Calderdale Council, a role she had held since 2012.

Merran said: “I am delighted to have been selected for this position. Wakefield has a great reputation and big ambitions and I am looking forward to building on the success to date, helping to drive growth across the district making Wakefield a popular destination for both business and leisure.

“We have to find our niche and I think one area where Wakefield is particularly strong is arts and culture, this is an area we can build on, adding strength to the city. Retail has declined in recent years, not just in Wakefield but in many

TopicUK meets the new Chief Executive other cities across the UK, partly due to online shopping, but we should be attracting small independent retailers to Wakefield, which would make us a unique shopping destination. We have a fabulous rail network, with two excellent stations on our doorstep and excellent motorway links and both these I am confident, will attract inward investment into the city.

Leader of Wakefield Council, Councillor Peter Box CBE said:

“We were looking for someone with strategic vision and leadership qualities to build on our success and play a pivotal role in the Leeds City Region and this is exactly what Merran brings to the table.

“As an experienced Chief Executive, Merran has already hit the ground running. Like us, she is passionate about making a difference and helping us to realise our ambitions for the district, so everyone benefits.”

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Bus travel for city centre workers Wakefield BID are adding extra value to the benefits they are providing city centre businesses through access to unlimited bus travel across Yorkshire.

The Wakefield Business Improvement District (BID) has signed up to Arriva’s Employer Travel Club acting as the employer so city centre businesses and their employees can take advantage of the perks of the scheme. These include offering unlimited bus travel in specified zones plus free

travel for up to two children at weekends and public holidays.

BID manager, Elizabeth Murphy, said that the Travel Club helps take some of the strain out of the daily commute for many and adds value to smaller independent businesses who could not normally afford to

join the Travel Club.

“Wakefield BID is all about improving businesses opportunity for everyone. Joining the Arriva Travel Club gives smaller independent business access to reduced monthly bus travel for their employees adding value both

to the levy that many companies pay and the benefits the BID provides,” she explained.

“Bus travel is a convenient option for travelling to and from work for many, taking the strain out of navigating the rush hour traffic and finding a parking space. The benefits offered through the Employer Travel Club make it more affordable for employees to travel by bus which helps financially too.”

Gemma Lockwood, Business to Business manager for Arriva welcomed the BID’s Employer Travel Club membership,said “The aim of the club is to enable members to offer employees reduced bus travel to and from work as well as the added benefit of using their bus pass on weekends and evenings to see the many great places we have available to visit in Yorkshire. The employees sign up to the scheme via monthly direct debit and their bus passes are sent directly to them either electronically to their phones or by post,” she said.

“We are delighted that Wakefield BID has taken the lead on this and has signed up on behalf of businesses in WF1 enabling them to offer tangible benefits to their staff.”

Nominate a Power Woman now The third Northern Power Women Awards will take place on 6 March 2018 at the Hilton Hotel, Deansgate Manchester.

The Northern Power Women Awards showcase role models and celebrate the many different ways women contribute to a thriving Northern Powerhouse.

The inaugural awards were held

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in March 2016, attracting 440 organisation leaders, change agents, and inspiring male and female role models and earlier this year 520 celebrated success across the North.

The awards celebrate the women and men working towards creating gender balance in organisations across the entire Northern Powerhouse. Winners are profiled

and their stories shared to encourage other individuals and organisations to step up and take action. The awards also feature a Power list and a Future list, which showcase future leaders and influencers.

Nominate now at www. northernpowerwomen.com/ awards/

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Northern Powerhouse vision must reflect the region’s digital ambitions

It’s been three years since former chancellor George Osborne first coined the phrase, and almost a year since the first strategy was unveiled in the autumn statement, but many people across the north are still asking the question “will the Northern Powerhouse movement work or is it all just smoke and mirrors?”

Throwing Brexit into the mix has certainly not helped, but perhaps more would have been achieved by now if the focus was placed on the needs and demands of the future, rather than what might have benefited the region in the past.

Connectivity is rightly a central theme of the Northern Powerhouse strategy. However, much of the rhetoric to date has laboured on transport. While it’s undisputable that we will always need a fit-for-purpose cross country transport network, we must also consider the other forms of infrastructure that keep us connected and mobile. Put simply, the region’s digital highways are busting at the seams just as much, if not more than, its motorways and trains.

This isn’t just about better internet speeds, mobile phone signal and 4 and 5G connectivity – this is about building the foundation required to deliver success for each of the Northern Powerhouse’s objectives.

And given the well documented

link between connectivity and prosperity as well as increased efficiency, productivity and competitiveness, this foundation has to be full-fibre.

Alternative infrastructure provider, CityFibre has been leading the charge on transforming the UK’s digital infra-structure and has been the driving force behind the creation of 42 Gigabit Cities in the UK, including Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, Hull, Huddersfield, Wakefield and York.

For the uninitiated, Gigabit Cities are geographical communities that have active full-fibre digital networks underneath their streets, providing ultrafast internet speeds (50 to 100 times the national average) and near unlimited

bandwidth, unlocking business growth and skills, underpinning public services and smart infrastructure and driving inward investment. And when compared with the objectives of the Northern Powerhouse, the benefits of Gigabit City connectivity provide a perfect match and a much more affordable solution than new railway lines and roads.

For example, full-fibre infrastructure can help raise education and skills levels across the north by supporting new e-learning initiatives and the adoption of digital tools while helping young people gain the digital skills required by the modern work place. Similarly, it makes cities more attractive to new business start-ups, especially in the tech sector. The Northern Powerhouse region is in fact home to four of the UK’s 27 tech clusters (including the largest outside London), illustrating perfectly the changing face of the region as the fourth industrial revolution

redefines traditional sectors such as manufacturing, engineering and business services.

Finally, it also sets the stage for a post-Brexit Northern Powerhouse that can compete with Europe where full-fibre has long been the standard. Inward investment from major industries and international firms will always be a coveted prize, so we must have the infrastructure, skills and ambition they need and expect.

In the words of Councillor Graham Turner of Kirklees Council, speaking at a recent event: “a new technically advanced digital infrastructure is just as, if not more, important than a physical transport infrastructure when it comes to accelerating the growth of a business community.”

Ultimately, the Northern Powerhouse is about accel-erating growth – so let’s keep the vision alive and alight with full-fibre.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CITYFIBRE, OR TO REGISTER YOUR INTEREST IN CONNECTING TO A GIGABIT CITY NETWORK NEAR YOU, VISIT: WWW.CITYFIBRE.COM

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Wakefield & District BANKING

UPDATE

Barclays has revolutionised its Business Banking Online offering and is pioneering the use of open data to benefit SMEs, in a banking industry first.

Barclays has collaborated with leading app providers to enable businesses to import their everyday business data and information provided by these apps into one dashboard within its online banking site.

Thanks to the mechanism of Application Programme Interfaces (APIs) - the ‘pipes’ through which organisations can securely share data - SmartBusiness Dashboard, enables businesses to import their existing apps or download new apps, from a range of providers across bookkeeping, sales and inventory, marketing and analytics and workforce management.

For the first time, businesses can view their real-time banking data and information about their business side by side, brought to life in easy-to-access charts. For example, rather than accessing each app individually, a shop owner can now securely log in to their online banking and view not only their financial information, but bring in their product sales data, website analytics and staffing rotas, all alongside their cash flow.

Barclays believes this will boost business productivity and save owners valuable time.

Available to half a million of the bank’s business customers*, the SmartBusiness Dashboard can be accessed by just one click in online banking and there is no charge to use the platform.

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BARCLAYS LAUNCHES NEW TOOL 1New app is a major first for the sector and will enable SMEs to

easily manage their own data to help them to run and grow their business. TopicUK is an early adopter of the scheme Ian Rand, CEO for Barclays Business Banking said: “This is a significant step in transforming day to day banking- meaning SMEs can see everything about their finance and data about their business in the one place through Barclays online banking. Busy business owners shouldn’t have to spend time sorting through different spreadsheets, reports or switching between apps - we’ve created a tool to give businesses time back and this is an efficient way to run and grow their business.

“In giving businesses the choice to import their data and working closely with partners through the platform, we believe this is a game-changer and will boost competition. No other bank is offering this to businesses.

Crucially, if you are a business owner this is a safe and easy way to access a range of data about your business, putting control firmly in the hands of businesses.”

Gill Laidler, Editor and Director of TopicUK, said: “Through Barclays SmartBusiness Dashboard we’re able to see all our business data in one place, including accounting and website traffic alongside our bank information. Not only does this give us a better picture of our business performance and help us to manage our cashflow more efficiently, but it also frees up time to focus on running the business.

I used to spend 20 minutes reviewing my business data and finances each morning – it now takes 5 seconds.”

In addition to the bank’s large network of business managers across the UK, SmartBusiness Dashboard is designed to be the place where businesses can view and analyse all their information in a simple and convenient way.

It will help SMEs to manage their cashflow, compare data and make improvements to help sales growth and add in marketing insight, and by removing the burden of admin, it aims to save businesses valuable time.

The introduction of SmartBusiness Dashboard is part of the bank’s investment in digital solutions, to support the needs of business owners in managing their finances and their business.

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Specsavers acquires space in Wakefield for leisure as well as working.

“We are delighted to have advised on this prestigious letting on behalf of the English Cities Fund, who have invested in the remarkable renaissance of Wakefield.”

Specsavers has taken office space at 2 Burgage Square, Merchant Gate with Knight Frank’s Leeds office brokering an office deal in the mixed-use development of Wakefield.

Merchant Gate comprises Grade A office buildings, retail and leisure facilities as well as 66 residential flats and a public square.

The offices at Merchant Gate have been designed by Leedsbased architects Carey Jones, and comprise of 1 Burgage Square, 2 Burgage Square and Emerald House, which is fully let to HM Court Service.

Eamon Fox, partner at Knight Frank in Leeds, specialising in office agency, commented: “Specsavers have taken the opportunity to move to the best new office buildings in Wakefield.

“Rents are very competitive,

Specsavers were advised

by Barker Proudlove, while the Leeds office of property consultants JLL are the joint marketing agents for Merchant Gate with Knight Frank.

while the facilities are first class.

The offices are close to Wakefield Westgate Station, on the main

Leeds-London line, whilst prime retail facilities at Merchant Gate will make the development ideal

Hairdresser heads to Mumbai to change lives Hairdresser Lauren Tudor from En Route Hair & Beauty in Wakefield is amongst five UK volunteers embarking on a life-changing journey to India to teach young disadvantaged young students the art of hairdressing.

S

haping Futures is a social initiative launched by Schwarzkopf Professional, now in its 7th year. As a Schwarzkopf Professional customer, Lauren auditioned to be chosen to provide a two-week intense training course supporting disadvantaged young people to learn hairdressing skills in order to get a job and earn a living. 25 students will be taught how to cut, colour and blow dry hair. At the end of the course,

each student will be placed as an apprentice within a large salon in India to embark on a life-long career.

Since 2010, Shaping Futures has touched the lives of over 40 big hearted British hairdressers.

These salon owners and stylists leave their own businesses for between two and four weeks at a time to give what has amounted to over 800 days of time and

expertise that really does shape futures!

28 year old Lauren has been raising money for the initiative along with the En Route Hair & Beauty staff in the salon by offering raffle tickets to clients, to be in with a change of winning prices such as £300 and £100 worth of hairdressing services and hair products.

Lauren says, “Shaping Futures is such a great cause. Education is so important and to give these young students a chance to earn a living is phenomenal. I feel privileged to work on this project and can’t wait for Mumbai!”

