TopicUK
ISSUE 11 january 2015
WAKEFIELD & DISTRICT FREE BUSINESS COMMUNITY MAGAZINE
www.topicuk.co.uk
WACCL
Businesses raise funds for local charities
A CutAbove
Philips celebrate 40 Years in Wakefield
RESTAURANT REVIEW Dining out with Claire Young
Health
Is your job making you ill?
Wakefield District Housing First event proves a success
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Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 3
Last issue we published an image on the front cover of TopicUK submitted by Unity Works. A credit for the photographer was omitted so we would like to rectify this. The fabulous shot of The Cribs taken during their performance at the opening of Unity Works was taken by John Jowett. John can be contacted by email john2755@ymail. com or call 01924 254003
SUMMAR & Conte
GILL LAIDLER EDITOR ROB BLACKWELL CREATIVE DIRECTOR LOCAL HEROES/CHARITY SAMGRUNDY, KIDS.ORG THE ARTS MURRAY EDWARDS, THEATRE ROYAL FASHION EMMA LELLIOTT, TRINITY WALK LEGAL MATTERS RAMSDENS BEAUTY & WELLBEING CHILL BEAUTY SALON HEALTH HELEN LAIRD, PUBLIC HEALTH DEPT FOOD & RESTAURANT REVIEW KEVIN TRICKETT, WAKEFIELD CIVIC SOCIETY RECRUITMENT ANDY TURNER, FIRST CHOICE RECRUITMENT SOCIAL MEDIA SINEAD SOPALA, RAMSDENS SOLICITORS BANKING JONATHAN ROSTRON, SANTANDER IT PAUL HEIGHAM, BELLINGHAM IT EDUCATION CLAIRE YOUNG, SCHOOL SPEAKERS
Wakefield's Business Commu
Photograhy - Danny Gartside 07834 705736 www.dannygartside.com Cover Image Paul Reid and Joane Roney - Amy Charles Pho
WHERE TO PICK UP YOUR COPY • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Wakefield One Business Centre Theatre Royal Wakefield Cedar Court Hotel Wakefield Trinity Walk Shopping Centre The Ridings Shopping Centre The Hepworth Ramsdens Solicitors Chadwick Lawrence Solicitors Westgate Train Station Wakefield Business Centres Wakefield Chamber of Commerce Tourist Information Centre Leeds Bradford International Airport • Sainsburys, Trinity Walk • Unity Hall NEWS • Wakefield Wildcats ROUNDUP Plus a number of smaller outlets. If Local news and you would like to stock copies, call events from us on 07711 539047 or email the address below. Alternatively, to ensure around the region you receive a regular copy, you can subscribe and receive your own copy direct by post for just £20 per annum. To subscribe email your details to editor@topicuk.co.uk
06 12 20 WAACL
the Second Wakefield Annual Charity Christmas Lunch Took Place On 11 December at Cedar Court Hotel...
BANKING
Going Global is a question many local businesses will ponder at this time of year. The answer could well be “Hopefully more of the same!”
Tel: 07711 539047 Email - editor@topicuk.co.uk - www.topicuk.co.uk
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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 misint this magazine, the publisher/editor cannot accept any responsibility for errors in articles, advertisements or programme schedules. To subscribe to this magazi Limited. Law pages are written by Ramsdens Solicitors and TopicUK is not responsible for any advice given
RY ents
TopicUK EDITORS
NOTES
A
s we move into 2015 we have exciting news. Due to demand, we are to launch a second issue of TopicUK in the Huddersfield & Halifax areas.
unity Magazine
If you know of any businesses in those areas who would benefit from free PR on newsworthy stories as well as affordable advertising and sponsorship rates, please let them know.
Follow the Editor @topic_uk
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40 48 57 FITNESS
In the developing world, overweight and obese adults have almost quadrupled to around one billion...
COUNCIL NEWS
What Wakefield Wants, Innovative partnership helps businesses in West Yorkshire
IT
10 Gadgets to look for in 2015 If you thought 2014 was awash with innovative gadgets, just wait for 2015!
TopicUK Wakefield would like to close 2014 with a huge thanks to our 16 sponsors, our contributors and our regular advertisers, without whom this magazine would not be possible. We hope we can continue to support one another throughout 2015. We are proud to have been asked to partner a number of charitable events for 2014/15. Once again, TopicUK was the official partner of the WACCL lunch and you can read about this fantastic event on pages 12 & 13. In 2015, we will officially partner Theatre Royal Wakefield as they celebrate their 120th anniversary with a Gala Dinner on 13th February, for what will be a most spectacular event. TopicUK will also partner WDHCS at their annual ball on 17th April at Cedar Court Hotel. Tickets for both these events are selling fast, so if you would like to attend, contact us at TopicUK as soon as possible to secure your place. Our Digital version launched in September has been well received and as a result we are able to share even more local news stories with you. Please keep your stories coming in. Last issue we doubled our print run and 500 copies were mailed directly to Wakefield businesses. We would like to offer special thanks to Acxiom for their support in helping us to do this. I hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas and all looking forward to a successful and prosperous New year.
terpretation. Reproduction of this magazine without the express permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. Whilst every care is taken in the production of ine, submit an article or press release please contact Gill Laidler on: 07711 539047 or email topicuk@ghost-communications.com Published by Ghost Publishing Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 5
•• NEWS
ROUND UP
WDH PARTNER EVENT PROVES A SUCCESS Wakefield and District Housing’s (WDH) first ever major stakeholder event – ‘Writing Our Own Future’ – has encouraged partners to help shape the way WDH provides its services over the coming years.
The event, held at the recently-refurbished Unity Works, attracted representatives from nearly 80 partner organisations, who discussed the different issues affecting Wakefield’s communities and how they can work together to improve life for tenants and residents. The event was opened by WDH Chief Executive, Kevin Dodd, who introduced four ambitions: · · · ·
Opportunities for all Building better places A digital future Health and wellbeing.
Keynote speeches were then delivered by Paul Reid, Managing Director at Reid Aviation Solutions and Chair of Wakefield First, Dylan Chipp, co-founder of Voluntas MRS Limited, Daniel Klemm, National Housing Federation Manager in the Yorkshire and Humber, Jo Webster and Dr Phil Earnshaw of the NHS Wakefield Clinical Commissioning Group, who looked at the four themes in more detail. Following a brief question and answer session, attendees took part in hourlong group discussions around the four themes about how they can work with WDH to tackle issues affecting the district and debated whether the ambitions are challenging enough and how they can be delivered.
The event was extremely successful, and WDH will be using ideas and feedback from the day to shape how the landlord does business over the coming years as it progresses towards its Vision to 2020 and create confident communities. Kevin said: “Stakeholder engagement is more crucial than ever before because of the new and emerging challenges our business face. “By working in partnership we can meet these challenges for the benefits of our tenants and the wider communities. Our discussions were extremely positive and constructive, and we are already using the feedback to build our plans for the future. “WDH’s stakeholder event is part of a wider journey which involves working with employees, Board members, tenants via our Neighbourhood Panels, elected members and many more people and groups who have a key interest in the business and the Wakefield district.” www.wdh.co.uk
Ramsdens Win Law Society Excellence Award
Ramsdens Solicitors are celebrating more award success, this time winning the prestigious CQS Award for Excellence in Conveyancing Practice, 2014. Karen James, Partner and Head of Conveyancing comments: “I am incredibly honoured that the team have won such a prestigious and coveted award. They are such a dedicated, hardworking and committed bunch of people and I am so proud that their efforts have been recognised, nationally. The fact that this is their second national award in the
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space of two weeks, is the absolute icing on the cake.” The judges remarked that the Conveyancing Quality Standard (CQS) values were central to the ethos of Ramsdens, which has embraced the scheme to improve efficiency across the practice and raise levels of client care and that use of technology was central to the
THEATRE ROYAL WAKEFIELD CELEBRATES 120 YEARS
Discussions during WDH's 'Writing Our Own Future' event were captured using visual minutes.
firm’s success which helped engage staff at all levels. Ramsdens conveyancing team also won the Regional Conveyanicng Firm of the Year Yorkshire and North East and Overall Conveyancing Firm of the Year at the Law Firm Services Awards recently. The Law Society Excellence Awards recognise the outstanding achievement by legal professionals at firms of all sizes across England and Wales, in categories ranging from community investment to client service. They are designed to recognise best practice across the entire legal profession and to celebrate excellence and outstanding achievement in areas that are central to the delivery
of law today. They highlight innovative business and quality of life practices, successful approaches to practice management, contributions through social responsibility and equality and diversity initiatives. Paul Joyce, Managing Partner at Ramsdens said: “Winning these awards demonstrates our dedication to delivering the highest quality service to our clients and are accolades we are very proud to have won.” Helen Thewlis , Partner and Head of Family, was also a finalists in the Legal Business Woman of the Year at the Excellence Awards.
As corporate partners, TopicUK recently attended Theatre Royal Wakefield’s 120th Anniversary Celebrations, attended by Frank Matcham (lookalike actor who caused a bit of a stir) and with a special performance by young Shakespearian actors. The event began with a drinks reception followed by speeches from Theatre Director Murray Edwards, Patron, Claire Young and Sir Rodney Walker who has been a loyal supporter of the theatre for many years and who made a personal donation of £5,000 on the night. Sir Rodney said: “Over the last 120 years many people have chosen to celebrate special occasions at the theatre, where special moments have been created.” He appealed for people who share a love of the theatre to support the 120th Anniversary Appeal to raise £120,000 over the next twelve months. One of the ways this can be done is to sponsor a seat for just £10 per month. Find out how you can do this by visiting the website www. theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk In the days following the reception more donations we received totalling £4,300 and staff at the theatre would like to extend their thanks to all who have supported so far. Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 7
•• NEWS
ROUND UP
IndiaCoco celebrate success at Huddersfield Business Awards
JOB FAIR ATTRACTS LARGE CROWDS A jobs fair, organised by Conservative candidate Andrea Jenkyns, attracted over 300 job seekers to Morley Town Hall. The Morley and Outwood Jobs and Skills Fair was organised to promote jobs and apprenticeships within the constituency. Sponsored by Associated Waste Management and Corecom Consulting, over 300 visitors met representatives from 30 organisations, who were advertising jobs, apprenticeships and opportunities. The fair was opened by Yorkshire sports magnate and Tour de France chairman Sir Rodney Walker, alongside Morley Mayor Cllr Wyn Kidger. Local firms Intoo and First Choice Recruitment led communications and CV writing workshops, providing job seekers with the skills they need to impress potential employers. A number of high profile companies advertised vacancies, including Yorkshire Water, BSkyB and Skipton Building Society, alongside local firms and training providers. Andrea Jenkyns told TopicUK “There are lots of great opportunities in our
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area, whether people are seeking their first job, want to start an apprenticeship, want a change of career, or are getting back into work. I organised the event to show people what’s on offer and to show employers the high quality of candidates they can find on their doorstep. As someone who started work on the shop floor at 18, I know getting the job you want isn’t just about being able, it’s about showing ability, so the skills workshops demonstrated to employers why candidates were right for the jobs on offer.” Drighlington resident Tony Ashton said “The communication workshop was interesting, in an open and relaxed environment. It’s great to see so many new opportunities in Morley.” Local businesswoman Paige Smith, of Tingley said ”I think Andrea did a brilliant job with the Jobs and Skills Fair. It’s helped a lot of small and large businesses. We’ve received a lot of interest.”