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Chadwick Lawrence invest in probate team growth Chadwick Lawrence solicitors, also known as Yorkshire’s Legal People, have developed their probate team by investing in the training and promotion of existing staff members.

The Wills and Probate department recently promoted three of its existing staff members following internal training.

these positions, and are familiar with the clients and cases that the department experiences on a daily basis.

obtained her membership approval with the Institute of Paralegals, making her a Fellow of the Institute.

Rachel Bedford, Emma Markham and Justine Joyce had all previously worked in secretarial roles prior to their promotions.

Both Rachel and Emma have been with the Probate team for 3 years and Justine has been a secretary with the department for 5 years.

The promotions expand the Wills and Probate team to a total of 7 fee earners, 4 assistants, and 2 consultants being Martin Vesely and Stephen Oakes. In total, the 6 individuals who have been promoted internally are Rachel Bedford, Emma Markham, Justine Joyce, Susan Preece, and Suzanne Powell.

“I am delighted with the progress the team have made internally, and how they have worked together to develop each other’s skills,” commented Neil Wilson, Managing Partner of the firm, “Their existing experience with the department and our existing clients means that their promotions bring an extra strength to the service we provide and fully embraces the Chadwick Lawrence Way.”

All three have trained with existing fee earners at the firm during their time in

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Additionally, Susan Preece has recently

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Ringing in the changes for the future Bradford born Nikki Guest attended Bingley Grammar School and because of her love of children and yearning to travel, she dreamt of becoming a nanny.

However, she quickly realised that this wasn’t the exciting career she was after and decided to give sales a go.

“I loved it there, it was a really exciting time and worked there four years before the telecoms market became overcrowded and they got into financial difficulty.”

Nikki was then approached by

As you would expect, my role has changed significantly as the company has grown and I now have an amazing team working with me to ensure we remain on top of our game. The recruitment wheel is never ending and we are always on the look-out for new talent to help with our continued growth.”

So what does Nikki, who is married with two children do, when she has a little downtime from her busy schedule? “Away from work I still enjoy travelling, catching up with friends and family and taking long walks in the countryside.”

“Both my parents were in sales, so it seemed logical that I would follow in their footsteps. I tried door to door selling for a while, an arduous role that made me resilient and thick skinned and it turned out I was quite good at it,” she laughed.

But pounding the streets wasn’t for Nikki long-term and she soon secured a role in telesales with Canon UK, making appointments for photocopier sales people.

After a couple of years, Nikki moved to Vodafone selling pagers, but when these went into decline with the increase in mobile phones, the Leeds offices closed and Nikki managed to secure a role as a trainee sales consultant on a graduate scheme for ACC Telecom. “I was recommended by an ex-colleague from Vodafone who also went to work there, they accepted me despite the fact that I wasn’t a graduate,” she added.

changing and as such, we review our suppliers and their associated offerings and commercials constantly.

FACT FILE What is your favourite food and drink?

Alternative Networks. “This was a young company with massive ambitious,” she explained. “I was taken on to help them build up their customer base in the North of England, by setting up an office in Leeds and creating my a team of my own.”

Soon the urge to travel returned and Nikki decided to take a career break from Alternative Networks and go travelling for six months with her now husband. “When I returned home, I had nothing to lose, so I set up my own consultancy. I quickly secured some good customers and never looked back.”

Three years later, Nikki had an opportunity to start from scratch again, this time with NGC. “I jumped at the chance and ten years on, my division has grown

from zero to £3.5m turnover, which I am very proud of.”

So what’s a typical day for Nikki?

“There’s no such thing as a typical day. Most days, it’s a combination of customer or prospect meetings, internal team briefings, conference calls, meetings with suppliers or external contractors.

I’m normally rushing from one meeting to the next and regularly catching up on emails over a glass of wine at 10pm!”

Nikki’s division is responsible for supplying and managing a large portfolio of products and services from external suppliers, such as lines, VoIP services, internet connectivity and mobile phones.

“We choose best of breed network suppliers in order to fulfil our customers’ requirements. This industry is fast paced and ever

Fillet steak and red wine.

Favourite Restaurant?

Gaucho. Well basically any Argentinian steak house, preferably in Argentina!

Favourite holiday destination?

Absolutely impossible to pick just one, but my favourite ones involve an element of adventure, Vietnam, Australia and New Zealand are way up there.

Favourite gadget?

My iPhone, sad but true.

What car do you drive?

A Mercedes GLC. It’s a robust family car that fits the dog in the boot. My cabriolet habit is a distant memory!

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WakeďŹ eld & District L E A D E R S

Zagni Photography

CO M M U N I T Y

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The other side

of Peter Box Leader of Wakefield Council, Peter Box is very well known.

Even those who have yet to meet him, will know who he is, after all, he has been Council leader for almost 20 years. TopicUK Group Editor Gill Laidler went along to meet him to learn about the private man behind the public figure.

I caught up with Peter in his home town of Castleford, a place he is proud to call home and a place that helped shape him and his politics.

We met at the Queens Mill Tea Rooms quite near to the locally well-known Millennium Bridge, a structure Peter was instrumental in bringing to the town.

This was the first time we had met and I was struck by Peter’s friendly manner, he does in his own words describe himself as an optimist with the look of a pessimist, a quote that becomes clear the more time spent with him.

I wanted to get behind the politics immediately so my first question was, what does Peter do outside of work? Instantly that pessimistic face disappeared and Peter told me about his love of gardening.

“I can’t get through a day without

pottering in my garden,” he said.

In fact he states his last meal on earth would be potatoes, runner beans, peas and carrots all grown in his own garden, followed by rhubarb and gooseberries for dessert and that his favourite restaurant, is indeed his own kitchen. “I also keep chickens,” he told me, “I really am a country boy at heart.” So who would join Peter as dinner guests in his favourite home restaurant? “That’s easy, my dinner party guests would be Barrack Obama, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Crazy Horse, Katy Perry and my wife Judy of course.”

Crazy Horse? “Yes, Crazy Horse was a Native American war leader of the Oglala Lakota in the 19th century. He took up arms against the United States federal government to fight against encroachment by white American settlers,” he told us.

This would of course explain Peter’s love of the United States.

His favourite holiday destination is Moab in Utah for its breathtaking scenery and hot weather, but he has a adventurous side and loves the thought of travelling freely across the United States. It also explains the reason behind his favourite film, The Ballad of Cable Hogue, “I love the history of the

Image:Duncan Lomax -RavageProductions

American west and Jason Robards gave a brilliant performance.”

Peter is also a music fan. “I like bands such as Old Crow Medicine Show. I was lucky enough to see them whilst in America and again more recently in Manchester, I would defy anyone to watch them and stay still,” he said. In fact, if he could choose to be anyone person for the day, he told us this would be Bruce Springsteen, playing live at Wembley Stadium of course!

One of his greatest accomplishments, which he is quietly pleased about, was bringing the Hepworth Gallery to Wakefield. Not only was this a coup for Wakefield, it satisfied Peter’s love for art and creativity.

“I love modern art in particular,” he told me, “and I’ve always wanted to paint and take up pottery, the latter of which I have just achieved, joining a pottery class very recently and I am not only loving it, I think I’m actually quite good at it! I never really had a second career choice but if

I had, I think I would have liked to have been involved in modern dance of some kind. I love the fusion between music and dance.”

So going back to a statement Peter often quotes: “I’m an optimist, with the look of a pessimist, what is his worse quality? “Oh that’s easy, impatience. I want to change things overnight, I hate having to wait for things to happen. This is one of the reasons that I don’t drive to my office, preferring to take the bus, but it does infuriate me that drivers use bus lanes!

Another reason I take the bus is because I enjoy the walk into Castleford each morning. I could walk to the bus stop a couple of hundred metres from my house, but instead I walk past it and on to the bus station, as I like to take in my surroundings and meet people along the way, I think that’s important.”

We could have spoken about politics and the future of Wakefield but we’ll leave that for another time!

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Left is Jim Farmery, AD:VENTURE Sector Development Manager for Wakefield Council and right, Steven Binnion Founder and director of Remind 2Find.

The founders of Remind2Find have taken their pioneering shopping platform to the next level after teaming up with Futurelabs and the AD:VENTURE business support programme to take part in an innovative workshop programme designed to take new business ideas into reality.

Supporting early stage or first time tech entrepreneurs or teams with an idea or a product not yet ready for an accelerator or to raise funding, the funded programme was delivered free to businesses by Emma Cheshire, Co-Founder of Futurelabs, bringing a number of specialists to Unity Works in Wakefield to deliver specific content over a 4 week period in March and April 2017.

Remind2Find is a smart shopping platform that takes the guesswork out of buying for other people.

After creating and sharing profiles

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Online gift platform that keeps on giving! with family and friends, users receive convenient reminders before an occasion along with inspiration on what to buy.

Profiles can be fully personalised to include favourite brands and retailers, links to wish lists or, for those who don’t want anything, alternatives such as going for a drink or charitable donations.

Steven Binnion, co-founder, says “91% of people shop in a rush at the last minute and only 23% have received a great gift in the last year, so there is significant room for improvement. As fast paced as the world is now, consumers really value

services that actually save them time and stress!

After a period of slow progress setting up the business, I looked for a workspace that offered informal mentoring. Futurelabs became an obvious choice, having a genuine interest in real grassroots start-ups and an understanding of what they need.

Whilst working from the space at Futurelabs helped us to recover some momentum, the opportunity to receive structured mentoring and support through the FutureStart workshop programme tipped the balance.

We quickly validated and spotted some gaps in work we had done.

Most importantly, we left with a clear plan about what to do next and knowledge of people who could help us. Without this I fear we could still be refining our service rather than trialling it and getting customer feedback” Steven, and his co-founder, Marc Mills are now working hard on the launch of the live platform and will continue working with the AD:VENTURE programme and the Futurelabs team as the business launches and begins its exciting growth journey with ambitions to take the platform to a worldwide audience.

Funded by the European Regional Development fund, AD:VENTURE enables businesses to grow through support such as expert mentoring, grants, professional workshops, finance brokerage, incubator office space and peer to peer learning.

Roger Marsh OBE, chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said: “We are delighted to see businesses already benefitting from the opportunities and connections a regional programme like AD:VENTURE can offer. The programme was developed to help businesses just like Remind2Find to get off to the best and most informed start, and this is a fantastic example of how this type of programme works to boost the growth of SMEs in our region” You can find out more about Remind2Find at www.

Remind2Find.com To find out if AD:VENTURE can help your business, visit www. adventure.org.uk For more about Futurelabs visit www.futurelabs.co.uk

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A RTS

Celebrate the festive season at

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Barbara Hepworth, Squares with Two Circles, 1963. Courtesy Tate and YSP. © Bowness, Hepworth Estate. Photo © Jonty Wilde

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Ed Kluz, The Dunmore Pineapple, 2013. Courtesy the artist

Anthony Caro, Dream City, 1996. Courtesy Annely Juda Fine Art and YSP. Photo © Jonty Wilde

This winter, celebrate the Christmas season at Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) with refreshing winter walks, exhibitions by world-renowned artists, enticing events, delicious food and drink, and unique shopping for all your gift buying needs.

Jaar often uses constructed spaces and light to direct what the viewer does and doesn’t see.

Choose unique Christmas gifts by artist, illustrator and printmaker Ed Kluz. For his YSP exhibition, Sheer Folly – Fanciful Buildings of Britain (11 November 2017–25 February 2018), Kluz takes

inspiration from the eccentric, uncanny and overlooked follies, temples and towers that dot the British landscape, to create a range of original paper collages, scraper boards and prints, all of which are available to buy. A special range of merchandise designed by the artist also accompanies the show and is available to buy exclusively from YSP Shop.