Enterprise and effort was rewarded to many businesses attending the ninth Huddersfield Examiner Business Awards, hosted by BBC Look North presenter, Harry Gration MBE, at the John Smith’s Stadium. One business celebrating was Wakefield based retailer IndiaCoco. Set up just two years ago on founder Claire Harper’s kitchen table, IndiaCoco was awarded winner in the New Business of the Year category. Commenting on the award Claire told TopicUK: “Winning this award is a recognition of the team’s hard work in helping our business grow and we would like to thank our valued customers, the business community and of course the media for their ongoing support.” Pictured: Claire Harper and Julia Guiseley receive their award from Jacqui Gedman of Kirklees Council and Harry Gration MBE. Photo courtesy of Huddersfield Examiner.
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Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 9
•• NEWS
ROUND UP
RT HON CHRIS GRAYLING MP PAYS A VISIT TO WAKEFIELD LAW FIRM
T
he Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor, the Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP was welcomed at a reception held by Beaumont Legal, one of the fastest growing law practices in the UK, to congratulate the first nine graduates from their new £150,000 training academy. Chris Grayling officially opened the training academy at Beaumont’s new office in Wakefield as well as meeting business leaders from the region and debating hot topics from the legal sector. He said: “It’s great to be here in Yorkshire and to celebrate the successes of the graduates and training academy. There is still plenty of work to do to improve the economy, but Beaumont Legal is a real example of growth and success. We can continue to drive economic growth and business success by investing in good people in the legal sector,” he continued. “The future is all about smart technology, new business models and innovation
to set the benchmark in the sector.” Roy Cusworth, Senior Partner and Head of Commercial Law at Beaumont Legal said: “we were honoured that the Lord Chancellor could reward and celebrate the first batch of recruits graduating from the training academy. Mr Grayling’s visit comes at an exciting time for Beaumont Legal due to our expansion and our investment in our training academy. “We have some fantastic young talent and are educating the next
generation of legal stars. We believe in investing in talent and rewarding hard work, something that has become a reality with the opening of the training academy.” With a turnover exceeding £5m, Beaumont Legal is at the forefront of the provision of modern legal services and continues to expand. Anyone interested in being part of, or enrolling into the training academy should visit www.beaumontlegal.co.uk/about/recruitment/
JOIN THEATRE ROYAL FOR A SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY VARIETY PERFORMANCE on 13th February 2015 to celebrate their 120th Anniversary. Tickets are available for this black tie event which will feature a champagne reception and three course dinner at the newly refurbished Unity Hall and special performances at the theatre featuring Bouncers; Les Miserables; The Voice singers Frances Wood and Sophie May Williams with Billy Pearce along with surprise guests. The Gala Dinner Champagne package price is £675 for a table of 8 guests, champagne and wine with the meal and Dress Circle seats. Standard package price is £600 for a table
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of 8 guests, wine with the meal and premier seat in the stalls. Individual tickets for couples and their guests are £75.00. This is a fantastic one-off Gala Performance not to be missed with all proceeds going to the Theatre Trust for improvements at the theatre. To reserve tickets contact Jon Ingham by email: jon.ingham@theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk or call 01924 334116. www.theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk
PRIDE FOR THEATRE ROYAL AS WINNERS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AWARD Theatre Royal Wakefield Are Celebrating Winning The Community Business Award, Sponsored By Qbe Insurance In The Recent Yorkshire Post Excellence In Business Awards Held At The Queens Hotel, Leeds. As the theatre enters its 120th year, they are delighted to announce that audience numbers for drama and plays rose by 70 percent between 2012 and 2013 and they attract more than 75,000 people each year to performances. Theatre Royal, which employs 25 staff and has a £1.5m turnover, has a long standing commitment to engage professional artists to work with young people through Wakefield Youth Music Theatre. They have brought established West End Musicals including Miss Saigon, Les Miserables and Cats to the stage, developing talented youth casts which are drawn from across West Yorkshire. Their season culminates with the production of a traditional pantomime, which engages a community chorus of 24 young performers who support the professional cast. Last year’s Jack
and the Beanstalk attracted audiences in excess of 27,000 and it is currently working towards record attendances for this year’s Beauty and The Beast. Murray Edwards, executive director said: “I think we won because we are deeply embedded in our community and because its a two way process - we give something to the community and the community has been fantastically supportive of the theatre. As was said in the citation, funding in the regions is difficult and as we have lost funding, our community has stepped in to help us, that’s why we’re still here. We will be celebrating our 120th Anniversary with a Gala Variety Performance in February and we hope that once again our community will turn out and support us whilst enjoying a fantastic one-off theatre performance.”
GOVERNMENT TO ADDRESS THE NORTH SOUTH DIVIDE After over four years into the Coalition and 13 years of the previous Labour Government, Ministers and shadow Ministers are at last realising the importance of addressing the North South transport divide. Political posturing it might be, but the Northern genie is now out of the bottle. Earlier this year the Transport Secretary admitted that in 2012/13, Department for Transport spending per head of population was just £246 in Yorkshire and Humber compared to £545 in London. With Yorkshire and the North West key battle grounds for the General Election, it is perhaps no coincidence that David Cameron and George Osborne have embraced proposals for a HS3 transPennine rail route to transform inter-city connections in the North.
“As important to the North of England as Crossrail is for London” Sir David Higgins, Chairman of HS2, declared that the plans were “as important to the North of England as Crossrail is for London” in addressing the sceptics, such as the Institute for Economic Affairs which dubbed proposals for HS3 as “little more than a costly vanity project.” With all parties now signed up to address the need for radical transport infrastructure improvements in the North, the only question now remains, when? As business and local authority leaders point out, we can’t afford to wait for aspirational promises, there needs to rail and road improvements now.
Geoffrey Lawler, The Public Affairs Company, a Leeds based Government relations consultancy. For more information email: pac@publicaffairsco.com
Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 11
•• FEATURE
Granvil and Sue Williams.
WACCL Chairman Ian Taylor and guests
GENEROUS BUSINESSES RAISE VITAL FUNDS FOR TWO LOCAL CHARITIES THE SE CON D WA K E F IEL D A N N UA L C H A R IT Y CHR ISTMAS LUNCH TO O K PL ACE O N 1 1 DE CE MBE R AT CE DA R COU RT H OT E L , W H ER E 3 00 B US INE SS PE O PL E F R O M ACR O SS THE DISTR ICT CAME TOGE T HE R TO R AIS E M O N EY F O R T WO LO CAL CHAR ITIE S.
Malcolm Lord and Pat Langham
Photographs courtesy of Amy Childs Photography & Danny Gartside
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Theatre Royal Wakefield, was the design and vision of famous architect Frank Matcham. It is one of the smallest remaining Matcham theatre auditoriums and a shining example of his work and demonstrates his incredible ability to deliver a beautiful theatrical environment within a very tight space.
The second is to act as the bridge with the local community and voluntary sector, ensuring that grants are used to address real needs and problems. Donors are secure in the knowledge that every penny that they donate is spent directly on supporting local people.
The Theatre has a range of opportunities for people to get involved. They are renowned for and proud of their Wakefield Youth Music Theatre but they do much more!
Guests enjoyed a glass of fizz and had a chance to network on arrival, before being seated for a delicious three course lunch.
The Community Foundation for Wakefield District was established in 2007. They rely on donations from individual and corporate donors, whose generosity supports our grantmaking programme. They have two key roles. One is to act as a ‘Philanthropy Advisor’ working in a professional and confidential way with individuals, organisations and companies to establish and then manage a wide range of charitable funds.
Entertainment was provided by Theatre Royal Performance Academy Kidz, before guests enjoyed games and an auction, helping with additional funds totalling a fantastic £23,500, smashing last years total of £13,500, which will be divided equally between both charities. The 2015 Christmas lunch will take place on 10 December at Cedar Court. To find out how you can get involved email ian@waccl. co.uk or visit www.waccl.co.uk
Jonathon Rostrun, Claire (centre) and Jennifer Kendall
Sir Rodney & Lady Anne Walker with Murray Edwards
Please be seated for lunch
Claire Young and Andy Turner
Wakefield Youth Academy entertain the guests
Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 13
•• THE
ARTS
ARTS COUNCIL MUST REBALANCE CASH TO REGIONS URGENTLY MP’ S ON T H E C ULT UR E M E DIA & S P O RT SE LE CT COM M IT T EE H AV E CA L L E D O N A RTS COU N C IL EN G L A N D TO A DDR E S S T H E FU N D I N G IM B A L A N C E B E T W E E N LON D ON A N D T H E RE G IO N S W IT H 'G RE ATE R U R GE N CY ' AN D ' M UC H FAST E R T H A N IT HAS H I T H E RTO B E E N .'
They agree that there is a significant funding imbalance in favour of London at the expense of tax payers and lottery players in other parts of the country, which must be rectified.
Murray Edwards EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
This follows from the rebalancing Our Cultural Capital report produced by Peter Stark, Christopher Gordon and David Powell the details of which I outlined in a previous article for TopicUK (July) which claimed that London organisations received five times the amount of ACE funding per capita than regional areas.
URGENCY The committee’s report says: “the arts council is well placed to tackle the clear imbalance of funding that favours London unfairly. It must do so with greater urgency if it is to realise its declared ambition to engineer the provision of great art and culture for everyone”. The report urges ACE to take a stronger stance with local authorities that show “little inclination to support the arts” and says there is “little point in pumping public
money into areas that do not particularly want or need it”. The report emphasises that more can be done to foster cultural partnerships across the country, stating that there is “scope for different potential sources of funding to be better coordinated”. It adds that while is potential for organisations to raise more through philanthropy, money has become more difficult to secure and that “£5 cheques – even lots of them – will only go so far”.
PRAISES The report praises ACE for its increased involvement with museums and libraries, the development of music education
Theatre Royal Wakefield, Drury Lane, Wakefield WF1 2TE - www.theatreroyalwakefie 14
Revolution scene from Wakefield Theatre's Beauty and the Best - Photo by Amy Charles Photography hubs and for increased lottery funding for the arts, adding up to £210 million in 2015-18. Amongst the recommendations set out in the report is that the government should consider an increase in ACE grand in aid, and the increased money should be “earmarked for the English regions beyond the M25.”
RESOURCES Responding to the report, the Chair of Arts Council England Peter Bazalgette said “we share the desire for a speedy response to the historic challenges to rebalancing. However
it is difficult to act urgently when our income is shrinking; additional resources would certainly allow for greater flexibility in supporting our ambition to achieve this”.
SUPPORTING Harriet Harman, shadow culture secretary, criticised the government for talking “a lot about devolution and supporting the regions, but when it comes to the arts they are not walking the talk”. She continued “this report highlights the government’s ignorance of the key role of local authorities in supporting arts and
culture, and shows that DCMS ministers are not engaging with local authorities”.This is a key issue for all those organisations currently facing the challenges of reduced funding. In this context it is important to note that here in Wakefield we have a local authority which recognises the importance of cultural activity in both economic and social terms. Theatre Royal Wakefield are currently celebrating their 120th anniversary. For details contact murray.edwards@ theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk
eld.co.uk - tel: 01924 211311 - mail@theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 15
•• FASHION
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•• LAW
Each issue Ramsdens Solicitors will share with TopicUK 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 and we'll get Ramsdens to answer it for you.
LEGAL MATTERS
Employment Law: Landmark ruling on holiday back pay Businesses across the UK are facing a multi-billionpound bill after a tribunal ruled that overtime should be taken into account when holiday pay is calculated. In a landmark case, the Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled that it is wrong for employers to only take into account basic pay when calculating how much an employee should be paid while they are on holiday. Following the ruling, workers can now make backdated claims, but only if it is less than three months since their last holiday, or last incorrect payment. As reported by The Telegraph, the tribunal involved employees from three firms: industrial services company Hertel, engineering firm Amec and roads maintenance business Bear Scotland. Under EU law, staff are entitled to four weeks’ holiday pay a year but there are no details on how it should be calculated. Business Secretary Vince Cable said he has set up a taskforce to assess the implications. “We will review the judgment in detail as a matter of urgency to properly understand the financial exposure employers face. “The group will convene shortly to discuss the judgment.” The UK’s interpretation of the law, implemented in 1998, says holiday pay should be at the basic rate, and it is a grey area for those who work overtime or receive variable pay. The Employment Appeal Tribunal ruled today that voluntary overtime and being on stand-by for emergency call-outs should be included when calculating holiday pay. Around five million workers, a sixth of the total UK workforce, currently do overtime. Business groups including the British Chambers of Commerce, the Institute of Directors and the Federation of Small Businesses have all criticised the ruling.