Enjoy festive-themed events Celebrate the season with a packed programme of festive events.

Be creative in a Festive Wreath

Making workshop (3 and 10 December 2017 / £36 per person, including lunch); book a table at Brass Christmas for an evening of food and live music (16 and 22 December 2017 / £30 per person); and immerse yourself in the completely unique Sunrise in the Skyspace experience (2 and 9 December 2017 / £25, including breakfast and 10% discount in YSP Shop). Find out more and book online Admission to the Park is free. YSP is open every day over the festive period, from 10am to 5pm, except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Situated in the beautiful grounds of the 18th-century Bretton Estate, YSP, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, is one of the world’s leading open-air galleries.

With over 500 acres of stunning Yorkshire countryside, more than 80 sculptures on display in the open air and five indoor galleries, YSP is the perfect place to visit this winter.

Discover world-class exhibitions Explore visually and emotionally stunning installations by pioneering Chilean artist Alfredo Jaar, in the Underground Gallery and open air (14 October 2017–8 April 2018). Trained as a magician and subsequently as an architect,

Alfredo Jaar, The Sound of Silence, 2006. Courtesy the artist, New York. Photo Charles Duprat

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Achieving good governance a challenge of our time

By Murray Edwards - Art and business consultant Wakefield

Cultural Trustees must show stronger leadership and become more adaptive and far-sighted, according to an independent, strategic review of arts organisations and museums.

The Review, commissioned by the Clore Leadership Programme (CLP), concludes that it is no longer sufficient for Boards to simply fulfil the fiduciary aspects of their role.

Synopsis The aim of the review was to consider ways of strengthening the governance of arts and museums by identifying the resources that are currently available, and the gaps in provision that could be addressed through a governance development programme, tailored to the needs of arts organisations and museums.

Context Governance is particularly important at the moment, with arts organisations and museums operating in a climate of volatility and uncertainty, compounded by public sector funding cuts and significant competition for corporate sponsorship and individual philanthropy. Innovative approaches to increasing income generation are necessary and the demand for ‘resilience’ is gathering momentum. At this point leadership from the board is crucial.

Governance The report takes its definition of governance as ‘the systems and processes concerned with ensuring the overall direction, effectiveness, supervision and accountability’ of

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an arts organisation or museum.

For cultural organisations accountability is complex, but cannot be restricted only to legal and financial responsibilities.

The board should align its work within the best interests of its communities and stakeholders, reflecting the organisation’s broader social and cultural responsibilities.

Shifting the Mindset The report suggests that boards need ‘greater agility and fresh thinking’ to support organisations to achieve their ambitions.

It concludes that effective governance will only be achieved with a concerted strategy to shift both mindsets and behaviours.

This will require boards to recognise that the current volatility is the new norm and adapt their response accordingly.

‘Closed friendship circles’ with unfocused shill-sets are no longer appropriate for board membership.

Trustees should adopt a ‘multilayered approach to leadership’ that prioritises advocacy, strategic thinking, collective endeavour and emotional intelligence, and draws on members’ technical expertise and experience.

Areas where boards could usefully develop their practice include: • Developing a healthier attitude to risk

• Being more positive in questioning creative policies and programming • Taking an active part in the fundraising role • Becoming more aware of, and learning from, the wider voluntary sector • Adopting a more proactive approach to inclusion and diversity

To encourage this step-change in the performance of Boards, the report’s authors have recommended that a new Governance Alliance be established to help them develop the skills they need to become bolder in tackling the challenges of a turbulent environment.

Resources Although advice, training and publications aimed at governance in the not-for-profit sector are widely available, boards are not routinely using them. The report stresses that opportunities for professional development at relevant events must be more compelling and be seen as “must attend”.

The cultural sector has much to learn from other charities. There is a need to capitalise on, and share, the good work already being carried out, whilst supporting boards to effectively respond to the strategic and operational challenges they face.

Collaboration – a Governance Alliance A number of commissioning trusts and foundations as well as CLP have already started the process of developing a strategic alliance of organisations concerned with

resilience and innovation in governance.

The report recommends that this collaboration should be extended by joining forces with strategic agencies that support not-for-profit organisations to form a Governance Alliance that can “build on the appetite for collaboration and closer partnerships, to harness and promote the tools for effective governance”.

Such an alliance should, the report suggests, provide a voice for advocacy across the sector, promote culture change in the delivery of governance and create an online Governance Resource that would be a first port-of-call for advice, information and development for arts organisations and museums.

Recommendations This report makes 4 key recommendations: • Establish the Governance Alliance • Develop a Governance Resource – a dynamic and contemporary online hub • Promote culture change in the delivery of governance • Arts Council England and Arts Council Wales should raise the profile of, and focus on governance as part of their roles as development agencies Boards play a vital in ensuring the vibrancy and sustainability of the arts and museums and this report is a welcome contribution to addressing the issues that the sector currently faces. I hope it will be read in detail and its recommendations acted on THE FULL REPORT IS AVAILABLE AT: HTTPS://WWW.CLORELEADERSHIP.ORG/ USERFILES/DOCUMENTS/ACHIEVING_ GOOD_GOVERNANCE-FULL_REPORT. PDF

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Wakefield & District RECRUITMENT

UPDATE

Is your company ready for the aging workforce revolution?

By Andy Turner Managing Director - First Choice Recruitment

My friend was jokingly ribbing me over lunch about my age, sadly being the ‘wrong side’ of 50, I started looking more into this.

Did you know that over 50s will dominate the workforce for the first time in less than a decade, analysis of official data shows, as older workers put their careers before early retirement?

Figures published recently by the Office for National Statistics, show that nearly 10 million workers aged 50 and over are now in employment, the largest number since records began in 1992. Over the period the proportion of over fifties in the

workforce has risen from a fifth (21%) to almost a third (31%).

Currently forty-somethings are the biggest cohort in British workplaces, but analysis by Aviva, a pension firm, projects the trend will continue with the population of over fifties becoming the biggest cohort in May 2024, representing more than 1-in-3 workers.

Recently the Daily Telegraph reported that growing numbers

are taking up “dream” jobs such as gardening and becoming an author, with around half a million over 65s choosing to carry on working because they enjoy it.

The population of “early retirees”, those who retired earlier than originally planned, peaked at 1.6m in August 2011, but has since witnessed a continual decline, hitting less than 1.2m in today’s figures.

Alistair McQueen, savings and retirement manager at Aviva, said: “When it comes to funding our longer lives in retirement, we have two options – save more or work longer. For many, the

best response will be a mix of the two. “We are also working longer. Over 50s will become the leading group of workers within the decade, and the idea of ‘early retirement’ would be relegated to the dustbin of history if recent trends continued.”

Age should never be an issue especially when seeking new employment and officially it never is, but in the real world – is this really the case and if so are we missing out on an ever growing sector of the workforce? I suspect so…..

Children’s TV star brings dino-mite to Wakefield National children’s TV presenter Andy Day will bring his famous dino raps to Wakefield when he illuminates Trinity Walk this November.

pantomime will also take to the stage to entertain crowds as well as the centre’s popular Santa (aka Pete Toon) – who has often also visited the royal family’s youngsters in recent years.

The star of stage and children’s TV shows will perform a 30 minute live show, before switching on the Christmas lights at the free event. His show will feature his now famous dinosaurs raps – entertaining and educating kids of all ages – at the event on Thursday November 16.

Families can visit the grotto for free every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday until Christmas after the switch-on with donations going to Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice. There will also be free face painting and free balloon modelling from 3.30pm until late.

Plus there’s free parking after 3pm on that Thursday and every Thursday until Christmas.

Stars of Theatre Royal Wakefield’s

Andy Day said: “Being a

children’s TV presenter means Christmas is an extra special time of year and I love helping get kids into the festive spirit. It’s my first time in Wakefield for a switch-on and I know Trinity Walk draws a large crowd for the event, so it’s going to be fun. My advice would be for kids to get practising their dino raps because I’ll be asking them to join in – and parents too.”

and will be the perfect person to flick the switch this year.”

Fun starts at 4pm on the main stage near PureGym and Cafe Nero with Andy Day on stage from 4.45pm and the switch-on at 5.15pm.

Lucy Grice, Trinity Walk’s marketing manager, said: “If you’ve watched kids’ TV, you’ll know Andy and he’s a national favourite among families. He brings a huge amount of energy to his shows, gets people involved

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Small businesses can benefit from video too, and it doesn’t have to be pricey!

By Danny Lacey CEO & Founder Stada Video

1Despite the rising popularity of digital video, less than 25% of small businesses are currently us-ing it as part of their marketing strategies.

1Many assume that creating video content is too expensive and complicated, and better suited to big brands and corporations.

In actual fact, video can benefit all kinds of businesses — no matter the size or industry!

On aver-age, video content can increase purchase intent by 97% and brand recognition by up to 139%. Imagine the impact that could have on your small business.

And the good news is, you don’t have to invest your entire marketing budget for video to have a positive impact! Here are three simple tips to get you started Make the most of the tools available Camera phone technology has improved drastically over the last few years, meaning you can film a decent quality video without any fancy equipment or technical know-how.

Simply purchase a cheap smartphone tripod online and you’ll be good to go!

tackling some frequently asked questions?

Spread the word Believe it or not, strategic distribution affects view count far more than production value.

Take full advantage of as many online platforms as possible. Post your video on social media, share it with your mailing list, and add it to your website. You might be surprised by the results!

If you’re looking for more free video marketing advice, please feel free to get in touch with me directly.

DANNYLACEY@STADAVIDEO.CO.UK 0113 403 2037

Keep it simple There’s no need to be overly ambitious with your video concept. To begin with, aim to streamline the purchase process and minimise your customers’ research time. How about filming a series of product demos or

Meeting rooms, conference rooms, event and office space Whether you’re looking for a large meeting room to seat 30, a smaller informal meeting space for two or simply an office to work from - head to West Yorkshire Business Hive.

Situated in Morley, Leeds we are close to all major motorways with free on-site parking.

Free Wi-Fi

We’d love to hear from you Contact us for more info, or to make a booking.

T: 0113 2530 241 E: WYbusinesshive@wyjs.org.uk Nepshaw Lane South, Morley, Leeds, LS27 7JQ www.WYbusinesshive.wyjs.org.uk @WYBusinessHive

WYBusinessHive

West Yorkshire Joint Services

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We offer complimentary Wi-Fi, Plug & Play interactive whiteboard technology and fully interactive audio-conferencing facilities.

Plug & Play Audio conferencing Catering

West Yorkshire

Business Hive

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YORKSHIRE TELECOMMUNICATIONS LIMITED

YTL SYSTEMS

LINES & CALLS

INTERNET

MOBILE

t: 0844 847 0080 e: info@ytl.uk.com 11 Appleton Court, Calder Park, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF2 7AR November2017 Yorkshire Telecommunications Limited Topic_Wakefield_oct17_Good.indd 29

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Wakefield & District I N FO R M AT I O N

T EC H N O LO GY

Making the ‘Industrial Revolution 4.0’ work for you

By Paul Heigham - Director of Bellingham IT

Much is being made about the ‘Industrial Revolution 4.0’ and the ‘Digital Transformation’ but what is it and how can it help our businesses thrive? Topic IT expert Paul Heigham explains more…

Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are terms that we hear a lot today in IT and business management but what are they about and how can they work for you?

IoT is essentially a network of connected devices, sensors in these devices monitor and collect data. These networks are everywhere – at work, at home and the environment – sometimes even without us realising it and certainly without us harnessing their full capabilities.