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Managers Benefit From Government Guidance on workers using own devices for work
Managers considering their organisations' 'Bring Your Own Device' (BYOD) policies can download new government guidance on security issues where employees use their own devices for work purposes. BYOD issues are increasingly common as employers allow remote and flexible workers – and even permanent, on-site employees in some businesses - to use their own laptops, phones, tablets and other devices in their work. The new guidance, BYOD Guidance: Executive Summary (part of a larger 'collection' of publications called Bring Your Own Device Guidance) aims to help organisations deal with key security aspects arising from allowing employees to use their own devices for work, and to minimise risk and maximise business benefit. It includes guidance on: • legal issues; • how to create an effective BYOD policy setting out the information workers are allowed to access and share; • how to encourage staff agreement; • how to limit information shared on devices; • alternative ownership models (such as offering work devices staff can also use for personal matters if they agree to certain controls); • how to plan for security incidents.
HEART OF THE UK
FIELD DISTRICT IS ONE OF THE
MOST ACCESSIBLE PLACES
THE SCULPTOR BARBARA HEPWORTH WAS BORN IN WAKEFIELD
70%
OF THE DISTRICT IS URESQUE GREEN BELT
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WAKEFIELD FIRST, THE MEMBERSHIP SCHEME AIMS TO SECURE SIGNIFICANT INWARD INVESTMENT BY PROMOTING A POSITIVE IMAGE, RAISING THE PROFILE OF THE DISTRICT AND ALL IT OFFERS TO THE BENEFIT OF LOCAL BUSINESSES, RESIDENTS AND STAKEHOLDERS.
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THE WAKEFIELD FIRST BONDHOLDER SCHEME IS A PRIVATE SECTOR INITIATIVE TO BRAND AND PROMOTE THE WAKEFIELD DISTRICT TO A LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE.
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WAKEFIELD HAS A PROUD MANUFACTURING HISTORY, WITH COMPANIES SUCH AS BURBERRY AND GROUP RHODES HAVING OPERATED IN THE DISTRICT FOR DECADES IN A SECTOR THAT EMPLOYS SOME 15,500 PEOPLE
PEOPLE IN THE
the Wakefield Wallpaper
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•• BANKING
& ECONOMY
READY? SET? GO INTERNATIONAL! So what does 2015 hold in store for your business? This is a question many local businesses will ponder at this time of year. The answer could well be “Hopefully more of the same!”, however many businesses are thinking “Well we’re doing well in the UK, where do we go next ?”
G
oing abroad is not a rush exercise, there are lots of considerations to factor in – the red tape, the licences, the tax, the duties, the shipping, the documentation, country of origin content rules and more – and this is before you’ve found a reliable counterparty to trade with (i.e. someone who will pay you on time and to the amount expected) Trepidations? Seems a lot to take on board? No problem, it’s all achievable and lots of local companies have already been there, seen it, done it and now it could be your turn – and that’s where a great banking partner comes into play. Not only do you need someone to provide you with the right finance package, wouldn’t it be great if they could provide you with in-country analysis, coupled with links to local experts. Well this is what we’ve been providing for businesses throughout 2014, a total international trade package to help you take the next steps. The first step is to work out which countries should be on your radar - a logical starting point will be understanding who buys the most
of it. The Santander Trade Portal (santandertrade.com) is a fantastic tool to identify the best countries by volume, right down to the businesses who are buying your product, the contact details and even when the relevant trade fairs are running. Once you’ve worked out who is buying what and where, let’s work out whether it’s going to be profitable and feasible to trade there, looking at exchange rates, shipping and duties (again a lot of this is on the portal). So, finally settled on the strategy? Then a good way of making the first trip could be as part of a trade mission with other businesses. Over the past couple of months we’ve taken more than 20 businesses to Brazil, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and they’ve won new contracts. In the next six months we are running trade missions to Spain, Mexico, USA, Poland and Brazil, followed later in the year by the UAE, China and Japan - so drop me a line and let’s grab a coffee and see how we could help you take your business international in 2015. Contact me at jonathan. rostron@santander.co.uk
Every eight minutes we help a business take on the world
Whether building your local network or a global presence, we could help your business achieve its next breakthrough. To find out more visit santandercb.co.uk or contact Jonathan Rostron 07850 640 600 jonathan.rostron@santander.co.uk
Source: Internal data 2014. Santander Corporate & Commercial is a brand name of Santander UK plc, Abbey National Treasury Services plc (which also uses the brand name Santander Global Banking and Markets) and Santander Asset Finance plc, all (with the exception of Santander Asset Finance plc) authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Our Financial Services Register numbers are 106054 and 146003 respectively. Credit cards are provided by Santander UK plc. In Jersey, Santander UK plc is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission to carry on deposit-taking business under the Banking Business (Jersey) Law 1991. Registered office: 2 Triton Square, Regent’s Place, London NW1 3AN. Company numbers: 2294747, 2338548 and 1533123 respectively. Registered in England. Santander and the flame logo are registered trademarks. Santander UK plc is a participant in the Jersey Bank Depositors Compensation Scheme. The Scheme offers protection for eligible deposits of up to £50,000. The maximum total amount of compensation is capped at £100,000,000 in any 5 year period. Full details of the Scheme and banking groups covered are available on the States of Jersey website (www.gov.je/dcs) or on request. CCBB 0580 NOV 14 HT
PHILIPS
HAIR SALONS
Creating Beautiful Hair for 40 Years 22
•• LOCAL
HEROES
BEING AT THE CUTTING EDGE IS THE KEY TO PHILIP’S SUCCESS PHILIP D I CKI N SON IS O N E O F WA KEFI E LD’ S MU CH LOV ED A N D WEL L KN OWN CHA R AC T ER S . T H IS YEA R HE I S CE LE BR AT IN G 4 0 YEA RS I N B U SI N E SS , H IS F IR ST HA IRDR E SS I N G SA LO N O P EN E D IN PROV I D E N CE ST R E E T IN NOV EMBE R 1 974. The Local Heroes interviews are undertaken by Sam Grundy from Kids.org.
Philip originally hales from Preston and still has a love of Preston North End FC. He has had a very interesting career starting his working life as an administrator for the NHS before moving into bingo calling at night, whilst learning to cut hair during the day. It’s obvious when meeting Philip that he is very social and loves making people feel good about themselves and his infectious enthusiasm and energy is refreshing to be around. When Philip opened his first salon, it was the worst possible time to launch a new business, in the middle of a three day working week and the country facing major power cuts. So what was his secret?
He brought to Wakefield new techniques such as the blow dry and his salon was the first in Wakefield to open six days a week, even causing a stir by staying open on a Wednesday, traditionally a half day. Philip recalls being visited by concerned representatives from the Trade Council suggesting that opening Wednesday afternoon would be bad for everyone! Unthinkable today that services then weren’t run for the convenience of customers!
outstanding quality of their provision.
Philips second salon opened in Ossett later that year and by 1985 there were 11 salons with over 150 employees. Today, there are 4 salons and two academies supporting the training of 150 apprentices that recently was awarded Grade 1 from OFSTED for the
So what keeps him in Yorkshire? “I live near Cannon Hall and particularly love the countryside in that area and the real quality of Wakefield and its people.” So what would he change about Wakefield if he could? “There is not enough support
So what’s the secret of Philip’s success? He believes its because they have always been at the forefront of new technology, techniques and fashion. Philip is ambitious and has always taken a keen interest in the little details of each salon and one of the overriding dynamics of the business is the retention of staff. “Most of my staff have started their careers in our academy and stayed with us due to our ‘family’ atmosphere,” said Philip.
Continued Over ▶▶ Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 23
for independent local small business and a rates band that recognised local businesses. We should allow independents to occupy the many empty shop units, helping to invigorate the high street whilst making the town more diverse and not dominated by chains and franchises,” he told us. Philips journey has been full of ‘firsts’. His salon was the first beauty salon in Wakefield and the first salon chain to advertise on television. He wrote and starred in his own commercial with the strap line: ‘If you’re not becoming to him, you should be coming to us!’ A bit of a media celebrity in his time, Philip had a regular feature on Radio Aire alongside Peter Levy, where they got up to some mad-cap exploits on air! One episode featured Philip styling a listeners hair in The Ridings Shopping Centre, audiences were riveted listening to him washing his volunteers hair in the fountain alongside the food court as there were no sinks! Philip has a passion for golf and when dining out, he particularly likes the Cow Shed, The Smoke House and ‘The Taps’ in Ossett. When asked about retirement at a young 69, Philip told TopicUK that he still loves the business, as changing the whole demeanour of a person with a good hair style is wonderful and doesn’t intend stopping. “Hairdressing is great career for being happy, talking to people and making them look and feel great is very rewarding, what more could you ask from life but to make people happy,” he concluded.
Salons
Academies:
7 Providence Street, Wakefield. 01924 368187 103a Queen Street, Morley. 0113 238 0392 Bank Street, Ossett. 01924 278094 39 Standbridge Lane, Sandal. 01924 258721
7 Providence Street, Wakefield. 01924 200940 Entrada House, 6 East Street, Leeds. 0113 242 9988
GlennanWealth Management Limited Email: info@gwmfinancial.co.uk
FINANCIAL PLANNING AND INVESTMENT PLANNING SERVICES FOR PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS, COMPANIES, TRUSTS AND CHARITIES.
WE PROVIDE AN INDEPENDENT ADVICE SERVICE, DELIVERED IN PLAIN ENGLISH BY HIGHLY QUALIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERS. WE ALSO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SERVICES FOR BUSINESS OWNERS
Offices now in Wakefield!
The Grainstore Woolpacks Yard Wakefield WF1 2SG Telephone: 01924 377607 Fax: 0333 3449425
THROUGH OUR TRADING STYLE GWM CORPORATE FINANCIAL SERVICES COVERING: • • • • • • • • •
24
Director Pension Planning and Profit Extraction Business Protection Shareholder and Partnership Protection Keyperson Cover Workplace Pension Reform - Auto Enrolment Employee Pension Planning Employee Benefit Schemes Health Insurance Capital Raising and Restructuring
Offices also in Leeds at:
West One 114 Wellington Street Leeds LS1 1BA Telephone: 0113 388 4885 Fax: 0113 203 1429
•• HAIR
Make 2015 the year for a new you
full body massage or just on the back, neck and shoulder area where most people tend to hold a lot of tension.
Facial
With our busy lifestyles and hectic work life it is often quite difficult to squeeze in time to pamper ourselves. The New Year is a great time to take a look at ways in which we can take more time out from our every day stresses and make a little bit more time for ourselves - so go on, make this year the year to pamper yourself!
Massage
Having a massage is a great way to pamper ourselves after a hard day at the office or as a great reward for a welldone workout. There are lots of different types of massage available, but by using hot stones to massage, the heat of the stones warm and relax the muscles, which allows the therapist to apply deeper pressure, if desired. The warmth of the hot stones also improves circulation and calms the nervous system. The hot stones can be used to carry out a
-20%
& BEAUTY
The winter months tend to take a toll on our skin. Changes in the weather often dehydrate the skin, so January is a great time to book in for a facial which will gently exfoliate and hydrate the skin. Chill Beauty would recommend an ESPA Skin Radiance facial using the Skin Radiance products to give the skin an instant glow or a new ESPA Cellular Renewal Enzyme Facial with a powerful and highly effective natural facial peel which smoothes, softens and evens skin tone. Take a look at their advert for special January discounts.
Make–up
New makeup can lift your spirits, so in the New year take time to go through your makeup drawer and throw away both the old and unused things that you have accumulated. If you have had a product in your makeup bag which has been used and is more than 18months old, throw it away! This is also a great time to book into a salon for a makeup lesson. It gives you the opportunity to take a look at the new seasons colours and styles and pick up useful tips from the makeup artist. Start the New Year off by taking time out for yourself. And see how much more enjoyable 2015 can be!
Pamper NEW YEAR
Chill Beauty, The Old Co-op Building, Cooperative Street, Lofthouse Wakefield, WF3 3NQ Book a Hot Stones Back, Neck & Shoulder Massage or an ESPA Skin Radiance Facial or Renew Enzyme Facial in January and receive
20% off
tel: 01924 873000 Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 25
•• SPONSORS
Wakefield Business Centres WBC provide quality serviced offices in the centre of Wakefield and Ossett. Established in 2003 WBC allow tenants flexible terms that suit their business. They believe in providing a professional environment and assisting tenants with a service that goes well beyond expectations. A wide range of workspace and provisions allow tenants to grow including; virtual office, hot desks and dedicated workspace to dedicated office suites. Comprehensive facilities such as a manned reception, conference facilities, secretarial duties, Virtual PA, fax to email and mentoring provide an unrivalled quality service. Their Business Centres are in three locations;
• Langham House, Westgate, Wakefield • Merchant House, Cheapside, Wakefield • Prospect House, Ossett Town Centre Included services are ultra fast internet with redundancy provision, heating, electricity, water, cleaning, 24hr access, CCTV, personal intercom and waste disposal. Options include telephones, IT support and onsite parking. Short term leases can be provided and financial assistance is available for new start up companies. Langham and Merchant House are situated close to Wakefield Westgate train station with services to London taking less than 2 hours. For details contact info@ wakefieldbusinesscentre.co.uk 01924 580959
Wakefield Bondholder Business people from across the district are waking up to a new look First Friday following an overhaul by The Wakefield First Bondholder Scheme, who have moved the popular business event to a more convenient breakfast slot. Used as a vehicle to promote and support growth within the district, First Friday will continue to offer economic insights and facilitate networking between likeminded business people. The Wakefield First Bondholder Scheme
will be staging First Friday at a variety of locations giving those attending an insight into what is on offer throughout the region. Chair, Adrian Spawforth comments: “First Friday continues to be popular, our goal is to attract even more business people by hosting them as a more convenient and cost effective breakfast event. “We are also looking forward to working with delegates to further shape the event over the coming months.”
Quality staging equipment from LS-Live LS-Live, a local family run business, offer one of the biggest rental stocks of quality staging equipment in the industry, which services local one-off orders up to full tour hire packages. We can hire a range of equipment, give free advice on what you might need for your project, help design your production and provide our experienced crew to build, install or operate your equipment. We regularly sell our ex-hire kit in order to replenish our stock with new equipment and maintain our high standards. Please get in touch if you wish to purchase any of our hire stock on an ex-rental basis. sales@ls-live.com 01977 659888
FEATHERSTONE ROVERS
TopicUK EXPANDS IN 2015 AND WE WANT YOUR NEWS! Due to the success of TopicUK in Wakefield and District, we have decided to launch a second edition in Huddersfield and Halifax. It is our intention to hold our second Anniversary party at The John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield, which will coincide with the launch of the new edition. Operated as a social enterprise TopicUK is the only B2B magazine in the district, that aims to help all businesses by providing free PR for companies with a credible news story. We are unique in that our stories are submitted by contributory editors who are specialists in their field and is not sourced
information by journalists. We are proud that this is a community magazine and we welcome contributions from everyone. We are now looking for businesses from Huddersfield and Halifax to contribute to this new edition on a regular basis. In particular we are looking for motoring; information technology; recruitment; commercial property; education and fashion/retail. Regular contributors will write generic articles based on their area of speciality and in return will have their logo and contact details attached to the article. As the magazine is distributed free, we are also looking for stockists where they can be made freely available to other businesses. The concept of the new edition will be the same as Wakefield, affordable advertising rates and there will be a number of sponsorship packages that will provide those supporters with fantastic PR, not only in the magazine but on our website, currently enjoying 18,000 visitors each month. If you would like to be involved in this exciting new project, get in touch now by calling Gill on 07711 539047 or email editor@topicuk.co.uk
Spawforth
New Year, New Role for Poonam
FDS Finance have announced that with effect from January 1st 2015, current Director of Corporate Finance, Poonam Kaur will be promoted to the Managing Director. Jo Haigh will be, under their newly incorporated status, the CEO. “I am thrilled and delighted that P oonam has accepted this much deserved position,” Jo told TopicUK “and I hope you will join me in wishing Poonam every success.
the Architects to go to!
Spawforth architects are a friendly Wakefield based practice who this year celebrate 25 years in business. ▶ Are you a business looking to redevelop, relocate or expand your premises? ▶ Do you have under utilised property and land that you want to enhance or sell? ▶ Are you wanting to develop new premises? ▶ Are you struggling to find a site for redevelopment?
Talk to the team at Spawforths.
To advertise in TopicUK magazine call Gill on: 07711 539047 or email: editor@topicuk.co.uk Eighth page Quarter page Half page Full page
£45.00 £90.00 £160.00 £295.00
Sponsorship packages are also available, call for details. We have extensive experience in the commercial market sector and supported by our in-house planning team, we can add significant value to your scheme through our knowledge and experience of local planning authority processes and procedures
For more information call us on 01924 873873 or visit our website www.spawforths.co.uk
ARCHITECTURE | PLANNING | MASTERPLANNING | LANDSCAPE | ENGAGEMENT
Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 27
•• HEALTH
+
W
e all know that work can be a stressful place and alcohol is often seen as a way of destressing and relaxing, unfortunately the opposite is true and alcohol can actually increase anxiety and stress rather than reduce it. A glass of wine after a hard day may help you relax, but in the long term it can contribute to increased anxiety and feelings of depression making any stress harder to deal with. Heavy drinking on a regular basis interferes with a part of our brains (neurotransmitters) in a way that is detrimental to mental health. Drinking heavily can also affect your relationships with your partner, family and friends. It can impact on your performance at work. If you use drink to try and improve your mood or mask your depression, you may be starting a vicious cycle. Warning signs that alcohol is affecting your mood include: • disturbed sleep • feeling lethargic and tired all the time • low moods • experience anxiety in situations where you would normally feel comfortable.
HELEN LAIRD
December is a time of excess and your liver is likely to take a pounding from the extra alcohol also many people gain at least a few pounds over the Christmas period. Why
FACTS
& CAROL MARR - WAKEFIELD PUBLIC HEALTH DEPT
Alcohol can also increase the risk of accidents at home, with 4,000 fatal accidents each year and 1 in 10 alcohol related. This is a trend which is set to increase over the coming years.
AlCO
Be Alcohol Aware •
70% A&E admissions at peak times are alcohol related
•
Approximately 22,000 premature deaths annually are alcohol related
•
Liver cirrhosis is the fifth most common cause of death
•
Alcohol is a factor in 40% of domestic violence incidents
not sign up to a dry January and give your body a chance to recover! Getting others at work involved too will help you to avoid that cheeky after work pint or keep you going when you fancy that glass of wine after work. More information can be found at www.wakefield.gov.uk or on our facebook page ‘Wakefield Wellbeing’. If you are worried about alcohol and your staff please contact the Health Improvement team at healthimprovement@wakefield.gov.uk or call 01924 307348. We will be able to provide your business with resources and support.
•
17 million working days lost due to alcohol related sickness each year, at a cost to employers of £1.7bn
•
One third of employees admitted to having started work with a hangover
•
15% reported having being drunk at work
•
According to the Health and Safety Executive nearly one in four employees admit to making mistakes at work as a result of being hung-over
Join us...
...to make a difference together. WDH is committed to improving the quality of life of thousands people across Wakefield. We have played a major part in improving the physical, social and economic landscape of local communities. As we approach our landmark 10 year anniversary, we are looking for more people and businesses to join us. Our work includes: • Building hundreds of new homes to ease the housing shortage and giving people their first foot on the property ladder. • Bridging the digital gap by helping people access the internet for the first time. • Help more people manage their money and avoid debt through our Cash Wise scheme. • Tackling health and lifestyle issues which prevent people enjoying a better quality of life. • Supporting and revitalising communities through the WDH Foundation Grant scheme and our annual Love Where You Live Awards. • Helping people find work and training through pioneering schemes such as WDH Academy and our Community Employment Advisors. • Employing over 1,400 people. • Managing and repairing over 42,000 properties in Yorkshire and Humber. If you want to join us and partner our activities to make an even bigger impact, get in touch. For latest vacancies visit our website www.wdh.co.uk To become a supplier visit www.wdh.co.uk/BecomeASupplier To subscribe to our Chief Executive’s weekly news update email marketing@wdh.co.uk For more information on how you can join us, email governance@wdh.co.uk
www.twitter.com/wdhupdate
www.facebook.com/wdhupdate
Find us under Wakefield and District Housing
•• CHARITY
GOING THE EXTRA MILE FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE Local businesses attending a Wakefield Hospice networking event were delighted to find that their cars had been professionally cleaned while the meeting was in progress.
Photo: www.markflynnphotographycom
A MINI Adventure for the Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice
E
ight year old Grace Ellis from Hartshead Junior & Infant School has won a ‘design your own MINI’ colouring competition in support of Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice. The competition was run by Sandal MINI and saw children colour in a blank MINI template, with the winning design printed onto the car and given to the child’s parents to drive for a month. Grace’s design incorporated a butterfly which is a symbol often used by children’s hospices and really captured the imagination of the judges. Kate Goldring, Senior Corporate Partnership Manager at the charity said: “We really love Grace’s design, there were so many fabulous one’s to choose from but Grace’s really captured the spirit of our charity.” Sandal BMW has been a keen supporter of the charity for a number of years, having donated a branded BMW X1 to the charity for fundraising and The Government and ACE have acknowledged the imbalance, but argue that it is because the major national institutions are based
awareness building, offered their meeting rooms for charity conferences and team meetings and have signed up to the charity’s 99er scheme donating 99p a day, providing a sustainable source of income. Talking about the winning design, Richard Avery added: “We are delighted to be able to further our relationship with the hospice and will continue to run the MINI colouring competition for a third time in the Spring.” Grace’s teacher, Mrs Bray added: “ Encouraging children to enter the competition is an excellent way of allowing children to support the local community through creativity and creates links with this amazing charity.”
Wakefield Audi played host to the November Business Buddy meeting as part of their ongoing support of the Hospice and were keen to demonstrate that they go the extra mile when it comes to customer service. Having arranged valet parking for everyone attending the event, they than sprang an extra surprise and brought in additional staff to clean all the cars so they were sparkling clean and ready to drive away as the event came to a close. Speaking for the hospice, Business Development Officer Daphne Leach said: “This was totally unexpected, but very much appreciated by everyone. Wakefield Audi are great supporters of the hospice and we were delighted when they offered to host one of our Business Buddy events,” Daphne added. “They have always had a great reputation for customer service and they certainly demonstrated for us.” If any business is interested in supporting the hospice and finding out more about the Business Buddy scheme, contact Daphne Leach on 01924 213900 or email: daphne. leach@wakefieldhospice.co.uk
Once the family have had the MINI for a month, it will then be handed over to the Forget Me Not Hospice to use to aid with their fundraising activities. For more information about the charity and how you can get involved call 01484 411040.