Businesses which combine the three can access unprecedented levels of insight and make evidence based decisions to give them the competitive edge.

Manufacturing is leading the way on this Tech Trinity approach. Sensors embedded in machines are collecting data on their behaviour which is fed into advance machine learning software to analyse the patterns of behaviour detecting and helping to flag up breakdowns before they occur. This is revolutionising manufacturers’ planned maintenance strategies, boosting asset utilisation and cutting production losses by reducing unplanned downtime and their associated costs.

Big Data is the information collected by the IoT and AI, also known as deep machine learning, is the analysis of data to identify trends and patterns of behaviour.

The combined approach can also add value to companies outside the manufacturing sector helping to drive business objectives such as innovation, customer service, productivity and reduce bottom line costs.

Together the IoT, Big Data and AI form a ‘Tech Trinity’ that is being used to drive the next Industrial Revolution, 4.0. The process is known as Digital Transformation.

Bellingham IT’s sister company, iclaritate, can point you in the right direction by analysing what your business needs, auditing what you currently have and

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providing a clear vision for the future which fits with your business plan.

Of course, any technology is only as effective as the people making use of it and ensuring the end user experience is a good one is essential to digital transformation.

Consider how the technology changes will impact on the end user and then follow these simple steps to ensure a smooth transition: 1. Measure how end users feel about the systems they are already using before any change is made.

2.Involve them in the change journey by keeping them informed.

3.Provide adequate training to ensure adapting to and using the new technology is as easy and positive as possible.

Changing or upgrading any technology hardware or software will only increase efficiency, growth and save time and money if you are clear on what you want to achieve and take your people with you by allowing time for implementation and training.

Bellingham IT has over 15 years plus experience in operational software implementation, from scoping out the initial requirements to support after ‘Go Live’. We can help identify skills gaps, provide training and ensure that the correct technology is selected to meet your business needs.

Choosing software can make or break your organisation and we want to help you get the best option for your business. Give us a call on 01924 253205 or email: paul@ bellinghamit.co.uk.

4.Re-measure their level of satisfaction and confidence once the changes are in place.

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F E AT U R E

Designer fashions support vital care Historically the general feeling has been that charity shops were for the less affluent within our communities, but these days, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Charity shops are packed with quality homewares, antiques and high street and designer fashions.

In Wakefield we are lucky to have many different charity shops, six of which across the district belong to Wakefield Hospice, all of which carry a diverse range of quality goods that arrive daily; from designer goods to the latest high street leading fashion brands.

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The shops receive a varied supply of donations which enables them to cater for everyone’s taste, so if you like something a little bit different and you have your own unique style, our shops are simply made for you.

However, there is a lot of hard work and preparation that takes place behind the scenes, with staff and a team of over 250 volunteers working hard to offer a customer experience that rivals the very best on the high street.

Before everything appears in the shops, items are sorted at the hospice warehouse on Tadman Street. “This facility has been open 10 years,” explained Matt Berry, who is responsible for the day to day running of the shops, “and acts as our main drop off point for donations. Its main role is to facilitate the storage and

distribution of donated stock. For the convenience of our donors, we also offer a collection service for larger more bulky items.

“People donate items for many reasons, clothing may no longer fit or shopaholics run out of space for their new items. Many items donated are new and unused and can go straight into the shops, but others might need a little repair work, a fallen hem perhaps, so our team of volunteers will undertake this work making sure all items going into the shops are to a high

standard. We have had some unusual items donated too, a gun, bullets and even an LP signed by Keith Richards from The Who!” All the warm and friendly shops offer attentive service and are creatively designed to excite and inspire the shopper. Shopping in one of Wakefield Hospice shops is a win win situation. Customers get great quality items, our environment is protected by re-using, recycling and upcycling, while the hospice receives vital funds of up to £870k per annum,

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along with a smaller range of home, gifts and toys. For the customer wanting to stay ahead with the latest fashions and trends, this is the shop to visit.

The shop in the city centre on Teall Street specialises in items that are a little differentand unique, antique and vintage style, retro, art deco, silverware and much much more. There is also a fabulous range of homeware, furniture, books, toys, womenswear and accessories.

helping to continue providing top quality personalised patient care.

The spacious Ridings Centre

shop is situated on the Upper Mall and carries a huge selection of womenswear, menswear, childrenswear and accessories,

Over on the High Street in Horbury, again there is a great selection of womenswear, menswear and accessories. From designer labels to leading High Street fashion brands, you will be pleasantly surprised by the treasure in this shop. Also out of town is the shop in the Wellgate Centre in Ossett, this is the oldest of the shops, established in 1991.

Again, there is a huge choice of fashionwear, furniture, toys and books, something for all the family.

are grateful to the people who donate,” added Fundraising and Retail Director Helen Knowles.

“Every item makes a difference to our patients and their families because every £20 sale helps us to provide one hour of personalised patient care.”

November 24th to 26th is Black Friday weekend and everything in the shops will be half price (excluding new goods). This is one of the Hospice shops biggest events of the year and their peak week for sales, so make sure you get their early to pick up a bargain!

“Every item sold though the shops is valuable to us and we

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Wakefield & District carry on looking intently at the details. Maybe she had three smooth, tanned legs instead of the standard two, or that trim-fit swim suit was somehow not as it should be. But alas - no ‘Should’ve gone...’ joke. With one last, long check, I continued my drive.

The real reason I nearly lost my no-claims bonus

By Ed Fairfield - Wakefield-based marketing professional.

I

MOBILE: 07752 586949 EMAIL: hello@edfairfield.online @Mi5terEd

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t was a busy drive home on the Leeds ring road, stopstart traffic, that annoying sports guy on Radio 2 and not a lot else to write home about.

But all of a sudden something caught my eye. It snapped me out of my auto-pilot and grabbed my attention by the throat - I was compelled to stare at intently for a good few seconds.

And I was only brought back to reality when a pair of brake lights appeared right in front of me - like, way too close for my insurance premium to handle. It was a Specsavers advert.

Now, clearly I wasn’t looking at Kylie in a swimsuit, perched on a sun bed there with an inviting smile and a pair of probably over-priced sunglasses. No - why would I do that?

I was looking for the joke. The ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ joke. Was it actually NOT Kylie?

Was there a big spelling error?

What else could be wrong - it’s only a photo and a few words.

Hmmm.

Once those brake lights were out of my danger zone, thankfully traffic was still slow so I could

I had the advert in my mind’s eye for several minutes, and being a marketing man, it made me realise Specsavers had created themselves as a brand as jokers, albeit professional ones.

Vision Express are the clean, smooth, high spec pros, Boots are the Mumsy/baby/familyfriendly ones and Specsavers are the witty ones - qualified, experienced and professional, but nonetheless all adverts in my living memory are jokes.

But with the Kylie advert, there was no joke. It was just a slick photo of Kylie. Full stop.

A company’s branding and visual tone of voice are sticky, and it’s conspicuous when they’re broken. It would be like CocaCola moving away from uber-hot care-free Yanks frolicking on the beach to showing inner-city unemployed folk drinking Coke in front of the TV. Not quite that extreme, but you get the idea.

So, next time I’m planning a marketing campaign, I concluded, I’d be more aware of consistency of tone of voice.

For reinforcing this to me, I was grateful to Specsavers for showing me a 5 metre wide, hotto-trot Kylie on my commute home last week.

I was also grateful my brakes were in good working order.

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Wakefield & District A West Yorkshire ice products manufacturer has invested £4.5m in new machinery to launch a new range of ‘premium’ ice cubes.

freezer! Consumers have a growing penchant for premium drinking at home, by treating themselves or for impressing guests. The new line we’ve launched is designed to tap into this trend.

The Ice Co in South Kirkby has bought the new equipment, which will produce 300,000 ice cubes per hour, with the help of a £2m revolving credit facility and £1.2m asset finance facility.

“When helping us with the investment, the team at Lloyds Bank showed an excellent understanding of the seasonal nature to our business, with the finance package tailored to help us keep on top of our cashflow.”

The machines will produce large ice cubes designed to cool drinks quickly while melting slowly. The Ice Co says it is targeting the range at the rising number of consumers looking to bring an “improved drinking experience, both alcoholic and soft, to their home”.

Manufacturer launches premium ice cubes The firm shipped out almost 1,000 lorry loads of ice during June, the same as 10 miles of back to back arctic trucks, after record breaking

temperatures for the month. Giles Wharton, finance director said: “According to our research, a good host always has plenty of ice in the

WORKSHOPS FOR DIGITAL AND TECH STARTUPS 5 evenings from the 14 Nov to 12 Dec

Matt Pollard, relationship director at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: “While the business may be more than 150 years old, The Ice Co is not short of innovative, entrepreneurial ideas that keep them on top of the market.”

#FUTURESTART #THINKADVENTURE

Want to take your digital startup from good to awesome?

Designed by Futurelabs and delivered in Wakefield, these 5 free workshops give you the tools you need to build and grow your digital idea into a business.

Spaces are limited, register before 23 October to secure your place Email: hello@futurestart.org.uk www.ad-venture.org.uk/futurestart *Providing funded support across the Leeds City Region (subject to eligibility checks and trading less than 3yrs)

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Wakefield & District A DV E RTO R I A L

£12.3M PROGRAMME SEEKS AMBITIOUS SCALE-UPS #ThinkBig #ThinkAdventure 1 AD:VENTURE, the £12.3m programme offering wrap-around support for eligible pre-start, young and new firms with strong growth potential in the Leeds City Region is seeing fantastic results within its first year of delivery, and is on the lookout for more great scale ups to reach its ambitious target of assisting 1240 businesses in its lifetime.

1 The programme is now directly engaged with 400 businesses, supporting them to focus on strategies and deliver their growth objectives with a tailored package of support that meets the needs of the business.

The programme supports business with specialist advice and offers vital knowledge and signposting through its strong networks and combined business growth expertise.

Providing high value one-toone support, including expert mentoring, finance brokerage, low rate loans, young enterprise support, start up and scale up grants, professional workshops, incubator office space, peer to peer learning, specialist sector advice and university and academic input, AD:VENTURE can offer something for any young business with genuine growth ambitions.

Aiming to smash it’s target and support a diverse range of new and innovative businesses, AD:VENTURE is calling out for regional based enterprises to get in touch and capitalise on the help this impressive programme can offer, giving them access to a huge range of professional support that will have a lasting

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and positive impact on their business.

The programme can work with a range of sectors from marketing to manufacturing, though like all ERDF funded programmes, it is focused on growing companies that offer a business to business service or product.

Huddersfield based KC Communications is one company who received support including mentoring and help with an application for a business growth grant of £7,000.

Director, Katrina Cliff says “Initially I no idea what help was out there. Knowing you are going to get some money back towards a big move like this has allowed me to approach this move with much more confidence, supporting cash flow and allowing us to develop much faster than planned” Infinity Works are another high growth company who have benefited from the programme.

Needing to relocate to realise their growth potential, the company used grant funding from AD:VENTURE to leverage the benefits of their new 10,000 square feet office space.Paul Henshaw, Director said “I recommend to anyone who is starting out, reach out for help.

This really saves time for me as a business director, a resource no business can afford to waste” Herida Healthcare, based at Copley Hill trading estate invested in new manufacturing resource planning equipment, including bar coding and scanning items, which allows full traceability of materials and is a key requirement for suppliers to the NHS and after accessing a wide range of support, are on course for £2 million turnover just eighteen months after the business started trading.

Leeds based Tarte and Berry, an award-winning artisan bakery accessed mentoring support and a grant to support relocation to a

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Wakefield & District

larger premise, accelerating their growth and developing their business to business supply chain.

CA S E S T U DY:

The founders of Remind2Find have taken their pioneering shopping platform to the next level after teaming up with Futurelabs and the AD:VENTURE business support programme to take part in an innovative workshop programme designed to take new business ideas into reality.

Roger Marsh OBE, chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, speaking on behalf of the AD:VENTURE programme said: “Supporting SMEs and new business ventures are the real lifeblood of the Leeds City Region economy – it’s where new jobs and new prosperity comes from so it’s vital that we support them. We are delighted to see businesses already benefitting from the opportunities and connections a regional programme like AD:VENTURE can offer.

These are fantastic examples of how this type of programme works to boost growth in our region” Made up of partners from across the public and private sector, including all local authorities in the region*, higher education institutions Bradford University, Leeds Beckett University and Leeds Trinity University, the LEP, Business Enterprise Fund, Chambers of Commerce and The Princes Trust, AD:VENTURE is one of the largest European funded programmes in the UK, and matched by it’s dedicated partners AD:VENTURE is receiving £6,161,084 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. *Excluding Barnsley as this sit’s within Sheffield City Region for ESIF purposes

ANY BUSINESSES THAT FEEL THAT THEY MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR AD:VENTURE ERDF SUPPORT SHOULD VISIT HTTP://AD-VENTURE.ORG.UK/ AND REGISTER INTEREST. YOU CAN ALSO CALL ON 0845 524 0210 OR EMAIL SUPPORT@AD-VENTURE.ORG.UK

“I want to transform the 3D printing industry” said Ravi. “The technology is brilliant, but now it can be sustainable too.”

Ravi approached AD:VENTURE to help him set up his business. His advisor supported Ravi with writing a business plan and cash flow forecast, as well as steering him to digital marketing advice for the start-up business.

Entrepreneur builds sustainable future for 3D printing 3D printing is a fast-growing disruptive technology. From humble beginnings as a novelty demonstration tool 3D printing has become a growing player in the manufacturing world, as the technology to utilise it becomes faster and more efficient than ever before.

Leeds Entrepreneur of the Year Ravi Toor is all too aware of this. Having graduated with a BA in Environment and Business and Leeds University he saw a need for change in the market, which relies on plastic ‘filaments’ to build models and products. “There’s a clear environmental need for recycled filament” Ravi said.

AD:VENTURE partner the Business Enterprise Fund (BEF) then followed by delivering start-up funding to boost Filamentive’s stock capacity.

“The business support has been invaluable; not only are we growing, but we’re also improving the sustainability of 3D printing at the same time.” Said Ravi. “Over the last year’s trading, while I was still finishing my degree, we achieved £50,000 revenue and we’re aiming for six figures in the next 12 months.”

Julie Micklethwaite, BEF Start Up Loans Manager, delivered the funding for Ravi.

“Filamentive is a fantastic example of how to find a gap in a very innovative market.

The Start Up Loan we provided has been put to great use, and I’m delighted to see the business thrive.” She said.

Filamentive has since secured a trade deal with Amazon, opening the market to customers in the USA, including schools and manufacturing businesses such as NOA Brands – the world’s largest producer of mannequins.

90% of all plastics worldwide are derived from non-recyclable sources, so in response to this Ravi founded Filamentive.

Using recycled polymers, the business has quickly gained traction in producing environmentally friendly filaments for the industry.

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Can business help to break the devolution deadlock?

By Natalie Sykes, Regional Director, Institute of Directors

Devolution is the hot topic this Autumn, and I can’t hide my disappointment at the latest turn of events in negotiations to bring extra decision-making powers to Yorkshire.

As I write this column, an agreed devolution deal for Sheffield City Region has collapsed after Doncaster and Barnsley councils pulled out, indicating their preference for a wider, pan-Yorkshire settlement – even though the government has indicated this is a non-starter.

As a regional business organisation we support

devolution for Yorkshire in whatever form it comes. Devolved spending over areas such as transport and skills are critical if we are to truly realise the vision for a Northern Powerhouse. Yorkshire risks being left behind as other regions push ahead with devolution.

We had £900m on the table for one part of Yorkshire. Now we have nothing. It makes me wonder if the outcome would have been different were its business people rather than politicians around the table.

We need a collaborative strategy with a delivery timetable and structured financial plan that focuses on what this region requires to make a difference. Instead we have political in-fighting.

to get involved and make their voice heard, whether to your local MP or through initiatives such as the IoD’s national Policy Voice, which represents the interests of members to government.

We cannot afford for Yorkshire to become the land that time forgot. Right now, the heart of the Northern Powerhouse is not beating.

We need to act quickly and it is only with the business community on side that we will achieve an outcome that delivers economic prosperity.

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Join us for a series of five free workshops in Wakefield. In partnership with Leeds University Business School, we can help give your business the practical tools it needs to grow.

Spaces are limited so register now to secure your place. Contact Cara Brundle Email: cbrundle@wakefield.gov.uk Tel: 07557813264 www.ad-venture.org.uk *Providing funded support across the Leeds City Region (subject to eligibility checks and trading less than 3yrs)

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September 2017

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for all your legal needs call your localsolicitors Ramsdens

Yorkshire we’re never too far away #knowyourlawyer #askRamsdens

01924 669510 www.ramsdens.co.uk Topic_Wakefield_oct17_Good.indd 39

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Wakefield & District L EG AL

M AT T E R S

SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TO BE ABLE TO VOTE ANONYMOUSLY The Government has confirmed, in a joint press release between the Cabinet Office and Home Office, that it will go ahead with plans to enable domestic violence and abuse survivors to register to vote anonymously. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/domestic-abuse-survivors-given-a-voice-to-vote

Helen Thewlis- Head of Family Law

Currently, in order to vote anonymously the victim must provide a court order or have their application supported by a senior independent witness, such as a police superintendent, in order to appear anonymously on the electoral register.

• increase the number of people who can act as witnesses, including medical and healthcare professionals and refuge workers, and • expand the type of evidence which can be put forward. (Source: family law week)

As a result of the strict, and perhaps overwhelming, requirements many victims have been deterred from registering to vote at all.

Welcoming the move, Katie Ghose, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid, said “The changes announced....will help survivors of domestic abuse to regain their voices. For too long these women have been silenced because it was too dangerous for

The proposed changes will:

Get your legal affairs in order: don’t let time pass you by Peoples understanding and awareness of Dementia is increasing as more and more people are willing to speak out about their experiences.

A recent news report follows a woman whose father first started showing symptoms of Dementia in his early 40’s.

Genetic testing has established that she too is in danger of develop ng the disease at an early age.

This highlights that Dementia can affect people at any age, and

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that it does not just affect elderly people.

Therefore, it is vital that people put their affairs in order sooner rather than later and understand that you are never too young to write a Will or have a Lasting Power of Attorney put in place, so long as you are 18 years of age and

have the mental capacity to do so.

A Will is a legal document that determines what should happen to your assets after you die.

Without a Will, the distribution of your Estate will be determined by the laws of Intestacy, meaning people that you wish to benefit may not inherit. Equally, someone that you do not wish to receive a gift may benefit under the rules of Intestacy.

A Lasting Power of Attorney is an important tool that enables you to appoint the people who you trust to act as your Attorneys.

Your Attorneys are appointed to manage your affairs should you be unable to do so yourself, possibly as a result of losing mental

them to sign up to an electoral register, which would reveal their location, and too difficult for them to register anonymously.”

Such a move by the government can only be welcomed. It is extremely important that society recognises that the impact of domestic violence is far reaching with many victims living in fear years later. It is therefore essential that the appropriate safeguards are put in place to enable victims to live fulfilled lives as survivors of abuse. capacity. There are two types of Lasting Powers of Attorney; one for property and financial affairs and one which deals with health and welfare. Without these safeguards in place, your loved ones could face a lengthy and costly application to the Court of Protection to be appointed as your Deputy.

If you would like to discuss putting your legal affairs in order, then please contact our highly experienced Private Client team today.

It’s never too soon to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Call us on 01484 821 500, text LAW to 67777 or email willsandprobate@ ramsdens.co.uk.

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Wakefield & District Each issue Ramsdens Solicitors, share with our readers information to keep us all within the law.

If you have a legal question, or need to know about a particular subject, email editor@topicuk.co.uk

Old v New Build Homes A recent survey has shown that home buyers are confused and often disappointed by the level of cover provided by a new build warranty.

It also highlights that twice as many people would prefer an older home (47%) to a new build one (21%).

The 2017 Homeowner Survey was commissioned by the HomeOwners Alliance and BLP Insurance, and conducted by YouGov. Many people like to buy new builds so they can start off with a clean slate and make it their own. The most popular advantages quoted in the survey were that they’re more energy efficient than older properties and with lower ongoing costs. There are often sweeteners to seal the deal such as stamp duty or estate agent fees paid by the builder. First-time buyers particularly may be attracted because the government Help to Buy schemes are often linked to new builds. The ten-year warranty that new builds offer is also popular.

It appears though that buyers’ expectations of what a warranty covers don’t match with the reality.

They expected the full ten-year warranty to cover minor snagging issues, and things such as electrical and wiring faults, insulation and draft faults and plumbing problems.

The warranty instead covers issues relating to the structure of the house. It’s up to the builder to cover any issues within the first two years of completion and then

the warranty takes over for the remaining eight.

Many of the comments made during the survey covered the issue of what the warranty included. One respondent said: “Covered so little it was virtually useless.”

If you are buying a new build, it’s important to understand what the warranty covers you for.

Why are older properties appearing more popular? It’s true they don’t come with a ten-year warranty, but a structural survey should identify any major faults, defects and repairs that need doing.

They do tend to come with higher running and maintenance costs, but there are plenty of plus points too.

They often have character – perhaps period features, quirky designs or a mature garden. The neighbourhood too will be established.

Now that all properties require an Energy Performance Certificate, you will have an idea about its efficiency and it is also possible to learn what the property’s running costs are based on the current owner’s bills.

Whichever you choose, old or new, there are pros and cons, but it pays to understand exactly what you are buying for your money.

0800 988 3650 www.ramsdens.co.uk text LAW to 67777

November2017

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Wakefield &District H E A LT H

M AT T E R S

MAKE IT YOUR BUSINESS TO

the spread of winter bugs.

Fight Flu

The flu vaccine – who should have it and why?

Every year flu affects employers and businesses.

Seasonal flu is highly infectious, particularly in work environments. Look after your employees and reduce staff sickness this winter by promoting the flu vaccine.

Dr Andrew Furber, Director of Public Health Wakefield

T

he Department of Health recommends a yearly flu vaccine, to those most vulnerable to the effects of flu, as the most important step in protecting against flu viruses.

this approach this year it is advisable to provide the vaccinations from October to mid-December to maximise the protection of one of your most valuable assets – your staff.

Going the extra mile to protect your business

What else can you do?

Promoting good hygiene measures to your staff can significantly reduce the spread of flu and other winter bugs.

Encourage your staff to “Catch it, Bin it, Kill it” by promoting the message that:

Resilience is key to any business.

If, over previous winter months, your business has suffered due to seasonal flu – you could go the extra mile and provide flu vaccines to all your staff. Many businesses, large and small, improve their winter resilience by contracting with private health businesses to offer flu vaccinations to their staff. This cost effective approach can help small and large businesses be more resilient during the winter months.

If your business is keen to adopt

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•

Staff should carry tissues and use them to catch coughs or sneezes

•

Then to bin the tissues

•

And to kill the germs by washing their hands.