TopicUK proud to be working with...
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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, equivalent to
ADVERTORIAL
PERSONALISATION: Hanging in the Balance Let’s make this personal. We’re all individuals; we all value personal relationships; we’re all impressed by great, personalised service. But today, as we interact, socialise and buy more in the digital space, our ability to enjoy high standards of personalisation is at risk. CURRENT ATTITUDES TOWARDS DATA USE At the time of writing, the sun has been around for 4.57 billion years. In that time, it has proved not only essential to us but a welcome friend; how many of us don’t enjoy a sunny day? However, that same ‘friend’ is in many respects a massive nuclear engine which not only sounds alarming: looked at the wrong way, it can cause real harm. Data, like the sun or any other energy source, is neither inherently good nor bad. Handled carefully and put to good use it greatly enhances our lives. However, if it’s misused or abused, the consequences can be serious. DATA - A PRIVATE FUNCTION? Before going any further, a key aspect has to be security. The baseline for security and consumer privacy must be set extremely high for all uses of personal data. We must keep data safe, secure and operating both within the letter and the spirit of the law. We must be
transparent about how we collect and use data and we must be responsive to questions whether raised by regulators or the public. So why are some people concerned about the use of personal data? It’s natural really, given some news stories and growing consumer awareness of personal data as we generate increasing amounts of data across our many and varied devices. A 2012 study by the DMA (UK) and Future Foundation highlighted some pertinent findings: • 70%+ of everyone in the EU uses the Internet (50% via smartphones) • 65% of people expect organisations to use data to improve service • 80% believe disclosing data is part of modern life • 70% believe attitudes to privacy are changing. The research segmented individuals into three categories according to the terms of their attitudes to data use:
16%
Pragmatists
53%
Unconcerned 31%
Fundamentalists
• 53% were ‘pragmatists’ (biased towards being female and under 25) - Pragmatists unsurprisingly are prepared to allow the use of data so long as it delivers value to them and is properly managed • 16% were ‘unconcerned’ (biased towards being male and under 25) - The unconcerned are very laissez-faire in their views, relatively unconcerned with how their data is being used • 31% were ‘fundamentalists’ (biased towards older males with low Web use and little to no use of social media) - Fundamentalists are very suspicious of the use of data and want to see it more limited and regulated. Continued Over ▶▶
NARROWING THE PERCEPTION GAP The disconnect needs to be addressed and is a key metric for this debate. The survey also found that ‘trust’ is the number one reason for sharing data; so it follows that if consumers know data is being ‘tracked’ (admittedly an emotive term) but far fewer see it making a difference, then why would they continue to trust those who have and use their data? As this paper will go on to suggest, the prime goal of the marketer and data industry, beyond the baseline of keeping data safe, must be to deliver value to the consumer. Unfortunately, some people have a ‘one-size-fits-all’ understanding of data which greatly clouds their perceptions of our industry. Personal data may be used for many purposes but more sensationalist commentators group data used for marketing in exactly the same category as data used for far more sensitive purposes such as financial services, healthcare, and even crime and security; this is ludicrous. PERSONALISATION - AN ACXIOM VIEWPOINT Returning to the consumer segments contained in the introduction and contrasting the ‘fundamentalists’ with the ‘unconcerned’, there are parallels to be drawn with a separate Acxiom white paper, ‘Data In Balance’. The“fundamentalists” would severely restrict the use of data meaning it would be equally likely a 25-yearold interested in live music would receive a cruise holiday offer tailored for retired people, while a 70-yearold would receive a promotion for new music programming software. This would be a step back for targeting, one of the foundations of good marketing and good business. By contrast, the ‘unconcerned’ may welcome a world where registering with an employment agency is publicly available for our bosses to see, and where details of what food and drink we consume is available to the
32
healthcare and financial industries, so they may determine what restrictions to place on our care provisions or what premium to charge us for cover. This is also a position that the majority would surely want to avoid. THE CONSTRAINTS OF FREEDOM The problem is how much people really understand when it comes to the uses of data and the implications of that. There is always a risk to using any data; the risk of it going wrong. This needs to be balanced against the potential upside. Overall this balance is not particularly well understood and while it will be rightly debated for more sensitive uses of data, the consumer should be encouraged to understand that marketing’s use of data is merely to do two things: deliver a more relevant message that brands hope will result in the consumer spending money with them, and also to fund the provision of free services. Here, the argument to process is relatively compelling. A VIRTUOUS DATA TRIANGLE The consumer sometimes asks the question, “Why are you making money out of my personal data?” The answer is, it’s all part of the economy and value exchange. Think of a triangle. In one corner advertisers such as retailers and manufacturers pay publishers and marketing technology firms, based in another corner, to help them reach customers and they get service and solutions in return. In the final corner is the consumer, who pays the advertisers for goods and services, and gets value from those goods and services in return. So, on two of the three sides, value flows one way and money the other. However, there is no direct payment from consumers to publishers and marketing technology firms, despite consumers getting value from them in the form of search services, social media and the like. The implied payment is publishers receiving consumer data they can
use to increase the performance of their services and get paid by their advertisers. Some ask about personal data lockers and the ability for the consumer to control their data. If this had been the standard approach from the outset it may have worked very well. The issue is, it isn’t an approach that was applied consistently across countries and channels. The more consumers understand how sensible use of their data can help not only the economy but themselves too, the better. If personal data lockers of one kind or another help this awareness and appreciation, then that’s a good thing. The only caveat is just how effective can they be in practice; will there be one standard approach or many versions? In the US, Acxiom launched AboutTheData.com in summer 2013. The website is a consumerfocused web portal that enables consumers to learn more about how their data helps companies create better and more relevant online experiences. Furthermore, the portal enables consumers to see basic data elements featuring significantly more attributes and a wider breadth of sources than any company had ever before made available to consumers at this scale. Once consumers access their data, they can decide if they are comfortable with it, would like to update.
SOCIAL MORES Social media is accelerating this issue and is a major driver of ‘big data’. Social media allows consumers to reveal more about themselves than any other data-enabled marketing tool. It can accelerate consumer and brand relationships; good and bad, brands can be built quickly and burned even quicker! Social media is also an equaliser. When brands do a good job of prospecting or serving customers, the knock-on effect flows through quicker than ever
before; brands need to get social right. The keys to this are respecting the fact that consumers often see the social space as ‘their space’; they see it as personal so we, as marketers, need to respect that. Another aspect of social media and proliferation of channels is the need to avoid ‘brand schizophrenia’. Would we speak to our best friend on the phone but ignore them in the street? No. Would we answer our friend’s emails but ignore every text? No. So, unless social media is connected to other media, we run the risk of presenting the consumer, our prospects and customers, with a disjointed, unconnected and impersonalised experience. The consumer will notice!
A VIRTUOUS DATA TRIANGLE PAYING FOR THE FREE LUNCH Top = consumer, Left = advertisers (e.g. manufacturers and retailers), Right = publishers and marketing technology firms. In this example, value goes one way and money the other on 2 of the 3 axes. However, while we consumers get great value from search, email and social tools etc., we do not pay for them... not directly. Do we pay for them in the form of data?
PRACTICAL STEPS TO DRIVE CONSUMER VALUE 1. Put the Customer First Always easier said than done. However, let the consumer’s interests shape the reasons you’re collecting and using data - to do a better job of engaging them so that they reward the brands doing just that - and how you protect that data. Let the prime measure be customer value 2. Keep Data in Balance Orientate marketing, but ideally the whole business, to the consumer and driving value for them. The consumer must see value in return for the data they are willing to see others use. This generates trust 3. Calibrate Based on Context Explore and understand the various uses of data from the extreme of crime and security to marketing, and create the appropriate balanced use of data in light of the marketing context 4. Protect Data Ensure the fundamental baseline is set very high. Do not take any chances with data collection, data security or data use. Operate within the letter and spirit of the law and if in doubt, seek expert help – you must not get this wrong 5. Be Open and Transparent Take the opportunity to explain that data used for marketing is very different to personal data being used for
Source: Google Images - for illustration purposes only
other reasons. The main drivers are better targeting and personalisation; brands that do this well are rewarded by happier consumers. Those doing the right thing have nothing to hide 6. Social Media = Accelerator It’s a great opportunity and threat and brings brands very close to consumers. Treat the data with care; avoid what could be misinterpreted as intrusion or snooping. High responsiveness and action are expected from good social brands by consumers; be ready to deliver against this expectation 7. Connect Everywhere Consumers are everywhere, so connect data everywhere. Silos should have been eradicated years ago and they still persist. Brands that fail to deliver personalisation across all channels, media and devices will be the ones that fail to meet modern consumers’ expectations and begin to fail 8. Deliver Value and Build Trust Value for consumers, value for the brand. More of the right kind of customers is what every brand wants. Use data responsibly and carefully. There’s nothing wrong with using data creatively, finding smart ways to derive and apply insights. But whatever you do, deliver great personalisation to the consumer - the brands that do so will be rewarded.
Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 33
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Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 35
A Firm of Poets
TWELVE DAYS OF WORD INSPIRED FUN!
Will Self
THIS YEAR’S THIRD ( AND BIGGEST EVER ) WAKEFIELD LIT FEST TOOK PLACE BETWEEN 18-30 SEPTEMBER AND SAW AUDIENCES OF OVER 4000 ATMORE THAN 60 EVENTS ACROSS WAKEFIELD AND DISTRICT ALL IMAGES BY JESS ROWBOTTOM
Joanne Harris Organisers Beam would like to say a big thank you to everyone who joined them, took part, organised events, volunteered, hosted events and helped to make it such a great 12 days of word inspired fun and activity across Wakefield.
Pigeon Poetry
Roger Mcgough
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This year’s festival saw pigeon’s carrying school children’s poems from Wakefield Cathedral to Ossett, spectacular live performance inspired by new writing from Wakefield young people at historic Sandal Castle and poets on Wakefield buses. Headline performances came from the likes of Will Self, Joanne Harris, Simon Armitage, Jackie Kay, Stuart Maconie and Ian McMillan. Festival supporters this year included Arts Council England, Wakefield Council, Clore Duffield Foundation Poetry
and Literature Awards, Trinity Walk, Jordan’s Solicitors, Wakefield Express and Statement. Book sales partners where Rickaro Books of Horbury and Waterstones. Beam is now starting to think about Lit Fest 2015 and would love to hear from anyone interested in supporting reading and writing in Wakefield through the festival. Please contact Frances Smith frances@ beam.uk.net / 01924 215 550 to find out more about how to get involved.
MORE THAN A MATCH Whilst professional Rugby League has been played here at the Post Office Road since 1921 the Big Fella’s Stadium is home to more than Featherstone Rovers Rugby League Football Club. The facilities we have here mean that whether you are looking for a venue for business or pleasure we can offer a bespoke package to meet your needs at a price that we believe represents outstanding value for money. We have various spaces that can cater for a business meeting for four to a wedding reception for 120 with the added bonus of your business helping our community Club progress as we tackle the challenge of the 2015 season. We can offer
• Conferencing
• Christenings
• Training
• Wakes
• Meeting Rooms
• Lunches
• Weddings
• Parties
• Dinners
• Ample free parking
Along with the opportunity to utilise our partners County Caterers who have over 45 years experience in the business and provide the catering for many venues in Yorkshire.