Regular hand washing with soap and water will do much to reduce

Don’t wait until there is a flu outbreak this winter: if your employees are eligible for the free NHS flu vaccine encourage them to contact their GP practice to make an appointment or visit the local community pharmacy.

• everyone living in a residential or nursing home • everyone who cares for an older or disabled person • all frontline health and social care workers.

• anyone who has one of the following medical conditions: • a heart problem

The most common symptoms of flu are fever, chills, headache, aches and pains in the joints and muscles, and extreme tiredness.

In most cases, the symptoms are quite mild, but in others, they can be very serious. Healthy individuals usually recover within two to seven days, but some people are more susceptible to the effects of flu.

For them it can increase the risk of developing more serious illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia, or can make existing conditions worse. In the worst cases, flu can result in a stay in hospital, or even death.

Those eligible for a free NHS flu vaccine are:

• a chest complaint or breathing difficulties, including bronchitis or emphysema • a kidney disease • lowered immunity due to disease or treatment (such as steroid medication or cancer treatment) • liver disease • had a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) • diabetes • a neurological condition, for example multiple sclerosis (MS) or cerebral palsy

• all pregnant women, at any stage of pregnancy

• a problem with your spleen, for example sickle cell disease, or you have had your spleen removed

• all two, three and four year old children

• a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or above

• everyone aged 65 and over

• all school-aged children in reception class and years one to four

September 2017

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September 2017

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Wakefield & District TRAVEL

UPDAT E

Each edition, One World Travel feature a world destination that can be arranged through their shop in the centre of Wakefield.

Iceland Home to the most incredible volcanic landscapes, a unique culinary scene and the iconic Blue Lagoon, Iceland’s appeal has grown rapidly in the last few years.

While the majority of the island compromises of rugged yet beautiful terrain (with the occasionally-placed village compromising of colourful wooden buildings), the seriously cool capital of Reykjavík makes for an ideal winter city break – and also provides ample opportunities to seek and see the mysterious Aurora Borealis – informally known as the ‘Northern Lights’.

From Reykjavík, there are a number of unique experiences available to help with catching a glimpse of the lights – from Jeep Tours to Evening Boat Trips – often offered with hotel pick-ups, or from central meeting points within the city itself. The advantage of these experiences is that most take you away from the light pollution of the capital, with many offering a free trip the following evening if the lights aren’t seen!

Glass Igloos Could there be a better way to sleep than under the stars, with the Aurora above, but from the comfort of a warm bed? The glass-ceiling trend has recently taken off across Finland, however

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Where are the best places to see the Northern Lights? there are still very few hotels offering this type of unique accommodation. With most options located above the Arctic Circle in the heart of the Lapland region, they’re not the easiest to get to – but they provide a oncein-a-lifetime experience for those with the Northern Lights at the top of their bucket list.

Tromsø, Cruises and More Located 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, the Norwegian city of Tromsø is often referred to as the ‘Paris of the North’. It’s

beautiful, cultural, and relatively untouched by modern tourism, home to the world’s northern most brewery and an annual film festival which attracts people from all over the country in their thousands. Tromsø is a great place to see the Lights – take the Fjellheisen (cable car) to the top of the mountain for incredible views of the city and the Aurora, should they make an appearance.

There are now a number of Northern Lights cruises on offer, some sailing from the UK, with renowned lines such as P&O, Fred. Olsen and Hurtigruten, giving those seeking the comforts

of a cruise experience an opportunity to catch the Lights in all their glory.

You can even take a specialist ‘Northern Lights Flight’ one evening to very edge of British airspace, at a height of 40,000ft to maximise your chances of seeing them. These flights operate with as many aircraft lights turned off as regulations allow, well above the Earth’s weather systems, and are even planned around the phases of the moon to maximise visibility. They hold an overall sighting record of over 90% – and provide a wonderfully unique way to see the Aurora.

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Be beauty ready for the festive season The festive season is fast approaching and that means lots of parties where we all want to look our best.

B

ut as the winter nights draw in, we all tend to hide away under layers of clothes and forget about our skin.

Now is the time for a little pampering and where better than at The Beauty Den. They offer an all inclusive portfolio of premium

services in beauty, hair and make-up, all with irrefutable excellence in a friendly and luxurious environment.

Beauty Den staff are experienced professionals, extensively trained and qualified and who specialise in anti-ageing, advanced skin solutions, premium body treatments, hair

removal, hairdressing and make-up art.

Committed to their high professional standards they are proud members of the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology.

The UK’s leading organisation for professionals working in beauty, hair and holistic industries.

WHY NOT TRY SOME OF THE BEAUTY TREATMENTS FOR YOURSELF: • • • • • • • •

Dermalogica facials Microdermabrasion Hot stone massage Premium hot wax Professional threading LVL last lift Deluxe manicure and pedicure Party hair and make-up.

CHRISTMAS PAMPER PACKAGES ARE AVAILABLE NOW!

To book an appointment call: 07429 535 186 or email: info@beautyden.co.uk. 955 Thornton Road, Bradford BD8 0JD

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Creating Inclusive Cultures (CIC) is a collaboration of established businesses in our major cities who understand the benefits of investing in diversity and inclusion.

In our changing and competitive world CIC enables them to share insight and experience that will help everyone attract and retain the talent for the future success of their firms and their cities.

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Wakefield & District the band are firm favourites on the lucrative German festival scene and undertake an annual UK ‘Merry Christmas Everybody’ tour every December. They have a huge following of fans and regularly play concerts in Russia and across Europe.

Merry Christmas Everybody!

A few of our younger readers may know the iconic Christmas song, Merry Christmas Everybody, that plays continuously on the radio from the 1 December every year, but unlikely to know the artists.

Slade are back, with a December UK tour which is coming to Wakefield’s Warehouse23 on Saturday 9 December and TopicUK have two tickets to give away to one lucky reader.

bramleys 27 BATH STREET, HUDDERSFIELD HD1 5BQ

in TV commercials for some of the worlds largest companies.

Slade are without doubt one of the most exciting bands to come out of Great Britain in the past 50 years with their unique blend of pop-’n’-roll! They are outrageous, Flamboyant and pure fun with no less than 23 top-20 singles, six of which were number one smash hits.

Slade’s chart career has spanned almost five decades and their songs ‘Cum on Feel the Noize’ and Coz I Love You’ are still featured today

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Slade first hit the road in 1966 with their first chart hit Get Down and Get With It, reaching number one in May 1971. Throughout the seventies, they became one of Europe’s biggest bands, touring and recordingy continually, making regular trips to America, Japan and other parts of the world. Today,

For your chance to win tickets to see this iconic band with their dynamic stage performance, all you have to do is follow us on Twitter @ topicuk_uk and tweet: I’m going to see Slade with @ topic_uk All entries will be saved and the first to be drawn after the closing date will be the winner. Good luck.

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t Situated in a prominent main road position within 3 miles of Junction 26 of the M62 motorway network at Chain Bar t Furnished to a good specification t Suitable for redevelopment, subject to planning t EPC Asset Rating F

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commercial@bramleys1.co.uk bramleys.com/commercial November2017

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The Boundary House.

Places to dine in and around Wakefield As our regular restaurant reviewer Kevin Trickett is on holiday, as regular restaurant goers here in the TopicUK office, we provide a round-up of some we have visited recently that might tempt your tastebuds.

By Gill Laidler, Editor TopicUK The Star Inn

The Star Inn at Kirkhamgate is one of our favourites, particularly for a traditional roast Sunday lunch, priced at £12.50 for one course, £15.95 for two courses and £19.95 for three courses. Not the

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cheapest place for lunch but this is a stylishly decorated and friendly pub, with cosy roaring fires in Winter and a pretty patio for those long Summer evenings.

All their food is sourced locally and

cooked to the highest standard, so well worth the money.

The restaurant is also open for lunch and dinner during

the week, with regular themed entertainment nights. There is also a fine selection of ales on offer for the beer drinkers, from

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room in the cricket club car park opposite.

If you’re a fan of Chinese food then the Royale Cantonese Restaurant and takeaway in Outwood is worth a trip. Situated on the main Wakefield to Leeds road, the Royale has been open for many years and has seen a number of different owners.

Not the cheapest of takeaways and not the most stylist restaurant interior, but the food more than makes up for that.

The Kaye Arms

breweries such as Bradfield, Timothy Taylor, Black Sheep and many more, as well as a large selection of wines.

Another favourite serving Sunday lunch as well as weekdays is The Kaye Arms on the Huddersfield Road at Grangemoor.

This pretty rustic pub is set in picturesque surroundings overlooking the famous Emley Moor mast. Recently refurbished, the Kaye Arms serves a selection of sandwiches and hot meals and two people can dine for just £13.99 Monday to Friday between 12pm and 3pm and 5pm and 9pm.

Traditional Sunday roast is priced at £12.95.

Our final mention of our favourite traditional Sunday lunches is slightly out of Wakefield, but just a short drive away on the outskirts in Methley.

Here you will find The Boundary House.

Formerly the Rose & Crown, the Boundary House faces the cricket pitch in this picturesque village.

The bar area has roaring log fires and traditional comfortable armchairs at some of its tables, or large leather sofas with fluffy throws so you can really get comfy on cold Winter evenings.

The bar serves a selection of quality craft lager, real ales and ciders plus a diverse selection of wines and cocktails. There are also a range of bar snacks or if you prefer, can choose to dine in the bar.

The adjoining restaurant is modern and stylish and traditional roast Sunday lunch here costs £13.95, but the menu is extensive with other seasonal favourites.

We have to give a special mention here to the outside area. The garden is huge and has a range of comfortable sofas and armchairs.

There is an extensive BBQ area and outdoor bar that even features a pizza oven. The only slight downside is because the pub is so busy, parking can be a slight problem as the car park is not large, but there is generally

The menu is extensive and offers a range of traditional dishes as you would expect. A particular favourite of ours is the fillet steak in black pepper sauce, a wonderful dish with lots of peppers and onions. On Sunday’s they have their all you can eat buffet for £12.50 which are very popular.

There is lots of parking to the rear of the building and plenty of on-road parking too and there is always a warm welcome from staff.

A little further down the road heading back towards Wakefield, you will find Valentino’s Restaurant. Again, this long established independent restaurant that has seen many staff changes over the years, but has remained relatively consistent. I say relative because as well as staff changes, menus and prices have fluctuated too.

A traditional Italian, until quite recently Valentino’s had quite an extensive menu. However, on our last visit, not only had staff changed again, but so had

the menu, reducing choice quite dramatically and removing our favourite Salmon salad, perfect on the lunch menu when you don’t want something too heavy.

The restaurant has traditional decor and a wonderful garlic smell when you enter, coming from the open kitchen in the centre of the restaurant. They are well known locally for their excellent desserts all handmade on the premises.

Readers who know our editor will understand why we give a shout out to The Kashmiri Aroma, situated at the edge of the Paragon Business Park along the A650.

A modern and contemporary Indian restaurant with an extensive menu of traditional Kashmiri cuisine.

Popular every day of the week so booking is always advised, especially on weekend nights and Sunday’s when diners flock for their buffet lunch, with a large selection of curries, breads and salads and traditional Indian desserts.

The Kashmiri serves a large selection of beers, wines and spirits, but most diners seem to favour the ever popular Indian Cobra beer.

New Year’s Eve banquet night is also worth a mention, five course menu, disco and fireworks all for £49.50 per head, excellent value for what is always a fabulous event.

So there you have it, a few of our favourite restaurants around Wakefield. Kevin will be back next issue when he will be visiting another local restaurant and sharing with us his experiences.

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Takeover at UK’s top art gallery The Hepworth Gallery Wakefield has announced a new collaboration to transform the gallery’s café and catering offer.

Leeds-based House of Koko have partnered with Wakefield-based chef Chris Hale and his wife Sophie, to take over the running of The Hepworth Café from October. They will launch with a new menu and redesigned dining space to create a welcoming dining experience for visitors.

House of Koko is an independent coffee and tea house which was opened in Chapel Allerton in 2015 by Shanshan Zhu and Chris Ball, quickly becoming a local favourite. Chris Hale, who was a quarter-finalist on BBC MasterChef 2016 and runs PopUp North, will be executive chef.

He has created a diverse menu for the whole family featuring British classics made from local Yorkshire produce, alongside brunch and lunch options from the existing House of Koko menu.

Chris’s experience of creating and delivering one-off event menus will enable The Hepworth Wakefield to further develop its wedding and special events offer within the gallery and adjacent converted mill The Calder. Details of how to hire the space can be found at hepworthwakefield.org.

Chris Ball of House of Koko,

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commented: “The Hepworth Wakefield is an amazing venue and it has transformed the city. We want to embody this success with our wonderful locally sourced food and drink, to create memorable menus and events.

We’ve loved growing House of Koko over the past couple of years and we are unbelievably excited about our next step.” Chef

Chris added: ‘We are passionate about promoting Yorkshire food and drink and helping to put Wakefield firmly on the map. The Hepworth Wakefield has achieved so much in its first six years and we want the food and drink offering to be just as creative and exciting.’

Rachel Crewes, Head of Business Development at The Hepworth welcomes the new collaboration: “We can’t wait to start working with House of Koko. They have created a very special experience in Chapel Allerton with great coffee, great food and great service underpinning everything they do. We believe that with this fresh approach and refurbishment, The Hepworth Café will soon become a

destination in its own right. We are also very excited to be working with local Masterchef finalist, Chris Hale as executive chef, a fantastic addition to our events and wedding offer here at the gallery.”

Opening to coincide with the gallery’s exhibition launch party the café will be refitted with furniture designed by Plæy Workshop.

The full café menu will be served from Saturday 21 October, 10am – 5pm. Entry to the gallery is free.

Who are the new partners?

House of Koko Shanshan Zhu and Chris Ball.

Situated in Chapel Allerton, House of Koko is an independent tea and coffee house that opened in 2015.

It offers a seasonal menu, speciality tea and coffee and homemade cakes.

Chris and Sophie Hale Masterchef quarter finalist Chris Hale has experience cheffing in both the UK and internationally.

His company Pop-Up North, provides one-off events, wedding and event catering, private dining, menu consultancy and food demonstrations.

Sophie co-runs the PR, marketing and video production company Evoke and is a regular blogger on food and events.

Sophie will be responsible for co-ordinating PR for the Hepworth Cafe, alongside the team at The Hepworth Wakefield.

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Each edition, Create will be sharing with us a delicious recipe from their menu and preparing a cocktail for us all to make and enjoy at home.

Create is a busy vibrant space, located on the ground floor of the iconic Wakefield One building. There is always a warm welcome from Shaun, Jon or Jake, front of house, as well as James and Tim, the back

of house team. If it’s a lunch hour takeaway sandwich and a drink you’re looking for you’ll find our service prompt and efficient, and your lunch will be made to order.

If you have more time, a break from

Treacle Tart – Perfect for a gooey, festive dessert!

We have this dessert on our Christmas menu which is starting from 4th December this year. Feel free to come and sample before making it yourself!

Ingredients

Method

• • • •

The first step is make the tart case for the tart. If you don’t want to tackle making shortcrust pastry (plenty of simple recipes online) the tart case can be bought readymade, or you could buy readymade shortcrust pastry and roll it out into the tart ring.

• • •

28cm Shallow tart ring 680g Golden syrup 120g Ground almonds 170g FRESH! Breadcrumbs (easily made by blitzing dry bread in a food processor) 2 Eggs 300ml Double cream Juice of 1 orange

shopping for example or a business meeting over lunch then we’ll wait on you hand and foot!

If using fresh pastry over a readymade tart case then the best way to avoid a soggy bottom is to blind bake it. This is done by placing a couple of layers of cling film over the rolled out tart and filling with uncooked rice. Gently

This edition we have an amazing Treacle Tart recipe, perfect comfort food on a winter’s evening and a warming Brandy Crusta.

press the rice into the cling film so that it covers the whole base of the tart and up to the brim. Bake in a pre-heated oven on 160’c for about 25 minutes or until it is just starting to turn golden.

Start the treacle mix by gently warming the golden syrup in a pan, and when loose add the fresh breadcrumbs and ground almonds and mix thoroughly.

Gently whisk in the eggs, cream and orange juice then pour into the tart case and spread evenly.

We would recommend putting the tart onto a baking sheet, just in case of any spillages.

Place in the oven at 160’c and bake for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 140’c and bake for a further 40-50 minutes or until the tart is golden brown and

Cocktail – Brandy Crusta If you’re looking for a warming, festive tipple to go alongside this delicious treacle tart why not try this easy brandy based cocktail, simple enough to re-create at home but tasty enough to impress everyone!

Ingredients 35ml Brandy – Any brandy will do, I would go for something mid-range like a V.S or V.S.O.P - Don’t use the higher end stuff !

10ml Maraschino Liqueur 12.5ml Lemon Juice

has a slight wobble when shaken gently.

Cool thoroughly and set it in the fridge before you try to remove the tart from the ring. Serve with some orange mascarpone by adding orange zest to mascarpone and mixing together.

10ml Sugar syrup – To make, take one of sugar and pour into a jug then fill the same cup with boiling water and pour into the jug. Mix until dissolved and allow to cool.

Dash Angostura bitters Method Take a coupette glass and run a piece of lemon around the rim of the glass then dip the wet rim into sugar to give you a sugared rim. Shake all ingredients together with ice and strain into the glass. Garnish with a twist of lemon and a cocktail cherry then enjoy!

GOVERNMENT WARNING:(1) According to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects.

(2) Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and may cause health problems. Please drink responsibly.

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My Perfect Restaurant Kevin Trickett, President of Wakefield Civic Society, has been our restaurant reviewer now for over four years. Here he explains what he looks for when choosing a restaurant

Service with a smile I want to feel welcomed when I visit a restaurant and, if I’ve been there before, I want to be recognised for being a ‘repeat’ customer. I like to be shown to a good table, preferably with a view, and to exchange a few words of conversation with the proprietor and staff. I want to feel that they care about my experience of eating in their restaurant.

points. Having said that, some of the most enjoyable meals I’ve eaten have been the most simple – a plate of fresh pasta, cooked to perfection, can just as easily ‘cut the mustard’. There’s no need for a huge menu – but as a vegetarian, I do expect to see more than one veggie option on there, otherwise the only choice I have is whether to eat there or not.

Food quality I suppose I’m looking for something that I wouldn’t necessarily have at home; so something a little bit out of the ordinary, whether it be the ingredients or the way they are combined – the wow factor if you like – gets the establishment extra

Food quantity I’m not a fan of gargantuan portions. Some restaurants seem to want to compete with their American cousins, piling food onto the plate, perhaps in the belief that customers associate value for money with sheer quantity! Eating a meal should

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not be a test of stamina and endurance. I also suspect that it’s actually bad for business: after all, if you’ve worked your way through a huge main course, who has room for pudding?

Presentation Food needs to look good on the plate – and yes, when I say plate I mean plate. I’m not into gimmicks, thank you: you can keep your slates, shovels, cloth caps, glass jars, and so on. I like to eat off a clean plate with clean cutlery. Call me old fashioned but I do have my standards! Oh, and I do like a nice bit of napery. Clean white linen can really set off a table. But if there’s no tablecloth, one of my pet hates is to be shown to a table that has just

been wiped down – still damp and usually streaky!

Of course, there are other factors to consider: cost, ambience, background music (or lack thereof), furnishings and décor, and so on, but, at the end of the day, what really makes for an enjoyable and memorable meal is the choice of table companions.

Eating out with friends and family should be a social and sociable occasion. Conversation and repartee should flow freely (a little alcohol helps!) but that, of course, is something over which the restaurant has little control!

Follow Kevin on Twitter - @MrTrickett

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Christmas comes to Sainsburys Each edition Sainsburys Trinity Walk provide us with goodies to sample and let readers know what we think of them.

U

sually, we select a local business to try these for us and report back but this time we tried the goodies here ourselves in the TopicUK office, oh and how pleased I am we did.

As this is our last edition before Christmas, Sainsburys gave us some seasonal treats to try and they certainly didn’t disappoint.

First, the wine. Sainsburys Winemaker’s Muscat St Jean de

Minervois, 37.5cl at just £5 per bottle. Now I’m not a dessert wine fan, but I have to admit that this was rather pleasant and complimented the fruity treats perfectly. If you have a sweet tooth, this is perfect with dessert.

Christmas pudding at £1.25 and the Taste the Difference cognac laced Christmas pudding at £2.00 were delicious with just the right amount of fruit. Well worth stocking up on. Delicious served with custard or Brandy butter.

Christmas Pudding is a favourite of mine and and these mini individual 100g puddings are perfect in households like mine, where not everyone is partial to them. Both the Sainsburys

Also sold in individual servings is Kuchennmeister seasonal stollen, 200g at £1.50. This rich fruit bread

Take Thyme out for Yew! With the Christmas party season just around the corner and everyone wanting to look and feel their best, why not treat yourself to a little Thyme for Yew at the Potting Shed Spa. TopicUK Group Editor, Gill Laidler was invited to go along and try one of their amazing treatments and here’s what she has to say.

“I have visited lots of different

spa’s many located within hotels, but The Potting Shed Spa is very different, quirky with a botanical theme, but no less luxurious.

“Frustrated that many spas are cold and clinical, Sam Pearce decided to start her own. The Potting Shed is a multi-award winning salon, having won best in country just 8 months after opening. The spa is very homely

and friendly, there are no clocks and clients are not on a conveyor belt. Sam has also created an inhouse academy, ‘The Greenhouse’ that allowed for maximum training to teach future beauty therapists the essential skills they need to competently and confidently fulfil a role.

“I was a little early so I settled into a lovely leather armchair to browse the many magazines available and listen to the chatter of a couple of ladies having a manicure. It wasn’t long before my therapist Paige came to collect me and we made our way to ‘The Tool Shed’ a separate building a few yards away.

“I was booked to have the Potting Shed Indian Head Massage that consisted award winning tension

laced with marzipan is delicious.

It needs no accompanyment and although we didn’t try it, I would imagine it is delicious warmed.

Finally, Sainsbury’s mini seasonal panettone, 100g at £1.50. This was a big hit, delicious brioche with lots of fruit, very light and fluffy and the individual serving size is just right. release head, shoulder and back massage, using oils blended to specific requirements. The treatment that takes 45 minutes is perfect for people like me who carry tension around the shoulder area.

“Settling onto a comfortable bed, Paige got to work on releasing the knots that had built up in my back and shoulders, this was followed by a head massage and for those of you who have never experienced this, it is a must for relaxation, although not a good look for the hair afterwards!

“Paige made me feel welcome and the treatment was amazing, something I can highly recommend when yew need a little Thyme for yew! It won’t be long before I am heading back to try out more of their fabulous treatments.”