For details of our prices and facilities please contact our Commercial Manager Paul Taylor on 07584 684 329 or via paul.taylor@featherstonerovers.net Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 37
The Orangery celebrate adventures in creativity Beam and The Orangery opened their doors recently, for the Adventures in Creativity Dinner where guest speakers entertained diners with an insight into their lives and work. During the starter, Morag Myerscough and Luke Morgan who were the designers responsible for Swing It! the interactive outdoor art installation at The Orangery this Summer, took to the floor to talk about their lives and the company they founded in 2010, Supergrouplondon. For the Olympic Games, Supergroup was commissioned to create the ‘Movement Cafe’ in Greenwich, working with writer Lemn Sissay one of the official Olympic poets.
During the main course, it was the turn of Gordon Young, one of the UKs leading artists in the field of public art and who’s work contains a strong typographic presence. Before becoming a full time artist, Gordon was curator of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Emilie Taylor was the final speaker of the evening over dessert. Emilie is a ceramic artist practicing in Sheffield. Her work combines large scale studio ceramics with a socially engaged practice and she uses heritage crafts, particularly traditional slipware, to interpret and represent post-industrial landscapes. The delicious menu was catered for by Create Cafe, Wakefield.
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Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 39
•• FITNESS
IS YOUR JOB MAKING YOU UNHEALTHY?
Wildcats testing new fitness sleigh
According to the Department of Health in England, most people are overweight or obese. This includes 61.9% of adults and 28% of children aged between 2 and 15 (www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health). In the developing world, overweight and obese adults have almost quadrupled to around one billion since 1980 says a report from a UK think tank. The majority of this increase was seen in the developing world, particularly in counties where incomes were rising, such as Egypt and Mexico. While North America still has the highest percentage of overweight adults at 70%, regions such as Australasia and Southern Latin America are now not far behind with 63%. This was particularly the case in emerging economies where a large middle class of people with rising incomes was living in urban centres and not taking much physical exercise. (www.bbc.co.uk/news/ health-25576400). People who are overweight have The Government and ACE have acknowledged the imbalance, but argue that it is because the major national institutions are based
a higher risk of getting type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. Excess weight can also make it more difficult for people to find and keep work and it can affect both self-esteem and mental health. Health problems associated with being overweight or obese cost the NHS more than £5 billion every year. We all know about the benefits of healthy eating, but many of us do not get enough exercise, particularly at this time of year when the dark cold evenings make it difficult to get motivated. With long hours sitting behind a desk many people cite lack of time being the biggest problem. Would this be such a problem if you had access to exercise facilities 24 hours a day, seven days a week? Since opening Fit24 at Trinity
TopicUK proud to be working with...
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Walk, partners Ian Gibson and Lisa Higo have launched a campaign into getting Wakefield fit! The gym covers 21,000 sq ft of space and includes dance studios, a boxing ring, state of the art exercise equipment, yoga classes, steam room and sauna and new for 2015 a sled, a unique piece of equipment that strengthens all muscles. Ian told us: “Fit24 caters for everyone who is serious about getting fit, we have a diverse membership covering all ages who work at their own pace and never feel under pressure. In addition we offer a range of martial arts training under the skilful eye of Lisa, a World Champion fighter. We’re proud to be a premium gym offering budget prices.”
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, equivalent to
FOR EVERYONE A RANGE OF CLASSES
ZUMBA • YOGA • BUMS LEGS AND TUMS fit24_7@hotmail.co.uk 01924 361497
www.fit24wakefield.yourclubuk.co.uk Trinity Walk/Teall Way, Wakefield WF1 1QS
•• DINING
OUT
"For as long as I can remember I have been visiting Rinaldis in Wakefield. I think it has become a local institution as it goes beyond what is expected from a typical restaurant, they work hard to be a key part of the community and their service is excellent."
BUZZING WAKEFIELD RESTAURANT THAT GOES THE EXTRA MILE Written by Claire Young
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n 2010 entrepreneur Glyn Margrave and his partner Sarah bought Rinaldis and when it re-opened in May that year, it had undergone complete refurbishment seating 110 with comfortable booths and tables. The vintage Lambrettas on display are often a talking point and the only thing to remain unchanged is the beautiful spiral staircase that dominates the room. Rinaldis has remained true to its heart and serves delicious Italian food daily, with a specials board that changes daily, providing a selection of English dishes. Open 7 days a week,
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with lunch served from 12 noon to 2pm and evenings 5.30pm until late. The restaurant is professional without being pretentious, so it's perfect for both business meetings and special occasions. I love seeing diners celebrating Birthdays. The famous bell rings announcing the lucky person before the whole restaurant bursts into song! For diners with children, the restaurant is a wonderful place to eat. As the mother of a very active two-year-old I really appreciate restaurants who welcome children and Nigel the Maitre d’ and his staff are wonderful with children. The young diners menu ‘Menu Dei Bambini’ is excellent value at £5.95 for main course and dessert. Little ones can make their own pizza at the table before its taken away to be cooked, this certainly occupies them for more than 5 minutes and with free parking right outside the door, its very easy access. The restaurant is always buzzing with an eclectic mix of diners. I like the fact that you can wear jeans whilst popping in for a pizza, dress up for a special night out or have a lunchtime business meeting. Whichever option you choose Sarah is always on hand to make sure your glass is topped up and everything is satisfactory.
I was lucky enough to review Rinaldis for TopicUK, visiting with editor Gill Laidler. If being honest, Italian would not be Gill’s first choice for dining due to the fact that she hates cheese and tomato (unarguably Italian staples), but she had no need to worry with an abundance of choice on the menu and Glyn assuring us that everything is made fresh to order so ingredients can always be omitted. Whilst browsing the menu, we enjoyed cocktails (it would have been rude not to!) Gill sampling a Woo Woo and mine a Strawberry Daiquiri. We opted for fresh handmade Salmon fish cakes from the specials board to start, which were cooked to perfection and served with a rocket salad. On the side we enjoyed their infamous garlic pizza with extra virgin olive oil at £3.95, which looked enormous but we did manage to eat every bit of it! Main courses start from £5.95. Gill enjoyed an 8oz fillet steak at £18.95 which was cooked to perfection, served with a selection of seasonal vegetables whilst I enjoyed Melanzane Alla Parmigiana (baked Aubergine) at £7.95. A visit to Rinaldis is not complete
without a side order of battered zucchini at £2.95 which is to die for!
LUNCH
Monday to Saturday: 12pm - 2pm Sunday: 12:30pm 9:30pm
DINNER
Monday to Thursday: 5:30pm - 10pm Friday and Saturday: 5:30pm - 10:30pm Sunday: 12:30pm 9:30pm Rinaldi’s Restaurant Sandal, was visited by Claire Young, Director of School Speakers, accompanied by TopicUK editor, Gill Laidler. Rinaldis Ristorante Italiano Sandal Castle Centre Asdale Road Wakefield West Yorkshire WF2 7JE Telephone : 01924 256
No meal is complete without a glass of wine. Gill opted for a glass of Montepulciano D’Abruzzo from Italy at a respectable £21.95 a bottle, whilst I enjoyed a glass of chilled Marlborough Sauvignon blanc called Spy Valley at £23.95 for a bottle. The wine list is extensive and there is something for everyone with a Chardonnay Sale Di Puglia starting at just £13.95 to a bottle of Cristal Louis Roederer Champagne at £250.00 for that very special occasion. Almost too full for dessert on production of the menu, we just couldn’t resist, so we shared a portion of the chef’s homemade Tiramisu, coffee and Marsala soaked sponge, layered with mascarpone and dusted with cocoa, a delight at just £4.95. Cappuccino’s at just £1.95 rounded off our evening perfectly. The dessert menu is large and caters for all tastes. Rinaldis is very popular and works on a first come first served basis. My advice is to get there early, particularly at the weekend and enjoy a delicious cocktail in the bar area whilst waiting for your table. Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 43
•• RECRUITMENT
FINDING WORK LIFE BALANCE
B
WRITTEN BY ANDY TURNER
ack in the old days you had set working hours, you went to work then around 5pm you went home. If there was an emergency you may stay until 5.30pm.
Those days are gone! White collar work is never done. Your immediate ‘to do list’ might have 20 items on it, but right behind this list is a supplemental ‘to do list’ with another 40 action items and after that list is complete, a third is waiting! The old rules have changed completely. Teenagers very often work at retail stores and restaurants. Their workday ends when they clock out but more
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importantly, they don’t take their work home with them. The rest of us often do! We all often lie in bed and wonder what to do about a billing issue or a complicated client problem. We might spend a weekend catching up on our business email, but we still have to be at our desk on time on a Monday Morning! What does your payslip get your employer - what are your obligations toward your job? Some managers are beyond demanding, they want you to pass up important family obligations, even ones scheduled weeks in advance to take care of something they have missed on their own ‘to do list’. Others
are more relaxed and realise you have a life outside work. Sometimes your life at work and happiness at home rely on luck in the form of the manager you get. That is unacceptable! A new muscle all of us are growing is called ‘setting boundaries’. You can’t set boundaries at work until you have a clear sense of what’s reasonable and what’s not when it comes to job commitment. To help clarify the often murky (but essential) demarcation between your work and your life, here is a list of four things you owe and four you don’t!
WHAT YOU OWE YOUR EMPLOYER
...AND WHAT YOU DON’T
YOUR BEST WORK EVERYDAY If you hate your job, start a subtle job search, but don’t slack on your current role. That isn’t fair to your employer, customers or team mates. As long as you have the job, put your heart into it. My motto is: An employee’s job is to give his or her best work every day. A managers job is to give the employee a good reason to come back to work tomorrow. YOUR CREATIVE SOLUTIONS Work is a place to solve problems. You learn something new and grow your flame a little more every time you solve a problem. Even though a job description might be boring, it’s still in your best interest to bring your whole brain and heart to your role. THE TRUTH You owe your employer the truth about things that happen at work, whether anyone is dying to hear the truth or not. If it feels scary to speak up, think about this: the only way you can solve a problem is by addressing it. If you’re sick of pushing a rock uphill and sharing your ideas with people who don’t want to hear them, that’s a sign from the universe. Don’t waste your emotional energy on people who don’t want to look at problems and surmount them. Start looking for that new job! YOUR INTEGRITY When you’ve burned out on a job, its a stress-reliever to tell your friends how tough you’ve got it. Eventually, if they’re good friends, they’re going to say ‘you have to stop talking about it and DO something’. Complaining about your employer isn’t a solution and worse than that, it tarnishes your brand as a person with integrity. Hate the job, or a client project? Don’t complain, find something that suits you better but remember, the grass isn’t always greener!
YOUR CONTACTS In lots of sales and recruitment jobs, your contact list is part of what your employer expects to receive when you get hired. When you take a new job, clarify everyone’s expectations with respect to your contact list. Unless it’s been clearly communicated, your contacts are your own. If your employer has an employee referral bonus programme and you want to participate, go ahead and spread the news about job openings at your workplace and with luck, get paid for it. Otherwise, it’s not ethical for your employer to expect you to peddle its products to your friends, or give up your networking contacts to pad its prospects list. YOUR HEALTH The tragedy of the white collar working world is that we pretend our bodies don’t exist. Your brain can’t function unless your body gets rest and exercise. It’s not right for your employer to expect you to trash your health for the job. Don’t let your manager browbeat you into coming to work if you’re sick. If you can’t work from home when you’re not well, take a sick day. YOUR PERSONAL LIFE It’s great to have a manager who takes an interest in your personal life, but don’t let them overstep the mark! Essentially, what you have planned in your personal life is nobody’s business but yours. You don’t need to explain, just say ‘I wish I could but its not possible’ but always with a smile! YOUR SOUL Your job may include unpleasant aspects like bureaucratic processes or boring meetings, but your job shouldn’t require you to pretend to be some you’re not. If you wake at night with your heart beating fast because you can’t stand the person your job requires you to be, its really not the job for you!