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been involved in over 1.3 Million

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The Wakefield First Bondholder Scheme is a private sector initiative that aims to accelerate the growth of the Wakefield District by branding, marketing and promoting it nationally and internationally. It now boasts representation and support from companies of all sizes and from a variety of sectors including manufacturing, professional services, creative and digital as well as cultural and leisure.

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Our latest campaign says it best: Wakefield is a great place to Live, Invest or Visit.

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To find out more about Wakefield Bondholders, the work that they are doing or for details on how to become a member, contact Melissa Armitage on: 01924 669220 or email: membership@wakefield.gov.uk

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L I IVNVEVI W ES SIATK E F I E L D www.wakefieldbondholders.com 54

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L I V E • I N V E S T • V I S I T • W A K E F I E L D

November2017

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MAGAZINE FOR SCHOOLS, COLLEGES, YOUNG PROFESSIONALS, APPRENTICES AND STUDENTS

tomorrow Sponsored by

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WakeďŹ eld & District

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Wakefield & District

From open mic

SKINNY LIVING WAS BORN “Song writing feels quite natural to me, with lyrics just coming off the top of my head” Move over The Cribs, another Wakefield band is making big waves on the music scene.

TopicUK editor Gill Laidler, speaks to Ryan Johnston, lead singer with up-coming band, Skinny Living.

some amazing material, from this came their first song, Storybook which they recorded at Blueprint Studios in Manchester. “We took Rhys and Danny with us and I suppose this was the start of the band.”

Singer Ryan Johnston is originally from Belfast but he has made his home and his career in West Yorkshire.

in 2016, the band released an EP called 3 on their own label and gained a taste of what it’s like playing on the big stage when they were asked to support Jake Bugg at the First Direct Arena in Leeds. “It was amazing, it set the bar for us,” Ryan explained, “and we’ve been chasing that buzz ever since.”

Ryan moved to England at the age of 19. One night, he was persuaded to attend an open mic night at The Admiral Duncan pub in Wakefield where he got up to sing acapella. “Rhys Anderton and Will Booth were both there and Will approached and asked if I wanted him to play guitar for me and as I didn’t have an instrument, I agreed,” Ryan recalls. “It worked very well and after a few more sessions, we met Danny Hepworth and began playing in the pub every night, eventually putting on our own open mic.

Will and Ryan began throwing together a few lyrics and wrote

After attracting interest from record labels, the band signed to RCA who sent them to work with top producers where Ryan tells us he ‘learned so much’ about melodies and how to tell a story in a song.

“Song writing feels quite natural to me, with lyrics just coming off the top of my head, with Storybook for example, it was easy, we just write from personal and life experience, but over

time, it becomes more difficult and the words don’t flow so easy, so the experience we gained from the producers was invaluable.

One of the songs, Why, was inspired by Ryan’s sister, who actually appears in the video.

“I’ll always be grateful to her for her honesty. I was suffering from depression and overindulging in everything, I was on a real destructive path,” he explains. “ but this all came pouring out into the song, I didn’t even realise that it was depression at the time.”

Not surprisingly, Ryan has a love of words and through music they become universally understandable. “I never really listened to bands whilst I was growing up, prefering solo artists like Bill Withers, but some of my influences are Maroon Five and The Script and one of my all time favourites, Fleetwood Mac. I like songs that can stand the test of time something that all Fleetwood Mac’s songs do,” he added.

embark on a UK tour that includes shows in Wakefield at Unity Works on 3 November and Ryan’s home city of Belfast. “We love performing in both these cities,” Ryan added, “and we hope that we can release another single to coincide at the end of October. We have no set date yet for an album but hopefully sometime next year. We have over a hundred songs written and I’m really pleased with 9 or ten of them, so they could be put down on an album.”

Skinny Livings EP featuring Why, Storybook and Only I, is available to download from iTunes.

As we went to press, the band were heading to the USA with performances booked in Boston, LA, New Orleans and Hawaii and when the UK tour concludes, the lads will be focussing on the 2018 festivals.

This Autumn, Skinny Living

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Wakefield & District

Choosing the right school for your child

Choosing the right school for your child is one of the most important things you can do for them. They need to be settled into a creative environment where inspirational teachers can provide them with a love of learning.

Both the nursery and junior school at Ackworth can provide this.

The Junior School at Coram House takes pupils from the age of four through to 11. Children are encouraged to have creative and critical minds, live adventurously and celebrate effort as much as success. Each child is nurtured, inspiring confidence, equality and integrity as well as promoting social and environmental responsibility.

“We have a real family atmosphere at Coram House,” explained Head Teacher Sally Slater, “where teachers, parents and pupils are all encouraged to work closely together. We promote individualised learning in small class sizes to help each child reach their full potential

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and our Forest School swaps the traditional classroom for a woodland setting, where pupils learn new skills amongst the trees and bluebells!”

before and after school care, so you can manage your busy schedule, knowing your child is being properly cared for in a safe and familiar environment.

Being part of an all-through school, pupils can enjoy access to a wide range of facilities including an indoor heated swimming pool, sports hall, gymnasium, cricket and football pitches, tennis courts an all weather hockey pitch as well as an auditorium, and science labs.

Ackworth School is well known for its sport, holding a number of national titles. We therefore have an abundance of sporting opportunities available including, swimming, tennis, cricket, football, netball and tag rugby. We are a table tennis academy too with coaches from Table Tennis England on our staff.

If you’re a working parent, you can relax in the knowledge that we operate an extended day with

Academically, we offer a wide range of subjects including

modern languages Japanese and Spanish for example, drama, music and much, much more.

Ackworth School is set in stunning grounds in the beautiful picturesque village of Ackworth, just outside Pontefract. As well as accepting day students, there are full boarding opportunities and students join the school from all over the world, creating a multicultural and diverse environment.

If you would like more information or to organise a tour of the school and nursery, call the admissions secretary on 01977 624306 or email: admissions@ackworthschool.com.

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Wakefield & District

Images: Antonyoxley Photography

Xscape Yorkshire fires students’ imagination for leisure and tourism College students from Wakefield have been tasked with coming up with the next big thing in leisure and tourism.

Jason Warren

Xscape Yorkshire will challenge talented students at Wakefield College and Minsthorpe Community College to come up with a business model for a new and innovative leisure activity. The students will have just four weeks to work on their ideas before delivering presentations to a panel of business ‘dragons’.

which has supported over 95,000 young people to date with real-life, hands-on experiences designed by local employers.

The competition is part of the FutureJobs programme, a fully-funded service from aspireigen, Leeds City Region LEP, the Education & Skills Funding Agency and the European Social Fund.

The aim of the ‘Xscape to the Future’ competition is to encourage young talent to think big and introduce them to the world of business – with the winning idea displayed at the Castleford-based attraction, which welcomes more than 4 million visitors a year.

Seven groups of students will face a panel of industry experts including Mark Casci, Yorkshire Post’s business editor, Garry Long, partner in three businesses within Xscape, and Jason Warren, Xscape’s General Manager, who will select the overall winner.

The challenge has been is organised with local social enterprise Ahead Partnership

Each group will have 10 minutes to win over the panel with their idea including why

it will prove attractive to customers and sustainable as a business.

Jason said: “We have a huge number of young people visit the centre every year, so it makes complete sense to tap into their passion and creativity when it comes to looking for ideas for the future. It’s practical, hands on experience of the real world which we hope will stand them in good stead as they start their journey towards full-time employment.”

Alex Peel, Project Coordinator at Ahead Partnership, added: “We’re thrilled to be working alongside Xscape to create this exciting hands-on challenge which will engage local young people and help them develop their enterprise and entrepreneurial skills for the future.”

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BEAUTIFUL RANGE OF FULLY SERVICED OFFICES

I N WA K E F I E L D Wakefield Business Centres provide quality serviced offices in centres of Wakefield and Ossett. All offer a range of office suites either furnished, unfurnished, hot desks or virtual, with a friendly unrivalled service and tailor made packages to suit all. Safe gated car parking with CCTV is available and all three buildings are close to major transport links. Excellent meeting room and conference facilities are offered, and the offices in Wakefield are situated 300m from Wakefield Westgate train station with services to London in less than 2 hours, and 5 minutes walk away from Wakefield centre.

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Wakefield & District

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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Wakefield & District

The Interactive YEN Expo2017 business conference

Innovation and technology in the spotlight YEN Expo2017, one of Yorkshire’s biggest and most innovative business events, takes place this year on Monday, November 6.

For the third year running, the conference returns to Bradford College’s impressive David Hockney building.

YEN Expo, run by Yorkshire Enterprise Network, is expected to attract more than 1,500 delegates, with £1 billion worth of industry and services on show.

Now in its sixth year, the conference

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brings together businesses and organisations from across the county to share ideas, develop new opportunities and showcase their products and services to a broadranging business audience.

Attendance continues to grow year-onyear. More than 1,000 delegates visited the 2016 event - a fourfold increase on the 250 turnout recorded before YEN took over the running.

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Wakefield & District Analysis of the 2016 Expo has found that: • 70% of delegates were senior decision-makers in their organisation • 60% were SMEs • Over 150 were directors or senior managers from large corporations • 15% were from public sector organisations • 10% were from NGOs (Notfor-profit organisations).

Building on some of last year’s innovations, the 2017 event will be even more interactive.

The day’s activities will be live-streamed via YouTube and Facebook and live Twitter feeds onscreen will enable delegates to engage and interact in real time.

It will also include a Tech Expo, covering everything from BIG Data (tracking and analytics of your business’s online users and gathering detailed marketing information) to GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), with participants including Google Digital Garage, the multimillion pound initiative to help businesses develop their digital and online skills.

An Innovation Showcase, will feature exhibits include 3D printing, textiles, film and television.

There will be a broad mix of exhibition stands alongside informative events including a rolling programme of panel sessions, seminars, business clinics, international-calibre speakers and networking sessions.

Speakers and panellists will include Bradford Council Chief Executive Kersten England;

Bradford College Chief Executive Andy Welsh; former Bradford South MP and Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe, (now Director of Sutcliffe Swales Consultants and a YEN Patron); and General Manager of Bradford’s The Broadway Shopping Centre, Ian Ward, who is Chairing the recently-launched Bradford BID initiative.

YEN has recently announced new strategic partnerships with Smarter Business Tech LIVE conference in Manchester and The Business Show, London’s biggest business exhibition and the fastest-growing business show in Europe.

Expo Partners also include: Bradford College, Malik House Business Centres, Bradford Council, The Yorkshire Society, Galaxy Comms, The Broadway Shopping Centre, Google Digital Garage, JCI Bradford (Junior Chamber International), 4Networking, and an extensive

organisations to showcase their own brand, the conference gives us an opportunity to shout out to the wider world about what our great city is achieving.

Sheraz Malik range of media partners, including TopicUK. YEN Director Sheraz Malik said: “We’re really excited about all the activities lined up for YEN Expo which is going from strengthto-strength every year. Building on previous achievements, the 2017 event will be even more innovative and more interactive.

“Bradford is the sixth largest city in the UK and is Yorkshire’s third biggest economic powerhouse, generating around £9 billion a year. As well as providing a platform for businesses and

“An extensive network of media partners for this year’s event will enable us to get that message out loud and clear to a direct audience of around 150,000 though print and digital media – with an even greater reach through our broadcast media partners.

Conference activities will also be promoted via the Bradford Big Screen in City Park.

The event goes on from 10am to 4pm in the David Hockney Building, off Great Horton Road, Bradford, and is free to attend for delegates.

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE CONFERENCE, DETAILS OF THE SPONSORSHIP AND EXHIBITION PACKAGES, OR TO REGISTER AS A DELEGATE PLEASE VISIT WWW.YENEXPO.UK

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