01484 821 500 www.ramsdens.co.uk Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 45
••EDUCATION The Big 13 Enterprise skills were developed by Rotherham Ready and they form a template for all enterprise work http://www.rotherhamready.org. uk/downloads/big13/ These skills are what employers want for in their young work force so we should be focussing on them at school level. Success for me is that young people enjoy learning and that they leave education work ready. "I spent day one with 16-18 year old students at Boston College, Lincolnshire, focussing on how to climb the career ladder, be self-employed and how to start a business. The college has an prominent enterprise centre encouraging all students – no matter what they are studying – to learn about the business world," Claire told TopicUK
GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP WEEK
G
lobal Entrepreneurship Week takes place each November and is the world’s largest campaigns to promote entrepreneurship. Each year, it plays a critical role in encouraging the next generation of entrepreneurs to consider starting their own business. The UK desperately needs new business growth in order to create jobs, we need wealth generators and nurture entrepreneurial mind-sets. In the UK the GEW campaign is hosted by Youth Business International, a global network dedicated to helping young entrepreneurs get started in business. Members of the YBI network also host Global Entrepreneurship Week in a further ten countries, giving the UK community even stronger links to the global entrepreneurship movement. This year Claire Young made a whistle stop tour around the UK working with students of all ages, from 5 year-old’s to college students helping them understand the ‘Big 13 Enterprise Skills’ and work on business challenges.
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"I was delighted to be invited to play a real life Dragon at Everton Primary School in Doncaster, to their year 5 and 6 students who were creating their own Xmas Fayre event. Everything from stands, food, marketing and sales is under their control! Sometimes people under estimate how bright, and capable, primary students are at enterprise projects. "It was then across the M62 to Hull and 200 primary students. They were developing an APP which would help visitors during 2017 City of Culture.
The students flourished working on a technology challenge andI think some of the teachers struggled to keep up with them!" Claire continued. "I was then lucky enough to present at the Association of Colleges Conference in Birmingham to students, which was followed by a Q&A with Tristram Hunt MP and Shadow Secretary of State for Education before visiting Rainhill High School in Liverpool. "Finally, I visited one of the most enterprising schools in the UK – West Hill High School in Stalybridge, to see their Young Enterprise team pitching their excellent recycled glass business which they started from scratch. The week was rounded off with a celebration dinner in Hull," concluded Claire Yet again, GEW was a big success with students thriving from all the activity. If we wish to see tomorrow’s entrepreneurs we need to invest in them today! CLAIRE YOUNG
Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 47
WHAT WAKEFIELD WANTS Innovative partnership helps businesses in West Yorkshire of trade coming in and out of the UK comes by sea and the ports are a fundamental link in the supply chain for international trade. “The Humber ports are the regions biggest natural asset and the largest port complex in the UK. It makes absolute sense that businesses from across Yorkshire and Humber and the whole of the North should be using them to develop and grow and we can help them do just that.
Image: Dave Lee Photography LTD
“The ports are an enabler, allowing the regions to be internationally competitive. Take the Port of Goole for example. Here we have a tri-model facility with excellent rail, road and waterway connections that’s a crucial trading hub. “Increasingly the North is being marketed as a single business entity. The Humber ports are the front door of this ‘Northern Power House’.” ABP is seeking to expand on this partnership with business-minded local authorities throughout the North.
ABP Director, Humber, John Fitzgerald with Chief Executive Joanne Roney
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usinesses from across West Yorkshire gathered at Associated British Ports (ABP) Port of Goole, to celebrate the signing of a pioneering Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ABP and Wakefield Council. The two organisations, with support from UK Trade & Industry (UKTI), will work together to highlight and develop export opportunities for businesses across Wakefield and the Leeds City Region in order to promote business growth in the area. Wakefield Council’s Chief Executive
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Joanne Roney said: “This partnership will strengthen our ability to develop export opportunities for our local and regional businesses and reinforces Wakefield Council’s commitment to securing economic growth in our region. Our aim is to see the value of exports coming out of our area increase by 15% over the next two years and by working with ABP and UKTI we are confident this can be achieved.” ABP Director, Humber, John Fitzgerald is excited by the prospect of working closely with Wakefield Council. He said: “Ninety-five percent
As well as hearing from John Fitzgerald and Joanne Roney, delegates attended a workshop delivered by Colin Russell of UKTI, which was designed to help them understand exporting, how to identify opportunities and how companies can achieve positive results. UKTI also provided advice on next steps for those companies which felt they needed guidance on how to start the process. Delegates were also given a tour of the port estate in Goole.
The Community Foundation For Wakefield District •
Our goal is to create a healthier and happier Wakefield district where hardship and inequality are things of the past.
•
We want local grass-roots projects to flourish.
•
We connect those who care passionately about the district and its people. We form partnerships between community groups that are making a difference and the people who wish to invest in a better future for our district.
•
We do this through:-
-
Raising money from the Wakefield district (local philanthropy).
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Distributing money to Voluntary and Community Groups based in the Wakefield district (through grants programmes)
If you want to help make a difference locally, please contact us on: T: 01924 239 181 E: swalsh@communityfoundationwakefield.co.uk
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Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 49
Find out more at www.trinitywalk.com 50
of Sheffield, the works to their house are already having an influence on other homes. A number of neighbours interested in improving and extending their own houses have been surprised to see how a 100 year old property can be transformed for modern day living and some of their friends, who live in a similar terraced typology in Cambridgeshire, are currently using the plans for 41MVR as a basis for reconfiguring and extending their own home.
David is celebrating living in an award winning home David Kemp, Associate Urbanist and Town Planner at Spawforth Architects and his wife, Claire, are celebrating after the house they designed and live in was awarded the Best Residential Building at the Sheffield Design Awards.
The Awards which run every other year is organised by Sheffield Civic Trust in partnership with RIBA Yorkshire, to recognise Sheffield buildings of exceptional quality. The judges thought that David’s house was so good that it should be seen as a blueprint for the rehabilitation of the terraced house. Full of clever architectural moves and lovely detailing and, in a world of plastic windows and quick fix solutions, these architects have chosen to faithfully restore the street façade with timber sash windows and a corbelled bay to put back the charm and simple beauty of the original design. David and Claire, who met while studying for Masters at Sheffield School of Architecture, acted as both designers and clients on this project to transform an early 1900s terraced house in the city. They used the opportunity to refurbish the house not only to create a home for themselves but also to make better use of an existing building and to act as an exemplar of how similar, common terraced typologies across
“Our house has given us opportunity to build upon knowledge gained through our architectural studies at The University of Sheffield, says David. “Claire’s attention to architectural detail, materiality and function and my passion for sustainability, have created a building which provides an example of how sustainable refurbishment of existing buildings can create more functional and beautiful homes for the future. It is amazing to have our home recognised by highly regarded industry professionals and I hope others can imitate our refurbishment model.”
Sheffield and the country could be reimagined for 21st Century living. Claire notes “We were looking to maximise useable internal space within the tight restraints of the existing building and neighbouring properties the reconfiguration and extension of the ground floor doesn’t make any grand architectural gestures. Instead we focused on creating moments of joy and small practical details which make the minutia of everyday living easier and more pleasurable.” Drawing knowledge from projects such as Sheffield City Council’s Eco-Terrace they sought to improve the environmentally sustainability of the building, but were keen install these measures as standard good practice rather than making an explicitly ‘green’ house. Through careful consideration the house has been made more efficient as well as a more desirable place to live. This efficiency has already been recognised by a Short-listing in The Observer Ethical Awards earlier this year. Whilst just a small project in a suburb
Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 51
WINING & DINING
Parkin Yorkshire
WITH TREACLE STOUT TOFFEE SAUCE & CARAMELISED BANANA
WELCOME TO OUR SECOND WINING AND DINING FEATURE WHERE TopicUK HAVE TEAMED UP WITH THE IRIS RESTAURANT AND SAINSBURYS TRINITY WALK TO BRING YOU A RECIPE AND WINE REVIEW.
Last issue, Liam Duffy proprietor and Head Chef at The Iris, sent us his recipe for Haddock Scotch Eggs and Sainsburys kindly donated two bottles of wine to accompany the dish. TopicUK asked Andrew King, Director, Business Development Yorkshire for Santander to make the dish, following Liam’s instructions then enjoy the wine, reporting back his verdict. This
The Government and ACE have acknowledged the imbalance, but argue that it is because the major national institutions are based
issue, The Iris have sent us a recipe for a delicious dessert and Sainsburys once again have donated two bottles of wine Taste the Difference Pic Sain Loup a rich complex French red and a Silver award winner in the Winemakers Selection Muscat St Jean de Minervois. Theatre Royal director Murray Edwards and his wife Barbara Paterson will be making and sampling
TopicUK proud to be working with...
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the dessert and reviewing the wine. We will let you know next issue how they got on.
If you would like to take part in our wine and dine sampling feature, drop us a line at topicuk@ghostcommunications.com or ring Gill on: 07711 539047. 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, equivalent to
For the Parkin • • • • • • • • •
220g self raisin flour 20g ground ginger 160g oat flakes 360g golden syrup 80g black treacle 220g soft brown sugar 4 tbsp milk 4 eggs 200g unsalted butter
Toffee sauce • • • •
50g butter 200ml double cream 200ml ossett brewery treacle stout 50g golden syrup
Boil all the ingredients in the pan until reduced by half, keep stirring so it doesn’t burn. To serve peel the banana and slice thinly arrange on the top of the parkin, sprinkle with sugar and glaze under a grill, serve with some whipped cream!
Melt the butter, sugar, syrup and treacle until simmering. Sift the flour, nutmeg and ginger over the oats. Pour the melted syrup mix over the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Leave to cool. Add the eggs and milk Put into ramekins and bake on 160oc until golden and springy to touch. Leave to come to room temperature. Brush the tops with golden syrup for a nice sticky finish.
Amateur chef Andrew gets to grips with Iris’ Scotch Eggs We get out of the habit of cooking. As young blokes we cook without thinking. As men, with all the endless demands on our time, cooking becomes more of an effort so being asked to cook a signature dish by one of Wakefield's top chefs was going to be memorable, indeed it was. With stealth like precision I executed a plan of attack. I needed to get to know the food first, smoked haddock scotch egg had been drawing foodies to the 'IRIS' since inception in 2012 and whilst I had been there several times (haven't we all?) I needed to pay more attention if I was to replicate this work of art. Mrs King and I booked the table at the IRIS a week or two before the big night. The covert operation went like a dream, I deconstructed the signature 'dish' piece by piece, ingredient by ingredient pausing only to replenish our empty vessels making mental notes of flavours, appearance and texture, with the added distraction of attempting to join in a conversation about killer heels at the same time. Surely I could do this! I was confident and assured and never better prepared. The first thing to do was to blow the top off of the Sainsbury's Wild Ferment Chardonnay, £9.00 a cheeky little number, temperature perfect quaffable Australian medal winner. Ingredients sourced, prepared and in order of assembly I set about my task, Mark (brother-in-law) is pretty handy around the kitchen too (so he told me) and he was allocated 'light duties' Thanks pal, the eggs were peeled to perfection!! The recipe was easy to follow and deadly accurate (I made too much mash) thinking 400g wasn’t enough for 4 Signature eggs
(that's what being 40+ does for you) but it was perfect. The tricky bit for me was ensuring I had the eggs bleeding yolk as we cut into them and I am proud to boast they were pretty damn good!! I opted against the Lambs lettuce 'fluff' in the final presentation as a mark of respect for Wakefield lads everywhere. You know why. As we sat down to devour the golden pearls, we drank more of the Chardonnay, what a beauty! The white wine complemented the Smoked Haddock perfectly displaying a citrus freshness with strong mineral notes, alas with 4 glasses to charge the experience was short lived. One for the Christmas table I reckon. My main course (French cooked, bone in Pork Chops with garlic, onion, sautéed tender stem Broccoli with Thyme infusion) - quickly followed (one from the King locker!!) accompanied by Sainsbury's Taste the difference Fair-trade Morador Malbec £8.00. Now this worked. A big strong hearty number all dark, fruity and moreish with legs to match. Certainly a dark toasty nightly in staple. There were one or two bear traps to negotiate (cured or uncured chorizo) Deep or shallow fry (I used the trusted wok as my weapon of choice and it worked) but on the whole a triumph. As the clock struck midnight I made myself a little promise …… make more time for friends and loved ones and enjoy good food and of course get out and support local eateries as much as you can. Thanks IRIS what a dish!!
Wine prices correct at the time of printing and subject to availability Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 53
CELEBRATING IN STYLE WAKEFIELD CIVIC SOCIETY MARKS ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY WITH A GALA DINNER
Some 70 guests assembled at the Cedar Court Hotel Wakefield recently to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Wakefield Civic Society. Guests of honour were the Mayor and Mayoress of Wakefield and Radio Leeds presenter Martin Kelner, who entertained everyone with stories from his journalistic career. Music was provided by classical guitarist Andrew Seddon. Society President Kevin Trickett looked back at how Wakefield had changed since 1964, pointing out that today’s generation had no recollection of how dirty and soot-stained some buildings such as the Cathedral and Town Hall had been. He remembered the time The Ridings Shopping Centre first opened and how it had definitely had the Wow! factor while, more recently, Trinity Walk and The
Hepworth had opened. Kevin explained that the Society was also re-inventing itself, attracting many new and often younger members through extensive use of social media and by providing lively events and activities. For 2014, the Society had organised over 50 events, a remarkable achievement for a voluntary organisation with no paid staff. But this is not the end of the story: looking ahead, Kevin wondered what lay in stall for the next 50 years? “These are exciting times for the city and for the Society and we are already looking to the future. What is important, however, is that the Society continues to provide a platform for debate about the way the city itself develops in the coming years”.
BECOME A FRIEND OF THE ORANGERY Many of our readers will already be familiar with The Orangery on Back Lane. Built in the 1790s, the Grade II* listed building is one of Wakefield’s heritage treasures. A former zoological garden, public bath house, and school, today it is a thriving arts and social venue, and the home of arts charity Beam, one of Yorkshire’s leading creative companies. Located immediately next to the city’s new mainline Westgate Station – and with one of the city’s few green spaces – The Orangery is in an ideal position to be a unique ‘creative gateway’ to the city centre and the wider district, and to play an important role in contributing to our area’s economy and community. But now the people at Beam want to take The Orangery to new heights. Not only are they looking to improve the existing facilities to make them more comfortable and flexible for visitors, but they also want to create a brand new extension that will increase the capacity of the building and the team’s ability to offer a wider range of events and exhibitions. Robert Powell, Director of Beam, says “Imagine what The Orangery might be like in three years’ time! By 2017, we want The Orangery to be a hive of creative activity, open seven days a week, from morning until night – a seamless part of arriving, living, playing, learning, and doing business in the city of Wakefield! The main entrance will be from Mulberry Way, next to Westgate Station, through a brand new contemporary 54
building that is a sculptural experience in its own right. “As part of the vision for The Orangery’s future, the back garden has been raised into the sky! It’s an accessible public space, and also forms the roof of a busy arts café and bar – at times showing art, or the latest plans and ideas for Wakefield’s regeneration. It’s a meeting place, a creative space for a coffee, a drink, creative and social exchange. “Down the stairs there’s a brand new state of the art performance and function space with up to 250 seats. And in the renewed historic part of the building there’s a reception and information point, more room for business and leisure, and access to the beautiful heritage grounds and gardens. It’s amazing – and it’s unique!” As a small charity with big ideas, Beam needs your help and have just launched a new ‘Friends of The Orangery’ membership scheme. Subscriptions and donations from the Friends will help to meet the cost of developing the existing facilities as well as ongoing maintenance and repair costs. Just as important, however, funds raised will also show ongoing community support and engagement with The Orangery, something that external funders always look for evidence of. Membership of The Friends costs just £50 a year for an individual and £75 for a family. Local businesses and organisations can show their support by taking out corporate membership for £200 a year. For more information, see www.the-orangery.uk.net or contact Fran Smith frances@beam.uk.net / 01924 215 550.
Sponsorship Match Day
Now ble availa 2015 e for th on. seas
Match Sponsorship
There are two options both of which are great ways to advertise your business. Both options include: • •
•
Hospitality Logo printed on the front page of the match day programmes Announcements throughout the day.
£1,750 + VAT
Ball Sponsorship
£650 + VAT
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as m o
Veri ty T h on 42 11 6 11
For m ore info rm ati on ,p
Our Match Sponsors also have the opportunity to distribute products and information around the stadium on the day.
2 9 1 0
CONFERENCE AND EVENTS WAKEFIELD TRINITY WILDCATS HAVE A RANGE OF FACILITIES TO CATER FOR ANY BUSINESS EVENT. WE CAN OFFER TEN SEATER CORPORATE BOXES TO LARGER ROOMS THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE UP TO 150 GUESTS. WITH FREE ON SITE PARKING AND IN HOUSE CATERING FACILITIES SERVING BOTH 3 COURSE MEALS OR HOT & COLD BUFFETS, THE CLUB HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO FIT YOUR REQUIREMENTS.
New 2015 shirts and season tickets are available to order online now. For details visit: www.wakefieldwildcats.co.uk Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 55
WWW.THE-PROJECT.C OM
The-project is an online team collaboration platform to accelerate project delivery and provide a standardised audited way of sharing information. By working more closely together teams can increase the benefits over the competition through early scrutiny and better collaboration. Additional benefits include: - Accelerated project delivery - Improved information control - Faster acceptance of deliverables - Less administrative burden - Transparent and audited way of working. - Standardised project delivery - Resilient centralised information The-project was launched in 1998 and is used by a wide range of clients from small community groups to large blue-chip clients such as Asda-Walmart who have used it since 1999 help manage store development.
C A S E S T U D Y : 11 5 A C R E M I L K D A I R Y
Features include eTendering, contacts, event manager, project notice board, file commenting and revision retention.
The-project.com has recently been used to help develop and construct one of Europe's biggest fresh milk dairies producing one billion litres of fresh milk each day with a development cost of ÂŁ150m. It will create almost 700 jobs and around 1000 construction jobs were created during development.
Langham house, 148 Westgate, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, WF2 9SR Tel: 01924 580999 Email: info@sarcophagus.co.uk
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Summer Issue August 2014
TopicUK
TEN GADGETS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2015 If you thought 2014 was awash with innovative gadgets, just wait for 2015! There are plenty of great new gadgets in the pipeline for this year. Paul Heigham, Director of Bellingham IT, has a look at ten new gadgets consumers and businesses should be getting excited about this year
fds Finance celebrate 25 years fds Corporate Finance held a party at their offices recently to celebrate their 25th anniversary. They were joined by a number of guests for a champagne reception, enjoying delicious canape’s whilst veiwing their stunning offices in the centre of Wakefield, which Managing Director Jo Haigh informs us they have already outgrown. fds Corporate Finance are a boutique corporate finance house operating in Wakefield, London and Birmingham. When your focus is on the day-to-day, taking a long-term view isn’t easy. The fds corporate finance team offers specialist advice to companies throughout the UK and beyond providing support and strategic planning for million to multi-million pound turnover companies and from initial concept to highly successful completions. Their aim is to help make the most of your assets, to help you find money to run the business, grow the business, create mergers and acquisitions mandates and plan for your financial future.
FOR THE BUSINESS ORIENTATED:
AND FOR THE CONSUMERS:
Logitech Bluetooth Multi-Device Keyboard This computer keyboard also works with your smart phone and tablet. In the top left corner is a an Easy-Switch dial which allows you to message on your phone, or access social media on your tablet, all while working at your computer.
Amazon Kindle Fire 2015 Edition The main expectation for the 2015 Edition is a jump to a 12 inch screen size (30.5cm). Confirmation of the specs will arrive earlier, but don’t expect to get your hands on one until around September 2015.
G-DRIVE ev SSD For a faster and more flexible way to share and distribute work, this drive features solid-state performance connected with USB 3.0, and transfer rates of up to 400MB/s. Livescribe Echo Smartpen This pen is also a recording device, allowing you to record audio while taking notes. You can then replay meetings by tapping on your notes, plus you can easily transfer your recordings and notes to your computer via a USB cable. iFusion The iFusion is an integrated communications docking station for your iPhone. It has built-in Bluetooth, speaker phone and ergonomic design to ensure superior voice quality, promising to meet the demanding requirements of business consumers.
Microsoft Surface Pro 4 The Pro 4 is due for release around May 2015 and will have a perfected hinge mechanism and add-on keyboards, plus it will include an Intel Broadwell 20nm chip to boost performance and battery life. Apple Watch The Apple Watch is not going to be quite as spectacular as we might have hoped, but it will still be an exciting new health and fitness-focused technology for fashionable tech-heads. LG G4 Smartphone There are so many new phones coming in 2015, but I’ll give the LG G4 a shout as it will be one of the most competitively priced smart phones out there. Expect the screen to undergo a massive improvement as that was the G3’s biggest weakness. As we can see, the race for innovation certainly shows no sign of dwindling in 2015 – great news for businesses and consumers.
NEC VE281 Mobile Projector Specially designed for small to medium-sized businesses, NEC’s VE281 mobile projector provides high brightness for when heavy ambient light is present but the area is too small for a large projector.
Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 57
GET SOCIAL
WITH YOUR LOCAL CHAMBER CONNECTIONS COUNT: Enjoy a light breakfast and an opportunity to make some valuable new contacts. Delegates get the chance to introduce their business in a short elevator pitch and follow-up new
business leads. It's a great way to make new contacts in a friendly but focused way. You're also welcome to bring your company literature and banner stands.
When? The first Thursday of every month from 09:30–11:00 Where? We rotate the location within the Mid Yorkshire region More info: It's FREE to members and just £10 to non-members. Book your place online at www.mycci.co.uk/events or contact tracy.smith@mycci.co.uk tel: 01924 311607.
Follow @MidYorksChamber and #ConnectionsCount on Twitter
MY Network Wakefield Join the Chamber and partners for this informal networking opportunity, come along and make some new contacts in a relaxed setting and enjoy a drink on us!
Run in partnership with Barclays, CIM, Copiserv, First Choice, Ramsdens Solicitors LLP, Statement and the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.
When? The second Friday of the month from 12:30-13:30 Where? The Hop, Bank Street, Wakefield, WF1 1EH. More info: No need to book, just turn up! Follow @MidYorkshireNet and #MYNetworkWakey on Twitter.
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Royal Armouries Museum and Hall, Leeds
The perfect combination for your next Conference, Banquet & Exhibition Enjoying an enviable and prestigious waterside location near to Leeds city centre; the Royal Armouries Museum and NEW DOCK hall, offer a huge range of options for your next event. RAI are a UK leading conference & events team. We deliver conferences, banquets, exhibitions and events from 20 to 1200 delegates and co-ordinate every aspect of your event from the initial planning through to your transport home.
Quality Counts
Member
RAI EXH/CONFER TOPIC UK 235x190.indd 1
Corporate Hospitality & Event Management by Royal Armouries international Armouries Drive, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS10 1LT Web: www.rai-events.co.uk Email: enquiries@rai-events.co.uk Tel: 0113 220 1990 Fax: 0113 220 1997
Winter Issue January 2015 TopicUK 59 15/11/2014 19:30